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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:
Original poster
KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 20:15

Ohdfod · 15/09/2026 20:14

Your baby wasn’t frightened by its “screaming” mother? Unfortunately op, it will have been.

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No they weren’t. They were busy trying to eat.

OP posts:
Original poster
KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 20:15

RachTheAlpaca · 15/09/2026 20:10

Likely the unpopular opinion here with all of the dog worshippers excusing the terrible owner and lack of training, but if this had happened to me and I thought my baby might potentially have their face bitten off, we would've killed the dog right there and then to be honest

To be honest, you would've been within your legal rights to do that. I’ve been reading the law tonight and it genuinely doesn’t matter if the dog bites or not, if you feel reasonably threatened you can take action. If I knew that as a dog owner I would be taking more precautions, not blaming other people.

OP posts:
Ohdfod · 15/09/2026 20:14

KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 20:11

Wasn’t frightened at all and loves dogs to this day, but thanks for your concern.

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Your baby wasn’t frightened by its “screaming” mother? Unfortunately op, it will have been.

user1464187087 · 15/09/2026 20:14

Melsy88 · 15/09/2026 13:38

I think it depends if the kick was more like a push to move the dog away (fine) or something to actually hurt the dog (not ok).

Well the dog owner has to take responsibility for that. I say that as someone who has been bitten by a dog and it was nasty.

nomas · 15/09/2026 20:12

HoneyPie12 · 15/09/2026 20:10

My puppy is huge. And I mean huge. She also has terrible manners and when asked if a child can stroke her I usually say no.as she jumps up, licks and sometimes even bites (not hard but still uses teeth). Once we said yes to a 2 year old while I was fully restraining her and she still tried to rear up and knock him on his little bum. This is why, always and forever, she will be on a lead. I can't teach her manners fast, but I can adapt to her/act on behalf of her. The woman was so, so in the wrong. And I say that as a woman who's dog would have tried to snatch as much food as she could, and probably smack your baby with her fat paws too!

Very sensible, your puppy sounds like a cute menace!

Original poster
KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 20:11

BuildbyNumbere · 15/09/2026 20:10

Baby was probably more frightened by the parents carry on than by the actual dog!

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Wasn’t frightened at all and loves dogs to this day, but thanks for your concern.

OP posts:
beeble347 · 15/09/2026 20:11

Yeah you don't know the dog. I had similar actually, having a picnic with a friend who'd popped round the corner with her baby. Random off lead dog ran up and started jumping at us trying to get my son's pasta out his bowl. I had to hold its harness to hold it back - owners were older couple, man on a mobility scooter and a woman who didn't have any walking aids. It was the man who slowly drove up then slowly came to get the dog - no apology or anything said to us.

Same dog then came back AGAIN when my friend and her baby were also there, jumping up at the little ones and the food. Even if no biting it's just unhygienic. Same thing happened, I had to hold the dog back again, no apology or word said to us and took them a long time to get the dog. Bloody annoying. And my family had dogs growing up as well.

PHB65 · 15/09/2026 20:10

Not unreasonable.
however you loose brownie points for kicking the dog.

BuildbyNumbere · 15/09/2026 20:10

runnerducky · 15/09/2026 13:45

I do think as well this kind of hysteria around dogs is why you end up with some of the kids I see that are shrieking and crying as a dog walks past them totally uninterested in them. Dog shouldn’t have come over and the owner should have got her shit together asap, but the screaming and kicking and panic was OTT. Just a bit of a shambles all round IMO for what is a kind of everyday minor inconvenience when out and about in the world 🤷‍♀️ Seems like a stressful way to exist!

Edited

Baby was probably more frightened by the parents carry on than by the actual dog!

HoneyPie12 · 15/09/2026 20:10

My puppy is huge. And I mean huge. She also has terrible manners and when asked if a child can stroke her I usually say no.as she jumps up, licks and sometimes even bites (not hard but still uses teeth). Once we said yes to a 2 year old while I was fully restraining her and she still tried to rear up and knock him on his little bum. This is why, always and forever, she will be on a lead. I can't teach her manners fast, but I can adapt to her/act on behalf of her. The woman was so, so in the wrong. And I say that as a woman who's dog would have tried to snatch as much food as she could, and probably smack your baby with her fat paws too!

RachTheAlpaca · 15/09/2026 20:10

Likely the unpopular opinion here with all of the dog worshippers excusing the terrible owner and lack of training, but if this had happened to me and I thought my baby might potentially have their face bitten off, we would've killed the dog right there and then to be honest

Charlize43 · 15/09/2026 20:08

worldshottestmom · 15/09/2026 20:05

Too scared to quote me? Sad :(

Your responses are embarassing attempts at humour, you might want to try harder next time. "Haha all dogs should be muzzled and I would shoot them!! Lol!!!" - it's a yikes from me

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You need to get a life instead of trying to police other women's comments (and failing).

worldshottestmom · 15/09/2026 20:07

KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 20:06

It wasn’t that either. That was if I had to guess but I don’t know dog breeds. But sure, if it makes you feel better, it was a spaniel
mix.

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You can't argue with stupid, don't bother

Original poster
KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 20:06

Vivi0 · 15/09/2026 20:05

It was a spaniel mix 😂

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It wasn’t that either. That was if I had to guess but I don’t know dog breeds. But sure, if it makes you feel better, it was a spaniel
mix.

OP posts:
Lacksie · 15/09/2026 20:05

Notsosweetcaroline · 15/09/2026 20:02

Is it a competition to see who can give the most hyperbolic response. Is there a prize for it maybe?

in real life little spaniel dog comes running up, ears flopping trying to get to food. Parent stands up, holds baby out the way, says shoo, laughs, pets dog.

on mumsnet, panic, scream, straddle baby, kick dog, wish you’d a gun so you could kill it.

its insane.

Show quote history

little spaniel dog comes running up, ears flopping trying to get to food. Parent stands up, holds baby out the way, says shoo, laughs, pets dog.

yup

worldshottestmom · 15/09/2026 20:05

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Too scared to quote me? Sad :(

Your responses are embarassing attempts at humour, you might want to try harder next time. "Haha all dogs should be muzzled and I would shoot them!! Lol!!!" - it's a yikes from me

Vivi0 · 15/09/2026 20:05

nomas · 15/09/2026 20:04

OP has said she's not going to say again that it wasn't a spaniel, so I'll say it for her. It wasn't a SPANIEL!

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It was a spaniel mix 😂

Original poster
KellyK2026 · 15/09/2026 20:04

Notsosweetcaroline · 15/09/2026 20:02

Is it a competition to see who can give the most hyperbolic response. Is there a prize for it maybe?

in real life little spaniel dog comes running up, ears flopping trying to get to food. Parent stands up, holds baby out the way, says shoo, laughs, pets dog.

on mumsnet, panic, scream, straddle baby, kick dog, wish you’d a gun so you could kill it.

its insane.

Show quote history

It wasn’t a spaniel. It wasn’t little. It didn’t just come up to sniff some food. It had jumped up several times at my baby. We weren’t in a situation where we could easily stand up and there’s nothing funny about an owner that doesn’t have their dog under control.

OP posts:
nomas · 15/09/2026 20:04

Notsosweetcaroline · 15/09/2026 20:02

Is it a competition to see who can give the most hyperbolic response. Is there a prize for it maybe?

in real life little spaniel dog comes running up, ears flopping trying to get to food. Parent stands up, holds baby out the way, says shoo, laughs, pets dog.

on mumsnet, panic, scream, straddle baby, kick dog, wish you’d a gun so you could kill it.

its insane.

Show quote history

OP has said she's not going to say again that it wasn't a spaniel, so I'll say it for her. It wasn't a SPANIEL!

user1464187087 · 15/09/2026 20:03

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?

You did not overreact. I'm 4 foot 11 and have been bitten by a dog jumping up at me.
I love animals but that scared me.

Charlize43 · 15/09/2026 20:02

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Tropicalmamman · 15/09/2026 20:02

Not an overreaction and just because most spaniels are fine doesn’t mean the one in your face is fine. I had a spaniel come up to my toddler and snarl at him on a walk. Its owner wasn’t much interested in recalling the spaniel as she was busy wittering to a friend. Told me I was cruel for having our larger (still in training) pup on a leash. As a dog owner I second that some dog people these days are mental and not willing to train.

Notsosweetcaroline · 15/09/2026 20:02

Charlize43 · 15/09/2026 19:59

In these situations I wish my handbag was large enough to hold a double-barrelled shotgun.

Is it a competition to see who can give the most hyperbolic response. Is there a prize for it maybe?

in real life little spaniel dog comes running up, ears flopping trying to get to food. Parent stands up, holds baby out the way, says shoo, laughs, pets dog.

on mumsnet, panic, scream, straddle baby, kick dog, wish you’d a gun so you could kill it.

its insane.

nomas · 15/09/2026 20:01

Charlize43 · 15/09/2026 19:59

In these situations I wish my handbag was large enough to hold a double-barrelled shotgun.

Is your handbag a bowling bag perchance? 😂

nomas · 15/09/2026 20:00

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

She's exaggerrating for hyperbolic effect. Not meant to be taken seriously.