for wanting to walk in the park without being bounced on by giant b*stard dogs?

hiya, sorry not had time to read it all

my dad was attacked recently by a bloody huge dog, cant remember the breed, lets just say my dad's over 6foot and when it pinned him against the wall to bite his face, it was taller than him

he called at this persons house (work reasons) and when the owner opened the door (yes, my dad had an appointment and they were expecting him) the owner had the dog on a lead. err, how about shutting it away in another room? then it just went for him.
guess what? the owner was "really sorry" blaa blaa blaa, whatever, i think the mutt had done this before though or else why feel the need to have it on a lead inside your own house? SHUT IT IN ANOTHER ROOM,twat.

my poor old dad couldn't drive or anything, he went into shock with the fear of it all and he's not normally like that at all.

owner was so scared that they called an ambulance, which led to the police automatically being called: but guess what, the dog's still alive and well: dad daren't press charges because it was a work situation and he can't affor dany hassle, owner didn't volunteer to have it put down, so it lives another day to attack maybe a child next time, or someone more physically vulnerable than dad.

when a dog's attacked someone, it should be automatically destroyed imo, sorry if not pc but once they've got a taste for it etc.

cannot stand it when they are lolling round the park, jumping up and running at you, especially little children to whom they must seem like giants. can't stand even more the fckwit owners who roll up an hour later and expect you to be thrilled about it. i only go to parks where the playground bit is fenced off (not that that's any guarantee )

there was this comment piece in the Observer last Sunday, written by Martin Newland, did any of you see it ?

I quote:

"I am baffled by the capacity of many (but by no means all) dog owners to assume that everyone shares the same deep regard for their mutt as they do and I am upset by the tendency of many of these same people to rank a dog's happiness, rights and quality of life as just as important as a human's"

also:

"and does any one else share my revulsion at the sight of an animal that spends large parts of the day with its face buried in its own or other dogs' nether regions licking the faces of children?"

spot on really !!

I dont live anywhere near there but 8 years ago does sound about right to me. Maybe it was in the papers my way.
Poor boy, how bloody awful! The dogs get the blame for it but its the owners fault for not cleaning it up!
I think that when some people get dogs they forget that they come with poo!

How long ago was that Kerrymum? It rings a bell. I heard a similar story a few years ago when I was at school.

kerry that is awful !

I love dogs and have been waiting to be living in a suitable property to own one.

Sadly in the time that we where living in a upstairs maisonette my DD1 was so traumatised by the neighbours dog (thank god we have now moved!) that I am still trying to undo the damage.

He was a huge thing, not sure of the breed but he would jump up every time he was out and they would just let him loose in the cul-de-sac. The first time he scared her she was only 1 and I was carrying her out of the car, he jumped up and his paws where on my chest he was so big. It didnt bother me so much but it scared her beyond belief.

After that she would literally scramble up into my arms whenever he was around. She is now 5 and through a lot of work she now can walk past a dog without freezing in fear.

I don't want her to be afraid of dogs, I want to own one, but I do worry that another dog will jump up at her and we will be back to the beginning again.

But even more than that I get really narked off with the guy who walks his dogs pass my house every day and lets them crap all over the path, almost every day there is a new trail of the stuff, its almost impossible to avoid with the pushchair and I am always having to clean it off pushchair and shoes.

I don't hate dogs, but I DO hate their behaviour

i love animals, i just don't love them more than children !

bohemian - excellent point. yes must remember to unleash my pet tarantula next time i go to the park, he is ever so hairy, but friendly, never mind all those who have phobias or allergies or simply don't like a tarantula crawling up their arms

Agree with martianbishops earlier comment. It's a sad society where people are more careful of their dogs around sheep than small children.

As to the earlier comment that there is a huge difference between a dangerous dog and a 'friendly' one knocking into a toddler. Yes, obviously the outcome is different, but in the mind of a three year old who has been knocked to the ground by a (to him) enormous animal, the initial terror is the same.

I don't hate dogs, and I absolutely see the need for them to be taken to the park. I don't believe all dogs are dangerous, and of course I can tell which ones are being playful. But my children can't.

What I do object to is the idea that parents are making their children afraid of dogs. Sadly it's the unthinking dog owners who are responsible for that. Just try thinking of it from a child's point of view, rather than from the 'my dog has a right to be in the park' point of view.

I've read a bit more of the thread now...and I am aghast at how many horror stories there are of killer dogs with big fangs running over and mauling your children in a friendly way. Agree - horrible and unacceptable if that happens...but I take my children to parks all the time, and have never once had a single experience like this. Am thinking I am living in a parallel universe.

Oh also agree wholeheartedly with expat's round denunciation of the posters who refer to hating dogs. Hate is such a negative and vicious emotion - and often quite irrational.

I tend to stay clear of people who are haters.

You don't sound the least bit bohemian bohemianbint, more sort of..uptight actually

And calling the owner a stupid bitch is extraordinarily unpleasant

having said that I constantly see people being pulled along by large dogs that they can't control.
How dumb is that?!

Dogs should be on leads unless they are on their owners land imo!

i own a collie and he is not always on the lead but always in sight and will come to me as soon as i tell him and that is the key. i am not sure what the law is but think it is something like dogs have to be under control at all times (and in all honesty ,even with a well behaved dog like mine ,the only way to achieve that is to keep it on a lead).i think it is percieved threat that they look at rather than actually waiting for you to be bitten so you do have a valid legal point. YANBU to expect to be able to walk down the street without being accosted by anyone/thing and if my dog jumped up at a strange child he doesnt know i would be horrified. most people that let their dogs run around jumping at other people are just being selfish i am sure they would get f*$ked off if someone with a well behaved tiger started jumping at them some councils operate a policy that you must put your dog on a lead if requested to do so by a council official/police officer, so it may be worth reporting to the council so that they know there's a problem and can perhaps send soemone to monitor/keep an eye/change policy etc.

Droile's story is just marvellous. LOL.
We've got so fed up with large dogs bounding into our picnics, scaring the children and drooling onto/eating our sandwiches while their owners (if they're anywhere near, usually they're out of sight) laugh indulgently at them that we've joined Kew Gardens.
Yes it is on the other side of London and very pricey but dogs are barred -- so children are free to roam around, making camps in the shrubberies without fear of getting crap all over their hands and shoes

By the way, my kids come first. We got a second dog last year, the littermate of my greyhound (it ended up back at dogstrust, and we decided to have her too!). Anyways, the second dog bit my daughter. It went back. Even though we looove our dogs (we have 2 again) if they started biting they would go. End of!

[whispering] I do kinda agree with connie's first post. We have 2 dogs and we take them on the school run (we tie them up out of the way) And even though they are on the lead and not paying attention to anyone, there was still a woman who snatched her son away as soon as she saw the dogs, it was a very obvious and ott reaction. I must admit that I did not consider that the child had asthma etc. However, after a year of this, the mum stopped doing it and the boy petted my dog. He looked so happy. I want my kids to have a healthy respect for dogs too, and I do get annoyed when children come up to my dogs without their parents being there, I know my dogs are friendly, but how do they? IYSWIM.
And my house doesn't stink.

IMHO dogs are largely treated in the uk as the owners ickle babies which is why the majority don't train them properly (as do the owners of working dogs, guide dogs, sheep dogs etc).

Poorly trained dogs are a total pain for the whole community but people in our society are shameless about this. You're not allowed to criticise anyone for anything anymore.

I think if people really loved dogs they would train them properly. Dog happier. Society happier. Dogs are animals not ickle wickle babies.

Our local park is mainly fenced and gated off as a 'dog free zone' which is just great. There's plenty of room in the other areas for them to run around.

This is much smarter then having a fenced off 'dog execise area' , there is one of those near my grans house and people seem to treat it as a huge dog loo so it always smells disgusting, especially in summer.

Oh dear! This thread has turned into a stupid childish war!
The bottom line is is that dog owners should be responsible and not let them bound and jump at kids in parks. Wether they are being friendly and excitable or not. And cleaning up after their dog. As a dog owner myself, I do this. Im sure everyone agrees with this.
But this thread has been blown way out of proportion!! Silly comments about black dogs, savage dogs, dogs shouldnt be let off in woodland areas, germs etc etc... It all sounds bloody ridiculous and there are too many nit pickers on here!!!
How on earth did a thread about dogs jumping up at kids turn into a pathetic 'debate' that has been twisted round to the point where it cant be taken seriously anymore! Some comments obviously come from snobby, bone idle, hypocontriacs! Who need to learn to relax and stop being so uptight!
I completely understand about the allergy thing btw. I have a dog but he is well behaved and only off the lead in woodland areas. He doesnt wonder to far and doeant bound and jump at kids. But loves it when kids approach him and make a fuss. I think its lovely.
Some kids approach dogs and some dog owners have timid dogs. So it works the same as some people need to control their kids!!!