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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Or was the dog owner? I'm not sure.

89 replies

IcingOnTheCake · 18/02/2011 12:38

Yesterday me and my friend took our dc out. We decided to sit down on a bench, in what you would call a walk (long path with trees and bushes eitherside leading from the shops to the seafront). In the middle of the walk is a bandstand with a grassed area. We were sat on a bench on the grassed area.

My dc are 2 and 4 and my friends are 11 months and 4. So we are sat having our lunch when a couple of dogs come racing over, one a black labrodore and the other a small bull dog type dog. They ran over and without hesitation ate my 2 years sandwich that was on my lap at the time then ate my friends 4 year olds sandwich that she was holding and putting in her mouth. The dog bit her finger as he did it and she cried.

The owner sort of came over, shushed the days away and muttered sorry to us and walked on. No "Is your dd ok" as she was crying and the dog had just eaten her lunch.

I don't know if you are supposed to have the dogs on leads and i don't want to be a killjoy to dog walkers. But surely if you know your dog is like that (will go and eat anything in sight) then you should be more careful. I was pissed off because the dog had come over and frightened the children and eaten their lunch. My children aren't normally frightened by dogs but they were so quick.

So aibu or was the dog owner, i don't know.

OP posts:

Original poster

IcingOnTheCake · 18/02/2011 12:39

Just to add, he bit her finger but no hard, there was no blood.

OP posts:

MrSpoc · 18/02/2011 12:40

May be the dog owner did not see what happended (eating the childrens dinner)

You should of pulled the owner up there and then and made them buy you a new lunch.

Also the dog did not bite your child. just to put it in perspective.

Gleekfreak · 18/02/2011 12:41

The dog owner for sure. Things like that put kids off for life. Dogs shouldn't go for food just because it's there-and certainly not whilst being held! I'd have been very vexed for sure!

SNOWBall4girlz · 18/02/2011 12:41

no you not being unreasonable I would have expected a sorry at least

slartybartfast · 18/02/2011 12:42

how upsetting!
a dog ate my cake once, but the owner apologised and bought me another.

the owner here should have apologised.

SNOWBall4girlz · 18/02/2011 12:42

and some replacement lunch!

Original poster

IcingOnTheCake · 18/02/2011 12:43

Mrspok he did bite her, not hard but enough to frighten her.

OP posts:

slartybartfast · 18/02/2011 12:43

did you not say anythign op?

lesley33 · 18/02/2011 12:44

I don't think the dog owner was unreasonable to have the dogs off the lead. Ideally she should have called the dogs away as they ran towards you, but being kind maybe she didn't realise until it was too late.

Of course what the dogs did was totally out of order. She should have been very apologetic. Maybe she was embarassed and wanted to get away quickly, or worried her dogs would do worse...or maybe she just didn't care.

So reasonable to not have them on the lead. Maybe unreasonable not to have called the dogs as they ran towardss you and unreasonable not to be more concerned and apologetic.

Some owners though seem oblivious to the harm caused by their dogs. I was walking a very elderly labrador who was attacked and bitten several times by another women's dog, who just insisted that the dogs were playing!

kreecherlivesupstairs · 18/02/2011 12:45

It doesn't matter how hard the bite was, the fact was a child was bitten.

lesley33 · 18/02/2011 12:46

Yes possible owner did not realise dogs had eaten the food. If all she saw were her dogs running towards two children then a casual sorry is more understandable.

Original poster

IcingOnTheCake · 18/02/2011 12:46

I said the dogs have just eaten the sandwiches and was going to say the dogs should be on leads but didn't because i wasn't sure whether you could walk your dogs through there off leads. He didn't look like the kind of bloke you would argue with tbh.

OP posts:

slartybartfast · 18/02/2011 12:46

bitten as it bit the food though.

were you all sitting on the ground?

if i had food and a dog came over i would know to move the food, having grown up with dogs.

ChaoticAngelofAnarchy · 18/02/2011 12:46

YANBU

slartybartfast · 18/02/2011 12:47

he was unreasoanble not to apologise more. i cant anwer abouit the leads.

FannyFifer · 18/02/2011 12:47

A dog steals the childrens lunch and bit your dd on the finger and you and your friend say nothing to the owner, I would have had serious words.

SpringHeeledJack · 18/02/2011 12:47

I thought this was going to be Another Dog Thread and was all ready to come in dogside

then I actually read it

that is truly awful behaviour on the part of the owner. If you have grabby dogs like that, you keep a thorough look out for people eating, and you make sure you control them properly!

(the owner must know they're grabby dogs, because they'll do it at home as well, I'm pretty certain)

Ormirian · 18/02/2011 12:47

A seagull ate my pastie once.

Bastard!

slartybartfast · 18/02/2011 12:48

a seagull ate my dd's cake!
twas terrible, virtually took it out of her mouth.

MrSpoc · 18/02/2011 12:50

the owner is in the wrong for not controlling thier dogs but you should of been firm and confronted them

I understand that your daughter was nipped. this was not a bite. a bite is when the dog is on the attack. this bit could get out of hand and needs to be kept in context

Original poster

IcingOnTheCake · 18/02/2011 12:50

slartybartfast we were sat on a bench. Not a bench with a table, just a bench. The dogs came from no where and were so quick, there wasn't time to put the sandwiches away. They litrally raced over, nicked my sons sandwich off my lap then raced over to my friends dd and bit the sandwich out her hand. It was all really quick.

OP posts:

Butterbur · 18/02/2011 12:51

a seagull crapped on my head once. It was warm! Bleaghgh

It gave everyone else a laugh.

jasminetom · 18/02/2011 12:52

I am also a defensive dog owner who gets sick of the dog haters. I would be absolutely devastated if my dog did that. Ok, she wasn't hurt but that's not the point. The dog was clearly out of control in a public place. How were you supposed to know it was friendly?

traceybath · 18/02/2011 12:52

I would have been very cross indeed and as far as I'm concerned the dog bit the child's finger - doesn't matter if it was as it was tying to take a sandwich or whatever.

But you really should have told the dog owner what happened.

Vallhala · 18/02/2011 12:52

The dog owner is at fault, without question. Granted he may not have seen/anticipated your family being there but nonetheless vigilance, an apology and the replacement of your lunch should have been forthcoming. (And I speak as the owner of greedy dogs!).

Getting it into perspective here, the dog did NOT bite anyone. He caught a finger whilst stealing food, which is a different matter altogether, albeit that the steaking was unacceptable and indicative of poor vigilance on the part of the owner.

To say the dog "bit" is indicating a deliberate act of aggression, which this was not.

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