Would you be offended?

If I blocked your offlead dog from approaching my onlead dog?

I was walking through the woods today and had stopped while the dogs had a sniff around a fallen tree trunk. Eddy was on the lead, T was offlead. I was on the phone to Dad.

I admit, I wasn't watching the path as it was so, so quiet in the woods but I was watching my two whilst half talking to Dad.

Next thing this labrador bitch came up totally silently next to me, heading for Eddy.

Eddy is on the lead, he's 14.5 years old, doesn't see so well or hear so well and until I got him aged 11.5 years I don't think he was very well socialised with other dogs.

He's fine if introduced properly but stresses out when meeting dogs on walks so I keep him away from other dogs. He sounds very fierce even though he's not particularly and can scare owners but now that he doesn't see as well I worry that if he snaps, he might accidentally injure another dog by misjudging the distance (he's never done this before).

So as soon as I noticed this dog, not having a hand spare, I swung my leg in front of her and stood between her and Eddy, then got Eddy's attention.

I felt this was perfectly acceptable. I didn't touch the labrador in any way, I was not rude to the dog or the owner, I simply blocked her access to Eddy.

But I got the dirtiest look from the owner I've got in a long long time!

When I blocked the dog, Takara greeted her and then the owner called her a couple of times and the dog followed but the owner gave me a look of pure disdain.

What exactly did I do? Do you think what I did was acceptable or would you have been offended too?

Perhaps she was just having a bad day? I'd be more than happy for someone to block my dog if their dog was verging on aggressive but then again... I wouldn't let mine run upto onlead dogs either.

No, absolutely not!! I would apologise if I was the owner of said dog trying to get to yours.

no i wouldnt be offended! you are just looking out for the welfare of your dog! ignore the woman...maybe she was having a bad day, or maybe not but what matters is you did what you thought was right and effectively prevented your dog from getting hurt or the other dog. =]

no not at all. some ppl r just strange thou lol
ATD x

I would apologise to you! When mine is offlead & another is on lead I always keep mine away - it seems doggy etiquette.

lol thanks - glad it's not just me!

Perhaps she was just having a bad day and didn't mean to scowl at me...

I never let my dog go up to a dog that is on a lead. I always think that the dog is on a lead for a reason. And this is the case here, the woman should have noticed that one of yours was on a lead and called hers back. If anything she should have apologised to you

i would be the same as you but i guess the owner doesnt know his story,so maybee ,she thought you were just being a tad over the top??(i dont think you were,just trying to see it from a different perspective)

I always block dogs that approach mine until I'm sure that they mean no harm, with mine being small. My Daughter actually got a JRT by the collar once because he was trying to attack the Chis and the owner didn't look impressed but I really couldn't care less. By all means have dogs offlead but they shouldn't approach other dogs.

You didn't nothing wrong at all

If I had been the owner of the Lab, it would ME apologizing to you to you straight away. Forget about the miserable mare.