Dog ate my picnic

On a serious note , it would be a good idea for the OP to seek therapy for her fear of dogs otherwise she will pass it on to her DC too. Dogs are everywhere these days (Hallelujah)

It's because a grape is the perfect size and shape to get lodged in the oesophagus. Cherry tomatoes and hot dog sausages when uncut can also cause issues.

Obviously the risk is small... but cutting them (lengthwise, not width wise) is worth it when you think of how awful it must be to witness your child choking.

I used to be a nanny for a child whose mum never cut grapes and ate loads of them. I'd just done a first aid course and was telling her about CPR etc... we were then interrupted by a commotion and yes, her son was flapping about as he'd swallowed a grape 😱 Thank goodness it came back up as I wasn't expecting to use my new skills quite so soon 😅

spot on. Stupid dog owner has upset innocent OP and child and put her own dog at risk.
I do agree to please don’t run away from a dog as they may have a high prey drive and will chase.
However, dog owner 100% in the wrong.
I’m sorry your lovely picnic was spoiled for you and your ds

The UK is not a dog-loving country! There are a lot of dog-lovers but everyone else tolerates dogs at best. And the tide is turning as there are more and more clueless and entitled dog owners and dogs are getting more and more out of control, making people's lives a misery and in the most extreme cases, killing people.

How long was the dog there eating to eat a whole punnet of grapes??

The owner was terrible - rude, thoughtless. The kind of owner who gives all dog owners a bad name. But you also need to get a handle on your fear of dogs so you don’t pass it to your ds.

@AngelicKaty and @WD40SuccessStories
So why are you not quoting my first post on this thread where I said all my sympathies lay with the OP and that I hoped this event wouldn't affect her child? Did you miss that one?

Edited to add - top of page 9 if it's helpful.

Also worth saying even if the dog just wanted to “play” it could easily have hurt your child by accident. Especially given it was a large dog.
What an irresponsible dog owner.

My reaction is to freeze or slowly move away rather than kick and I know it’s just not something I’d do generally - but if more people did lash out maybe dog owners would get their dogs under control?

For example that fellow resident I mentioned upthread didn’t care about her dog jumping on me a second time, because her dog was unharmed the first time whereas I was the one with a scratched up thigh. If she knew a kick was coming its way perhaps it would have been a different story.

I was in a hotel lobby in the U.S. years ago and I saw a woman let her dog repeatedly jump on a man who was shouting stay away. It was on one of those retractable leashes but she didn’t try to pull her dog away at all until the man kicked her dog. Everyone was appalled and the hotel staff called the police on the man, but I did point out to the staff they should make sure their guests have their dogs under control.

Ever since then I’ve always made sure I stay at dog free hotels.

People saying "why have a panic where dogs go?" Dogs go everywhere now. Won't be long before they are the gp and dentist too.

I'm a dog owner and lover. But if I saw a German shepherd run at me I totally freeze. I was bitten by one as a teen and it's owner had to beat it to get it off of me. I have zero control of my fight or flight response. I could get therapy but instincts keep you alive.

Your only in control of what is under your your control. Like the woman posting the other day about a man following her in the woods. What's more important? The man's feelings or the woman's fear?

Anyway if this was a man with his kid the dog would probably had a boot in it's face. I saw a man kick a off lead dog this week as it's owner wouldn't recall it. Insisting it's being friendly pouncing on the man's tiny dog repeatedly.

So disinterested owners with zero recall are constantly putting their dogs in danger. I was shocked and upset seeing the dog being kicked but the owner who didn't recall it didn't even see it - they had already walked past ignoring what it was doing. It was horrible.

Root of problem is assumption is that everyone adores your dog. More than their own dog or child's safety. If a dog was mauling my own dog or child I'd kill it if I had to rather than see my dog die. It terrifying me as I see it so much owners laughing "he's harmless" while the other dog is scared shitless. My dog wouldn't bite back but my friends dog would kill another dog that persistently threatened it. That's another issue. Other owners miss reading other dogs body language. Oh they are just saying hello. Until they get bitten then it's all the person shouting to recalls problem. When you was told firmly to recall asap. For a reason.

Fucking idiot owner and now the poor dog has the reprocussions.

Most dogs find it very difficult to resist food on the ground. Poor you and DS, and poor pup.

Many dogs owners take the piss. UK is a dog loving country. In many ways we have value dogs more than people.

I remember once while I was heavily pregnant with my 2nd a large dog bolted towards my toddler very aggressively. As my child screamed i reflexively kicked at the dog.

The owners and onlookers acted like I was the bonkers one. Not the owner for not having dog on a lead.

I made it clear that I was very much prepared to kill their dog, which outraged them further, but also confused and scared them a little I think. No regrets

It's fine to feel bad for the dog, it's not the dog's fault it hasn't been trained properly! I'm sorry for you and your son, particularly as he'd put so much effort into it :(.

🙄

I have every respect & tollerence for assistance dogs and their owners. The rest I could do without,especially owners who allow their dogs to run wild in childrens play parks. There should be a law against this.There are plenty of empty fields in the area I live which are far more appropriate for exercising dogs yet they insist on taking them to our local play park.

Well, that’s where the karma lies.. if the dog ate all the chocolate, chances are she may be at home wondering what is wrong with her dog or at the vets very soon.

Both grapes and chocolate toxic to dogs, so I imagine the owner will get her just desserts. Likely the dog will need a visit to the vet for explosive tummy - and grapes can even kill some dogs.

Ah another below par dog-owner. You give the good ones a bad name. Do better.

Just think of all the situations that could be avoided if by law all dogs were muzzled and kept on a leash in public.

Don't be daft, the owner let her mutt run wild in the park therefore she takes responsibility for all it does, vets bills if any should be paid by her.
If anything the irresponsible owner should pay for the picnic her mutt stole and reported to NSPCC for frightening the bejesus out of a small child

Anyway I think you're on a wind up

Righty ho. Child, tick; ND/with SEN, tick; low income single mum, tick; dog; tick; dog off lead, tick; shouty unapologetic woman owner, tick; dog eats poison chocolate, tick; dog eats even more poisonous grapes and a WHOLE punnet, tick; poor OP has no idea, tick; real time updates….. yeah, ok Felicia. 🙄

Oh dear, I'm afraid my naughty hound once snaffled a cheese sandwich from a fisherman! I didn't know the fisherman was there (hidden in a wooded bit at the side of a lake in one of those little tent things) and I was mortified! Couldn't stop apologising and offered to buy the gentleman lunch. Fortunately it was a left over sandwich, he loved my dog and found it all very funny but I now don't allow the hairy one off the lead in that area until I am sure there are no hidden fishers!
Rotten experience for you OP and I'm sorry your day was ruined. I hope the dog doesn't get ill either. The dog was just doing what dogs do. The owner wasn't doing what she should have been doing.

Haven’t read the full thread but if anyone is saying OP should pay a vet bill thats idiotic and I sincerely hope they don’t own dogs as they’re clearly not aware of the rights and responsibilities of dog owners.

Dog owners are required to keep their dog under control - running up to strangers and scoffing a picnic would be considered as being “out of control” under the dangerous dogs act legislation which applies irrespective of the breed of animal.

The owner was the one who acted in breach of legislation. Not OP. No criminal or civil court in the land would award the dog owner damages for their negligence which if anything resulted in a financial loss for OP or punish OP for anything.

I had a resident in my apartment block let her dog run full pelt and jump on me while I was checking my mail. It scratched me (by accident no doubt) and she didn’t apologise. The second time I saw her and the dog approaching, I said keep your dog on a leash and away from me - if you’re not able to control it off leash it’s in breach of legislation. Fact.

Daft woman tried to argue with me so I reported her to the building management and they sent a note to all dog owners asking them to keep their dogs on a leash. But it’s ridiculous they even had to be told that.

Tbh I am renting now but if I ever buy an apartment I would make sure they don’t allow dogs since I’m basically forced into sharing the communal spaces with often poorly trained dogs,

Some owners have let their dogs urinate in the lift and not cleaned it up and a neighbour told me she seen a shit in the carpark. In my former flat we used to get emails asking us to clean up after our dogs in the rooftop garden. It put me off so much I never went there as based on the frequency of the letters it seemed like it was full of shit 😆

And in fairness to the dogs I don’t think it’s the best environment for dogs to be living in an apartments with no garden. Which is probably where some of the problematic behaviour comes from.

I know. So what is the point of saying food is fair game to a dog? It’s irrelevant if the owner is good.

Thats is precisely what the first sentence of my post said.