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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Who was unreasonable? Dog walking.

292 replies

Bearlover16 · 24/10/2018 15:08

Walking my dog up the field. Let him off lead for a run. He approaches another dog to say hello who was on lead. Other dog attacks my dog, bites him quite nasty on the leg. My dog retaliates. Owner rants at me that my dog should be on a lead and she's sick of people like me as her dog gets the blame being a bull terrier. I respond that surely my dog should be allowed to have a run off lead?
Who was being unreasonable? Should her dog be muzzled if it's viscous even on lead?

OP posts:
meetthewildes · 24/10/2018 15:34

You were.

Her dog was under control - she was walking it on a lead, away from anything it could harm.

Your dog was not under control. You allowed your dog to come to harm through your stupid and irresponsible decision to let an uncontrollable dog off of the leash that was keeping it safe. If you want your dog to be able to run off-lead, train it so its not a menace first.

UpstartCrow · 24/10/2018 15:34

Yabu.

  • Until your dog has a rock solid recall keep him on the lead.
  • Dont let your dog approach a dog on the lead.
  • Learn to communicate with the other dog owners instead of making assumptions about what you can do.
longwayoff · 24/10/2018 15:34

YABVU. Of course you want your dog off lead but when you see another dog on lead you should put yours on lead also. They're dogs, not ladies having a polite afternoon tea.

wink1970 · 24/10/2018 15:35

@RtHonLady Grin you remind me of my Mum when she's out walking her dog, it drives her nuts when no-recall dogs bounce up.

"He's only playing!" = quite possibly the worse thing they can say before they get both barrels

OP, YABU and you know it....

Chanelprincess · 24/10/2018 15:36

If he's on a lead you should assume he's not friendly and recall your dog. If you can't recall him then he shouldn't be off the lead

I agree with this - your poor dog has paid the price by being bitten and hopefully he's OK. While you're working to improve his recall, please be more considerate of other dog owners who are trying to be responsible.

Honeyroar · 24/10/2018 15:36

Of course you were at fault, I can't believe that you even need to ask!!

The other dog owner had hers under control and away from trouble. She couldn't do anything about your dog invading her space.

We are want our dogs off lead having fun, but sometimes we have to use our brains and avoid incidents like this. I have three dogs, one of which is a bit aggressive to other dogs. They stay on the lead unless they are somewhere where there is nobody else and I can see anyone coming from a distance and catch them again.

Glumglowworm · 24/10/2018 15:36

YABU

of course your dog can go off lead. But he should not approach other dogs who are on a lead. It’s your fault he got bitten for allowing him to do that. If he doesn’t have recall good enough for you to be able to call him away from something he wants like another dog, then he shouldn’t be off the lead.

SoupDragon · 24/10/2018 15:37

You.

My dog is always on lead as he has poor recall. He is also a little unpredictable with other dogs having been attacked by other dogs in the past. I get very nervous when an off lead dog bounds up to him even though in know he is usually fine.

claptomania · 24/10/2018 15:37

Well done all the sensible members of Mumsnet coming back with a unanimous and correct answer. I wish the wider public were as educated on this point.

TheViceOfReason · 24/10/2018 15:37

I can only hope this is someone bored or a reverse.

You allow your dog to accost another and somehow it's the other dogs fault?

You clearly have zero understanding of canine behaviour.

EK36 · 24/10/2018 15:37

You were wrong. You shouldn't let yours off the lead to approach other dogs. Some dogs are on a lead for a good reason, as they may be aggresive.

Pissedoffdotcom · 24/10/2018 15:37

HeckyPeck all three dogs were part of the 'its okay s/he's friendly' brigade too. Poor dog was a wreck

Hannnnnnnxo · 24/10/2018 15:38

He approaches another dog to say hello

🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

MarchSurprise · 24/10/2018 15:38

YABU. You should not allow your dog to run up to a dog that is on lead. Chances are, it's on lead for a reason.

cropcirclesinthefields · 24/10/2018 15:38

You are. I have a reactive dog and the bane of my life is the "my dog is friendly" brigade, he is kept on a lead and muzzled and luckily we have only had a few people disregard our calls to recall their dogs.

SlothMama · 24/10/2018 15:39

You, keep your dog under control. My pup loves other dogs but as we can't yet recall her off other dogs she goes on her lead when we see another one.

Oneofthosedreadfulparents · 24/10/2018 15:40

I'm guessing I don't really need to chip in here - but sorry, it's you.

My girl is very occasionally reactive to other dogs. She's not aggressive, but she will sometimes growl and jump on them in an attempt to get them to play (she's had a difficult start in life and doesn't yet know the right way to say hello). So, until we are 100% sure that we have trained her well enough that she won't do that, we keep her on a lead. I try my very best to catch the attention of any dog owners in the vicinity with their dogs off lead to warn them, but I have to rely on their common sense too, and assume that if their dog is running ahead they have enough control to call them back before their dog approaches mine. Those owners who allow their dogs to approach mine make that job of training so much harder, and longer. I do not thank them for it!

Thefirstjedi · 24/10/2018 15:40

Even my 9 year old knows this. He has better vision than me, so he tells me about on lead dogs from about half a mile away so we can leash or get our dog to heel.

user1467718508 · 24/10/2018 15:40

@RtHonLady Oh I know that feeling. I tense up when they start bounding over! It's just so entitled to assume that every dog is happy to be approached like that.

I began picking my dog up whenever I spotted another dog bounding over, as I could tell that my girl was frightened (she was once attacked whilst on her lead). One owner of two lolloping pointers had the gall to reprimand me, saying "she'll never learn". I'm sorry, she's 10. I think we know what she does and doesn't like by now Hmm

Sorry - this is a sore point! Grin

QueenOfMyWorld · 24/10/2018 15:40

If another dog approached my dog in those circumstances id be be pissed off tbh

chillpizza · 24/10/2018 15:41

Yabu

The other dog was on a lead for whatever reason and your uncontrolled dog went over. Even normally perfect dogs won’t always react well to an unrestrained dog approaching them while they are on a lead.

MaryShelley1818 · 24/10/2018 15:41

YABVU
I use to always keep my dog on a lead as she was a rescue who had no recall and was nervous around other dogs - it was unbearable and extremely frightening when other dogs used to bound up to her and jump around her. It actually stopped me walking her on my own as she got older as she was a large breed dog who I wouldn’t have been able to pick up to protect.

Crazyfrog007 · 24/10/2018 15:42

YABVVVU

I thought that everyone knew to recall their dog if they saw another dog on a lead!!

JellyBears · 24/10/2018 15:42

We always put our dog on her lead when we approach unfamiliar dogs as not always sure how she’ll react.

MaMaMaMySharona · 24/10/2018 15:42

Blanchedupetitpois

They've all done training classes but two of them in particular distract each other and run off sometimes - never usually to other dogs, just into bushes and things. I live about 200 miles away from her so I can't do a huge amount :(

I have told her it needs to be resolved but she's one of these people who prefers dogs to people and doesn't think they can do any wrong!