When did owning a dog become so stressful?

[Luci07]

I just don't understand why so many people you meet have an issue with your dog socialising with theirs, it never used to be like that and therefore there were less dog aggressive dogs because they were socialising and also they weren't being clung onto by neurotic owners who are terrified there might be a fight. I walk my 2 really early so don't meet many others but then on my days off I am out at more sociable times and I just wish people weren't so crazy.

You see, I am one of those people who doesn't let my dogs socialise with strange dogs. The reason is that I have Staffords and with the changes in law, I will not risk any situation whereby my dogs could be put at risk by someone taking the law to an extreme. Yes they mix in well with the large pack at the yard, albeit I introduced everyone slowly, and years ago, it would never have occurred to me to worry about how my (staffords) would react to strange dogs or people. However, if you have enough comments about "devil dogs" and know what the repercussions could be if someone saw fit to make a complaint, you might start to take the same attitude. I do agree that's it a massive shame but as a society we have reached an unhappy impasse of a: highly litigious and b: assuming its an automatic right to have a dog. Staffords always get the blame in media for all wrong doings, years ago a GSD attacked my Stafford who did stick up for herself. My dog got the blame, despite the fact that she had been on a lead sitting next to me and minding her own business. GSD (off lead at a show) went for her. Vet even tried to press for PTS till I threw my toys out of the pram and start to retaliate about the behaviour of the GSD. I used to be able to walk that dog in any London park, have proper recall and never worried once about other dogs and owners. Different story nowadays.