Who was unreasonable?

[FiddleWiddiRiddim]

Man and his son were in the park driving around two remote-control cars. A big dog was in the park off-lead, which is allowed at that time in the morning.

As they cross paths one remote-control car goes near the dog. Dog owner calls the dog over and tells the man and the son that the dog will pick up the car, run off and chew it if it comes too near him.

Man says "okay" and they move on.

Later, they cross paths again on a narrow path.

The dog owner calls her dog close as the man and his son get closer. The man/son keep their remote-control cars going as they pass so the car comes close to the dog.

The dog goes nuts, picks up the car and runs with it.

The dog owner calmly walks after her dog. The man starts yelling at the dog owner to get the car back. The son goes chasing the dog, which the dog completely loves and which gets the dog really excited meaning it runs further and throws the car around like a ragdoll.

After several minutes, the owner catches up with the dog. The toy car is very clearly knackered. The owner puts him on the lead and goes to leave the park. The man insists the dog owner needs to pay for a new car as the damage is her fault. The dog owner says she warned him about the car coming too close to her dog so he should've picked it up until they'd walked past the dog. Therefore, the damage is his fault and she won't be paying.

So, who's in the right? And WWYD?

[FiddleWiddiRiddim]

The dog owner walked calmly over to the dog because she knew that in his hyped-up state (after having acquired a new toy and thinking the son was playing with him) if she'd have gone quickly the dog would've legged it again thinking it was all part of the game.

What I mean about being well-trained is that the dog is really well-trained, well-behaved and has great recall in normal circumstances. But a toy car zooming past wasn't normal and that's why the dog went into play mode.

I'm not defending or making excuses. I'm not the dog owner here

The dog owner told the man she wouldn't be paying as (a) he didn't take care with the toys on such a narrow path around the dog even after she'd warned him and (b) her dog only chewed up the toy because the son chased him. She put her dog on the lead, walked out of the park and that was that- in her car and away.

The man then turned to me about her unreasonableness. He told me I needed to call her, get her back to the park and get her to pay. I refused. He told me he was going to call the police and report both of us.

[LaurieFairyCake]

You can’t control a dog in every situation. Dogs are taught to respond to replicable events.

That’s why we call it TRAINING.

Random shit that happens that’s totally unpredictable cannot be controlled by training.

There was a dog who ran off at one of the terrorist attacks near me. He ran all the way home. No amount of calling by the owner brought him back as he ran to ‘get help’.

Unless you train a dog not to pick up toys that run across in front of him you’re on a hiding to nothing.

I’ve trained my dog to drop chicken bones - it’s a replicable event in south London - anyone who knows anything about dogs knows how tasty a chicken bone.

[PuppyMonkey]

Enjoy your chat with the police then.

[Weedsnseeds1]

karatekitten they are both examples of someone not being sensible when using a remote controlled car, where the car came off worse.

[upperlimit]

I just cannot get over the cheek of the dog owner, how can you think that you are not liable when you had only just predicted the outcome of what would happen and then STILL not put the dog on the lead when that situation repeats itself?

[RB68]

Man was an utter twat full stop end of

[PandorasXbox]

The man with the car should have waited for the dog to pass knowing that it was likely to grab the car and run off with it. Idiot.

[MeAndMyElephant]

Dog owner is in the wrong. Parks are shared spaces and if a dog is likely to destroy other people's property, the dog should be on a lead. Warning people to stay away doesn't mean the dog owner is no longer responsible.

[Ibbleobbleblackbobble]

dog owner is right..... they were warned....they chose not to listen.......
if you were telling your child not to do something or there will be a consequence and they carried on.....what would happen???

[JoeMaplin]

The dog owner should pay for the replacement car. If the dog can't be controlled - i.e called and told to drop, then it should be on a lead. Certainly the dog owner should have held the dog's collar or put on lead when they realised the car was going to go past them. I love dogs but the dog owner is definitely in the wrong here.

[PandorasXbox]

The dog can be controlled. He came back when called, the owner warned man with car what might happen and he ignored her.

[Amaried]

Regardless of warnings given. Owners are responsible for Damage their dog causes
Honestly the people that think a warning exempts them are a bit balmy.

[JoeMaplin]

Yeah, but your responsibility as a dog owner does not end because you warned someone your dog may behave in a certain way. If you know it is likely that they will (as seems in this case) then you take steps to avoid it doing so!

[Laceup]

Dog owner needs to pay...I put my dog on a lead at the first sign of an issue

[PandorasXbox]

In that scenario I would have picked the car up until I was passed the dog. It’s my car, my responsibility. Anyone that took a chance of letting it go past a dog that you’d been warned would attack it if it got too close is to blame imo.

[WillowWeeping]

Dog owner at fault. Issuing a warning that your dog may behave badly doesn't absolve responsibility in event it does

[ShellyBoobs]

Honestly the people that think a warning exempts them are a bit balmy.

It’s MN. It’s all a bit barmy here!

[NataliaOsipova]

Both in the wrong and the man was stupid. But it's the owner's responsibility to pay for any damage caused by her dog.

the owner thought saying "it's OK, he's friendly, he won't hurt you" was all they needed to do

This one really gets my goat, by the way. I retorted in anger once to one particularly annoying lady "So's my husband. Is it okay for him to leap on you and stick his nose in your crotch?". "I'm really sorry my dog has leapt on you" is the only appropriate response in these circumstances.....

[Lazypuppy]

Car owner definitely at fault. Why would you drive an electric car closer to a dog, that's just cruel. Just wait till they have gone past then carry on. And they were warned. Dogs are animals and can get spooked.

If i had seen them early enough i would have held on to my dog just in case as he is the same, great recall but not if someone is chasing him, he'll just run further away.

[upperlimit]

You should be able to get on with whatever you are doing without interruption or 'warnings' so long as 1) in conforms with the rules of a setting 2) you don't fuck other people's shit up.

You don't get to just dish out your own warnings and absolve yourself of your own responsibilities.

[Textpectation]

Dog owner should have paid to replace the object theories dog destroyed.

[PandorasXbox]

If the twerp had listened to the dog owner none of this would have happened. He’s only got himself to blame.

[AlternativeTentacle]

Dog owner knew what dog would do and still didn't put dog on the lead. dog owner in the wrong as did not take enough action to prevent destruction. dog owner does not own park, and needs to wind neck in.

[Lazypuppy]

And i definitely wouldn't be paying! Their property their responsibility to look after it, nd you had warned him.

Parks are where dogs are going to be off the lead. If you're not happy with that then go at a different time or elsewhere where dogs aren't allowed off the lead. Its simple

[WyfOfBathe]

Dog owner is being unreasonable. Instead of warning the man that the dog might attack his car, she should have put the dog on a lead. Just because being off lead is allowed, that doesn't mean it's a good idea! There are no rules about not swimming in the North Sea in January, but I'm not going to give it a go.

I often walk my neighbour's dog. He's small, affectionate and wouldn't hurt a fly but he likes playing with small children.. so I put him on a lead when there are kids about. I don't say "get your child away or this dog will bounce on them!"