AIBU?
Was our dog unreasonable?
upsideup · 06/11/2018 18:41
After school today I took the kids and our dog to the park across the road, I left DS(9) with our dog (on a lead) sat on a bench while I took younger DC to the toilet.
Dog is really friendly, well behaved and good with children. DS was sat one side of the bench holding the lead and dog had walked round and was lying down on the other side
One of DS's friends (who is 10) came running over and jumped to sit on the dogs back. DS shouted get off, dog stood up and twisted which meant the girl tripped over him and fell face first into the side of the bench. Her legs were still under the dog and in the lead so she started kicking him, her mum came running over and starting screaming which I heard and rushed out. Dog barked and apparently 'went to bite' but ds pulled him out of the way, DS said he wasn't going to bite and was just giving a warning but I wasn't there and although he has never gone to bite anybody before he has never been sat on, repeatedly kicked and screamed at.
Lots of other parents heard dog barking and the other child/mum screaming so everyone panicked and assumed the dog must be attacking her so there was a bit of a scene. I checked she was okay but didn't apologise and went home, her mum went straight back over to the school to complain.
Do you think that I, our dog or DS was unreasonable in any way?
Santaisgettingbusy · 06/11/2018 18:43
Ultimately your ds was not in control of your ddog.
ItWasntMeItWasIm · 06/11/2018 18:45
Your poor dog! And poor ds. Only unreasonable one was the other child. What on earth!?
ItWasntMeItWasIm · 06/11/2018 18:45
Sounds like ds was in control as he pulled the dog away.
NailsNeedDoing · 06/11/2018 18:46
A ten year old should know better than to go and sit on a dog. Your dog was not unreasonable, the child who assaulted the dog was unreasonable.
Bodear · 06/11/2018 18:48
No your dog was not unreasonable. Dogs aren’t inanimate objects and no matter how calm, well behaved and well trained they are they will of course react to the situation in which they find themselves.
Your DS’ friend is, at best, stupid.
MrMeSeeks · 06/11/2018 18:49
Ffs no yanbu! Id be telling the mom id be charging her for any vet bills her precious darling had caused.
MacosieAsunter · 06/11/2018 18:49
Ultimately your ds was not in control of your ddog
And what do you suggest an adult would have done differently?
The dog was on a lead, it was controlled.
Horrordoeurvres · 06/11/2018 18:49
No your dog was not being unreasonable and it sounds like your son was in control. Maybe instead of reporting it to the school that mother should focus on teaching her own child not to jump on dogs?! Lesson well learned I think, she won't be so silly again in the future around an animal.
agedknees · 06/11/2018 18:50
Poor dog. Hope he’s ok. The child needs to be taught how to treat animals.
userblablabla · 06/11/2018 18:50
Poor dog! This is definitely a situation where it is 100% the child’s fault.
Lolapusht · 06/11/2018 18:50
How was the OP’s DS not in control?! A 10 year old should know not to try and ride a bloody dog!!! What was the girl’s mum doing while her daughter was harassing a dog as it quietly lay minding its own business? Think I’d bark at her too is she’d jumped on my back. Only ones being unreasonable were the dog-riding girl and he ridiculous mum!
NoOffence · 06/11/2018 18:51
Your dog was definitely NBU - I would react if someone I didn't know came over and tried to sit on me!
Disfordarkchocolate · 06/11/2018 18:51
Poor dog, the child is very lucky not to have been bitten and it would not have been the dogs fault at all. Your son did really well in the situation.
Bahhhhhumbug · 06/11/2018 18:51
Not at all. We humans can say 'Get off' or ' That hurts' or push someone away. A dog can only growl, then snarl then if that doesn't work bite. Obviously the flight option wasn't available. Your dog could have gone straight to bite if it was a very reactive or aggressive dog. So no, Ddog was definitely nbu.He was probably very frightened what was about to happen to him I would play holy hell over this, she could have broken his back at ten year old or if he'd felt he had nowhere to go he could've bitten her and ended up under threat of being pts when he was just minding his own business. Stupid girl and stupid mum.
Coldilox · 06/11/2018 18:52
MN will always complain about the dog, but in this case it did nothing wrong. What the fuck was the child thinking sitting on him? Either a child is old enough to know better or if not, should be under constant supervision.
I love dogs but don’t have one, and I spend a lot of time teaching 4yo DS how to be sensible with dogs he meets (ask the owner before stroking, hands down, no screaming or sudden movements etc. I’d add don’t sit on the dog, but he’s not that stupid!)
rosie1959 · 06/11/2018 18:52
No your dog was not unreasonable if someone sat on you then started kicking you no doubt you would be unhappy
Silly child
Singlenotsingle · 06/11/2018 18:52
Poor dog. He thought he was being attacked and tried to get out of the way. Have the girl's parents not taught her not to touch dogs she doesn't know?
SaucyJack · 06/11/2018 18:52
No, of course your poor dog wasn’t to blame.
Sadly, I don’t think any lessons will be learned. The Mum’s reaction suggests she’s not one to ever blame her pwecious baby for anything.
JesusInTheCabbageVan · 06/11/2018 18:54
Ultimately your DS was not in control of your DDog
Honestly, what a silly thing to say. Was he supposed to use Jedi mind control?
Hoppinggreen · 06/11/2018 18:54
It was the child’s fault but you shouldn’t leave a dog in the sole charge of a child.
I have a 9 year old and although Ddog is pretty well behaved I wouldn’t leave DS in charge, not because of them but because of other people ( as demonstrated by your post)
I know you had a child to take to the toilet but I would have taken everyone and got DS to wait with the dog by the doors.
No idea why the silly woman went to school to complain though if yiu weren’t on school premises.
Soubriquet · 06/11/2018 18:55
Why the fuck would a NT 10 year old try to sit on a dog?! 
I would get it if she was 3 but 10!
Your dog was not bu
It reacted how it should.
Someone sat on him, it hurt and so he told her off
twiglet · 06/11/2018 18:57
So she went to jump on the dog, fell and started kicking the dog, dog understandably didn't like being kicked and the mother went crazy at you?!
I would have gone crazy at her for her daughter trying to jump on a dog! Your son did very well and your poor dog!
Personally I would call the school first thing tomorrow they will only have one side at the moment!
Celebelly · 06/11/2018 18:57
Christ, if I was that child's mother, I'd be giving it to her with both barrels. She's bloody fortunate that your dog was laid back enough not to bite with behaviour like that. If she'd done that to another dog with a less relaxed temperament, she could well end up with the scars to remember it forever.
There's also a world of difference between a warning snap and actual biting. Warning snaps are actually good –a dog that doesn't growl or display warning behaviour is actually more dangerous. Your dog did good and did everything he should – he tried to remove himself from the situation, then when he was unable and being presumably hurt, he warned that he was unhappy with what was happening. Your DS was able to then remove him from the situation to safety.
MotorcycleMayhem · 06/11/2018 18:58
Jesus christ, the girl is fucking idiot and lucky not to have been bitten. Of course the dog was NBU, he was being badly treated and had no idea why. A 10 yo should know better than to do that. Her mother should be ashamed of her daughter and be apologising to you.
Sounds like your son did the right things. Hope the dog isn't injured.
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