AIBU about dog at the park?

[atthepark]

Was at the park tonight with my dd6 who has asd. She was playing in the play park that is fenced off with a gate when a Labrador came running in the park towards her. This caused my dd to start screaming and running away. The dogs owner made no attempt to get the dog and I asked her to put the dog on a lead and keep control of it. The woman then started shouting at me saying My daughter was out of control and my daughter should be locked up if that's how she is going to react to a friendly dog approaching her. I tried to explain that my dd has asd and has a fear of dogs but she was not listening.
I am still shaking up by this even though it happened hours ago so was IBU asking to put her dog on a lead?

OP, my last reply was obviously not directed at you but those who think it’s ok to give dog owners/parents a bad name. You weren’t BU at all.

Plenty of them @Want2727 we were in the children’s play area at a nearby stately home having a picnic with a friend and our 10 month old babies last month and there were two women walking dogs off lead, only small ones but they came over sniffing at the babies we jumped up with the babies but the dogs started sniffing in one of their lunch boxes and had there tongue in there 🤮!!! The two women just stood there and f’ing watched them - didn’t even bother to call then when I shouted can you come and get your f’img dogs out of my babies face and lunch one ambled over half heartedly and said oh they’re both deaf - as if. Absolutely outrageous!!

@CuriousaboutSamphire why don’t you stop being ignorant and just walk your dog where children don’t, play, I clearly have no idea where you live but I’m sure there are plenty 🙄

@Bookworm4 dogs are not part of society!

YANBU. Dog owners who haven't bothered training their dog the basics - especially instant recall, should keep their dogs on lead around people and other dogs.

I have 2 dogs who always walk to heel. They get plenty of opportunity to get rid of energy when there is nobody around. They have instant recall because I have put in the time and effort to train them.

Dog walking can be a nightmare when other dog owners can't keep their dogs under control. Especially those who think it's funny - or excusable - that their dog won't come back when called.

Nobody should allow their dog into a children's play area. Can't control it verbally? Put it on a lead. I see no reason for non vicious dogs to be muzzled though.

Glad your DD is okay OP. I have owned dogs all my life but I don't like out of control dogs jumping all over me (or my dogs) either. I meet at least one dog on every walk who has a clueless owner. Most dog owners I meet are responsible owners tbf.

@Whoate
Calm yourself, the part of ‘society’ I’m referring to is dog owners who have every right to use a public space as you and your baby. You sound like a neurotic princess, pity your child who you’ll probably never allow near a dog.

Also why don’t you take your offspring somewhere where dogs aren’t walked?

I used to have a horse who was friendly and loved people. He was the same height as the average adult give or take. Think most adults would react with fear if I'd allowed him to bound up to them minding their own business and chase them. That's the same sort of size ratio you're talking about with a lab and a 6 year old.
Was the play area the typical type in a park that's not only fenced and gated but has 'no dogs' among other rules on the gate? If so then even if the gate was left unlatched, the dog should have been under enough control either verbally or by lead to be called/pulled away from actually entering. It's ridiculous to suggest that the dog's owner wasn't at fault here - the dog should have been under control, it's a public place. The reaction of the child is irrelevant because the dog should not have been allowed to approach at all, and definitely not bounding and chasing. Might be friendly, but a lab is certainly big enough and strong enough to knock over a 6 year old and for them to be hurt. Won't hurt any less because the dog was playing will it?

I'd be mortified if my dog had done this.

Stupid ladyshoyld have at least known to apologise if not keep her stupid dog on a lead.

Mine stays on a lead most of the time because he is scared of other dogs and I wouldn't want him to choose to react instead of running back to me with his tail between his legs like I'm used to him doing.

@Bookworm4 Do stop trying to be goady, you're just sounding ridiculous.

@CuriousaboutSamphire why don’t you stop being ignorant and just walk your dog where children don’t, play, Me? What the fuck am I doing wrong? Or is my obviously piss taking hyperbole being taken seriously?

My puppy IS being trained, IS walked where there are kids, adults, other dogs and all sorts of other wild life. That's how you train them! I am NOT one of the ignorant dog owners. Nor have I denied such owners exist, or tried to excuse them - far from it! Which is blatantly obvious is you can read without prejudice!

And I think you'll find that many people wth and without kids own dogs.. they are very much a regular, every day part of our society!

@Bookworm4 please RFT most of the examples on here are children’s parks or designated/gated play areas. Do you think you’ve got more right to be walking your dog in a children’s playground than children have to play there?!?

So many children's dog phobias are caused entirely by out of control "friendly" dogs bounding around with blithe feckless owners who accept no accountability for their pet's actions.

I'm confident with dogs and grew up with giant breeds. My DCs unfortunately don't have any friends or family with dogs that they can build a relationship with.

It's getting better now my DCs are getting taller than the average dog. Around a calm dog, DS2 can now ask if it's OK to pet it. DS1 tends to quietly shy away. But an energetic dog instantly alarms them because so many times as toddlers they had dogs bounding up to them, licking their faces, attempting to steal food and bowling them over while the owner tries to tell us that it's OK because their uncontrolled fluffball is "friendly" and loves children and completely fales to take a subtle hint that howling or fleeing children don't love dogs

I challenged a dog owner to put her dog on a lead after it jumped up at me for the THIRD time. Apparently I'd been scaring it when I firmly told it to get down
I don't have dogs, I'm calm with them, don't eat while I walk etc, there is no reason in my behaviour to encourage a dog to jump up at me, yet it happens surprisingly often.

If a dog is out of control, the owner is morally and legally in the wrong.

I like dogs. It's just a shame about a not insignificant minority of irresponsible owners that ruin it for everyone else including sensible owners.

OP's dog owner was in the wrong for the dog's presence in the play area, the dog's behaviour and their shoddy attitude to the situation.

I'm with @Want2727

I've had dogs all my life, and have noticed that almost always, they are disproportionately afraid of being hit with a rolled-up newspaper (not hit hard, hit at all.) Even hitting the arm of a chair with a newspaper gets their attention and makes them stop whatever they were doing wrong -- though I admit that growling at them probably helps.

If I were very afraid of dogs I might think it worth carrying a rolled up newspaper and hitting it against my leg if a dog ran towards me or a child in my care. I think it is very likely the animal would veer off. And since you wouldn't have harmed it in any way it would be difficult for the crap owner of a slobbering, leaping nuisance to take offence or become aggressive against you.

I don't know whether it would work against an attack-dog, but then, nothing would so you wouldn't lose anything.

Dogs shouldn’t be walked in children’s play areas.

Dogs shouldn’t be allowed to approach strangers.

Strangers shouldn’t approach random dogs without seeking the owners permission.

It really shouldn’t be complicated!

Ds was petrified of dogs for years after being knocked over by a dog that “only wants to say hello”

I now have him so he actually quite likes dogs but he knows he has to ask the owner before he says hello to the dog.