Shouted at by a mum for trying to get her son away from possible danger...

[Chebs]

Setting the scene...

Went to ASDA today to pick up a few bits and was standing in line at the cash machine with my younger sisters. There was a dog tied to a pole about 10 foot away from us. Lovely looking dog, like a rottie crossed with a lab. My youngest sister (19 and should know better) went over to the dog and it started to take steps back away from her. I called over to her to leave it and come back, which she did. Then explained that the dog looked scared, his hair on his back looked raised, his ears were back and not to go near again. She agreed and mentioned he was growling. No biggy, not all dogs like being approached.

Then, my heart shot into my throat as a youngster (maybe 4/5 years old) went running over to the dog and put his arms around his neck in an embrace. The dog looked extremely anxious and was attempting to back away as I moved toward the boy to call him away from the dog because I didn't know where his mother was, but it turns out she was ahead of us in the queue for the cash machine. She screamed at me, then her son, then me again. Shouted at the son not to touch strange dogs and stalked off.

I honestly thought the dog was being pushed too far and could potentially have bitten him. Did I go too far? Should I have just left them to it? Is this the norm now days??

You did the right thing, she probably reacted like that because she was embarrassed that she hadn't noticed. Very rude of her, she should be thanking you.

Totally missing the point but what supermarket allows dogs within 10ft of the tills???

Sorry Bear I should have been clearer, we were at the cash machine outside the store.

I don't know, she didn't sound embarrassed - she sounded a little unhinged! Literally screaming at me to mind my own and get a life.

Yanbu

You did the right thing, you could see the dog was anxious.

If she's yelling at her kid she was probably shocked/scared.

You did the right thing, and if the situation arises you should do the same thing again. A kid doesn't deserve to get hurt because his parents are stupid.

I'd rather get yelled at than watch a child get bit by a large dog that could do serious damage.

Ignore me, just re-read it and you said cash machine, not tills.

Some people are twats and react badly as they realise what might have happened and that if it had, it would have been their fault- you did the right thing,

X post- I was being a twat too!

Oh I would do it again, absolutely. Would never have forgiven myself if I had ignored and something happened to him. The reason I didn't run over was because I though that would freak the dog out even more and possibly make the situation worse?

As it turns out, the owner came out as we were finished with the machine and the dog was clearly just anxious about being away from him. He approached us as we walked past all waggy tailed and doe eyed.

He approached us as we walked past all waggy tailed and doe eyed.

The dog... not the owner!

Good thing you clarified that for us.

I had a similar thing once with a lady in the queue in Boots waiting to pay for stuff. She had two small boys with her and they were running around and she was ignoring them queuing to pay.

Anyway, while she stood in the queue the toddler stopped running around the store and ran out of the door. I was pregnant at the time and chased him out of the shop, took him by the hand and out of the path of a passing car.

Meanwhile his Mum had dropped her basket of shopping on the floor, ran out and literally yanked him out of my hand shooting me a filthy look.

She probably took it as a slight on her parenting, which it wasn't, it's just that I had a better view of him from where I was as I was leaving the shop and was able to react more quickly than him.

Your lady probably felt embarassed and took it out on you. Think no more about it, you did the right thing.

Fingers I think I will put it down to this. A couple of other posters have said it as well.

I am a parent, so I guess I just thought she would react in a similar way. But she just flipped!

Oddly enough, my youngest sister actually got pretty badly hurt by our own pet dog when she was very young. She squirted water at him from a hose, and he kind of snaps at the water to drink it. She then lifted the hose and he jumped to get to the water, but one of his claws caught her just under the eye. She has a large scar there now. You would think she would learn!

You did absolutely the right thing, had it been my child I would have thanked you (once I'd explained to DD for the thousandth time that not every dog wants to be her friend - I don't know why she can't understand that but its a conversation we have a lot.)

Could it be that she thought the dog was yours, Chebs?

I don't see how ADish, I didn't exactly leap to the dogs defence and she must have heard me call over to my sister and explain that the dog didn't look happy to be approached? She was literally 3 foot in front of me -and I am so bloody loud-

Aaaah! Strikethrough fail. it must be true

You did the right thing. I hope she realised later what a favour you did her.