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AIBU?

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Original poster

Neighbours dog has just attacked me and DD.

861 replies

katkat90 · 27/01/2019 18:39

Have had issues with them in the past

They are elderly, with two large breed dogs (think Great Danes?). They cannot control them. Honestly the amount of times I have seen them nearly pull them over in the street/simply pull out of their grasp and go bouncing off and jumping all over people is untrue.

Was walking back from the shop and saw them coming from a distance so I stepped to the side into another neighbours driveway and next thing I know- one of them had pulled out of its owners grasp and came bounding over and knocked DD (who is just about getting confident with her toddling) over.

It was over in seconds- by the time I put the break on the pram (was stood on a slopes drive so it would of ran off into the road) and went to grab DD she was already on the floor the dog barking at her- so I kicked it to get it away, and it bit my leg.

I was furious. Owner very embarrassed an apologetic but I’ve said enough is enough and I would be contacting the police and the RSPCA.

Heaven forbid it bounded on the pram and just decided to bite my 2 week old. It would of taken her head off no doubt.

V shaken and waiting for DH to get home to call the police and RSPCA.

I’ve also messaged his daughter on Facebook

OP posts:
ChardonnaysPrettySister · 27/01/2019 20:02

Great Danes are dopey buggers. There's absolutely no need to be terrified of them.

ballsdeep · 27/01/2019 20:04

Chardonnay, people like you piss me off. He might be a 'dopey buggar' but I'm sure that's not what the toddler thought or the what op thought when she c poo ild see him barking and snarling over her baby.
If people can't control dogs they shouldn't have them, whether they are dopey buggars or not

MrMeSeeks · 27/01/2019 20:04

Hey @Pinkgin24*
dont hold back sweetheart, say what you really feel, you wish the dog had ripped her throat out dont you*

Wtf is wrong with you Shock

ballsdeep · 27/01/2019 20:05

**could see him

Boodledug21 · 27/01/2019 20:05

Sorry to hear you and your children have been frightened by these dogs. You say it’s been an issue for a while, but I wondered if you had found a proper time to try and have a none confrontational chat with the dog owners. Neighbour disputes, especially where police may become involved are actually likely to affect resale value of your house, as it’s something that will be checked by potential buyers. It may be too late now for you, but worth thing about. The elderly couple may need to consider help with the dogs unless this is an isolated incident. I hope this is amicably resolved for you.

Pissedoffdotcom · 27/01/2019 20:06

Dopey buggars can still cause terror fgs. I had staffs, all dopey buggars too. Funny enough they can still terrify the shit out of people

Wordthe · 27/01/2019 20:06

this thread really tells me such a lot about the shocking sense of entitlement in the dog owner community

I am appalled at the dog apologists on here
no wonder there is a growing sense of public anger about nuisance dogs

ChakiraChakra · 27/01/2019 20:06

Okay. Please listen up, all you kickers out there. I want you and your children to be safe, and kicking in this scenario is almost 100% guaranteed to escalate the situation to a bite or mauling. Please read this and the other posts saying what to do instead.

Dog was clearly out of control. No excuse for that. Ideal scenario dogs get rehomed via a decent charity, to somebody strong enough to hold a big dog, and who can train them properly.

Most likely scenario if police (and RSPCA, for some reason) are called is dogs get put to sleep. Not fair, dog was out of control but did not attack a human - it defended itself from a human attack.

Of choose none of us were there but it looks to me like dog bounced over wanting to play or simply past child, and said child, already unsteady on their feet, got knocked over. Dog either got excited thinking this was play or more likely nervous because weirdly small weird smelling human is a bit weird looking in the first place and is now on the floor, probably screaming or crying. All a bit weird for a dog that's perhaps not used to children, and dog feels need to warn child off, just in case child's next move is attack dog. Does so by barking, not attacking. then normal sized human attacks dog by kicking, and dog defends himself by biting.

No PhD in dog psychology needed. In this scenario, in your worst fierce loud voice shout loudly NO! BAD DOG! GO AWAY!! And shout to owners CALL YOUR DOG AWAY NOW. Get child away from dog or put yourself between child and dog if possible, being careful not to trap dog in a corner (eg one of the front yards the OP described). If you kick, punch or try to grab a dog if they aren't actually biting anybody, you make a bite WAY more likely. So now you all know, and you don't need to go get a Phd.

Tutlefru · 27/01/2019 20:06

PinkGin give your head a wobble!

If a big bastard dog was stood at/over my toddler barking I’d try anything to get it to back off.

OP was probably terrified and acted on impulse.

All good and well saying what you would do when you’re sat in the comfort of your own home not facing the situation.

OP definitely report. If people want these big breeds they need to make sure they can handle them. All too often I see big dogs taking their owners for walks because they have zero control. Even worse when you see a child with the lead. Angry

I hope you’re ok after what must of been frightening day.

Ignore the fuckwits on here who say you deserved it.

Dottierichardson · 27/01/2019 20:07

No I’m not impressed by large dogs doing lots of damage! You are clearly a complete imbecile to conclude that. I’m saying that a dog that size would have been able to do lots of damage the fact it didn’t would suggest to me it was not in attack mode. Ie I’m looking at what actually happened rather than reacting with pure hysteria

Totally agree with you and Ampero Blue, this was clearly mouthing. I've been bitten more than once by much, much smaller dogs...broken skin, loads of blood, massive infections, still have scars and a problem with the limb that was bitten - years later.

If a Great Dane had bitten you, you would be in A&E being stitched up with huge chunks missing from the leg and probably a few other places and not talking about it on MN, plus when dogs attack they don't tend to do single bites, they keep striking - it reminds me a little of the images of snakes - until something makes them stop or they're made to stop.

The fact that the dog mouthed you once, didn't break skin, didn't draw blood and didn't keep on striking at you, suggests it's far far better trained than you think it is, OP, a kick is a massive provocation and it still restrained itself. Clearly the owners haven't trained the dogs well to walk on lead, and should also walk them separately as dogs together can be harder to handle. And it's obviously upsetting that your child was knocked over, although it sounds like boisterous behaviour, again an attack would have been very different.

But since dogs can be killed over this kind of thing it would be better if you could be more realistic about what happened.

NicolaStart · 27/01/2019 20:07

Dog apologists:

It is not the duty or responsibility of the public to research dog behaviour. If a huge dog, a Great Dane sized dog, is barking at a toddler they have just knocked to the floor, the owners are responsible for whatever happens to the dog.

It might not be the safest of most effective thing to do, to kick a dog in those circumstances, but you have no right blaming and guilt tripping a non-doggy parent who resorts to instinct in that circumstance.

FFS: had the child been a sheep, any farmer would legally have been entitled to shoot the dog.

The more I hear from dog owners the more I want all dogs licensed and insured, and the dog apologists on this thread have prompted me to write to my MP.

‘Might be in trouble for kicking the dog’.

Do you know how you sound?

Fucking dog owners who think the world revolves around their bloody dogs.

Wordthe · 27/01/2019 20:08

MrMeSeeks did you read her post?
oh it's gone now, she said that the OP deserved to be bitten

PinkGin24 · 27/01/2019 20:09

You KICKED a dog. If you kicked a member of the general public if the accidentally bumped into your daughter, do you not think they would retaliate!?

Laiste · 27/01/2019 20:09

There's a lot of dog lovers on this thread making themselves look like utter utter twats. You're doing dog ownership no favors. I'm dismayed and embarrassed by you all.

Pissedoffdotcom · 27/01/2019 20:09

Ah yes, the shout as loud as you can trick. I used that the other day to get a bear of a dog into its garden to stop it being hit by a car. It DIDN'T run away it started growling its head off & squaring up at me.

Unless you know 100% the dog in question you have NO CLUE what reaction it will have. Some dogs react to shouting by attacking. Some react to you turning away by jumping up. Every dog is different. Giving 'one size fits all' advice as a way of telling OP she was an idiots is fucking outrageous

Passing4Human · 27/01/2019 20:09

CoachBombay that's shocking what happened! Must've been absolutely terrifying and not surprised you're still getting nightmares about it.

I don't think anyone (or most people at least) are vilifying the OP at all for having reacted on instinct and for kicking the dog. Some folk are explaining though that it's better to react a different way. I KNOW that no one should have to deal with unwanted attention from dogs as all dogs should be under the owners' control, but that's unfortunately not how things are. Where I am there are loads of dogs wandering about off leash. Most are friendly and under reasonable control, but you're never sure... (I have a 4 year old DD). So actually I like to know what I'm best to do if something ever happened to us. It SHOULDN'T happen, but God forbid it does, I want to hear from people who know what I'm best to do.

PinkGin24 · 27/01/2019 20:10

And @wordthe do not over exaggerate. No I do not 'wish' anything. I am saying she violently, deliberately kicked a dog so she did deserve to be bitten.

Wordthe · 27/01/2019 20:10

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

NotExactlyHappyToHelp · 27/01/2019 20:10

The intentions of the dog are not the important part of this. That dog should never have been able to be off the lead in a public space.

I’m a dog owner and I’m very aware of taking my dog out in public. She’s a very good natured girl but she’s big and she can be a little excitable so I take all necessary steps to prevent her causing anyone else worry and or accidental harm. I use a harness to be sure I can control her. I constantly scan ahead of me to assess what’s coming. I’ll happily cross roads or stand back with the dog on a very short lead to let people pass comfortably.

These people are not responsible dog owners. The only people that should have to deal with a dogs behavoir are the owners not the general public.

Pissedoffdotcom · 27/01/2019 20:11

Pinkgin had a member of public accidentally knocked my child over then stood over her screaming i'd have kicked the wanker too. And then kicked him again if he retaliated. Different scenario because people don't tend to stand over small children & shout at them.

Wordthe · 27/01/2019 20:12

@PinkGin, just keep digging that hole for yourself

NicolaStart · 27/01/2019 20:13

“You KICKED a dog. If you kicked a member of the general public if the accidentally bumped into your daughter, do you not think they would retaliate!?”

If a dog worries a sheep, however ‘boisterous ‘ or ‘friendly ‘ it is being, a farmer can shoot it dead.

Perhaps that is the direction you should be thinking in. Is a child less important than a sheep?????

A dog is not a ‘member of the public’,

You really are giving gig owners a bad name.

Dottierichardson · 27/01/2019 20:14

Fucking dog owners who think the world revolves around their bloody dogs.

Thank you would rather be part of that group than the online dog lynch mob.

Wordthe · 27/01/2019 20:14

These people are not responsible dog owners. The only people that should have to deal with a dogs behavoir are the owners not the general public
thank you so much for being one of the decent responsible dog owners Flowers
I wish there were more like you @NotExactlyHappyToHelp

WiddlinDiddlin · 27/01/2019 20:15

It really does not matter why the dog bit, the fact is the dog was out of control in a public place, and dangerously so.

Offence committed.

Report to police, take photos of the injury and document any medical treatment.

Hopefully the owner will then be subject to a control order, either voluntarily or via the courts, and this will stipulate that they must keep hte dogs under control and HOW they must do so (for example, lead length, only to be walked one at a time, to be muzzled hwen in public etc etc).