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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to pepper spray a dog?

160 replies

happydazed · 05/03/2014 18:48

well not actual pepper spray, its intended specifically for dogs and tested and approved so I am hoping wont actually cause them any harm.
My ds has been bitten once, not badly just nipped, my friends little girl was bitten again not too badly but drew blood, my ds has also been knocked over twice, on one occasion he was only 18 months old, toddling along next to me and a dog ran over jumped up and knocked him backwards his head hitting a stone wall, he was dazed, very upset and had a big lump on his head. All this has happened in local parks, with owners saying oh dont worry the dogs friendly, and then oh dear he's not usually so boisterous...

Because of this I avoid parks with the kids, which is such a shame, I have a beautiful park at the end of my road and I haven't been in it for 3 months, today we ventured in to feed the ducks with 5 kids under 3 between us, a dog ran up knocked 2 of the kids over, it was a staffy type and very boisterous, the children were very upset, we picked them up but it kept jumping up at us, the owner said it was our fault because the children were playing with sticks and the dog wanted them.

I have tried to train the children how to behave around dogs, to keep calm, to keep their hands by their sides etc, I am used to dogs, but if a dog runs at any 3 year old I know especially one who has been hurt by a dog before they scream and run away, I really don't know what I can do about that, it s often suggested to me by dog owners that it is my fault for not having the children behave appropriately but if they keep their dogs with them it wouldn't be an issue!

Summer is coming up and I don't feel I can safely take my children to the park or the beach which is just as bad. I know there are plenty of lovely responsible dog owners out there but unfortunately not all are. over 6000 people were admitted to hospital because of dog attacks last year so I don't feel I am being paranoid. Am I unreasonable to pepper spay the next dog that runs towards me or should I just accept parks have been given over to the dogs and children should stay in the fenced in playground areas.

OP posts:
Goblinchild · 06/03/2014 10:51

'we don't hear news stories about children biting dogs (or humans) to death or leaving people scarred for life due to having a sudden out of character aggressive outburst.'

Which is why I expect a law that every dog should be muzzled in public to become law at some point in the next decade or so.

IamTotallyUnreasonableOk · 06/03/2014 11:00

why don't we just dispose of all animals to prevent attacks and spread of disease. Or even better..... Why don't we give all adults lobotomies so that any potential rapists or killers don't get the opportunity to commit their crimes. Then at least we could feel safe.
Oh wait ..... Hmm

Goblinchild · 06/03/2014 11:05

Why don't we have a sense of proportion? Grin
Good name BTW.

Impatientismymiddlename · 06/03/2014 11:33

Iamtotallyunreasonable: we don't put humans down in this country either, because humans and dogs are very different, however I would support castration of some humans, I would also support lobotomies for the dog owners in the 'oh he won't bite' brigade.

Territt16 · 06/03/2014 11:53

ive got a large Alsatian, she stays on the lead unless we are walking on farmers fields where I know the land owner and they are cool with me having her there. But ive lost count of the amount of times people have let their small kids coming running up behind my dog and grabbing her, they really need to learn to control their kids.

Owllady · 06/03/2014 12:10

Telford is an odd place

Cravey · 06/03/2014 12:10

Well you could try it I suppose. But on the other hand is it ok for me to do it to any child that comes up to my dog on its lead and tries to stroke him with out parents asking if it ok. Could I also spray the parent. Yabu. It's not the dogs fault. Pepper spray is also illegal. And doesn't work on dogs. You also run the risk of a dog owner punching you on the nose. Which I'm sure your child wouldn't like to see. I also think you are maybe over thinking this.

ormirian · 06/03/2014 12:18

You are very unlucky with dogs! My kids love them and none of them ever get approached by strange dogs even when they'd enjoy it. Are you sure your children don't smell of bones? Grin

If you want to spray dogs just use water. It will probably put them off just as much but without hurting them. Or just shout NO! in a loud voice. It would work with mine. But my dog is pretty amenable.

MaryMungoAndMidgies · 06/03/2014 13:56

Where I live (rapidly expanding town) we have one dog park left, the rest now do not allow dogs to be exercised there.

My gentle old lab spends her walks dodging wobbly children on scooters, trikes and roller skates. We walk on the paths to avoid the footballers etc. They run into her all the time and consequently topple over while she looks hurt and perplexed. The amount of times people have said "she should be on a bloody lead" when their child is crying after falling is ridiculous. Once I sat with a wailing 5ish year old when he'd scootered into my old girl. She stood quietly until his mum finally walked from the other side of the park, still on her phone. She bent my ear so hard I struggled not to mouth back. If my dog didn't loathe raised voices I would have done.

Go to one of the fifteen other parks. All close by. Stop rowing my dog. If you weren't on your mobile you'd see she was the innocent party.

If anyone pepper sprayed her for minding her own business I would be raging. Things are not always what they seem.

There is a sectioned off and fenced area for your children in the dog park. Please keep them there, as I do when I take my niece out. But please do not presume that I will bite my tongue forever.

I appreciate some dog owners let their dogs run riot but I do not.

anchovies · 06/03/2014 14:08

Agree with ormirian - there are some very unlucky people on this thread! I spend a lot of time in parks etc with my 3 dcs and have never had a bad experience with a dog!

My two (dogs not dcs!) are pretty well trained not to approach people or other dogs but they are not absolutely bomb proof for example one of them recently walked alongside a man carrying a bag of shopping. He laughed and told my dog it was his sunday dinner and he wasn't giving it up. I wonder if inside he was seething and considering pepper spraying my dog Sad

venusandmars · 06/03/2014 14:24

My dsis and her dh were in a park with their 3 year old. A large dog (bigger than child) ran up barking in her face. My niece got a massive fright - was rigid with fear. My BIL (who is a big man) ran up to the dog's owner, grabbed his lapels, put his face in his and yelled WOOF WOOF WOOF. The dog owner looked terrified and BIL said "now you know how she feels".

He got done for assault.

venusandmars · 06/03/2014 14:29

My dp was cycling when he saw 2 dogs ahead running criss-cross over the cycle path. He couldn't predict where they were running next so he stopped. One of the dogs then ran into his bike. THe owner came up to him and said "you f@*~ing hit my dog!"

Dh replied "well keep it under f@*~ing control!"

Dog owner punched him in the face.

laregina · 06/03/2014 14:30

The only parks I visit with my DC are the ones where dogs are not allowed at all (luckily there are a couple of them in my area).

For some reason no dog owners that visit the other (non-dog free) parks seem to be able to read the signs that say 'dogs must be kept on leads' and also allow theirs to crap all over the grass for good measure.

Can you tell it really winds me up?

I just wonder why, if they think their dog's shit is no problem, they don't just let their little darlings shit all over their own gardens....

Redtartanshoes · 06/03/2014 14:31

It's bite back spray you want (((just saying)))))

It works

venusandmars · 06/03/2014 14:32

In both those (isolated) incidents, the dog owner, not the dog was at fault, but they are probably why people would rather pepper spay the dog than confront the dog owner.

laregina · 06/03/2014 14:32

PS - sorry OP, I forgot to say YANBU. If it works, that is. If not, I would do something else that does - because a dog is just a dog, whereas your DC are your DC!

JohnCusacksWife · 06/03/2014 14:43

I think it would be risky to spray a dog in the face with something - you'd just run the risk of antagonising it. A firm "No" would probably be a safer bet.

Reading this thread I think I'd be classed by many of you as a bad dog owner as my dog is rarely on his lead when we're out walking (unless it's a proper park or on a road when he stays on the lead). We normally walk on a local bridlepath, riverbank or in open fields near our home. He snuffles about, ignoring everyone - including most other dogs - and doing nobody any harm whatsoever. He doesn't approach people he doesn't know and has never jumped on anyone. In all the years of owning him I've never, ever encountered anyone who objected to this.

Original poster
happydazed · 06/03/2014 15:17

there is a sectioned off and fenced area for your children in the dog park makes me laugh, that's exactly what our park feels like, small concrete area for the children while the wild dogs roam free!

OP posts:
Goblinchild · 06/03/2014 15:19

How does that make you a bad dog owner, MrsC?
Your dog is under control and not bothering or interacting with people.

Venusand Mars, both of those incidents are what the dogs and the owners deserved and I'm sorry that the conclusions were not fair.
FWIW I've often thought that I don't let my DS run up to random small children, throw them in the air and yell, 'What fun, I do love playing' Nor does he sniff random dog-owning women and growl 'yummyyummyyummy'
It seems only fair to expect the same of dogs and their incompetent owners.

I did kick a dog into a stream when it chased me and snapped as I cycled on the cyclepath. That was fun, it had a definite 'WTF I'm flyyyiiiinnng' look of confusion on its face. Weeeee splosh.
Good thing I had jeeans and boots on and not my girly clothes.

Retropear · 06/03/2014 15:20

Venus my dd came off her bike in an incident like that.Just one on my very long list of dog related incidents.

Again,why exactly do we have to put up with it?Confused

JohnCusacksWife · 06/03/2014 15:35

Goblin, I don't think I'm a bad dog owner but it seems that many wouldnt agree as there seems to be a feeling that a dog should ALWAYS be on a lead in a public place....and mine most definitely is not.

Goblinchild · 06/03/2014 15:40

If a dog can ignore me and mine, then I don't care if it's on a lead or not.
It's under control.
But if we have a constant stream of 'Oh bless, he likes you' from twerps, then the rule about leads becomes more important for all.

ormirian · 06/03/2014 15:48

"If a dog can ignore me and mine, then I don't care if it's on a lead or not.
It's under control. "

Good! It begins to feel as if I own a t-rex rather than a dog!

I almost always have my dog off the lead unless i am walking in a very busy area including parks. Rarely go to parks anyway when we have canal paths, footpaths and open fields to go to. For a start when i am running a leaded dog is a nightmare but that is one of the reasons I don't like parks - trying to run and avoid scootering kids, toddling toddlers, children chasing footballs and other people's dogs is a pita.

anchovies · 06/03/2014 15:53

Actually having said I have never had a dog incident I have just remembered a time my dd colided with a dog, fell off and split her lip. I suppose I have just always thought of it as an accident not a reason to ban dogs from the park. Same as the accident she had when she ran behind a swing really?

LtEveDallas · 06/03/2014 16:11

We have Dog Parks and Dog Free Parks where I live.

I do wish that parents wouldn't then come into the Dog Parks and scowl (or shout) at the dog owners who are NOT breaking the law and are fully entitled to let their dogs off lead.

I'm lucky in that I get to run the dogs on MOD Land - but even then I've had parents giving me grief, despite the fact that they are trespassing! It's rather irritating but satisfying when I point that out.

MuttDog is pretty bomb proof and has excellent recall, so I often have her loose, but I know she has no interest in children (except her own girl). I do put her on lead when asked, but it grates when that comes from a parent 100 yds away who my dog has shown NO interest in whatsoever and I probably wouldn't have noticed if they hadn't shouted across.