cultural differences maybe?
Some cultures see dogs as dirty and undesirable.

i too live in a city and in an area with a fairly high ethnic population, like you i have people, ok, normally kids, that run screaming when they see my dogs coming.

But, talking to my neighbours I understand that part of it is a cultural thing, for example, there is a lovely somali family at the end of the road but the oldest generation are petrified of the dogs being anywhere near them - but this is because dogs they saw in Somalia were frequently rabid or carried diseases, similarly with my immediate neighbours, for them culturally dogs are unclean so they have never had them, their entire families have never interacted with dogs and they don't know how to behave around them (though it has now been pointed out that screaming and brandishing sticks etc is seriously not a good plan).

Having spoken to the parents of the kids in the street they are more than happy for them to learn how to interact with my dogs, who they know are good with kids, and free from diseases etc. Its taken a while but most will now come stroke them and certainly none of them run screaming.

Now if i could just pursuade the chavvy british kids i meet on the local park not to hurl abuse and scare the living daylights out of me that would be good

Yeah I guess you're right guys. However, it is extremely difficult to educate or try to persuade anyone who is screaming like a loon, that your dog is ok. I would understand if she was even mildly interested in them. And as for the chav population they just ask me if I want to breed with their scabby looking dog of the week!!!

Oh well Molly has just started a new local training class so lets hope I can meet a few new doggy friends there!!

I get this a fair bit too, we had to stop going to our usual spot due to the yobs and their mutant dogs, they either want their dogs to fight mine or breed with them and we often have children/teenagers running for their lives screaming and flapping as they go

I just ignore it now

hi,yes i do every single day!!
just walking to and from work!
i live in london,work in norbury which has a rather 'ethnic' community.i get screams of 'wolf,wolf'
i've even had a mother put her child INFRONT of herself to 'save her' good job the dogs didnt even pass her a glimpse!
although, we do have clients from different relegions that have dogs,and i have asked them about the 'unclean' thing and its simply not true!
they say its more a 'culture' thing,its just easier to say 'unclean'
so my sympathies are truly with you

and me
i could lend you a wolf! oh no sorry..........my mistake its a dog
(round here the chavey pikie types have off lead sbt's and their crosses,its like that bit outa the first indianna jones trying to get home )
and i worry about sticking up for my hounds too,
so,have some sympathy i'm giving it away for free today.lol.

Oh that is what I miss about being in Dagenham - NOT
So glad we don't have to deal with that stuff any more!

This thread is making me appreciate the fact that I live in the country and on our walks only generally see fellow doggy people and friendly walkers. Even the bird watchers at the reserve are friendly as the dogs go on lead round the waterfowl.

So there ya go, that's your answer, move to Suffolk lol

I do wonder about dog phobic parents/grandparents taking their children to fields clearly full of dog walkers, then screaming, waving arms and carrying on like they are under a viscous wolf attack whenever a dog wanders over to investigate... We don't get it that often round here, but definitely once or twice a year I will meet the same sort of woman... Big field, lots of off lead dogs, dog approaches them.. All hell breaks loose...

In my experience this sort of woman is nine times out of ten, very white (sorry, bit racist, but it's an observation) middle classed, older and seems to think she was given a divine right to picnic in any field she sees. Regardless of kite fliers, bikers, horses, dog walkers, on the army firing range (I kid you not) or in the middle of a herd of cows! (These are all picnic scenarios and arguments I have witnessed!)

And yet despite this propensity to picnic in mine fields, still yell at anyone and anything daring to disturb them!...

Ditto this. We usually go on country walks and never see a soul, but when we go into town or on more popular routes, people are, on the whole, very inquisitive about the dogs and often ask me if their children can stroke them, what breed they are, their names etc. I guess we're very lucky not to be forced to deal with people/towns on a daily basis.

So sorry you're having problems where you live. Like C&D says, I'd just try and ignore it, show your dog you don't care in the slightest and that their behaviour is to be expected. Hopefully if your girl becomes familiar with them, they see her all the time, you don't pay any attention to their bahaviour, they'll get sick of doing it! Good luck.