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.

Bump

Damn! Beat me to it!

Woof!

For those of you wanting me to drip feed you some more I've just seen the lady who had the dog and had a lovely conversation with her (no dog this time)

YABVVU and you are not doing your child any favours bringing it up to be scared of animals.

No I haven't brought my child up that way! He does actually like most dogs but as this one was so big I suppose he felt intimidated

We were talking about my son who is starting school in sept. No I didn't talk about this post obviously

Why on earth should I want to bump this thread?

Because you're having a good time on it quite clearly

I am immediately suspicious of people who hurry to tell me that their dog doesn't bite.
Same as with men who immediately assure me that they aren't intending to hit on me, or worse, men who are of the opinon that women should be comfortable being alone with them because they are soooo nice and harmless.

I hate people who think they are entitled to making my safety decisions for me. Especially if they could change the situation to one that is 100% safe with little or no effort.

Thank you vestal exactly my point

Most dogs don't bite though. I've looked after approx 250 dogs in my job and only ONE has ever bitten me.

Dog owner probably saw you were a bit freaked out, and wanted to put your mind at rest. No biggy.

Yeeeah but all dogs are annoying though.

Oops.

Same as with men who immediately assure me that they aren't intending to hit on me, or worse, men who are of the opinon that women should be comfortable being alone with them because they are soooo nice and harmless.

Because that's totally the same?

So a dog owner should not impart any information about their dog? Or maybe just the ones with dogs who do bite?

If I see a dog I like the look of (ie not a yappy little thing) I ask the owner if I can say hello/stroke it. They'll either say 'yes he's friendly, doesn't bite' or 'no he's a bit nervous around strangers'. Which is helpful and I act accordingly.

Did this really require a post? No one was really being that unreasonable?

If you'd said, actually I'd rather you passed as I'm quite nervous about dogs, she would've got the hint and gone past you.

Some of us don't understand subtlety ...TBH I would have just thought, what a nice woman thinking that she was holding me up, and I'd have felt that I was showing great understanding in walking behind you and showing understanding....some of us are clueless. I don't think it makes us U

What Vestal virgin said - much more eloquently than me! (Although to the good old standard 'calm down dear' comments that my pp attracted - odfod, that's just as patronising as 'he doesn't bite'.)
I also get pissed off with the general guilt-mongering about non-dog-lovers bringing their children up to be scared of animals (which, btw, I don't do). Actually dogs are bloody dangerous, is their fear all that irrational?

Ah the weekly dog thread!

I've not rtft, but can I assume we have already had the 'I was victim of an unprovoked attack by a friendly family dog' 'another adults right to pursue a perfectly reasonable and legal activity is not as important as my right to have my precious and hysterical opinion pandered to' and 'all dog's should always be on leads regardless' posts to defend op's right to bu? But possibly not yet at the point where someone pipes up with their ludicrous and precious opinion they should all be muzzled.

No muzzling iirc but we have had dogs should only be working dogs on farms and stuff.