To have screamed at Chihuahua man?

[RobDeNirosCalling]

Took my dog for walk in country park. It’s a small foresty type area with tall tread, large rocks, a little lake and pathways. It’s very popular with dog walkers so there are always tons of dogs there.

Anyway, this absolutely bell end was there “hiking” with a chihuahua. I mean, he had the full kit on as if he was walking the Himalayas. Massive back pack, hiking boots, walking stick etc ... it isn’t that kind of park!! It has a bleeding main road running alongside it ffs. Anyway his rat dog thing was off lead and he had it “hiking” in the trees and up the rocks etc. When it saw us it ran over, got in my dogs face and then randomly snarled and snapped at my dogs nose. This bloke started huffing and puffing shouting “leave it!” To his dog. Eventually it ran off to follow him and he disappeared into the trees. Further along we saw him again arguining with an old man with a border collie. Apparently collie wasn’t on lead and had chased chihuahua. Old man adamant that this isn’t what happened and in fact, the rat dog ran up to his and started yapping in its face so his dog reacted. Again, hiking man disappeared into the trees.
We bumped into him a final time 20 minutes later where he was having a blazing row with a woman as her little girl had tried to stroke chihuahua when it ran up to her. Dog snapped at girl’s hand and then all hell broke lose. He’d been irritating me the entire time I was there and as I walked past I lost it and screamed at him that this is the 3rd time is seen him arguing with someone all because his dog wasn’t on a lead. He went mental and said people like me shouldn’t be allowed dogs with squashed faces. I shouted back “not everyone wants to pretend to hike in a bleeding country park and if I was going to pretend to be a hiker with a dog, I’d buy a dog and not a squirrel. The woman with the kid shouted at him “oh so you’ve been bothering other people today too then?” And so I told her about border collie man.

DH thinks I should have stayed out of it but he needed telling surely?! 3 adults upset by him and a little girl bitten all because he wants to play action man. I’m fuming.

The dog approached her. Unapproachable dogs should not be given this opportunity.

Ah but SoupDragon I did also say the dog should of been kept on a leash. Can't tell you how many times children have approached my dog on his leash, walking closely by my side and people just go straight for him and don't think to ask me if it's appropriate or if he'd appreciate it.

The dog ran up to the girl! It’s not as if she sought it out for forced affection! The horrible little thing ran up to her and then bit her!! If that had been my kid then he would have ended up with a squashed face.
I’ve never met a nice chihuahua, can’t understand the point of them, you may as well get a cat!

He does sound like a knob for letting any size of dog be dangerously out of control, and for going "mental" when you pulled him up on it. I suspect he would have reacted like that no matter how you'd approached him.

OP you cant generalise a whole breed just because one has pissed u off! A Boxer farted next to me once than slavered all over me,dont have a bad thing to say about them,it was one out of thousands

Well sometimes people need shouting at. He'd caused lots of trouble already and clearly wasn't understanding that he was the common denominator.

My dog is almost blind and if a chihuahua had come and had a go at him and got in his face it could likely have had my toe up it's arse and he would have had a right mouthful. What do people on MN do in these situations 'oh what oh I say chap would you mind terribly removing your dog's teeth from my dog's face'?

I love dogs but chihuahuas are snappy little bastards.

Squirrel. Snorts.

I've had to kick a chihuahua before because it went for my daughter. The owners think because it's little it's ok. It was known to go for kids, but the owners still took it to the childrens park.

This has made me laugh; sorry if that wasn’t the intention. The thought of a tiny ‘rat dog’ terrorising the park makes me think of the rabbit in Monty Python & the Holy Grail.

Boxers do fart though, I’ve never met one that doesn’t. They don’t tend to go around picking fights with other dogs and children though.

Anyway it wasn’t so much the squirrel that annoyed me, it was the Jeremy Hunt looking Twat dressed head to foot in hiking gear thinking he was the boss of the park. The ridiculous dog just added to it

I feel your pain OP. I have a very large, extremely fluffy dog who attracts outrage and adulation from other dogs in equal measure. He is generally on a long line because he’s over friendly and I can’t trust him not to eat, or squash some picnickers sandwiches. He is frequently ambushed by small dogs yapping manically at him or leaping at his face. Luckily he ignores them, but I am struck by how many owners are utterly unconcerned, and seem to think that attacking a large dog is entirely acceptable, and even cute, if the assailant is little.

Squirrel 🤣🤣

I’ve never met a chihuahua that wasn’t yappy and snappy.

Ah but SoupDragon I did also say the dog should of been kept on a leash.

After you'd blamed the girl for going to pet a dog that had approached her.

it’s unlikely a chihuahua could kill anyone other than possibly a tiny baby.

But it could permanently scar a child's face, or bite hands so badly that the use of fingers or (worse) thumb is lost.

When push comes to shove, the onus is on the dog owner to ensure that the dog doesn't cause harm. This doesn't necessarily involve biting people - an over-friendly, bouncy dog can easily knock someone over.

No - children shouldn't pet dogs without asking - but small children are, almost by definition, thoughtless and enthusiastic. If a dog rushes towards them, and they are confident children, then their instinct will be to reach out - as this child did. Especially when it is a small, and in the child's eyes, unthreatening animal. The dog should not have been allowed to approach the child.

OP's boxer could have been dangerous because it is a large bouncy dog - but she didn't allow it to be - she kept it under control.

Chihuahuas aren't my breed - nor are boxers, though for different reasons. I don't have anything against either, but wouldn't choose those breeds myself. Whatever your dog it must not be a danger to anyone else, and should not be allowed to pick fights with other dogs either.

This chihuahua had proven itself a pest - after the second incident, the owner should have leashed it.

(BTW, someone said upthread that real men don't have chihuahuas - I knew a very real man who had a tiny chi, because it attracted women and he got a few dates that way.)

They are the most loving sweet little dogs, who love nothing more than a snooze and a cuddle.

And snapping at small children and other dogs.

YADNBU well done OP. Except that you insulted squirrels and that’s not nice!

I hate all dogs really, so wouldn't be pleased if one yapped at me, no matter what the breed.
But he seems to have got your back up because of what he was wearing, which is a bit unfair. No doubt he did look a prat, but he was very likely training for something. I do treks and am often obliged to prance around a British country park like I'm hiking in the Himalayas, just so that I can get some practice in for, er, hiking in the Himalayas.
When I am breaking my kit in I do feel a bit stupid though and probably wouldn't appreciate being told I looked like a prat. You don't actually know whether he was at fault or not because you didn't see the start of the rows, but had just formed the impression he was a dick because of his clothes

*I meant to add - of the two breeds, if I had to have one, it would be the boxer.

I wouldn't choose one because they are a bit big and bouncy (and dribble) for me, but they are a nice dog.

Little rat dogs do seem to be far more prone to being snappy. My son says they all have a Napoleon complex.

I don't know - I think when you are so tiny, the world must be a pretty scary place, and some of us see attack as he best form of defence.

I've met both nice and nasty chihuahuas - but the nasty seem to be more prevalent.

Chihuahuas are knobheads (I have one looking at me as I type) but no more knobhead than any other badly trained dog.

None of you come out of this smelling of roses.

YABU for calling it a 'rat dog thing' that's unimaginative and boring, squirrel on the other hand

YANBU (although the screaming is unnecessary). People like that are the reason I'm so on edge when little dogs zoom up to my lurcher, who's always on lead, quite nervous, and isn't fond of small dogs.

If my dog reacts, he'll be getting the blame from the other owner, even though it's their shitty dog that isn't under control.

Bonus points for his half-arsed attempt at recalling his dog at the beginning - classic.

@SoupDragon why are you pretending you have met my dogs and telling me that they snap at children and other dogs.
They absolutely DO NOT do that by the way.
Totally weird

I’ve got two chihuahuas

Both are gobby little gits but they are all mouth and no trousers

Still means I have them on a lead and not allow them to run up to children

Little shit loves kids and actually lays on the floor for them to stroke her.

Madam is very much a “leave me alone please” dog.

If a child wishes to stroke mine, I encourage them to ask and then direct them to little shit and steer madam away

why are you pretending you have met my dogs

I'm not. It sounded like you were talking about chihuahuas in general.

I think it’s a mixture of breeding and letting them get away with things a larger dog wouldn’t. When a dog is big and thus capable of inflicting damage, I do think people have been generally more focussed on temperament when choosing breeding stock (not always of course!). And people let small dogs do things like jump up and bark because they perceive it as being less threatening or dangerous than similar behaviour in a larger breed (again, generalising here).

There are lovely smaller dogs around though - I used to know a dachshund-chihuahua cross who was an utter sweetheart, gentle as anything. Although an extremely reluctant walker, especially in anything other than beautiful weather Was quite appalled at the very idea of going outside in the rain!

So as a chihuahua owner myself I feel you need some education on the breed! The breed tends to be fiercely loyal to one particular person and in some cases may become overprotective of the person, especially around other people or animals. I never let mine off the lead and if I see another dog coming I tighten the lead and just keep walking.
Dogs behaviour has a lot to do with the way they are brought up and trained from a puppy. Owners have a lot to answer for.
That might be the smallest dog in the world (not a rat) but they have the biggest personality.
And always speak to someone the way you would like to be spoken to yourself.

Ironically chihuahuas are a short nosed breed. Both boxers and chihauhaus are classed are brachycephalic breeds and prone to BAS...

Misses the point