To say there's nothing remotely funny about being knocked to the ground by a dog

[laceysue]

While walking on the beach with DH and our own dog, (which was on a lead at that time) I was aware of this crazy spaniel who was charging all over the place (as spaniels tend to do), he'd already been up and greeted our dog but they didn't have a proper play as ours was then on the lead because we were getting near to the beach's exit. A few minutes later I all of a sudden felt a huge blow to the back of my knees, I just fell to the ground in a heap. The crazy spaniel then stood over me trying to lick my face. DH was trying to pull me up but I literally just couldn't move straight away. Anyway the spaniels owner came along saying sorry but laughing at the same time.

I really didn't think it was funny, DH thought I was exaggerating with my inability to get straight up,

[3WiseWomen]

Interesting take on a similar subject than a other recent thread.

In that thread, numerous posters came to tell a disabled woman who had fallen over, it's normal for strangers to laugh at you if you hurt yourself. It's just nerves....

Maybe this time, it will be the other way around and people will be horrified at others laughing like this... Who knows.

[TheFairyCaravan]

It's not funny in the slightest. How did that dog owner know that you hadn't just come out of plaster on your leg, or you didn't have a bad back, or that you hadn't done serious damage to your leg.

I would have been fuming!

[3WiseWomen]

Oh no. That's it.
People defending the fact it's OK to laugh at people getting hurt are arriving....

[SatsukiKusakabe]

I hate it when people laugh off incidents where their children dogs have annoyed or injured others.

Among friends, or if the 'victim' is laughing themselves, fine, but really bad manners otherwise.

(Full disclosure: My dad was goosed by a Labrador once and I howled with laughter, but so did he )

[LarrytheCucumber]

It isn't appropriate to laugh when your dog has knocked over a stranger
I would have been making a grovelling apology.

[Lindy2]

There's nothing funny about a dog owner who does not have proper control of their dog. Especially as that lack of control resulted in someone else being hurt.

I expect those that think it's okay are dog owners. I expect they will also say that's just what dogs do. It isn't at all.

[KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes]

And by the way, I don't find You've Been Framed funny at all. Why is someone falling over and hurting themselves funny?

I know.

"Haha, your child just fell face first from a swing onto concrete and broken glass."

"Haha, granny has just broken her hip and set fire to her hair slipping whilst carrying a birthday cake."

It's only one step removed from public hanging as entertainment.

[squoosh]

Really? One step?

Really?

[SatsukiKusakabe]

I declare as well that I have owned dogs, and love them. Still not ok.

And Yy to you've been framed, hate watching the really dangerous situations people put their children in sometimes.

Slapstick is different; it's acting, the people involved are willing participants doing it for laughs. Nervous laughter is different but actually still shows a bit of a lacking of maturity or ability to empathise if directed at someone who is potentially hurt or embarrassed.

[limitedperiodonly]

Sorry, I laughed at that. It's just the kind of person I am.

If I owned the spaniel I'd also rush over to help you up and apologise too.

I don't have a dog but think beaches are good places to let non-aggressive dogs, as this seemed to be, off lead, as long as dogs are allowed on them. As it clearly was as you were walking your dog there.

I hope there was no lasting harm.

[elephantpig]

My Mum and I often walk our dogs together, if her dog knocked into me or her and we fell over it might be funny, but if it was someone else? Mortifying!
Disclaimer: My dog is a 4kg poodle. It's not knocking anyone over.

[Bubble2bubble]

As a dog owner would be mortified if my dog did this to someone else, but it was an accident so could only apologise.

Last week I bent over to shake paws with a St Bernard pup and ended up flat on my back, feet in the air - pup meant no harm at all but doesn't realise his own strength and took me by surprise. It was an accident. Have to admit it must have looked so hilarious that I am still laughing!

[lalalonglegs]

It never fails to stun me how insensitive some dog owners can be. My friend's son has SEN and was having a huge meltdown in the park a couple of weeks ago, lying on the ground and just sobbing hysterically, no one able to coax him into getting up. Someone thought that it was completely fine to allow her dog to straddle him at this point - wtaf?

[catsinthecraddle]

Some people are idiot, I am not sure it's their fault to be that stupid.

I can't find anything remotely amusing on You've been framed, it's the kind of program kids grow out of it when they are 12, if that.

Laughing with a group of friends is one thing, but this is ridiculous. My very first thought when I see a stranger falling is "shit, I hope he's not hurt". I do stop to help, when so many around me ignores or stop to take photos, so I must be in the minority.

[SonjasSister]

Ugh. Bad enough when you get someone else's ill-controlled dog's muddy paws all over your clothes, but being knocked over? Laughing was inexcusable and strongly suggests the owner thought she as a bystander too ie 'look what my funny dog did' not 'what my dog does is my responsibility and I have messed up here'. After all, it wouldn't have been funny if she'd knocked you over herself - even by accident. So why is this funny? It isn't.

[WhoaCadburys]

That's awful - hope you arebok now.

Very sad littledafty.

[WhoaCadburys]

• are ok

[goodnightdarthvader1]

Surely this depends on context? Do you think everyone who likes slapstick comedy is an idiot?

UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT:

Pretty much.

The days of entertainment should have moved on a lot from Charlie Chaplin.

[Noofly]

If it were you or any other stranger, I'd be mortified if my dog knocked you over.

If it were DD and she were knocked down by a random dog, I'd find it very funny. Fortunately she finds it very funny as well and being quite slight and generally prone to encouraging off lead dogs to approach her, it happens quite a lot!

[Hulababy]

Yanbu

I have arthritis and a fall like that can cause nasty pain for me. No one would necessarily know to look at me that I have joint pain as most people just assume arthritis sufferers are old!

People should learn to control their animals. Luckily most people are responsible and do but it's annoying when some don't.

They'd be soon to complain if you fell on to their dog and hurt it as well in sure.

[squoosh]

I'm not a massive fan of a lot of slapstick, can't stand Jerry Lewis, Jim Carrey, Lee Evans or any of that shtick. But I don't think everyone who likes slapstick comedy is an idiot.......as that would make me a bit of an idiot.

[laceysue]

I'm fine now but I'm going to be very aware in future of charging dogs. I know the spaniel didn't mean any harm but when a dogs running at full pelt, the force it hits you with is huge. Walking regularly as I do I come across loads of dog walkers. This woman was of the worst kind. It shouldn't have been remotely funny. It was her attitude which upset me the most.

[limitedperiodonly]

This is a place where dog walkers go to let their animals off the lead. There aren't very many of them and there would be none if some MNetters had their way.

I take it that the OP had also let her own dog off the lead earlier but had put him back on a lead because she and her DH were leaving.

The woman laughed, possibly because she was filming it for You've Been Framed but probably out of embarrassment and nerves. She apologised.

It's okay for people to let their non-aggressive dogs off lead in appropriate places. It's inevitable that some of them might be learning to behave and sometimes do things like charging into people in their excitement at being off a lead. Maybe the OP's dog was once like that.

I don't even have a dog but I can understand that.

Was there any real harm done to you OP?

[squoosh]

I have sinned.

My Dad got knocked over by a wave as he was paddling in the sea last summer. I did laugh and his outrage at my laughing made me laugh even more.

[SirChenjin]

YANBU

If you know the person, and know they would find it funny too, fine to go ahead and laugh.

If your poorly trained dog has knocked someone over and that person is not able to get up, then exercise some control over your thought/speech process, and go over to them, apologise profusely and check they are OK.

Really not that hard.