Out of control dogs / not bothered owners!

Not really sure why I'm posting this, just need a bit of a rant

Out on our walk this morning and a Labrador just suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and began playing a bit of chase with the girls. Now I don't mind them mixing with other dogs at all but looking around I couldn't see the owner of this dog anywhere. Stayed in one spot for a few minutes whilst they were playing, and eventually his owners appeared in the field - they hadn't even been in the same field as us! Hadn't heard them attempting to call him back or anything.

Eventually after a couple more minutes he loped back to his owners and we carried on walking. Again a few minutes later he appeared, no attempt from him owners to call him back whatsoever. He ended up stealing Rayne's ball so when he dropped it I picked it up as we had already lost one that morning and were on the last one at this point the Labrador proceeded to jump up at me repeatedly, trying to snatch the ball out of my hand. Put the ball in my pocket and he still kept leaping up at me as high as my face height, jumping into me each time. STILL no attempt from his owners to call him back.

In the end they caught up with us, didn't even say a word and just continued into the next field and eventually he followed them.

Now I know he was a nice dog, wasn't being nasty at all but it really ruined our walk for a good half an hour. Poor Rayne couldn't play with her ball which is literally ALL she wants to do and was getting really frustrated, Luna kept getting squished and I kept getting a very large soggy Labrador jumping on me. Now I'm only tiny and luckily I'm tougher than I look, but I can't help thinking what if I'd had a child with me, what if I had been pregnant, or been an old person I would have easily been knocked flying, and his owners were not in the slightest bit bothered.

Couldn't really be bothered with a confrontation this morning so I didn't say anything (though really wishing I had).

Thing is I know that my dogs aren't perfect, and Luna's recall isn't 100%, and as a result she is on a long line in case she decides that I don't exist, which means that I can get her back under control quickly if need be. It doesn't take much to take extra measures to control your dog if you know that they have a tendancy to do as they wish!

Sorry for the rant! Just needed to vent it somewhere!

I feel your pain! Twice recently I have had large labradors come running up to my pack growling and with their hackles up. The first one, the owner was too far away to hear me asking her to call it off and then proceeded to make a complaint against me because I tried to keep it away from Jack with my foot - apparently I was attacking her dog! The second one, the owner ignored my requests to call the dog off so I told him I was concerned about my dog, inferring that it was aggressive and he immediately called his away! Now Jack isn't aggressive but he has been attacked recently and I didn't want him to feel threatened again. Both owners said their dogs were friendly but, with that approach, how am I supposed to know that?

Sorry you're lovely walk got ruined.Did sound like a lovely dog,pity about the owners though

Strange this should have been posted today. I took my boy out this morning - earlier than normal. I played with him and he played with his ball, he was fairly tired from the day before. After 20 minutes of so, I clipped on his lead and headed back. Just as I got the corner of the lane I heard someone shouting "NO" ... so I kind of knew it was a dog, low and behold Lincoln who is my dog's arch enemy came charging down the grassy slope towards us, I was petrified as he's a big brown Labrador that has zero manners. My dog reacted extremely aggressively and it was all I could do to hold him back on his lead, Lincoln was reacting back and I seriously thought there was going to be a serious punch up, I started shouting "NOOO" but by that time they were really trying to go for one another - at least Lincoln does kind of back-off when my one becomes aggressive but not in an obvious way - takes his time. The owner came running down the field and saw me and said "Oh my God I thought by all the shouting he was murdering someone" which I thought was a real put-down, as he was trying to clip the lead onto his dog they were both straining at the end of their leads screaming blue murder at each other - I think the idea of murder was in the air.

I can control and distract my dog with most other dogs, but Lincoln is another case altogether. My heart was beating so hard and I was shaking afterwards. I felt sorry for my dog too because it really wasn't his fault (this time!).

Oh yes. I hear you. Most dogs and people in my area are absolutely fine, but there are the aberrant few who make no attempt whatsoever to so much as keep an eye on their dogs. My three are generally well-behaved, but if I encounter a maniacal aggressor hell-bent on bullying my elderly mutt and the Noisy Little One, given that I have to keep the Akita on lead and *never* want him to get into a scrap with anything, there is very little I can do. What I have done in this situation is use my voice: Crazy Banshee Lady seems to be quite intimidating to strange dogs, and can summon human help (even if it's not the help of the owners, who are about half a mile away plastered out of their minds on cheap cider) and my own dogs know that Crazy Banshee Lady Mode means they should come to me, right now.

I'm sure sometimes the other dog only wants to play, but with all the mixed signals-- hackles up and all that-- and with my eldest being rather delicate these days, I am grateful for peace and grateful to all the good, responsible dog owners. Wish they could all be that way.

So annoying isn't it and usually the same people each time I find. Where we walk some lovely friendly dogs and mine are friendly too, but number of walks that have been spoiled by uncontrolled dogs almost squishing Betty or jumping on poor old Mollie who can't take much leaping on before she gets hurt. One dog in particular doesn't seem to matter what time of day we walk seems to be there off lead and interfering in other people's walks. His owner keeps her girls on leads because they are "unpredictable" but lets her boy just annoy everyone else with his zero recall. Always once she has caught him she lets him off again immediately so it all starts up again !