I’m with you on the whole “don’t approach my dog” thing, but if your dogs have trouble with people talking to them (whistling, kissy noises, barking) then I question whether it’s wise to take them out in public. Same with the “running at you” thing - really, if your dog can’t handle people approaching you or talking to you or running past you, why is it out on the trail? Keep your dogs in areas where people aren’t running, and you won’t have problems with people running at you or your dog. If I’m jogging on the trail, I will be running at you if you’re coming the other way, there ain’t no way around it.
I wear headphones, sometimes with my IPOD turned off. You can then politely ignore others.
I do it to my dog just to make fun of her, because she’s so goofy. But then I also meow back at my cats. It’s just funny. Strange dogs? No.
The OP has her dogs in a sit/stay and focussed on her on the side of the trail. She is requesting, among other things, that other people do not allow their dogs to run up to hers. Same with children. Seems perfectly reasonable to me. I have three dogs. I love dogs. Whenever I see someone with a dog that I might want to pet I always ask permission of the owner. It only seems polite, not to mention a safe thing to do.
Sounds to me as if the OP is handling it exactly right.
I agree. And there’s no “right” or “wrong” side of a trail. I wouldn’t count on everyone holding to the same conventions that you do. And I especially wouldn’t expect people to just know that I don’t want them to try to engage in conversation. Tell them it makes your dogs nervous, but for Pete’s sake, don’t be angry because they didn’t read your mind. But I do agree that it’s courteous to ask the owner before you approach his/her dog.
Courteous and prudent, I should say.