For "hurting" his dog

[UmbongoUnchained]

Took my 17m DD for a walk on the beach today. We were walking along near the shoreline when an enormous Newfoundland appears out of no where and bounds up to my little one, knocking her onto her face. She was face down in the wet sand, screaming and crying and this dog was just stood over her snuffing away into her neck. I could reach under it to grab her out and it wouldn't budge when I tried to push it off her. The owner was just stood there laughing about how his dog loves children. So I punched it really hard in the head and it finally moved off. Poor DD had sand in her eyes and mouth where she had been screaming and is now probably going to be scared of dogs. Owner went furious saying he was going to report me to the police. Surely the police would see that I was just protecting my child though surely?

[Boutonneux]

But not for "poor dog" and not a word of concern about the human child.

Lots of people have said they hope your child is okay

[UmbongoUnchained]

She's ok btw, a few scratches on her neck and red eyes from the sand. She was already a little afraid of dogs because my neighbours wolf dog thing howls and it scares her. Poor babe.

[wafflerinchief]

i think you're lucky it was a good natured newfoundland - my retriever would take a punch too and look confusedly at you, some other dogs would not. Bounding up and accidentally knocking a child over is definitely the owner's, and not the dog's fault, big dogs do bound around and can be clumsy without any intent to hurt - I wonder how much experience you have with dogs op?

[NoAdventureNoTime]

I have a dog myself, but I also would do anything to protect my children as they come first. Always. I would have punched it too op, do not feel bad! I cannot believe the responses on here, telling the op she should feel bad hitting a dog standing over your toddler thats refusing to move whilst your child is face down in the sand, honestly?!

[Booboostwo]

I don't quite get why you could not pull your DD away, was the dog sat on her? As for the nose holding and punching, so dangerous and so stupid they beggar belief.

[GruntledOne]

Big dog or not, you probably have, at least, caused him pain if not a more serious injury.

Who cares? It's the owner's fault, not OP's.

If he goes to the police, I suspect they might start talking to him about not having a large dog under control in a place where it is virtually inevitable that there will be small children.

[UmbongoUnchained]

I have absolutely no experience with dogs.

[littlemermaid80]

YA absolutely NBU. I say that as a massive animal lover.

A Newfoundland is huge. A 17 month old is tiny. She probably thought a monster was trying to eat her.

What sort of imbecile stands there laughing whilst his huge dog is worrying a screaming baby?

You probably shouldn't have punched the dog but in the heat of the moment it's understandable that you did. I'd have found it hard to restrain myself from punching the owner too.

[TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams]

Pics for size reference. They are mahoosive dogs. I've worked with them and they are gentle giants but a liable to inadvertently squash small children whom incidentally they love.

YANBU The owner should have been in there smartish moving the dog asap, not standing around laughing like a complete cock.

[lizatrixi]

I am dog owner I would have TOATALLY punched the dog. People get so funny about their pets. Dogs understand rough behaviour and would assume you were further up the pecking order and back off. Exactly what you intended.

[DeAtHnOtE]

As for the nose holding and punching, so dangerous and so stupid they beggar belief.

I know, stupid owners should make sure their dogs only knock down and trap the children of those highly experienced with dogs. So inconsiderate.

[Melonaire]

I don't think she should feel bad about punching the dog I think she should feel bloody lucky that she or her daughter didn't get bitten as a result and in future if a dog gets too close (as she obviously lives near a beach used by dog walkers) tell the stupid owner to get their dog under control.

[MetalMidget]

gets on fence

As a dog lover, I find the idea of attacking a non-aggressive dog abhorrent. It's not the dog's fault, and you run the risk of him becoming defensive and snapping back.

However, also as a dog lover, I'm appalled that the owner would stand by and laugh as his large dog pinned down a small child whilst she and her mother were clearly distressed. She wasn't hurt, but could have easily have been. If he knows his dog gets boisterous around children, he should make sure that it's on a lead - some children are scared of dogs, some are over excitable and grabby around dogs, others may have allergies, etc.

I always put our dog on a lead around small children, because although he's ridiculously friendly and good natured, he could easily knock over a toddler - and he's a spaniel. I imagine that a Newfoundland knocking over and pinning a toddler would be a lot like an adult getting bashed by a small horse, and terrifying from her perspective!

So I totally understand why the OP did what she did, but I don't agree with it. I think.

stays on fence, musing

[MrsNippyCat]

You're absolutely right, Gruntled, it IS the owner's fault, not the OP's and also not the dog's. Any punches should have landed in the owner's face, again not the dog's. The dog didn't deserve to be hurt anymore than the child.

The owner is not a good, responsible owner and should not have a dog he cannot or will not control and the dog would most likely be better off with someone else, where he can be trained and therefore not punched in the head.

[moggle]

So, posters who say the OP was silly to punch the dog - which in hindsight / the cold light of day I'm sure she agrees with - what should we do in these circumstances where the owner was being completely useless and the dog too big to move? Just wait til the dog gets bored?
I'm genuinely interested - I know a fair amount about dogs but if a big dog like this knocked over my 17 month old - who to be fair is almost still a baby and may only have been walking a short time - it would be hard to think rationally!!
If it hadn't been on a beach but on a pavement she could have ended up with a head injury. Although hopefully the dog would have been under better control in that kind of environment.

[stopfuckingshoutingatme]

yanbu

[stopfuckingshoutingatme]

treadsoft

that's a fucking HORSE not a dog!!!

[GoodGirlGoneWrong]

I hope your dd is ok, but yabu in punching a dog, I suspect that the situation was emotionally charged and you didn't think just reacted (a wrong reaction)

I think you were lucky with the outcome of not being bitten or worse your child being bitten.

once again idiot owners fault not the dogs and the dog got punished. I wish dog owners had to take a course before owning one.

[TheoriginalLEM]

YABU - never mind whether or not the dog felt your punch, you are lucky it didn't bite you or your DD, it was a really really stupid thing to do.

Of course the owner was also UR for not having their dog under control, and tbh i would have thought the police would be more interested in that, than the "assault" on the dog tbh.

I hope your DD isn't too traumatised, of course you will have added to this by kicking off, your reaction should have been "silly doggie didn't mean to knock you over" etc "he wont hurt you" to your DD (whilst giving the death stare and telling hapless owner to keep their animal under control, i would have been livid too and probably been handing out a mouthful to the owner but that would have been the idea response).

[Melonaire]

In this situation with a useless owner present I would take any food on me for the toddler or a stone from the beach, show it to the dog and then fling the stuff as far away as possible. Generally I wouldn't make myself a food source to a strange dog as it might come back for more but in this case distracting the dog and/or castrating the owner would be my priorities.

[wafflerinchief]

i asked about your experience with dogs only because the best way forward after this is for both you and your DD to have more exposure to nice dogs so that she doesn't in fact get a lifelong fear of dogs because that's a sad outcome to this event.

[Cleensheetsandbedding]

I would have absolutely done it. Shit - I would have punched the owner too

[TheoriginalLEM]

She is scared of dogs because of you btw. Not because of your neighbours dog. It is your reaction to dogs that are telling your DD that they are not ok.

[Aramynta]

So a child is face down in wet sand, terrified and probably unable to breathe with a HUGE dog on top of her, and the OP is unreasonable for harming the dog to save her child? Really? A human child's physical safety over a slight bloody bruise on a dogs face?

I really don't understand some of the opinions here. OP, I would have kicked that fucker off my child as hard as I could.

[Melonaire]

That's just not true ^ Children can pick up fear from their parents but they can equally be afraid of all sorts of things all on their own.