WIBU to reassure this child that my dog is friendly

This is exactly what I do. Our labs 30+kg of pure muscle, no one wants that barrelling into them or slobbering on them. I always walk off to the side into the long grass and let people pass.

That wasn't a natural instinct of mine as we trained guide dogs when I was growing up and the first thing you do is teach to ignore, ignore, ignore so it feels wrong to usher him to the side but I think there's so many more dogs and people about now, that it's become habit.

If you can't see it, how do you know it is there?
I have no illusion that the outside environment is sterile. Not sure why you expect it to be, but that is a you problem.

I've been that mother with my daughter so many times. Am absolutely sick of dog owners thinking that my child wants them anywhere near her - I couldn't care less how friendly a stranger's dog apparently is, my daughter is scared and doesn't want it anywhere near her. I don't think it's at all irrational for anyone, but especially a small child for whom the dog is much bigger than for adults, to not want an unknown dog near them, I certainly don't. All dog owners would do better to assume this is the default for everyone rather than starting from the point of view that people want their dog near them, however friendly and harmless it apparently is.

Her dog WAS on a lead and unable to approach the children.
OP you behaved like a responsible dog owner and that woman was rude

Do you think the piss magically disappears? You probably do. It doesn't

I have lived in a city centre. The only "coating of piss" I saw was from that of humans (usually men).
A relative has a cleaning company with city centre contracts, and every morning, their cleaners are cleaning up human excrement from door ways etc, or spraying chemicals about to get rid of the piss smell.

I am so fucking sick of dogs being absolutely everywhere I go. I'm wary of dogs, especially around my children, and it really drags me down that they are just everywhere. I'm forever being fucking sniffed, jumped at, barked at and having to dodge piles of shit.

OP I appreciate you did nothing wrong and the way you handled it was fine. But I've definitely been that mum who has had a full day of other people's bloody dogs interfering with my day and running up to my children completely out of control. I have snapped at innocent responsible dog owners before when I shouldn't have.

Try not to worry OP.

I'm a mother of nervous child, you did nothing wrong, I imagine both mum and child have had bad experiences with "friendly" dogs

To be honest I'm sick of people telling me and my children not to worry because their dog is "friendly". In fairness it is usually used as a justification after their dog has approached us or jumped up on us. We don't want a friendly or otherwise dog anywhere near us. Whether or not it is friendly is if no interest to us.

Dogs are vile. I've never left my diarrhea in a public space where children play and families eat. Dogs cannot say the same.

You sound like a responsible dog owner. The mum didn’t need to be rude but i understand where she is coming from. My DS is autistic and absolutely hates off lead dogs. It isnt because he thinks they will bite, its because he hates them invading his space and touching him. So many dog owners make unhelpful remarks when they see how distressed he is.

You were thoughtless in your preachy comments to people who clearly were apprehensive. You showed little understanding for their legitimate feelings. Thoughtlessness is a version of stupidity: you didn’t think.

I’m a dog owner; I’m nort a dog hater. But I was scared of dogs for most of my childhood. I’m sick of the lack of thought of many dog owners.

I do feel entitled to walk down a street not coated in piss yes. And entitled not to have anything piss on my garden wall. Obviously my massive entitlement is not matched with reality. Nonetheless I hate dogs and if they come near me I am not obliged to be polite about it.

I think in the PP's case, they insist on dogs being "it" because they hate them.

I don't think you did anything wrong but 'friendly' has become a loaded word with regard to dogs imo.

It now means, "Don't worry, my dog won't bite you/your child/your dog or maul you to death, so YABU to object to it jumping on you or your child, approaching and freaking out your reactive dog, licking you, scratching you, getting mud on your clothes, eating your food because at least it's not going to seriously injure anyone (in my opinion, anyway, even if that turns out to be wrong)".

If you need to say anything, I'd go for "it's ok, she won't bother you".

I'm a mother of nervous child, you did nothing wrong, I imagine both mum and child have had bad experiences with "friendly" dogs

The dog won't care. Dogs have many annoying characteristics but to be fair, getting uptight about pronouns is not one of them.

I have two friendly dogs that are never off the lead in public. They are big and I do see some people look a bit anxious when they see me approaching and I’m guilty of saying they are friendly as I genuinely don’t want people to be worried by them. They won’t even acknowledge you unless you stroke them. They are under close control on short leads and I always put myself in the middle of the path with the dogs furthest away from the person passing. I think the other person in the OPs scenario was really rude.

Perhaps I shouldn't have said anything, I guess I just wanted to make her feel a bit better as I could see how nervous she was.

No, You shouldn’t have said what you said. You sounded like you thought you would teach the children a lesson. That is not your place and it’s actually incredibly insensitive to assume that you can reassure a stranger about your dog.

You are minimising the child’s and the mother’s legitimate feelings.

I’m a dog owner but for much of my childhood I was very scared of dogs. I can’t count the number of times people told me as a child “He’s friendly” I don’t care. I do not want your dog near me.

Nothing.
There are some people on MN who really hate dogs.

There are a few of us with our dog haters bingo card out. It is so predictable.

You are quite vile.

You sound incredibly entitled to think the outside world is your environment.

Wildlife also pees and poo in "your" environment. They also have the audacity to die in it and leave their corpses for you to see.

I have a sensitive sense of smell and have never smelt a park smell of dog excrement. Ever.

You just sound too outraged over it all for no good reason.

Several times I’ve had a dog on a lead pull
towards me and once, jump on me, only for the owner to say “don’t worry, she’s friendly”. I don’t really care if a dog is friendly, I don’t want it near me and I expect owners to control their dogs better rather than just tell me their dog is friendly.

So I imagine those of us who aren’t fans of dogs or have children who aren’t fans are fed up of hearing that phrase to excuse poor dog parenting. So whilst you meant well, it’s said far too often.

(Before dog loves come at me, I like small fluffy dogs. Big dogs I need to stay away from me!).