To have refused to move my dogs?

[HipHipHippoo]

Today I was in the woods with my 2 dogs and 3 DC. I was sitting on a bench with 2 yo old DD while she had a snack and her sisters climbed a tree. A woman approached and sat at the other end of the bench. One of my dogs looked in her direction and she told me to take them away. I said "excuse me?" She said "I don't like dogs, take them away." I told her that if she didn't like dogs then perhaps she should sit elsewhere (my dogs were laying down and hadn't moved since she sat down.) She launched into a tirade about how dog owners think they own the woods, that she should be able to go for a walk without being made to feel uncomfortable and so on. I largely ignored her.

When DD finished her snack and we were ready to move on, I waited until we were 50m or so from the woman before letting my dogs off their leads. She stood up and bellowed at me to put them on leads, that there are children around and it's so dangerous...! The only children there were mine, and the dogs were perfectly under control anyway. AIBU to have ignored her or am I indeed being an ignorant dog owner??

[mbosnz]

Well she sounds kind of batshit crazy.

[Wolfiefan]

She sounds bonkers. If your dog had leapt all over her then it would have been a reasonable accusation. But she chose to sit on the bench you had already settled on and then basically demanded you leave. All because your dog looked at her? Where’s the batshit emoji?

[S1naidSucks]

Nah. She was just being an arse. She’s probably the kind of person that goes out of her way to be offended by dogs. I’ve met a handful like her over the years. I’ll be walking along a very wide path, alongside the sea and the person, usually a man will actually veer across the path so they’re walking right through my dogs, then they’ll either pretend to be scared, give me a filthy look or start grumbling about dogs. I look after dogs and you’d be surprised how often this happens.

No doubt you’ll get the dog haters on here that will start talking about being jumped on, dog shit, blah blah bla.

[S1naidSucks]

🦇 💩

[palebluewalls]

She sounds like a total loon. I would have got my dog to sit up on the bench next to her 😂

[Singlenotsingle]

I love my dog. She's small, timid, and good on or off the lead. But twice now I've been startled and scared by other people's big dogs coming too close, and behaving aggressively. One woman had two on the lead but they were so big and strong they nearly pulled her over.

[greenelephantscarf]

yabu to let your dogs off the lead in the woods where ground nesting birds might be disturbed but wrt the bench ywnbu.

[palebluewalls]

@Singlenotsingle did you read the OP? I'm not sure what relevance your comment has really.

[Wolfiefan]

S1
Love it.
Your dog didn’t approach her or cause her any harm. TBH I suspect the dog would be more concerned by the 🦇💩 woman than she was of the dog.
Loving 🦇💩. I may have to use that A LOT.

[Singlenotsingle]

Thank you for your friendly comment pale blue

[Cleanmywindows]

I'm not a dog lover - in fact I am very much the opposite, yet even I agree that YWNBU. She sounds a loon.

[ZofloraPrincess]

I met my DD in town last week for lunch and her assistance dog was lying under the table. There was a family group sitting behind DD, one of the children in the group spotted the dog and started pointing at her under the table. I ignored it as it’s not unusual to see people pointing or asking to stroke her. I assume it was the mother who approached our table and started shouting that it was disgusting we had a dog in the restaurant. DD had been oblivious to the situation as she hadn’t heard the commotion the child had caused behind her and couldn’t lip read as the woman was shouting and waving her arms around. I was signing to a very confused DD what was going on while trying to explain the “disgusting dog” was an assistance dog to the enraged woman. The manager ended up coming over and removed the offending diner. Some people are just weird about dogs OP. 🤷‍♀️

[BlackeyedGruesome]

If she had a problem with them, she should have asked if you minded her sharing the bench, mentioned that she was scared of dogs and are they likely to jump up/ whatever.

if she was that scared of dogs, why did she sit on that bench?

I don't like dogs, I hate dogs in restuarants, but assistence dogs are there legally and it is my issue to get over. they tend to be the best behaved though, so easier to deal with.

[whitesoxx]

YABU to have the dog off the lead in that area. The whole woman story is a red herring

[ZofloraPrincess]

whitesoxx

I waited until we were 50m or so from the woman before letting my dogs off their leads.

OP’s dogs were on a lead at the time.

[whitesoxx]

What? OP let her dogs off the lead. She knew the woman was scared and the dogs should be on a lead

[Chippychipsforme]

I'm scared of dogs so I wouldnt deliberately go and sit next to one in the first place. She sounds a bit odd.

[Wolfiefan]

Why? She was a long way away from the woman. The dogs weren’t out of control. And the woman wasn’t so scared she didn’t come and sit on the same bench. Woman was crackers.

[EjectorCrab]

I am probably not one to comment because I have just come back from a walk with my DS who had a boisterous unleashed cocker spaniel jump up at him. DS was terrified and I ran over and grabbed the dog by the collar. The owner appeared a few minutes later to me holding a yappy cocker spaniel by the collar and my DS a few metres away crying in fear.
The owner told me that her dog didn’t need to be on a lead and that I should be educating my child that dogs are friendly and will only act more friendly and playful if my child squeals, jumps or tries to run away.
Well I gave her what for and she’s lucky I am an animal lover and grabbed her dog my the collar and sat with it until she appeared.

I believe dogs should be on a lead, and the fact you let them off knowing that someone was afraid of them was extremely selfish and mean.

[AuntieCJ]

I believe dogs should be on a lead, and the fact you let them off knowing that someone was afraid of them was extremely selfish and mean.

^^this

[Silverhype]

I believe dogs should be on a lead, and the fact you let them off knowing that someone was afraid of them was extremely selfish and mean.

Nonsense! She was 50 metres away and the woman approached the place she was sitting in the first place. I've honestly never read such nonsense talked about dogs and their owners as I read on MN. And don't get me started on the concern for the "ground nesting birds" mentioned above; how would you police the rest of the wildlife - foxes, badgers, rats etc living in those woods?

[EjectorCrab]

I’m not arguing with you there is no point, dog owners are always adamant their dog is safe, fine, friendly whatever and that they have a right to walk their dog off a lead. It’s disrespectful to feel your and your dogs rights to walk freely across public areas are more important than the rights of others to enjoy the same public areas without being fearful.

[EjectorCrab]

Incidentally while you were sat on the bench with your dogs on a lead then the lady clearly was a bit strange, unless the dogs were sniffing at her, getting too close to her, it’s what happened afterwards I have a problem with.

[Wolfiefan]

Dogs have to be legally under control. That doesn’t mean on a learn. The OP was 50m away from these people and let the dog off. It didn’t run towards them, jump up at them or do anything remotely scary. You’re being ridiculous.
My kids used to be scared of dogs. No way would I willingly use a bench with a dog sitting there if I or they were really scared.
Dogs can be off lead. IF they behave. I’ve worked bloody hard to make sure mine is.

[SabineUndine]

I'm not a dog person but if your dog was on the lead while you were sitting down on the bench and she chose to come and sit on the same bench, it looks as though she did it deliberately to start an argument.