Dog on the beach

[Redebs]

So I'm here on the beach with two small grandchildren. Just about to sit on the only dry rock (I really NEEDED to sit down) when a smallish dog runs up and tries to pee on it. Grandkids aren't happy with dogs running up to them and peeing on their shoes.

Owner nowhere in sight, although they must have just arrived at beach.

I tell the dog 'No! Off you go!" but it ignores me and carries on sniffing. Total disregard. It cocks a leg, so I take a hold of the collar and guide it away. I'm annoyed, but calm and gentle. It has sprayed over the rock and immediately runs to another part of it to spray again. I repeat, taking collar and pulling dog away. Dog is unconcerned about it and quite happy sniffing everything.

Owner comes up and starts being all passive aggressive. At first I thought he had come to retrieve his dog or apologise, but turns out he wants to accuse me of 'pulling his dog'. I was about to accept his apology, but then had to assure him I was appropriately gentle with his dog but I didn't want dog urine on the children.

He protested that it was a public beach ( presumably giving his dog freedom to pee on anyone) and it didn't look like I was gentle. I again assured him I was gentle and that I have had dogs myself. He replied that that didn't count for HIS dog.

While he was muttering away, his dog squatted and pooped amongst the rocks and I pointed to it and helpfully asked him if he had a bag. He said he did, because he was a RESPONSIBLE dog owner. I replied, 'Excellent!'

He went away complaining to anyone near that I had PULLED his dog and how totally unbelievable it was.

I suffer from extreme anxiety and depression, so I'm venting here to get it out of my system.

I held it together throughout. Dignified, calm, reasonable. Just feeling so angry now.

Bluddy ignorant man.

If a dog tried to pee on my shoes or my kids I probably would of booted into the sea lol

This

@CwmYoy God you sound ridiculous. You're superior to nobody and to nothing.

@Soapyspuds 🥱 Why is it the anti dog brigade are both thick and violent?

Lots of trolls here to wind you up OP, sigh.

While it’s okay for a dog to be offlead in an offlead area, the owner should still have eyes on it at all times, and if the dog approaches strangers (particularly children!) the owner should immediately recall it with whistle or whatever else the dog has been trained with. If the owner isn’t watching the dog, or hasn’t bothered to train it to recall, then they have no right to be offlead in public areas.

Well done for dealing with the situation firmly and calmly OP. If you were a man, or a woman under age 30, the dog’s owner would have apologised to you.

Anyone who kicked my dog or anyone else's in my sight (unless they were being attacked) would end up in court because causing harm to an animal is illegal. Unlike an off lead dog peeing on a rock.

Well said 👏 the whole op was ambiguous at the least .

Yes captain, but the owner was not there at all, the key point. Anything could've happened to the dog and they wouldn't know. The dog could have knocked over an elderly person and broken their hip and the wouldn't know. Gone for the face of the scared grandchild and the owner is unaware, then has the audacity to tell off op!
And if the dog pooed the owner should clean it, all owners should always carry poo bags, it's literally 101 dog ownership. Control your dog, in sight with good recall or on a lead if not, pick up the poo and don't let it approach people.

@Justbefore

No one is disagreeing with that.

What I can't understand is why the OP watched the dog cock its leg and pee over her grandchildren shoes without guiding them out of the way. And what I disagree with is dogs being kicked, the way some people are suggesting, or that all dogs should be banned from outdoor spaces.

More like if the dog is so dangerous it will bite a human touching its collar I doubt the owner would be so laisse faire as to let it out of sight. The dog would be pts pretty quick I'd hope if it was so quick to bite.

The dog didn't pee on anyone. It went up to a rock in an area where it was allowed and was approached by a human that manhandled it. The OP had no control over her grandchildren.

I'd like a linky to that law please @Boomboom22

Next time you’ll take a stick? Please don’t, you’re going to end up in some serious bother if you carry on like that. To be honest @Redebs , you have this situation totally out of proportion.

I really don't think a dog having a piss against a rock means an owner can be charged with having a dog being dangerously out of control .

Sticks are incredibly useful when dealing with boisterous dogs -
if the owner sees someone swinging a walking stick, they are far more likely to attempt to get their dog back under control
A stick can be used to protect from a dog leaping up -
I have been knocked over by boisterous dog - so I DO carry a hazel pole
A stick can be held to deflect a dog away

My 80 yrs mum was knocked over on a Common by a” Boisterous “ large dog-
A hiking pole is a useful tool.

Control your blessed dogs, then people won’t need sticks and hiking poles to deflect your horrible dog.

Hmm, it did cause alarm and distress to op and the owner was not there so it's borderline. Dangerously out of control means causes someone to think they are in danger, not necessarily an actual bite or attack. So running towards someone with no owner calling it back is in the definition by law.

Like I said, linky please? You can't go around quoting made up laws.

OP wasn't that alarmed she reached out to grab collar of dog to stop dog ( I would never grab unknown dog )pissing on her seat rock .

I have read the bit in law where a person can “believe themselves to be in danger” - but it has to be reasonable. Fearing a dog doing a wee is not really going to cut the mustard!

It sounds as if OP had”bagged” the rock and was annoyed by the dog (frankly I am sceptical about the volumes of wee sprayed over the grandchildren) relieving itself there. Yes, potentially a bit eeuuugh! but pulling the dog’s collar? Really silly move.

Complaining about poor recall is reasonable. Getting in a state about dog wee, unreasonable. Pulling the dog and speaking sarcastically about the poo bag, highly unreasonable.

😆

I love the idea of ushering all these dog-hating weirdos into their own topic on here. Though AIBU would be nearly empty.

I'd quite like the human hating weirdos to stay in the dog house but hey ho.

That's a bit harsh, but they should definitely wear distinctive collars so that the rest of us can steer clear of them.

I don't hate humans , I do however despise the sods who spend the day at my local beaches/country park and leave all their shit behind them .

The problem is, a rude dog will have a rude owner. Swinging a stick at someone’s dog could potentially end badly. I really don’t think it’s wise.

No. But I'm singing it to the tune of 'Fog on the Tyne'.

The Gazza version.

@Robotalkingrubbish @oakleaffy

The only time it is reasonable to swing a stick at a dog is if it is attacking you and trying to harm you. Not reasonable if it is just doing something 'rude'.