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.

Many dog owners think their dogs are defenceless and innocent... until they’re not. I learned the hard way.
I understand you’re upset but she was protecting her baby.

Yanbu. Some people are just arseholes without a logical bone in their bodies.

"TBH, some dog owners will shout "oh he's perfectly friendly! Don't worry!" regardless of whether their dog is sitting down quietly or halfway through dismembering another dog.

The ONLY thing that phrase tells me is that the dog owner is clueless and poorly trained. And so is their dog."

This! Teach your dog recall or keep him on the lead.

I understand you’re upset but she was protecting her baby.

From a 4 month old puppy? How was that puppy going to reach the baby even?

Think people, think!

She kicked your puppy repeatedly?

Silly bitch. However I never let my dog off leash in a public place. Only in my garden. You do need to watch your dog op.

This! Teach your dog recall or keep him on the lead.

How do you teach your dog recall without letting it off the lead at some point?

Some people are incapable of thinking.

A 4 month old golden retriever is a decent sized dog, not a small puppy like the pics posted.

That's more like it.

In the pitch black would she even have been able to see it was a puppy?

It's difficult to picture what happened. Proper kicking, or shooing away with a foot? Kicking a puppy is of course unreasonable but in general people have no reason to trust your dog especially around a baby. Dogs off leads without proper recall do my head in.

I think I'll keep her on a lead at night until she's really 100% with recall.

Well yes, this.

People aren't obliged to like dogs, young or old, but you are obliged to keep your animal under control.

How do you teach your dog recall without letting it off the lead at some point?

by using a long line
by going to a fenced in dog run

don't let your dog off lead unless you are 100% sure it will come back to you. not everyone finds your dog cute. Oh for goodness sake - that doesn't happen unless you train your dog to do so, which is exactly what OP was doing while the dog is young. You can't just train in the garden as it doesn't represent a real environment.

OP I hope your puppy is ok, and you too. Put it down to stupidity.

Were you all in the park at 8.00PM at night in the dark ?

She was a vicious bitch. What a nasty, cruel thing to do. I hope your puppy is ok.

Yabu, keep your dog under control.

I always keep my dog on a lead because I can’t be 100% sure he won’t run off. You should do the same if he isn’t guaranteed to come back. However, you should keep him on his lead in that park all the time so that the scruffy bitch who smokes next to her baby is unable to put her manky feet on your dog again. You should have pointed out her smoking but I fear people who do it next to their kids are too thick to appreciate the comment anyway.

I'd never kick a dog, but they aren' people, lower down the food chain than us and let's face it some people treat them as they would humans.
Sorry, but play dates for a dog, get a grip.

Some dogs have a use like border collies, others are shit factories.
I wouldn't have kicked your dog but I'd have told you to get it the fuck away from my child.

I've rarely come across a dog owner who doesn't say "oh they're just friends, not an aggressive bone in their body" even just after they've bitten someone.

If she had the baby in the carrier, she was probably nervous that your hyper (your words) dog was going to trip her over bouncing round her legs.
I suspect what you're calling a kick was her putting out her foot to stop the dog getting too near.

I have a suspicion that op won’t be back.

Umm. You let your puppy off the lead at 8pm... In the dark. I'm. Sorry your dog was kicked, but as a regular walker, and dog owner, I'm frequently accosted by idiot dogs, and owners who say "he only wants to be friendly". I was bitten on the face as a child by a Jack Russell, and am quite firm. About dogs not being controlled properly.
I. Am an owner of bull breeds, so am aware of the reputation of poorly controlled dogs

I don't understand. Was shot kicking it or not?

It wouldn't have occurred to me for a second to kick your dog, but I would have been very upset at being approached by it and would have made this clear at a very early stage and asked you to recall.

A four month old golden retriever is just about the fluffiness cutest thing ever.

Anyone kicking it is a heartless soulless monster.

Unthinkable.

in the OP she doesn't say she even called the dog back, in fact she lets it approach people in the dark and then reassures them? i'm a dog lover by the way but please consider those who may be nervous around dogs.