To be upset at a woman kicking my friendly 4 month old golden retriever?

[Marshmallowpops]

I am so upset. I've just come back from a walk with my puppy. She's a lovely friendly golden retriever. I've been letting her off leash in the local park as the trainer said it's best to do it early. She is really friendly and loves to play with other dogs- she often meets them all for a play date in the park in the morning- there are always lots of dogs off leash in this park. Normally when there aren't other dogs she trots along beside me, sometimes going off to sniff but coming back when called. She's not too bothered about people but will say hello and sit down (not jump up) as she is trained to do. Today it was dark at 8pm and I let her off as normal, she just trots along and comes back when called. But today she saw two women, one with a baby in a carrier) so went over to say hello (she's normally not bothered but today was a little hyper), but she just trotted over like she does, really gently and not aggressive at all. I said to the woman 'don't worry she won't jump up she'll just sit down and say hello', but before my puppy had even reached the woman, the woman started kicking her away! I could understand if the dog seemed aggressive but she's the sweetest thing. She kicked her repeatedly, my puppy came back to me, I put her on the lead, and the other woman started having a go at me asking if I thought it was acceptable for my dog to go over and attack her baby. She was smoking a cigarette. I wanted to say that is going to cause more harm to the baby than my dog ever would but I didn't. I know of course that as a mother you are very protective of your baby but I just would never attack a friendly dog. Maybe they've had bad experiences in the past. I'm just very upset. I know not everyone likes dogs but that park is so dog busy that I thought everyone was used to it by now. I think I'll keep her on a lead at night until she's really 100% with recall. She's about 90% now. So I know there will be people who say I'm in the wrong letting her off but if she had an aggressive bone in her body I would never let her off.

Nobody ever got a chest infection just by going outside at night!

I feel bad for your dog getting kicked :( how sad

However from her perspective she was probably scared - she doesn’t know you/your dog. And not everyone will think your dog is the cutest thing in the world unfortunately. They might see them as a potential threat

I’m sure if a random, massive, free roaming pit bull type/rotweiller/german Shepard came charging up to your puppy you might feel worried, as you wouldn’t be sure of it’s intentions with your puppy. The big dog could actually be the sweetest, nicest dog alive but you wouldn’t know that in the split second it ‘hyper-ly’ approached your puppy. You would probably be worried and prejudge the other dog, which is what this woman did to you

Kursk
My son was repeatedly nipped by a very 'friendly' puppy which was as big as he was at the time. They do not always show aggression before biting.

@BlueSkyDreams "I do have a strong dislike for dog owners who use their dogs to inconvenience annoy and intimidate other people"

I agree. Any genuine animal lover will agree with you that it is never ok to use a dog to intimidate or bother others. I love animals and I respect owners who take their responsibilities seriously, clean up after them and keep them on a lead around others (who may or may not like them).

I have zero time for people who fail to look after their animals properly.

I think the OP made a genuine mistake, has admitted it and has noted it for the future.

I don't agree that unless you are specifically a dog owner that you find other people's dogs an inconvenience. This is an over-generalisation. Some people don't like them, yes, and a good dog owner will respect that and keep them away. But I have often had friends (non dog owners) ask to walk/look after my dog as they love interacting with her from time to time but aren't able to take on the full commitment of looking after one themselves. I encounter people all the time who make nice comments about her, want to stroke her or ask what her name is, her age. I think a lot of people in this country are animal lovers and are keen to interact with (well-trained, calm) ones.

I realise that it is only a certain percentage of dogs who 'work' for a living but I see this quite a lot in my work, my husband's work and in my local community so I do think it is worth pointing out. My experience of dogs is largely positive and we all bring our own experiences to this forum. I realise not everyone is as lucky as me.

My own experiences suggest, also, that people who genuinely hate dogs are also in the minority although I do live in a very rural county where dog ownership is very common so I do realise that my experiences won't represent the whole of the country.

You can tell by body language. Are the ears back or raised? Is the tail up or down, is it holding its head high or low?
I shouldn't have to pay any attention whatsoever to dog body language
any dog which has a propensity to bite needs to be muzzled and on a leash at all times in public

I feel for your puppy, and it must have been upsetting for you to watch, but speaking as a dog owner myself, you do need to understand that not everyone wants/likes dogs, and certainly don't want to be run towards/jumped up at.

Our puppy is 6 months old, and can still be quite jumpy and over enthusiastic when she see's other dogs/people, so we only let her off the lead when we're in open fields, or on 'dog walking' paths. Her recall's pretty good, so if she's off the lead and there are people walking towards us, we call her back and hold her until we can gauge whether they're dog friendly and want to say hi and don't mind her near them. You never know what someone has been through, or how they feel about dogs, and you can't assume that everyone is comfortable with dogs, you just can't. If some one is scared, they don't a strange dog running at them.

We teach our children (10, 7 and 13) not to approach another dog without checking with the owner first too, you never know what a dog's like, and they could look the fluffiest, sweetest dog in the world and not be ok to pet/say hello to.

It's part of being a responsible dog owner to keep your dog in check, if you can't then there are safe dog walking fields where they can run as much as they want, without scaring other people.

Willow children who are around smoke are more likely to get chest infections and even more serious things like pneumonia. Which is why I won’t allow my mil to smoke around my 2 year old ds.
Yes whilst going out On a freezing night won’t cause a chest infection it’s fairly obvious that it’s not good for health of a small child either. Is it really sensible exposing a baby to a freezing November night and smoke. No. Don’t think anyone would agree with that. Stupid and nasty.

A companion is not a living toy.

Thousands of people only have their dogs as a companion.

it's sad that you either cannot or are not willing to comprehend that.

I've never come across a dog owner, a do know a quite a few, who refers to their dog as a fur baby.

But I know people who are unable to have children and do have dogs. Why shouldn't they?

Kursk was answering a question, blueskydreams, so there’s no need to be rude about it. It’s a very helpful answer actually, as in RL there are dogs on the loose and those of us with children need to be able to recognise the signs that a dog is about to attack.

Flobella is right as well. I’m not a dog owner as my DH is allergic to dogs (2 lively little girls and 4 cats though! ) I also don’t want the commitment to walk a dog every day in all weathers!! But I do like dogs and don’t consider them an inconvenience.

Not really here to point the finger but having recieved plastic surgery to the face as a teen from a friends dog I can say my most anxious times were when I had my children as babies. Eg pushing them in a buggy in front of me (where a dog could get to them first) was quite an ordeal especially in narrow lanes. As well as when they were toddlers, being low down face level with dogs. I would imagine alsorts.
As for 'my dog wont hurt you' type comments absolutely grate on me.
Walking through a public park with many dogs off a lead would not be my idea of fun but if the park doesn't request them to be on a lead then I don't suppose your doing anything wrong.
However, i would not like to have been approached carrying my baby in the dark. I still deep down like dogs from afar but if I felt threatened I would protect my baby.

My sister was attacked by 'just a puppy' when she was 5. This puppy was also just being friendly and the owner assured us that the dog was fine. Same owner then started going down my neck for restraining her dog to keep it away from my baby sisters face after it had knocked her over and stood on her chest to hold her down.

I do not believe people, generally, when they say their dog is friendly because of this experience. Maybe thats unfair, but better safe than sorry IMO.

Was there ever a dog owner who did the right thing and took responsibility for its dog attacking someone?
A dog owner who didn't blame the victim for the attack, who apologised and showed concern for the pain and suffering of the Victim?

She kicked it away or she shoved it away with her foot?
There’s a difference.
If it had been an adult dog/different breed doing the same thing would so many people be saying the woman was in the wrong?

Blue sky- yes. My dog bit someone after snapping a collar and running off. I had him put to sleep after apologising profusely to the man concerned and consulting a veterinary behaviourist so I'm sure there are responsible people out there. Sometimes shit does happen sadly

I do stand by my statement that my dogs are at risk from people as much as other dogs. In fact I think people are very dangerous as it only takes one to complain or be frightened of them so why would I take the risk. Not only that but people are also unpredictable as proven in the Op! My dogs are over friendly but I appreciate that not everybody likes dogsso I keep them away unless invited.

I would be far less bitter towards dog owners had my experiences of dog attacks been different had the owners showed sympathy and been apologetic rather than trying to blame me and minimise the attack

To repeat I like dogs but I do not like dogs mess lying around
I do not like being bitten by dogs or jumped upon by dogs and I do not like having to feel afraid when I see a large powerful dogs running about or large powerful dogs on a lead where the owner is a small person who seems barely able to control the brute

Greyhorses, could your dog not have been muzzled in public, would that have not solved the problem?

Yes, my friend had a dog who had a long history of being nothing but lovely, around people and animals of all ages. One day she had friends round who had small children - one of the children approached the dog and grabbed at the dog's ear and pulled it - my friend jumped up and went to take the dog away but sadly didn't get there quickly enough and the dog nipped at the child (the child wasn't actually hurt). My friend had the dog put to sleep. She now makes sure that her dogs are shut in a different room if children (even children who have been taught to leave dogs be) visit and wishes she had done this with her previous dog. I have a baby gate in the utility room (it doesn't have a door - I fitted this specifically so that I could quickly shut my dogs in when necessary) where my dogs go if people are coming over who I don't necessarily know that well or can't trust to leave the dogs alone on their beds and I do this whenever anyone comes to the door like a delivery driver who might be scared of dogs. They are both ageing Labradors who very little but sleep but I know that dogs are animals at the end of the day and all it takes is one time for them to act out of character and that's it.

If my dog hurt someone I would have them put to sleep. It would probably be one of the most distressing experiences of my life but I wouldn't prioritise my dog over the safety of a human and I imagine that most decent dog owners are the same, certainly the ones I know.

They are lovely and soppy but I can see with my own (not rose-tinted) eyes that they have big teeth and I know they are very strong. I do my best to keep them and everyone around them safe. I don't think I am in the minority from my own experiences.

No, because it was too much of a risk incase he got out of the house or jumped a gate or whatever and hurt someone. I could never have forgiven myself. He was obviously in a bad place mentally to do that in the first place and the behaviourist suggested euthanasia as he gave no warning and was 55kg so not small by any stretch. This was a dog who had been showered with love and affection all of his life and had never had a hand raised to him yet couldn't cope with life for some reason.

See sometimes I feel as though your dammed if you do the right thing and dammed if you don't.

Thank you flobella I'm relieved to know that there are dog owners like you.
As I mentioned on this thread I was recently attacked by a dog and the bite has called me a lot of pain and distress.
The complete indifference of the owner to my shock and pain made the whole thing so much worse it's not that I don't trust dog's rather that I don't trust their owners
People have asked how we are to know if a dog is dangerous or not, for me the question is how am I to know if a dog owner is responsible?

As a matter of interest (and as a non dog owner), what are you supposed to do when a 'hyper' dog comes straight at you?

55kg!
Bloody hell !
I weigh 48 kilos, that's a huge dog

I am occasionally chased by dogs when I'm out running usually it's clear that they just want to play and run with me usually I stop and the dog stops

one girl was very scared initially and then I introduced my puppy slowly and now she is asking her mum for a dog

Another typical dog owner thing which pisses me off. Don't introduce your puppy to my dog scared child. That is not your job, it is mine. My girl speaks often about the one dog she is least afraid of and all the fabulously cuddly things she will do when she next sees it. Whenever that dog is even slightly near her without being on a lead she still goes nuts. We are teaching her not to be afraid, others just end up undoing what we have achieved.

Fgs, originalfootgirl, I assume it was with the girl’s mother’s consent if she’s now asking for a dog! Some of you are finding fault with everything for the sake of it!

Could you please train your children FFS and keep them indoors or on reins at all times, until they are a fully functioning well-trained adult?

It's a point of view! What I will say, though, is if one of my children ran up to you unannounced and uninvited, decided to wipe her nose on your trousers and stick her nose into your crotch before running off with some of your picnic, my response would be a profuse apology. I wouldn't roll my eyes at you and say, "She's fine. She's just being friendly. Are you frightened of children or something?"