Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Roussette · 27/05/2019 21:49

I do think that normalising this really does not do dog owners any favours whatsoever.

Cherrysoup · 27/05/2019 21:49

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

As can mine, he regularly corkscrews himself up to my face (I’m 5’11 ish)

It’s difficult to understand the use of the word ‘attacked’ when I’m picturing a pain in the arse untrained idiot dog rushing over to greet someone who has previously not objected. Knee to the chest will sort that out or a bloody good shout at the dumbass owner who needs to put an immediate stop to her dog. A loud shouted ‘No’ tends to stop most dogs in their tracks. Owner also needs a bollocking.

Roussette · 27/05/2019 21:52

OP, I hope your DH is OK and the scratches/wounds/whatever they should be called heal quickly. I would be upset if this had happened to my DH

LMBoston · 27/05/2019 21:52

Holy fuck, that’s genius 😂

LMBoston · 27/05/2019 21:54

That was for Buccanarabs drawing, btw. Are you a police artist? It’s very detailed.

stayathomer · 27/05/2019 21:56

If the walker reacted like that to some one she doesn't really know, I'm trying to even think of how your dh tries to nicely let her know she's so in the wrong, she sounds like a c.f. or clueless!!!

Louiselouie0890 · 27/05/2019 21:59

Did your husband kneel down to pet the dog? Sounds like he did. This is a tad dramatic I think

TreadingThePrimrosePath · 27/05/2019 22:00

He shouldn’t try and tell her nicely, he should do it loudly and aggressively so that she is alarmed enough to be wary of him. Subtle and civil won’t get through her thick skin and ignorance.

Original poster
BaitandSwitch · 27/05/2019 22:01

"Did your husband kneel down to pet the dog? Sounds like he did. This is a tad dramatic I think"

How on earth are some of the posters on this thread coming up with such stupid assumptions? Where did I ever say that in any of my comments? My husband did not pet the dog - he was ambushed by it.

OP posts:
Louiselouie0890 · 27/05/2019 22:03

Did you see the ? in my sentence, chill

Fucksandflowers · 27/05/2019 22:03

He shouldn’t try and tell her nicely, he should do it loudly and aggressively so that she is alarmed enough to be wary of him. Subtle and civil won’t get through her thick skin and ignorance

I would agree with this.

mumwon · 27/05/2019 22:04

so a "friendly" dog jumps up & injures someone by accident but its a habit - the dog is an a severe accident waiting to happen - & is out of control therefore it needs to be reported - unless (sarcasm here!) your husband is teasing dog to make him do it! dogs claws can cause injuries imagine if it caught someone's eye?

Original poster
BaitandSwitch · 27/05/2019 22:06

Precisely, Mumwon.

OP posts:
MamehaSan · 27/05/2019 22:08

WTAF? Setting aside the pedantry over the use of the word "attack ", I can't believe that some posters are downplaying the incident and making out that it's somehow the OP's husband who should be responsible for managing the behaviour of the dog (see the "helpful" suggestions of what to do when the mutt comes bounding over). Just no. If the dog owner can't control the dog, it needs to be on a lead, end of story.

OP, has your husband had a tetanus jab recently? Might be worth checking.

floraloctopus · 27/05/2019 22:08

Report it to the police, it could be a child next time.

Roussette · 27/05/2019 22:10

dogs claws can cause injuries imagine if it caught someone's eye?

Exactly. I have no idea why a lot of posters are trivialising this. It could've been an awful injury. Also no idea why posters are trying to catch the OP out... her DH encouraged the dog, bent down to talk to the dog etc.

Sometimes MN is very weird. I'm just imagining the outcry if it was a child. It could have very easily been one.

If your DH walks there again and sees the owner with dog he should say very loudly "Keep your uncontrollable dog away from me"

Fucksandflowers · 27/05/2019 22:12

OP's husband who should be responsible for managing the behaviour of the dog (see the "helpful" suggestions of what to do when the mutt comes bounding over)

While he shouldn’t have to be responsible and while of course, the owner absolutely should have full control over the dog, the unfortunate reality is a lot of dog owners out there are at best clueless and at worst selfish and entitled.

It would be wise I think for OPs DH to carry a walking stick or pet corrector spray or something to prevent something like this happening again in the future

PeoniesarePink · 27/05/2019 22:12

OP I really think you should report this. It's not enough alone for the Police to really do much (I have previous experience of a dog repeatedly attacking mine) but the reality is that even them having a word with this owner may be what it takes for them to understand how serious this could get.

And if it does it to anyone else, it's on record. Hope your DH is OK.

Original poster
BaitandSwitch · 27/05/2019 22:13

Thanks again to the posters who have been very supportive and understanding - sadly I feel other posters have tried to downplay the incident (perhaps they're owners of out-of-control dogs themselves?) and to somehow turn it onto my husband to have tactics ready to manage this uncontrolled mutt. As I said earlier, he was in a mild state of shock when he came home and unable to respond to the owner at the time the incident took place.

OP posts:
Roussette · 27/05/2019 22:16

There was a very sensible dog owner on here who said she would be absolutely mortified if her dog did something like this.

She was the only dog owner who has said that. That's why I noticed the comment.

Original poster
BaitandSwitch · 27/05/2019 22:16

And to those who have been kind enough to ask, yes my husband seems fine so hopefully no harm done but agree he should check the status of his tetanus jab!

Oh and for avoidance of any doubt he is of average height.

OP posts:
Comefromaway · 27/05/2019 22:18

I’m a dog owner. I wouldn’t be mortified. My dog would never get the opportunity to jump up a stranger.

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

Thanks Roussette - certainly if I owned a dog I would be beside myself if I'd let it off the lead and it did that to somebody. I can't see how some dog owners just think it's all perfectly okay to let their dogs bound up to people and jump up and around them.

OP posts:
AllInADay · 27/05/2019 22:21

OP. I've learned that to criticise dogs you are on a loser to nothing. A group of people will ALWAYS jump to defend them and offer you patronising advice on how you should have acted to accomodate the dog.. because the dog and its owner are the important ones, of course. The most traumatic thing I ever witnessed was a dog maul a little girl of about 18 months. The owner let the dog off the lead despite the child being there then fecklessly tried to run after it while the dog made a beeline for the child. Her screams will stay with me for ever while her distraught father tried to drag it off. Fact: The dog drew blood. The owner did nothing to keep the dog away. It's a police matter. (Not that they'll do anything).

IHateUncleJamie · 27/05/2019 22:22

If a dog "accidentally" jumped and clawed my face I'd want it putting down. That's not ok.

Nor is it ok to want to kill a dog for accidentally scratching someone. Good lord. 🙄

OP firstly, the dog was not a “mongrol” or even a mongrel, we call them cross-breeds or mixed breeds. Secondly, causing scratches with untrimmed claws is unacceptable but it is not an “attack” in any way.

My db’s dog has accidentally scratched me and drawn blood a few times in his excitement as his claws are sharper than my ddog’s and he does get terribly over-excited when we visit. We do what Avocado suggested upthread and fold our arms, turn sharply away and he gets no attention until he’s sitting nicely.

The owner was out of order laughing it off and she needs to train her dog but to be honest if this dog really likes your DH, has he ever interacted with it before or hand on heart can you say he turns his back on the dog until it’s calm? The way the owner said “he always goes for you” suggests your DH has previously given the dog attention when it’s jumped up.

Report it to the Dog Warden if you want to but also your DH needs to be more assertive with dogs and their owners. I’m sure he doesn’t need you escalating things by using dramatic language and accompanying him on his walks.

Swipe left for the next trending thread