I have looked on the Gov.uk site and it says:

It's against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control

* in a public place
* in a private place where the dog isn't allowed to be (eg a neighbour's house or garden without permission)

The law applies to all dogs

Out of Control

Your dog is considered dangerously out of control if it:

* injures someone
* makes someone worried that it might injure them

--------------------------

I will be getting back to that PCSO then because I was definitely worried that I might be injured.

I think that would mean growling etc not just approaching someone who was afraid of dogs.

You need to look at the bylaws, most councils have areas dogs are allowed off lead and others they are not.

I'd be very much surprised if the LA bothered with someone already wary of dogs, walking in an area where are dogs are known to be off lead, that 'got a bit scared'.

The law is barely interested in minor dog bites let alone a friendly young dog approaching a person in friendly manner.

The other owner may get a warning at most.

There are plenty of parks and areas where dogs are forbidden, why not walk there?

I'm all for dogs being kept under control, but let's have a bit of common sense

I try to keep my dog on a lead as much as possible when we're out (I have an extender lead), not because I think he's a danger because he's absolutely not but because I don't trust some of the other dog owners around here.

I also got into an arguement with a lady recently. My shih tzu had just had an op on a jaw abscess which was still very tender for him. When we got the vet's approval, I took him out for a short, light walk on his (non-extendable) lead. A little girl about 7 came bounding up to him and before I could stop her, she was stroking him around his face. He was still sore and growled a little bit (who can blame him!) The mother went crazy and threatened to report me, calling him a dangerous dog and that I was a menace for letting him out. I said that he likes kids, he's around kids a lot but this day he was in pain. I then told the mother straight that she should teach the girl that not all doggies are nice and you should ask before you stroke them. She went off with a right flea in her ear.

Roll your eyes all you like but I was much more than "a bit scared". If you are walking along and a Rottweiller comes running straight at you and it's owner is about 50 yards away how would you feel. As it's bounding very fast towards you how do you know if it's aggressive, whether it's going to jump up you, how it will respond if you start to panic etc.

Had he called the dog and it had returned to him that might have reassured me slightly but he made no attempt to.

I hid behind my friend as the dog was circling us, there was no way I could move and I certainly didn't want eye contact with it.

It's people like him who give dog owners a bad name. Is it so very hard to just slip the lead on your dog when you see someone approaching and then let it off again when they've passed. I would go on my way thinking what a nice, responsible dog owner and wouldn't worry if I met him again. As it was I thought he was a rude, ignorant d**khead who likes to look the macho man.

is this on a harness my lovely, or a collar?

i don't really like extendible leads all that much myself, but i see why people use them.

not sure if you know, but if you use one they should only ever be used with a harness.
if your dog bolts, and they're going full pelt when they reach the end of the lead, the results can be very tragic when that lead is attached to a collar is all

well done on telling off that woman though, we've had similar comments before when i've left my dog outside the shop to grab a bottle of milk, going off on one because he's shown his teeth and growled as he doesn't want to be touched - i just said that she should teach her kids to ask the owner rather than just wandering up to a dog they don't know and put hand over their head.

I've never understood just walking up to a random dog and petting it when it's on its own tied up, even as a kid myself, i never did it, and i still don't do it now.

but adults do it as well, i took my dog home on the bus a few nights ago (he'd walked about 6 miles during the day and i had heavy bags to carry, i wasn't just being lazy, honest!) no less than 5 people just put their hand out and patted his head as they walked by to take their seat. 3 of those did it on their way off the bus too
none said a word, and Jake didn't react other than blinking hard then looking at me, but the mind boggles why you'd do that without a word to the owner, or just tutting to let the dog know you were there first

and to queenshaks, that's very fair to feel like that, i'm wary of dogs i don't know myself
it's just my way of thinking that if a dog was going to do any harm, the owner wouldn't allow it to walk loose

I know that's a very forgiving way to think though, there are the people out there who just let their out of control monsters do the same
but if i didn't think this i'd barely ever go out!
and i certainly wouldn't allow my dog off his lead if i thought he would cause anyone or anything any harm

it has only really been the last two years where i've done this, and trusted him. before that he had his plums still, and my words just floated away on the breeze half of the time unless i really REALLY barked the order at him.

I have a black lab which I know is socialised and safe with other dogs. In fact - a pussy cat.

And the basic netiquette is - if we approach another dog off the lead - then I trust that this dog is also safe. If I see a dog on a lead and straining towards mine - then I stop and put him on the lead until we pass. Not because I mistrust mine - but the other one.

BTW - I really try not to be prejudiced towards breeds here. I have met owners with rotties where my own dog has had a wonderful time chasing and playing. Most rottie owners are responsible and so are their dogs.

The only time I ever had a dog attack was many years ago - and it was a small terrier.

I was once on a friend's boat with her small dog. A huge dog, came thundering down the pontoon and onto my friend's boat. Me and the small dog cowered in the cockpit, wondering what to do. The owner came striding up and told us not to be frightened as the dog wouldn't harm us. It pees me off that suddenly it was our fault for being scared rather than the owner's fault for having absolutely no control over their dog.

What would have happened, I wonder, if the small dog had become the hero of the hour and tried to defend me and the boat from the boarding party? The trouble was we were cornered and had nowhere to run and the other dog was huge. Now, I'm not scared of dogs, I love 'em, but this definitely wasn't good.

It's difficult when you're out and about to know what to do for the best with your dog, but generally if another dog isn't on the lead, then I think your dog is safer off the lead as well.

A dog can at least adopt a submissive stance, or leg it, if it's off the lead. If it's on the lead it can feel cornered and scared.

There was a thread here recently which seems to have vanished - about someone without a dog and yet feeling threatened by a rottie?

Many of these stories seem to be about a small dog being scared by a large one. Or rather - its owner.

I don't want to be controversial here - and I am the owner of a medium dog - a lab. And yet many of our dog friends are larger than him. They are rotties and lurchers and alsations. All of which may seem threatening but in reality are loving and gentle animals.

But is this really prejudice? I have several friends with wonderful rotties - who are absolute sweeties - and who love chasing in the sea with my lab.

When they run along the sea cliff - the dogs who seem to be the most threatening are the terriors - the small dogs. The snappy little ones -and with very over protective owners.

The trouble is though you have no idea whether that lovable gentle dog is just that or about to kick off a fight. I have a medium dog and a tiny one, the medium is 11 and has been a lovable gentle girl all her life but she now hates rude dogs that but her, her hips are not brilliant and rough play hurts her. My tiny one could just with a stray paw get squashed and injured. Why should we put up with anyone else making our walk more difficult ?

We are happy to say hello gently and with some manners.

People who are afraid of dogs should be able to roam the countryside in peace too, the countryside is a shared space and we have to be aware and well mannered to everyone we meet.

Thank you Molliepops. We should all be able to go out and walk in public places without fear of dogs chasing, biting, jumping up etc. Some dogs are OK and simply not interested in humans, my own dog walks past people as if they're not there. He's always been the same.

I have had dogs all my adult life but our current one wasn't with me when this happened. When he is with me I always put him on a lead when someone is approaching with another dog which I don't recognise. It's just courteous.

It matter not if is being playful or aggressive if it jumps up and cause me to pull up short and pull a calf muscle in the process meaning I can't run for a week or so.

At least with an aggressive dog you can feel justified in giving it a good kicking before giving the ignorant owner a good kicking.

Well that's not very nice.

There's always one...isn't there!

I always put my dog on the lead if a pram or a wheelchair or a large group of people are coming past, simply because he's so bloody clumsy he would just walk right into them.

My dog is dog-aggressive and especially dislikes large dogs, i always take him for walks in secluded areas (where i can see all around) and he is only ever allowed off his lead if there isn't a dog in sight. It really gets on my nerves when people allow their dogs to just bound over to say hello, i've even been told on occasion by the OTHER owner that my dog will 'be fine' with their dog, no he will not!
They are not so confident once my dog starts growling at theirs.

There have been several occasions where dogs have just come out of nowhere and followed mine for a good ten minutes, no owner in sight.
I can definitely see why this might unnerve people.

I'd advise you to rethink that idea, or you you'll end up with a lot more than you bargained for.

For the last couple of years I have carried a riding crop with me when I walk my own dog. I would not hesitate to use it on another dog if it bothered us.

Haven't had to use it yet. I started carrying it after a previous dog we had was attacked and pinned to the ground by an out of control dog.

I have also noticed several other dog walkers carry sticks of some sort.

I'm not sure how a riding crop or stick would help. Perhaps someone could educate me. I've always thought that if you started hitting an already adrenaline fuelled dog it would just end in the dog becoming more and more frenzied. If you're just carrying the stick as a deterrent, how does that work?

He wears a lovely little blue harness. I don't like the idea of little dogs being led by their neck. His little throat is so delicate.

IME you don't need to hit a dog, I wave my stick in the air shout or blow my whistle loudly, soon makes a dog turn tail and run, has similar effect on humans too.

In what way?

I guess I must be very lucky. I live near the sea and by a cliff walk that is populated by so many dogs.

The only time I put my dog on a lead is when we are approached by an obvious nervous owner with a dog on a lead. But in those circumstances - I am appreciative of the owner, not the dog. They are the ones who are fearful - not their dogs.

Many other times - i have blenched when I have seen a large dog bearing down on mine - and just hoped for the best. And watched as they have greeted each other and welcomed and played.

Might I dare wonder here? Almost all dogs welcome the chance to socialise and play no matter what the size. It is the fear that their owners demonstrate that is the problem.

Or they may just have a fear aggresive dog that has been attacked previously and lost all confidence with other dogs. Look up fear aggresion and you will see some dogs do have problems that are not caused by their owner but other people's dogs being dangerously out of control.

Or a dog like Mollie that welcomes good mannered hellos but her fear of a dog hurting her hips makes her stand offish with dogs racing towards her.

Yes sometimes that's happened to me and my dog (s) but my last dog (now dead) was greeted by what looked like a friendly dog when she was about 2. They chased around for a few mins and were fine and suddenly this dog just turned on her and pinned her to the ground and ripped her ear open.

The person with the dog could not get it off her and said "he's never done this before." This proves to me that she is either a liar or it just demonstrates how unpredictable dogs can be.

She was never the same with other dogs after that and she lived to 18 years old so that was a lot of years to live in fear.

That's terrible when Mollie was attacked by a bunch of dogs a few years ago (all out of control and running as a pack) she took a good 18 months until I could get her to be calm around unknown dogs again. Still now 10 years later she is nervous with bigger dogs or any more than two at a time.

It stays with them for ever.

Horrible when you have a calm friendly dog that will submit and cause no one any problems to see her attacked she didn't even fight back just lay on her back screaming.

Made me far more wary of staffies and greyhounds that day.