| Re: Aggressive dogs - what do you do?
I do a lot of walking, and have had numerous unpleasant encounters with aggressive barking dogs icluding twice in the last fortnight or so.
What annoys me are the irresponsible owners. I don't mind if a dog runs at me barking, then the owner calls it back and apologises (someone mentioned it happening when they carried a tripod, I was given that excuse once when I was bird watching, and a couple of people have bizarrely said it was because I was wearing a hat!). But on several occasions I've had dogs barking at me, and the owners have walked by without saying a word!
I have remonstrated with one or two such irresponsible and thoughtless owners, but more normally have had to bite my tongue as if I started arguing with the owner, the dog or dogs might really turn nasty.
One of the the worst cases was a few years ago in Suffolk. I suddenly came across a dog blocking the narrow path I was on, snarling at me and with its tail down between its legs. I had to bravely push by it (I'd have a several mile detour if I'd gone back). It didn't bite, but it it then kept running up behind me, snarling as if it was going to bite. I had to keep turning and shouting at it. A few yards down the path I met its owner, an elderly woman. She just walked past with not a word of apology! I said 'If your dog is going to behave like that it should be on a lead!'. She replied 'He's just having fun!' and walked off! I was literally speechless! I'd been having fun until I met her her and her dog!
I also get annoyed when people order me to stand still while their dogs are leaping and barking around me! Why on earth should I need to stop and stand still because their aggressive dogs are misbehaving! And who do they think they are ordering me about anyway!
If a dog is going to bark at strangers, it should be on a lead. Simple as that. |