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,

[limitedperiodonly]

But presumably you had to allow her off the lead to do that OP? What would you have done if she hadn't obeyed you, apart from running after her, apologising for her behaviour and concluding that she wasn't ready to be off the lead?

[Allalonenow]

YANBU
And I bet the owner said "It's only playing"!

[stinkysnowbear]

It's a spaniel, not a bear. I would've laughed.

[limitedperiodonly]

I said I don't have a dog unquote. If I did, I'd go to training classes.

I accept in those few places where I expect to meet off-lead dogs, such as a dog-walking beach, I would expect to meet an exuberant dog and accept that sometimes accidents happen.

[FoxFeatures]

Its not funny at all. My lab was playing with another a couple of years ago. The other lab, who was lovely and daft, barrelled into me from behind, knocked me over and I tore tendons in my ankle. I was on crutches for ages, had to have a lot of treatment and I have a permanent weakness now. My ankle will occasionally give way under me. (Im not always on the gin when that happens!)

[laceysue]

limited we trained her when she was a puppy in a field. Even if she could have run into someone she couldn't have knocked them over.

[SirChenjin]

And I bet the owner said "It's only playing"!

YY - and probably "he's just being friendly" too

[KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes]

And "He won't hurt you..!"

Maybe not. But I'm fresh and clean, possibly on my way to work and don't want to smell of dog or be covered in paw prints and drool.

[ifyoulikepinacolada]

Dog threads always make me so angry as so many people seem to hate the thought of them ever behaving - well, like dogs!

In this instance, OP, YANBU at all. I would've expected her to sprint over, apologise effusively, put her dog straight back on the lead and help you out any way she could. Accidents happen. If, as she ran over, it was apparent that you were unhurt and laughing she may have tentatively been allowed to join in but still offering help/putting the dog on the lead etc. That's the only acceptable way to deal with it, surely?

[limitedperiodonly]

On a dog-walking beach KingJoffrey?

[Greyhorses]

I love dogs but would not have found this funny at all...and my dog who is terrified of other dogs would have proberbly eaten out of control spaniel to top it off.
I hate off lead dogs with no recall. If it does not come back don't let it off. Sometimes mistakes happen but at least have the decency to apologise

[laceysue]

Stinky do you mean as the owner "would have laughed " or as the poor victim. Because I can assure you if it happened to you, you wouldn't have laughed. But as the owner, why would you laugh at seeing someone in pain because of your dog?

[SirChenjin]

Quite agree if - and had she done so, the majority of posters on here would (I suspect) be saying to the OP that she was walking on a dog beach and that the owner did as much as she could possibly could to rectify the situation. She didn't though - her first instinct was to laugh, before she apologised and before she knew if the OP was injured or hurt.

What does 'behaving like a dog' mean?

[limitedperiodonly]

Dog threads always make me so angry as so many people seem to hate the thought of them ever behaving - well, like dogs!

I thought it was just me. I don't have a dog though. I thought it was just people like me who expect them to be like robots and never make a mistake. Not people who own them.

[BlackMarigold]

YANBU. I don't see anything remotely funny in a person being pushed over and possibly injured, I actually feel a bit sick and weird if I see someone fall, not if they're acting of course, like Del Boy.
If people really can't stop themselves, and I understand that laughing may be automatic and out of their control, they should try not to let people see them doing it or apologise and say it's nerves.
Would love to see some research into the different reactions to seeing someone fall over.

[ifyoulikepinacolada]

Of course sir - that's why I said the OP was not being unreasonable at all.

I suppose I expect that occasionally, dogs will screw up. They misjudge distances, struggle to contain their enthusiasm, express affection in ways humans don't recognise etc etc. I have a spaniel and a red setter and I consider it my responsibility to ensure these behaviours don't affect the people around me (eg when one is off the lead keeping a close eye and calling her back before she approaches people). But, for example, if she's got muddy or wet she is going to shake her coat out - I'll do my utmost to get her away from anyone in the immediate vicinity, but if I can't and somebody refuses to move I'm not paying their dry cleaning bill!

This isn't relevant to the OP though - I hope your knee is feeling better now.

[SirChenjin]

Of course dogs screw up - I don't think anyone would dispute that (or very few would). What these threads show time and time and time again is that it's not the dog that people get frustrated with, it's the owner - whether that's the owner who doesn't pick up, or refuses to put an excitable dog with zero recall on a lead when it's around other people, or who refuses to apologise for a dog jumping up at a child and just carries on walking, or who just excuses their dog's behaviour with 'it's just being friendly/only playing', or who laughs when their dog knocks someone over....the list goes on and on.

[CheshireChat]

It's funny if it's your dog or a friend's and everyone is unhurt, otherwise no. Mg boxer knocked my dad over, not remotely funny as he banged his back on the house corner. A massive Terra Nova decided to snuggle me and flattened me against a wall, of course I was laughing.

[MaybeIAmJustNotReasonable]

YABU. Did you break anything? Were you able to get up? Dogs do things like that and nobody can help it. I'm sure it was an accident and you're being over dramatic.

[SirChenjin]

Rubbish. She's not being over-dramatic at all.

And no, she couldn't get up straight away. She explains that in the OP.

[MaybeIAmJustNotReasonable]

But she was able to get up. If there was a lasting injury then it wouldn't be funny. But from what I've read it sounds funny and OP is being over sensitive about a small thing.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

She isn't saying it wasn't an accident. Her objection is to the dog owner laughing instead of apologising and checking she was all right, as a less ill-mannered person would.

[AnnaBegins]

Oh OP I hope you're ok now, that sounds horrible, especially as sand is harder than it looks and can do real injury, as a PP said.

It annoys me when dog owners allow their dogs to have poor recall and be off the lead. We were riding, on roads, the other day when a dog came bounding towards us across a field. There's a footpath through the field so perfect place for a run off the lead, but no gate to the road, it's just a gap in the hedge. Owner was shouting at dog who was completely ignoring him. He came and snapped at the horses' heels, luckily they are used to dogs but two are young and one has been known to kick dogs, so his rider (who is a dog person) kept the dog round the head end of that horse. Owner arrived, thanked us (wtf?!), no apology, didn't put dog on lead, just walked off, so the dog followed his owner into the field then chased us along the hedge line again! If the horse had kicked or a car had been coming the dog would be dead, not to mention that if the horses had spooked the riders could have been injured! Idiot man giving dog owners a bad name.

[MaybeIAmJustNotReasonable]

If she wasn't screaming in pain, or passed out I think it's clear she wasn't several injured.

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

Im sorry but I think. I'd have laughed, too. Not in a sly way, but. It's just my humour