To be fuming/upset about this (dog related)

[BB2000]

This morning I’m sat in our local park enjoying the sunshine and reading a book while my lovely 10 week old baby sleeps in the pram. Then a black labrador comes over to our bench. Now I don’t like this anyway as am scared of dogs but say nothing as I realise I am a minority in this. I wait for the owner to call it off – they don’t.

As it starts sniffing the pram I ask them to keep it away from the pram – they call it away ineffectually and the dog takes no notice. The dog sticks its head right in the pram (bottom bit of a phil and ted so very low to the ground). I grab the dog by the collar and pull it away. The owner mutters sorry and wonders off.

Now I know that no harm was done and probably the worst the dog would have done really is lick my baby and wake her up. Buy why can’t I just sit in the park and enjoy it without being harassed by a dog – it has made me much, much less keen to do this again as I feel I have to keep a watch out for dogs all the time. This happened several times with my first DD when she was little so it’s not just one owner – how can anyone think this is acceptable!

Of course many/most dog owners are very responsible but a there always seem to be one of two who just don’t care/have no control over their dog and ruin it for everyone else!

It's not acceptable. I love dogs but not strange ones close to a small child's face. I would have been scared too.

Not acceptable at all. I am a dog owner and work as a dog walker and firmly disapprove of people not having their dogs under control. Even if the dog is not aggressive, if it is going up to people or other dogs and being a nuisance then it is out of control.

I'm not sure if there's much you can do - if you have any details of the owner, which I expect you haven't, you could report them to your local dog warden.

I really wouldn't go around grabbing strange dogs by their collar. Many dogs don't like this. Most dogs are trained to sit, firmly give the command if it happens again, however YANBU on the rest of it.

YABU.

Other people use the park. They bring dogs which they let off the lead because it's not a dangerous dog. One sniffed your baby. It did nothing else.

What exactly is the problem?

yanbu it really, really pisses me off.
especially when they then do the "oh it's ok he's friendly" line, so he may be, but my kids might not!

I like dogs, and I have taught (or tried to teach) my children to ask the owner of a dog if they can touch it. This all goes to pot when owners just let their animals bound up.

Why is your 10 week old in the bottom of a P&T?

That'd piss me off, and I own the world's most uncontrollable dog.

Jeez it is national dickhead dog owner day I think.
Just started my own thread about something else. Yanbu. Dogs in England come before anyone and anything in my experience.

There's always one [eyeroll]

Dogs need to be on a lead if you cannot prevent them from approaching strangers and/or other dogs.

SeriouslyCollie I take it you are one of those dog owners that give the rest a bad name then.

op yanbu a dog sticking is its head in a pram regardless of intention is a nuisance with crap owners. I wouldn't want even a friendly dogs nasty shit and arse licking tongue on my newborn.

I would be verbally sparring with the owner of any lab who was permitted to poke its nose in a newborn baby's pram.

I'm a major dog lover but you simply can't trust any big dog around a newborn.

yanbu
the dog was not under control so should have been on the lead.

Collie, an unknown dog getting close enough sniff a tiny baby is acceptable to you? Really? And because it is acceptable to you, it should be acceptable to everyone else?

Blimey.

YANBU I don't like dogs either, not everyone does.

I hate it when people say oh he won't hurt you etc, that's not the point!

One of My neighbours has a dog, but she understands even though I know he won't hurt me, that not everyone likes dogs, and she is very respectful of that.

Another neighbour has a dog that she thinks everyone should like, and says he won't hurt you, it yaps every time I go in my garden, I can't even sit out in peace!

There will always be dog owners who allow such things to happen - and it's not ok. However, I would use a higher pram in places like a park where it could happen.

ThelovelyBoots - ANY dog, not just big dogs.

really?? you would buy a special pram just for going in the park? not everyone has the money to replace their pram just because dog owners can't keep their animals under control

Yanbu, assuming the Phil ans Ted's has the seat fully reclined so it's like a pram/carrycot admit is cvery low in this position as I had one.

I've got a Lab and expected you to say that it had stolen some food from you. Joking aside, I'd be mortified if my boy did this and very apologetic

I love dogs, once our cats pass on and the boys are able to come on all walks with me we are getting one.

However I hate dogs not on leads that approach my kids ds1 is terrified of getting licked by dogs (after a dog licked him while he was sitting in his pram) and I have only just got him to walk calmly past a dog without trying to hide between my legs. The phrase it's ok they love children fills me with annoyance as my child is not ok with dogs approaching him (we are working on it)

Phil and Teds have a total recline seat, so a baby in reclined position will be low down but effectively in a pram base. A dog could either sick its head in the front or back and get to the baby's face.

OP YANBU but no harm was done so try not to let it put you off going again.

Can dog owners enlighten me? Does good training include teaching your dog not to approach anyone, without a 'go ahead' from you, the owner?

I would have thought it was part of dog-owning manners, myself.

Some people are idiots. They know and love their dog, they think everyone else does too.

Next doors dog had a habit of flying up to my toddlers and knocking them over. Last time he actually got his jaws around my 2 year olds arm.

He wasn't injured as he had a winter coat on and to be fair to the dog I think he was just nipping and didn't intend doing serious damage.

However we are totally unreasonable to have complained. If there had been a problem we would have taken son to A&E. We didn't, therefore there is no problem to complain about

TikTok a well trained dog should have an immediate recall or down-stay command and should be called away as soon as they attempt to approach a stranger, after a while they get the message and stop trying to run up to strangers.

It annoys me when strangers call my dogs over to them. It is much easier to a have no approach rule for all than to try and teach the dog it's okay if you say so/they say so.

If you want to fuss my dogs you approach me and I will call them over.

If your dog doesn't have this training in place, they should be kept on a longline until they are reliable.

Thanks for your replies. I know it is silly but it has really ruined my morning. After a difficult (sleepless) night I had got everyone ready and out dropped my toddler at nursery and was having a bit of time for myself (I was only sat down in the park for 10 mins!).

The baby was in the bottom of the pram as I had walked the toddler to nursery I didn't want to risk waking her and move her to the higher bit (though I will do this in future).