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

[sweetgrape]

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- stop blaming the woman for sitting there. She didn't want to be licked by your dog.

"But I think there should have been a bit more criticism for the woman who sits down next to me and my dog just minding our own business."

Hahahahaha!

I have a dog & know lots of dogs & as I posted earlier, have never been randomly licked by one.

Wouldn't occur to me that I shouldn't sit near a dog lest it licked me uninvited!

So post in chat about your dog's hard time with the woman who invaded it's space. People have told you you're unreasonable because it's aibu. Kinda the point of the thread.

I have a dog & know lots of dogs & as I posted earlier, have never been randomly licked by one.
Wow, where were you brought up?

I love my dog but do not want him to lick me, or anyone. It's disgusting.

same diddl, my parents dogs don't lick people, neither do any of my friends. Apart from my friends gorgeous pug puppy but he's 14 weeks old and not fully trained yet.

Very appropiate name there grinch
I'll post where I like, but fwiw perhaps I shold have posted in chat, forgot about the nastiness that AIBU can be notorious for. Btw why you bothering posting on this if that's your take. Are you bored or what?

I was attacked by a dog when I was younger and my sister was too on a separate occasion. I'm sorry but I'm not keen on them now.

I try hard to not react as I don't want my fear to be passed onto my DD but I wouldn't like being licked by a strange dog (or even a family members dog).

I wouldn't over react, but I would move.

Thanks . I haven't been remotely nasty to you at all. I was just stating my opinion. No not bored at all, enjoying the sun actually.

I'd love to meet some of these perfect dogs who you all seem to know. Do pass on the secrets of how it's done. I wonder if any of them are the ones who wake the neighbourhoods up every night with their incessant barking.....or perhaps you are the lovely owners who don't know one end of a doggy bag from another and love to have others having to walk in your dogs delightful deposits, often right in the middle of pavements where people have to walk. Such hypocrisy.

Dog love licking sweaty things. He was doing her a favour by cooling her sweaty shins.

i was startled when she suddenly sat down next to me, invading my space

We had about 8 pages of what constitutes invasion of space in a public place in a cafe thread recently. It was a corker.

You need to make up your mind, OP - do you train your dog not to lick, or are ankles ok? Were you chatting quite happily with the woman, or were you grumpy because your space was invaded? Were you slightly sorry she got a shock, or glad your dog had seen her off?

As you say, consistency is a grand thing.

I have an allergic reaction to dog slobber.

I know some perfect dogs and would happily introduce them to you. How would we arrange that, I wonder?

Op, bit distasteful thread bearing in mind the recent news.

You like your dog, not everyone does, deal with it.

It licked her on the leg? That wouldn't have bothered me. I think she overreacted. I like dogs though. It's fair enough though that she doesn't like dogs or them licking her because if you dwell on where a dog's tongue has been, it's true it is disgusting.

I would have petted such a lovable affectionate dog and not minded. Generally owners try to restrain their dogs but it is understandable that sometimes a lick or a paw or a jump happens in spite of their best efforts. She sat down next to you so that was an ill advised move on her part. And shrieking? Haha!! That is kind of ridiculous!

I would have been shocked/surprised and cross about this. Control your wild animal.

Control your wild animal. ooh mumsnet can be so funny sometimes, haha.

Bandito I actually think it's a bit distasteful that you mentioned that. What do you mean "deal with it"? I have dealt with it, I'm over it. Just people like you that appears not to be.

OP starts a thread in AIBU. Most posters say YABU. OP gets angry! Hahahahaha!

Flipping heck all the woman did was jump up and said that the dog licked her.

It evidently took her by surprise, and her level of hysteria is interpreted by the OP. The 'shrieking' may very well have been an exclamation of surprise., because she was, erm, surprised by the licking.

Had she then proceeded to kick or wallop the dog (or the OP) then yes she would have overreacted, but as it stands I really don't think she overreacted, it seems highly likely to have effected the OP more, the Shocked Licked Lady may well have forgotten all about it now.

I honestly can't believe some of the things I'm reading!!! Clearly the op was being lighthearted when she said the dog look hurt! She's not bat shit crazy because she said this, nor is BU to put her dogs feelings over a strangers! Quite right she should care for her dog over the feelings of a human unknown to her who has over reacted!!
To the control your dog brigade and the discipline your dog if it licks army, this is a fundamental part of dog behaviour, it's how puppies are first seen to by their mums, it's a sign of affection and deference to the "pack leader", why on earth would you try to stop that behaviour by disciplining a dog? It's what they do! They can't speak FFS so they are communicating, can't believe a bunch of people here think that should be trained out of! That is completely a cruel thing to do!
If I don't want to be licked I'll stay away from the nice lady and her dog! Responsible dog owners will not allow the dog to jump on you etc. if you don't know the dog or if the person is responsible or not and you don't want to be licked, stay the hell away. It's not rocket science!!!!

This thread is so MN.

OP, The woman over reacted just like the shrieking harpies on this thread. . Your dog licked her, so what. I's really not a big deal.

No Orangefluff you're so so wrong. I started a thread which must have been obvious to anyone that it was lighthearted, as in "hurt my dogs feelings" kind of talk. I actually stated a long way up thread that it was lighthearted but really I should have known better. The nasty ones do the piling in and as per usual turn what should have been a light hearted thread into an excuse to be nasty. I really don't understand what they get out of it. Read my posts, you will see I state that I have taken on board that IABU but the general gist of the thread was taken out of context. The angry ones on here are also the ones who get nasty, check the posts. Get your facts right before you spout off.

Op, think you are getting a bit of a hard time here but you're not really helping yourself. Why ask if yabu if you are just going to ignore the answer. You think you were right and she was a silly woman so why bother asking. It does seem a bit odd that she sat beside you if she saw the dog then again I might not expect a dog to lick me just because I sat near it.
Btw, if your dig licked my husband he would have an asthma attack and best case end up in hospital.