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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:
Whereisthecoffee · 24/10/2018 16:01

Dogs react to other dogs though as animals would we can’t put human expectations on them. A dog reactive dog doesn’t have to be muzzled if people show courtesy and correct techniques when wanting to let dogs play. Ask the owner and introduce properly if allowed. A dog charging across a field will be perceived as a threat.

poppy196 · 24/10/2018 16:02

@turtle200193
As a professional: Dogs should be trained to interact properly with other dogs, otherwise it can cause aggression. Also it's important for them to have a run!

Sorry but your talking shit ! Do you think dog owners with fear aggressive dogs is because owners didn't train them properly .
Our staffy was trained beautiful but got attacked by 2 off lead Alsatians and now needs to be on the lead around other dogs as can't be trusted , no amount of training is going to change history .
Any problems my dog has is because of dog owners like the op .
I have him off lead and if I see another dog I always make a big show of putting him on the lead hoping they will do the same but many shout he just wants to play grrrrr .

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 24/10/2018 16:06

I guess OP doesn’t like the responses.

Pissedoffdotcom · 24/10/2018 16:06

Reactiveness on a lead isn't just to do with lack of socialisation and/or training by the owner...but a dog bounding up to an on lead dog is most definitely down to the owner/handler.

RtHonLady · 24/10/2018 16:06

@wink1970 Think I'm going to be more like your mum and give 'em both barrels in future. I'm sick of being polite!

InsideOutandBacktoFront · 24/10/2018 16:07

It is your fault i'm afraid. Yes your dog should be allowed off lead (all dogs need off lead exercise, my retriever would suffer without it), but you should train him not to approach a dog that is on the lead. Yours may be friendly but you don't know what the other dogs are like.

Dontgiveamonkeys1350 · 24/10/2018 16:09

I’m sorry. But people like u were the reason I had to walk my massively nervous and reactive dog at 1am. In the middle of the woods.

RtHonLady · 24/10/2018 16:11

@turtle200193 You claim to be a professional, you do know that there are many other reasons for aggression in dogs? Mine never used to react the way she does now and no, it's not important for her to have a run.

Home2Sell · 24/10/2018 16:12

Our dog loves to play with other dogs and has been socialised form an early age. She is very good at reading other dogs and staying away from those that don't want to play.

She now stays close to me when we pass a dog on lead. This is because we trained her by putting her lead on her when we saw another dog approaching on lead and gradually she learned and now we don't need to put her lead on - she will come and walk the other side of me to the dog on the lead.

There are times that we put our dog on lead - usually on the way back from a walk otherwise we could be all day with her playing chase with like-minded dogs! On these occasions, i have called out to people to say that she is friendly but we are in a rush so that they know not to be concerned if they see us again off lead. I would still expect them to keep their dog away from mine as mine is clearly not allowed to play today!

It's common sense - the same as you wouldn't let a child go and jump all over a toddler with reins on!

UrsulaPandress · 24/10/2018 16:14

Dear fucking god.

There is only one type of dog walker worse than you OP, and they are the ones who watch me recall my dog and put him on the lead when I see them and their dog, and still let their dog approach him.

And no the other dog should not be muzzled. You should control your own dog.

Bastards

Tinklewinkle · 24/10/2018 16:14

My dogs are reactive...They are soft Spaniels who only want to play with each other and their ball..they do not like other dogs coming up and sniffing them..especially running and bounding up..they go on the defensive straight away. I leash them both when I see another dog in the hopes that the owner will get the message

Mine is a spaniel too and is pretty much the same as yours.

He’ll have a quick sniff but makes it obvious he doesn’t want to play. He’ll evade other dogs as much as possible but will eventually bark/snap if they persist.

I put him on a lead in the hope that the other owners will get the message - they rarely do. Drives me nuts!

Peachbubble · 24/10/2018 16:15

Yep, agree, you are the unreasonable one here. You allowed your dog to bounce up to a unknown dog on its lead and you then couldn't recall it. Not all dogs want to say hello and mix with others. You weren't respectful of that.

BiteyShark · 24/10/2018 16:17

Even if a dog is offlead I keep my off lead dog away as you don't know whether another dog is friendly or not so I don't take the risk. I can't understand this desire to let your dog play with any dog you see when walking.

Mine plays with other dogs when at daycare but then each dog is known and they know each other.

If I see a dog out and they are on lead I just lead mine in another direction with a ball because whilst mine won't run up to a dog (too obsessed with the ball) I don't want to freak the other owner out thinking he might as their dog is on a lead for a reason (whether that is because they are reactive or for medical reasons).

GeoffreysCat · 24/10/2018 16:17

As a I'm sure you now realise you were the unreasonable one and your dog was out of control. The other owner had his dog under control.

One of my dogs is very reactive. For this reason she is always on a lead and wears a muzzle. The muzzle is for her own protection so she can't be blamed for injuring an off lead dog with an irresponsible owner.

Picklypickles · 24/10/2018 16:18

No her dog shouldn't be bloody muzzled, yours should be under control. Surely its not that hard to understand that not everyone wants to be forced to interact with your pet for any number of valid reasons?

I was recently walking my mums little terrier when he was approached and harrassed by a lone and unsupervised retriever, he growled and went for the dog because he felt threatened.

poppy196 · 24/10/2018 16:19

Forgot to add your very unreasonable op....
I do hope with your entitled attitude that you don't live near me and I hope your dog doesn't get too hurt if you carry on allowing it to do what the hell it wants .

SureIusedtobetaller · 24/10/2018 16:21

Yup. Same as everyone else.
I have a fear aggressive dog. He’s a rescue. He’s always on lead- and no I don’t need to muzzle him, that will only make him more fearful. I have him under control so I’d like other owners to do the same. If your dog approaches others and doesn’t come when you call then he shouldn’t be off lead. My dog has just as much right to be happy. Dog on lead- usually a reason.
I was told by dog trainer that I’d be in the right under law too as he is under control.

longwayoff · 24/10/2018 16:24

By the way all, FENTON! That guy was lucky Fenton wasn't shredded by those deer. Leads!

ItWasntMeItWasIm · 24/10/2018 16:26

First unanimous AIBU?

poppy196 · 24/10/2018 16:29

Come back op and tell us how you still think your right 😂

YellowStickies · 24/10/2018 16:30

This is a reverse, surely?!

Inthebluemountains · 24/10/2018 16:31

Not quite itwasnt a 'professional' responded to tell us that reactive dogs are badly trained and Ops dog needs to run. A professional what I don't know.

lovetherisingsun · 24/10/2018 16:33

YOU. It's not "saying hello". It's not "just playing". People will have their dogs on a lead FOR A REASON. It doesn't give you or others carte Blanche to let your dog do whatever the fuck it wants.

poppy196 · 24/10/2018 16:34

@longwayoff
Love the Fenton video on YouTube , just feel for the guy . I have watched it so many times and laugh but so feel his pain , So glad that wasn't me , what a heart sinking moment for him .

maimy88 · 24/10/2018 16:35
  1. If a dog is on lead it is the off lead dog owner's responsibility to keep their dog away.
  2. If I ask you to take your dog away it is for a reason so please don't ignore or just call away your dog. Please come and get them if they are not coming back.
  3. If you do not take your dog away and they invade my dog's space resulting in either dog reacting badly. It is your fault if either is injured.

I have a staffordshire bull terrier who is absolutely lovely with people but had a bad start as a puppy with other dogs. We did a lot of training with him and got him to a point where he loved playing with other dogs and was very well trained. However as a bigger dog it seemed acceptable for smaller dog owners to allow their dogs to snap at him around his muzzle repeatedly (it's ok there only playing - apparently). Of course eventually he got fed up and snapped back. So of course what happens - Your dog is aggressive, your dog should get put down, put a muzzle on him. To those saying reactive dogs should be muzzled I personally think that is ridiculous. All dogs will bite given certain circumstances. They are animals after all and that is how they defend themselves. So should all dogs be muzzled?

My dog is now only walked on lead to protect him from being accused of being the aggressor in similar situations. To allow me to keep him away from smaller dogs as he is now very nervous of them. We actively change route should we see other dogs who I know my dog will be wary of not that he every initiates contact with other dogs. I always appreciate it so much when responsible owners put their dogs back on lead if they see us with ours on lead or actively recall them.

Sorry for the long reply this sort of thing really gets my hackles up Wink