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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Was our dog unreasonable?

93 replies

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?

OP posts:
steff13 · 07/11/2018 00:05

My first thought was that I would have shoved the kid off of my dog.

SputnikBear · 07/11/2018 00:12

I also would have dragged the kid off my dog. The little idiot could have really hurt him! She’s lucky not to have been bitten.

zombiemum123 · 07/11/2018 00:38

My two year old knows better then to do that to the animal, so In my opinion the girls mother was to blame for not educating her daughter on how to behave round animals, poor dog this stuff really pisses me off!

twiglet · 07/11/2018 10:42

@upsideup how was drop off today any hassle from said mother?

freshfoodpeople · 08/11/2018 02:52

I'm not a dog lover by any means, but I'm totally on the dog's side in the one.

I would have ripped the stupid mother and her stupid child a new one that they'd never forget. What type of idiot thinks it's okay to sit on a dog?!

freshfoodpeople · 08/11/2018 02:57

her mum went straight back over to the school to complain

What does it have to do with the school?

If she puts in a complaint, I hope the staff have enough brains to tell her not to bother them with non-school stuff and that it's her DD's own fault that she got hurt. and also that she needs to bring her child up better so that she doesn't continue abusing animals in the future.

MrsTerryPratcett · 08/11/2018 03:06

Children aren't properly taught how to interact with dogs.

I take ours to the school, DD tells her friends he's nervous and not to touch, I tell the children he's not to be touched but will happily sniff them. What do they do? Touch him. Even when I say, "please don't touch him". I have to resort to "DONT TOUCH" to stop them.

Why haven't their parents told them to ask first?

NarcolepticOuchMouse · 08/11/2018 03:12

This is grey area in my opinion as you must be in control of your dog at all times however, your dog has the right to defend itself. You can't just walk up to a dog and kick it in the face expecting it won't bite you for it. The girl was in the wrong, not the dog. I'd be pretty livid if someone's kid did that to my dog, and I think it's ridiculous that people aren't educating their children on how to approach animals.

NarcolepticOuchMouse · 08/11/2018 03:15

Sorry, to clarify I meant a legal grey area. Not sure how the law would be enforced if it were necessary in that case. In actuality the girl's mother is a fucking moron and I'd have told her so in no uncertain terms.

WiddlinDiddlin · 08/11/2018 03:25

Professional hat on here..

Dog, perfectly reasonable reaction, many well natured dogs would have bitten in that situation they are dogs, not robots.

However, a child is not ever able to be responsible for a dog, legally, you are, and whilst the child and her parent ARE morally responsible for what happened, unfortunately it could be argued that your son wasn't in control of the dog (as the dog was the other side of the bench to him where he could be approached without someone seeing).

I don't think thats right and it is unlikely, but if the childs mother kicks up a fuss, documents injury and makes a complaint, it is possible your dog could be subject to a control order.

Unfortunately the way local authorities and police forces deal with dog related incidents varies wildly from one county to the next - get sensible people dealing with such a complaint and it will rightly be tossed out on its ear.

Get dog hating idiots and the case could be very different.

If you were my client I would advise:

Get a trainer/behaviourist in to go through basic training etc, with dog and son.
Speak to local dog warden regarding any potential complaint and ask for advice on what if anything, you should do to mitigate such.
Write a statement of what happened in case it is needed later on down the line.

These steps will if ever required, prove you to be a responsible owner who acts immediately something occurs to take necessary steps to prevent it happening again.

In future, either don't leave your son in charge of the dog - not because he is at fault but because if anything happens, his account will hold far less weight than yours would, or ensure the dog is in front of him so he is able to protect the dog better.

This whole thing sucks quite honestly, I hope your poor dog is ok and your son too, some people are utterly stupid and take no responsibility for their actions whatsoever but prefer to pass the blame!

SusieQ5604 · 08/11/2018 03:31

I think the dog SHOULD have bitten the stupid git who tried to ride him.

Bibijayne · 08/11/2018 03:37

Poor dog. What an awful family. At 10 you know not to sit on or kick a dog. I'd let the school know what happened. Perhaps consider limiting g contact with this girl and her family. If she is cruel to an animal like that and totally ignored the wishes of your son then she could cause real harm. Sounds like a bully.

AjasLipstick · 08/11/2018 04:12

It's not about strength OP but about common sense and experience.

That is why I would never leave my child in charge of our dog. Not till they're about 14 or 15.

Hisaishi · 08/11/2018 06:58

This is why I never let children come anywhere near my dog. Not the dog's fault at all, but people are fucking idiots and I don't want him getting hurt/hurting someone. He's very placid in normal circumstances but he would go nuts if someone ran up and jumped on his back.

If I see kids, I turn and walk the other way, or I make him sit behind me til they have passed.

KateTheShrew · 08/11/2018 07:04

I am not a dog person. At all. But your dog was definitely not being unreasonable! What was that child thinking?? And how, at 10 years old, does she think it's OK to try to sit on a dog?!

masterandmargarita · 08/11/2018 07:06

It wouldn't have happened if you had been there though

LittleBookofCalm · 08/11/2018 07:07

how do you know the girl was going to sit on the dog?
what a silly dog

and the school will do nothing

LittleBookofCalm · 08/11/2018 07:07

silly girl!
not silly dog.

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