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.

Smile would soon drop off if you told smirking owner it was a Nutella sandwich the dog had just snatched off you.
Yanbu, the amount of times a dog has run up to lick my dc and I'm told it's alright the dog is friendly and I retort toddler is a bit grabby. Oh it's fine dog likes being pinched, used to it apparently.
Sorry not a fan of dogs in general but even less of a fan of useless entitled dog owners.
I have however started to try and notice how many utterly lovely and we'll behaved dogs there are around, rather than focusing on the one badly behaved one.

Would you like a list of all the times children (and occasionally adults) have started touching my dog without asking?

My dog might not bite, but you have no idea about the next one you allow your child to run up to and molest. My dog may look calm at that moment, but if a motorbike appears he's liable to start barking and lunging at it - which is why I don't let children stroke him in the street. At one point there was a small, cute and fluffy dog that took a great dislike to children after one took a running kick at her - yet if she had bitten that would have been her fault

Ask before touching... Bloody "child people"

I really like it when people ask if it is ok the to stroke our dog (he is a breed that seems to attract a lot of attention at the moment). I really hope we are respectful dog owners and that despite our dog being a toad at home he is a pretty well disciplined creature whilst out.

I hate when people let their kids grab at my dogs. They are big dogs and both soft as shit but the parents don't know that and they just let their kids run up to them!

My two dogs, Bosintang and Gaejangguk, know whats coming to them if they disrupt anyone else's picnic

My two dogs, Bosintang and Gaejangguk, know whats coming to them if they disrupt anyone else's picnic

What's 'coming to them'?

Glad pp have mentioned children (and adults) thinking it's okay to approach unfamiliar dogs. Two way street i guess!

We spend a lot

YADNBU. My border collie is very nervous around people or dogs she doesn't know, and though she loves to run off lead I would never let her loose where there were people around. She knows better than to leap at anyone as well. I keep her on a lead that is bright yellow, with the word "nervous" on it in strong black writing, and mostly people are sensible enough to not try to approach her. However, there is always (and it is always) some stupid woman with a small fluffy dog on a thin lead, throttling itself to get at my dog and she walks it right up to me simpering "He wants to be friends!"
Sorry, went off on a ragey tangent there. I hope your little person isn't traumatised by his experiences. It's a shame that a few irresponsible idiots make all of us look like dicks.

My DCs are scared of dogs entirely because of too many encounters with "friendly" dogs of dipshit owners who let their dogs continue to bounce around when it's clear that they are causing distress.

Calm and controlled dogs. Lovely. I do like dogs in general. Some encounters where the dog has bounded up and the owner has responded by dealing with the dog and appologising, c'est la vie. But the ones that are allowed to be a public nuisence while their owners fail to even attempt ressponsibility

I can't recall how many times this winter, I've had my clothes fouled up by muddy dogs jumping around. There's some local owners that I inwardly cringe when I see them because their dogs are consistently unruly.

Your dog is not "friendly". It's a fucking nuisence. (Appologies to the 75% of civilised owners and their pleasant pets)

What's 'coming to them'?

Clue's in the name

We spend a lot of time in popular dog walking places and we find that most dog owners do control their pets. All the doggy people I know have well trained dogs or at least know what the dog finds difficult. If you go out to places during nice weather you probably see more of the useless owners out.

It works both ways tbh. We have a large pond on our land that has huge Keep Out Dangerous Water signs on every fence and locked gate that surrounds it. The signs are there for a reason as the pond is deep and has shallow ledges around the sides that have a sheer drop into 3 metres of water. It's an old mill pond. I often walk up there with the dogs and have lost count of the times idiots are picnicking with their children (who become hysterical as the dogs bound over to them.) Aforementioned idiots have had to climb fences/gates to get to the pond! It's infuriating.

I agree it's irresponsible allowing dogs to run up to children in parks though. It's also stupid of parents who allow children to run up to dogs without asking the owners permission.

Yanbu. Everywhere you go there’s some idiot’s dog running off lead everywhere. Centre of Harrogate? My baby is run into by an off lead dog. Children’s play area surrounded by fences and gates? Someone brings their Jack Russel in because the rules don’t apply to them and their dog. And on and fucking on. My dc don’t go anywhere near someone’s dog but if there’s a dog about I can guarantee it’s running around madly off it’s lead whilst it’s owner waves their hands ineffectually or completely ignores it.

Clue's in the name

Not for me, I'd be grateful if you could elaborate.

Some people are arseholes.
Some arseholes own dogs.
It's not being friendly if a dog chases or jumps up at you. It's bad mannered, intimidating and shows a dog out of control. By law a dog much be under control in public.
Sorry for everyone who's encountered this. I have a dog. We get the "oh mine just doesn't like big dogs" as a small thing is trying to rip off her face.
And DS had a big dog grab his arm with its mouth. Scared the shit out of him.

I'll be perfectly honest, I don't actually like dogs anymore. It's not so much the dog but the stupid dog owners , who as others have posted seem to think everyone else should love their dog and find it cute if it runs through your picnic, jumps up with muddy paws, knocks your child over and best of all growls and barks at you!!
They seem to think that this is perfectly fine and that its also fine just to wander around allowing their dog to poo wherever it pleases.

Frankly I couldn't give two fucks if the thing drop dead in front of me. Yet I know this isn't the dogs fault but rather the dim owners.

Honestly I despise the vast majority of dog owners and have to look the other way if I pass one on the pavement...if the dogs shitting I just walk by gritting my teeth.

How many times have we taken our child to the coast, gone onto the beach where signs clearly say No Dogs, then some arrogant fuckwit will just saunter past with the dog off lead.

Assholes!!

Honestly it sends me daft.

I think we all agree you get stupid parents and stupid dog owners and unfortunately if things go pear shaped it’s the dogs and the children who suffer.

Also extendable bloody leads. My poor mum was encased by one and fell over breaking her hip!! Owner buggered off.

As per @Locasta, above.

I digress. Was with my two today, both young, on leads and a little excitable but not causing a fuss. Young family approached, so I reined them in, and both children started shrieking. They were about 3m away. I reassured both parents and children that I had control, and as said shrieking children were hustled past, parents tutting, one of them kicked out at one of my dogs. Nice. Luckily dogs are forgiving.

I count myself as responsible, only have them off lead in designated areas, and then get this!! Hey-ho, takes all sorts I guess. But OP, YANBU as there are many irresponsible owners out there.

My dog's always on a lead when we're out, because she's not good with people or dogs (or anything really) and the number of people who let their dog bounce all over mine, going "it's ok, he's friendly..." that's great that your dog is friendly, my dog is terrified and when my dog snarls and lunges, you're not going to say "sorry, missed the cues and body language, my fault," are you...

Ahem, rant over

YANBU.

I love dogs but I would never let my dog run up to young children, for her safety as well as theirs. And I would be mortified if she stole food, although she wouldn't as she's always kept under close control.

If a kid asks to stroke her and they are nice and calm that's fine, as she loves people, but I would never let her bother people unsolicited. Same as I wouldn't let my child run up to people and bother them. Not everyone thinks it is cute!

Another dog owner here. I was chased by a huge alsation in the park as a young child and 30 years on remember how terrified I was.
I would be mortified if my dogs did this. Actually I would be mortified that I had list control of them.

YANBU but somebody always comes along and says "why don't you teach your child not to be scared of dogs".

NO!

Why don't you keep your pet away from other people?

I was really annoyed in a shoe shop a couple of days ago - a bloke had a dog on a longish lead and it was getting tangled around people, me included. Then it started knocking shoes off the rack, Did he pick them up? Nope. That would the sales assistant's job wouldn't it? Lazy entitled soandso. I would have said something to him but know it would have probably embarrassed my husband (and maybe the sales assistant too).

Since when has it been ok to take non-guide dogs into shops? They should be left outside.

As for the "dog walkers woods" it's time we had areas where dogs had to be on leads, where they can roam freely, and where they're not permitted at all.

YABU to start yet another thread on the exact same topic which has been done to death hundreds of times on here. No one likes irresponsible pet owners.

Perhaps MNHQ could get a sticky up of AIBUs most popular topics - namely dogs, prams on buses, chicken pox, bad parking, and accessible toilets.

Children would be a lot less scared of dogs if they weren't leapt at or chased!
Dogs off lead shouldn't be bothering anyone at all. If they are that's the fault of the owner.
Some shops allow dogs. They should be on a short lead and under close control. It's a good place to get them used to that!