I am a walker who doesn't own a dog and I fully understand that dog owners like to let their dogs off the lead when they get out of the village and onto the footpaths, but I do think they should be more aware about other walkers.
Yesterday as I was walking I saw a lady and two dogs, one large, one small coming towards me off the lead. The dogs were well ahead of their owner and when they got within 20 yards of me they both stood in that aggressive wide straight legged stance and barked at me.
I did what I always do, I stood still and quiet and waited for the owner to call them to heel and sometimes put the lead on, but this owner did nothing for several mnutes until she had climbed the hill very slowly behind them - and all the time they were barking and edging nearer to me. I was not at all happy about this.
As Shirleyw says, when you go for a walk on a lovely day owners whose control of their dogs is uncertain can completely spoil it.