to feel threatened by ALL dog owners...

[StartingAfresh]

because you can't tell until the damage has been done, which ones are good (And yes, I do know many of them are very responsible)

However, even 'some' good dog owners with friendly dogs with exceptional behaviour could kill my nephew.

He has an allergy to dogs which is potentially fatal. He has been hospitalised a couple of time due to his reaction (inability to breath).

Why can't ALL dog owners, even the good ones keep their dogs away from other people as a default?

'Am I unreasonable to feel threatened by all dog owners?'

yes

He doesn't have asthma Millie.

And the one spreading the misinformation is you, and deliberately puting implications into my posts that I have not said.

I was responding to the post that suggested I was educating fear into my ds and I am entitled to respond to that.

You are writing irrationally and with the intent soley to win an argument, not to explore solutions and not even to present a case against what I am suggesting.

Your posts are deliberately antagonistic and quite barmy. I shall not be responding to any more of yours unless you become a bit more reasonable.

I understand there are dog owners here who do not agree with me. Everyone's viewpoint is valid. I hope that raising this issue will create awareness more than anything.

Luckily, my nephews problem is rare, but he shouldn't have to have a problem to avoid dogs from coming close when unwanted.

I didn't say he had ASD. It doesn't matter. You didn't have the information to suggest that I had educated a fear into him so should have not made that assumption.

Someone squirted my dog because he ran past her out on the downs. He didn't stop, bark, jump up or do anything else. She really scared him.

She explained that 'so many people had dogs who jumped up', that she was scared and squirted them all just in case.

I persuaded her that being scared of dogs was not a reason to deliberately attack them, and pointed out that her squirty bottle would get her into a lot of trouble with furious owners who were not as tolerant as me.

Being frightened often makes people behave in a stupid and irrational way - and sorry, that squirty bottle idea is just asking for trouble. Address your fears, get some therapy and choose your fights.

Ideally, I would like for NO dogs to be muzzled and leashed for as much of the time as possible.

It should be dog owners top priority to get their dogs into a position where this can be reality.

There is a dog that I frequently see on the school run. It is NEVER on a lead (which I don't like if I'm honest) but it is such a well behaved dog with a vigilant owner who keeps him well out of my ds' way. He knows us now so preempts us coming, but did this the very first time too. I always thank him when we pass because although 'strictly' speaking his dog should be leashed, actually it wouldn't make any difference as it is almost as if the dog has an invisible leash.

And he doesn't bang on about how his dog is friendly/safe etc. I can quite see that he is. He just keeps him out of our way.

I suppose I think that that is how all dogs and dog owners should behave.

Yes, it probably does when I am out with my nephew, because I start planning how I'd get him to hospital etc and whether I'd make it in time. It's extremely stressful.

Thanks tough. We have thought about getting a dog actually, but dh and I aren't very organised or disciplined and we don't have much of a garden. I honestly don't think it would be fair to the creature.

I feel it is perfectly sensible for me to provide pet owners with information on how they can help allergy sufferers.

The national asthma campaign has information on allergies other than asthma, and related breathing problems. Obviously this is important so that people can get the correct diagnosis.

You have said you have started this thread to raise awareness. Please do so by posting a link to information on the condition that your nephew has.

It is very hard for me to post reasonably about a topic where I think the OP has made up a lie about a medical condition that could kill me. Surely you can see such a concern is not about winning an argument on MN? I am quite happy to be proved wrong, if in doing so you are actually going to educate people about whatever this condition is.

TBH I don't see anything wrong with small dogs running up to people. I walk a king charles cavalier for an elderly lady. He is frightened of other dogs, but always runs up to people when he is off the lead looking for attention. If the people he runs up to ignore him he just walks away.

Obviously I would stop him approaching young children or put him on the lead, but I don't see a problem with him approaching other people.

Also even the most well behaved dog may not always behave and respond to being called. I used to walk another elderly lady's very old labrador. He was normally extremely well behaved. However if he spotted food abandoned on the ground, he wouldn't respond to being called and would go instead to eat the food. Although his arthritis did mean that he walked/tried to run at a snails pace.

Apart from the yobs who encourage their dogs to snarl and bark, most of the worst behaviour I have seen from dogs and owners is directed at other dogs. I have had dogs on the lead being bitten by another dog whose ownder insist they are just playing.

Yes YABU and a bit stupid tbh

Millie You surely are a nasty piece of work.

He suffers from an ALLERGY. It is potentially FATAL if he isn't treated urgently. I understand it is some breeds of dogs more than others but I don't believe anyone knows why he suffers with it.

It is quite disgraceful that you attack someone for mentioning a problem that doesn't enable you to justfy your poor and irresponsible dog ownership.

I said it before but I refuse to engage with such an agressive bully and shall not be responding to any of your posts further.

As I said before, it isn't so much about the allergy (although it had to be pointed out as quite a significant reason). All people who do not want for whatever reason, a dog touching them should have that respected.

Hi StartingAfresh i agree with Millie. If you are trying to raise awareness then please tell us what the condition is?

At the moment it comes across that you have a hate dog agenda.

I agree with both MillyR and MrSpoc.

What is this condition?

Actually. I agree with Millie to a certain extent. I have animal allergies (severe asthma) and I am set off by being in the same room as people who have dander on their clothes. I really cannot see how your DN functions at all if he is as allergic as you say. How does he cope with school? Shopping? Even going to the GPs? Dog hair will be present on the clothes of people in all those scenarios.

I'm getting a bit confused also. Is it your DN with allergies or your DS with ASD? And if so, how the hell will this work?

^StartingAfresh Wed 19-Jan-11 13:06:13
Thanks tough. We have thought about getting a dog actually, but dh and I aren't very organised or disciplined and we don't have much of a garden. I honestly don't think it would be fair to the creature^

I'm also allergic to the weather. Beat that

Staritngafresh - I take it your nephew doesn't visit your house at all, if you were thinking of getting a dog? If you were the aunt of my son I'd think you were trying to kill him

AIBU to feel threatened by all humans because you can't tell until the damage has been done, which ones are good?

Which should I avoid? The guy with the tatts and the earrings? Or the bloke in the suit? How do I know if they are mass murderers or not? How can I tell if they've just been eating or handling peanuts or not? Oh heck, why don't I just avoid all of them, you never know when one of them might just come up to you out of nowhere and attack you or, you know, just... breathe on you or something.

In particular, I don't like small humans which scream. I think that they should be kept very close by their owners or on a leash when young and untrained as I hate it when they scream at me and my dogs just because we are walking past them. I also don't like the small type of humans which will touch me as I'm going about my own business. I should have that desire respected.

It isn't dog hair, it is dog salava that he is allergic to.

I'm a bit bloody cross that (some) of you are trying to turn this into a defensive thread.

Believe me or don;t believe me but stop challenging in such and unpleasant and illogical way just because you don't like what I am saying.

I will say for the last time. My DN has an ALLERGY. The condition is an ALLERGY. My ds is frightened of dogs irrationally (if you call a dog snatching his ball that he is holding irrational) and we are working on addressing it.

I don't hate dogs. I don't much like them in general but I have come across a few that I've fallen in love with.

This deliberate misinterpretation and attacking is out of order.

There is nothing in any of my posting that mixes up my DN and my ds. It is an attack based on nothing.

I can only assume that some of you had never considered the impact of your out of control dogs and are feeling the guilt or something. Well good, use it for the benefit of society and stop being so nasty to those who have perfectly good reasons for not wanting a dog to touch them.

My nephew lives 300 miles away.

FFS STOP Challenging EVERYTHING I say just because you don't like it.

Next you'll be on about my spelling or something just because you've decided you don't like me, not because you have a leg to stand on.

YABU

YABU to your thread title "to feel threatened by ALL dog owners..."

because in your post at Wed 19-Jan-11 13:03:27 you've evidently found at least one who doesn't make you feel threatened.

Yes, that's the ideal, and most dog owners I've come across are at this end of the spectrum.

Some dog owners are irresponsible gits.

Its not a good idea to start an AIBU thread by tarring everyone with the same brush.