Sorry to go against the grain, but I am a dog owner, and I think some of the posters on this thread are being a little bit OTT. Not necessarily the OP, but some other posters.
I never let my dogs jump up on strangers, but I will allow them to greet strangers if it is obvious to me that the stranger doesn't mind. If it is obvious to me that the stranger does mind, then I won't allow my dogs to greet that person and I move on.
But Liaconn, you need to accept that if you have a genuine fear of dogs, then that isn't the fault of every dog owner you meet. I refuse to keep my dog on a short leash 24/7 and away from people everywhere I go, just in case someone I come across has a medical disorder, viz cynophobia. Most people are naturally wary of strange dogs, but genuine cynophobia is rare.
Dublin is a living, breathing city that is full of dogs. They're a big part of many people's lives. If you don't like dogs, fine, then tell the owner it scares you and if that owner is reponsible, they'll restrain their dog. If they don't, they're idiots.
As for always keeping dogs on a leash in public, I don't always do this and I make no apology whatsoever for it. I always have my dogs on a leash on roads or pavements, principally because I don't want my dog run over or to cause an accident for others.
But when I'm in a public park or some other wide open public space away from traffic, I often let my dogs off the lead. The law requires me to have my dogs under control, not necessarily to have them on a lead. My dogs are well under my control when off the lead, and I'm the best judge of that. I will, however, take particular care around children, even though I know my dogs aren't aggressive. If there are toddlers or small children around, I will generally leash the dogs immediately, just in case one bumps into the other.
Some parks have byelaws that say dogs must be on a lead at all times, except for the first and last hours of the day. I resent this rule, because my dogs are under my control (as per the law of the land) even when they're off the lead. But I'll generally obey this rule when I come across it, begrudgingly, because I can understand why some people would support it.
The simple fact is: if you are scared of dogs, then it is you who has the unusual problem, so don't expect everybody else to know about it or to go around expecting to meet someone with cynophobia around every corner, and behaving accordingly.
Similarly, if you are a dog owner and someone tells you they are scared of dogs, then restrain your dog immediately, even if that person's reaction seems unusual or OTT to you. It is their personal right to ask you to keep your dog away, and you should respect this.
