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AIBU?

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Original poster

Keep Your Mutt On A Frigging Lead

209 replies

Psolomon · 06/05/2017 23:04

Out running canalside this morning and an unleashed dog came bounding up, tongue lolling maniacally, and jumped up at me, frenziedly snuffling at my sweaty snatch whilst I frantically tried to side-step its mangy mass. I thundered at its owner: 'Get this thing off me!' and hurled a couple of panicky expletives (I'm not a lover of dogs and to have one jump up whilst running was scary).

AIBU to think far too many dog owners think the world ought to love their mutt? Surely a dog should be controlled on a canal towpath? Grr.

OP posts:
Original poster
Psolomon · 06/05/2017 23:39

You sound....eight?

OP posts:
Travelledtheworld · 06/05/2017 23:41

We were on a remote beach. My six year old son was playing by the waters edge and we were a little further away.
A car stopped and a big dog jumped out and ran down to the waters edge and towards our son, barking furiously.
We shouted to my son to walk very slowly back to us. My husband picked up a big piece of driftwood. He was prepared to kill that dog if it had attacked our son.

We picked up our son and left the beach.
The owners of the dog made some laughing comments about how the dog just wanted to play.

DutyCalls · 06/05/2017 23:43

I am a member of a dog charity and I can't stand owners who allow their dogs to be off lead and out of control.

Just last month an 8 month old pup came bounding up to my toddler, jumping and licking and knocking him down. Totally ignoring the screeches of its owner. I had to physically take hold of its harness and drag it back to the couple of idiots who were cooing over it, how young he was, aaaw he's still learning. Yes I can see that considering he's restrained in my hands, whilst you are frantically clipping him back on a lead. If that dog had turned on my child or husband then there would have been nothing they could do about it.

If you are going to let your dog off the lead then do so with perfect recall, or be willing to suffer the consequences of not being in control.

TakeThatFuckingDressOffNow · 06/05/2017 23:44

It can be annoying and scary for some people do have an excited dog jump up at them. Accidents do happen and even very well behaved dogs' recall can lapse.

You sound pretty aggressive, making comments about the dog being a "shit" and what you said about damaging the dog the second time it came over.

The owner apologised.

Let it go and NEVER take frustrations out on the dog.

TakeThatFuckingDressOffNow · 06/05/2017 23:46

Also please don't confuse dogs who are over friendly, excitable with aggression. OP didn't say anything about the dog being aggressive.

MarklahMarklah · 06/05/2017 23:46

A little while back in a local park I was having a picnic with my DD (6). She's a bit funny with dogs because where we used to live was a big parkland area; people would walk their dogs but not on leads and they'd always come bounding up. Often the dogs were bigger than her and hence quite scary. I digress...
We are having our picnic and have just finished, I've packed away most of the food. DD is sitting on the mat, with a box of raisins next to her and a toy. A dog appears out of nowhere and runs up to us. DD is startled and jumps to her feet. I try to shoo the dog away, and it grabs her toy and runs off. I tell DD to stay put and follow the dog which runs to its owner. Owner apologises and gets toy back (now soggy with slobber). Dog runs away from owner again and back to our picnic rug. I try to head it off as DD is now screaming. Dog grabs her raisins and runs off again. I put toy in bag, placate DD. Owner brings me soggy raisin box and apologises again. THEN she puts the dog on the lead.

There has recently been an incident where someone was walking another pet on a lead (not a dog but I don't want to go into detail), they were approached by a dog running loose which scared their pet. I don't know quite who to believe here. Dog owner says the other pet attacked them (the person not the dog), other pet owner says dog lunged at their pet and their daughter. Local fb page was full of people complaining about person with other pet - "fancy taking that out in public on a lead in a park where there are dogs running about." Yet nobody said anything about a dog not being under it's owners control.

FreddieFlowerdew · 06/05/2017 23:46

You sound really nasty. It wasn't the dog's fault, you should channel your anger and aggression in a more healthy way.

OrigamiOverload · 06/05/2017 23:47

Yanbu.

If I suspected one of my kids might ambush you like that they'd be held tightly by the hand or be in reins. And my kids don't slobber or have claws or sharp teeth.

So strange that so many dog owners should think they're choice to own a dog should impact in some way on the lives of others.

Original poster
Psolomon · 06/05/2017 23:48

Please don't tell me how I should feel about being jumped at by a strange dog whilst out running. And please leave off with the 'aggressive'. It wasn't me leaping at the dog and snaffling at its ball bag whilst it was minding its own business.

OP posts:
TakeThatFuckingDressOffNow · 06/05/2017 23:49

What was the pet????? Not a cat???

kali110 · 06/05/2017 23:49

take i don't understand taking it out on the animal. Take it out on the owners.
Though i also don't understand owners who think their pets are toys.
The same video is on my dh's fb. A little child using the dogs tail as a paintbrush and the parents laughing Hmm great owners.

DutyCalls · 06/05/2017 23:50

TakeThatFuckingDress

Over excitement in dogs mostly ends in trouble, whether it is with other dogs or humans... even worse when children are involved.

That is why 100% recall is so important, when you feel your dog is becoming out of control through play or aggression then you need to be able to call them back to heel... every single time.

It is fine, and oftener... some trained dogs are a wonder to behold.

DutyCalls · 06/05/2017 23:52

It is done... and often*

TakeThatFuckingDressOffNow · 06/05/2017 23:52

Sorry I thought you came onto a public forum to solicit opinions. If you don't like it, I suggest you get a journal.

Original poster
Psolomon · 06/05/2017 23:52

These stories of toddlers' safety being imperilled are just horrible. Such reckless and entitled owners. Bastards.

OP posts:
sobeyondthehills · 06/05/2017 23:54

I carry a spray bottle, which gives the dog a bit of a shock.

Although I do it because I have a reactive dog, wearing a big coat that says fuck off and have spent hundreds in training fees, and everytime I have a dog that "is just being friendly" sends my dog back 8000 paces.

I have a bad day with just being friendly dogs though

kali110 · 06/05/2017 23:56

Psolomon i'd say crap parents too.

Teabagtits · 06/05/2017 23:57

Yanbu - I have two dogs who are always walked on leads in public places and I too hate jumpy or relentless dogs, well more their owners than the dogs. I'm not scared of dogs but I am extremely wary after being attacked by a huge dog off lead last year. People ought to be more responsible for their dogs behaviours but you'll get loads of people irresponsible owners? on here who think it's ok to let their dogs do whatever they want regardless of how others may feel about it.

Original poster
Psolomon · 06/05/2017 23:58

The next time this happens to me out on a run I'm going to leap onto the owner, bury my head in their crotch and gaily pronounce I am just being friendly.

OP posts:
MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 06/05/2017 23:58

Goes with the territory these days. People can be entitled shits about anything. They can drive their cars where they like, drop their rubbish where they like, take their kids out of school when they like and have untrained dogs running about off lead as much as they like. Sad indictment of society.

YNK · 06/05/2017 23:58

I walk my dog every day of the year in a local park.
It always happens that as soon as the sun shines people appear with dogs that are never normally walked so they are untrained and unsocialised.
My two were attacked by 2 terriers last week. The owner was jogging past us when the terriers turned. He didn't even have one lead - idiot!

ThePurpleOneWithTheNut · 06/05/2017 23:59

It wasn't the dog's fault, you should channel your anger and aggression in a more healthy way.

Grin How exactly? Yoga?

YNK · 06/05/2017 23:59

That should have said dogs - I have 2.

DutyCalls · 06/05/2017 23:59

Kali

What are the parents to do when the dog comes running against their toddler over 60 meters... with the dogs owners screaming at them and the dog completely ignoring it?

MNHQ
DawnMumsnet · 07/05/2017 00:00

LEM, so is it better to make eye contact or not? I'm clueless (and admittedly slightly scared of big dogs). Don't hate them, Kali, honestly, just don't know how best to act when I'm accosted. Or thundered at. Wink

Was walking back from the local shop the other night with DH - we'd been out to buy milk (and chocolate. And crisps. Oh okay, and wine). On the pavement ahead of us were a group of people with a (huge) dog, so we crossed over well before reaching them. Said dog then starts bounding (thundering?) over the road, barking at us. On a retractable lead, it turns out, but still quite alarming. The owners called out: "It's the BAG!"

Um, no, we muttered in unison (very, very quietly). It's definitely the dog...

Anyway, can we please ask for a bit of peace and love on this thread - let's not let it turn sour, eh? Many thanks.

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