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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dog snatched babies sandwich

342 replies

IsithormonesoramIamadcow · 02/04/2017 20:40

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.

OP posts:
kali110 · 03/04/2017 02:11

Yanbu op, the owner should have better control for you and her dogs sake, incase her poor dog comes into control with someone like underneath Hmm
Hope your little one isn't scared!

Chloe84 · 03/04/2017 07:42

AbernathysFringe

the owner may not have seen in time that you were picnic-ing.

No excuses, the owner ignored OP's request to put dog on leash and didn't apologise.

OverthinkingSpartacus

That's horrific. Wasn't the dog put down? Could you not have left that family?

Chloe84 · 03/04/2017 07:44

Also fucking tired of walking around splattered dog shit everywhere.

I love dogs, but dog owners need to have more respect for the general public and public areas.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 03/04/2017 07:54

That obviously happened lightning fast if neither you nor the owner reacted until the dog had the child's arm in its mouth.

And I would be surprised if the dog had taken the child's whole arm in its mouth and yet not bitten the arm, as it was obviously going for the food, so probably would have bitten by accident.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 03/04/2017 07:55

But then I once had a child grab a sandwich out of my hand when I was sat next to him at a train station Shock The mother couldn't understand why I wasn't amused

GraceGrape · 03/04/2017 08:04

In my defence, we were in dog walker's territory

I know this is a few pages back, but what is "dog-walker's territory"? Does it have signs?? I've seen a few places at campsites for specifically walking dogs but otherwise nothing. Just because a place might be popular for dog-walking, it doesn't make it any less a public place where people might want to eat a picnic!

My DD had a sandwich filched by a seagull last year. Obvs that's a wild creature that you can't do anything about, but dogs should be trained or on their leads around others.

MustBookADentistAppointment · 03/04/2017 09:05

*Grace
*
It's a big piece of National Trust land, where in one part there are lots of picnic tables, a cafe and some toilets. No one lets their dog off lead there. The other part is common land and left wild.

Of course, people are welcome to picnic in the 'wild' area if they like, but given that there's a specific picnic area provided I'm not prepared to keep my dog on the lead all summer in the wild area just in case. However, of course I would call them back to me and put them on the lead as soon as I saw a picnic...

LakieLady · 03/04/2017 10:07

My first dog, who was a saint among dogs and incredibly gentle, especially with children and babies, once mugged a child in a pushchair and snaffled a Milky Way. He was on the lead, too, it happened so fast I didn't even see it.

Thankfully, we were right near a shop, so the Milky Way was easily replaced, but the parent was really abusive and shouty.

I can't see what more I could have done really, apart from being psychic and moving the dog to the other side of the pavement.

ArriettyClock1 · 03/04/2017 10:17

I was walking my dog and his friend on a large area of countryside here which has a river running through it.

They both ran a bit ahead, my dog's inclined to stay very close normally but the other one doesn't. When I caught them up they were eating ham sandwiches 😳

A family were having a picnic and had left all the food on a rug whilst they went off to paddle in the river. When I walked past after my circuit (dogs on lead), there was a soaking wet lab on their rug scoffing more of their food.

BertrandRussell · 03/04/2017 10:23

"Thankfully, we were right near a shop, so the Milky Way was easily replaced, but the parent was really abusive and shouty."

Yes, I would have been too.

smallchanceofrain · 03/04/2017 10:28

OP YANBU, of course.
My dog loves people, especially children and is great with them but she's also an attention-seeking glutton with no self control and rubbish recall. She stays on the lead whenever we are out and about. However, I must confess that she is a lot quicker than me and damn sneaky. On one occasion she took a crisp out of a toddler's hand as the child crossed the path in front of us. The toddler appeared not to notice, neither did the parent. I just kept walking. Blush

PickleSarnie · 03/04/2017 10:34

Slightly off topic but we were once on a beach and a dog crapped on one of children's upturned bucket. Was actually a bit impressive how it managed to get it perfectly centred. But bloody disgusting. The owner saw and just kept walking, clearly didn't give a shit (unlike their dog). We had to tell after him and he, very begrudgingly, removed the poo and rinsed the bucket.

Saucery · 03/04/2017 10:36

This happened to us pre-dog days. Doberman ran straight up and stole a sandwich out of my sister's hand. We were really cross as the owner couldn't have cared less. Still wouldn't have kicked or threatened to kick the dog. It was just doing what some dogs do.
Our Lab once licked an ice cream a toddler was holding. The parents had asked if he could say Hello and so she sat nicely but the cone held right at her nose was obviously too tempting. I was horrified and offered to go to the ice cream van and replace it immediately. They laughed and said it was fine and the toddler wandered off eating the rest of the cone Shock

NavyandWhite · 03/04/2017 10:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StrangeLookingParasite · 03/04/2017 10:45

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.

Dear god that comment makes you look like such an arsehole.
And yeah, if your dog steals food, it may get kicked. So many hideously entitled dog owners.

xStefx · 03/04/2017 10:48

My 1 dog isn't well behaved enough to be off the lead, so she never is. My other dog is fine so I let him.

My naughty dog, ate my pasty the other day- took it off my plate when I went to get ketchup. BITCH I had the last laugh as the pasty was boiling and the poor dog had a sore mouth for the rest of the day lol
She knew it would be worth it as she only received a light tap on the bum for that and a stern look.

BlurryFace · 03/04/2017 10:48

My dog is actually very good about food, she will sit next to a toddler level with their biscuit or sit next to plates on a picnic rug with a tortured look but no snaffling.

However, I always put her on the lead when someone comes next to us in a field or whatever as you don't always know how she will read a situation or how people will react to her. Wouldn't be the first time a very small kid booted her in the face for no reason or a well meaning person lobbed her some food which could make her ill etc. If she was bad around food I would be extra careful as it's easy for dogs to bite by mistake when snatching.

NavyandWhite · 03/04/2017 10:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sneepy · 03/04/2017 10:57

I can't see what more I could have done really, apart from being psychic and moving the dog to the other side of the pavement.

I think it's common sense to walk between your large dog and a pushchair. Many parents and children will not appreciate your dog having access to their children's face--even if your dog is "incredibly gentle." It can still sniff, lick, and steal food. So yes, I think there was something you could have done: you could pay attention to what is going on around you and what your dog is doing. I'd have been pretty shorty too.

ExConstance · 03/04/2017 11:00

Yes, OP you are totally correct, but sometimes animals can surprise their owners. My first dog, Boots, was on a lead in a pub but still managed to do a vertical take off and divest a burley chap of his baguette. Even worse, and I did feel sorry for the poor child as it must have been frightening, former horse mugged a toddler in a pushchair of his ice cream. Of course, once warned this was possible I kept further away. Boots and Hamish were both very good natured, but extremely greedy.

DoodleFunker · 03/04/2017 11:00

Sorry but the whole of DS arm was inside the dogs mouth although the dog didn't actually 'bite' him.

Your DS is 17 months old? It would be impossible to fit the "whole of his arm" in a dog's mouth.

SlothMama · 03/04/2017 11:01

For a notoriously greedy breed like a lab I wouldn't trust it near other peoples food! It should be kept on a lead if they can't control it, could have been a very nasty situation.

I had a Golden Retriever who we could trust around food but not old ladies walking sticks (but that's another story!!)

SignOnTheWindow · 03/04/2017 11:05

I'd love to see compulsory licensing, stool sample collection and chipping, and a national DNA database to enable LAs to test dog turds and summarily fine owners £500, a bit like speed cameras. Dog ownership is a big responsibility and a financial commitment, if you can't afford say a £100 licensing fee, you can't afford to vaccinate and feed a dog.

^This. Oh, yes, THIS!

BadTasteFlump · 03/04/2017 11:13

I think part of the problem is that (some) dog owners in this country think of their dog as their baby and seem to forget it's an animal, with pretty basic thought processes and the potential to cause serious harm.

And then they wonder why everybody else around them doesn't see their 'baby' that way too Confused

ElsieMc · 03/04/2017 11:17

This brings back last week's foul mouthed abuse I suffered when a large off lead dog decided to attack my two cockers who were on leads. I had already watched the owner let it out of the car whilst she sat there and let it crap all over the beach where children were playing. When I asked her to get it on a lead her response was "what makes you so perfect". She called it off and still didn't put it on a lead, resulting in a return attack. She drove out of the village, sounding her horn around 20 times and gesticulating wildly. What can you say?

Our food one was last year when a large dog was let off its lead in a childrens' play area. It started jumping up at children on the swings, grabbing at food and snatching food from those having picnics and growling. I asked the owner to put it on a lead and she told me I was a staffy-hater. She then asked me where her dog was and it had run off down the beach. I then had to listen to an interesting selection of swear words whilst no-one else said anything. One couple then told me they knew I would get that reaction, but hey thanks for supporting me.

One of mine is a greedy pig and ate my rather lovely lemon drizzle cake last week. I try to stop the same fate befalling others by keeping the little rat on a lead.

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