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AIBU?

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Original poster

Dog attacked my husband! Feeling very cross about irresponsible owner

237 replies

BaitandSwitch · 27/05/2019 18:45

My husband takes a regular walk around the local park and fields and today he came home with some face bleeding.
What had transpired was that a regular dog walker had let her dog off the lead - which bounded up to my H and jumped up at him. In the process drew blood from 4 places - 1 claw clipped the inside of his nostril, and three sites around the nose and cheek. He naturally was in a state of mild shock. I asked what the owner's reaction had been. He responded he sees her and that dog regularly and the dog always makes a beeline for him and jumps at him. The owner laughed it off apparently saying, " oh he always goes for you".
I feel so angry and upset - how dare she have such a cavalier attitude and not keep her out of control mutt on a lead? I feel inclined to accompany my H on his next walk and give her a piece of my mind if I see her. I have just had to get this off my chest.

OP posts:
Dippypippy1980 · 27/05/2019 19:07

I think this does jumps on your husband every week and he gets and tickle behind his ear and a bit of a pet and attention (the dog).

So it’s a routine. This time the dog misjudged and scraped your husband. It. Happened with dogs - and is very different fro. A bite.

I think you need to respect your husband’s assessment of the situation.

And who on earth would call the police about an overly affectionate dog🤣🤣😂

GibbonLover · 27/05/2019 19:09

A mongrel you say? Of average size? And its paws reached all the way up to your husband's nostril?

Butchyrestingface · 27/05/2019 19:09

So it’s a routine. This time the dog misjudged and scraped your husband. It. Happened with dogs - and is very different fro. A bite.

This.

Build a bridge time here, I think. Unless it becomes a regular event.

Bunnybigears · 27/05/2019 19:10

So it sounds like this dog makes a beeline for/jumps up at your DH regularly. Has he ever made any indication he doesnt want the dog to do so? Or has he then given the dog a stroke and exchanged a few pleasant words with the owner? I think this makes all the difference. Also I'm sure your DH is an adult so unless he has any needs we are not aware of he can choose to handle this incident however he likes without your involvement.

TreadingThePrimrosePath · 27/05/2019 19:10

No, as a short person who dislikes badly-behaved dogs, there’s not much difference between being jumped up on and scratched by an excited dog and an assault.
And the fact that dog owners never see the problem means there’s no point in telling them to keep their dog under control. If you yell ‘Get Down’ and the owner and dog ignore you, then chilli pepper works as a deterrent. The advantage is that they tend to avoid you after one episode. Which is what you wanted in the first place.
Make sure he cleans the scratches.

kaytee87 · 27/05/2019 19:11

And yes, I agree with pp, your DH wasn't attacked.
If it's an average sized dog how did it reach your husbands face? Must be a big dog surely?

RosaWaiting · 27/05/2019 19:15

OP that's awful

I would be furious too. And everything leaves an indelible mark on my skin - pigmentation issues.

It's a shame your DH doesn't want to take it further but I suppose you have to respect his wishes. Dog owners like that give me the rage. I like dogs btw!

TreadingThePrimrosePath · 27/05/2019 19:15

My friend’s springer can jump up over a metre. Why disbelieve the OP?

adaline · 27/05/2019 19:16

It's a shame your DH doesn't want to take it further

Take what further? The police aren't going to be remotely interested in a friendly dog jumping up at someone and accidentally scratching them!

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 27/05/2019 19:17

If it's an average sized dog how did it reach your husbands face? Must be a big dog surely?

Or a very short DH Grin

I'm rather petite but even for me the highest I've ever had was a pawprint on my collarbone from a very friendly but overenthusiastic young staffy (no harm done). That's in two years of walking in parks which are full of dogs.

TreadingThePrimrosePath · 27/05/2019 19:18

Maybe he should just tell her and her dog to fuck off in an aggressive manner. Or bounce up to her and give her a lick, just to show there’s no hard feelings.

Dippypippy1980 · 27/05/2019 19:19

I think if OP’s husband does want to make an issue of this what he should do is ask the owner not to allow the dog to jump on him, explain he got accidentally cut the last time so doesn’t want it to happen again.

Unless your hubby is a vulnerable adult, I would let him deal with this himself.

Lacazettes · 27/05/2019 19:19

It doesn't matter if the dog was friendly, the owner should still be keeping her dog under control. It may jump up at somebody much smaller or who is afraid or allergic to dogs in the future.

mabelsgarden · 27/05/2019 19:20

Yes you could report it, but I am not sure what they can do, unless you know where the woman lives, and can prove her dog attacked your DH.

Ignore people saying 'can't your DH defend himself?' Nothing wrong with getting angry for, and defending the one you love. I would be the same with my DH, and he would with me. (And we would die for our kids even though they are grown!)

A dog went for my friend the other week; proper snarled and barked at her, but he was on a lead. The owner said 'he doesn't like you!' She said 'I don't much care for him either.' Fucking weirdo. What kind of shit dog owner do you have to be, for your dog to lurch at, and attack total strangers? Hmm

BenWillbondsPants · 27/05/2019 19:20

You say your DH was attacked. Then you say the dog jumped up and you're sure it was an accident. Which is it? There is a massive difference between a dog attacking a person and them jumping up in catching someone accidentally. Neither is acceptable - an owner who cannot or will not control or train their dog is an idiot and should be taken to task, no question about that, but saying the dog 'attacked' makes it sound like the dog actively intended to injure your husband. It could mean the difference between a dog being put to sleep or not.

It sounds like the dog, and the owner, need training.

mabelsgarden · 27/05/2019 19:21

@TreadingThePrimrosePath

Maybe he should just tell her and her dog to fuck off in an aggressive manner. Or bounce up to her and give her a lick, just to show there’s no hard feelings.

All the LOLZ. Grin

Yerroblemom1923 · 27/05/2019 19:21

Get him some dog attack spray. Not only will he feel safer but will be prepared in case this should happen again. I carry a can with me everywhere.

RosaWaiting · 27/05/2019 19:21

sorry "take it further" means give the owner a piece of his mind. I can appreciate he was too shocked to do it at the time but hopefully next time he can do it.

Original poster
BaitandSwitch · 27/05/2019 19:22

Thanks to those of you who have been supportive and offered good advice. No thanks though to the person who suggests I lied about the dog's paws reaching all the way up to my H's face.

I wonder what the reaction of some of the posters on this thread would have been if it had been a child that had been jumped on by an over-enthusiastic dog (and owner with a sense of entitlement who clearly thinks there is nothing wrong in this behaviour and won't keep them on a lead).

OP posts:
bluebluezoo · 27/05/2019 19:24

If it's an average sized dog how did it reach your husbands face? Must be a big dog surely?

This. Unless it’s Clifford or your husband is of restricted height there aren’t many dogs that could jump and injure and adult males face.

Yes dogs can jump, often high, but it would be quite hard to do so and get claws and teeth to reach a face.

Or he was bending down to pet the dog?

Mummyoflittledragon · 27/05/2019 19:25

Sounds as if she needs to clip the dogs nails urgently.

Does your dh enjoy being jumped up on? If not, why doesn’t he get angry??

BMW6 · 27/05/2019 19:26

OP the dog should have been taught not to leap up to peoples faces, so the owner should be taken to task for not having control of her dog.

BUT your husband was NOT attacked. An injury caused by an over enthusiastic (and out of control) dog is not the same as an attack.

If your DH feels aggrieved he should take it up with the owner, of course. He does not need you to take her to task, cos you are not his mum.!

adaline · 27/05/2019 19:28

You're just not happy because people aren't supporting you, OP.

Dogs, especially young ones, will jump at people for attention. If their claws are due for a clip, it's easy to see how an excited greeting could lead to scratches. My dog is 15 months old and has scratched me accidentally when he's jumped up before.

And it wasn't a child that it happened to, was it?

BenWillbondsPants · 27/05/2019 19:31

@BaitandSwitch, can you clarify please - did the dog 'attack' your husband or did it hurt your husband accidentally? You have said both, which is it?

Roussette · 27/05/2019 19:31

I am gobsmacked that posters seem to think it's OK for a dog to jump up like this. If I had scratches on my face, and inside my nose I would be Very Pissed Off. If you can't control your dogs, they should be muzzled. I don't care that your dog is excitable, that your dog isn't 'attacking, that your dog is just being affectionate, just flippin' well stop your dog jumping up!

BTW we had dogs growing up, I like dogs, believe it or not.

I have a NDN with a hooligan dog like this. Not trained enough, they didn't want to 'quash her spirit'. She has jumped up at me (muddy paw prints on my coat) but the worst time was when she jumped up at my elderly neighbour, a lovely man, and his arm was scratched to buggery, he was quite shaky for a while after. I can only talk to my NDN in the road with at least 6 feet between us because it jumps up on everyone.