>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!

Charming Ktee, you are overstepping someone else's boundaries without invitation in the first place and you have to lower yourself again to give bigger mouthfuls back.  Nuff said! :-(

Bring it on!!!

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
not asking but insisting it is wrong and harmful to my dog and saying they get no exercise and insisting I let them off and grumbling and ranting as they walk away in a rude fashion that I should let my dog off or it will not learn. ..after their d all after their dogs have mounted mine and gone for mine and gone for a puppy another lady was walking on a lead and I just been nice and polite and calm and friendly. 

Given we were in a field next to sheep and horses too which should have been reason enough to have young excitable city dogs on a lead.  Mind you I am sure  mine wouldn't bother the animals but out of respect for the farmer why  take risks...imo.

It's annoying isn't it?
I've just returned from a walk with Jasper who is a 1 year old golden and he pulls when he forgets himself :rolleyes:
The only way I get him to not pull if another dog is passing is to tell him to sit and stay, but I have to repeat stay otherwise he will get up and pull, so dog approaches with couple, I get Jasper to sit and stay, and continue to say stay, the woman walks past she says 'he is staying what's the matter with you'?
I then say I have to say stay otherwise he doesn't and at this stage her dog lunged forward at Jasper and snarled and Jasper bolted with me trailing beind   Why don't people just mind their own business?

Don't worry, as long as you were telling Jasper "Good boy" between the "Stay" (only if he was being good, of course!:D) then it doesn't matter if you repeat the instruction. He's only a youngster and still learning, so repetitons and praise for compliance, even for a short time, are fine. :) They're hard work at that age, aren't they?

Well, I still think we are all different and people are unaware that others are offended by what are meant to be well meaning friendly gestures.
I too get irritated by unrequited advise but do not feel so hostile about it, more glad that we can be sociable towards one another.
Karen :-)

oh people HATE to see dogs being trained!!! i know that only too well!!!! usually these people EITHER have really naughty dogs that they cant do anything with....OR they have a "good" dog that never puts a foot wrong but has trained the owners!! Ie it just mooches about & never has to be told anything....BUT would it do the same if it was told to????? NO!!!!

"oh people HATE to see dogs being trained!!! "
wow thats true isnt it! (only some people of course) i never thought of it like that before but it makes a whole lot of sense. when they see us doint it its like we are pointing out what they have failed to bother with themselves!

"oh people HATE to see dogs being trained!!!"

:-D

How true.  The same sort of people have to make a quip about bribery every time they see a food reward being used.

I have a regular grump who makes all manner of comments... for e.g. Roxy's walk is intermingled with short training sessions, with walking ,then off lead freedom but this lady - without expception  - always passes comment about how happy Roxy looks when she's stopped doing training. "oo I saw you doing all that hard work and obedience - I bet she loves being off now - all that freedom. Look she's much better ". I do feel like saying "I tell you what, I'll stop training her and when she decides to run hell for leather 300 miles off into the distance, you run and go and get her yeah?"

Personally I'm just glad to see other people walking their dogs, whether they're on or off lead. There are SO many poor dogs who never get further than the back garden

In response to the OP.  Those kinds of questions/comments used to really upset me too.  I got particularly upset one day and ended up in tears over a comment (much like the 'why is it on a lead' one) My partner at the time, said the person probably would have forgotten what they'd said as soon as it came out of their mouth - yet it upset me for ages.  He was right - they're just silly throwaway comments, and you shouldn't let them get to you.  Carry on your training the way you feel is right for your dog/s.

Nowadays, I just answer with 'Hmmm'......and then question them as to why they think they're doing the right thing.

Lisa

I just reply with a compliment about their dog. If they were being nasty this completely deflates them and makes them wonder what happened, but if (as is normal) they didn't really mean anything nasty, it just gets them talking about their dog, and then they turn out to be nice people after all, and they also get to see that you are ok too.
Problem solved.

I care nothing for what others say about me or my dog. Mostly people are nice and I respond accordingly.

If they're not and ask questions like " Why is your dog on a lead ? " which was asked of me by a large lady recently and in an aggressive tone , ( not a contributor here, I'm sure...)  I simply enquired why she was so fat .

Nothing further was heard from her and she stomped off.

Some people just can't help themselves and you will probally find they are the ones with the most awfully behaved dogs ever.

Enjoy your walks, hold your head up high and smile sweetly at them when they pass comment, don't even bother getting into conversation with people like that.

Don't let them get to you, you are doing a brilliant job