My Dog Is Friendly

MY DOG IS FRIENDLY

​While I am sitting here trying to put something into words, I am actually not quite sure how to approach this subject.
Should I rant and rave, or should I try to be more understanding and compassioned,  or should I try to go down the road of education.                                                    
 What is the best way to go?
Is it just purely ignorance and maybe arrogance, or is it maybe the lack of knowledge and understanding which makes people say  ‘ It is ok, my dog is friendly ‘
I can understand how wonderful and reassuring it might be to have a calm and relaxed dog when out and about, and therefore is  genuinely not aware and has no way of understanding what all the fuss is about.  
I gather getting a bit annoyed and a little bit angry here because I just had such an incident (again) does not get people to listen, but I rather get their hackles up. Although I got rather upset and wound up this morning myself I must say.
As you know might know I have at the moment 4 rescue Collies, I have done a great deal of work with them over the years and they are happy and contented souls. When I take them out for our daily explorations I have them in general off lead when we are in the woods or open spaces and I trust them.  When I see dogs and their owners coming towards me I call my dogs back , put them on the lead, walk towards a safe space and wait until the walkers  passed us.
So this is what happened this morning when I saw two big dogs walking off lead towards us, their owner way behind (which is fine) 
I shouted over and asked if they could please put their dogs on the lead. Needless to say, but sadly in this instance the owners ignored me and kept walking on with their dogs off lead. I asked again …
I was told then that their dogs are friendly and that they do not any harm and that they walk this path every day ..   Hmm Ok ?!
I said that it is very nice, but I walk here very often too, and when I ask someone to put their dogs on the lead because mine are, it is just courtesy to oblige.
The response I got was to be expected I guess, telling me that is no way they will put their dogs on the lead because they are just fine. Anyway it is my own fault that my dogs are aggressive and it is not their problem.. WOW
The funny thing was that my dogs were all sitting calmly beside me not making a peep.
I wanted to say so much more like:
'I actually have a pack here and it is important for me to make sure that I am in control’ ...
'It only takes a second before the pack mentality can kick in, so nothing to do with aggression.’
I also would have liked to have said, that no one should make a sweeping statement without knowing the facts.                               
We do not know other dogs history, what amount of work the owners might have  put into working with their dogs. 
There are many dogs out their who suffer terrible anxiety and suffer from PTSD, and when a dog(s) comes too near, no matter how friendly might be , it can have a huge effect and likely puts the poor dog in a state of panic, or of course on high alert and inevitably will defend himself due to the perceived threat with aggression. 
I am only touching on this huge subject, but I would like to think that it maybe will open someone's eyes and see the other dog owners point of view. 
We all have the right to take our dogs to special places, these places are not only for well balanced and friendly dogs. These place are there for everyone to enjoy, and most dog owners are respectful and responsible and very much clued into the code of dog ownership and the unspoken rules. 
So as always, please take this for what it is meant to be. A bit of give and take will make a huge difference to the incredible special and complex world of dogs
Thank you for reading this.   

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