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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be cross with 'dog people'

128 replies

kensausage13 · 20/05/2016 23:27

Ok so ill probably get burned for this but anyway...here goes...

Picnic with DP and DS at a local nature reserve, which is popular with families and dog walkers etc. Please note that there are signs everywhere saying that dogs should be on leads.

We're all enjoying our food on the grass in the sunshine and all of a sudden a massive, smelly, soaking wet dog lumbers over and proceeds to lick me and my DS and trample over the picnic. Said dog's owner scurries over, laughing and seeing that we had aghast looks on our faces said "oh dont worry...he's really friendly!" to which i replied "I couldn't care less if he was bloody lassie...get him on a lead!" Dog owner then throws me a filthy look, tuts, and leads soggy dog away saying "come on darling, clearly not everyone here likes dogs"

Now, im not anti-dog by any stretch, but AIBU to think that this is bang out of order and 'dog folk' should realise that not everyone loves their hairy beasts, especially when they are dripping pond water over their scotch eggs?!! Wink

This isn't the first time i have experienced this type of arrogance either. Like people letting their dogs sniff about at my DS when he was tiny in his pram...or letting them jump up when going to their houses.

Opinions please? Smile xxx

OP posts:
Alisvolatpropiis · 20/05/2016 23:44

You thought you'd be flamed, really? Are you a very brand new poster or something Hmm

WorraLiberty · 20/05/2016 23:45

worra surely it isn't quite warm enough yet. I mean we have had a bit of sun but not enough to warrant a thigh to ankle shave

True.

I'm waiting for warmer weather so I can tour National Trust properties and shave my legs in the middle of other people's picnics.

Just so dogs don't get all the complaints.

Original poster
kensausage13 · 20/05/2016 23:45

My first post actually and I'm beginning to wish i hadn't Blush

OP posts:
LyndaNotLinda · 20/05/2016 23:45

Are there really any dog people who would think this is okay? Confused

Then again, they're probably the cunts who let their dog run over to our picnic last year and snaffle a sausage roll.

Dogs off leads + picnics = trouble

PinkyOfPie · 20/05/2016 23:45

multivac TBF I've seen people talk to their dogs like they are engaging in an actual 2-way conversation. I would LOVE IT if a dog ever talked back

fatmomma99 · 20/05/2016 23:46

I do get what you're talking about, and I'm not going to flame you. You might flame me. I'm the reverse of your thread, I think.

I walk my dog in a "wild" place, but it's very near a (really quite big) park. The park specifies dogs need to be under control, but at the bottom of the park there's a river and a bridge over it and where I walk my dog (other side of the bridge) it's farmland (there are cows and lots of stinging nettles).
We walk our dog 2 or 3 times a day every day. Rain, wind, snow, sleet.

When the weather gets nice, it gets busier, with the more adventurous park users coming over the bridge with their picnics.

My dog does similar to the one you encountered (she's not a swimmer, so she's not wet, but she is quite fragrant). And she makes me laugh too because she always does the same thing.... she runs up to picnic-ers looking eager and peckish, they don't give her any food and she walks a short distance away and pees in a disgruntled fashion.

Sometimes picnic-ers are amused, they often apologise to her (she is ungracious), sometimes they're horrified (and I do intervene quickly and drag her away if I can see they're scared or hate dogs).

They almost all leave litter behind. Not all, obvs, because not all picnic-ers are the same, and varying quantities. And, to be fair, it's only been twice where they've left the broken glass from the bottles they've found amusing to smash where the dogs and the children and the ducks and the swans and the herons and the deer and the other picnic-ers and the fishermen (who - trust me - hate my dog more than you do, because she's scared of them, so she barks at them). But then, you're only there occasionally, and we're there every day, picking up the litter that's been left behind.

Sparklingbrook · 20/05/2016 23:47

How did you know you might be flamed?

multivac · 20/05/2016 23:48

Oh, I've talked to my dogs in an anthropomorphic way, of course. I've just never felt the need to pretend I'm in a really crap 1950s movie whilst doing it.

GraysAnalogy · 20/05/2016 23:49

PinkyOfPie It's hard to read, I should have followed it up with a Wink ha

Lockheart · 20/05/2016 23:51

NO-ONE thinks this is OK except utter twats. The dog is pretty much incidental when you're dealing with one of those because they'll fuck up your day regardless.

StickTheDMWhereTheSunDontShine · 20/05/2016 23:51

YANBU about this eejit, but you've probably already gleaned that not all dog owners are that ridiculously selfish.

Usual · 20/05/2016 23:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GraysAnalogy · 20/05/2016 23:52

worra shave your shavings, you never know when you might need them to stuff a pillow or use them as an exciting topping for a dinner party.

On the topic of talking to dogs, I sing to mine all the time. I swap words of popular songs for his name and sing during the day. Ohhhh * Doo, I wanna be like you oo oooo

GraysAnalogy · 20/05/2016 23:52

SAVE not shave

GraysAnalogy · 20/05/2016 23:55

I read a thread recently on reddit. It was based in US and in a dog park where they state no dogs under x age and no picnics. Family of 5 decide to set up camp with a picnic and are traumatised when a dog comes sniffing near them. They posted to /r/legaladvice (presumably trying to sue for the cost of a scotch egg and hurt feelings) and got told to 'pound sand'. I wish we had dog parks.

Original poster
kensausage13 · 20/05/2016 23:57

SticktheDM i absolutely know that all dog owners arent like this and clearly should have worded my post better/used a different title.
The point of me asking was that some of my friends think im overreacting and i was seeking some opinions on the matter.

OP posts:
fatmomma99 · 20/05/2016 23:58

Gadzooks! When I typed my message there were 6 posts. Was mine really so long???

Worra, I really, really want you to know I'm typing this with deliciously smooth shins (but don't go above the knee - it's not summer yet... there are still bluebells!)

We got aforementioned picnic-hopeful when DD was 7, and she used to talk to the dog, so I used to talk back (in a growly voice). So DD used to say "I love you fatmomma dog" and I would say "I love you fatmomma daughter" and she would say "I love you too", so I kept doing it. And I did to to DH, and HE would reply to dog. And then he did it to me and I reply to dog. Sorry if this makes us creepy and odd. If it helps, on principal, the dog never says anything very deep and meaningful (7 yr old DD was on the brink of discussing her problems with the dog, and I didn't want to go there, so I always kept it light), so dog "talks" about loving us, wanting snacks and affection, saying DD is her bff and giving fashion advice (the dog mostly wears brindle, which - by coincidence - is the same colour as the dog)

TwirlsInTwirlsOutAgain · 21/05/2016 00:00

Come on darling, clearly not everyone likes dogs

Yeah ^^ really though?"

I can well believe that sentence happened. I was sat in the park with a good book on a nice hot sunny day last summer and a dog came bounding over to me and proceeded to try sniffing and poking at me so I got up and walked away.
Twat owner came up and said "come on dog name, some people don't appreciate you being friendly and dogs"
Some people don't WANT dogs jumping at them or sniffing/licking whatever. Shall I just send my toddler in to the middle of your picnic or to try randomly licking you and laugh it off as "being friendly?"

usual · 21/05/2016 00:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Originalfoogirl · 21/05/2016 00:02

fatmomma99

I have a 7 year old who is deathly afraid of dogs, if your dog off a lead came anywhere near our picnic, she would seriously lose it and that would pretty much be her terrified for the rest of the day. The only thing we can do so far (and we are working on it) is to reassure her the dog she can see is on a lead. If the pro says leads on, surely that applies to the whole park, not just the bits you deem to be more suitable for most people? I didn't realise we were expected to stake out any venue for outings on the week prior, in all weathers to see if we were allowed to go there on a nice day.

And, you do realise if your dog is off the lead anywhere near farm animals, the farmer has the right to shoot it if he deems it to be a threat?

Oh, don't tell me, your dog would never chase cows. 🙄

echt · 21/05/2016 00:04

I clicked on this thread thinking it would be about people who describe themselves as dog people as opposed to those who identify as cat people.

I'll get me coat.

GabsAlot · 21/05/2016 00:04

ynbu-my mum was petrified of dogs so many times dogs used to come up to her (they seemed to lover her) and she would freak out

owner would always say oh dont worry my dogs friendly-my mum couldnt give a shit she was so scared and some people dont seem to even think before they let their dog off its lead

Lockheart · 21/05/2016 00:12

Sorry, I can believe there was an ignorant dog owner who ignored the signage, and they were very U for that, but after that you've lost me. Its amazing how many rampaging feral dogs the people of MN come across. Don't know where the fuck you lot live that these things happen so often but I recommend moving, because it's not normal and it's not ok.

However I suspect there is a tendency to embellish in order to elicit the right responses.

shinynewusername · 21/05/2016 00:13

Originalfoogirl "Under control" and "on a lead"are different things. Totally agree with you that dogs should be on a lead in designated areas. But they can be off the lead in "under control" places as long as they behave

MyCatWasRightAboutYou · 21/05/2016 00:15

At least they didn't poo on your picnic blanket like the tripod dog from one of the threads. Grin