Dog snatched babies sandwich

[IsithormonesoramIamadcow]

AIBU to think that it's not unreasonable to ask someone to put their dog on a lead....

When it's just come over to a family sitting on a bench having a picnic and chomped the sandwich out of a 17month olds hand - the whole of DS arm was inside the dogs mouth although the dog didn't actually 'bite' him.

I jumped up, shouted at the dog and asked the owner to put him on a lead. Explained he had just taken my DS hand as well as the sandwich. Dog owner paid no attention until DH lost his shit and threatened to deal with the dog himself... by which time our lovely relaxing afternoon had evaporated. Am I supposed to just be glad that DS still has all his fingers?

I am fed up with people saying their badly behaved off lead dogs are 'really friendly'. How am I supposed to know which ones are and which ones aren't.

Same happened to us last year but rather than choosing ti "chomp an arm" the dog continued to tread all over picnic and jump all over DD1 who is terrified of dogs anyway. Dog owner eventually arrived a few mins later out of breath from chasing him. It drives me round the bend the amount of dogs off leads. If it was my dog I would want it in a lead to keep it safe! But people don't seem to care and I frequently see them scaring children or having near misses running out of the park into car park/road. I'd like to see stricter rules on leads really but doubt they would ever be implemented.

Some dog people are just bonkers.

Around here, you are at more risk from the seagulls! They will land on children' laps and nick their food.
To be honest this worries me with my pup, can see her trying to crash a picnic or 2. More on lead time I think for her in the summer!

I hate the 'don't worry, he's friendly' which is exactly what the owner said to my son moments before it bit his face! Luckily no major damage. Doesn't matter how friendly your dog appears to be, they are all unpredictable imo.

Are people seriously complaining that the dad lost his shit? If my baby's arm went in a dogs mouth I'd lose my shit. Perhaps they'd prefer him to do nothing and let the dog maul the baby and have a good cry after?

My lurcher did this once whilst on a lead . Not a child's arm just a sandwich. I was mortified and apologised profusely because he was ill on steroids and extra hungry. But the family were not very appreciative of my apology. But it taught me that when I thought he was asleep under a tablet I should watch him more. Also I warned my vet that he knows the word gentle but seems to have lost his manners since he has cancer but she still stuck her fingers in a tin of dog food to give him a treat and then winced when he grabbed the food. I did warn her though.

OP

You are in the right.

I am an animal trainer with dogs and horses being my specialities.

It is completely unacceptable for a random dog to steal from your child.

I am also very concerned because on the Puppy Threads on here folk are complaining about their 5 and 6 month old puppies being 'bitey'! and they are just putting up with it! I wouldn't tolerate a 'bitey' puppy past 12 weeks and most probably the pup would have been put in it's proper place by 10 weeks.

There's a massive difference between a 'bitey' pug and a 'bitey' Dobby but both can kill. These folk are contributing to the vicious dogs issue by not facing in head on.

No puppy/dog should think that it is ok to rob/steal from a human/regardless how tiny the human is.

The suggestion of kicking a dog is downright stupid. If you kick a dog you've attacked it and you can expect to be attacked back and it wouldn't be the dogs fault either.

My golden retriever once stole a sandwich from a picnic. I was mortified but the people were really lovely about it.

If somebody kicked a dog in these circumstances I would be right behind them.

We had a lab when I was growing up,he was a greedy, food obsessed, gorgeous little horror - and as a result was kept on lead whenever we were around any other family, especially during picnic season.

Why this is so hard for so many dog owners to grasp I really don't know. If you can't control your dog when small children and food are around, keep it on the bloody lead!

I hate the 'ooh but he's ever so friendly' brigade with a passion. If you can't understand that people - and especially children - can feel intimidated by a large, slobbery, stinking animal jumping up in their face and snatching their food then there's no hope for you.

I was in the park today, with four dogs and was feeding the swans, when a family with two young children joined us. Of course the young children were excited seeing the dogs. I told the parents and children, which dogs they could pet, but not to go near the Yorkie, as he's a rescue and may bite. All very pleasant and I and my youngest return to feeding the ducks.

Turn round to see their youngest about to feed my rescue some bread. (don't get me started on twats that feed bread to ducks/swans ffs) I yank my poor wee arthritic dog away whilst mummy looks on adoringly, "but he's so cute". I told her between gritted teeth that I had explained he can bite and he suffers from colitis. Of course I was the grumpy lady. 😡

I would have been mortified if one of my dogs did that, op, and apologised. I hope your next picnic goes better.

My dog did this once he's not a lab but may as well be he's completely obsessed with food and I just couldn't get there fast enough.
Of course I apologised profusely and he was on the lead for a good while after that. Obviously it's the owners attitude here that's pissed the op off more than the dog eating the sandwich. He sounds like an arse.

Op my lab is a bit grabby with his training treats and yesterday stabbed a very sharp tooth right into the crease of my finger as he took a treat. Your ds was lucky he wasn't hurt.

As part of the Kennel Club obedience tests there is quite a lot on the leave command and leaving food specifically. If more people bothered to do a little training with their dogs there wouldn't be half the problems.

If more dog owners realised that being off lead is a privilege that has to be earned, not a god given right, that would make life easier too.

Right, so he didn't "lose his shit"? That was just a bit of dramatic embellishment.

We were at a country fair one year, had bought (expensive) sandwiches as a treat, an on lead dog took 18month dds food out of her hand as it walked past, owner even extended their fucking arm so dog could reach the sandwich out of dds hand and were "awwww look how cute that is". I get that dd was at perfect height, the dog was gentle and dd wasn't scared, but to loosen their arm so that dog can steal a child's food is taking the piss, no apology or offer to buy dd another sandwich, just lots if fondly smiling at their dogs cuteness.

I'd have seen funny side if it was a mistake, but they knew why their dog was pulling towards to dd, could see their dog couldn't quite reach the sandwich so helped him and then stood cooing over how cute it was for taking the sarnie.

Have had it happen maybe half a dozen times over dds childhood, I'm not making extra sandwiches for every trip to the park. We go several times a week in summer, I've better things to waste my money on than buying stuff for sandwiches in case we come across a dog with an owner who thinks letting them steal food is funny, it also wouldn't be appreciated by most dog owners I know, people have tried slipping my lab bits of chocolate, and then get offended when my dog won't take it. Even after explaining he's trained to not accept food from strangers, esp chocolate as chocolate can harm him, they still try and give him it.

We have a lab ourselves, he quickly learned he can't go up and take food off anyone, and wouldn't eat anything offered by strangers until dh or myself told him to. I love him to bits, but it doesn't matter how friendly he is, not everyone wants him in their space.

cant belive some people

bring more sandwiches get over it?

some people shouldnt have dogs stop blaming everyone else except yourself

I hate the 'don't worry, he's friendly' which is exactly what the owner said to my son moments before it bit his face!

Same with me.
Was on college placement when I was 17 and was meant to be with a family with two young DC, went to meet them few weeks before hand they brought their Rottweiler out to "meet" me so that it would it know who I was etc, but not to worry as its friendly. They brought him out on a leash and it pulled Mum jumped up on me and had me pinned by shoulders on couch, it growling inches away from my face. I asked the parents to please pull it off me as I wasn't comfortable and was again told, it's being friendly, two seconds later, half of my tutors face was ripped off. I'm not exaggerating either. The skin from bottom half of her face was all gone.

They still didn't move dog out of room, their little DC were sat next to me, in hysterics, which was making the dog worse and trying to get at us. Dad eventually took dog out when I phoned ambulance and was told to ring police too. I gave tutor first aid, calmed the DC, while Mum and Dad still insisted it was a friendly dog!

I can't remember getting in the ambulance with tutor, she says I passed out. I was wary of dogs for a long time after that, strange knew would approach me and I'd get awful flashbacks the minute I'd hear "don't worry he's friendly". I used to explain why I was nervous thinking they'd understand and stop their dog jumping at me, but it didn't, they'd say I had to "face my fears" and continue to allow their dog to jump on me, trying to force me to stroke it etc.

I know how stupid I'll sound but it really affected me to the point I'd freeze if I saw an unfamiliar dog charging at me, I'd detour to avoid walking past an off leash growling dog.

I'm mostly fine now, only get flashbacks when I hear "don't worry he's friendly" from a growling dog's owner.

Yanbu l have a food obsessed lab and he would always be on a lead in these circumstances.

Dogs like food and people, especially friendly well socialised dogs and humans. The ones who don't see the funny side are neither friendly nor well socialised. They are often sour faced grim-a-trons who are too scared for their own health and well being. Lighten up, it's a sandwich or ice cream. Note... I am not referring to aggressive animals, pack more sarnies and share the with dogs and ducks.

This is fucking ridiculous. I wouldn't be friendly if you took this attitude with my kid, no. I would be telling you to fuck right off with your badly trained horrible dog.

Every dog has its weakness. My dog has good recall, but if someone flaunts food at her (and she has a very lax definition of what "flaunting" is) she finds it utterly irresistible. That's why if I spot anyone having a picnic in the distance, she'll go on the leash.

In occasions I may miss someone with food on their hands or the picnic will appear after a hill and it will be too late. A couple of times she has tried to get food and I will always apologise profusely and offer to replace food if possible. It is part of life. I have had a child come to me and put her hand on my plate to steal some of my chips. i saw the funny side, although i don't like snotty hands on my food either.

Having said that, if somebody kicked my dog, then they better be ready to end up on their arse. By me, not by my dog.

It is part of life
Fuck that. It may be part of your life, but you do not get to impose it on others. I love dogs, but I think I despise quite a lot of dog owners.

Babyroobs. On first reading, I thought you posted. Londoners are known for being greedy.

God I do love dogs but they're little shits at times! It was very silly of the owners to leave it off the lead in a place with toddlers eating.

I

I have a very large dog who is terrible for getting over excited around other people. He's a difficult dog due to his history...so as a result, we walk him where there won't be other people.

When my DC's friends come to play, the dog is tied up in the garden and the DC are told not to go near him.

Not because he bites but because he jumps up and has really strong paws with long claws....I don't want him hurting or even scaring any kids.

He's been trained etc but he's a Marremma and they're notoriously wild.

I'd NEVER let him near children un leashed.