When people say their dog is fine and won't bite?

[marshamella]

Walking down the narrow road with my ds and hear a dog heavy breathing behind me. So I turn and tell the owner she can go infront. Her reply "it's ok he won't bite he's soft as anything" and stays behind us. With ds I couldn't walk fast so decided to cross the road when I didn't need to. Was this rude of her not to walk infront as she could see we were uncomfortable with a dog right behind us? I'd rather be the judge of weather or not I want the dog by us.

cosytoaster Nope!

Those dogs were breathing and moving Navy. Can't have them doing that.

I'm a dog lover and a previous dog owner. Unfortunately my little girl was dragged to the floor by a dog in the park so is very irrational when she sees a dog. I try to speak to her about this but it is very difficult when there is a badly trained dog bounding around her with an owner shouting cheerily she wan't hurt. Call the bloody dog away in these circumstances and get the dog at heel. I try and not instill fear into my child about dogs but it's really hard with the amount if irresponsible owners and badly trained dogs.

Have to admit I'm a bit judge about people who dislike ALL dogs.

Will clarify that with adults who dislike dogs.

(NoahVale I love your NN! )

Ah those famous last words of an idiotic dog owner. And no not all dog owners are idiots but any one that says their dog won't bite is. My uncle worked as a postman many moons ago, this was said to him many times after he had been bitten by dogs and once after he was very badly bitten. Dogs do not like postmen.

This was also said to my mother when she was pregnant just a moment before a dog bit her leg which as you can imagine really upset her as she was not just concerned about herself. It is not possible to know whether even the most docile dog will bite because they are animals and unpredictable.

That's rubbish, Steve

I read it on another thread but it didn't feel appropriate to derail that thread.

Oh!

I just got it.
NoahVale.Of cause! Very fitting on this thread.

So for all those that fear the beasts.. As asked previously ,,, what should we say to not end up on here... ?

Peoples examples are getting stupid now.. They were walking down a path and op offered to let dog owner walk ahead then was insulted when they refused.. No picnics, no dog parks, no wild dogs off a leash no evidence of a feckless owner ...

Why are people so stupid?

No idea, but there's a fair few on this thread already

FFS, a dog minding its own business walking on a lead - let's all leap around hysterically in case it starts snarling and savaging everyone in sight - or, and here's a novel idea, let's be sensible rational grownups

Call the bloody dog away in these circumstances and get the dog at heel

This dog was on a lead - under control - so your contribution is at best, ridiculous, at worst, goady

I like dogs in general, 'For the Love of Dogs' on TV last night had me in tears.

I like dog owners (like my friends) who pick up when people don't want want a dog near them and direct them away. Some people want DCs some people don't, same with dogs. DCs shouldn't be allowed to run towards people licking and sniffing, same with dogs.

Lots of dog lovers here going on about people hating dogs, I don't see that. I see an OP that wanted some understanding and didn't get it. My friends would just have walked around without any fuss.

I'm just going to leave this here.

In most (possibly all) States of Australia dogs must be kept on a leash in public areas unless signed otherwise. That is we have designated dog parks, beaches, etc but on public pathways and streets all dogs must be leashed. That doesn't mean some people ignore the laws but generally speaking most people comply as there are fines involved and roaming dogs get picked up by the pound and the are hefty release fees involved. As a dog lover (obviously) I think it's a reasonable expectation to have dogs on leads in public and in this instance where the dog was on a leash and the Op still feels a need to complain I think she is definitely BU

For me, it's not so much the actual phrase, "don't worry, he's very friendly/won't bite" that I dislike (as, in some instances that can provide at least a degree of reassurance) but it's rather the assumption on the part of the owner that because they have said that their dog is friendly it means that they don't have to bother to control what it does. It's all very well that the dog is friendly, but I still don't want it near me or jumping up at me, circling around me etc.

but I still don't want it near me or jumping up at me, circling around me etc.

Was this dog doing that? I must have missed it

It must have been in the playground bit, Coffee, the one I must have missed.

It's a stupid thing to say. The other day I was out with 20 month old DD at the park and the two little dogs who usually sit yapping behind a gate at a nearby house had escaped and were running around all over the place. The owner was located and was trying and failing to catch them and one ran over and started snarling at us. DD started to get upset and so I scooped her up only to be told in an annoyed tone 'They won't bite you know!'

How anyone with zero control over her dogs could think that was a useful thing to say I don't know.

Made worse by parents who encourage the phobia by asking dogs to move away reinforcing the child's fear

Ok, so next time I'm keeping my bouncy Goldie puppy away from someone who is likely to lick to death I should say
" he probably won't bite you but he is after all an unpredictable animal who hasn't bitten anyone yet but as we all know from downmarket newspaper headlines dogs DO bite people in totally unprovoked attacks and are perfectly capable of badly injuring or possibly even killing people especially a small child like yours so I can't guarantee anything - but I'm sure you will be ok ( hopefully)" would that be do?
My pup is always on a lead if there are people around and the only time he gets near someone is if they approach but as he wants to play with everyone he does try to go up to people so I feel I should say something reassuring , no idea what now though.
Don't get me started on children who come up and grab him though

I don't see any issue really.
Everyone has the right to walk on a public pavement,different people have opinions of what makes a pleasant walk for them.
Not everyone likes dogs and that's okay but this dog was on a lead.
As a dog owner I prob would have just walked on past, I don't like people being afraid of my friendly dog but I understand ( I would never walk too close to someone in first place) but once I was in front, I prob would have annoyed OP more because I'd have been stopped and starting for dog to sniff which would prob end up with them over taking again then me over taking etc etc.