AIBU bloody “dog people”

[mumof2exhausted]

Ok so I know there are some decent, responsible dog people out there but AIBU to say that there are some absolute arseholes who genuinely don’t seem to understand that not everyone loves dogs?? My 4 year old was recently bitten by a random dog so understandably is little nervous around them. A huge dog has just ran after him in the park (double the size of him) and he was petrified. Dog obviously thought he was playing game of chase. I don’t blame the dogs, I blame the owners. They didn’t call him off immediately just laughed and shouted “oh he’s just being friendly”. This happens all the time. Another big dog jumped up and pushed over my 2 year old couple of weeks ago. And no sorry or anything. Again a “he’s just being friendly ha ha” and off they walked without so much as a backwards glance to check my crying 2 year old was ok. I don’t have a dog but if I did and this happened I would be mortified and would apologise immediately and dog would go straight on a lead. Nearly lost my shit today with the owners but honestly don’t think they would have even cared.

YANBU
We quite often see a man who has a staffie with him. It's always off lead and it always runs at you excitedly whilst the man shouts 'he's a big softy!... he won't hurt you...he's being friendly!'
I am nervous when dogs run at me. I don't care whether they are friendly, just don't bloody well let them charge at me!!
Those kind of dog owners don't give a shit about anyone else and are not good owners.

a middle aged man walking across the common who broke into a worried looking sprint when he saw my dog ambling sedately in his direction (he wasn't going to approach the man, it was coincidental, and he was still many metres away)

Ah,...so YOU knew your dog was not going to approach the man so the man should also have known that, for sure?!
That's exactly the attitude that some dog owners have that is the bloody problem!
As for those saying they don't know or met anyone who is afraid of dogs...you must only know a few people or are oblivious.

REALLY @gottagetmoving?!

My dog did nothing wrong, unless you count existing on four paws. We were at one of the most popular dog walking spots in the city, he was walking sedately in the same direction as me, perfectly under control, not bothering anyone, and you STILL think me and my dog were in the wrong?

Get a grip.

Some people on here seem to think that dogs should be removed from society because a small minority of people are irrationally scared of them. By the same token, motorbikes should be removed from society because my dog is irrationally scared of them, as are a small minority of other dogs. Funnily enough, however, last time I suggested this on MN I was told that takeaway pizza delivery was more important than my dog's utter terror at the mere sight of a motorbike, and that it was up to me to sort my dog's fears out. By the same token, sort your child's fears out. The double standards on here are incredible.

Has no one ever heard of live and let live?

I once heard that in France you can take your dog to the cinema!

Picturehouse cinemas do special dog friendly screenings - they're very popular and sell out quickly.

Have you been Avocados?

@Ruffian I've never managed to get tickets, and I'm 50/50 on whether or not my dog would manage to sit still around other dogs for that long anyway! I've seen it covered on blogs though (Londog / Dog Vine I think) and it does look good if you have a very chilled out sort of dog.

I'm quite a way from the nearest Picturehouse anyway, and would only be going out of idle curiousity - I had no idea anyone was doing that it the uk

Some people on here seem to think that dogs should be removed from society because a small minority of people are irrationally scared of them.

nobody has said they think dogs should be removed from society.

I think most of us would be happy if they could just be kept on leads in public places.

I beg to differ
I think most non dog owners are sick to the back teeth of the sheer arrogance shown by dog owners.

They seem to think they have a Devine right to do what the hell they please when out with a dog

Point in question- I live near a church and the vicar actually put signs up asking dog owners not to use the church grounds as dog toilets - not made the slightest difference, they still turn up like clockwork and allow the dog to roam and shit or piss where'd if pleases.

Oh, just for the record do dog owners ever stop to realise just how much their homes stink!!
If they knew they'd be mortified

Absolutely reek!!

We were at one of the most popular dog walking spots in the city, he was walking sedately in the same direction as me, perfectly under control, not bothering anyone, and you STILL think me and my dog were in the wrong?

Avocado The dog was walking in the man's direction. The man could see your dog was off lead. He has no idea whether your dog is ok or whether you can control your dog if it wasn't.
He doesn't know you, or your dog, so if he has a fear of dogs then he will react with fear.
I'm not saying you DID anything wrong...but...you seem oblivious to the man's feelings and from your comments, decided he was unreasonable!

Also I do wish that dog owners would stop describing people's fears as irrational.

Some dogs are unpredictable and some dogs do bite. Some dogs kill.

Just because it's your beloved family pet and you feel certain it's no threat - how is a stranger supposed to know that? We don't know you and we don't know your animal. For all we know it could turn. It's not an irrational fear, especially not to a small child.

And I would suggest that dogs which bound uninvited over to strangers have not been trained properly and are therefore more likely to be unpredictable.

In fact from what I've gathered through conversations with dog owners whose dogs aren't on leads, they say it's because they behave better off lead than on. So they are obviously not a placid animal and couldn't be trained.

I've seen dogs off lead walking nicely beside their owners, only to turn and snap at someone as they draw level, so to expect someone to assume that won't happen is ridiculous!

Agree, *aaron - it is NOT irrational to be wary of a creature with teeth that can and DO kill.
If you want to keep a dog, keep one - IN your home, let it shit IN YOUR OWN GARDEN. If you don't have a garden, tough - not everyone can have a dog. Why do you think the rest of us want to risk our safety with your dog, why do you think we want to be scraping shit off our shoes, bike tyres, pram and scooter wheels? I am sick of it.
And EVERYONE says 'he's just being friendly, he doesn't bite' - until he does. Not worth the risk.

And yes, your house stinks. Same as a smokers - you just don't notice. Everyone else does though.

Blimey Rhaps, you really don’t like dogs.

Shame. There is so much you are missing.

Hysterical much?
My dog doesn't bite.
She's well trained.
I always pick up. Every time.
My house probably does smell. I couldn't care less. I've waited years for this dog. I shall enjoy every day.
arron some dogs are actually worse on lead. They feel scared as they can't get away from perceived threats.
A heightened fear of dogs is irrational. The reason dog attacks make the news is because they don't actually happen all that often. (Especially not when you consider how many dogs there are in the country.)
A wariness I can understand. Nobody should be running up to strange dogs and flinging their arms about them.
The idea that all dogs are killing machines just waiting to strike is simply not borne out by evidence.

Chsrdonnay - i'm not sure that not liking dogs means you are missing anything

• people are much more interesting than dogs - you can have conversations with them and stuff

why would having dogs prevent me from having conversations with people?

What an odd thing to say.

I just feel that people who have all this hate can’t enjoy life to the full.

Your dog hasn't bitten YET.
This attitude that your precious pooch couldn't possibly be one of the bitey ones is EXACTLY why many of us are wary of dogs and dog people, and do not want our children around either. EVERYONE who owns a dog who ends up biting someone says they would never have expected it. You never do. But I do. Many of us do. And those bites/kills that 'only occasionally' make the news - one too many, and so utterly needless.

CPS, lol, what are we non-dog people missing?

A stinky home?
Being slobbered on?
Spending 15 years picking up shit in a bag?
De-fleaing our home?
Hair all over our clothes?
Money?
Freedom to travel at a whim? Stay out late?
A quiet peaceful home?

I don't get all of this hostility directed towards dogs and dog owners.

When I was a child I was afraid of dogs because my idiot neighbour's dog had come running up to my pram and started barking in my face. My parents still liked dogs and didn't let a shitty owner taint their views.

I also managed to overcome my fear although I still don't like large unknown dogs running at me, this doesn't mean I dislike dogs though.

Nonsense.

I know 2 people who have suffered horrific dog attack’s. The hospitised/ plastic surgery type attacks. They were never mentioned in a newspaper. I know LOADS of people who’ve been bitten by dogs, myself included 3 times. So it has to be fairly common.