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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think this dog should have been on a lead

248 replies

Doginthepark · 26/12/2014 17:39

Took DS to the park today and we were kicking his new Frozen ball around. A dog came charging up and grabbed the ball and popped it. DS cried. Aibu to think the dog should have been on a lead?

OP posts:

BackOnlyBriefly · 27/12/2014 13:04

Does anyone actually know if this dog was 'untrained'?

Here's the thing. If I'm walking along I don't want your dog to do anything to me, my family or my property at all. If it does then either you meant it to or it is untrained and you genuinely couldn't stop it.

The dog didn't mean any harm I'm sure, but stopping it messing with other people is the owner's problem.

Taz1212 · 27/12/2014 13:05

I think most dog owners are mortified if their dog jumps on someone- at least every time I've had a dog randomly jump on me, I've had a profuse apology.

My puppy jumped on a jogger this morning. I was mortified, grabbed him and apologised several times. Fortunately the jogger was very nice about it. We were on an early morning walk on a narrow path (created by people walking on it, not paved) between a wood and field with overgrown brambles crossing the path. I have never ever come across a jogger on that path - it didn't occur to me that anyone would think it suitable given the number of wider paths around - so I wasn't paying as close attention as I should have been. That was my fault and it won't happen again on that path!

Sunna · 27/12/2014 13:08

I don't dislike dogs in the right place. I just think the cities and towns are not appropriate places for dogs. The dogs I know are working dogs who know their place in the pecking order.

VivaLeBeaver · 27/12/2014 13:08

There's a huge nature park near me. One lake you are allowed dogs off lead. The other eight lakes they must be on lead.

people without dogs still moan about off lead dogs. I've heard it. My dog was having a great run. Ignoring people. Not bothering anyone but some woman didn't like it because her ds is scared of dogs and the dog might go near him.

KatieKaye · 27/12/2014 13:12

I'm central belt too, SirC and that certainly isn't my experience of dogs or their owners.

I see many more badly behaved children than I do dogs, including children that wilfully destroy playground equipment, swear like troopers, drop litter etc (I live beside a primary school) but I prefer to think they are the exception rather than the norm.

GraysAnalogy · 27/12/2014 13:15

I don't dislike dogs in the right place. I just think the cities and towns are not appropriate places for dogs. The dogs I know are working dogs who know their place in the pecking order

Well thank god the majority doesn't agree, and that dogs have evolved into much loved members of the family instead of being used for work.

SirChenjin · 27/12/2014 13:18

Well, it's been mine Katie. In fact, it goes wider than that. One of the DCs was knocked over and sent flying by a bounding lab on Machrihanish beach (no apology from the owner), the other on Troon (ditto - and the dog shouldn't have even been on the beach), we've had dogs bounding up to us on various beaches and country throughout the UK as well as the local country parks across the Lothians.

I don't think it's limited to a particular geographical area - it would be ridiculous to suggest it was.

Feellikescrooge · 27/12/2014 13:18

On the beach this morning with my dog at 9.30 am. I live on the outskirts of a small seaside village opposite the beach and only 3 houses within 200 m. A family come onto the beach and the father walks up to me and orders me to put my dog on a lead because his DC are frightened of dogs. I suggested they walked in one direction and I would walk in the opposite, their choice. He then actually shouted at me telling me they had paid a fortune to rent the cottage and I had spoilt their hard earned break. They had wanted to walk on the beach yesterday but I was there with my f**king dog.

I think there needs to be give and take and whilst I completely agree people are more important than dogs parents need to teach their children to cohabit the same planet. The owner in the OP did the correct thing, apologise a d offer to pay for a replacement. Since the dog did not threaten the child surely that is enough. Children need to develop resilience because worse things will happen in life.

SirChenjin · 27/12/2014 13:20

No - children don't need to develop resilience in cases like this. Dog owners need to learn to control their dogs at all times - and if they know their dog has poor recall it needs to be on the lead.

BackOnlyBriefly · 27/12/2014 13:22

Not bothering anyone but some woman didn't like it because her ds is scared of dogs and the dog might go near him.

Picture this. I use to like to walk along the river here, but the dog owners have ruined that for me.

I walk along and a dog (usually a huge one chosen for it's ferocity) runs at me. Maybe the owner gets it to stop in time or maybe I have to fend it off. Maybe the owner mumbles an apology or maybe says "it's just being friendly."

20 yards along another dog runs at me and we start again.

After that it hardly matters what the next 10 dogs do as I'm concentrating on keeping clear of them and defending myself and not on the walk. If I had a child with me I'd be holding it up out of reach in case. See how it goes?

GraysAnalogy · 27/12/2014 13:23

So SirChenjin, the examples I gave above of me and my dog minding our own business and then being rudely interrupted by people - those people still take precedence? Or do you agree that they should see that we're doing our own thing away from people and it would be nice not to be disturbed?

SirChenjin · 27/12/2014 13:26

Children and joggers in a park trump your dog, yes - although anyone allowing their child to approach an unmuzzled dog off the lead is potentially asking for trouble. As for other dog owners allowing their dog to approach you and your dog - annoying, isn't it?

GraysAnalogy · 27/12/2014 13:26

I would love to walk my dog down the canal but accept I can't because there's no way of avoiding people at all.

So I take him to a park. But still can't get it right in the eyes of people here.

I think some people need to think that you can walk anywhere you chose, my dog can only go somewhere open so people can avoid him and I can avoid people so I have to think very carefully about where I go, what time I go, who's there... but it still gets ruined.

GraysAnalogy · 27/12/2014 13:29

SirChenjin then I'm sorry but dog owners cannot win then can they. Seems you want the full run of the park and that dogs and their owners should lump it when you decide to descend upon them and interrupt their time and space.

SirChenjin · 27/12/2014 13:30

It gets ruined because you take your dog to places where people trump the rights of dogs. Try taking him out to the middle of nowhere and you will find that no-one will impose on you - but in the meantime, if you take him to parks you may find that there are other people like me whose tolerance levels are low after many years of inconsiderate dog owners, and rather than blaming them for their lack of tolerance you should direct your frustration to the root cause i.e. the dog owners who impose their poorly behaved dogs on the rest of us.

GraysAnalogy · 27/12/2014 13:33

No sorry but I don't accept that. So because you've encountered badly behaved dogs and owners you'll willingly ruin someone elses time with their dog. How mature.

What I do is purposely keeping my dog away from others and allow him to run in an area. But you think it's acceptable for someone to purposely interrupt that. Then complain about YOUR walk being ruined? That's actually laughable.

KatieKaye · 27/12/2014 13:33

Its only North and South Beach at Troon that have dog restrictions on them, and those are only May to September. Barassie Beach is fine all year round for dogs.

You'd be best to avoid the Lake District, which is very dog friendly and where most places positively welcome dogs. Perhaps if the rest of the UK was like this we'd have a more balanced attitude to dogs?

FWIW my dog is rarely off-lead because he has limited recall. He's never off-lead where there are children about because he would definitely run off with any balls.

GraysAnalogy · 27/12/2014 13:36

Unfortunately this 'places where people trump the rights of dogs' is a load of bollocks. No-one would enforce a dog having to leave because a person wants them to. You wouldn't be able to tell me to leave. I wouldn't be able to tell you to leave. But what I'm doing is being considerate, whilst you think you shouldn't have to be because 'your rights trump the dogs'. That's pig headed and you must know it because you're trying to excuse it by saying your past experiences.

SirChenjin · 27/12/2014 13:37

But you've already complained about other dog owners approaching you with their dogs who just want to play - and you've said how annoying it is. Surely you can see that it's exactly the same for other non-dog owners who are playing with their DC in the park or on the beach and who don't want to be bothered by dogs wanting to play, or not being able to use large areas of the park (or walking along the canal path as per Back) because they are being taken over by dog owners exercising their unleashed dogs.

GraysAnalogy · 27/12/2014 13:38

Yes I've said it's annoying, it is and it must be annoying for you too. But that means you can't show consideration to another human being trying to allow their dog some exercise?

SirChenjin · 27/12/2014 13:39

I know what the beach restrictions are in Troon Katie - we are there often. Quite why the dog owner felt that they had to walk on one of the beaches that didn't allow dogs at that time of the year is anyone's guess. Inconsiderateness, I guess.

SirChenjin · 27/12/2014 13:40

Not really - if I go to a park and several dog owners are exercising their dogs ,which are running at full pelt around the place, then my use of the park, and that of others, is severely curtailed, isn't it?

SirChenjin · 27/12/2014 13:41

And on that note I am off to (dog-free) Ikea. Be still my beating heart.

willowisp · 27/12/2014 13:43

YABU - Although I'm sorry your DS is upset.
I walk my dog in a park, off lead. The park is for all, so either play ball in the back garden or else go to a kids play park. Would your DC have cried if it got dirty too ?

KatieKaye · 27/12/2014 13:50

Just trying to be helpful, SirC - Troon is like my second home so I know it rather well.

If you have lived somewhere all your life and suddenly they impose a dog ban it's actually quite easy to end up on the beach unawares. I certainly didn't notice any signs when I was last at South Beach, possibly because I wasn't actually looking for them. The time before was in April, so no problem about the dog being on the beach, but again I didn't see any signs so I don't know if they are only put up at the relevant times.

Certainly when we were kids we had the dog with us on South Beach all the time, so it's a fairly new thing.

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