**Some off topic posts have been removed

Hi Moon's Mum, SB, and all the other responsible owners who have posted here. I absolutely agree with you all that it's the right and responsible thing to do to just be aware and have a measure of sensitivity to other people's dogs. I say this for a number of reasons;
firstly I believe it's common courtesy to not just let your dog off lead and not care what anyone else thinks. It's great if your dog is friendly and I would love to be in that position but you don't know, and shouldn't speculate, why someone else's dog is on lead etc and you certainly shouldn't be judgemental about it.
secondly I know how you feel Moon's Mum coz Cap is the same. As you, SB and TabithaJ know, Cap is fear agressive and was a stray so we didn't know his background and he went through a stage where I really thought he would have to be rehomed but, like you, I couldn't give up on him. So whilst we work with him to ease his anxieties, of which there are many poor baby, we keep him on a lead and have a 30 footer for him to run about on for some amount of freedom. Also, we don't let him socialise with other dogs until his recall is nailed and he has had some training with calm stooge dogs. I do this for Cap's sake as well as everyone elses because, if I didn't and, god forbid he attacked a dog or a person, he would be requested to be put to sleep and i would be brandished an irresponsible dog owner. It's a horrible position to be in and I feel for you because I've also tried walking Cap at every hour of the day to come across the least amount of dogs, I've found 9.30am works well coz I work from home and everyone else round here seems to be at the office by then
The funniest thing about this post is the stupid comments about Richmond Park being a ghetto - I may well be moving down there in a few weeks so if I do, I will give you a shout and maybe we could work towards walking our fear-agressive dogs separately but together on leads both wearing flourescent yellow t-shirts with "Mange-tastic" on them!! I don't think it matters where you are in the country to be honest, at the moment I live in Scunthorpe and it's pooch central. To me, all this says is that our nation has a love for dogs that just won't go away and we should celebrate that and just use common sense when you can see someone struggling, trust that there is a reason they are walking away and have some bloody respect! and go and get your dog!!

ahem, ok I'm finished now but just wanted to show my support - chin up hun, we are all behind you. about half a mile behind you with our dogs on leads.....

Just to say I also think MOON'S MUM is fab and doing exceptionally well with CAIN - you go, girl

Thank you Loki's Mum and Greenmissjp, both spot on! Your post made me laugh greenmissjp! You're doing a cracking job with Captain. There are so many reasons that dogs can be on leads, not just aggression. I know people who walk their dogs on lead after an operation such as a spay, or are trying to limit their exercise due to an injured leg, or have problems such as hip displasia. Some dogs are not aggressive but are highly nervous of other dogs and don't need the stress. Some owners may simply be in a rush or want to walk in peace without being bothered by other peoples dogs. None of these dogs need being jumped all over by other dogs, even if they are just "being friendly". People need to consider this.

Thank you all who have given kind comments about Cain, but I'm really not fishing for complements. I could name at least 10 other people on Dogsey who are all doing fantastic jobs with their challenging dogs, many of which have posted on this thread. I think we all do it simply because we lobe our dogs All I'd like is just a touch of common sense from the general public.

I can only sympathise with you we meet our fair share of people who can't recall their dog i understand that dogs will go occasionaly deaf and fail to recall but it is the owners who make very little effort to recall their dogs or come and collect them when the dog on lead is clearly stressed that winds me up. Having said that we are lucky to live somewhere that for the most part we can avoid them. I can walk early and late and there are several places i go where we will likely only meet a few people we went on a 7mile walk on friday morning along the river we saw maybe 12 dogs only one came over and ignored its owner who was on crutches so could hardly run and fetch it They where all in the first 2 miles after that we didn't meet a soul it was lovely Tonight i took Ted for a walk along the river and only met my uncle walking his dog but we walked there Saturday evening and Ted was humped by a lab who's owners just walked past calling the dog and saying how stupid it was but made no effort to come and get it I had purposefully stood well off the path and waited with Ted calmly sat next to me for them to pass We then met a bloke with a GSD who recalled his dog and as i turned my back to walk further off the path to let them pass i turned round to find the dog behind us Ted then kicked off, why could he not put his dog on lead or hold his collar to walk the few steps past us the dog recalled first time so why let it go off again I always make a point of saying thank you to people who either call their dogs away or put them on a lead I have worked hard to get Ted calm around other dogs and he has come on a lot recently but i don't want all that work unravelled by somebody who won't take control of their dog.

We sometimes meet a bloke on one of the fields we walk who is very much of the attitude my dog is friendly and if yours isn't you should only be allowed to walk it on the street. Luckily for me Ted is very tolerant of his dog who is called Bounce (gives you a clue to his tempermant ). The reason i walk there is because generally there is no one else using it which means Ted gets off and has a good run, he actually got a bit funny with me when Bounce took a flying leap onto Ted's back to which Ted told him off. I have no problem with this but did call Ted back to me the blokes response was that Bounce was only playing i just responded with well Ted obviously dosen't want to play! Since then though Bounce is much more calm and tends to leave my grumpy old man in peace

I wonder in what way us humans would react if another human came bouncing up to us and in effect tried to rape us or be aggressive ?

I know some people will say a dog humping a dog is natural and so it may be to some but in a pack that would not be allowed there would be the top dogs who would keep that in check and tell off the naughty pups or dogs verbally.

This happened to Ollie when he was two he cried out in pain thankfully the man whose dog it was always took caution round us after that and many other dogs as his dog had a big problem with humping he is a great dane. It set Ollie off on the path of getting in first whenever on a lead beter off though but he would tell off dogs who got in his his face or near his rear end.

If a dog is minding its own business and does not want to be humped or jumped on it should be allowed the right not to be in my bok yes it shold be allowed that courtesy after seeing Ollie get so distressed i vowed he woul dnever be inthat position again and nor willmy next dog be if your dog cannot play without the need for humping or being aggressive then go away.

I would not of let my children play with children who continually beat them up why should it be any different for my dog ?

It amazes me that us who keep our dogs undr control are the ones seemingly in the wrong with a lot pf people we need a very thick skin.

Tell me about it. I've lost count of how many times I've been told I shouldn't have a vicious dog out in public when he's had a go at a dog that's run up to him. My dog is leashed, often muzzled (I know the repeat offenders with friendly dogs) and certainly isn't running off to start fights so why the hell am I the one in the wrong??

And for what it's worth, I don't go to places full of strange dogs, I stick to walking on the streets where I shouldn't have to deal with loose dogs. And I've had this problem in Manchester and in Northern Ireland so it's definitely not just a problem where MoonsMum lives.

Maybe next time you should walk Cain away, hand him to your OH then go and run and jump on the other dog's owner, walk right in front of them, sniff at their derriere and so on. Afterall, you're just being friendly, so it's OK

Their dog might be friendly but how do they know yours is not. I'v had this with a foster dog i had, he was muzzled and on lead and still people allowed their dogs to run up to him and then stood and watched me struggle ! fecking idiots.

ahhh yes thought it was just me who meets these numptys when i see a dog ty doesnt know hes kept on a shorter lead ie usually on extendy and i put his muzzle on as some dogs he just doesnt like though some hes good with but not worth taling the risk today i was walking both my dogs i saw a lab in front of us so i put tys muzzle on (he doesnt really like labs as he has been attacked by a few ) owner oblivious to us being behind her to be fair if i didnt have to go in that direction i would have changed route 3 times it charged towards us untill i finally shouted to the owner my dog is muzzled please can you not let your dog charge at us no apology just as many post have said a look as if to say why you walking it in this field then my dog just wants to play. i think your doing great with cain and i hope i can do as well with ty keep up the good work