In my opinion and the ethos I've lived my doggy life by .... if my dog, off a leash approaches a dog before I can get to him wiht the lead, gets told what's what by a dog on a lead, I certainly wouldn't have a go at the owner. After all, their dog is on a lead and mine isn't. If anything they learn from such instances.

I am worried about the tone of the responses to this thread though, as in it is better having a dog on a lead?? what happened to dogs being dogs and just enjoying themselves out on a walk? I know people's situations are different, but can I summise that everyone walks their dogs in parks? we are out in the countryside and seldom meet other dogs, so having an active dog on the lead would be purely criminal.... especially as he is non agressive.

I am speaking from having had a dog who rode out with me with my horse and met all kinds of dogs and if they were aggresssive would just move away. He LOVED his time out with the horses and it certainly enriched his life. I hate to think of his life on a lead and having many rules and regulations put upon him. After all.. dogs are dogs and they will just sort it out. It's us humans who are the problem.... it's our fears, our worries about being sued, our worries about our animals that we pass onto them....?

We met a woman out hacking with about 7 rabbit like small dogs. I was cantering, dog out front. heard lots of yapping round a corner (dog went first) and asked pone and dog to stop (middle of nowhere I might add). She took ages to gather up her flipping dogs whilst mine sat by the horse quietly. She told me I shouldn't have my devil dog out.... then she saw he was better behaved than her dogs which she couldn't control. He didn't touch her dogs... one had been attacked by a black lab before, but mine was an angel and ignored her dogs so she apologised finally, when her panic ceased..

Have very little patience for such people (her dogs were non agressive, but she'd pushed her own worries onto them.....? if my dog had been allowed to just sniff and run by them it would have been fine). She obviously couldn't control 7 dogs, yet tried to blame me? then again, we are in Surrey