"It's ok, he's friendly!"

[daffodilandtulip]

Out walking this morning and I've heard the ultimate ridiculous excuse for not training your dog: an off lead dog jumps up at me, snarling and barking. Owner "we didn't see you there, you scared him."

Over the past week, we've had:

"He just wants to say hello", whilst jumping at a terrified, crying toddler.

"He won't hurt her, there's no need to be scared", whilst face to face with a dog the height of toddler.

"I'm not taking him on the road, he'll be scared", regarding the chiwowa IN THE OWNERS ARMS, whilst trying to make me walk three toddlers on a main road in order to pass.

"You'll have to get off the path, she won't walk in the mud" - large Rottweiler, in a children's park.

"He doesn't bite, he'll just jump up".

"Whatever's the matter with her?" said about toddler who has just been knocked over by a large dog and dog is remaining towered over her.

And obviously, a million and one of the "it's ok, he's friendly."

I've also got scratch marks down the entire side of my leg from trying to drag a "friendly" dog off my own dog's neck.

He's not friendly. It's not ok. Stop looking at me like I have three heads when I ask you to move the dog away from the child. Control your dog or use a damn lead!!

Why?

She’s right and it happens more and more.

As a dog owner, I agree with you OP. Drives me mental when people with badly trained dogs run and jump up and me and my dog.

Totally with you op. My dog is often jumped on as she is never off lead accept in the garden. I think dogs should all be on leads in public places and I love dogs

I know. I have a scared dog on a lead and got very used to “mine’s not” with a tight smile as a response. I’ve given up and now we just stick to pavements.
Are they lockdown puppies, with clueless owners maybe?

I completely agree with you OP, it's not OK.

Absolutely agree OP. Seems to have got out of control since lockdown. I have an over excited pup who would jump so he's on his lead and kept well away from kids parks until he calms down and I train it out of him. Drives me crazy how many dogs jump on him and intimidate him in parks though

This is exactly it op. Entitled dog owners. Everyone else has to shut up and put up with their animal jumping all over them.

'It's ok, he's friendly' is a direct translation for 'I have no control over my dog so I'm just going to pretend it's ok'

If you haven't trained your dog with proper recall it shouldn't be off the lead.
Not just for other people's safety, but for the dog itself.

I've had so much of this to the point where my own dogs training was derailed multiple times by inconsiderate people who think it's ok to let their dog run right up and get in my dogs face.

Anyway I could rant about this for days but I'm totally with you OP.

Yes absolutely, it makes my blood boil! 'its ok, he's friendly!' ... NO it's NOT ok! I don't want your mucky dog near me and my kids!

It's so annoying.
I'm sick of dog's running around and jumping up. I don't give a shit if it's friendly.
Put it on a lead and be a responsible dog owner

It happens occasionally but for you to have had so many occurrences in the space of a week do you think you might need to work on your awareness too?

What awareness do they need to work on?

You shouldn't need to constantly be on the lookout for out of control dogs that might have rubbish owners who clearly don't care about keeping their dogs under control.

Yes OP.
You should see these dogs running towards you and teleport home. Or maybe just levitate above them

My awareness of an uncontrolled dog running up to me? Ok.

I spend a lot of time outdoors for my job, so would have more incidents than most, but it's certainly an increasing problem.

Yes, it's ridiculous. I have a reactive puppy and the amount of "don't worry he's/she's friendly" I hear as their dog is bounding over to mine. I do the "well mines not" but it makes no difference. Just keep control of your dog - it's really not complicated!

I too am so sick of these irresponsible dog owners, I’m fed up of being pounced on or tripped up by untrained dogs.

Also, people staring at their phones while the dog causes chaos.

ABSOLUTELY OP I was bitten multiple times when a district nurse by dogs who were supposedly friendly or he wouldn't harm a fly.
Patients are supposed to put them away in a room when we visit. It isn't nice being greeted by three massive huskies hurling themselves at you when you visit someone.
If people can't train their dogs they shouldn't have a dog. I don't dislike dogs. I dislike irresponsible owners.

Next time take a picture email to the local dog warden. Enough complaints they will watch out for that particular dog and owner... Currently keeping tabs on a young girl who apparently didn't know she had to pick up her puppy's shit...

Sick to death of irresponsible dog owners. We have stopped walking in our local forest with our toddler grandson because of poorly trained dogs running around off their leads and their owners coming out with their usual excuses. It's terrifying. Yesterday we were on a packed bus and there were a couple of young people sat at the front, both with dogs actually sat on the seats, one on a lead and one off. Words fail.

So many untrained lockdown puppies. Our council used to run low cost dog training sessions in more deprived areas. That's stopped now, after government cuts, and you can already see the difference. So many dogs aren't socialised. The training that is still available is private behaviourists at a much higher cost. I know people should pay this anyway, but if they can't/won't, it leads to a wider problem in parks and open spaces.

So many idiots here. If you have a child that's scared of dogs and are regularly having dogs approach them then, yes, you have to be more aware of your surroundings and be conscious that you're clearly spending a lot of time in a regular dog walking location.

That's not excusing the behaviour of the dog walkers. They absolutely need to keep their dogs under control which they are not doing either.

You're right OP. When you are two, and a dog the size of a dobermann or German shepherd comes charging up to you and knocks you over, it doesn't matter how 'friendly' they are. It is genuinely terrifying to be chased by something bigger than you are. Especially when they are a predator species and you are prey. Primeval instinct kicks in.

I get dogs jumping up at me on my walks all the time.

I feel like it's my own fault for going through the park where people like to walk their dogs. I wished people would train their dogs though because it don't half wind me up!

I enjoy my daily walk through the park, I work from home so have a walk at midday to get some fresh air and blow the cobwebs off. It's annoying when I'm lunged at by a "friendly" dog. They've always got shit recall or the owner is one that thinks everyone is going to love their dog and they make no attempt to call them off you!