Dogs

[apresski]

We live down a country lane very popular with dog walkers (despite dog walking paths by river just adjacent). Our gates are open on to the road (not the river) and we have had repeated dogs run into our garden. I am from a dog family, my DH isn't (allergic). My daughter is also allergic but seems to be growing out of it, but as a result of allergies at an earlier age is petrified of dogs come running at her or are overly bouncy/friendly etc. Now.... AIBU to think of you walk your dogs up and down a lane or in public you should be able to control them going in to other people's gardens or property? DH and I had an argument about it today but actually daughter was terrified by three dogs running around chasing her and was screaming.....! Thanks all

However you need to address your daughters phobias, just saying 'she has a phobia' or 'she is terrified of...' isn't acceptable, that can be fixed and its your job to fix it, not expect the rest of the world to fanny around to suit her

This is unfair. The daughter is in her own garden - she should be safe from "trespassing" dogs. In this case, it is the "rest of the world"'s responsibility to take responsibility. Keep dogs under control and off other people's property.

This is absurd. You do not have a problem as your issue can be simply solved yet you refuse to do that. So

I'd be more concerned with someone coming in through the open gates to snatch my daughter who was playing in the garden. Or my daughter following a rolling ball out of the gates into the (60mph) Road.

Close the gates!

Of course these dog owners are rude and their dogs are out of control but if you want to solve the problem they are creating you will need to shut the gates.

We had to install electric gates to keep the neighbor’s ponies off our land. Even then I have caught and returned them to him 14 times in 8 years because I worry about an accident.

YANBU. Dog owner here.

Close your gates - and as an aside to parents in the kiddie play area with gates please close them - lost count of the times I've closed such gates to stop my dog or anyone else's wandering in

Don't blame you OP.

My dogs are trained not to go down drives or onto gardens: I wouldn't like other dogs on mine and I don't expect other people to want my dogs on theirs.

FFS Fox it's people like you that are the reason that my daughter and others like her are terrified of off the lead dogs.

Brought up to be confident, learnt to be scared by too many off lead dogs in her face or jumping at her.

How would you like it if a massive bear (same size difference) you'd came running at you at speed with an ineffectual owner lagging behind grinning like a loon shouting "it's okay he / she is friendly".

Dogs need to be under control at all times. Kids (and anyone else for that matter) have a right to chose not to have them in there personal space. Your dogs right to exercise does not trump that.

If you can't control your dog, plenty of fully enclosed fields for hire.

Realistically, any dog phobia will not be helped by having dogs run into the child’s own garden. I love dogs but I think even Id be frightened of the sort of out of control beast that runs into my garden.

longway

It isn't unfair to suggest it is a parents responsibility to address their childs fears and phobias at all.

FFS hit return too fast..

It is unfair to leave a child living with a serious fear or phobia, but it seems to be done all the time 'oh she has a fear, oh shes terrified of...' and no effort made to resolve that for the childs benefit and safety?! Thats definitely unfair.

In our case we haven't done nothing we've repeatedly built her back up to overcome her fear only to have her knocked back down again by idiots with out of control friendly dogs + one idiot with an out of control bitey dog :-(

I stand by DD has a right not to have ANY dog in her space and I will continue to get her all the help she needs to (AGAIN) get over her fears of all dogs. Just wish dog owners would control their dogs.

Feel v old wishing it would go back to how it was when I was a kid and you had to ask before getting anywhere near a dog and on the rare occasion one accidentally came anywhere near you without asking the owner would be beyond apologetic...

Have you not heard of a 'latch'. Even a clever dog wouldn't be able to open that!

Oh good, a dog thread. We haven't had one of those for nearly a week.
Pros: Dogs are ace. It's not the dog's fault, it's the owners.
Antis: Dogs are the disease spreading spawn of Satan and will rip your child's face off.
Everyone else: Meh.

Shut the gates. Problem solved.

as an aside to parents in the kiddie play area with gates please close them - lost count of the times I've closed such gates to stop my dog or anyone else's wandering in

Alternatively, control your dog.

I have a friend who doesn’t like dogs. She isn’t frightened of them, she just think they’re rank. However, quite often she claims to have a fear because it’s so uncomfortable to tell dog owners that she doesn’t like dogs. Not everyone who says they are afraid of dogs actually is - they may just not enjoy them.

In this case, the child (and her parents) can’t avoid the dogs because they are coming into her garden, fear or no.

Having dogs run into the garden is no different from the owners themselves pestering the people who live there.