If someone sees you coming and quickly turns and walks in another direction then surely that's as big an indication that they don't want you or your dogs approaching as putting a leash on would be? It always has been to me anyway.

I do think that dog owners should ask before letting their dogs run off and play together. I don't mind whether both dogs are on lead at the start or off lead so long as they are under control.

So much hard work is undone by the 'don't worry, he's friendly' brigade who see nothing wrong with their dog running up to every dog they see and so much distress is caused to elderly, infirm dogs and their owners who just want a quiet stroll.

If you can't control your dog when it is off lead, clip the lead on when there's another dog in the vicinity. Courtesy costs nothing, but it gives so much in terms of relaxing walks for ALL dog owners not just those with 'friendly' dogs

Yes it generally would be for most people, but a lead is a much clearer and safer option.

Is it?

If an off-lead dog approaches my dog when he is on-lead I can virtually guarantee he will bite it.

Don't get me wrong, I don't walk my dog off-lead along narrow paths where there are lots of dogs running free and expect people to leash there dogs when they see me approach. I choose carefully where I walk and tend to stick to large open areas that are not crowded with dogs and avoid blind corners etc. I do more than my fair share to ensure a low risk of being disturbed by off lead dogs interfering with mine. I am able to call Polo away instantly if I spot a dog.

If a dog is still allowed to approach mine despite this, 99% of the time he would have a quick sniff and carry on but if he became tense I would tell the other dog to get lost before my dog decides to bite.

The chilling way I would go about this could be anything from using my voice to, putting said dog on a slip lead, blocking it with my walking pole or whacking the ground. If the other owner does not like this there is a simple answer

Sorry, but I think that situation calls for a muzzle.

Agreed, anything less is playing dice.

Well I have just read the article and completely agree with it

We encounter this on nearly every walk, our Mals are always on lead with our Aussie running free. Whenever we spot another dog we recall the Aussie (yes everytime) and hold his collar until we are past. So this morning, on two separate occasions, people let their dogs (2 each time) run up to ours (who are all on leads and/or being held by their collar at this point) whilst the owner is ineffectually trying to recall them. Now the majority of the time it isn't an issue, the Mals are on lead because I don't trust their recall in all situations, not because they aren't dog friendly, but the number of times supposedly friendly dogs have come up to ours and started growling is unreal (thankfully ours are still fairly good in this situation, but they are not happy with other dogs coming up and growling in their face and neither am I!). I don't like my dogs to be forced into a situation simply because others can't control their off lead dogs. If I know the dog and the owner is ok, then we let our Aussie off so they can have a good play with the other dog, and the Mals are allowed to play on lead, but I always recall our Aussie first and I would expect other owners to do the same! If you can't recall your dog then keep it on a long line or a lead until you have trained it to a sufficient standard.

Yes in a perfect world with perfect owners and perfectly behaved pets it would be great if all dogs could always come when called, owners would universally understand other owners body language etc etc. Fact is it is not perfect and this will keep on occurring regularly, because that is the way it is.

In my view, if you have a pet who is dangerous to other dogs (regardless of on or offlead) then muzzle is the answer. The owner of the aggressive dog can relax and enjoy the walk knowing that no harm can come to any other dog that might get too close.

Why should the emphasis be on the majority of owners for the benefit of the minority because they are 'special needs'?

There seems to be a misconception that the 'friendly' dog should be allowed to do what it likes because it is friendly.

Word of warning, friendly dog will not be a friendly dog for long if it is allowed to continually run up to other dogs willy-nilly. Maybe then, the 'friendly dog' owner will realise just why manners and courtesy are so important so that all dog owners can enjoy their walk

A muzzled dog can still seriously hurt another dog though. Rupert broke one dogs ribs while muzzled. 3 dogs rushed us off leash on the street, one got past me and ended up hurt. Who's at fault there? Not me as far as I'm concerned,the dogs should have been leashed.

And what about the damage on the other side? What about the hours of work I've put in with my dog teaching him that other dogs aren't going to come running over and that he doesn't need to worry about it? Then a dog comes running over, usually growling and barking, and all that work was for nothing. Rupe goes back to being highly reactive to loose dogs and we start the cycle again.