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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to be upset after a dog jumped at our baby?

945 replies

KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 12:14

Okay, so myself, DH and baby were at a country park the other week. Baby was getting hungry so we sat ourselves down on a park bench and got some food out. A woman was walking with her family and dog and the dog must’ve smelt the food as it suddenly
comes bounding over and is jumping at baby (who is on DH knee) to get the food. We don’t know this dog and don’t know what it's capable of. I scream at the owner that we have a baby and to get her dog under control. At this point, she’s pretty far away and is taking her time to come over. My DH then kicks the dog to get it off them as it just will not stop. The woman wasn’t particularly apologetic and seemed shocked. Did we overreact?

OP posts:
Ohdfod · 15/09/2026 21:30

KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 21:29

I’m aware of my legal rights. By the way, a friend of mine had a colleague who was tired of being chased by a local dog. He put on a steel capped boot and the next time the dog ran up to him, he kicked it square in the chest. The dog died. Now I don’t agree with that but, guess what, legally the owners couldn’t do anything because he felt threatened. So be responsible and put any untrained dogs on a lead because they don’t have to bite to be considered a threat.

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And now you know someone who has kicked a dog to death? Righto….

FreshJalapenos · 15/09/2026 21:30

BuildbyNumbere · 15/09/2026 21:27

Nothing about this sounds normal.

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A couple and their baby have a picnic and object to a dog pounding up eating food and being in their baby’s face?

Only abnormal if you hate yourself and your children I guess

Original poster
KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 21:30

Vivi0 · 15/09/2026 21:29

You seem really focused on who is to blame.

You had an interaction with a dog in a public park.

The owner should have controlled her dog, and you and your husband should have controlled yourselves.

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I was out of control for shouting to the owner, who was further away, that she needed to control her dog and we had a baby? Grow up.

OP posts:
FreshJalapenos · 15/09/2026 21:29

BuildbyNumbere · 15/09/2026 21:27

Plenty thanks … he could have swung his free kicking leg over and then stood up, there are many things he could have done. It’s all a major over reaction and OP is making excuses for both this and DH aggressive and violent outburst, hope he’s not like that at home!

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Aggressive and violent 😂😂 the man was protecting his baby. I’m actually quite alarmed that people wouldn’t do this.

I always wondered what type of twats let their kids into a situation where a dog bites them and scars them for life. Apparently, they’re on MN telling people off for a preventing a baby being harmed

Original poster
KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 21:29

Lacksie · 15/09/2026 21:25

Yup. Enjoy! And report back :)

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I’m aware of my legal rights. By the way, a friend of mine had a colleague who was tired of being chased by a local dog. He put on a steel capped boot and the next time the dog ran up to him, he kicked it square in the chest. The dog died. Now I don’t agree with that but, guess what, legally the owners couldn’t do anything because he felt threatened. So be responsible and put any untrained dogs on a lead because they don’t have to bite to be considered a threat.

OP posts:
Vivi0 · 15/09/2026 21:29

KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 21:24

What if he was a midget? What if we were both in wheelchairs and immobile? Would it be the dog owner’s fault then, or would it still be our fault?

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You seem really focused on who is to blame.

You had an interaction with a dog in a public park.

The owner should have controlled her dog, and you and your husband should have controlled yourselves.

Ohdfod · 15/09/2026 21:29

FreshJalapenos · 15/09/2026 21:26

…of completely normal people

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It is normal to be this irate about a non event that happened “the other week” when no one was injured or harmed in anyway, and the baby in question didn’t even notice? Despite its “screaming” mother? No, I don’t think this is normal. Or in fact, true.

Lacksie · 15/09/2026 21:28

FreshJalapenos · 15/09/2026 21:25

Then they should be on leads, always, especially near children’s parks.

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Nah. Animal welfare matters too. There has to be a balance and it's not found at - all dogs must be perfect 100% of the time or they should be denied proper exercise necessary for their essential wellbeing.

FunnyOrca · 15/09/2026 21:28

No, owners of badly trained dogs are the worst for thinking their dog would never misbehave.

Met an absolute horror of a man when out with baby facing outwards in the buggy for the first time. I asked politely twice for him to call back his dog who had its face right next to my baby’s in the buggy and he literally smirked, absolute piece of work was really enjoying seeing me squirm and plead with him. An older woman then intervened and he barked that it wasn’t a tiger and we were over reacting. I know I wasn’t as it was as I was walking by a bus stop and I was so shaken from it I stopped and everyone waiting was sympathetic and said he was being a bully. Luckily baby was ok, but I didn’t know the dog! That wasn’t safe!

BuildbyNumbere · 15/09/2026 21:27

FreshJalapenos · 15/09/2026 21:26

…of completely normal people

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Nothing about this sounds normal.

BuildbyNumbere · 15/09/2026 21:27

Ohdfod · 15/09/2026 21:26

Op and her DH sound fictitious!

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Or the situation is …

Liverpool52 · 15/09/2026 21:27

Lacksie · 15/09/2026 21:17

Of course animals are like humans in the sense that no matter how well trained they aren't perfect 100% of the time. It's absolutely ridiculous (and totally callous/ objectifying to animals) to pretend otherwise.

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Then the dogs should be on leads.

BuildbyNumbere · 15/09/2026 21:27

FreshJalapenos · 15/09/2026 21:25

I take it you’ve never seen a picnic bench before? It’s hard to stand up while straddled unless you wanna risk falling.

But I reckon people on this thread would have felt much better had the DH fallen with the baby than poor innocent doggy getting yeeted.

Anything with sharp teeth that bounds up to my baby’s face will always get a hard kick from me.

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Plenty thanks … he could have swung his free kicking leg over and then stood up, there are many things he could have done. It’s all a major over reaction and OP is making excuses for both this and DH aggressive and violent outburst, hope he’s not like that at home!

FreshJalapenos · 15/09/2026 21:26

BuildbyNumbere · 15/09/2026 21:25

OP and her DH sound like a right pair.

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…of completely normal people

Ohdfod · 15/09/2026 21:26

BuildbyNumbere · 15/09/2026 21:25

OP and her DH sound like a right pair.

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Op and her DH sound fictitious!

FreshJalapenos · 15/09/2026 21:25

Vivi0 · 15/09/2026 21:24

It’s completely unrealistic to expect all dogs to be trained to the level of a working dog.

Most dogs, even trained dogs, will temporarily react to something in their environment.

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Then they should be on leads, always, especially near children’s parks.

Lacksie · 15/09/2026 21:25

KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 21:22

We will see

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Yup. Enjoy! And report back :)

BuildbyNumbere · 15/09/2026 21:25

Ohdfod · 15/09/2026 21:24

Absolutely nothing, but more than 20 pages have been filled! I call bullshit. This either didn’t happen and/or op is a massive drama queen. MY BABY!!! Who was apparently totally unaffected and having a snack at the time?

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OP and her DH sound like a right pair.

FreshJalapenos · 15/09/2026 21:25

BuildbyNumbere · 15/09/2026 21:20

Just stand up with the bench between his legs then … is he a midget? It’s a dog, not a bear.

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I take it you’ve never seen a picnic bench before? It’s hard to stand up while straddled unless you wanna risk falling.

But I reckon people on this thread would have felt much better had the DH fallen with the baby than poor innocent doggy getting yeeted.

Anything with sharp teeth that bounds up to my baby’s face will always get a hard kick from me.

Original poster
KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 21:25

Vivi0 · 15/09/2026 21:24

It’s completely unrealistic to expect all dogs to be trained to the level of a working dog.

Most dogs, even trained dogs, will temporarily react to something in their environment.

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Then if they aren’t they should be on a lead near a children’s play area where there are picnic benches and families having food. It’s not difficult.

OP posts:
BuildbyNumbere · 15/09/2026 21:24

KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 21:22

We will see

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Report it to who? The police? Ha, good luck with that.

Ohdfod · 15/09/2026 21:24

Vivi0 · 15/09/2026 21:17

However, the victim blaming…

Victim blaming?

What were you a victim of, exactly?

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Absolutely nothing, but more than 20 pages have been filled! I call bullshit. This either didn’t happen and/or op is a massive drama queen. MY BABY!!! Who was apparently totally unaffected and having a snack at the time?

Vivi0 · 15/09/2026 21:24

KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 21:20

Then they aren’t well trained.

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It’s completely unrealistic to expect all dogs to be trained to the level of a working dog.

Most dogs, even trained dogs, will temporarily react to something in their environment.

Original poster
KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 21:24

BuildbyNumbere · 15/09/2026 21:20

Just stand up with the bench between his legs then … is he a midget? It’s a dog, not a bear.

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What if he was a midget? What if we were both in wheelchairs and immobile? Would it be the dog owner’s fault then, or would it still be our fault?

OP posts:
Lacksie · 15/09/2026 21:23

FreshJalapenos · 15/09/2026 21:19

No they’re nothing like humans, humans are far smarter and more nuanced and have the ability to be way more complex. I’m not an expert dog trainer but never ever had an issue training my dogs to not eat random food or bother people. It’s not hard

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So are you another person pretending that a trained dog is 100% perfect 100% of the time? And any failure to be 100% perfect is "suddenly losing skills"? People have SUCH weird attitudes towards animals.
It's really messed up tbh.