Control your fucking dogs

[ThunderSkies]

I’m so angry. Yet again someone can’t control their dog and my dc is even more afraid due to some massive dog leaping up at their face and mouthing at them (very young, but big dog).

If they have no recall and keep jumping up at people (and are at the mouthing people stage still) don’t fucking let them be able to get out of control.

Dog ran away from owners, out of the garden and my child ran towards the road. I’m so 😡. Why did I come away feeling like my son was to blame for running and shouting (yes it excites the dog, no I can’t stop him doing it when he’s scared and the dog is chasing him). Yes the dog was playing. No, it makes no difference to my child when the dog can jump higher than he is tall.

@BikeTyson

Dogs - or more precisely, their feckless owners - are ruining so many nice outdoor places at the moment. It’s definitely getting worse. Piss and shit everywhere and dangerous loose dogs...just fuck off. And even when somewhere is supposed to be off limits, e.g. some beaches, they disregard it.

Agree totally. But we don't normally get a way to say this anywhere, so if we do, we are animal haters. Not true at all.

@Ellamiss

I think mumsnet should have a dog hate section so that some of us could hide these threads.

Seriously? Just because some people have had bad experiences with crappy dog owners and thier dogs doesn't mean we all hate all dogs. If you don't want to read the other side of the coin yo good ownership don't read threads eith a bug clue in the title! Lots of dog owners on here saying they hate irresponsible owners too so uts really not a "everyone hates dogs thread"

There is a hierarchy of idiots as well - those that don't give a toss, then the ones who think those people are idiots but then let their dog behave in the same way but it's ok because it's only their lovely dog.
And then there is (IME)a majority of not idiots; unfortunately the behaviour of the idiot owners stands out more simply because it negatively impacts everyone else.

@SoupDragon

Estimated. ok

Still clearly not 67 million.

Ah it is still a lot of shit though.

@heartsonacake

You’re not addressing the phobia well at all if he can only handle dogs in certain situations. They are unpredictable, even more so when selfish dog owners don’t train their animals, and you need to deal with his fear for all eventualities. Until the phobia is gone completely.

How long has he had his fear?

I strongly disagree with the above. Even if you are not scared of dogs, having a large dog that you don’t know is going to be a scary and unwelcome experience.

Idiots who go to public parks and are already intolerant of others are always going to feel badly done to.

Not intolerant of others just intolerant of ignorant dog owners who think buying the dog and feeding it is the only thing they have to do for the rest of its life. Not a clue about training or socialising. Dogs are doomed to a life of being thought of as a damm nusciance or become dangerous just because the owners are lazy ignorant selfish gits.

@username108

Most dog owners are fucking idiots. But why on Earth is your 11 year old son running into the road? I thought you were going to say your son was a toddler. You really need to toughen him up a bit- he sounds like a wet lettuce.

RTFT

Definitely unacceptable behaviour on the owners part OP - is it a recurring issue?

Wondering if perhaps the pup has slipped his collar and out the bushes? If this isn't the case then I'd be speaking to the neighbours about it because the dog shouldn't be able to get out nevermind chase people. If it's being left out front (even in a fenced area) it also needs to be trained not to see kids running as an invite to play otherwise it'll be bounding all over the place!

On the fear front (I'm a wary dog lover myself, particularly with big breeds and children so totally get this!) I know you've said you're dealing with it but I wondered if there are therapeutic pet services in your area who may be able to help your son with everyday encounters? I ask as I work with a youngster who was petrified of dogs when he came to us, to the extent that he couldn't play at the park "just incase", the therapy pet group were amazing! We were introduced to a volunteer dog with photos then videos, then live videos, walking by outside and eventually in the garden until they were able to comfortably share a space. It was a really gentle and effective method for us, all at your pace and it reduced the anxiety so much!

With all that said, back pain or not, @yolio you sound absolutely deranged/borerline psychopathic - spraying any creature in the face with a poisonous substance that would cause massive suffering and most likely kill them if they came over with no sign of aggression is cruelty.

@Anordinarymum

Lots of dog haters on here tonight. Sure you all have a voice No wonder there is so much animal cruelty in the UK

You are really showing yourself up as incapable of actually reading posts. The majority of posters in here including dog owners are talking about crap dog owners. It's not the dogs fault it lies firmly with the owner.

And to say someone who doesnt like dogs because they have been knocked over and severely injured or frightened by a dog = animal abusers is really ignorant and shows a distinct lack of understanding either concept

I hate this op, I have a friend who lets her friendly but bouncy dog loose and complains when a child runs in fear at it. I have taught my son to stand still and turn your back in it but this is so so hard for them and often he panics. My mum's Dog was terrible for this until about a year old it took a lot of training and she is great now. It's definitely the owners fault. If your dog is bouncy and mouths everyone don't let it off the lead in public until it's well trained. My mum's dog follows behind her without a lead and recalls everytime. Such a well behaved dog now, it took a LOT of effort though.

Yes people should have control over there dogs. But at the same time, it annoys me when people who hate dogs choose to go to popular dog walking areas and then complain that it is full of dogs. I live in the lake district, where, if you've done research on the area, you'll know that dogs outnumber humans 2 to 1. And yet, people still kick off about all the dogs there. These are also the kind of people who complain about the mud, the rain, the fresh air etc.

@Willow2017 I absolutely agree with everything that has been said about crap owners, we don't have a dog because we wouldn't have time to do proper training and it infuriates me when I see people who are able to buy just don't bother because they think that's what dogs do. In the wild perhaps they do but if you buy a domestic pup it needs to be trained to fit in without too much disruption to everyone around it.

However, I also see where @Anordinarymum is coming from - as I said above carrying a potentially lethal weapon and say that you have no qualms about using it on an animal for just approaching is abuse. I wouldn't taser a bloke for walking a bit too close innocently because I've been hurt by one in the past.

Unfortunately dogs do pick up on when people are scared of them so by far the best thing you can do is teach your child to stay cool and calm and not react.

Also he should know not to run into the road like that, dog or no dog! Yes, the dog should have been under control however this does sound a bit like six of one and half a dozen of the other.

Dog owners do need to teach their dogs to behave but parents also need to teach their dogs how to behave around dogs. Basic parenting really.

it escaped you are ott by miles and your anger won't help anyone and will probably make you child worse also teaching your child not to run is number 1 priory he put himself in worse danger by running

Jeez people, when humans (infact most species I suspect?) encounter a perceived threat adrenaline kicks in and instinct produces a fight or fight reaction. Basic science!

Running into the road isn't by any means a safe option but it's not intentional!

BTW my son is also scared of dogs and he steps behind me if he feels unsafe, maybe teach your son too do that then you would be blocking anything, however I taught he not to run and he knows I will protect him. he is only scared because a huge dog when he was 3 jumped up at him 4 years later he may pet one if he is happy to do so but still stands behind until he feels safe so I know the feeling

To address my son's age.

He hasn’t always been 11. He’s was a toddler when he was first bowled over. We live nearish to a dog friendly beach - lots of great dogs, then you get the dogs who are let off and do what they like. It’s impossible to stop dogs bounding up and they often head straight for the face. That laid the groundwork for his fear.

He does hide behind me, but that’s also frowned upon at his age when a 'friendly' dog is bouncing around

Grown adults have fears. My son is not afraid of spiders, wasps clowns etc etc (nor holes or buttons, which are apparently quite common fears). Why is an 11 boy not allowed a fear, when grown up adults can?

He didn’t run into the road, but away from the dog - it happened to be into the road, but it happened too quickly for sensible thought.

We’re not talking about a cavalier King Charles or suchlike, but a large stocky dog who , on hind legs, would be just about able to reach my face. The dog is probably not fully grown either.

A dog can cause serious damage just by accident.

And I’m fed up with my clothes getting dirty

Covid has made people flock to parks and outdoor spaces where previously dog owners had much more free reign. Its give and take. Most dog owners are adult enough to recognise not everyone loves dogs and certainly don't expect people to fawn over theirs. But most dog owners also wouldn't have an off lead dog if it was vicious. Agree that if you sit on the floor to picnic, you're asking for a dog to approach you unfortunately. Also agree that a lot of people with big dogs lose the ability to recognise their big dog is intimidating to some and just how big it is. Parents have a responsibility to sort phobias in their children and being 'petrified' of dogs is a bit far considering how many of them there are in the UK, life must be pretty hard. Once people are back at work/winter is here and the parks are less swarmed with people it'll be better all round.

Wtf is wrong with some owners? OP of course you're right to feel angry. My DS is now scared of dogs - it became a gradual thing over time with the sheer number of times dogs being "friendly" scared the shit out of him. Then you've got the owners who let dogs off leads near where you are having a picnic...no I don't want your dog sniffing my baby and all the food etc, fucking call it away. I like dogs. I can't stand how irresponsible and beyond selfish some owners are.

Well I can see a clear divide of dog lovers and haters on this post. Not all dog owners are bad!!! I don't understand people who don't pick up after their dogs, I know my dog so well, that I know how often she goes to the toilet in a day and how many times she has been before I take her out, so I know what to expect, always carrying multiple dog poo bags in case and only letting off the lead when safe to do so. I think when you have a dog, they are a massive part of your family and non-dog owners don't understand this.

Anyway I agree that the dog shouldn't have escaped but it was clearly an accident! The dog just did what it naturally does and because it was a puppy, it may have come across quite bouncy and excited. It was a mistake though and the owner isn't able to defend themselves on here. I think the situation has been somewhat dramatised and instead of shouting and swearing on an online thread, you should be having a conversation with your neighbours. If an 11 year old is still scared of dogs then that does need to be rectified as unfortunately, whether you like dogs or not, there are a lot of them around and avoiding them completely is not an option.

@BikeTyson

If anyone is ruining outdoor spaces at the minute, it's humans. All the idiots flocking to the countryside when they would normally be on their wild Ibiza holidays. Leaving rubbish, including glass bottles, abandoning lit barbeques, discarding tents, shitting wherever they like (most owners do clear up after their dogs) taking down farmers fence posts and using them for camp fires, leaving gates open and letting livestock escape, wild camping where it isn't allowed, throwing wild parties on rural campsites and keeping everyone awake until 4am etc I could go on.

@ThunderSkies

Actually ^ that question has annoyed me now.

My son did not have a phobia until selfish owners who can’t control their dogs let them chase and jump over my son. End of.

I think addressing the phobia no matter where it comes from IS important though. I don’t know if it was meant to annoy you but I had a childhood dog phobia and it was debilitating

Absolutely disagree with the "if you have a picnic you're asking a dog to approach you."

If its a park where people picnic then dogs should absolutely not be allowed to bother people picnicing! Obviously if its in the middle of nowhere on a normal dogroute that's different. But in a family park where people are picnicing or a beach etc this really does irritate me!

That and the "its okay hes friendly" when my children were small and scared. No its not okay, control your dog! I think some dog owners get a warped idea of whats okay. My children grew out if their fear as they physically got taller so dogs jumping unasked wasn't the equivalent of a giant animal bigger than them.

It’s bonkers that some people think it’s ok for their dog to trample on people having a picnic, or anyone sat out on picnic rugs on the grass. Even worse if it’s a group of parents with babies and toddlers.

There does seem to be a huge increase in dog ownership. Maybe it’s time councils started specifying dog-free areas.

Of course it’s not ok for a dog to trample on a picnic however if you do choose to spread your lunch out on the ground where Ruffles walks three times a day, you have to expect that he will be tempted! Most well behaved dogs will just sit down politely next to said picnic in the hopes of a sausage or something....Obviously they need to be trained not to intrude and put on the lead if they can’t be trusted but the owner may not notice the picnic before the dog does! But pre-lockdown some pups may not have even seen a picnic before.