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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be considering somehow reporting this dog owner?

44 replies

WordsAreNoUseAtAll · 02/03/2012 17:02

This morning, I walked 4yo DD1 to school a slightly different way than usual. (Not sure if it is relevant, but I was trying to show her that small changes aren't so alarming, so she had just been telling me how she was feeling worried and angry because things were different anyway)

As we walked along one of the streets, a dog came running out of a house, barking and growling (well, not growling - that sort of "grrrrrrrWOOF" they do). It looked to be a border collie, but quite a big and fat one. It was acting as if we were in its garden, but we were on the opposite side of the street.

The owner (a man of about 70 or so) then appeared at his door, shouting the dogs name, as it continued to run across to us (it wasn't running very fast as it kept stopping to growl/bark some more, but it was kind of guarding the house, iyswim). Then the owner, seeing that DD was now crying, said "oh, don't worry, he's only playing, he's a big softie". I know what dogs look like when they are playing - until I was 11 I had a border collie myself. The dog was not playing. It was behaving like another dog we had did when the postman came down the path - it was warning us away. I don't think it would have bitten us, but then it was a strange dog that was obviously not happy with us, so I wasn't about to take any risks.

When the dog stopped about arms length from me (with DD behind me) and carried on barking, I loudly said "can you get your dog away now please, it is upsetting my daughter" and the owner finally stepped out of his door (sighing, like we were being awkward) and called the dog back again with a more serious voice. I then hurried off with my arm round DD, trying to talk about school to distract her.

It probably lasted all of three minutes, but it shook me up, as well as poor DD, and at least I grew up with dogs so knew to stand my ground - a child by themselves (this was near a primary school just before 9am) would have panicked and run and probably wound the dog up more.

I understand that sometimes dogs escape, but the owner just wasn't bothered. The dog was bigger than DD and she was clearly upset, yet he didn't make any serious effort to control it.

AIBU to be thinking of somehow reporting it?

Not that I know where to report it to, tbh.

OP posts:
LaurieFairyCake · 02/03/2012 17:05

The dog didn't do anything though did he? Confused

You could call the council dog warden and say he didn't get it under control quickly enough maybe?

CailinDana · 02/03/2012 17:06

I know totally how you feel. I used to be ok about dogs but in the last few years I have really grown to hate them, mainly due to their owners. I am so sick of people allowing their dogs to run up to me, and sometimes jump all over me. If I don't greet their beloved dogs with open arms they get uppity, and claim that he's "just being friendly." Oh god it gets my goat, and the very sight of a dog annoys me now.

I'm not sure who you'd report it to, but I don't blame you for wanting to.

WorraLiberty · 02/03/2012 17:06

I think you'd be wasting your time to be honest

Even if you rang the local dog warden/community police

All you can say is the dog walked out of its house and barked at you before the owner called it in.

I doubt anyone's going to visit the owner because of that.

Calamityboo · 02/03/2012 17:07

Call the rspca, I am sure there are rules about responsible ownership. They can pop round and hard a aibu about keeping the dog safe.

So, telling your dd that change is ok didn't work either?

Calamityboo · 02/03/2012 17:09

Call the rspca, I am sure there are rules about responsible ownership. They can pop round and have a chat about keeping the dog safe.

So, telling your dd that change is ok didn't work either?

Calamityboo · 02/03/2012 17:10

Tee hee! My predictive phone sometimes goes wrong!

oldmum42 · 02/03/2012 17:14

I think it should be reported - no, it didn't do any damage, but it sounds very editorialist, therefore the owner should be taking care it is properly under control.

It is an offence to allow your dog to be out of control in public, and if the dog has come out of it's garden and ran across the road because someone is walking on the other side, then it is not in the control of it's owner. The owner didn't sound too bothered about his dog running in the road.... so I think a stern talking to by dog warden/police is in order.

The dog could be run over next time, or cause an accident if someone swerves to avoid it.

oldmum42 · 02/03/2012 17:16

Spellcheck! What happened there? sounds very territorial!

Calamityboo · 02/03/2012 17:19

You too oldmum!

Firawla · 02/03/2012 17:19

If he allows his dog to escape & roam free across the road he is not responsible, next time it could even bite someone so yanbu

oldmum42 · 02/03/2012 17:30

Grin at calamityboo!

Abra1d · 02/03/2012 17:31

Agree with Worra.

Original poster
WordsAreNoUseAtAll · 02/03/2012 18:50

No, telling her that change is ok didn't work. Although tonight she was more worried by us going a different way to school than the dog, so I suppose that is something.

The dog was definitely being territorial, rather than coming up to say hello - you know when you walk past a garden fence, and a dog starts making noises? It was those kinds of noises.

The main thing that worries me is that the older children walk themselves to and from school, but the dog was probably about as heavy as me - even if it meant no harm, it could hurt a child, or the child could run and the dog run after it, or whatever.

Plus it scared my DD. Obviously, my mother instinct was on full alert. So maybe I am being unfair because of that, I dunno.

OP posts:
Original poster
WordsAreNoUseAtAll · 02/03/2012 18:53

I wonder if I should ask the school if anyone else has mentioned it? It isn't on our normal route, but if it is always doing it, that is more serious than a one off.

OP posts:
DublinMammy · 02/03/2012 19:05

Don't think you would get anywhere by reporting it. The dog ran out, your daughter was scared, the owner called it back and (after a while) it went back into the house. It's clearly upset you but it's not the crime of the century.

everlong · 02/03/2012 19:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pictish · 02/03/2012 19:18

So, basically, a dog barked at you.

Yabu.

Original poster
WordsAreNoUseAtAll · 02/03/2012 19:31

It's not the running out, or the barking. Like I say, I've had dogs, it does happen. Hopefully not often, and hopefully the dog is under control, but, yeah, it happens.

It's the complete lack of concern from the owner. If it was my dog and it didn't come straight back on calling, I would be out there, grabbing hold of it and apologising profusely, not standing inside my house making out that the person walking on the other side of the street was U for not wanting her child barked and growled at.

"A dog barked at you" would be a dog barking at me for going near a house where it was securely held. This was a dog running to the opposite side of a street to bark and growl, and not coming back when called, then the owner not caring.

It is a public street, near a school, at school run time. If a dog is likely to not like children even on the other side of the road, the owner needs to make extra sure it is secure, for both the dog and passers by to be safe and happy.

OP posts:
TidyDancer · 02/03/2012 19:32

Yeah, I'm sorry, but there's nothing really to report tbh. Like others have pointed out, the dog ran out of the house and barked at you. The owner might have been slow in calling it back in, but nothing happened that's anywhere near worth reporting. RSPCA won't deal with this as it's not a welfare issue, your local animal warden won't be able to help because they only deal with dog on dog issues and not dog on human, so your only route would be the police. And you can't really ring the police and say "a dog barked at me and I didn't like it", can you?

TidyDancer · 02/03/2012 19:33

If it's the owner you're concerned about, then you shouting to him will probably make him think twice.

everlong · 02/03/2012 19:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LadyBeagleEyes · 02/03/2012 19:37

If it's a public road near a school, surely there would be a lot more complaints from passers by and mums re this barking vicious dog.
It ran out and barked, and the owner called it in, which is exactly what it did.

Original poster
WordsAreNoUseAtAll · 02/03/2012 19:38

Also, how am I meant to know if it was going to bite me (or my small child) when it is showing all the signs of aggression that you are told to be careful of? I know the difference between a "hello, I'm a bouncy happy dog, I'm excited to see you, let's play" and "go away from my house. If you come any closer, you will regret it."

The latter is not something I would be happy with around my child, but would be annoyed but not so much if the owner had come over, grabbed the collar or whatever, said sorry, the dog is ill or sorry, you look like someone the dog doesn't like or whatever. It was the combination of scary dog and uncaring owner that alarmed me.

OP posts:
HelenBaaBaaBlackSheep · 02/03/2012 19:38

Sounds a bit annoying but I don't see anything to report

everlong · 02/03/2012 19:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.