I run into this so often when I take Cooper for a walk, I just need to get it out somewhere. We live near a park with ballfields, basketball court, and fenced in areas with jungle gyms/swings. Most days in Spring/Summer/Fall the place is pretty busy with ball games, kids playing, families lounging in the grass, etc.
We love to go there, my kids love it and my dog loves it. We walk around, sit in the grass to watch the games, kids go in and swing for a bit (I have to stay outside the fence with Coop as it is clearly marked NO DOGS in the playground), run around with friends, etc.
Nearly every time we go, we encounter small dogs (and their owners) who approach Coop, who is wagging, quiet, gentle, and happy to meet them all the way, then the owners laugh as the dog starts to growl, bark, and react very aggressively (scaring my kids too). This is usually accompanied by something like "Not too bright, Fifi, that dog would eat you in one bite!" or better yet "Oh, he thinks he's so big he could eat that big dog!"
OK. First of all, if my dog behaved even HALF as badly as these little dogs, people would be calling the police. Why don't these owners understand that aggression is NOT CUTE? Second, as to the one bite comment, my dog is too SWEET to EVER bite ANYONE or ANYTHING. Believe me, I've seen him take a few good licks from cats and smaller dogs and he always backs right down. He is a sweet, sweet tempered dog, and he is well TRAINED.
It's so frustrating! I know there are responsible owners of small dogs out there, that's not what I'm trying to rant on.
Coop has a couple of Cockapoo, Pekingese and Maltese buddies (and boy do they look cute playing together!) whose owners all treat them like any other dog, correct poor behavior and praise good behavior and have great dogs as a result.
I'm sure I'm not alone in this?
Mary
P.S. The big dog rant from CL is hilarious, and I hear "put a saddle on him" and "how much does he eat/weigh" just about every time we leave the house too...but since those comments don't terrorize my dog or my kids, I'm letting them slide. LOL.