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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be furious over what has just happened?

652 replies

DippyDiplodocus · 15/01/2019 09:46

Out Walking our dogs and my 6 month old baby in carrier. I have four dogs and look after one of my friend's dogs while she's at work occasionally. My four are quite large, the biggest being big German shepherd size and the smallest is a pug (friend's dog).

Before I get flamed for having too many dogs, two were mine, two my DH's before we met, so obviously we now have four. We aren't the kind of people to get rid of dogs just because we had a child - dogs are family too and we treat them as such.

We live in the countryside, very quiet rural area.
Coming to the end of our walk over the fields (where I never usually see any other walkers) I see another dog approaching - muzzled Siberian husky with a bloke.
At this point I already have four on leads ready for the road back to our house and bent down squat position to put pug on a lead.

I thought man would stop when he saw me bent down but he carried on approaching. I was struggling to get wriggly pug back on lead so I called out to him "can you just wait there a sec so I can get this one on the lead?" - No response and continues towards us.

Still trying to get dog on lead and my dogs are now getting a bit twitchy and unsettled that this bloke is approaching them, so one of mine barks.
Just to add here, our dogs are all very well behaved but they are protective over me and DD and will act accordingly if they feel threatened.

Man takes no notice, I call out again and say "can you just give me a second?" Ignores me completely.

He decides to squeeze by my dogs and I with a stupid smirk on his face. He can clearly see I'm struggling and baby is now crying and the others are pissed off. One of mine pulled forward and I dug my heels in and sat back so as not to land on my daughter.

I shouted at him and called him a fucking arsehole.

If he could have waited one second, I'd have been out the way and that wouldn't have had to have happened.

FFS Angry I just despise people at times.

OP posts:
Weetabixandshreddies · 15/01/2019 17:21

You say that you abide by all points in @MargoLovebutter's post but do you?

No actual harm is required for an offence to have been committed: an offence has taken place if the dog causes reasonable apprehension to someone that they will be injured, whether or not they actually are injured.

I could easily see how a large dog getting a bit testy and then barking in a protective manner might cause someone to reasonable apprehension that they might be injured.

DippyDiplodocus · 15/01/2019 17:21

@Wordthe you still haven't answered my question.

OP posts:
AlpacaLypse · 15/01/2019 17:23

OP next time post in The Doghouse section. You'd have got some intelligent supportive suggestions there rather than a tirade of abuse.
AIBU routinely blames dogs and dog walkers for every problem known to mankind.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_doghouse

DippyDiplodocus · 15/01/2019 17:23

@DistanceCall I'm not being u reasonable to ask for people's evidence to back up their "facts" which are clearly bollocks.

OP posts:
OdeToDiazepam · 15/01/2019 17:24

I'd be pissed off too

otheractivities · 15/01/2019 17:24

Aren't there rules on how many dogs you can walk at one time? I believe in some areas it's 4 . Walking 4 large dogs , plus another small one and having a baby in a carrier is probably not wise .A well trained dog could still bolt off , and if you are on the other end of the lead it's a disaster waiting to happen

thedancingbear · 15/01/2019 17:25

Isn't shouting 'fucking arsehole' at someone a public order offence too, even if they have been discourteous?

Tut tut. Naughty OP - a serial offender no less!

Weetabixandshreddies · 15/01/2019 17:26

AlpacaLypse

Plenty of dog owners here saying that it isn't sensible to be walking 4 big and 1 small dog with a baby in a sling.

Do you really think that many dog owners would think it's a good idea?

DippyDiplodocus · 15/01/2019 17:26

@Weetabixandshreddies

"No actual harm is required for an offence to have been committed: an offence has taken place if the dog causes reasonable apprehension to someone that they will be injured, whether or not they actually are injured.

I could easily see how a large dog getting a bit testy and then barking in a protective manner might cause someone to reasonable apprehension that they might be injured."

What if I felt threatened by him marching towards me? Or are my feelings irrelevant?

My dog barked once, which could be interpreted as alarming and scary or must as a dog barking at another dog, it's hard to distinguish between the two, I'd say.

I would be interested in how you could ever prove that either way - your word against someone else, isn't it.

OP posts:
Worzilgummidge · 15/01/2019 17:27

Bottom line is that you handled this aggressively. You was in a vulnerable position if he had of retaliated with that many dogs and a child to deal with.

Quartz2208 · 15/01/2019 17:29

Dippy - it depends on where you live - there is scope to reduce it from 6 to 4 under Public Space Protection Orders (Gosport have for example along with others) so it could be

DippyDiplodocus · 15/01/2019 17:31

"Had you had all dogs on the lead would you have asked him to stop?" @Weetabixandshreddies no, I wouldn't. I just wanted to get the pug restrained so everyone was safe, that's all. Is that unreasonable?

OP posts:
Loubilou09 · 15/01/2019 17:32

He sounds like a complete Dick trying to prove some point or other. I would be cross too!

Weetabixandshreddies · 15/01/2019 17:34

What if I felt threatened by him marching towards me? Or are my feelings irrelevant
That isn't a dog related offence though is it?

Either you are playing down the incident or your OP was full of hyperbole but

my dogs are now getting a bit twitchy and unsettled that this bloke is approaching them, so one of mine barks.
Just to add here, our dogs are all very well behaved but they are protective over me and DD and will act accordingly if they feel threatened.

That doesn't sound like my dog barked once

What do you mean by your dogs will act accordingly if they feel threatened?

DippyDiplodocus · 15/01/2019 17:34

When I think about it, the likelihood is that the pug wouldn't have gone near the other dog and owner, HOWEVER, if it had, I'd be in the wrong then too and called a disgrace for letting my dog run about with no regard for anyone else.

What if the pug bit the husky? The pug could potentially be euthanised if the other guy pushed for it. Is it worth all that or should I have put the dog on a lead?

OP posts:
ILoveMaxiBondi · 15/01/2019 17:36

I'm not being u reasonable to ask for people's evidence to back up their "facts" which are clearly bollocks.

Ahem

Have you really got nothing better to do? 😂😂 if I find the time to scroll back, I'll do it, just for you. But later.

^your response to my suggestion that you back up your claim that I was getting”quite upset”.

Grin

Yeah well, if this post has taught you anything, it's that you shouldn't "demand" strangers to do things. They'll probably just ignore you.

Which you followed up with

Can someone link the law which states how many dogs you can walk at once please?

Can you direct us to the relevant information @Wordthe - you say there are laws?

Please demonstrate to me where I can find the information regarding this law that you state exists.

Wordthe you still haven't answered my question.

That’s somewhat demanding of you OP, don’t you think?

(Ps you still haven’t answered mine Wink)

previousWeight · 15/01/2019 17:36

"Is it worth all that or should I have put the dog on a lead?"

Keep it on a lead if it's likely.

You really aren't getting this, are you? "Fucking arsehole".

Weetabixandshreddies · 15/01/2019 17:37

Had you had all dogs on the lead would you have asked him to stop?" @Weetabixandshreddies no, I wouldn't. I just wanted to get the pug restrained so everyone was safe, that's all. Is that unreasonable?*

But then presumably as man and dog walked past your protective dogs would still have barked and pulled on the lead? So how did him stopping or not stopping actually affect the situation?

Charlie97 · 15/01/2019 17:37

@DippyDiplodocus you haven't answered my question? Now you know other dog owners can't be relied upon are you going to still walk five fogs and baby after a near accident?

ILoveMaxiBondi · 15/01/2019 17:38

And now the bloke was marching? Sure he was. More rewriting of history.

RomanyRoots · 15/01/2019 17:39

Too many dogs and putting your baby at risk.
Still, if there's someone else to blame.
You talk about loving your dogs, sounds like they come before your baby.
get your priorities right ffs.

DistanceCall · 15/01/2019 17:39

@DippyDiplodocus, I was answering the question in your initial post, which is "IABU to be furious about what has just happened?"

Yes, you are unreasonable. Because walking 5 fucking dogs and a baby is hard in the right circumstances, and unmanageable if anything unexpected happens (and it will).

You sound like an utter nightmare, to be honest. I feel sorry for your neighbours.

DippyDiplodocus · 15/01/2019 17:39

Wasn't a demand, it was a request @ILoveMaxiBondi - I'm still not scrolling for you

OP posts:
Weetabixandshreddies · 15/01/2019 17:39

And you still haven't answered the fact that a GSD barking at someone might cause them to believe they were at risk of being injured.

DippyDiplodocus · 15/01/2019 17:41

I'll be back in a bit, you lot can amuse yourselves with your dramatic story endings for a while.

And as for the fucking arsehole comment @previousWeight - fuck off Grin

OP posts:
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