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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

about dog jumping up

79 replies

biscuitkumquat · 18/03/2016 12:20

First foray into AIBU so please be gentle.

Was in Pets At Home this morning picking up bits for the cat, and hadn't really been aware before that pets were allowed in (it's a pet shop, makes sense), but there was a young girl with her dog, which was on it's lead, standing in front of me at the checkout.

Her dog jumped at me, not in an aggressive way, but because I couldn't move backwards out of it's way, I did a kind of sideways shuffle to try to get out of the way, because she couldn't stop him.

The parents of the girl came over and controlled the dog, and said, oh, he's just being friendly, he's just a puppy, and I said, oh no he hasn't hurt me at all, but he has made quite a mess of my coat (light grey & covered in dirty paw prints), and they just gave me a nervous smile, and it was their turn to be served.

I let them finish paying for their stuff, and smiled & said my coat's actually dry clean only, and I will have to get it cleaned. Again, nervous smile from both, but no offer to pay for it, then turned to leave. So, I had to say again, again with a smile, my coat's dry clean, and your dog has made an awful mess of it, I think you should offer to pay to clean it.

They were NOT HAPPY. Mum & daughter left, Dad then starts shouting at me, saying I have ruined his daughter's birthday present, and what do I expect in a pet shop, then stormed out.

I waited a bit, then followed him out & took a photograph of his car registration number. Went back in & assistant apologised & offered to get a cloth & some water to see if it would make a difference. it didn't

I'm not really sure if there's anything I can do, but AIBU to be pissed off that I was shouted at & now have to pay to clean my coat, all for a couple of packets of buggering Dreamies.

OP posts:

LucilleBluth · 18/03/2016 17:07

The dog was totally unreasonable to jump up......what a furry little bastard. But you sound like a nightmare on wheels.

Original poster

biscuitkumquat · 18/03/2016 17:09

It's a dog, that you said was trying to move out of the way because he was in a single file queue.
No, if you'd like to re-read my OP, what I actually said was that when the dog was jumping up at me, I was trying to get out of it's way.

Snobby and rude.
Snobby because I have a cat, or snobby because I have a coat?
Rude because I tried to move out of the way of a dog that was jumping on me?

Okaaaaaaaay, IABU can be as crazy as I thought

OP posts:

MrTiddlestheFatCat · 18/03/2016 17:10

I find it very strange that the puppy was muddy enough to leave so much dirt on your coat, given he was in a pet shop. The reaction of the Dad was ridiculous, so yanbu about that.

Can you take a picture of the coat so we could see how bad it was? Otherwise I think its hard to tell if you're being unreasonable when for all we know it could be a bit of dust or a massive mud stain.

harasas · 18/03/2016 17:12

You are right. They are wrong.
Enjoy your wine!

Chottie · 18/03/2016 17:25

OP - I agree with you. I don't want any dog jumping up at me either. No, they are not being friendly, it's really annoying. I would have been furious too.

In the post office queue there was a woman with a small dog behind me. For no reason the dog jumped up and clawed my tights and laddered them. The owner also refused to replace my ruined tights. What is it with some pet owners?

Billben · 18/03/2016 17:26

I hate the excuse "he's just being friendly". I don't care. Your dog, learn to discipline him. I have large breed dogs. Even as puppies they would have easily knocked a child over. I firmly shout at anybody's dog that tries to jump on me and I don't care if the owner likes it or not. In your case, you were in the right, they were in the wrong.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 18/03/2016 17:29

Don't you just love the inane "oh he's just being friendly" - often, for some reason, said in a whiny ickle baby voice

IME it tends to come just after "Oh he's soft as grease, wouldn't hurt a fly" and just before "Ooooo, he's never done that before!!"

dogsnotsprogs · 18/03/2016 18:25

*BillBen
*
If you shouted at my dog, I would rage at you then after I'd laugh at your preciousness

ArmfulOfRoses · 18/03/2016 19:07

I would also shout at dogs that jumped up at me.
They might be friendly, I am not.
Keep your stinking slobbering mutts at home if you can't control them.

Moving15 · 18/03/2016 19:37

Well I am going to go against the flow and say YABU.
For a start, you were in pets at home where dogs are allowed and where puppy owners tend to socialise their unruly youngsters. So there is a risk associated with this shop and your dry clean only coat was not suitable attire. This is NOT a public place where people go to pursue their own interest, for example a public park or a street. This is PET shop where dog owners are welcome to bring their dogs. Would you have complained if you were at a dog show and the same thing happened or at a city farm and an accidentally wandering cow smeared it's dribbly nose on you? I doubt it.
My second reason for saying YABU is that you admit that if they had shown more regret over the incident and offered to pay to dry clean your coat, you would have refused. Therefore it is clear that you aren't really that precious about the coat or the fact you will have to pay again to clean it, rather you are just taking offence at the fact they don't care enough about your coat to offer to dry clean it. Well why on earth would they care about your coat? They are minding their own business in a pet shop and a complete stranger in a dry clean only coat (being pup owners they are unlikely to own one of these so may have little understanding of the logistics around dry cleaning coats) approaches their pup (any sensible dog aware person would have kept their distance while wearing fragile dry cleaning only items whena child is in control of a dog) and then complains the pup responds in a normal pup fashion. Then even though they apologise and take back control of the over friendly pup this stranger makes a scene in front of their child. As if to prove the point that you are OTT you then go and photograph their car.
If someone did that to me, especially when I have children with me I would submit a complaint to the shop and consider reporting you for harassment.
Sorry but you lost the moral high ground when you directly asked them to pay for your coat after they ignored your hints and then you lost the argument when you started photographing them in public. Bonkers.

CocktailQueen · 18/03/2016 19:40

'He's just being friendly' must rank as number 1 of the most annoying things that people can say.

I don't give a flying fart if your dog is friendly or not. I don't want him jumping up/bounding at me/attacking my children/barking at me or whatever. Catchall excuse for everything, that is.

YANBU. The owner was rude. Even tho you were in a pet shop, why should you expect to be jumped at? Yuk.

CocktailQueen · 18/03/2016 19:41

PS I had no idea that you could bring dogs into Pets at Home - do people really take their dogs there to socialise them? Barking.

MissesBloom · 18/03/2016 19:53

This is not going to be a popular opinon, and I think it was unfair that their dog jumped on you - but how much damage can a paw print do? Surely a little wipe over when you get home will get rid of it?

I'm not going to lie, if this was my dog Id be quite shocked that someone would ask me to pay a dry cleaning bill. If the dog damaged your coat then yes id agree 100%. I do agree however that the dog should have been under control but a paw print seems a bit of a silly thing to be that upset by. Was it a big dog?

I see pet stores as a bit grubby at the best of times. Also you said you have a cat - you cant be certain your cat has never damaged someone elses property - I have cats using my back garden as their own personal toilet all the time because their owners take zero responsibility - I don't charge them for the removal of their foul smelling waste! Maybe not the same situation but frustrates me in the same way.

Gabilan · 18/03/2016 20:11

I find it difficult to get wound up about stains on a coat. I would just continue to wear it until such time as I felt like getting it cleaned.

My horse licks mud and then wipes his mouth on me. I may have a skewed view but really, it's just mud on a coat.

AddToBasket · 18/03/2016 20:26

You took a photo?!! How creepy.

YABU, you sound a total princess, not in a good way.

In a perfect world perhaps they should pay for it but, honestly, you should learn to roll with life's punches a bit more. Your coat wasn't going to stay pristine for ever - you just have to get it dry cleaned sooner than you would.

HelsBels3000 · 18/03/2016 21:09

I'm a little confused as to how a puppy jumping up at (the front of?) you could get your coat covered in dirty paw prints
Only one pair of paws tend to leave the ground - so that would be two prints? how many times did the dog jump at you?

Keletubbie · 18/03/2016 21:52

This is definitely a case for Judge Rinder.

FarrowandBallAche · 18/03/2016 22:01

As if you'd embarrass yourself like that.

dogsnotsprogs · 19/03/2016 00:36

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2584600/Is-proof-dry-cleaning-waste-money-Ignore-label-We-CAN-wash-dry-clean-clothes-home-save-fortune.html

They probably realised this because they actually do their own washing.

You took a photo of their car registration? Did you think the Police or the store would do anything?

Horsemad · 19/03/2016 02:05

I actually witnessed somebody kick a dog that jumped up at him. It was running g free off the lead and came over for a fuss, jumped up and got kicked.

Obviously the owners got upset, it was a situation that could've escalated.

cranberryx · 19/03/2016 02:15

I do think you were being a bit precious.

Also, that you felt it appropriate to have a go at a family when it was clearly a child holding the dog for a moment whilst the parents paid.
If the dad got annoyed at you, perhaps you were more aggressive and persistent in your approach than you let on. His daughter must have been upset at your reaction.

It's just a coat. Would you wear it walking outside? Then generally you may expect a bit of mud (which normally brushes off)

I accept that dogs shouldn't jump up, but the combination of a puppy (probably still in training) and a young child, probably needs to be put down to a learning experience for both of you.

BillSykesDog · 19/03/2016 02:27

TBH if someone asked me for money for dry cleaning in a situation like that I would think that it was more likely they had seen an opportunity to try and scam and intimidate money out of someone rather than a genuine request for assistance for cleaning.

You made the choice to get a dry clean only coat OP, not them. And I tend to be of the opinion that if you decide to get a dry clean only coat, sometimes things will happen to get it dirty and you just have to suck it up.

It was unfortunate and you deserved an apology. But not cash, and someone asking for cash like that for an incident involving a child would set my 'scam' radar right off.

Branleuse · 19/03/2016 07:56

you just cant go round asking for money or compensation from strangers in the street.

If you think you deserve compensation, you need to take them to court for it (and be laughed out of court likely)

lighteningirl · 19/03/2016 08:07

Yabu poor child to have to deal with your massive over reaction and sheer nastiness.

Fratelli · 19/03/2016 08:10

Yabu. Following them and photographing them was very extreme, not to mention creepy. Absolute crazy behaviour! He shouldn't have shouted so yanbu about that. They probably thought you were in there waiting for an opportunity to get some money!

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