When people say their dog is fine and won't bite?

[marshamella]

Walking down the narrow road with my ds and hear a dog heavy breathing behind me. So I turn and tell the owner she can go infront. Her reply "it's ok he won't bite he's soft as anything" and stays behind us. With ds I couldn't walk fast so decided to cross the road when I didn't need to. Was this rude of her not to walk infront as she could see we were uncomfortable with a dog right behind us? I'd rather be the judge of weather or not I want the dog by us.

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

Maybe she couldn't walk fast?
Maybe her dog couldn't walk fast?

Dogs get old, they get tired in hot weather, they stop and sniff and faff around a lot.

Don't assume the they could have easily walked in front of you.

[daysarespinningfast]

If you were walking down a narrow road with your son, she'd have needed to go into the road to get past with the dog, so I think you were being the unreasonable one!

[marshamella]

No seriously they were right behind us they could have walked fast as once I crossed the road they reached the end before us!

[marshamella]

Days there was also a grass verge next to us which I'm sure the dog wouldn't have minded walking on tbh

[DameSquashalot]

YANBU

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

You were on a public path. You can't dictate who walks where. I think ywbu and a little pfb.

[NoahVale]

perhaps their dog kept stopping and sniffing, that's what they do,
perhaps if you had just stopped, they would have had to walk passed you.

[passingthrough1]

I do hate it when dog owners say that to. As opposed to what "actually you're right to look scared, the dog is violent and will almost certainly bite you."???

[DeathStare]

Meh. Hardly a big deal is it?

[NoahVale]

and how could she see you were uncomfortable.

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

Maybe they didn't want to walk fast?
Maybe she wanted to be the judge of whether she should have walked fast or not?

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

Or, if you were that bothered, why didn't you just stop for a minute while they walked passed you?

[passingthrough1]

• too

[daysarespinningfast]

As opposed to nothing at all, passing, I suppose.

Dogs are just part of the world. You don't have to have one or engage with one, but to insist one never comes within a certain radius of you and yours just isn't realistic.

[Paintedhandprints]

It's a case of impinging on personal space really more than about the dog. No-one wants anyone breathing down their necks and hurrying them along when they are walking. Why didn't you stop on the grass verge and let them pass though
unless ot was covered in dog sh1t like everywhere else

[Houseconfusion]

I will not be told where to walk on a road.

I will not be told where to walk on a road when my dog has done - fuck all.

This week's bash dogs thread.

[NettleFarseer]

Ffs such a drama llama you are op

[Alisvolatpropiis]

Yes yabu

[Toffeelatteplease]

I would have stopped and let the dog past.

but I do agree with hating the "its alright he's friendly routine". I don't bloody care whether he's friendly, my son is still petrified and made worse by idiots who don't keep their dogs to themselves

[davos]

So you are annoyed the woman didn't walk where your told her to?

Yabu.

[Mummaaaaaah]

Seriously? This was worth a post?

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

My DD doesn't like dogs near her so I pull her to the side and say "oo look a doggy!" from a safe distance. Not the dog owners problem that my 2.5yo for reasons DP and I don't understand as we both love dogs freaks out when a dog comes near her. And by near, I mean as close as walking around us.

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

Toffee, where does the OP indicate the other woman was an idiot whose dog was out of control?

They were just minding their own business.

[monkeymamma]

Omg this comments ALWAYS pisses me off. It's quite patronising 'oooh don't be scared little silly lady!' And it assumes the only thing I don't like is the idea of the dog hurting us. Now, statistics would back me up here: dogs do hurt and maim people, particularly babies and children. And many of them won't have 'previous' so there's a first time for everything. But also, when I move away from a dog and feel uncomfortable in their presence is because I DON'T want them in my personal space and IMO it's absolutely fine for me to decide that. ditto my dc. And I don't think we should be encouraging our dc to feel that they have to put up with unwanted contact or attention from dogs. Any more than later on they should from people. They should have autonomy over their personal space and not be taught just to 'put up with it'.
I don't like dogs, I don't like the way they smell or the way they lick (bleugh) or sniff people's privates. I also got bitten by a flea from a colleague's dog a few years ago. He had been in a fight and had an open wound. The bite became infected and I was seriously ill. So my view is that dog owners should be more respectful of people's wishes and 'oh, he's okay, he won't bite' is usually what dog owners say when they are about to cheerfully allow their dog to bound into your personal space.