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?

[LouSavage]

The owner is a cretin and should have had full control of his dog. The police won't care about his complaint, especially since he was committing an offense by having a dog out of control in public. I would have punched it too. Whatever was necessary to get it off my kid.
Can't stand prissy entitled dog owners. Wouldn't tolerate my dog behaving that way, she wouldn't even get a chance to do that.

[Orrla]

That's the size of a bear!

I think that I probably would have done the same in a panic, but afterwards when I had time to sit and think about it, decide that punching the dog might have been unwise.

But I wouldn't have thought that at the time. But YWNBU it throw a second punch, at the owner.

If she's got scratches and a bruise, do get her checked out by a doctor. And do tell the police or dog warden.

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

Poor you OP, you must have got the fright of your life.

I wonder how some posters would feel if all 11 stones of me was standing on their baby's shoulder?

You know it wasn't a great idea to punch the dog (because the dog could have bitten) but when a child is lying face down in wet sand... you do what you believe you have to do.

[HumphreyCobblers]

She must have been so scared. Imagine if something the size of a shetland pony jumped on you and pinned you down. I would have panicked and done the same as you OP.

Hope she is OK. I would try and find a really nice friendly dog for her to spend some time with soon and hopefully she won't be put off for life.

[TimeToMuskUp]

Christ on a bike, I was all set to come on here and rant about someone hurting a dog but, frankly, you did well not to kick the living shit out of the owner too, laughing as his dog bloody leaps on a child.

If your dog isn't under your control or is liable to jump up at folk, especially children, you should be legally obliged to keep it on a lead. Ours is a spaniel, quite literally the most stupid animal on gods earth. But it'd be a cold day in hell before she did anything like that, and if she did I'd never let her off lead in public again. Owner deserves a whipping, you deserve a gin and your DD deserves a hug. Is she ok at the moment?

[dontcallmethatyoucunt]

More kids have died from dogs than bloody paedophiles/child killers. I'd be going to the police myself, that dog owner is irresponsible. If you had hurt the dog and it attacked you both, then what?

[ChuckitintheBucket]

I love dogs, I have a dog but that owner is a complete twat and gives dog owners a bad name. I totally don't blame you for your reaction, your poor dd must have been terrified. It's always my biggest fear when taking my nutty loveable lab out, that she will knock over a child. So for that reason I keep her on a lead when I know there will be children around. I would hate for her to be the cause of a small child being knocked over and hurt. Hope your dd is ok and yes phone the police.

[OfaFrenchmind2]

I love dogs, most of them, and Newfoundlands are incredible: enormous, beautiful, enormous, lovely, and did I mention enormous? As much as I loved this breed, if one was sitting on my niece, with her facedown in wet sand and terrified, I would have done anything to get it off. There is no time to lose, a baby is risking serious injuries!
I would kick it, punch it, hell, if I had a gun I would shoot it. No dog is worth a children health. And I really love dogs.

[olbas]

I have a newfoundland. Please report this owner as soon as can and take a photo of your little girls injuries. I hope she is ok and you will both need time to get over the shock. Newfies may be gentle and good with children BUT they need very careful handling and training, bounding up to adults let alone little ones is just not on. If he hasn't got instant obienence (Not that he even bothered by what you have posted) he shouldn't have any dog and certainly not a one off the lead.

[ScrambledSmegs]

The owner was a fucking arse for not calling his dog away from a terrified child. WTF?

OP I know why you did what you did, my 5yo is absolutely hysterically afraid of dogs and if a dog owner was so patently shit at controlling their dog while it was scaring her I would probably act first and think later.

In fact I did nearly kick a chihuahua into the canal when it was harassing her, but in my defence I thought it was a large rat

But punching any dog in the head is clearly a bad idea. Luckily for you it didn't retaliate but it could have done, and caused a lot of damage. I know it's not fair, it should have been up to the owner to call off his dog, but I hope you've realised that it was a very risky act. In fact it sounds like a lovely dog with a massive bell-end for an owner. So I do feel a little sorry for the dog, but definitely not for the bell-end.

I hope your DD is ok. Physically she may be fine but these events go deep into the psyche. My 5yo's terror stems from something similar, sad that the owners couldn't see that their dog's desire to be friendly doesn't override the child's fear. for you.

[Leelu6]

YANBU at all. Poor little mite :(

His dog may very well like children but children won't necessarily like being shoved to the ground by a massive dog

Shithead.

[Longdistance]

Yanbu to have punched that beast of a dog. Just googled it it does look like a bear.
Your poor dd. Hope she's ok?
Should have saved a punch for the owner too. What an idiot he is. 17months is still a baby, she could have suffocated in the sand.

[ScrambledSmegs]

Ha! So on balance I think you were NBU.

[QueenMolotov]

This makes me really sad to read, OP. Because the dog's owner was not responsible at all, he or she is the kind of person who gives dogs a bad reputation.

We have a dog who is very excitable amongst other animals and children. She's a loving but strong girl, so she has always been put on a lead. I adore my dog but a) not everyone else does and b) she is my responsibility. I know this about her character and I love her enough to control her because I know what she's like and would never want her to get into a fight, get hurt or cause harm.

Even as a dog owner, people who let their uncontrolled dogs off a lead piss me right off. A playful lab puppy once cornered my then 2yo dd1 and it terrified her. If I had been in your situation, I'd have done the same thing. I just hope your dd doesn't remember it and that you can remember not every dog/dog owner is an idiot.

[PrincessMouse]

YANBU. Poor little toddler. Hope she's alright now. For informationn I would have done the same.

Tell the owner to report you. He should have had better control of his dog. Idiot!

[BathtimeFunkster]

Some bizarre responses on here.

A dog the weight of an adult human is pinning a 17 month old baby down in wet sand and people think "poor dog"?

WTF??

The child was in immediate danger, whether the dog was aggressive is irrelevant. It was dangerous.

Hope your DD is OK.

[Andrewofgg]

You don't know his name and he doesn't know yours. Nobody is going to the police about this.

YWNBU - at all - and he should not be allowed to own a dog.

[Mummyusername]

What a horrible experience for your daughter and you. I hope you get seen promptly at the hospital. Definitely tell the police. Why should any child have to endure that?

[hownottofuckup]

Totally disagree with Andrew you should report this to police, local officer/CSO.

Hope DD is ok

[Andrewofgg]

of course I also hope DD is OK - as I should have said.

It's two and half hours since the OP posted so longer since it happened. I hardly think the police are going to take this very seriously now when he will long since have decamped. Different if the child had suffered serious injury which - mercifully - she did not.

[lostinmiddlemarch]

If it didn't respond to physical force and the owner did nothing, and you were concerned about your child's face possibly being rammed into a puddle, I don't see what option you had but to cause pain to get the animal to move. I would have done it myself in an instant. It's not an ideal move but the pertinent point is you were out of options.

[lostinmiddlemarch]

I cannot resist taking the opportunity to remind posters that drowning occurs silently, and in seconds. It's lethal.

[alltouchedout]

YANBU. The owner is a twat.

[loopylou6]

You where not in the slightest unreasonable OP. You acted in the spur of the moment to protect your daughter. The unreasonable person in this is the dogs owner.
I hope your DD is OK.