I can see the OP's point though. If the gardens were advertising as "children welcome, as long as they're wellbehaved" you wouldn't really turn up expecting the garden owner's kids to be running riot in the garden. If the rule is dogs on-lead then I would expect the owner's dogs to be restained too.
Yes, it's their garden and their right to have their dogs loose if they want but seems a bit odd to invite members of the public around, put rules in place, then break those rules themselves. If it was someone without dogs who turned up, not being too keen on dogs but expecting any dogs there to be on-lead and easily avoidable, it can't be pleasant to find loose dogs running around. A fair warning that there will be loose dogs, or adhering to their own rules, is only polite in my opinion.

Yes I can see both points of view.

Maybe garden owners who say "OL dogs welcome" have such laid back dogs it never occurs to them there might be an issue?

And dog owners assume, by the OL rule, that this would also include the garden owner.

I am not interested in wandering around other people's gardens so it would never occur to me, but if by any chance in the future I DO, I would not take my dogs with me.

I can see her point, but cant agree with it,

Those who open their garden for public viewing will be working all day, from around 10 till 5, on both days over a week end, serving teas/coffees, selling plants, taking others round their garden, they will be extremely busy, and if liek my friend if the weather is bad, open their kitchen for the tea rooms.... it is unreasonable to expect their dogs to be 1) locked away , 2) kept on a lead for all of the two days , what if someoen lets one of the dogs out, you will have the same situation, visiting dogs on lead and resident dogs of lead.

As for the children , the same apply, its your home your rules, if you dont want visiting children or dogs running riot round your garden, its your choice to make the rule, what you allow your own to do is immaterial.

If you are worried about there beign resident dogs loose, then its best not to take yours into someone else's garden.

Yes thanks-this is exactly the point I was trying to make!
There were some people yesterday who were sitting on the grass eating their cakes who did not look happy about the large dog sitting next to them drooling at their cakes! They had no dogs with them by the way!
I'm not saying people SHOULDN'T let their dogs roam-it's their own house and garden-up to them-I'm just surprised it's not advertised correctly as the info you get would lead you to believe that all dogs you meet will be on a short lead.

I agree, you may have a dog phobic/allergic visitor, (ie not really phobic but does not like them loose etc).

a bit like me and how i feel about children..........

I agree best advice all round really, then if people who dont like dogs know that they will be seeing some if they go in that garden, and people who have dogs that could have probs with off lead dogs could adviod those gardens. Trouble is the only gardens that would accept dogs are probably the ones that have dogs, as non doggy people can be verry funny about dogs in thier gardens.

I thought you had children SB?
Mind you I feel like that about other people's children and yet I love and enjoy the company of my great-niece and great-nephew but they are well-brought up and polite, well-behaved children which is more than be said for my neighbour's and other people's children that we meet unfortunately!