"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!!

@TheChoiceIsYours if it's changed drastically in the last couple of years it's all the idiots who got lockdown dogs they didn't know how to train and who have gone a bit mad now their owners are back in work and leaving them for 10 hours a day that are the problem, I'd assume

"Ok then move the child, change your path, whatever.

Obviously in general terms, not the actual paths or children's play areas you've spoken about."

So we're saying that uncontrollable dogs are more important than humans then? And my point quite clearly was that these incidents are happening in parks, nature reserves etc, which all clearly say dogs on leads.

Last week after I’d put my dog back on his lead to leave the woods and enter the park, a dog ran over and tried to hump him (again). I had a baby in a pram and a toddler holding my hand.

The owner stood smiling lovingly at her dog as this was going on and got really huffy when I asked her to call him back. Apparently he just wanted to play. The fact that my dog was trying desperately to get away, I was juggling two small children, and that dogs are supposed to be on their lead in that area obviously meant nothing to her.

I love dogs but some owners are nightmares. Mine won’t jump up at anybody outside of the house and respects other dogs’ space, otherwise he’d stay on his lead.

Definitely the lockdown dogs, mostly owned by folk who thought it would be a good idea and are now a bit bored with the whole thing.

It’s the mess as well, that gets everyone upset. The FB page is full of complaints about it and yet there are dog bins all around the fields and pitches here. I passed four today and not one of them was full, but people still ignore the mess or just leave it.

Like you I have never had dogs and don't know how to interact with them (nor do I want to learn, despite protestations on another thread that I should). I discovered recently that shouting 'go away!' at an approaching 'friendly' dog often makes them fuck off back the way they came or at least away from me. If dog owners won't control their dogs then I think we will increasingly see people taking the matter into their own hands as is their right.

Ok then move the child, change your path, whatever

Jesus!

I can't even begin to explain what I think of the mentality of someone who thinks that if dogs are causing a problem to children, its the children who should be moved not the dog who should be leashed.

I know you would like to believe this is true, but my children were small way before lockdown and I had all these problems them.

Its not lockdown. Its an attitude of entitlement, lack of consideration and belief that everyone should centre their dog.

Some dog owners are responsible. And not all those with out of control dogs are terrible. But not doing something about it is an issue.

Sadly even places like the National Trust who are very clear in asking all dogs are on leads don't enforce it. And people just wander around with dogs off lead.

I thought that too and it shows precisely why there is a problem as attitudes like this exist!

I despair- move the child, change path?!
Why can't the dog move path etc.
People like you are the bloody problem here.
Dogs do NOT come above people

I think you've quoted the wrong poster?

I had a dogs years ago, well behaved , my kids were fine, and didn’t often encounter bad dogs.
Tho I see enough well behaved dogs on the hill I live on.

More likely to encounter bad cyclists on pavements over entitlement here.
Sticking to cats here, far less hassle, and no swiping or hissing here, otherwise tap on bum, I won’t tolerate that

Worse are cyclists who attach a poor dog to their bike. I would like to reverse it and attach them to a vehicle and see how they like it.

Cats will only hiss when seriously cheesed off or when they feel threatened.

Nobody's said the dogs shouldn't be on a lead, Jesus Christ.

Couldn't agree more

And when they say it's okay he's friendly and let the dog run at me and my child I say 'it's not okay because I'm not' and they tend to glare at me but remove the dog

And I'm not talking about in a big field or the woods, just the street where I'd rather not have my 3 year old knocked over or end up covered in muddy paw prints

I've had dogs and love dogs, but owners can be the worst!

I’m in agreement and absolutely sick of the words “he’s just being friendly” uttered to me. I’m absolutely terrified of dogs due to an incident from childhood. Also, even if the dog is just being ‘friendly’ what on earth makes the owner think that some random member of the public wants their ‘friendly’ dog bounding up to them and sniffing at them, jumping all over them and getting their clothes dirty!

I've had this fall into two categories.

1. Dog is friendly yes, no problems. However, dog owner is then relying on my parenting style, which is to prevent my child from annoying friendly dog. Any child can piss a dog off, no matter how nice the dog is.
2. Dog isn't friendly, dog growling at my child, owner is full of shit.

We have 2 dogs and walk them on leads. Their recall is not good so we avoid that issue. When we see other dogs, we move over to one side and I distract our two. Then no issue. We also get lots of "he's friendly". I usually respond "mine aren't". The other owners look most surprised and then call the dog.

I regularly go to a local woods and last week there was a lady with 4 or 5 terriers who were loose and causing havoc. She was saying " oh I forgot their leads, silly me". Silly wasn't the word I was thinking. She didn't pick up their shit either

I keep my reactive dog on a lead and will leave the path to put space between him and off lead dogs. Yesterday we did just that and the dog followed us with the owners strolling along looking proud like “he’s so friendly and not a problem :)”. We do not want to be greeted by your dog and you are putting it at risk of harm. When are people going to understand no one wants their off lead dog running up to them?

even dog people agree that dog people need to be segregated

yeah just don’t engage with the excuses and quote the dangerous dogs legislation if needs be about dogs being under control.

That’s what I did, the second time my neighbours dog tried to jump at me, having scratched me the day before, I said please make sure you keep your dog away from me. She said she can’t help it and i said it needed to be either on a lead or listening to commands, either way she needed to make sure it doesn’t touch me again or I’ll report it. (I actually already had reported it since it terrified and scratched me the day before)

It would be cruel to not let our spaniel off lead. A field couldn't be stimulating enough for him. You’d have so many frustrated dogs which would create all sorts of issues including re-activity.

Why do people always drag kids into this! I don’t Even have kids but it’s totally not comparable. Humans and animals - no comparison!

And how many people get viciously bitten or scratched by random child and it’s sharp teeth/claws? The anxiety just wouldn’t be there as if I really hated a toddler I could easily swerve and outrun it, not to mention the fact they don’t pose the same risk.

but if a grown man or woman was behaving like an out of control dog and jumping on randoms, licking them etc, yes that would be frightening too and would surely be reported to the police!!!

so we all have to put up with it to keep dogs happy
wtf
if an animal is a menace it shouldn't be kept as a pet, or shall I get a leopard and insist that it needs to hunt and kill dogs in order to be stimulated?

My point is a blanket ban of off lead dogs would create more issues. Most bites happen at home. It would be better to outlaw keeping dogs all together.
Fines for out of control dogs, information campaigns, licences etc would be a better approach IMO.