Argument with husband about protecting dog

She didn't know that though did she? Hindsightisxa wonderful thing.

You were the one in the wrong here OP. You should have stayed to sort your dog out. Your husband would then have been able to take both children away.

I agree with this.

And if there’s only one adult, you don’t take the children and dogs out together because you couldn’t possibly be in control.

I think you missed that that was a follow up post from one where I’d said that in general sort the children out first, because dogs are more capable of defending themselves than children.

And this post was in response to the OP’s over dramatic statement about not risking her life breaking up a dog fight.

Also, run is terrible advice... even if the other dog doesn’t go, ooh running, your own dog would naturally follow you anyway.

I couldn't personally leave my dog to be attacked and would have helped her. If that was my husband he would handed me the baby and got our dog or i would have grabbed her. But we consider our dog part of the family.

If you run the dogs will think this is an amazing game.

Surely, you've learnt not to run from a dog. Just stand still.

Again (I know I mentioned this already): as someone who's dog was near killed in such an attack - my experience tells me that very few people really have any clue how they would behave.

It is all rather surreal and terrifying and both lasts forever and is over too quickly for a rational response. And the noise my dog made - the screaming noise - I will never forget that as long as I live. Nor will I forget carrying her home with half her skin torn off.

I'm not an inexperienced dog owner, have broken up a few dog fights in my time (every day fights between known dogs) but an out-of-the-blue proper attack by a strange dog... in my experience, that's something else entirely.

So all the tooing and froing in the world about how you might behave... I honestly don't think you know until you face it.

@tidalway
But there was no need to run. OP was making a fuss about nothing simply because she saw a staffy on the beach . It was excitable and ether then aggressive - no, I wasn't there - but that comes out of her OP. Run, and an excited dog will chase - he thinks you're playing .

Honestly 🙄

This is why if I have kids I’d never leave them with a dog owner. So many - not all- are bonkers. To even think of risking your child to protect your dog is wild.

If you don’t want people to tell you Stafford’s are gentle, why mention the breed? Would you have had the same hysterical reaction of the dog was a Labrador or a poodle hybrid ( mongrel) A Stafford would not have harmed your child. Learn about the breed before you judge.

I agree, he was offering the baby as 'bait' to the dog to distract it away from his dog 😱

Absolute horseshit.
Honestly, the drama on this thread.

Exactly. I would have gone ballistic if my DH had tried to protect a dog while carrying our baby.

Yes 100%.
You don’t love your dog if you could see it get attacked and just fuck off and leave it.

I could never leave my dog either to get attacked.

The person with the baby and the person with the other kids gets out of the way of dogs. Your dog would manage because it can read the other dog. Your dog would also protect its pack. Your dh should not have gone forward to the dog. He could have tripped over and fallen down and that’s a trigger for an attack. He would not be able to get up quickly with the baby. Tell him protect the children, then you, then himself and then your dog.

I would have done what your husband did by instinct OP. I just simply couldn’t leave my dog in an unsafe situation whether it was up against a chihuahua or a bully. My instinct would kick in and I would have to attempt to save my dog. For that reason I’m saying YABU.

This is def the case!!

get a grip @rankings are you always this dramatic!!! no one is saying risk your life. Shout, throw stones or sticks or kick up sand from a safe spot, call your dog back to you. Shout for the dogs owner. Literally do anything that might help while staying safe.

just don’t be the selfish crappy dog owner you are who legged it when another dog just came near yours without even remotely caring for the animal you purposely brought into your household. And please - if something does ever happen your dog do not get another pet.

The staffie thankfully did nothing other than jump up and scare us/our dog but it's more what could of happened

I think that you massively overreacted upon seeing this particular dog . If you cannot cope in a calm manner then you need to look again at how you manage your family outings - eg children on a beach without dogs. Leave yours at home and one of you take him out later .

I think a bit more dog awareness and knowledge on your part wouldn't go amiss, OP.

I get vibes that you’re a dog owner who rapidly lost interest in the dog when the kids arrived. And that’s not fair on the dog. They don’t understand. You chose to have them and then chose to have the kids. Your H obviously didn’t lose his loyalty to the dog.

Rehome*

This very dramatic.

And if you’d really walk away from your dog if he was being attacked, rather than hauling him out by a lead/kicking the attacker/throwing something, then regime your dog. They deserve better.

Honestly... that’s a bit over dramatic

The chances of you risking your life to break up a dog fight are tiny, absolutely tiny. For starters IME 99% of dogs that rush up like that just have social skill issues, they’re actually looking to play but are rude.

Most if the rest will stop as they reach you and do that aggressively circling before a fight breaks out.

and most dog fights are a load of noise and not serious anyway.... if they are, you’re still only risking a bite to your hand, they’re not going to suddenly leap into the air and rip out your throat or anything.

The best thing you can do is grab its collar before it gets to your dog, pop it on your lead and give it to the owner.

If you don’t manage that, put yourself in front of your dog and when it tries to go round you move, and say things like ii, no... because most dogs recognise that even though it’s a pointless command, try a sit, most dogs know that...

Basically you do what you can to stop a fight breaking out to start with and give the owner time to catch up.

You don’t wait for it to start then wrestle it 😐