Okay I am getting seriously fed up with walking and training my dogs... not because of my dogs but people are really getting to me..you just can't enjoy a walk because people just have to pass comments.

Okay what was I told off for again today...for walking my dog on a lead. Not only do I get into bother for this but when I explain why he is on a lead because he is young, I am training him and he is not reliable off the lead I get even more criticism and told to let him off the lead or he will not learn how to behave..this is by a couple with 5 dogs one who growled at my two and another humped my boy ( who was on a lead ) .

Why do people assume that just because they see you doing something for one moment they met you that you do that all the time. These people said how will my dog get exercise on a lead..err..well I was actually out in the country  doing a 6 mile walk with him... not sat at home watching TV.   My dogs train for agility two evenings each week, get taken out twice a day play ball run they swim and all kinds of things.  Why would I want unfit agility dogs?

And yesterday I got told off for using a head halter on him and that they hurt the dog and I am mean to use on and she wouldn't use one and what a beautiful dog he was and what a shame to see him like that and I should use a body harness. I use the dogmatic and it leaves no marks at all. and I don't want to use a body harness because ..well why should I have to justify my reasons to strangers!  These people drive me nuts!

I'm finding it hard slog with two teens kids and two teen dogs and putting in the time and training they need and teaching obedience agility and doing fun games and taking them to different environments for walks to stay interesting for them and giving them off lead exercises in specific  environments I feel are safe when I want .... and people dare to keep butting in to tell me how mean I am and how my dogs will grow up bad because they are on leads.  I go out with my dogs to relax but recently it feels like I go out to get harassed and bullied .

I never tell people how to walk their dog, to put it on or off a lead, what to feed it what collar to use and I so just cant understand why so many people feel the need to boss me about and be horrible with no reason.  You just cant win. People are increasingly getting like this all interfering no matter what you do. 

Can't understand it either! No ones ever commented to me, except to say nice things!! Move to Dorset, its a nice play to work rest and play!

yep my brother lives in Dorset..it's lovely there.

Most people here are lovely but too many are horrible. Each day say 10 strangers will say smile or say nice things and stop you to talk and be fine ...one will be all looking nice and friendly and deceive you into stopping to talk and turn out to be nasty.  Today because I wanted to get my dogs used to the country we walked in the country and I passed about 10 couples who just said hi and two different times met ones who stopped to talk to say they were upset because people had screamed at them for no apparent reason in a park just because their dogs were off lead, one had a little pup, one a spaniel... and how they were nervous now about what to do and had them on the lead so I laughed and said not to worry cos I'd just been complained at for  having mine on a lead!  
I'm starting to think do I look strange is it because of the way I  look or what or is there some strange dog war going on I don't know about..lead people V non lead people! The lead or lack of it being some secret gang symbol or something...  I frequently get told off by dog experts for doing things this way or that way and having them on a lead and head halter attracts the biggest number of complaints.

Afraid there are just too many ignorant people around.  I would get mad too but you do have to let it pass.

Louise

You'll have to learn from the teen kids and cultivate the art of 'whatever'

If I was you I'd make comments in return back at them!

Just say something like "Thank you, I'll bear that in mind" and walk on. Life's too short to allow strangers to get you uptight.

It is a shame you feel like this

I feel the more I walk out the harder it becomes with many fellow dog owners, it is almost you cannot do right for doing wrong, for example you are being responsible for walking your dog on the lead and have come in for a roasting but if you let him off the lead and he ran over to the other owners dogs, you would also get a roasting for not keeping your dog under control and on the lead. Kez is good on recall when there are no distractions, so when I see a dog coming towards me I pop him on a his lead and ask the others owners if it ok he comes to say hello to the dogs......well the looks I get are like I am asking this really stupid question like don't be so stupid but in the next breath if Kez is off the lead and charges over the them I also received a look of disgust !!! I am jusr trying treat other dogs lovers with respect but you can't win.

I think you are being responsible on both counts, keeping your young one on a lead and putting a head collar on just allows you to have more control over your dogs. It is the other owners who are in the wrong for being nasty to you, you put a lot of time and commitment into training and walking.....some owners would not even consider it.

Keep Smiling Kirsty

Ok Guilty as charged :o I'm one of those people who cant stand seeing dogs on leads,especially in open fields whilst other are playing around them :( I do ask the owners why their dogs are on lead,but never,ever in a nasty way. And the reason i hear the most is "he's too young".I would have thought the younger the better.This is what i've always done,i start them off lead from day one and on it goes,never really need a lead as they get older as they are so used to being off leash,unless on the street etc.
Mind you,the people i always end up talking to never seem to be experienced dog owners,and seem to have no clue on how to train a recall,or how to teach heel etc They are just to paranoid or lazy to let their dogs off coz they couldnt be bothered training them :(
Then there's this guy with a beautifully behaved Lab who is always on a very tight lead..why? because he doesnt want him swimming in the water and getting dirty :( This poor dog is so sad and obviously frustrated,never gets to play with the other dogs or swim in the stream or just run around and stretch his legs. NO amount of on lead walking can compare with an off leash run,i would have to walk hours on lead to give them the same excerise they get OL.

I must admit I prefer to let mine off young so they theoretically learn to come back before the Kevin stage sets in. One of mine was very naughty as a youngster but finally learned, another one was fine as a youngster and now seems to be betting worse (he's 5 now!) and the third one has always been a good girl! But I would never have a row with a total stranger about how they train their dogs. If I was asked for an opinion I would give one though making it clear I am no expert, but that's just really rude to have a go at you like that!

Like you Ktee I love to see Kez run free, he gets so excited when we pull up in the park. He loves to swim and I would never stop him as it is in his nature, not sure how true this is but I was told that there are new laws coming in that if you are unable to control your dog in a public place then you should keep him on the lead at all times ? my poor little fella would be on the lead all the while if this ever happens as his recall is great but around other dogs he just wants to play. I like Kez off the lead but worry about the abuse I will receive from owners who don't want him running up to their dogs. Hence I always ask before he goes. :rolleyes:

I think it depends on the dog with the age thing - Opi has always been great off lead from day one (bar the usual small furry prey items :D), whereas Remy has been a little git from day one, always wanting to naff off and do his own thing!  Much better now, but it's taken a few years to get there.  Soli's a naffer offer as well, tho I suspect she would've been let off from an early age - after all, her last owner was quite content to let her charge and frighten other dogs off lead and not do a thing about it!

Why don't you just live and let live and mind your own business?  I cannot let one of my dogs (Jack Russell)  off the lead on his own as he just runs and runs (despite, I might add, copious recall training using every method under the sun).  I bet you won't be there to help me find him when he goes missing or scrape him off the road if he gets run over by a car, or help me to nurse him when he gets shot by the farmer for chasing his sheep. 

I'd love for you to come up to me when I am walking my dog on his lead - you would soon get a mouthfull!!!

Ok Guilty as charged  I'm one of those people who cant stand seeing dogs on leads,especially in open fields whilst other are playing around them  I do ask the owners why their dogs are on lead,but never,ever in a nasty way. And the reason i hear the most is "he's too young".I would have thought the younger the better.This is what i've always done,i start them off lead from day one and on it goes,never really need a lead as they get older as they are so used to being off leash,unless on the street etc.
yes..this is why I don't just ignore people and brush them off.. I give them time to offer their advice because I am new and I do understand I need advice..but when a person has given advice they should accept it is then for me to weigh up the advice think about it and decide if it is helpful to me not demand I do it right then and mutter and moan if I don't.

I do think I need to give mine more time off lead... but like others have mentioned you then get into trouble. I am quite happy in fine go off and  bounce on a dog then mine suffer the consequenses of a growl and the odd snap or nip... but other owners get ever so upset if their dog nips a youngster. And if they are working on socialising their dog the they shouldn't have to put up with behaviour from a youngster that might increase the difficulties they face. People want relaxing walks not nightmares!

Then there's this guy with a beautifully behaved Lab who is always on a very tight lead..why? because he doesn't want him swimming in the water and getting dirty
..I don't like to get mine wet.. I struggle to keep them away from water.  They are like gremlins..if they get wet they turn into monsters. They are fast and wild enough dry but when wet their speed is deadly.  I already had one serious accident to one of them as a consequence to getting the wet dog zoomies. It looks like I am being mean and over cautious but I know what they are like. I only let them get wet if I have them one to one or am  in a reasonably safe environment.

In the past a friend insisted I should let mine off the lead and I explained it wasn't a sensible idea because they are too fast and play too hard and I don't like to risk them knocking people over. But she insisted... 20 seconds later she was flat on her back. After that she agreed it was very sensible of me to have them on a lead.

I think I simple need to carry on training carry on limiting their freedom and when they are off lead controlling them in games and activities giving them one to one time and training out each of them or reducing their ott issues and waiting for them to mature.   Mine are not the dogs from hell ( I try to tell myself ;) )..they are actually very well behaved ( I try to tell myself  :rolleyes:)but they are working dogs and have instincts that need channelling before they can be given relaxed off lead freedom. I agree I would be better to relax more but sods law says if I do someting will go tetrribly wrong.

I think it is like driving cars at one time it was relaxing and people didn't wear seat belts but now there are so many cars and so many extra safety consideratons . We tend to be very worred about control of our dogs because society is now very anti dog and people so terrified off them and we worry so much if things go wrong even if our dog jumps up to lick a kid, accidently scratches them  or knockes them over or in the country there are sheep cows horses etc... our dogs could suddenly take an interst in and  our dogs could be in so much trouble so I think it is sensible to be over cautious evn tjough it might not be the natural ideal for the dogs.

do you think they do so nuts off the lead, because they dont get let off enough? mine are shocking for the ofirst 15mins but then calm down

They are a little nuts first time off the lead..that's why I like to take them t a safe place before letting them off a lead..I don't just open my car boot and spill my dogs out onto the car park to walk loosely roughly with me and go molest who they please which is what most people do at my park ....which is fine I just don't want to do that because mine are a different type of breed I don't think that would be sensible. They do get plenty of off lead time when I know an area well enough to now where it is safe to have them off their leads.

I make them wait in the car until I give them permission to get out  just for safer to make sure they are on a lead and then I walk them on a lead to a place where it is safe to be off lead then let my girl off if the area is safe for her or my boy off if it is safe for him or both if it is safe for both.  They always get plenty of of lead play with me .. but I try not to let them get switched off and go off to cause problems to other people so if I think they are thinking of going AWOL they go back on their leads for a while while we walk because in the woods are deer and nesting birds and by the woods are diferent farm stock.5 lambs were killed last year by off lead dogs...I want mine reliable and two years old with a beginner handler  to me is pushing it for giving the dogs such high levels of off lead freedom. If the environment is safer or quieter then they are off more of the time.

Mine only go really too nuts when they are wet together because they will play speed chase and fine tune their dodges and they play chicken too fast and they need to be in a very safe open place for this kind of speed.

also try letting one off at a time!

sorry... I think it got confused .. I do let them off the lead and do walk them off the lead for at least one to two hours a day with playing ball and playing with dogs as well as walking on or off the lead . I just let them off in safe places.

If I know it is not safe or if I want practice on a lead then I use a lead. If I am very tired and just want to relax and enjoy a walk I use a head halter too.

Each of my dogs have times special to them where I am training out a behaviour still with them..At these times I use a lead or long line. One is food so if there are picnics and food temptations I will have that dog on a lead or long line while I train her. The other dog it is isolated places he is great with a lot of people about but if no one is about and suddenly a person shows up he is spooked and for some of them he runs and barks at him. I have to drive him out to find laces like that because normally there are people about so he has not got used to empty places. When he barks he comes back as soon as I call but still I do not want the barking. Because I know he might do this it seems responsible to put him on a  training  lead or long line while I try to  train him to be used to this.   This is why he was on a lead.. although I explained this to the lady I met she still insisted I should let him off. I actually think that would be highly irresponsible. From my observations on the whole the type of people he will bark at are normally on their own and show nervousness. People who are relaxed I can leave him off the lead and say leave and he is fine.  He has inproved I can walk him and calm him before he barks for an increasing length of time but I think his concentration span is not fully developed and it is when he gets tired I find he slips into the old behaviour..or it could be when I am tired! Either ay when I anticipate I am reaching that point I put him on sa training lead or flexi lead.   So out of interest what do you think is right to do? How can he be trained to be okay?  Any more tips would be welcomed.
Thanks.

To the original poster, don't let it get you so frustrated. People can say stupid things but in just a few minutes you will have walked past and be out of sight.

My dogs walk off lead and I allow them to greet all other off lead dogs, unless I think the other dogs body language is too dangerous. If the dog is unfriendly my dogs will see that since they know even mroe about body language and back off or avoid them altogether.

If the other owner had the dog onlead or called it to heel I'd do the same with mine. The other dog could be aggressive, too poorly to meet others, the other owner could be nervous, it could be too friendly and have no recall. I don't care what the reason is, it is basic good manners to do the same with your own dogs!

so when I see a dog coming towards me I pop him on a his lead and ask the others owners if it ok he comes to say hello to the dogs......well the looks I get

I know you're being responsible but I'm afraid I'd look a bit and say no and walk past you very quickly.

I would have responded by getting my dogs to heel and your question would make me assume that you can't read dogs body language or can't control your dog or are over protective, or all 3.

On the other hand if your (friendly off lead) dog raced over like a mad thing my dogs would put on their aloof, not-sure-about-you posture and decide to either play with him or ignore him.

My way of walking probably sounds too relaxed to some people on here but in the 20+ years I've had dogs I've not had any problems, when I spot trouble I avoid it. For people who can't read dogs (learn, it makes life much easier :D ) then putting dogs on lead is responsible and it gives a very clear message to other owners to keep their own dogs away from you.

i have lots of mixed feelings about this post

A, people should keep their comments to themselves when out on a walk

B. i use headcollars & love them. My ticket obedience dog even wears one

C.However i do think dogs should be allowed Free running, so they can sniff, mark just be dogs etc. aslong as they are not a danger to others & its safe to do so.

D.however i would never assume that a dog i always saw on the lead had no free running.

E. Idea for training/ free running, a very long light line that you can step on BEFORE you recall your dog

Hi Karen, Kez is friendly and understands very well how to socialise with other dogs but I am a nervous handler because unfortunalty on all too many occasions he has been set up on by other dogs, I do understand his body language and can control him, he is also good at understanding dogs behaviour by either playing or returning to me when he is told no by the other dogs.I attend two training classes a week with Kez since he was 13 weeks old so he is well socialised.

I would have responded by getting my dogs to heel and your question would make me assume that you can't read dogs body language or can't control your dog or are over protective, or all 3. So you could say Karen it is the over protective bit which relates to me

I really want to ask your advise ? after reading your post which was directed at my strange behaviour while out walking LOL .....should I just allow him to meet and greet while out and accept the actions of the other owners if they don't like him going over off his lead ? Like you I do put him on the lead if another dog is on the lead because clealy they are on the lead for a reason. Thanks Kirsty

Hi Kirsty

You sound like a very nice, responsible and friendly owner and my assumptions would obviously be wrong about you and I'm sure there are other extremely polite people out there who would ask before allowing their dogs to greet mine.

I'd say allow your dog to meet other loose dogs as long as they have not been called to heel which I think of the same as dogs being put on lead ie the owners don't want them to meet. I know there is always the risk that owners could be unfriendly but I avoid them by watching their behavioiur as well as the dogs.

I will let my dogs say a very brief hello to very tiny or very old dogs and then call them away to hopefully avoid any clumsy accidents, if I think a dog looks unfriendly (even when the owner says its ok) I don't let them meet. There are some places I go where owners and dogs all allow them to meet and there are some places I go where lots of dogs and owners seem to have no social skills at all   Its mainly common sense.

As for the over protective bit, I might be that way myself, I worry that other over protective owners might sue me or report me for having dangerous dogs if anyone gets injured during playing or greeting, even if their dog hurts itself by running and twisting a leg. One of my dogs barks and growls when he is playing with my other dogs and that could be enough to freak out a sensitive over protective person who doesn't understand normal dog behaviour.

See, I'm just as strange as you are! :)

Thanks Karen1 for your advice it is so nice to have other people views on these matters it helps to know what other dogs owners think I am going to try and be more confident and not worry so much because Kez is a good boy I walk in a lovely park where most owners just like to have a natter as I work p/t I am there in afternoons and most of them are retired....so it is great. Take care

Hi Karen1, just wanted to let you know I took your advice about Kez greeting other dogs off the lead rather than me asking if it is ok he has been wonderful with the eight dogs he met today on walkies, he just strolled up to the said hello and went off. Where as when I put him on his lead and asked the other owners if it was ok he came over to say hello....I would let go off his lead he used to go off like a bull in a china shop So me and dog much more relaxed. much nicer walk. Thank you so much.

:D  I'm really pleased to hear that and thanks for giving us an update!

You might also find that after a while Kez doesn't even want to go up to every dog he sees, he'll probably say hello to some of them and walk straight past others.

Why are you even bothered about what other people think :rolleyes:

Don't be!! ;-)  You don't have to justify, you don't have to explain, just smile and walk away and don't think about them. People spend too much time, thinking about what other people are thinking about them, all that leads to is stress, unhappiness and being self conscience.... all the time.

You have to get to a stage where no ones opinions who don't know you count.

Just don't think about it, be happy, be confident and the only person you have to report to is you.

exactly, (re carringon) all dogs require different treatment(although i have only had one myself it seems clear to me) let them think what they like, you know best.
i dont even bother to reply now when people say "oh does he bite?"............(because hes wearing a head collar so he doesnt drag me in front of a truck after a cat!.)
my friend has a dog same age as mine(4) and we ofton used to walk together, mine was the difficult one and i did all the training etc and he did no training with his, now i have a dog with good recall and his dogs is virtually nonexistant. And he was always saying to me "why bother, let them do their own thing" now ewhen hes hollering at his as it potters of in the oposite direction and mine comes trotting back i feel a smug satisfaction.

Must admit carrington I am one of those people who worries all to much about what people think and it upsets me Everyone keeps telling me when I get a little older I will rise above it ..... I need to get old quick before I have a break down LOL

I need to get old quick before I have a break down LOL 


There is a technique to this if you are sensitive and get upset by others commments, which I know many people do.

Have you got something funny that has happend, or a really lovely memory, (please no details :-D ) when someone says or does something to upset you, bring out that memory and focus on it, you have to distract yourself from something negative with a positive, it is really easy to do if you practise and before long you have forgotten about it, people dwell on things and get upset if you keep going over and over it in your head, simply distract your own thoughts and don't allow yourself to go back to a negative. We are trainable too, just like our dogs. :-)

Funny you should say that......
When I was scared at home as a kid, eveb if parents were downstairs - and as I was old enough staying at home on my own, and got scared of something, I used to say over and over and over again, DONT LAUGH, Fairies faries fluttering around, faries faries fluttering around, and the more I said it in my head, the more the horrible image went from my mind relaced by faries, FLUTTERINg around!!!!!!!! And, if things get really bad, even now, but very rarely, I still use it.
Maybe I should use it when I take things to heart as well!!!!!!
WOW I trained myself at the age of 8!!!!!! LOL
Lea :)

Ahhh......actually children naturally do that, they can naturally flick from one thought to another, that's why they get over death etc so much quicker than us adults, we just forget how to when we get older. Keep those fairies around always. :-)

Kids don't get over death easily....they just pretend they do to make adults feel better. Unfortunately kids are very good at pretending. 

There is a technique to this if you are sensitive and get upset by others commments, which I know many people do.

Have you got something funny that has happend

I have the same problem I do worry about people and think are they right am I  wrong because I may well not be right. I'm not really bursting with confidence a all! lol!

the funny memory that always hits me is when I was a kid and my dad who was an aggressive man was angry and going to kick me. He swung his leg to give me a really hard kick but I dodged out of the way and he missed and fell flat on his back..his face was such a picture I forgot my fear and stood and laughed before grabbing my little bro who peed himself because he was so scared and then we went running upstairs to my room with dad running and screaming after us and I barricaded my door and we stayed there for a few hours. Remembering his face is the most happy and funny memory I can think of..it always makes me laugh.

Okay.. Harry Potter... that's not good enough!  Need something stronger!     ;)

People make judgements about other people based on their own experiences.  In other words, what people generally do is see a situation and decide if the actions of the other person is right or wrong based on how they think they would act themselves. 

An example of this would be you sitting at red traffic lights and as soon as they turn amber the car next you screeches off at great speed.  You might think what an idiot, they shouldn't have a licence, I wish people like that got caught by the police, probably a boy racer.  It might even cause emotions other than anger because perhaps someone you know was killed by a speeding car.  Would you think the same thoughts though if you knew that on the back seat is a 3 year old child who is choking, the parents unable to remove the obstruction and with the child now not breathing are trying to get to hospital?

I don't worry about comments by people who are basing their judgements purely on what they see because I know they don't know the whole story, they don't know me or anything about me and their comments are based purely on their own experiences which are not the same as mine.

Have the confidence in yourself to disregard ignorant negative comments and the courage to say "thanks for that, good bye" ;) :)

Try not to get upset by those who dish out unsolicited advice, and just have a stock reply....
" I have reasons for making my own choices, and I dont feel the need to justify my decisions to strangers".

Remember, that those who dish out negative comments are just ill mannered and do so out of their own inadequacy. It is incredibly rude to dish out negative comments about others dog handling. And as for KTEEs suggestion "not in a nasty way"....if a negative comment is given to someone who has not asked for a comment at all, then it is CRITICISM, and criticism IS nasty and upsets people. People who choose to criticise always make the excuse that its not nasty....but that is just so that they can justify their rudeness and carry on doing what they want. Anyone that chooses to criticise you on the basis of meeting you once on a road walk or in the park, clearly has not made a considered judgement based on the facts, and is jumping to their own conclusions. Their so called "advice" isn't worth having.
Make your own decisions about how you deal with your dogs....they are YOURS, and you are the only person who is in a position to make them. 

I think criticism can be constructive but, I agree, it is probably not justified unless it has been asked for or there has been some adverse altercation between your dogs and theirs. 

Best thing to do is to treat with the contempt it deserves - dismiss without another thought.   They are just other people's opinions, obviously made without knowing the full facts and in such cases with no more validity than your own, in fact a lot less seeing as it is not their dog.

Here's the latest one with us lot; we were walking the dogs yesterday, both off lead, Spender was sniffing as he does and along comes this bloke walking down the field towards us.  We didn't give it another thought and he smiled as he walked past.

Anyhow, he walked up real close to Spends, who turned round, looked at him and walked up for a sniff.  Spends had his playful look on.  Anyhow, we called him over just as the bloke was starting to dart out of the way, and I said to the bloke its ok, he's friendly. 

This bloke got really funny and says he doesn't look friendly to me, he should be on a lead, put him on a lead.  I stood there with my mouth open, and the bloke walks on a bit more and then turns round and says he's going to get the dog warden.  I kinda half laughed, and says to OH, what was that all about?  This other bloke who was walking past from the other direction saw the whole thing, was shaking his head and shouts over, pass no remarks, just a silly idiot.

That may be so, but sadly this is the culture that is now emerging.  Spends is a big soft pud, loves people, perhaps too much for his own good. 

So asking someone why their dog is on lead is considered rude,is it?.. Is this not a simple,curious question? I would hate to see how these people would react to an actual rude or nasty question :rolleyes:

>I'd love for you to come up to me when I am walking my dog on his lead - you would soon get a mouthfull!!!

So if we ran into eachother on a  walk,and i asked why you wont let your dog off lead,and you gave me a mouthfull for asking such an innocent question,then i can assure you, you would get an even bigger mouthfull back! :(

>So asking someone why their dog is on lead is considered rude,is it?.. Is this not a simple,curious question?

Would you ask why someone was wearing a particular hat? Or why their car was that colour? It's just plain nosy, and none of your business why they do these things. If you're asked your opinion, then that's another matter. :)

Perhaps the dog on the lead has just finished its run & is on the way home. Most people just see my dog on a lead because they're not out a 6 in the morning when she has her run.

Some people are just plain nosey and not worth any more time than just to pass the time of day!    I ignore any such questions - as to why mine are on/off lead (I feel like asking - have you had an accident or were you born ugly or something equally offensive - but don't!)

Margot

Why is it nosy....to ask things of fellow dog owners???
Isn't it just what we all do here.
I would be glad for people to ask why my dog was on a lead, and would no hesitation asking the same of others.
No sorry but I like people as I like dogs and to me I only see it as genuine interest in others, not distrustful maybe I can be a little naive but prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt (not that I like to have any).
Karen :-)

Would it not be nosy to approach a stranger and ask why they wore green wellies instead of black ones? A harmless question, and you're probably curious, but what business is it of anyone else? They're not doing any harm, so why be nosy?

Do you mean to say you wouldn't pass the time talking to somebody with anothwer dog.........Who would speak to a stranger about the boots they were wearing, that would be impolite.
Karen :-)

Yes, I'd pass the time of day - chat about the weather, or how far in leaf the trees are, "ooh look, a swallow!" - no problem. Personal questions, such as why their dog is on a lead, are another matter though, and only for when you know someone a little better. :)

I have had people say to me, when seeing mine running about, "I wish I could let mine do that" in which case I think it is perfectly reasonable to ask why it has been a problem and perhaps suggest something that might help but I can't imagine any circumstances where I would consider it my business otherwise, would you?

Absolutely. If the other person has broached the subject then of course it's not rude to discuss it. :)

Of course I'll pass the time of day - say "good morning - lovely/lousy day" etc - maybe something like "they're having fun" if dogs are racing around playing or "isn't s/he being good"  if the dog is on the lead - "or isn't s/he sweet - how old is s/he" if its a puppy - but after all, I'm out for a walk with the dogs - not a natter with neighbours/strangers!  

Mind you, my OH just marches around with the dogs, ignoring absolutely everyone .....including me :rolleyes: !

Margot

I think it depends on your motives.  If you are just passing the time of day that is fine.  I often chat with other dog owners in the passing, it is one of the joys of owning one, but if your intention in raising the issue in the first place is to sort out their lives into a manner that you see as more appropriate then I think you have moved in the realms of a busybody :)

Unsolicited advice is always resented and thus very rarely acted on.