Parking when there are dogs around

its likely he had a camera and could see the space was clear

I have two dogs and always keep them on their leads if they’re anywhere near cars. They are my responsibility, not anyone else’s.

Slapping someone’s car and telling them to eff off is pretty bad. I once had a horse rider kick my car. I wasn’t overly impressed either.

It's very hard when a dog starts to slow down as it gets older.

You do what you can to make life easier for it.

Don't dwell on what it can't do, think about what it still can do.

my little collie is dying of old age, she can't climb stairs, jump into cars, chase balls, hear cars approaching

Then you are so incredibly unreasonably to not have her on a lead. You owe her a duty of care.

All the more reason to keep it on a lead in a car park! The driver doesn't know any of this (plus its not relevant)

I am with you, OP!

In a car park full of spaces, why be reversing close to an area where people are standing with dogs? The fact that the dogs were off or on their leads is irrelevant.

The guys was driving an SUV so of course the lazy, entitled man believes that he can park wherever he likes and obviously that MUST be as close to the intended destination as possible. I see this all al time at our local school, SUV's parking as close to the school gates as they can get, dangerously maneuvering. Many of these people live well within walking distance of the school. People will retort with all kinds of excuses but some shame needs to be attached to this kind of behavior for it to change.

The guy behaved like an entitled idiot.

😂😂😂😂

Ok OP.

You can’t know he didn’t look. My car has 360 cameras and sensors so no need to turn your head.

For goodness sake, yes he was annoying having to park right next to you but in a car park, you put your dog on the lead, doesn't matter how old, small or well behaved it is, it's common sense. You were in the wrong

It’s sad and very emotional witnessing the aging of your pet dog. I’m sorry.

But equally, the father in the car could have had his own sad and emotional problems which made him choose that same easy familiar spot….. and hence drive too close to you and your little dog.

It’s a rotten world we live in sometimes, even at the park.
In the end though OP, it’s your job to keep your ageing pet absolutely safe. Especially in an empty car park which can soon fill up.

It’s not the job of the stranger who chose to quickly park in the next spot to you, in such a way as to alarm you, to understand your concerns about your pet, especially when your pet should have been on a lead.

You were unreasonable to escalate the situation by banging on his car in shock and anger as you did. It would have been better to just pick up your dog and walk away as quickly as possible.
Put space between you, even though he didn’t !

Calling him a cunt is beyond unreasonable.

It's often easier to line up next to parked cars.

I'm a dog lover, so I normally start reading these threads with a certain innate sympathy for the dog owner.

Not today, lady.

The driver's behaviour might have been mildly inconsiderate, but with your aggressive and foul mouthed response you completely overreacted and raised the bar to a whole new level. So yes, you were unreasonable. Massively so.

Nice touch swearing in front of his children too.

Don't be surprised if your fellow dog walkers aren't quite so keen to hang out with you going forward.

Neither can I - unless you’re super tall you would have had to really stretch to tap the roof of a Range Rover. I have a Land Rover and can barely reach the roof.

YABVU. Keep your dogs on lead in car parks.

You may of thought he wasn't looking, but probably he has a reversing camera.

Noone is going to agree with you op.
Don't slap cars and swear at people, one day someone might retaliate (slap you).

You have an old/ unwell dog and instead of securing them with a lead, you put them in danger by having them unleashed and then chose to take your anger out on a driver .

This man was completely in the right to park where he wanted, but what if it was a young boy racer who sped into there or a learner driver who was having difficulty parking and they ran into your dog?

In either circumstance it would be no comfort to your dog to say the driver was in the wrong even if they were.

If I’m crossing a road with small children I’ll hold their hands even on a quiet road. Yes no one should just appear out of nowhere and crash into us but “should” and “will” are different things. I can’t control other peoples actions.

Also if there were kids in the man’s car when you smacked it and swore at him that’s even worse.

If this is real and I’m struggling to believe it is Shame on you OP, you probably ruined that man’s day.

He literally told why he parked there 😂

Look, you're entitled to think why on earth is he parking between 2 cars when there is a massive space but slapping his car and having a go at him about it is totally unreasonable, as is having your dog off the lead in a car park. I'm sorry but no matter how well trained a dog is, there is always a risk. My girl used to have great recall but I know one million percent, if I was standing around chatting and she saw a squirrel or something, she would be off regardless of whether a car is coming, and it would be totally my fault.

It's natural that some things bother us, but you can still be rational and admit to yourself it's a you issue. My girl can be quite reactive so she is never off her lead now and I absolutely hate it when I have to walk past a couple of people with their dogs having chit chat. Im my head I'm thinking, fuck off, why are you standing on the path blocking it so I have to walk round you and your dogs (I find that quite bloody stressful) but I just smile and say morning as I walk past as I appreciate it is not their issue I have an aggy dog, it is mine.

But seriously, put your dog on a lead if there are cars!!

WTF is wrong with you!
A car park is for cars not for loose dogs running off the lead. Dogs are unpredictabe.
Imagine how you’d feel had your dog been injured. That would be entirely down to YOU.

So you were stood in a car park (not the actual park) and were surprised when someone else drove in wanting to park? That's usually what happens in car parks lol! Just because it was empty doesn't mean that you shouldn't have your dogs on the lead, and if they were safely waiting beside you as you said, then I don't see the problem the driver caused frankly.

So unbelievably unreasonable and entitled!

Of course YABU! Your dog, your responsibility!

OP it does sound as though you’re experiencing anticipatory grief. When we take on an animal it’s implicit that we accept their short lifespan compared to our own. It’s sad, but it’s a fact. I don’t mean to sound harsh, but you don’t sound accepting of this or in any way prepared for the unavoidable loss pet ownership brings with it.

Many owners keep their animals alive way beyond what is kind or reasonable because they can’t bear the thought of losing them. You sound as though you’re struggling with watching your dog aging. I mean this as kindly as possible, but l think maybe you need to get some help to prepare yourself so that when the inevitable time comes, you can do what’s best for your dog rather than yourself.

And….??

If your dog is that old and vulnerable maybe keep it on a lead and don’t let them wander round a car park.

You are changing the narrative (because you know you are wrong), from "was HE being unreasonable to be angry at my aggression in slapping his car", to "my dog is dying, my views and opinions trump everything"

I doubt anyone is thinking "good she has a dying dog" but equally, that wasn't your original question and now you are bringing your emotional baggage into it