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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Seeing as you love them so much, here is a dog one for you.

31 replies

monkeyfacegrace · 31/08/2014 15:21

Person 1 in a park chatting to a friend. Has a dog on a standard length lead.

Person 2 walks past with a 3 year old.

Dog jumps up and scratches child as person 1 talks to friend.

Person 2 gives evils and comforts sobbing child but says nothing to dog owner.

Person 1 thinks they did nothing wrong as dog was on lead and child walked too close.

Who was BU?

OP posts:
PenisesAreNotPink · 31/08/2014 15:25

50/50 - could go either way and depends how close in the dog was kept.

If kept in close and child ran up to him or came right past him for no reason but daft of the mum.

If on a loose lead then the lead should have been pulled right in as child approached.

francesdrake · 31/08/2014 15:26

Person 1 should probably have detected tugging on lead as a sign of interest from Dog as Child passed, and reeled it in accordingly, esp if Dog has form for showing interest in passers by.

But it depends how close Child and Person 2 were. If Child came running up the Dog in excited fashion, then Person 2 is a bit U as well.

[fence sitting emoticon]

Nancy66 · 31/08/2014 15:26

dog owner wasn't paying attention to his/her animal.

maybe the kid did walk too close but sounds like the dog wasn't under control.

Original poster
monkeyfacegrace · 31/08/2014 15:26

Dog lead was approx 25" long. (Guessing)

Dog was a puppy.

Park was full of other kids.

OP posts:
Original poster
monkeyfacegrace · 31/08/2014 15:28

Dog was just standing. Jumped with no warning at all, no previous tugging.

Child and person 2 walked up from behind person 1.

OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 31/08/2014 15:29

Dog should be under the owner's control at all times. Dog wasn't. Ergo dog owner at fault.

Annarose2014 · 31/08/2014 15:29

Person 1. If a child is approaching you and your animal, you rein your animal in closely. People shouldn't have to do a circuit of an animal on the lead to ensure they don't get hurt.

PenisesAreNotPink · 31/08/2014 15:29

25 inches is very close in - and puppies are puppies ie. not massively trained yet

I'd still apologise if it was my dog but I always tell children not to approach as some dogs might not like it

Original poster
monkeyfacegrace · 31/08/2014 15:30

Person 2 and child came from behind. Person 1 would have had no warning at all that they were approaching.

OP posts:
Annarose2014 · 31/08/2014 15:30

Doesn't matter if they walked up behind. A dog owner needs to be aware of the immediate environment 360 degrees. Mainly cos another dog could come suddenly bounding up behind you off-lead and attack your dog.

NCISaddict · 31/08/2014 15:31

I would be mortified if it was my dog and would blame myself, if we had stopped to chat then I would be standing between my dog and the public to protect him. He would be on a short but not tight lead and I would be alert to things passing that he might consider a threat so it would be extremely unlikely to happen unless a child hurled themselves at my dog.

BTW I do find your thread title rather rude.

PenisesAreNotPink · 31/08/2014 15:31

Well the person approaching from behind ought to have made their presence known - the dog was likely surprised

What kind of numpty approaches a dog from behind Hmm

With the best will in the world the only person with eyes in the back of their head is Judge Judy

Original poster
monkeyfacegrace · 31/08/2014 15:33

Person 2 and child didn't approach the dog.

They were just walking past to get elsewhere. But very very closely.

OP posts:
yoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyo · 31/08/2014 15:35

I am guessing you are in favour of/are person 1? Grin

Nancy66 · 31/08/2014 15:37

yeah, it's your dog innit?

Original poster
monkeyfacegrace · 31/08/2014 15:40

Course it's my puppy Grin

I'm thinking internally, what sort of fucking numpty walks past a dog, from behind, close enough for it to touch you even though on a tiny lead. She even walked toddler closest with her on the outside. Literally the only way I could have stopped it is by holding her collar.

And the park is gi-fucking-gantic!

But the rational part of me thinks I should have my dog under such tight control that it's paws can't leave the ground.

bangs head on wall

OP posts:
Canidae · 31/08/2014 15:44

Why are people walking so close together in a park?

I would say that neither party is in the 'wrong'. Dog was on lead and dog owner did not see the child/parent.

But the owner still should have apologised for the scratches. Puppies will jump up because they haven't learnt manners yet and the owner needs to be aware of that.

Original poster
monkeyfacegrace · 31/08/2014 15:47

She's usually very good, but she had been in her room for 3 hours whilst had to go out, and we were en route to the woods for a run so was unusually excited and bouncy.

OP posts:
NCISaddict · 31/08/2014 15:49

Apologies for criticizing your title, it sounded like one of those 'you lot love dogs more than kids' just me being over sensitive.Blush

Try using your body to block the dogs view of other people walking by and always keep your eyes constantly looking for people doing silly things like walking in your space unnecessarily. Don't think you can relax and have a proper conversation with someone whilst your dog is young and easily spooked.

Original poster
monkeyfacegrace · 31/08/2014 15:53

nci I used all my restraint to not respond to your title comment. I thought it was a well known fact that all MNers luff a good bun fight over dogs Grin

Pup wasn't spooked at all, she was excited and wanted to play.

She was in the middle of me and friend, but still managed to bounce and catch toddler. Yes really, thats how close they were.

To be fair I will happily accept that I was in the wrong this time. I should have been entirely aware of my surroundings at all times. I guess I just didn't account for fucking stupidity Wink

OP posts:
ILovePud · 31/08/2014 15:54

No one is to blame, just an unfortunate situation, puppies and toddlers are curious and unpredictable, but I think you should have apologised, that's just good manners you can say a genuine sorry that the child got scratched without that implying that you were negligent or your puppy is a devil dog. Did you apologise? I'd have been pissed off if your puppy scratched my child and you just stood there, similarly, if my three year old gave your puppy an over-enthusiastic hug and hurt it I'd say sorry.

evalyn · 31/08/2014 16:00

Dog attacks child in park. Dog owner blames child and/or parent.

Is that it?

SirChenjin · 31/08/2014 16:04

Did you apologise?

CromerSutra · 31/08/2014 16:07

Amazed that you didn't apologise. Not saying that your dog meant to do that or that you were outrageously irresponsible but if you have a very bouncy dog (I do) you have to be really careful and vigilant.

Original poster
monkeyfacegrace · 31/08/2014 16:08

I didn't apologise, I asked immediately if toddler was okay and got a disgusted evil and a back turned to me (once they had walked another 6 foot away).

I wasn't apologising to the back of somebody's head who didn't respond when my first concern was to ask if child was okay.

And Grin at dog attack. It jumped, she got scared, end of story.

OP posts:
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