To have kicked an old man’s dog?

I also agree with you OP. A dog should not be allowed to jump up on you and if it does, consequences are what they are. I jog and I have regularly been jumped on by off leash dogs. I’m not afraid of dogs and usually I manage OK but it is also clear in my mind that if a dog starts to bite, it is getting a kick and I have no compunction. Off leash dogs should be under the control of their owner st all times. If they have no recall, they should not be off a leash in a public place.

my old dog was reactive to other dogs due to a traumatic start to her life (rescue). As a result she was never off her leash. 🙁 But it was the only responsible thing to do as I couldn’t guarantee her recall if she was approached by another dog.

I think the concern might have been that a dog might knock her over no matter how good her balance would be if she was not being pushed over by 35-40kg or so of excited and uncontrolled dog.

Ignore FB post.
Be glad you’re all OK, had a little dog that was once bitten by a rescue greyhound. Greyhound had escaped. The owner was mortified. We handled it like adults.

She felt her dogs were in danger = she took appropriate measures.

I don't think every greyhound needs to be muzzled if it's on a lead.

( also wondering how the greyhounds spend their money)

I’d have done the same.

I think there were other ways to handle it. I don't think harming an animal should be anyone's go to action if they aren't in danger.

I get that the other owner was to blame, and that the dog should have been better trained. Of course the dog shouldn't have run up to her.

But we don't live in a world where you have free license to use violence just because you don't like someone's actions, if you aren't in danger.

Or maybe the aggressive dog should have been on a lead?
🐶🤯

Mindblowing that such a device has been invented, eh?

If the concern was balance I don't think kicking would have helped really.

I’d have kicked it too. I have a big friendly dog. I’ve also trained her and keep her on the lead. Dog owner needs a kick.

If the op was being attacked by the dog she had the right to defend herself, absolutely. I don't imagine anyone disagreeing with that.

I just think it would have been mentioned if the dog was snapping or biting.

Stompythedinosaur
Jumping at doesn't mean attacking, does it? I'm imagining an excited jumpy dog. Obviously that shouldn't happen, but not fair to kick a dog to correct bad behaviour.

OP is five feet tall and her arms were full, she would have been unable to catch herself if she fell. Or else she'd have had to drop her dogs, which for all she knew the greyhound regarded as prey.

If the greyhound was jumping at her, it could easily have knocked her over.

Oh dear.

Oh well, hip replacement is easy these days.... And a broken wrist is really no particular problem, after all.

In the few seconds OP had to consider her response when the BIG DOG was running - UNCONTROLLED- at her, do you really, honestly think a BIG dog V two SMALL older dogs would be safe for the smaller dogs even if the big dog just "Wanted to be friends"?

Not kicked it? What’s difficult to understand? Turn your back, walk away. You became the aggressor by kicking the dog, you could have made it worse.

I also have a small elderly dog and in the moment you did what you needed to to protect your dogs. I’ve had to intervene a number of times when out of control big dogs with no recall have come charging over to mine fortunately yelling or shooing them away has worked but if it didn’t I’d do what you did if there was no alternative.

Jumping does mean attacking to me.

But then, been there...still got the scars from the "he's just excited/being friendly" fuckwit of a dog with a cunty owner 50 yrs later...

Reply to the post anonymously asking why the dog was so close to someone that obviously didn't want it there and where was the owner whilst the happened. The dog was out of control and therefore the owner was breaking the law, thankfully the dog only recieved a kick rather than coming to harm from an aggresive dog or car which seems inevitable if the dog is allowed to behave like this regularly.

No, you were not in the wrong. You were fully in control of your dogs, he was not in control of his. You were only protecting your dogs. The woman who stuck her nose in should mind her own business, nosey cow.

Yes.

Can you explain in small words why it isn't?

It's my answer (whilst fending off my very gentle cat who can't catch a fly).

Did you see my earlier post? Maybe scroll back a bit.

WanderingStar26
I’d turn partially away from the dog with my arms folded.

Um... but what do you do with the two elderly, frightened dogs in your arms, at this point? Because that's what the OP was coping with: both arms fully occupied and a large out of control dog leaping up at her trying to get at them.

Was he doing that to make friends with them even though they were snarling at him and clearly not inclined to be his fwends, or to attack them? Who can say. Greyhounds do kill smaller dogs quite often, though, so alarm about them from smaller dogs' owners is justified in general.

If she hadn't picked them up the situation would have been no easier: two small, frightened dogs on the ground, the greyhound interested primarily in them. He isn't going to give a damn about her turning her back or crossing her arms, because she is not what he has his attention on.

YADNBU

His dog was not under control so he was breaking the law.

Kicking/kneeing a dog for fun obviously wouldn't be ok, but as your only defence in that situation, it was proportionate and reasonable.

This.

Jumping at doesn't mean attacking, does it? I'm imagining an excited jumpy dog. Obviously that shouldn't happen, but not fair to kick a dog to correct bad behaviour.

If it was a "teeth out and jumping to bite at the op and her dogs" that's a different situation. But I feel like the op would have said that, if that's what happened?

Yup.

All dogs should be muzzled in public.

And if the dog isn’t just playing but is aggressive, you … put yourself in front of the dog and put yourself in arm’s way at the same time?

That’s a serious question from someone who’d be terrified in that situation (so I’d just hold still, praying for the owner to do something. You know the famous Freeze reaction).

That dog should never have been let to run towards the OP full stop.
Telling the OP she didn’t react well is not here nor there. The first step is getting your dig under control. Otherwise you fall into victim blaming.