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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel hurt that my lovely dog licking someone caused such distress.

637 replies

sweetgrape · 21/06/2015 14:12

He's just a big affectionate softy, the only trouble is he thinks everyone loves him. We went for our walk this morning in the park and sat down on a bench for a rest. We'd only been sat down a minute or so and this woman sits down next to me. We were just chatting about the weather when all of a sudden she jumped up shrieking, "ahhh the dog just licked my leg"
Now I know not everyone loves dogs but i thought it was a bit of an over reaction. I did apologise but I felt kind of sorry for my dog, who seemed to have a bit of a hurt look on his face. Wabu to have felt sorry for my dog or should I have felt more sorry for the woman?

OP posts:
CrystalHaze · 21/06/2015 15:02

Op I think what bugs me is that you are putting your dog's feelings over a person's right not to be licked by your dog.

What bugs me is projecting human emotions such as 'hurt feelings' and 'feeling offended' onto a dog.

Unless this is a TAAT like the other one about people talking to you when you're out with your dog and I've missed the in-joke Confused

TheOddity · 21/06/2015 15:03

You are anthropomorphising a dog. Hurt expression because someone objected to him licking them? If he had that much emotional intelligence, why the fuck did he lick them in the first place?

Sorry, not very sympathetic as another 'friendly' dog got off its lead yesterday and charged to my three year old before I could get him in my arms, and licked him all over his poor little face. He is scared of dogs exactly because every time a dog is off its lead, it runs toward him and tries to jump up or lick him. Honestly I can't blame him for hating it, I would hate it. Dog owners please remember other people don't like your dog just because you do. And if it is not well trained and is around other people, keep it on a lead.

reni1 · 21/06/2015 15:04

The dog licked her? Gross, I'd have jumped up and retched. Any animal licking me is truly disgusting. I wouldn't think of the dog's feeling, that would be a bit gaga. As for the owner's feelings, I would hope embarrassment at having failed to train the dog not to lick strangers would feature somewhere. Nothing to do with liking or not liking the dog.

Costacoffeeplease · 21/06/2015 15:04

Hilarious to see how a lick on the ankle has been escalated to 'bounding, slobbering, jumping at, sitting on' and a comparison to child snot wiped on your face Confused

no hysteria here at all, nope, not a sign Grin

Costacoffeeplease · 21/06/2015 15:05

And now we have biting too! Grin

Any advance?

Greythorne · 21/06/2015 15:05

Sounds like the OP does not give a toss.

CrystalHaze · 21/06/2015 15:07

Sounds like the OP does not give a toss.

Of course she does! Her poor dog was OFFENDED!!!!!

TheChandler · 21/06/2015 15:08

Since your dog is so lovely OP, why don't you spend time with him training him? Basic manners, obedience, respecting other people's space, etc - all very trainable.

I cannot understand these people who have dogs and cannot be bothered to train them properly, but instead treat them as some sort of mobile cuddly toy.

binspin · 21/06/2015 15:10

Buy him a treat, he'll get over it.

OwlsAreGrumpyBastards · 21/06/2015 15:10

Dog saliva? Gross. I wouldn't have been happy either.
How would you feel if I rushed up to you and licked you? A bit grossed out, I'm guessing.

DrHarleenFrancesQuinzel · 21/06/2015 15:14

I have a dog and dont like my own licking me let alone another random dog.

SoleSource · 21/06/2015 15:15

Dogs lick their arse holes.

londonrach · 21/06/2015 15:15

Seriously op you dont see this as a problem. How would you like the lady to lick you? As a massive dog lover licking and jumping up are no nos.

Babyleopard23 · 21/06/2015 15:20

Absolutely howling at the fact a dog having a tiny lick at someone who came and sat next to it has been made to sound so horrific!

*I wish there were parks normal people could go to where we didn't have to put up with the bad behaviour of other peoples dogs.

If you can't control your animal don't take it into public places*

Is this serious??
What a crazy wild uncontrollable beast that should never be allowed off the lead in public god forbid it might do something crazy Hmm
It's obviously not an untrained bad behaved dog and obviously has an owner that loves it. Let's all lock our dogs away when they act out the smallest of natural behaviours.... Because it's obviously going to bite someone next, now it has the taste for strangers ankles!

Original poster
sweetgrape · 21/06/2015 15:23

No actually Londonrach I don't really see how a gentle lick on the ankle is a huge problem. If she didn't like dogs, why sit next to me?

OP posts:
Costacoffeeplease · 21/06/2015 15:30

I know babyleopard hilarious, isn't it, if it wasn't so sad that this is a lot of people's reaction

Greyhorses · 21/06/2015 15:31

I find it strange how some people react towards dogs. To me dogs are everywhere and are such a part of life and I don't even notice them enough to be annoyed by them. If one bounced around me or licked me I would just egnore it and carry on, I can't be bothered to stress about something so minor (to me anyway) I suppose this is because I have my own and am not scared of them though.

However, I do appreciate some people don't like dogs and if it was mine I proberbly would have just apologised and forgot about it. I try and keep mine away from others as much as possible for reasons such as this (also my dogs don't want to be touched either so it works both ways!)

I wouldn't feel offended for your dog OP, he dosent realise! Grin

Moomintroll85 · 21/06/2015 15:33

I don't like dogs as I was attacked by one when I was a teenager but I wouldn't have sat near a dog.

Doesn't seem to me like you did anything wrong here. I think this woman was being a bit precious, after all she chose to sit there.

But some dog owners just don't seem to understand that not everyone thinks that their pooch is the loveliest creature to ever grace the earth. The whole bemused 'he's friendly why don't you want him coming up to you?' reaction does annoy me. As if I'm somehow expected to be polite to a dog. Hmm

reni1 · 21/06/2015 15:35

I think most pps just find the notion of a dog's injured feelings slightly barmy. And saliva is gross.

Original poster
sweetgrape · 21/06/2015 15:36

I know babyleopard you'd think I was talking about taking a wild tiger out for a walk. My dog is the most gentle, loving and trusting of dogs with the sweetest nature you could imagine. When you see and hear of some of the savage untrained brutes that are off lead and attack other dogs and people alike, with owners that do not give a toss, and mine who probably the only thing I cannot train him out of is to give a affectionate lick now and again to strangers, it puts things in to perspective. His only fault (if you can call it that) is his affectionate nature. What a sad, sterile and intolerant world we have become.

OP posts:
PHANTOMnamechanger · 21/06/2015 15:37

OP you are a fine example of the bad dog owners who get the good dogs and their good owners a bad name or you are a wind up merchant. You think more of your dog than of other people. Your luffly wuffly dog can do no wrong in your eyes and if anyone has a problem with the dog's behaviour it's something wrong with them Hmm

No dog should lick a random person, and you as owner should have made damn sure of that! It does not matter if they were a butcher with a tantalising wiff of raw meat about them, YOU should keep YOUR dog under control.

Some dogs are allowed to sleep in humans beds, have free run of the house and all the furniture, steal toys off children and lick babies' faces. some dog owners love all that. Members of the public do not have to expect that dogs will be dogs and might lick them at any moment.

MrsDeVere · 21/06/2015 15:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

londonrach · 21/06/2015 15:41

Op because she was tried and needed to sit down.!

ToadsJustFellFromTheSky · 21/06/2015 15:41

Bless you OP. You sound a bit strange.

I mean that in a nice affectionate way.

Costacoffeeplease · 21/06/2015 15:42

Hilarious phantom bad dog owner? Yeah right, FFS, it's a lick on the ankle, get a bit of perspective