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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to flinch when a big alsatian sticks its face into my toddler's face while he's sitting in the buggy, even though it "would never hurt"

28 replies

emkana · 12/10/2007 16:32

I feel a rant about dog owners coming on again....

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarg

The woman looked at me as if I was totally out of my mind when I flinched. After she said "she would never hurt" I said "yes but I'm very nervous of dogs" she shook her head and walked away...

OP posts:
MaryAnnSingletomb · 12/10/2007 16:33

YANBU

MrsTittleMouse · 12/10/2007 16:34

This one drives me nuts too. She might know that it would never hurt, but how are you supposed to know?!? Does she think that dangerous dogs have little red horns growing out of their heads?

RGPargy · 12/10/2007 16:34

YANBU!

belgo · 12/10/2007 16:36

YANBU. Ever since a large dog knocked dd1 into me, I have been very nervous of all dogs around my dd1. DD1 is also very nervous now, she wasn't before that incident.

allhallows · 12/10/2007 16:37

YANBU. Dogs are animals & as such are unpredictable, esp as far as biting babies/young children goes.

I can still hear my mum saying "NEVER put your face down to a dog!"

QuootieSpookypie · 12/10/2007 16:39

YANBU and I have a German Shpeherd myself. He really is good but he is a dog and I keep him away from kids, even though he will merrily play with DS. If I spot a kid, he is straight on the lead and all dog owners IMO should do this.

Original poster
emkana · 12/10/2007 16:40

This dog wasn't even wearing a dog collar so couldn't even be put on a lead! The woman had another alsatian with her, and a girl of about two years...

OP posts:
WinkyWinkola · 12/10/2007 16:42

My LO is wary of even little dogs as he's found them to be very snappy and barky. Probably worse than the big ones.

I just ignore the owners who say, "Oh don't worry. He won't hurt him." And what will they do if, even for the first time ever, their dog bites? "Oh I'm sorry. He's never done that before." LIke I care when my child has been bitten? All dogs should be on a lead in urban areas at least. And muzzled.

sKerryMum · 12/10/2007 16:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SuperMonkey · 12/10/2007 16:43

YANBU. I had a similar thing recently when I was lying on the grass with DS in a park - the owner said "he's good with children", I replied "well perhaps I'm not good with dogs". She walked off shaking her head too.

cornsilk · 12/10/2007 16:45

YANBU, she doesn't know it would never hurt. My ds has been bitten and chased (in an attacking manner) by a dog. You can never be totally sure. Silly woman allowing her dog to stick it's nose near your child.

2shoescreepingthroughblood · 12/10/2007 16:45

yuck dogs faces near humans........youck the lick their.........

belgo · 12/10/2007 16:50

When the dog jumped up on my dd1? he started licking and nipping at her face which was very frightening as he had come from no where. I thought he was biting her face off. It took two attempts for the owner to get the dog off of her.

The next day dd1's face was covered in spots, presumably from the dog's saliva. Yuck.

chocchipcookie · 12/10/2007 16:53

I have a good friend whose hubby was a metropolitan police trainer. He had an alsation, lovely dog, adopted it when it retired. At fourteen years old with no previous history and excellent training it attacked the wife. I really learned from that that even a good, well trained dog can revert to its breed impulse. It's not the dog's fault, it is nature.

Now my problem: I have a seven month DD. I live in the US. My neighbours have a rottweiler which they say wouldn't hurt a fly even though it barks at me like crazy and is about eight foot tall.

So, they have what is called an invisible fence, they're v. common here, the dog wears a collar and learns that if it crosses the fence it will get a mild electric shock. Then they learn the boundary. Well I saw this dog wander out of their driveway the other day! Because half the time the owners don't bother to put the collars on

We are now going to fence our garden with a six foot fence (gardens are big here) so it will cost a fortune. I just don't see any alternative. And if the dog wanted to attack I am sure it would run past the 'electric force field' any way. It makes me so cross, it will be v. expensive to fence, but what choice do you have?

belgo · 12/10/2007 16:55

a loss rottweiler next door would make me very worried.

belgo · 12/10/2007 16:56

A lose not loss!

belgo · 12/10/2007 16:56

I think I mean loose..

chocchipcookie · 12/10/2007 16:58

I am! I hope a six foot fence is high enough, even that worries me. Does anyone know how high big dogs can jump?

chocchipcookie · 12/10/2007 17:00

It isn't really eight foot tall. It is big but also quite old and fat.

motherinferior · 12/10/2007 17:00

Fck me, no you're not!

Lauriefairycake · 12/10/2007 17:06

No, you are not being unreasonable, silly bloody woman

And I am not being unreasonable when I want to kick some silly woman who says hysterically while lifting her child in the air "keep away from the dog, dogs bite".......when my spaniel is on a lead, walking to heel, not even looking at her cos he's more interested in the cheese I've got in my hand

I hate irresponsible dog owners with a passion (gives me a bad name), hate just as much people who overreact to seeing a dog on a lead.

chloesmumtoo · 12/10/2007 17:07

Oh I remember it well. Dc's in buggy ect and the fear of dogs. Horrid. I am after all a victim of a dog bite and plastic surgery to the face. Some people are very annoying, 'oh he wont hurt' and I suppose the ones that bite you have owners that say they will lol so annoying. I used to be quite stressed at times making the school journey everyday on foot with dd in the buggy.

Babyramone · 12/10/2007 17:12

No way
This annoys hell out of me too.
My DS was bitten on face by family dog which we thought was ok (though TBH we kept close eye on) when he was 20 months. H e was very lucky and through an excellent plastic team stitching him up has very faint tidy scars.
I have argued blind with people including friends when they say "oh he's a big softy"
Really does my nut in

woodenchair · 12/10/2007 17:15

YANBU! at all.

lovecat · 12/10/2007 17:31

YANBU and any responsible dog owner would not say that - I was at a rugby match at the weekend and dd wanted to go and say hello to the spectator's dogs - we have taught her that she should always wait until she's been told it's okay to stroke them and we always stroke them first to make sure, and to always offer her hand first so that they can sniff her - I was chatting to the owner of a lovely golden retriever and he said he always kept her on the lead because you could never say 'she would never hurt anyone' and he would never take that risk.

Irresponsible people like the dog owner in the OP make me

We were in the park a few weeks back and a little Boston terrier puppy put her teeth around the end of my nose (not maliciously, out of pure excitement as I bent down to give her a stroke and she jumped up) AFTER her owner had said she was perfectly fine with people - she also had a toddler with her who was crying his eyes out (and had a suspiciously red nose) and just as the creature nearly bit me she tutted at him for being 'wet' around her dog - needless to say, dd wasn't given the opportunity to stroke that one!

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