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?

[Iliketoparrty]

When a dulux type dog knocked DN down and i struggled to move it, the local dog warden gave me a spray and whistle type thing.

The spray has citronella and the whistle emits a sound like a mosquito sound that repels children. I was told to spray the dog's head with the spray and blow the whistle as hard as I can, either one should stun the dog long enough to move my DN.

It might be worth asking for this type of thing.

[TheOptimisticPessimist]

YANBU.

I'm a dog lover, and while a punch wouldn't have been my first move, it doesn't surprise me at all that you did it.

The owner is an absolute fool, I hope the police find him and sort him out. The poor dog has no bloody chance with an idiot like that as an owner.
Newfoundlands are terrifyingly big. All of the ones I've met have gorgeous natures, but are still clumsy and can be boisterous. They can cause serious damage jumping up at a grown adult if they aren't expecting it, let alone to a baby!

I hope your DD is ok. I'd echo what some posters have said above though and maybe see if you can learn a few tips for getting rid of dogs with a smaller risk of an aggressive reaction, just in case it happens again.

[Laddersinmybloodytights]

Another one that can't believe some of the 'poor doggy' responses on here. I hope your daughter is ok, you've done the right thing reporting it to the police. Is the beach a place that you visit often? I ask as if you go again and see said idiot owner again (it might be his regular dog walk place) you could possibly try some amateur surveillance and hang around somewhere to see what car is his and report the registration to the police? Then they would definitely be able to find him and hopefully take things further.

[Dollymixtureyumyum]

Yep because most people would just stand there and ask the laughing owner who obviously doesn't give a shit to call their dog off while there child is pinned to the floor by it
FFS I really don't get this entitled to some dogs owners have to think their dogs can do anything and then say "they are only playing".
If it can't be trusted not to jump up at people keep it on a bloody lead. Your dog your responsibility.

[Dollymixtureyumyum]

And what would you have done OriginalLEM?
Yep it is the mums fault nothing to do with a twat owner letting it's dog the size of horse knock over a child!!!
What's the bet you are one of these "they are only playing" owners.

[OttiliaVonBCup]

Now Newfs are rather big, but they are not the size of a horse.

Those photos posted are all taken from a clever angle to make them look bigger.

[Dollymixtureyumyum]

To a small child though it would have been huge

[Aeroflotgirl]

lala what a stupid comment. What would you have done if a big fuck off dog is pinning your baby down. Punching the owner is not going to do any good is it!

[OttiliaVonBCup]

I'm not disputing the fact that they are big.

They are not the size of a horse though.
To a small child a new would appear bigger than to an adult, that's true, but a horse would be bigger.

The photos misrepresent the reality.

[Aeroflotgirl]

If I am ever in the situation where a dog is pinning my child down or attacking, I will do anything I can to get that dog off my child. My child is the priority, not the dog!

[OttiliaVonBCup]

If I were the owner of a dog which was pinning a child down I would be doing everything to get the dog off.

Owner was clearly a twat. The dog still got hurt though.

I can have sympathy for the child and for the dog. It's not like sympathy is a finite resource.

[SoupDragon]

They are not the size of a horse though.

No, apparently only the size of a bear.

[OttiliaVonBCup]

A smallish bear.

[SoupDragon]

The dog still got hurt though

I bet that the dog wasn't actually hurt. I bet it didn't need to be seen by a medical professional. I bet it won't remember it beyond about 5 minutes. I bet it won't be scared of humans as a result.

I still can't believe people think the OP was in any way unreasonable or at fault.

[OttiliaVonBCup]

How do you know that? Because animals never hurt of feel pain or get scared?

I anything OP should have punched the owner, he's or she was the one who deserved it.

[MiddleAgeDaze]

YWNBU. In the panic of the moment you acted out of an instinct to protect your DD. It isn't the sort of situation where you have time to think reasonably about the optimal resolution to the problem.

Dogs are animals with a strong hunting instinct. I have on several occasions seen dogs running over to play with my dog, and going from playful to very threatening and aggressive. It can happen in seconds - I wouldn't take that chance if it was my child lying under a dog. All dogs, no matter what breed, have a prey drive and even if they are usually lovely and non-aggressive it doesn't mean that they are going to be that way in every single situation.

[Aeroflotgirl]

Yes ortilla after she dealt with the dog standing over her child.

[Aeroflotgirl]

I agree middle, tge situation coukd change extremley rapidly, op should not take that risk. In future the dog owner shoukd keep his dog under control. The dog is not op responsibility.

[Badlittlesis]

Seriously some of you clearly have no idea him big & strong Newfies can be.

We don't have a dog (we both work out of the house ft) so we are first stop for dog sitting.

One of the dogs we have occasionally her best friend is a Newfie, he's lovely and soft and cuddly and loveeeeeeeees me

I mean loveeees me.

I'm average height and obese…and he's knocked me flying a few times.

So to a toddler, wow. Now in my case the owner is always horrified. But he's still in training, he's not 2 yet. And his female owner now won't walk him alone.

Am glad to see you've had your LO checked out and reported.

[CozyLinusBlanket]

I anything OP should have punched the owner, he's or she was the one who deserved it.

But the Op wasn't able to freeze time and consider all her options.

Also, the owner wasn't the one who had her child trapped in the sand.

I hope he does call to report her, then the police will get his details.

[IPityThePontipines]

YWNBU. I'm sick of all the "You should have tapped its left leg and clicked your heels three times" responses too.

Likewise, that punching the owner would've helped.

Some people on MN are weird about dogs. There was once a very disturbing thread on here about if you would save a child or a dog first from a burning building.

[EponasWildDaughter]

I remember that ipity. Wasn't it by an OP who's family member said they'd save their dog before a child or similar.

Hope the OP here updates us. I'd be doing a follow up call to the police. No, i wouldn't want the dog put to sleep (and unless a dog bites someone then i don't think that's what happens) - but i'd like to think maybe a community officer would make a point of keeping an eye out and having a word with the owner.

[MiddleClassProblem]

A lot of the advice of what you should do was in response to a question posted about what should you do in that situation rather than directed at OP.

Hope DD is healing ok x

[Solasum]

As PP have said, I would really try and get your DD together with a dog sometime very soon. My DS went through a very antidog stage after being petrified when a cockapoo jumped up at him, and that dog was tiny. A lovely lovely lady in the local park saw he was scared of her (very small) dog as we were walking past, and invited us to sit down on a bench next to them to get acquainted. We sat there for about 20 minutes, and since then DS has been so much better. I will always be grateful to her.

[Mybunnyisamummy]

For Christ sake don't blow in a dogs face! My husband did that and it bit him! That's the worst advice I've ever heard.