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!

yanbu, I love dogs but even though my dog is fantastic with children he would never be allowed anywhere near a pram, partly because not everyone likes dogs or knows my dog is a softy but also because no parent is going to be pleased if a dog wakes their baby up, even if they usually love dogs.

Thanks, Cleanin, that makes sense.

I have always hated it when dogs come up and sniff me or my kids - 'oh, he's just saying 'hello'!'. Grrrr. Well, I'm just saying 'fuck off!' then (as I don't actually say to them :))

YANBU. And I am a soppy dog owner!

I never let my dog off the lead if there are children near and especially little ones in prams as they can get easily startled. I would always call my dog back if it approached anyone, particulalry since I expect you werent smiling and looking like you wanted to stroke the dog.

In fact I tend to only let me dog off the lead in empty fields or woods. Sounds like the owner and dog both need more training!

My dog avoids everyone at all costs. They get in the way of his ball time.

Arse hole owners do my head in.

I really wouldn't mind if a dog came to say hello to my dcs.. but inside I think 'twat' at the owner...

YANBU op

tiktok, I would say that it's more of a case of saying no to approaching other people than a yes you can, if you see what I mean. Some dogs are naturally curious and need to be called to heel when they get too nosey, rather than be taught to wait for a command to approach others. I'm sure that some dog owners will be able to control their animal to that extent, but for most of us an ability to call our dogs to come to us is sufficient. Sadly some owners don't seem to be able to call their dogs very effectively either.

I would have been very unhappy with my dog annoying anyone and sticking his head in a pram would have been a complete no no. Fortunately our dog was always more interested in chasing squirrels than investigating babies.

OP, just a word of caution. I wouldn't grab a strange dog by the collar again. You never know how a dog will react to something like that and it may have escalated the situation.

You shouldn't have to BB2000. I have a Mutt, and walk rescue dogs as a volunteer. If their recall isn't perfect, they dont go off the lead. Part of my volunteering is to teach recall to untrained dogs - and I'm pretty good at it .

Mutt dog could be stopped with the command "Wait" or "Down". Wait makes her stop stock still until I call her back or tell her "Go on" or "Over" (for crossing roads). Down makes her lie down, or sometimes sit down if its raining (she hates being wet).

Don't let this put you off. If it happens again do you have the confidence to say to a stranger "If you cannot call your dog off you keep him on a lead - he is NOT under control and you can be fined for that"? It may make irresponsible owners take stock.

Fireside, what should OP have done? I couldn't just leave a dog's head in my baby's pram and if the owner wasn't calling it away how was OP supposed to get the dog away from her baby?

Mine both come haring back to me when I say "chicken wings"

I rarely have any chicken wings while I am out walking but I might have a chicken wing and that is enough.

I'd just call chicken wings every time they were about to get one. Took about a week. It's my emergency recall. They both respond to "Here" and their names but Devil Dog might stop to smell the daisies on his way back, chicken wings means he runs straight back at break neck speed. Calling whippy's name also has the same effect on him

The Devil Dog also comes back in a blur of excitement if he hears his lead jangle. The lead is good. The lead means walkies, even in the park/on the beach. The car is also good. The car means we are going to the beach, even when the car is parked on the beach

Thanks, fireside. My parents had dogs (after I left home) and they were absolutely useless at training them and recalling them. So I know there are owners like that about!

Yanbu we have dog. He is not totally trained yet so stays on a lead.

Dogs should not approach children, they should stay to heel, children should ask permission to touch a dog. Some dogs are jumpy and excitable, they may hurt a child accidentally either way unless trained and obedient. Obviously some dogs are just nasty, our dog has been attacked twice :(

Btw our dog is a black lab. He is brilliant with our babe, but I'd never let doggy stick his head in our pram!

OP YANBU. I love dogs, but having a large uncontrolled unknown animal near a baby...no. What annoys me is the assumption that certain breeds -especially Labradors - are automatically deemed safe because of the breeds popularity as a family pet. They are still big, heavy dogs with a large jaw!

Putting your baby up higher will help. You could also spray the wheels of the ram with vinegar or lemon essential oils to discourage them from sniffing around. Finally, don't be afraid to be assertive with the owners - it is your right to enjoy the park and their duty to keep their animal under control.

YANBU there are many dog owners getting away with this lack of control over their dogs daily. I think the owners must think so long as their dog doesn't bite another person it is ok.
I have disliked badly trained dogs - ever since I was "held hostage" by a large aggressive black Labrador in the street while walking home from school alone age 9 or 10. I could not pass the dog. Nor could I run away. I was 45 min late home because of the dog. I was terrified. A neighbour of the owner finally got sick of the barking and called the dog away. Nothing was done about the incident - I suppose because I wasn't actually attacked. The dog stood in front of me and snarled, barked, growled non stop.

Just yesterday at the beach a dog ran through the middle of our family picnic and ruined it entirely. The owner ineffectually called their dog off - it ran through several other groups of people trying to enjoy the beach and disturbed them too before it was finally put on a lead.

By contrast a couple of well behaved dogs played nicely with their owners off the lead nearby and never so much as looked at the other people - didn't even bark and were extremely well behaved by their owners.

Far too many dog owners don't have proper control of their dogs - I've been jumped up at and had my clothing muddied by dogs off leads in public places, my kids have been jumped up at by dogs on leads, which scared them and also hurt. I've had a dog ruin my shopping under the pushchair by sticking its nose in the bag and licking the food. I've had toddlers knocked to the ground by dogs racing off the lead in the park more than once. If "lucky" the owner will say "sorry" but that's not good enough.

No op you are not unreasonable to be fuming/upset. Not at all.

I do not wish to have any interaction with any dogs when out in public places - not to be jumped on, sniffed, greeted, I don't want my picnic trampled, my kids frightened, I don't want to be scratched, hurt, my clothing muddied by dogs, nor do my kids. I don't want to be barked at either.

I'd like to add that other than TimeIsAnIllusion reasons for not having interaction with dogs - I am also allergic to most animal hair so I really don't want dogs coming up to me and ruining my day out by getting dog hair on me and my things!!

i would of pulled the dog away by the collar as well op .

Yanbu.

That's just not the right way to behave on the dog owners part.

YANBU

There are far too many dog owners who don't have sufficient control over their dogs, and far too many who make excuses for their dogs "just wanting to play", or "just being friendly". If your dog doesn't come to heel the minute you call it then it shouldn't be off its lead - and as an owner you shouldn't let your dog "just say hello" to anyone who hasn't expressed a wish to have a canine friend.

I would hate this. I know it's unlikely, but dogs can bite a baby's head off. Sorry. No dogs that close to any baby it's just a maternal reaction!

We had a similar thing happen yesterday in a play area which is on a green in some woods. We're potty training and dd2 was sitting on her potty by the play area, I was sitting next to when a dog charged towards her and leapt all over her. She was terrified and the owner just sat on the other side of the play area doing nothing. If my children can't play in a play area without being harassed by dogs where can they play apart from our garden? Worse though was the 'lady' who's dog kept bothering us whilst we ate a picnic a few years ago - a few of the children were scared and it was sniffing around the food and instead of apologising she told us off for being there, we should have stayed in the playground to eat apparently

YANBU. hate this. Some dog owners are twats. Ds1 is allergic to dog hair, his face can swell up like a balloon. I have calmly explained this to several dog owners who let their dogs jump up and lick dcs, they couldnt give a flying fuck and have no control. Another local dog owner got the hump because I challenged him when his dog punctured ds2s new football, it was covered in slobber and deflated, ds2 was heartbroken, owner didnt even apolohise, just walked of muttering about people who dont like dogs. The arrogance is unbelievable.

dogs can bite a baby's head off

I think I've heard it all now...

To those asking what should the OP have done instead, I don't really know. Had a very stern word with the owner maybe and insisted they did something now.

I must admit that if it came to a choice between my child being attacked and me being bitten I would obviously prefer it was me. So yes I probably would have grabbed the collar too, but maybe expect a possible bite as a result.

You tell the dog to sit. All dog owners, even crappy ones, teach their new dogs to sit during the honeymoon phase when they're determined that they're going to own the next Pudsey and take over the world

If the dog doesn't sit, pretend to throw something or get up and walk towards the owner to have firm words.