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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU about the dog in the shoe shop

277 replies

GreatDaneBowers · 04/11/2016 21:55

NC because identifying.

In my town there is a kids shoe shop that also does haircuts for children. It's not a big shop, quite narrow.

Today I went in there for the 3rd or 4th time with my DD. And the owner/manager had her dog in there. A Great Dane. I'm not short and it easily stood ears level with my shoulder.

The dog blocked off the whole shop and stuck its nose in the pram, she made no attempt to call it off or ask me if it was a problem. I'm not scared of dogs but I'm not exactly confident of them either and this animal is beyond huge. I left pretty quickly (was going to browse and buy DD some shoes but didn't).

I don't know how regularly it is in there (I've not seen it in there before, but fairly regularly I'd say as it had been lying on the sofa in the hair cutting area, and had a blanket in the entrance), but AIBU to think that you don't want a dog that big just mooching around a shop that you have to take small children into? (Because haircuts and shoes require DCs to be present).

Obviously the blanket in the entrance is to signal that the dog is in there and I suppose people can vote with their feet if they don't like it (which I did). And I'm sure it's a lovely dog, but lots of children (and adults) are scared of dogs and even the most docile dogs could have an accident or snap, and this one is as big as a small horse!

OP posts:
2kids2dogsnosense · 05/11/2016 15:13

Actually toast - I can believe that. My daughters dane (male and very large, even for a dane) has a head that comes up to my shoulder and I'm 5' 3" - a bit of a midget, I know, but not very, very tiny unlike my friend who at 4'10" is on kissing terms with him whether she wants to be or not.

Serafina3 · 05/11/2016 15:31

I love all dogs, but years ago I was walking a friend's whippet in a London Park when, galloping over the horizon was one of those massive, slate grey Great Danes. When they're in full gallop they can really shift. It was after the whippet, but If I'd let the whippet go it would have legged it. So I just had to stand there, rooted to the spot and thinking I was about to get mauled by this huge thing with the slathering chops. Luckily it was quite friendly and just sniffed the whippet. But it's back was the height of my stomach and I'm 5 ft 6. It could easily have knocked me flat.

Aeroflotgirl · 05/11/2016 15:34

bounty I know, I was 4 and was trying to strike it and it bit me on the lip and punctured it. I would love a golden Labrador and feel that dogs are fantastic. My dd has ASD and would really benefit from one. But I want to be a responsible dog owner. That situation would concern measure has other dog owners on here. All it takes for a child to step on his tail, or scare it and and it could snap.

You have to know that any dog can turn.

Aeroflotgirl · 05/11/2016 15:35

Stroke it not strike, doh

2kids2dogsnosense · 05/11/2016 15:40

Serafina

The worry we have with BigBollox (not his real name) is the one most dane owners have - that their dog will accidentally stand on, or indeed, inhale, something very tiny.

Many small dogs hurl themselves at him yapping wildly and dancing around his feet - he's as clumsy as hell (though he looks very elegant) and it is almost comical watching him trying to keep his feet out of the way of over-excited JRT's and yorkies etc.

Almost comical because we'd hate for nothing to get squashed . . . .

2kids2dogsnosense · 05/11/2016 15:40

*anything - not nothing

sodding autocorrect Angry

Evariste · 05/11/2016 15:41

I actually looked it up and 24% of UK households have a dog!

I think if you start an AIBU about dogs the majority of people who click on it will be interested in dogs and come on to defend them.
I loathe them, I will cross the road if someone has a dog off it's lead and I wouldn't set foot in that shop.

WLF46 · 05/11/2016 15:44

YANBU. Dogs and children don't mix. No matter how docile a dog may be, they can turn at any time and for no reason. A friend got attacked by his dog when he was eight - it was a nice, friendly dog, had never shown any aggressive behaviour to him or to anyone else. One day he was asleep on the sofa, the dog wandered in and went for his face. Fortunately his mum was in the room and pulled the dog off him, but his face still has the scars to show it.

No dog owner likes to admit this, just like no parent likes to admit that their child may be a troublemaker, but it's the truth. Dogs are carnivores, their instinct is to hunt and to kill, and no amount of domestication can take that out of them.

teachergirl2011 · 05/11/2016 15:48

I would go out off my way to shop somewhere where there is a dog.

2kids2dogsnosense · 05/11/2016 15:50

So would I teachergirl

And for those people who hate dogs, I am sure that an extensive google search will probably turn up one or two establishments where they can safely go. Grin

maggiecate · 05/11/2016 16:03

I would probably be more worried about a terrier/dachshund type around kids than a great dane, which are generally very placid and patient dogs - it's a noted characteristic of the breed. They can be lumbering so I can imagine in a confined space the owner could find her stock being knocked over, and drool so maybe not ideal to have it looking into the pram. But given the choice between a great dane and a yorkie around a baby, I'd take the great dane every time.

Oliversmumsarmy · 05/11/2016 16:05

My cat would love to be a shoe shop cat. He likes to stick his face into which ever shoes you have just taken off and take a deep inhale

AlphaBites · 05/11/2016 17:14

WLF - I have read some crap on here at times but that takes the biscuit.

Healthy dogs do not just turn for no reason. They do give signs of not being happy before hand but many people are not able ignore it to see them.

Dogs and children can and do mix well, Ddog is very well loved here and mixes happily and easily with children. They know when he takes himself off to his room, he has had enough and not to bother him anymore. It's like anything with animals and children - they need boundaries.

merrymouse · 05/11/2016 17:20

They know when he takes himself off to his room, he has had enough and not to bother him anymore. It's like anything with animals and children - they need boundaries.

Random strangers walking into a busy shop don't necessarily know this.

Again, this shop owner may be very responsible and experienced (although, again, dog's head near baby's face sounds a little worrying).

However, strange children and strange dogs only mix well when carefully supervised by a responsible and knowledgeable owner.

Mummyoflittledragon · 05/11/2016 17:24

Did you read my posts Alpha about how dd was attacked without provocation and zero warning? I don't think you know as much about dogs as you think.

Mummyoflittledragon · 05/11/2016 17:29

Moreover Alpha you sound like the sort of person, who would shout at me as some dog owners did when I was teaching dd not to just go up to dogs as not all dogs are friendly. Considering she'd been attacked at 15 months, my heightened apprehension was understandable. But apparently it wasn't ok to stop dd approaching random dogs as we were walking along whilst explaining some dogs can mean and may bite so we have to ask the owners first.

Aeroflotgirl · 05/11/2016 17:45

I agree with Mummy, Alpha you are the one talking rubbish, and minimising what can happen, others like myself on here, have had first hand experiences.

Mummyoflittledragon · 05/11/2016 17:48

Thanks Aeroflot. I read what happened to you. I'm sorry you were attacked as a child. Some people are clueless.

Aeroflotgirl · 05/11/2016 17:49

Any dog can turn, you cannot be 100% that they cannot. I have read of other wise docile dogs, turning suddenly. It is very wise to teach children not to go up to random dogs and touch them, you do not know the dog, and their temperament. Some are nervous, some are aggressive, otters are not! A good dog owner will understand this.

Aeroflotgirl · 05/11/2016 17:50

I agree, some are not as informed as they would think they are.

AllThePrettySeahorses · 05/11/2016 17:53

I'm sorry for all the people who have been bitten. :(

I grew up with dogs and all my family had them. I don't think they make good pets compared to, say, almost every other animal generally kept as pets.

And it isn't a case of 'some dogs smell'. All dogs smell. They stink. Dog owners are just used to their dog's smell. (if this looks like I'm picking a fight with one poster it's genuinely not my intention, just really disagree with that statement).

NavyandWhite · 05/11/2016 17:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Aeroflotgirl · 05/11/2016 17:55

Mabey the dog that bit me was unhappy and stressed, but I was 4 and wasent to know. The adults shoukd have told me to keep a distance from the dog as they don't like being boxed in. In the shop, the owner should have recalled the dog, instead of allowing him to sniff inside the babies pram where the baby is, not responsible at all!

Aeroflotgirl · 05/11/2016 17:57

No it isent Navy don't be so silly, I love dogs, but I also know that you have to be responsible with them, to do that, you have to know that they can snap!

Mummyoflittledragon · 05/11/2016 17:57

No it's not about dog bashing Navy. Nothing could be further from the truth. It's about some people not understanding that a dog is an animal, not a fur baby. Do you always get so defensive when others disagree? Hmm

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