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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to not want your dog to "kiss" my dc face

140 replies

m0therofdragons · 16/04/2014 15:16

Sorry for grumpy old lady rant but we spent a few hours in our local country park and had a picnic - me and my 3 young dds.
While sitting and eating 6 dogs came over at the same time circling us after scraps of food (don't think they were too impressed by all dc eating blueberries). Anyway, there were 3 owners walking over slowly while I shielded dc. When the owners eventually made it over my two youngest (2yo twins) were scared and crying. They didn't apologise and just commented how friendly their dogs are and how they Love to lick and kiss people but would never bite. Now I find it naive that people would be so confident their dog won't bite but that aside... I do not want my children's faces licked by a tongue that moments ago had probably been licking its own bottom or eating poo. Dog owners seem to think I would find this cute. I love dogs but I do not find it cute!

OP posts:

LaQueenOfTheSpring · 16/04/2014 18:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PunkrockerGirl · 17/04/2014 06:47

YANBU. Revolting.

Booboostoo · 17/04/2014 07:02

OP if your children are scared of dogs in general it's a good idea to help them deal with this because they are more likely to get bitten when they are scared - children that are scared tend to do the wrong things around dogs, e.g. scream, wave arms, run, jump, etc. and while there is no justification for a dog bitting (even a child that is screaming, waving her arms, running or jumping) at the end of the day you want to avoid the bite not have to deal with allocating blame after one.

The best way to get your children used to dogs is to find someone with an extremely well trained, laid-back dog, which is willing to do a long down stay. Start at a distance your DCs are happy with and allow them to chose when to go closer to the dog, hopefully they will manage to go up to the dog. When approaching the dog teach them to ask the owner for permission to pet first, then ask the dog for permission to pet - this involves putting out a hand and waiting to see how the dog reacts. If the dog approaches, sniffs and seems relaxed, then pet under the chin. If the dog turns the head away or moves backwards, leave it alone.

If they are confronted with a dog running up to them they should stay completely quiet, fold their arms and turn their backs to the dog.

NinjaLeprechaun · 17/04/2014 07:10

That's odd. In my experience, most dogs love blueberries.

My dog is actually very polite about kisses, he doesn't slobber at all. Having said that, I really try and avoid letting him lick anybody. Which can be tricky as he's at child-face-height. Only one of the reasons I don't ever let him run loose.
Careless dog owners annoy me.

hotcrosshunny · 17/04/2014 07:13

Booboostoo

I will tell that to my 4 year old who has been leapt on a couple of times by dogs now

The more I think about it the more I think that dog ownership is just a ridiculous idea.

It would be assault if I started jumping and licking another person yet if a dog does it that's fine.

OP I would have bollocked the owner. And yanbu.

LtEveDallas · 17/04/2014 07:15

The very first time I left PFB DD was to go to a mess meeting. DD was about 3 months old. A friend looked after her for the couple of hours I was gone.

When I got back friend delightedly told me "She's been really good, hardly cried, and Scruffy has given her a good wash"

Now I'm a dog person and have no issue with dogs giving me big slobbery kisses. But OMG, not my precious newborn. I went home and cried and spent the next hour trying to decide if Anti-Bac wipes would be more or less damaging on my PFBs skin than dog slobber.

Friend was lovely, hardly barking at all but I was in bits

ithoughtofitfirst · 17/04/2014 07:30

Feel really strongly about this. I hate when people let their stupid disgusting dogs come right up to my toddler and then think I'm being unreasonable to pick him up or bat them away. Oh hes really good with children they say. Well fuck me you must know the psychology of your stupid animal really well because as far as I am concerned your dog Is an animal like any other and could suddenly decide that my toddler is a threat to him and maul his face.

Makes me kind of think that these types of dog owners are as thick as shit. Keep your mutt away from my children.

Morloth · 17/04/2014 07:47

YANBU, it is your fucking dog and therefore your problem.

I don't want anything to do with it, why is this so hard for dog owners to understand?

BunniesBurneze · 17/04/2014 07:49

Yanbu - 6 dogs!! That could seem really scary as a pack.

I have a large bouncy dog and I do struggle because he is inclined to leap towards picnics, but he will come eventually on command, I don't think it's 'cute' he wants to lick your icecream, and I will apologise. I wont keep him on lead though, I do think that's the risk you take in the park.

Sparklingbrook · 17/04/2014 07:50

I don't think any animal should be licking human faces. Dogs on leads always surely?

Ugh.

Goblinchild · 17/04/2014 07:53

You have a large bouncy dog that is imperfectly trained to recall and you won't put him on a lead because 'That's the risk you take in a park' ?
I hope your local park enforces a lead-only rule or bans dogs altogether.
That's a dreadful atitude to have Bonnies.

spinnergeologist · 17/04/2014 07:54

I would not let my dog do any of this, he is on a lead as his recall is bad. Anyone who can't get their dog to return when called or is not willing to be in eyesight of their dog needs to have them on a lead.

I really hate owners who do the soft as a feather thing, I have met so many kids who are terrified and a slobbery dog running at them is not going to cure that fear, only re-enforce it.

Sparklingbrook · 17/04/2014 07:55

I really don't think people go to the park to take a risk with dogs do they? Bizarre attitude.

Aeroflotgirl · 17/04/2014 07:56

Yanbu at all, those dog owners put responsible ones in a bad light. 6 digs circuling, I would be crying. Wht where they not on leads? Whteir were their owners?

Marylou62 · 17/04/2014 07:58

One of the first things we taught our springer was 'LEAVE'.(loud and forceful) I was and still am very strict with him on this one. We are lucky that he ignores babies/children. (unless they come up to him...but that is another thread!) I once told one of my charges not to let dogs lick their faces as they lick their bottoms after a poo...she said 'Oh don't doggies use toilet paper'!! One of my PET HATES so YANBU.

Aeroflotgirl · 17/04/2014 07:58

You cannot trust a dog 100 per cent, how do they know they won't bite in that instant, they don't. The most 'friendliest' dog can turn in an instant!

NakedMum33and3rd · 17/04/2014 07:59

Yanbu. My dog used to be a 'licky' dog but we managed to train her not to do it. Plus if I saw a family having a picnic she would be on the lead straight away as food is always a temptation for any dog! They should have apologised to you.

Sparklingbrook · 17/04/2014 07:59

DS1 is very wary of dogs. He's 14 but he has had a few incidents with unruly dogs.
6 dogs while you are sat down eating? That's really scary for little ones and it's those sort of experiences that shaped DS1's fear.

scarletforya · 17/04/2014 08:02

Dogs licking humans....Bllleeeeuuurrgggghhhh!

BunniesBurneze · 17/04/2014 08:07

The way you get perfect recall is to keep training, if you didn't let them off lead until they came back instantly you'd never let them off lead. I don't think that's appropriate for a dog - for their mental and physical well being they need off lead walks.

The park is used by dog owners 365 days in all weathers, on the off chance someone is having a picnic, I should keep him on lead? He bounces over, I call him back, he says "Who me?" and then he runs back.

I just find the attitude that for the 6 hours a year you will want to use a park, dogs shouldn't be there. Or kept on lead at all times.

Of course if I see a lot of picnic ers, he's on lead, or if I notice people sat down I can distract him away. I'm perfectly reasonable but if you go to the park expect to see a dog.

Sparklingbrook · 17/04/2014 08:10

YY I do agree that if you go to a park you should expect to see dogs. But it's only the unruly misbehaving ones you notice isn't it?

Goblinchild · 17/04/2014 08:13

I don't mind seeing dogs, it's interacting with poorly-trained ones off a lead that pisses me off. By all means stand there shrieking 'FENTON!' at your beast as it cavorts merrily around, but keep it away from me and mine. And our picnic.

Sparklingbrook · 17/04/2014 08:14

^ What goblin said.

Goblinchild · 17/04/2014 08:16

As I keep saying Sparkling, if dog lovers can't self-regulate effectively, then the dog dislikers will make the rules and the laws.

Sparklingbrook · 17/04/2014 08:19

Exactly Goblin. There will be more and more of these stories as the weather gets nice.

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