Im quite sure you would be able to tell tbh!
Alot of dogs dont get collies

But i do get your point!!!!

I think there are lots of badly mannered dogs out there that will just rush in -my OHs been two of them i HATE going out with him,& my Mav is a little ***k*r tbh, if dogs approach him, esp if hes close to me, hes fine if they arent too in his face, but i have to watch him & am always on the watch out, however i have alot of confidence in being able to read him & the other dog & if he feels unsure he will come back to me rather than diving in,

Lots of interesting points on here!!! im enjoying reading all the different POV!!! Must thought provocing!

There have been quite a few times when my dog has been on lead and 3/4 dogs have ran up to her sniffing her back end and that can be quite intimidating - the owners don't do anything either, they just carry on walking, fortunately, although my dog jumps about a bit as she obviously doesn't like it, she doesn't react aggressively. Some people can be really precious about their dogs, theres a woman with a JRT who either picks it up or tells my dog to ****** off which really annoys me ! i know her dog isn't aggressive but she just doesn't seem to want my dog around it. I've actually had people cross the other side of the road to avoid my dog - but that could be because their dog is not good with other dogs i suppose. Some people just don't like greyhounds around their dogs, i know some people have preconceived ideas of rotties, staffies etc which is also annoying !

Its all interesting reading, i have 4 and have seen people turn and walk away even when they have been on lead, none of them are bad dogs and all have pretty good manners.

FWIW when millie was reactive to other dogs, i always found she was worse when she was on her lead,, if she was off, she would go straight past any dog she came across, if she was on she would bark and carry on like a good un.

Having had a reactive dog i know its rocak and hard place time, with mine if we are in the woods and we see an on lead dog coming towards us we just take them off the path and tell em to find us some birdies or squirrels, this keeps them occupied until the other dog has passed.

PS they never manage to catch any

I grew up with dogs and started attending dog training classes when i was a teenager. At that time we had 3 dogs; a male and female boxer and a mongrel. The male was dog agressive. My 3 dogs walked beautifully to heel on the lead and we could walk by another dog without the male even looking. But to let him off for exercise i had to be sure there weren't any dogs around and i'd put him on quick if i saw one. I used to hate it when other dogs ran over to us when he was on the lead because he would then get very wound up and sometimes if the other dog was on the bolshy side it would esculate.
When i left home and worked full time i couldn't have my own dog so over the years i still did some dog training with some of my mums dogs but despite that and having cats, a husband and 2 children I still had a longing........
At the grand age of 41 last year I finally persuaded my husband that we should have our own dog, Polar!! (I'm never going to be without a dog again now, I waited far too long!!) He's a rescue dog and was not aggressive with other dogs which was wonderful!
When off the lead he's always keen to go over to a dog, have a sniff then carry on, often leaving the other dog bouncing around or looking disapointed as if to say i thought you'd play with me! It's as if he doesn't know how to pay, although he was fostered with other dogs before i had him. Actually he does play a bit with my mums 2 dogs when they manage to entice him!
Polar is quite obedient generally but I am still working on heel-work (have another thread going re this!) and when he is on the lead he pulls to get to other dogs. When i first had him he didn't whine or bark at them but a few things have happened and now he sometimes does. If another dog on lead or in it's own garden is going loopy as we pass he joins in and gets very distressed. It's as if he can't bear being barked at and finds it very stressful.
I think this is fear aggression and am trying to work on it. I have just changed dog training groups and think this new one will be a big help. I have been trying to distract him with treats but he's not very interested when on the lead so it's quite difficult.
I need to get him mixing with socialable dogs to build his confidence but that is easier said than done! I don't have any close friends with dogs and despite walking in different areas dont seem to find may other dogs, but i do try to go to busier places when i can.
When loose, some dogs we just pass with the dogs having a sniff and the other walker just continuing, sometimes walkers will call their dogs back when they see us and i will call and say mines friendly - to which they often say, well mines not! so i call Polar back. If they do stop for a quick chat Polar has a sniff then wanders off as if bored!
One thing i have noticed is that people say their dog is ok at first but then turns so they dont want to stop and risk it. This seems quite common and I'm not sure what causes it. I've seen it happen twice with Polar, once on the lead and once off, and although i was watching I couldn't see a warning. Both dogs sniffing, wagging tails (although i know that doesn't always mean things are ok) and looked quite calm together, then suddenly the other dog has attacked Polar. Because I didn't read any warning signs it has made me a bit wary i suppose. On the other hand I've had some people reluctant to let the dogs mix but their dog hasn't gone for Polar and they are really surprised - he's very calm and non-pushy with dogs when he's off lead.
If i see a loose dog i assume its ok and leave mine loose but i vary what i do if i see a dog on lead. If its barking or body language doesn't look good then i will call Polar back and either put him on lead or hold him while they pass. otherwise i generally ask if theres is friendly and if he is i leave mine off but call him away if the owners seem to be struggling!
I am suprised how many people never let their dogs off though, not through aggression but either due to running off or too boisterous etc. How do these dogs get enough exercise? I have a problem with Polar sometimes chasing scents etc which I'm working on and is improving but I've read that you shouldn't let your dog off until perfect recall - but then he wouldn't get nearly enough exercise and would be frustrated and surely want to chase even more then! Anyway, going off on a side line there!
I can see it from both points of view, having had a dog aggressive dog and wishing dogs would keep away and now having a dog in need of socialsing and wishing people wouldn't keep their dogs away!
I'm interested in dog training and behaviour and read lots of articles, some books and talked to lots of people. It seems the more I learn, the more I realise I DONT know and it seems such a minefield!
There are lots of owners who never do any training or reading etc and although they mean well, dont know much about dogs, then theres a lot in between and then the truly experienced and knowledgeable like a lot of you on dogsey!
I am a receptionist at a vets (for 13 yrs) and see a wide variation of dogs and people!
I dont think its realistic to expect all dog owners to have the experience and knowledge that lots of you have. Lots of dog owners haven't a clue about dog behaviour or even realise that its something they should know about! I know thats not how it should be but it doesn't mean they are bad or uncaring people.
It's a bit like having a baby - despite everyones advise and warnings you dont really have a clue what to expect or know what you are doing and you learn as you go along. Not ideal but thats what happens a lot of the time with children and dogs - well, and life really! Only when things go wrong to people look more deaply into things! You dont get a mock baby or dog to learn from and anyway they are all so different you could never cover everything!
Things arn't always as they seem either; if you walked your dog passed our old boxer on a lead you'd think he'd be fine with other dogs and wasn't; but Polar is fine but doesn't look it when he's having a loopy on the lead and yapping and lunging to get to another dog!
Sadly, dont we all learn from our dogs and get better as we learn more? Couldn't we all look back and cringe at some of the ways we did or didn't do things?

my Hector gets very excited when he spots off lead dogs as he wants to play every time. thats not a problem in my eyes as i love to see him playing with other dogs BUT other owners dont see it the same i do ask if he can play but 9 times out of 10 they wont allow it as he's so big and might hurt their dog
so he has to go back on his lead.

what really gets up my nose is the owners who DONT put their dogs back on the leads when....

1. there are notices asking dogs to be kept on leads

2. when their dogs are running around exciting others who, for whatever reason, cant join in.

the 2nd reason is more about respect for others that gets forgotten about because they think their dog is not a problem but it has become one when another dog is uncomfortable with the loose dog.

Now Bonnie will ignore other dogs and look to me to see if she can play and wont bother if the answer is no. she has me and is happy with her lot.

what i'm saying here is every dog is different and will react differently in whatever situation arises.

respect others regardless of wether your dog is well behaved.

as for reading other dogs, yes, us savvie people might be able too but most will wonder how!

maybe a article for those who would like to know would be beneficial.

"Are we creating a generation of unsocialable dogs"? YES, we are in my opinion. I have seen a HUGE change in the way dog walkers and other dogs interact with others in the last 10 years. When I was a kid (10 years old, 10 years ago) I would go everywhere with my Collie. All the local kids would play outside until it got dark, as would our dogs. Off lead, too (we lived in a very quiet cul-de-sac -- I would not attempt this now), and I honestly don't EVER remember them having issues. Other dogs/owners would walk past, said hello and had a quick play, and then went on their merry way.

Fast forward to now and boy have times changed. We seem to have a mixture of dog owners around here. There are some nasty, dominatrix types (usually own German Shepherds or working dogs) who don't allow their dogs to socialize and give you the evil eye as your 'out of control' dog trots past, ignoring their dog that looks petrified while heeling. There is a mad woman who lives near me that beats her Lab with a stick if it so much as disobeys her (this dog came up to us once, and I when I went to pet it he fliched away immediately ) , and another time my dog got kicked by man and I had sexist abuse hurled at me. My dogs crime? sniffing his dog (also off lead) in park full of dogs running around together.

Granted, the dog owning morons are (around these parts) the minority but it certainly puts you off. As a result, I am sadly weary of my dogs interactions with others. It is a vicious circle.

Sadly many dog owners are totally unable to read canine body language. I must admit it has been a hard slog with Loki getting him to stop approaching on lead dogs, but training and treats has improved him no end. He was never a charger anyway, more of a cautious sniffer, but I know people find him intimidating (for some reason ) and I have worked hard with him. Rio will play with other dogs but she doesn't run towards them and never bothers on lead dogs so we have been blessed this time!

An old lady once hit Loki with an umbrella when he approached her off lead Old English Sheepdog, which was double his size as he was only a pup. When I challenged her she said 'well he has his hackles up, he was going to attack.' (meaning Loki) and I had to explain that hackles don't mean the dog is going to attack, they mean he wants to appear bigger because he is nervous, but he wouldn't have attacked! People think that hackles mean aggression, waggy tails mean happy and growling is the same as attacking even though Lottie growls really loud in play. You would think that people would make more effort to know about the animal that they share their lives with!

A trainer once said to me that most of the people who own dogs shouldn't be allowed to. I think that's true.

Having 3 dogs, 2 of which are largish, I am well aware that when they say hello to a single dog, they can be a bit overpowering so I generally stop the mobbing behaviour. My dogs are happy to say hello and come away when I call them, they dont make nuisances of themselves generally and are well socialised.

However, I do see owners panic a little when they see 3 dogs approaching off lead and many dont like them to say hello all at once to their dog. They either put their dog on a lead or try and pass as quickly as possible.

A while ago we met a couple with a puppy cocker. This cocker was fairly confident and didnt have a problem with my 3 sniffing him. The male owner panicked and picked up the dog who started to wriggle in his arms as he wanted to play. The female owner then said perhaps the pup could say hello to my dogs one at a time but the man was having none of it and refused to put the pup down.

It's amazing how many people scoop up their dogs when they see another approach. I dont think I ever picked any of mine up even when they were pups and believe me, they often got picked on as they were seen as easy targets.

It's difficult to weigh up now as so many dogs seem to have issues with other dogs so I simply call mine to the side and make them wait whilst the other dog passes. I do think alot of owners overeact and treat their dogs with kid gloves by putting them on lead or picking them up instead of letting them interact and learn dog etiquette and IMO, this causes problems.

I always have a little grumble to myself when I see people doing such things as I think they are creating an issue for themselves, their dog and other dogs they may come across.

im really enjoying reading all these posts, there are so many idiots owning dogs.

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I used to live on Exmoor & im sure the dogs were more sociable there, so new talking point

Are dogs from the countryside more socialable from the dogs from the cities (generalization)????