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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To demand people keep their dogs away from me on the seafront

999 replies

TigerPath · 29/04/2016 07:16

I'm sick of random dogs coming up to sniff me and DS or getting under my feet. All dogs make me nervous even small ones. And I hate it when they cock their leg on my pram wheels Angry

So now when a dog comes up to me or just before it reaches me I shout to the owner (politely but firmly) 'please keep your dog away from me/my pram'
Most oblige but a number are rude! Yesterday a woman retorted crossly 'but it's the sea-front'. I replied 'they should be on leads' and got a mouthful of abuse. There is a bloody great sign saying 'dogs should be on leads on the promenade'!! I wouldn't care if people kept them to heel but I don't want them touching me, my pram or tripping me up Angry

AIBU??

OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
twelly · 01/05/2016 12:44

I think it is important that parents do not transmit their likes and more importantly dislikes and fears to their children as this creates a cycle of feR often unfounded or due to myth

Winterbiscuit · 01/05/2016 12:51

Important not to transmit a sense of entitlement as well though.

kali110 · 01/05/2016 12:54

NeedACleverNN it's a new breed of nuisance dogGrin

FarrowandBallAche · 01/05/2016 12:59

My dogs are entitled to be happy. To run off lead in the appropriate area.

And as they aren't a nuisance, don't bite or jump at people they are allowed to do this.

Figmentofmyimagination · 01/05/2016 13:19

There's not much humanity on display from some of the more strident posters on this thread.

It's not so long ago, say 2000 years, that the dominant human philosophy was in fact animism. It was only when we moved from worshipping lots of gods to one God - in 'man's image' etc - that we started to see ourselves at the top of the tree. Now, the Christian part of the story has fallen away and for some people we seem to be left with this aggressive secular 'rights-based view of humanity which puts humans - (as long as they are sentient, and especially if they are taxpayers!) - at the top of the tree. This 'rights based' view of humanity is ultimately dehumanising and extremely unattractive.

Slowlygettingthehangofthings · 01/05/2016 13:19

If a dog is sprayed with hairspray/mace/whatever, kicked away or hit the only person at fault is the OWNER for allowing their dog to be in a situation where someone feels the need to resort to such measures. Some people don't like dogs - part of being a responsible owner is accepting this fact.
The word 'entitled' has been thrown around a lot on this thread but the only people who have behaved in an entitled manner are the ones goading the OP and Shining - frankly, you all sound like exactly the sort of arrogant, inconsiderate, irresponsible people who give dog owners a bad name and result in threads such as this.

NeedACleverNN · 01/05/2016 13:19

Oh no don't show that dog!

It's a large breed and could scare off people

Mishaps · 01/05/2016 13:34

I have a Dog Dazer - it emits a high-pitched sound beyond human hearing but which dogs can hear and hate. I am not happy about having to take this out with me - far better that dogs should be kept on their leads - for them and for everyone. But the fact is that there are dangerous and nuisance dogs out there and, particularly when I am out with children, I am not prepared to risk some of the things that have happened in the past.

Original poster
TigerPath · 01/05/2016 13:58

The Dog Dazer sounds a great idea!

When I was pregnant I was nearly knocked over by a big Boxer type dog. I was crossing the park and there was no owner in sight. It was friendly and just wanted to play, but it was boisterous and wouldn't leave me alone! It kept putting its paws on me, trying to lick my face, then shoved it's head up my dress and nearly knocked me over. It then ran off to bother someone else. No doubt the owner thought it was great with people and that it had a 'right to run free without a lead'!

Big powerful breeds ARE intimidating to many people, especially children.

OP posts:
NeedACleverNN · 01/05/2016 14:14

Yes.

To demand people keep their dogs away from me on the seafront
SoleBizzz · 01/05/2016 15:10

I want a dog dazer!

Shining12 · 01/05/2016 15:16

My dogs are entitled to be happy
you're clearly proud of your dogs Farrow and they sound well behaved...what breed are they?

kali110 · 01/05/2016 15:22

slowly oh yes because they haven't been particulary goading themselves have they?
Some people have said they would hurt an animal for purely coming near them.
I am not a dog owner. i still it is bloody wrong and if someone is injured after injuring the dog for mererly being near them, then no i have no sympathy.

Original poster
TigerPath · 01/05/2016 15:39

Some people have said they would hurt an animal for purely coming near them

Where has anyone said that?
I said I would defend myself and my baby if a dog jumped on me or the pram! If I had time to activate a compressed air-can or hairspray I'd do that, if not I'd kick, punch and wrestle it off if I felt it might harm my baby. What mother wouldn't? Confused

If the dog gets hurt its the owner's fault for letting it jump on people and babies!

On another note, years ago when my dad was hiking a dog ran out of a farm and bit him on the calf. Unprovoked and on a public footpath! He was carrying a heavy walking stick. He grabbed the dog by its collar and in his words 'gave it a thrashing'. In his day this is what you did to dogs who attacked unprovoked.

If your dog attacks or jumps on someone (even in play, since many people can't tell if your dog is playing or aggressive) it is YOUR fault for not keeping it restrained. Frightened people will lash out to protect themselves.

I've also heard of people being sued and heavily fined for letting their dog intimidate people on a footpath. There was a thread on here about a woman who jumped out the way of a (playful) unleashed dog because she was scared, fell and needed surgery on her ankle. The owner was fined thousands for not having the dog under close control.

OP posts:
DotForShort · 01/05/2016 15:58

Dogs are not required to be muzzled in the US. On leads, yes (in most public places). Muzzled, no. I think it would be very wrong to insist that all dogs wear muzzles. But I do believe that dogs should be on leads in public, with some exceptions (designated dog parks, etc.). It works well in other countries, it could work in the UK too.

Slowlygettingthehangofthings · 01/05/2016 16:21

You don't have to defend yourself to these people TigerPath. Some folk just won't see reason.
It would be interesting to see what they would do if an off lead dog went for one of their 'fur babies' - I'm sure defence measures wouldn't be seen as such a problem then.

parmalilac · 01/05/2016 16:25

Agree with OP completely. Far too many irresponsible dog owners around, ruining parks, countryside walks and beaches for others. I have had dogs run and jump up at me many times, with the owner, if they were anywhere near, smiling as if it's a lovely treat for me to have their pet slobbering all over me. Yes there are some responsible owners but they seem to be greatly outnumbered by the ones who think their precious darlings are entitled and have the same rights as actual humans.

Shining12 · 01/05/2016 16:27

It would be interesting to see what they would do if an off lead dog went for one of their 'fur babies

I suspect that those who are insisting on the rights of the furbaby to enjoy life and roam offlead have furbabies so big and powerful that no other furbaby would challenge them

StrangeLookingParasite · 01/05/2016 16:46

I quite like dos, though don't have one myself. I have certainly been jumper on, licked, growled at and scratched by other people's dogs. I can't believe you've never seen it, Farrow. I live in Paris.

StrangeLookingParasite · 01/05/2016 16:47

Dogs. Fucking autocorrect.

Slowlygettingthehangofthings · 01/05/2016 16:50

Very true Shining. However at 14 stone you would think that no dog would go for my friends great dane. However, the poor lad was bitten on the rump by an out of control akita, costing a fair amount in vets bills. The poor hound is so well behaved he didn't even snarl back. Had the akita gone for a child or even a small adult, it would have been a tragedy.

The akita is still roaming around, leadless and unmuzzled, in public places.

WaitrosePigeon · 01/05/2016 16:54

My dogs are entitled to be happy. To run off lead in the appropriate area.

And as they aren't a nuisance, don't bite or jump at people they are allowed to do this.*

Amen

Shining12 · 01/05/2016 17:00

an out of control Akita is a terrifying prospect, I remember seeing a jack russel attacked and killed by a pitbull, horrific

couple of days ago 2 jack russels came running out of a small park chasing a fox, straight into the road, luckily no cars about

I remember an acquaintance laughing as her doberman chased a man who was clearly afraid of dogs

a relative laughing as her terrier bit the ankles of a young girl who was running, the girl was crying, relative snorted 'she should run a bit faster next time'

NeedACleverNN · 01/05/2016 17:03

I've been bitten by two dogs.

One a large breed and one a small breed. I still don't think they ought to be muzzled

I DO think that any dog who is aggressive should be kept on leads though