Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think crying over a puppy snapping at your heels is a bit pathetic?

466 replies

outofthefryingpan · 26/01/2018 22:32

We have a 7 month old pup. A small breed which will never grow higher that knee height. A friend came round unexpectedly with her 9 yo boy and because husband thought it was our daughter he let the pup down to greet her when he opened the door.

Pup ran outside and started snapping at ankles of the 9yo boy. Pup chased him a bit until husband managed to pick him up. Boy crying hysterically in floods of tears. Mother (friend) then storms off in a huff and apparently then arrives home herself in tears. Friend’s husband then demands we “do something about that dog”.
I’ve apologised profusely but they’re still all really upset about it. AIBU to think they’re being a bit pathetic about it? They’re good friends and I really value our relationship as I’ve always thought of them as really sensible people. Can’t believe the drama over this 5 second incident! I could understand it if it was a big dog but honestly- it’s tiny!

I suppose if you’re not used to dogs you don’t know how to deal with them but am I really BU to think it’s a daft drama over nothing?

OP posts:
Flutterbyeee · 27/01/2018 08:29

I am so fed up of dog owners expecting everyone to just accept their dog's behaviour just because they are comfortable with it. I have had dogs run to my children and take food from their hands, had dogs jump on top of them in the buggy. I could go on. If you cannot control your dog, you do not deserve to have it. Your dog licks its bum hole for a large percentage of its day, I would appreciate if they kept their face away from mine and my children's.

strikingstarlet · 27/01/2018 08:31

Oh my lord, what is with the mass hysteria around a playing puppy!!

I'm not even particularly a dog person but the reactions to this are hilarious!!

I understand some kids are frightened of dogs but it's clear to me the reaction of the parents is where the boys fear has stemmed from...they are probably only happy if their precious snowflake is in a cotton wool padded room reading a book...

strikingstarlet · 27/01/2018 08:34

Furthermore...

For all these people saying "control your dog" "I would have kicked if" you are aware that the dog was playing and excited (because let's ne honest that all it was) on its own property...

We are not talking about a mauling in a public park!!

Context people!!

AliTheMinx · 27/01/2018 08:35

YABU! I'm nervous around dogs and so is my DS. We are not used to being around dogs and this would have been very distressing. Dogs don't have to be big to bite or do serious damage...

Umakemefeellikedancing · 27/01/2018 08:36

No it bloody isn't

Idontdowindows · 27/01/2018 08:42

Oh my lord, what is with the mass hysteria around a playing puppy!!

Except for the bit where it wasn't a playing puppy. The dog ran out of the house and "snapped" (euphemism used by virtually every bad dog owner out there for "attempted to bite") at a 9 year old and THEN wasn't able to be controlled until after a few attempts.

Ellapaella · 27/01/2018 08:42

At 7 months a dog is perfectly capable of not biting the ankles of anybody if it's been properly trained. Yes puppy's nip but bite inhibition has to be taught/learnt at an early age and a puppy should be trained not to jump up at visitors. It's possible to do if you didn't the time training with your dog. I'm afraid only lazy people don't bother and then end up with these exact problems. Not the dogs fault, entirely the fault of the lazy owner.

DollyDayScream · 27/01/2018 08:49

Instead of moaning about your friends reasonable response to an out of control dog, you should spend your time taking responsibility for your dogs behaviour, i.e by training your dog!

I see this all the time. Owner has out of control dog, dog upsets someone, owner has a go at the person the dog has upset!

ClaryFray · 27/01/2018 08:52

The boy could have asd, or a severe fear of dogs. YABU.

Control the dog!

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 27/01/2018 08:52

My 9 year old is petrified of dogs

It’s fine to have a puppy
It’s also fine to be scared of dogs , not pathetic .

paddypants13 · 27/01/2018 08:54

Honestly op, I think you're in the wrong here.

My 2.5yo ds is nervous around dogs because he's been knocked over by overexcited dogs. Your friend's ds may have had similar experiences.

It makes no difference whether your dog is large or small, a bite will still hurt! My mum has permanently damaged fingers from a Jack Russel bite.

I think you should apologise and maybe have them round to meet your dog in a nice calm way. I also think you need to knock your dogs nipping habit on the head.

LizardMonitor · 27/01/2018 08:59

The surprise element, the fact that the boy didn’t have time to assess the size and age of the dog...

You sound quite unkind to call him ‘pathetic ‘ and maybe this is what your friends are picking up on.

Did you ACTUALLY apologise or did you do the bad-dog-lovers apology: ‘he’s only being friendly’ / ‘he won’t hurt you’ / etc, that implies that it is only your PERCEPTION of the dog’s jumping up / nipping / slavering / poking it’s nose in your dinner that is wrong, not the dog’s behaviour or your dog owner skills.

cheshiremama89 · 27/01/2018 08:59

They are being unreasonable.

They turned up unexpected at your house, if you knew they were coming you could have put pup away.

It's a puppy, they yap and chase!

Good job it wasn't a larger bouncier breed! But a bit of chasing is just play!

I'd tell them to get a bloody grip and/or be polite enough to let you know they were planning as you have a new pup!

Bratsandtwats · 27/01/2018 09:05

windowswe are talking about a pup not a Rottweiler.

A 7 month old knee high dog is not that small.

Plus even a small dog can kill www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/11/21/telford-baby-death-week-old-boy-dies-after-dog-bite/

The OP needs to train her dog to be better behaved and under control.

martellandginger · 27/01/2018 09:11

If your dog had bitten a child of mine then I would have reported you to the police.

You clearly can’t control your dog otherwise you would have called him to heel and not have to man handle him off a child.

I know who I think is pathetic and who would have to work pretty damn hard to win my friendship back.

RadioGaGoo · 27/01/2018 09:13

I guess most people would think that after seven months, the dog would be properly trained and would not expect the OP to have to hide the dog away everytime someone called over. Certainly wouldn't expect the dog to just run out of the house and start nipping someone.

user1499786242 · 27/01/2018 09:16

Situations like this are why I have a horrific life long phobia of dogs which really effects me and made my childhood very hard as I couldn't go to beaches or parks where dogs would be...
Desperately trying not to let it rub off on my kids but when dog owners do things like this I'm fighting a loosing battle!
So yeah... yabu massively

echt · 27/01/2018 09:18

Where is the goady, provocative and unresponsive, OP? Hmm

Oh, and YABVVVU.

PipGirl404 · 27/01/2018 09:18

Going against the grain here & agreeing with OP.

I'd tell my DD to get a grip if she started hysterically crying at a puppy running round the place.

She wouldn't though, as she's not a snowflake.

Puppies bite, they grow out of it. Nothing irresponsible about letting a puppy be a puppy.

londonrach · 27/01/2018 09:19

Seriously. Start acting like a dog owner and control your puppy. I just hope that 9 year doesnt get a dog fear due to your terrible dog ownership. Yabvvvu

Pugsleypugs · 27/01/2018 09:26

I understand some kids are frightened of dogs but it's clear to me the reaction of the parents is where the boys fear has stemmed from

I wasn't frightened of dogs at all till the dog I've already mentioned did an almost identical thing to me that OP's dog did to that child. My subsequent fear was nothing to do with a reaction of a one of my parents so I'm not sure how it's clear the reaction of the parent mentioned in the OP is the cause of this.

specialsubject · 27/01/2018 09:27

Better train it before it attacks someone who kicks it into the middle of next week. As I would have done.

RosyPrimroseface · 27/01/2018 09:36

I don't "Share my world" with dogs, i tolerate them as an unnecessary, selfish, indulgence of other people - no need for them, unless you're actually a shepherd living in a mountain hut?

The onus is not on visitors to know enough about dogs to interpret whether barky yappy jumpy teeth-showing is benign or not. Not up to a child to familiarise themselves with your dog's adorable little ways.

Dogs jumping about near me snapping their jaws etc provoke unease.

luckylavender · 27/01/2018 09:38

Totally unreasonable. You don't sound like a very nice friend. Some people are really scares of dogs or just really dislike them.

SirWibbles209 · 27/01/2018 09:43

You need to train your dog properly OP. My friend had an awfully trained Yorkshire terrier when we were kids and it fucking hurt when it got you on the ankles. I usually love dogs but man that one was a cunt, it used to snap and chase and escape and was a tiny menace! Put me off small dogs for life tbh, I know it was the lack of training but still hate yorkies lol

Swipe left for the next trending thread