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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that if your child is scared of dogs you should encourage them not to scre and wail if my dog is 300 ft away...

468 replies

Beccadugs · 30/10/2013 21:50

Walking my dog today, she was of lead, about 10ft ahea of me waiting for me to chuck the ball. A child cycled towards us, saw my dog (who is half toy poodle so tiny) and started screaming. My dog just looked at her and then carried on our walk, if she was the type to run up to strangers/kids she wouldn't be off the lead. However, when she was a puppy and less well trained this screaming was an invitation (in her mind) to investigate.

While I accept that some children are scared of dogs, and that is fine. I would have thought that if there is a dog in the general vicinity encouraging your DC not to scream is probably for the best when the dog is ignoring you completely. AIBU, we all want to use the local facilities happily.

OP posts:
IceBeing · 31/10/2013 12:55

hmm maybe I misread LST's comments...were you saying that if people really loved children then they wouldn't keep them as pets?

I kinda think most people don't in fact keep children as pets?

LtAllHallowsEve · 31/10/2013 12:55

Well if people didn't keep dogs as pets they would be either running wild, untrained, and killing indiscriminately or they'd be extinct.

I'll keep rescuing and training thanks Smile

trixymalixy · 31/10/2013 12:56

An off lead dog that approaches other dogs or people without invitation is NOT under control, and I don't care if it comes back to you when called or not, it shouldn't be approaching in the first place.

Well said Rino.

IceBeing · 31/10/2013 12:56

territt pretty much....do we have a deal?

IceBeing · 31/10/2013 12:57

extinct wouldn't be awful....running around untrained is the reality round my area anyway so no big difference in that case.....oh except I could get the pest control in...

LST · 31/10/2013 12:57

I have children trixy. But it is selfish that some people have them. You have taken what I said completely the wrong way. never mind.

Retropear · 31/10/2013 12:59

Chatty I kicked a dog jumping up and terrorising my children.Owner said it was just a puppy.

Ranger said we should call the police as he is sick of dogs(and their owners)but it is a nightmare to prosecute(so would love to see how you'd prosecute kicking a dog).Grin

I can't even sue the owners of the "friendly" dog that bit my son for therapy in order to get over his now phobia.

So good luck!Grin

Chattymummyhere · 31/10/2013 13:01

It's normally smaller dogs which are untrained from what I've seen.

The owners very much believe their dog is playing and well because a small dog bite does not leave someone limbless it appears to be ok in their eyes..

There is a little chi that attacks anything and shits all over my front garden the owner says his playing... Till we asked him if my big dog could come and chew at his ankles and would it still be classed as playing or attacking... Not seen said dog walker and dog for a few months now.

LtAllHallowsEve · 31/10/2013 13:02

OK Icebeing, you are just trying to goad people into attacking now, good job, I'll leave you to it as MNHQ asks us to. Cheers.

Chattymummyhere · 31/10/2013 13:04

Ret

It's because it would come under the animal cruelty act and people have been charged and gone to court for much less than physically harming a pet, you can get charged fined and a jail sentence purely for not seeking vet attention. People get arrested for shooting cats with BB guns and poisoning water bowls with anti freeze.. We had our next door charged with animal cruelty for trying to harm our dogs.

gingee · 31/10/2013 13:04

I have a question for people: i always keep my dog on a lead unless I am literally on the middle of no where in a large field and I see no other dogs or people of anything, this is because I have deep set anxiety that he will run over to hrm ( he would I'm positive) and there might be something they do that he doesn't like and growl or worse snap or generally just annoy or scare them. He is quite big and a lovely old boy but a breed that has a reputation to lash put if scared (our vet told me this but our dog likes the vet). When I go out with friends and their dogs they say I'm cruel for keeping him on his lead and just call him off of he gets away etc and if I'm worried to just say 'oh don't stroke him' to people. But they let their dogs run up to anyone/other dogs and never are aggressive but they jump up etc and my friend says that's normal etc. I'm just way too anxious to let mine off I feel like the one time I do he'll leap at a child or try and get another dogs toy or something. So am a being really awful and should I chill out and trust him/other people??

gingee · 31/10/2013 13:06

God so many typos. New phone. Hope you can decipher.

Rinoachicken · 31/10/2013 13:07

Gingee since only you really know your dog and since you are the one legally responsible should anything happen, you should go with your instinct and ignore everyone else.

Retropear · 31/10/2013 13:07

So no cruelty to children act re dogs then.Hmm

Well I'll carry on kicking away when dogs jump over my kids causing them to wet themselves in fear thanks.Good luck to anybody who tries to prosecute.

Rinoachicken · 31/10/2013 13:08

Oh and it's not normal for dogs to run up to and jump up at other people and dogs. It's lazy dog ownership

pixiegumboot · 31/10/2013 13:08

Tenthmuse, late reply sorry but catching up on thread. My parents ageing bichon bit my neice and had to be put down. So yes. A muzzle!

Chattymummyhere · 31/10/2013 13:08

If you don't believe that it is safe to let your dog off then don't!

Yes dogs need a good run how much depends in breed but you can get extremely long training leads so if in an empty area he could have a run, also see if there are any local farms with unused fenced fields that you could use to build up training off lead or purely for the dogs big runs, also keep going to training classes no dog is too old and that is a very highly supervised area for him/her to meet other dogs and people

Rinoachicken · 31/10/2013 13:12

Sorry chattymummy but the law clearly states:

It’s against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control:

in a public place
in a private place where the dog isn’t allowed to be (eg a neighbour’s house or garden without permission)
The law applies to all dogs

Your dog is considered dangerously out of control if it:

injures someone
makes someone worried that it might injure them

Rinoachicken · 31/10/2013 13:14

And 'injure' doesn't have to be a bite. A small child can be injured just by being knocked to the ground by an overexcited dog.

LST · 31/10/2013 13:15

It can worry someone on the lead though.. Hmm Confused

Rinoachicken · 31/10/2013 13:16

But it wouldn't be 'out of control' unless the owner was unable to hold onto it.

LST · 31/10/2013 13:17

I will not ever class my dog as out of control just because he doesn't have a lead on

Rinoachicken · 31/10/2013 13:17

Oops posted too soon, so someone worried by a song on a lead would be seen to have an unreasonable worry as long as the owner wasn't being dragged along behind the dog

Chattymummyhere · 31/10/2013 13:18

Yes that is true Rino

However a dog walking perfectly next to its owner that has not even noticed other people could in no way be counted as dangerous or out of control.

My point was is someone kicked my dog purely because it was a dog near their child while walking with me and my children I would call the police..

If someone considers a well behaved dog out of control in the situation I described then I really would worry for said persons mental state. Also the effect that would have on their child growing up.

Well trained dogs do not deserve to be attacked or victimised based on untrained dogs..

I said if a dog attacks you then sure make sure it cannot again, no ones dog should attack anyone (unless specially trained to do so with the appropriate licence and training and used in the correct way)

Rinoachicken · 31/10/2013 13:18

LST neither does the law, only if it injures or potentially injures