To think dog eating my picnic wasn’t my fault

[0lgaDaPolga]

I’m genuinely interesting to know if IABU.

I was in the park with my 13 month old and 5 friends and their similar aged toddlers. We were sat on picnic blankets and the toddlers were eating their lunches.

All of a sudden a dog comes lolloping over, running all around the toddlers, sniffing them, eating bits of sandwiches out of their hands and wagging its tail in their faces. I was a bit nervous for a few seconds and grabbed my son (who was delighted by the whole situation!) until I quickly realised from the dog’s body language and behaviour that he was friendly and not being threatening.

The dogs owner came running over with 2 other dogs. She was apologetic and we said ‘it’s ok, don’t worry about it’ but she then said ‘well, I don’t know what else you expect having food open in a park’ as if it was our fault the dog ran over. So I said ‘if you can’t call your dog back and he can’t control himself around food he should be on a lead’ and she got really shirty and said it’s not the dogs fault he can’t help it around food and he is friendly so doesn’t need to be on a lead, when walked off in a huff.

Is it unreasonable to expect a dog that you can’t recall to be on a lead or is it unreasonable to eat food in a park without expecting a dog to run up to you? For what it’s worth, no one in the group I was in was confrontational or visibly annoyed when the woman came over to get her dog but she seemed very defensive and seemed to thing we were in the wrong for bringing food to the park. There were plenty of other dogs around on and off leads and none of them came anywhere near.

We had this once in the park, DC1 was toddling around holding a sandwich when a lab ran past him, then did a comedic double take when it noticed the relatively unattended sandwich just at dog height, grabbed it and gobbled it before anyone could say anything. DC1 was indignant. It was too quick for anyone to stop him.

This happened to us as well. A dog ate a pie out of my dd’s hand (she was about 2 at the time). It was literally her lunch and I had nothing else for her to eat! Dog owner watched and then called his dog back and walked off. Not so much as a sorry as I screamed after him.

It’s rude but as irresponsible. A dog going after food a child has in their hand or mouth could lead to a bite, even if unintentional. And then that dog might be euthanised if deemed aggressive after a bite.

A park is not primarily for dogs and where are you supposed to eat a picnic if not a park? Isn't that the go to place?!

A dog going after food a child has in their hand or mouth could lead to a bite, even if unintentional. And then that dog might be euthanised if deemed aggressive after a bite.

You would think this dog owners who think the world revolves around their dogs would care about them too much to put them at risk like this, but they clearly don' give a shit about anybody!

but I don’t think you should have been so aggressive to the dog owner.

How on earth was the OP aggressive? She said it was ok and not to worry until the owner tried to make out it was her fault!

My guess would be that her dog is regularly bothering people and they rightly get annoyed so she was on the defensive from the outset. Stupid woman.

It pisses me off dogs being off lead anywhere but a designated off lead area. Why the fuck do they think their dog has the right to charge about off lead? In my opinion no dog should be offlead in a park no matter how good their recall or how well you think you know your dog. I say that as a dog owner.

I'm another one in camp "Yeah, no problem, he just ate three or four dark choc biscuits with raisins in, dogs eh?".

I’m sick of dog owners strolling down the street or in the park with their dog off lead. They’re the worst kind of people and shouldn’t have a dog.

Interesting that so few dog-owners are unaware.... I suspect this is something that has changed and probably needs a government public education campaign - in whatever way works! you know those ads on telly etc.... So that EVERYONE knows that dog owners are responsible, and dog owners know everyone knows this....

Years ago we used to have dog licences - now I have discovered they are all meant to be microchipped (since 2016)... so I guess combining both would be good

I

Dog owner was completely in the wrong.

I have a dog and I know for a fact who would eat a picnic if he got half the chance so he is always on a lead. He would also lick small children to death so it’s best all round if he stays on the lead.

yanbu
and yes, next time tell the dog handler that the dog has eaten chocolate brownie and onion curry

Commenters I said I apologised for OPs post. I think some breeds such as staffs should be on a lead at all time and other breeds such as labs should be allowed off a lead. I think there should be more legislation into specific breeds on leads

@someknobend it was a Labrador 😂 sounds like they have form for this sort of thing from some of the other comments!

You are totally in the right! One of my dogs would do this given half the chance so is always on a lead when there are picnics or fishermen (bait/packed lunch) about as his recall goes to pot when there's tasty food around. I'd be totally mortified if he did that.

but I don't think you should have been so aggressive to the dog owner

You are kidding, right? OP wasn't aggressive at all. The woman has had a lucky escape with OP.

Dogs are good at embarrassing us and can put us in these kind of situations (even dogs with good recall may veer towards food) BUT, as a dog owner, if I could clearly see people eating, or even just kids running around my dogs would be on leads. Apart from anything else not everyone likes dogs and even though I know they are friendly there are many people who would not appreciate a strange dog running up to say hello.

Once I was in a queue at a county fair with my dogs on leads and I felt a tap on my shoulder "excuse me miss...you're dog is eating my daughters ice cream" turned around and true enough.my dog (on a tight leash) was gleefully licking the ice cream of a toddler (in a buggy) who was holding it out to him...I was MORTIFIED apologised profously and of course bought her another. Luckily the parents saw the funny side but I am always cautious about it now!

It pisses me off dogs being off lead anywhere but a designated off lead area. Why the fuck do they think their dog has the right to charge about off lead?

Err maybe because we SHARE this world with animals, we don’t own it. You have a right to charge about without a lead on don’t you? So why should all animals be restricted just for our benefit? So sick of humans being so arrogant as to think everything must revolve around them.

Having said that OP, you weren’t remotely unreasonable.

This is a very odd thread.

I doubt anyone would agree a dog should steal a picnic.

You know YBNU, why would you even ask? Last dog bashing thread probably still rumbles on somewhere in Chat or AIBU.

She had three dogs under her "control".. and she couldn't control that friendly dog. Was she a dog walker? Some parks make people with multiple dogs get a walking licence, so that they understand what is required to keep them under control. Safer for dogs and humans. What if one of the kids had been frightened and screamed, which could in turn have frightened even a friendly dog.

OP YANBU another dog-owner, would be mortified if one of mine had done this. Specifically trained dogs not to eat anything without an 'okay' command, as not good for dogs to grab random food either. If she knows her dogs have this problem she should train them to only eat on command, it's not difficult.

My dog once ran faster than I could get him to a picnic I hadn't seen in the park and ate a piece of bread. I caught him, apologised profusely and offered to pay for the bread. And now I pay better attention when we are in the park on a sunny day, and if I see picnics or babies or toddlers, dog goes on the lead. The dog owner was in the wrong.

Not if I’m going to go around bounding up to people who don’t like me or eat picnics or jump up at small children no. There are designated fields and parks for off lead dog walking use those! I don’t care if 99 times out of 100 your dog trots along next to you no problem there will always be that one time they spot something irresistible and bound off. Be that a picnic, a child, a squirrel...whatever. Our dog is on lead unless it’s in a designated off lead area and the amount of stupid lazy owners who meander along with their dog off lead who then comes running up to ours or jumps up at a kid does my head in. You might think your dog is well trained but you can never 100% trust or know a dog. It’s walking about with them off lead that gets dogs run over or euthanised because they’ve bitten.

I hate that, entitled dog owners.

My youngest was a late talker but one of her first sentences was "no 'nacks dog" because of all the blooming mutts trying to steal her food when she was just sitting on a bench having a snack

She is definitely being ridiculous. I don't think you can have a dog off a lead ANYWHERE unless you can recall it.

It cuts both ways sometimes, have had loads of people try to give food to my dogs, let their kids loose on dogs, even when I've asked them not to.