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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To shout at this dog-owner?

308 replies

AnotherNC · 09/01/2016 10:44

Surely if your dog jumps up at strangers it should be on a lead?!

Walking in park, 4-month-old baby in baby-carrier (with his feet dangling in furry bootees) a Westie started jumping up at me, scrabbling at my leg and making grabs at baby's foot when he jumped! I yelled at dog to 'get down then shouted at owner to 'get your dog under control' (she responded with a cheery sorry!)

Did I overreact? I wouldn't care so much had I not had baby strapped to me. I get it that baby's bootees might look like toys but I don't want a dog tugging on them or getting mud/slobber everywhere. And I don't want dogs running round my feet particularly when ground is slippery.

Why can't people keep dogs on leads?? It's not the first time random dogs have jumped up in the park.

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 09/01/2016 10:48

Of course you didn't over react.

Even if you take the baby out of the equation, who wants mud all over their legs?

Quinoa20 · 09/01/2016 10:50

Dogs shouldn't be off leads period, unless it's an isolated area so no, YANBU.

AnthonyBlanche · 09/01/2016 11:09

You definitely didn't overreact OP. Dogs should be on leads at all times on public places and the sooner this is enacted into law the better. If you want to let your dog run around off lead you need to have your own private dog running place. I am completely sick of other people's dogs being allowed to run riot.

CherryBlossom321 · 09/01/2016 11:21

I can appreciate that dog owners need places to exercise their dogs, but recently I was walking down the path of our local canal with my 3 year old, and 4 dogs came hurtling towards us, 2 of them bigger than my child. She is a little wary of dogs, although will happily stroke a calm one on a lead. On this occasion they scared the living crap out of her and she was crying and I had to lift her to which the dogs responded by jumping up and resting their filthy paws on my clean jeans. I was convinced when the elderly female owner finally caught up that she would realise her error and apologise. But no, to add insult she strode on by, whistled to them a few feet further along and said, "Come on, away from the silly screaming little girl." Shock I was too stunned to speak. YANBU.

Seryph · 09/01/2016 11:41

Okay, so firstly Westies are tiny. I doubt there was any risk to your child.
No the dog shouldn't have been jumping up, but that doesn't mean all dogs should be on leads. The park is one of the very few places it is safe or sensible to let the dog off of the lead.
If you don't want dogs "running around your feet" don't go to dog friendly parks or at dog walking times (most common in the mornings and evenings), or at weekends which is when idiots who own dogs but don't know what the actual fuck they are doing walk their dogs.
The owner apologised and presumably took the dog away, though there was nothing stopping you turning your back and walking away. Yes it's annoying but that's about it.

Reallywantgherkins · 09/01/2016 11:48

YANBU this is the very reason my dogs (toy poodles) aren't allowed near my nieces. My nieces are small and exciting, so they jump, I would be being a poor dog owner if I let them carry on regardless.
In that situation I would have apologised profusely and punished my dogs, although my dogs are not allowed off the lead.

CocktailQueen · 09/01/2016 11:51

No. Typical of inconsiderate dog owners.

We were recently in a country park. Muddy dog bounds up to us and jumps up on dd. Reached nearly her hip, and she is 5 foot 3. Then jumped up on me, leaving muddy paw prints. Owner saunters by, on the phone. I call, 'could you keep your dogs under control and stop them jumping up on people?'

She calls back 'No!' And carries on.

Twat.

NotAWhaleOmeletteInSight · 09/01/2016 11:52

YANBU. I am fed up of inconsiderate dog owners. I posted a while ago about the woman who had her dog off a lead and it ran right into my kitchen, scaring the crap out of my cats. It's not the first time - it's also leapt into my car (on the driveway) before while I've been strapping dd into her car seat. The owner is a nob. She actually ranted at me for having the kitchen door open Hmm

When dd was about 6 months old she was in her buggy and as we came out of a supermarket a woman with a small yappy type dog took it upon herself to introduce him to dd. I tried to be polite until she shoved him in dd's face and the damn thing started licking her arms. Seriously wtf. Who does that?

Can you tell I am a cat person.

YANBU at all. Dogs off leads are not on.

FishEye · 09/01/2016 11:53

I would have instinctively kicked the shit out of the manky little mut to be honest and would have wanted to do the same to the owner. YANBU

StillStayingClassySanDiego · 09/01/2016 11:54

Cocktail that is twattish.

ShitFacedTinyTim · 09/01/2016 11:56

I completely see your point, and YANBU for not wanting a strange dog jumping on your baby- dog owners should be in control of their dogs, but it's the park - you can't expect everyone to not let their dogs off-lead at all in the park.

I find it very annoying when I am walking with my absolutely tiny and very well behaved dog on a lead, minding her own business, and parents let their children start screaming at her like she's a marauding great white shark- this happens all the time and on more than one occasion, my dog has nearly run onto the road in fear at some yelling child. Or people whose children "love doggies" and come charging up without asking and grab at her. But I don't except all parents to keep their children on a lead at all times....

catfordbetty · 09/01/2016 11:57

If you don't want dogs "running around your feet" don't go to dog friendly parks or at dog walking times (most common in the mornings and evenings), or at weekends which is when idiots who own dogs but don't know what the actual fuck they are doing walk their dogs.

The OP should just stay at home then?

swashbucklecheer · 09/01/2016 11:57

Any dog that jumps up on me gets kicked off. God help it if it goes for my children. They should be under proper contol in public places

Alisvolatpropiis · 09/01/2016 12:01

Whilst Yanbu insofar as the dog shouldn't have been jumping up on you and should have been under control, I think you're exaggerating somewhat when you suggest your baby was at any risk.

Westies are very small dogs, unless you are about the height of the average 9 year old, there is no way the dog could have got near your baby.

ShitFacedTinyTim · 09/01/2016 12:02

swashbucklecheer - wow, what a lovely example to set your children as to how to behave around animals.

Of course dogs shouldn't jump at you or your children, but it's the owner's fault for poor training, not the dog's.

Kids around here all have those little scooters and you end up getting run over several times a day at achool times. My first thought has never been "the right thing to do is to kick that child..." Hmm

Monkeyinshoes · 09/01/2016 12:03

YANBU. Dogs shouldn't be off leads if they can't be trusted not to run and jump up to strangers.

Inconsiderate dog owners annoy me. They all think their dog is friendly and can do no harm. Yet even the friendliest dog in the world will still give my son an allergic reaction if they so much as pant and sniff too close.

ChameleonCircuit · 09/01/2016 12:03

I wonder what these twatty dog owners would say if you dunked your kids' hands in mud, then let them wipe their hands all over the dog owners' coats? I bet they'd not be pleased.

Coffeethrowtrampbitch · 09/01/2016 12:06

I agree the dog owner should have had her pet under control. I would not let my dog run at someone carrying a baby, let alone jump at them.

But it is ridiculous to suggest that every dog should be on a lead all the time. There are over six million dogs in the UK, and the vast majority are well behaved animals who bring joy to their owners and friends.

I really wish people would stop saying 'they should be on a lead at all times' as if it is a sensible, workable solution. It isn't. Owners being responsible for their pets is the only solution to anti-social behaviour in dogs.

AnthonyBlanche · 09/01/2016 12:09

As always happens on threads like this there are posters who think dogs should be given the same status in society as people. Weird, just weird

As others have suggested a swift kick is usually enough to deter dogs that get too close.

FairyFluffbum · 09/01/2016 12:09

No yanbu

Unless people come up to the dog and is warned that the dog may jump, no dog should be allowed to jump at a person.

That said some people are overly precious over their kids too.

I was walking my two small dogs a few years ago through a dog walking park. We were just about to leave through a gate, when I heard screaming from the other end of the park.

Some kid had seen my dogs and were screaming hysterically.

My dogs of course were now interested and turned to take a few steps.

I immediately called them back but the mother by now was standing in front of said screaming child with her arms outstretched screaming keep your dogs away Confused

My dogs were no where near her and until her kid had started screaming had shown no interest in the child.

Other dog owners are twats too

Despite being told that one of my dogs was dog aggressive a man still let his Labrador run up to her with the words "it's ok it might teach her(his dog) a lesson" he soon raised his eyebrows at mine and stormed off.

Sorry for going off topic OP

ArmchairTraveller · 09/01/2016 12:10

Yes Westies are small, so are Jack Russells. Didn't stop one attacking a toddler in a children's playground in Lancashire last year.
Some dog owners are complete arseholes, and I'm very happy to see legislation getting tighter and tighter around ownership. We seem to be as obsessive about dogs as some Americans are over gun ownership.
No, you didn't overreact.

swashbucklecheer · 09/01/2016 12:10

My ds has been traumatised by irresponsible dog owners who let their dogs charge at him when he was strapped in his buggy or just starting to walk. To the extent he nearly ran onto the road the other day when a dog on a lead came past. I am working hard with him not to do this with dogs on leads but one not under control will not come anywhere near him if i can help it. If dog owners don't like me protecting my children then they should have their dogs under control

NotAWhaleOmeletteInSight · 09/01/2016 12:12

If a dog was getting dangerously close to my baby, as the OP described, then actually I think a kick might well be justified. This wouldn't be teaching her baby to kick animals - it would be her protecting her baby in a potentially dangerous situation.

AnthonyBlanche · 09/01/2016 12:14

There may be 6 million dogs in the UK coffee but there are about 60 million people. I see no reason why the approx 54million should be inconvenienced by the approx 6 million. By all means have a dog, but keep it away from other people. The only way to reliably do this is to keep it on a lead everywhere but private land or buildings

Alisvolatpropiis · 09/01/2016 12:16

Armchair

I assume that toddler wasn't in a carrier, strapped to a parent, as the op's baby was? Not sure how a jrt attack relevant. Nobody said small dogs can't be aggressive.