Opinions please????

Took the wooflets for a walk on the promenade tonight with my Mum. It was busy with people walking dogs, cyclists, joggers and people just out for a stroll. All dogs offlead except for Dan, as he is a bike chaser. Saw someone coming up towards us with two Boxers, and I recognised them as I used to see them last summer quite a lot. Their younger one was offlead and playing with a ball, the older one on a flexi. Last year our dogs played with these two a lot and they were friendly so I didn't call them back. Rio had a run with the younger one and Rogue went to say hi to the older one. I would usually call her away from a dog on lead, but as we knew the people I didn't. Anyhoo, the woman didn't say anything and the Boxer suddenly went for Rogue and luckily missed. I called Rogue and she came back and the woman said 'keep them away or she'll have them'. If she knows her dog is funny with other dogs - and it wasn't all mouth, it did want to actually bite - shouldn't she have called a warning / had a proper short lead / not walked on the prom when it was so busy / muzzled the dog etc? I try to be a responsible dog owner by having Dan on a short lead where there may be things be doesn't like and keeping him away from them (and he doesn't bite) why can't others do the same? I've already had to stop going to our local park in the evening because one of the regular dogs attacked Louie and also had a snap at Dandy and Rogue last week. I'm going to have nowhere to walk at this rate!

I agree she shouldn't have it on a loose flexi. But I do think she has every right to walk in such a busy place. Muzzled? - not sure - yes if it has a bite history. She had her dog under control, it was YOUR dogs that approached hers and had anything serious resulted in it, injury to both dogs, you would be liable, would you not?

One of my dogs can be 'funny with other dogs'-dogs which growl at her or charge threatingly up to her, she will always retaliate with noise(has never bitten). However she is kept on a lead - short lead by my side when other dogs are around.

Offleaders do run over to us, if she doesn't feel threatened by them she'll leap and play a little. But if she feels threatened she will growl, sometime even snarl at them. Now I really don't feel her or I am to blame - I always feel a little annoyed at the owners of the offleader who has let their dog charge up to her in that manner. I once had a stand up argument with a man who told me she should be muzzled - although his dog was ignoring his call as it ran up to mine - who was obviously stressed and I was yelling at him to get his dog under control.

One of my other dogs is great offlead but I always feel a little embarrased if he approaches dogs who are on a lead who don't want him appraoching, even if he just wants a quick sniff as he goes by, did you not feel slightly embarrased?

I have to say that I have experienced many off lead dogs in the last few weeks, charging up to my newly rehomed dog on his flexi lead, and whilst most were friendly some were not and it did not do his confidence any good at all. Fortunately with "dogged" (sorry for the pun) use of a treat every time he met a dog and refrained from growling or retaliating he now stands calmly on the whole, and plays with those who are friendly.

However, my heart does always sink when offlead dogs approach and the owner does not appear to have control.

Agreed.

Even if you get a "it's ok, he's friendly" (if I had a £ for everytime ) to me, just an excuse for "apologies - not one bit of recall!"

Hence why I myself get embarassed at times when Zeke goes over to sniff, he does it quietly and steadily, but it's proving what I already know - that his recall goes out the window if he sees a dog he really likes the look of and wants to meet. Luckily he doesn't stray far from my side so I am always there to persuade him to me! But if anything were to happen, if I couldn't get him away quick enough, I would take full responsibility - at that moment I didn't have full control.

I totally agree with you. An aggressive dog should not be walked in a busy area on the full length of a Flexi. Major pet peeve of mine actually, especially as my Lab has been on the receiving end of aggressive dogs on Flexi's twice.

Me and mine too! Silly woman tripped ME up!

I disagree that a dog can be fully under control if it is roaming full length on a Flexi. When a Spaniel (at the end of it's Flexi) once tried to attack my Lab, who was also on a lead, was it under control? I don't think so. For me a short lead at the owners side = under control. 20ft ahead on a piece of string = not under control.

Totally agree!!

How do we know the dog was at the full length of the flexi? The OP doesn't say that.

Agreed, which is why the first thing I said in response was that it should have been on a short lead not a flexi.

However, one dog on a lead (albeit flexi) vs one dog offlead = which one is under more control in the case of an insurance dispute? On lead.