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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Strangers who think we all love their dog

381 replies

MaisieMouse87 · 17/05/2025 14:29

I'm a bit pissed off and need a rant. Sitting on the park with my kids, we had a large bottle of water nearly full, next to us on the grass. The top was off as one of the kids had just had some. The park is a large field and we were not near anyone else. We were minding our business.
These two women walked past with a dog on a lead. I didn't expect them to get as close as they did. They came literally right up to us. The dog (on the lead) came between me and the kids and licked the rim of the water bottle. One of the women did a tinkly laugh and I said " oh no" in an annoyed tone and told one of my kids that the water would have to go in the bin now. They just walked off grinning and I heard them say something like " imagine being like that over a dog."
I did not say anything but got up and threw it in the bin. If they'd said sorry it would have been alright or if the dog was off the lead I would have been annoyed still. But the way they actively led it over to us and allowed it to do that, then laughed about it. Aibu for being annoyed? It's not even really about the water. It's about having personal space invaded needlessly when I'm minding my own business by people who are nosy and need to see what I'm doing. And partly people with dogs who think it's acceptable because the dog likes people making a fuss of it. By the way I actually like dogs and have 2 but I have never allowed them to do this and actively keep them away from people in public.

OP posts:
Reprographical · 17/05/2025 14:43

I love dogs and grew up in a very doggy household but there are some absolutely crap owners about, especially since covid.

ItGhoul · 17/05/2025 14:43

FanofLeaves · 17/05/2025 14:43

I’ve not seen one for a a couple of weeks 🤷🏻‍♀️

You haven’t been looking very hard then!

MaisieMouse87 · 17/05/2025 14:43

FanofLeaves · 17/05/2025 14:34

There was a dog chasing a poor terrified duck through the park the other day. The owner caught my eye and smiled indulgently. ‘I don’t know why she bothers, she’d never catch one!’ she chucked. I said ‘that is really quite frightening for the duck, you shouldn’t let her do it’
’well its instinct isn’t it, what can you do!’
GRRR. Since lockdown there are so many more dogs about, and a lot of them are really poorly trained. I don’t know why we are expected to fawn over these dog’s poor behaviour, but it seems we are and it’s irritating.

Edited

The poor duck. I've seen this on a different park. Swans and ducks minding their own business and dogs just free roaming round the lake, out of control.

OP posts:
FanofLeaves · 17/05/2025 14:43

Tutorpuzzle · 17/05/2025 14:41

Ooh, there hasn’t been a dog-hating thread for at least two and a half hours now…thank god one has appeared!

I’ve not seen one for a a couple of weeks 🤷🏻‍♀️

Tutorpuzzle · 17/05/2025 14:41

Ooh, there hasn’t been a dog-hating thread for at least two and a half hours now…thank god one has appeared!

FanofLeaves · 17/05/2025 14:34

There was a dog chasing a poor terrified duck through the park the other day. The owner caught my eye and smiled indulgently. ‘I don’t know why she bothers, she’d never catch one!’ she chucked. I said ‘that is really quite frightening for the duck, you shouldn’t let her do it’
’well its instinct isn’t it, what can you do!’
GRRR. Since lockdown there are so many more dogs about, and a lot of them are really poorly trained. I don’t know why we are expected to fawn over these dog’s poor behaviour, but it seems we are and it’s irritating.