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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dogs should always be under close control, even if they are just being friendly?

220 replies

Model5 · 20/04/2015 12:56

I'm scared of dogs. I know that's my issue and I deal with it as best I can but I don't want dogs I don't know approaching me.

Out running in the woods early this morning, most of the other people about at that time of day are either runners or dog walkers. In my hour, I had two dogs run over and slobber over my legs, one just up and put muddy paw prints all over me and another came over yapping and growling at me. Another (big one) chased & frightened me and I stood stock still praying for it to go away while it's owner called several times without success.

All of the owners, were kind of apologetic, but in aw bless, what can you do, he just wants to say hello/play kind of way.

TBH, even if I wasn't scared I wouldn't be very impressed by the slobber and paw prints.

Lots of other dogs just trotted by without giving me a second glance and several owners took hold of their dogs as they saw me approach (which I always say thank you for) so I know it's possible to stop dogs approaching me. Lots of owners seem to think it's not necessary. Is it them or me? I realise I came to no real harm. Do I just need to accept that if I go out at prime dog walking time, I'm going to get growled at, chased, slobbered over etc?

OP posts:
GraysAnalogy · 20/04/2015 16:58

I find the opinion that dogs should never be allowed off-lead ridiculous. A bit of give and take is needed both ways. I won't let my dog offlead if people are obviously enjoying the space. But that doesn't apply for me and my dog when people want to use the space we're in it would seem.

maddiehayesfan · 20/04/2015 17:00

Why? Can you guarantee that your dog is never going to turn and attack someone? No, you can't, no matter how well you know them or how well trained you think they are. They're animals with bloody big teeth, and should be leashed in public for safety, barring areas specifically designed for them to run off-lead (dog parks, etc).

GraysAnalogy · 20/04/2015 17:05

Are you talking to me Maddie?

My dog is allowed off his lead when he is at the park. This park is for everyone. There are no special dog places.

ender · 20/04/2015 17:13

"I have a bouncy puppy who is 7 months old and is very friendly. I am very conscious of trying to keep him under control and not to bounce up to everyone but I have found the vast majority of people when out walking are keen to say hello and love making a fuss of him."

Wroguewriter My lab - first ever dog - was like this, v cute puppy and everyone loved him and would fuss him and give him treats and I didn't know any better so let it happen. I ended up with a fully grown lab who tried to introduce himself to everyone and jump up whether they were interested or not. So he was on the lead a lot. He's nearly 4 now and just about trained to ignore people on walks but it was hard work.
If I got another puppy (i won't!) I'd insist on a sit and wait for permission before going up to people, much easier to train this when they're tiny.

Lorialet · 20/04/2015 17:16

YANBU ~ I always put my dog on her lead if I see a runner coming as she's very friendly and although she doesn't jump up any more, she would run over and run a big circle around them. What annoys me though is when we're on the beach, (which is dog friendly and dogs are allowed off the lead there), and runners come up from right behind us when they've got the whole beach to run on, almost following in our footsteps. They seem to do it on purpose, so that they can be arsey if she goes towards them.

Alisvolatpropiis · 20/04/2015 17:17

YANBU.

I have dogs and if one has an off day (it does happen, no matter how well trained) and approaches someone, I do apologise genuinely and put the dog in question back on lead for the remainder of the walk.

sparechange · 20/04/2015 17:30

maddie
I'm not aware of a dog park in the UK.
As guide dogs show, with enough training, a dog's behaviour can be very predictable and safe around people.
I'm not saying my dog is trained to guide dog levels, but your hysterical response is why the dog park idea is never going to get any traction. The only people calling for it have views which are totally alarmist and hysterical, and will never be taken seriously by the parks departments of any council.
Where there is a need to separate dogs from people - playgrounds, newly planted areas, areas with nesting wildlife - councils have plenty of bye-laws at their disposal to do so. But thankfully very few people share your view on the potential danger posed by dogs

mousmous · 20/04/2015 17:32

one of my local parks has a dog run. campaigned for by the dog owners of the area.

Original poster
Model5 · 20/04/2015 17:34

I don't think it's about safety particularly. Most dogs are being friendly and dog attacks on strangers are mercifully rare. I don't think all dogs should be on leads at all times.

I think if your dog isn't/can't be trained sufficiently so it won't slobber over me or leave paw prints on my clothes you should have hold of it.

OP posts:
MissBattleaxe · 20/04/2015 17:34

YANBU. A large German Shepherd off the lead ran up and licked my 2 yo's face. The owner caught up a few minutes later and thought it was sweet and was laughing. DH and I were stony faced.

sparechange · 20/04/2015 17:34

mousmous, as in an area within a park, rather than the New York style dog parks where you can only go in with a dog, and is the only place where dogs are allowed off a lead?

YouTheCat · 20/04/2015 17:35

Can you guarantee that another dog won't attack yours if they are off leads? Nope, no you can't. Much easier and safer for people and dogs if they are kept on leads.

I live in a city. Some people don't bother putting their dogs on leads even near busy roads. And other people have their dogs on leads and run with them so they get some decent exercise.

financialwizard · 20/04/2015 17:36

I go jogging with my dog three times a week over the farmers fields (well round them). If there is no one working the fields or walking their dog, or also running I let mine off the lead. If there are any of the above I stop and out her on lead. As far as I am concerned it is manners. I was jogging over the fields once and someones Colly tried to herd me by trying to nip my heels. My dog was not impressed, and I had no idea because it came from nowhere behind me.

In conclusion YANBU

financialwizard · 20/04/2015 17:37

That should obviously read 'put her on lead'

sparechange · 20/04/2015 17:39

Can you guarantee that another dog won't attack yours if they are off leads
Actually dogs are more likely to be attacked if they are on a lead and the other dog isn't

mousmous · 20/04/2015 17:41

no, a fenced of area in the park.
it's great because the kids can have a good tumble on the green and the dogs can play ball with their handler.

Shodan · 20/04/2015 17:41

YANBU- it was a Boxer puppy that knocked ds2 (3 at the time) off his feet, leading to a fear of dogs that still persists (although to a much lesser degree) at the age of 7. It's a shame, because prior to that he was a complete dog lover.

However- I would like to say here, how grateful and appreciative I am of the huge majority of dog owners who have been nice enough to treat ds2 with kindness, pulling their dog in tight to them, making them sit, and letting us know whether their dog is happy to be approached and petted. Ds2, in return, has been taught never to approach a dog without asking their owner first if he may do so, and how to behave around a well-controlled dog. It's thanks to all these dog owners that ds2 now feels able to stroke a dog and pat him (gently!).

So- thank you. Grin

sparechange · 20/04/2015 17:41

And I have my dog off the lead next to a busy road, because I know that even if DH was standing on the other side of the road waving a fillet steak at her, she will not move from being to heel until I release her.

YouTheCat · 20/04/2015 17:43

Yes, but I don't know that. My very phobic ds doesn't know that either. It is just so irresponsible.

Original poster
Model5 · 20/04/2015 17:46

Are you responding to sparechange YoutheCat? If her dog is tight at heel, it's really not hard for you and DS to avoid them. I'm very scared of dogs as I said in my OP, but even I don't think a properly behaved dog needs to be on the lead at all times. I only object to the ones that run up to me.

OP posts:
Flyinggeese21 · 20/04/2015 17:46

YANBU, not one bit.

YouTheCat · 20/04/2015 17:49

Easy for me to avoid them because I can cross the road but my ds is 20 and severely autistic. He has no speech to alert his carers to his anxiety and so he'll go into a total meltdown.

Just a bit of thought needed.

HellRunner · 20/04/2015 17:50

My son is terrified by dogs (because he has had so many run up to him when he was tiny. He is just getting used to being able to tolerate the same room as a dog thanks to a friends German shepherd and then we go for a walk cycle and even when we are well off the path some twats bloody dog bounds over and scares the shit out of a five year old boy- they see nothing wrong of course - just being friendly bollox - I have to fend of and be pawed/drooled om by the offensive creature. Keep the bloody thing on a lead if you are unable to let it walk to heal or control it- why do you need to let it off if you fail in these basic dog training tasks! And dont get me started on the piles of dog poo round carparjs in lovely areas - ran through a track in height of last summer and it stank!

sparechange · 20/04/2015 17:54

I would be far more comfortable around a dog that wasn't on a lead near a busy road, than one that was on an extending lead (the ones that are a bit like retractable washing lines) in a park.
The former says to me 'very under control dog that the owner is very sure will not leave their side' because no owner would risk their dog being squished under traffic.

The latter says to me 'this dog isn't trained well enough to have a good recall, and the owner doesn't dare let it off the lead, but does let it have 14ft of lead to run forward on and won't be paying a huge amount of attention to what it is doing in that 14ft because they think it is under control'

imonkey · 20/04/2015 17:55

YANBU I was at a kids park a few weeks ago which clearly had a NO DOGS ALLOWED sign and a woman turns up with her son and a chihuahua which wasn't on a lead. I told her that it was no dogs allowed as my DD is terrified of dogs and she proceeded to try to get her dog back on a lead. The dog literally had no recall and she was shouting and chasing it around the park for ages. It then ran off to chase a passer-by and bit his leg! The man shouted at the owner that he'd been bitten but owner did nothing more than continue to call the dogs name! Infuriating!! I don't know why people think that a small dog biting is somehow ok! If that yappy little shit touched my DD the owner would've had a court case on her hands grrrr