To not want other people’s dogs to jump up at me when out walking

[Trevorwhatever]

Have just been on a walk in the sunshine and during the walk (across a football field in a park at that point) a medium/large sized dog ran up to me and kept jumping up at me putting its muddy paws down the back of my light coloured coat. I shouted at it to go away as the owner stood by making no effort to put it on a lead or to call it away. She just shouted ‘sorry’.

She then walked off shouting ‘you shouldn’t be walking across the fields if you don’t love dogs’.

I then shouted back ‘if you you can’t keep your dog under control then keep it on a lead’.

I was really mad I had to finish my walk in a muddy stained coat and now have to wash it because of someone else’s laziness.

Aibu to think I should be able to walk where I like without other people’s dogs jumping up at me?

@VinylDetective

It's not so bad. She has a huge garden and gets time off lead with her little dog friends when we are somewhere safe with people we know. I just cant take the risk when we are places where we are alone. She's 4kg and just wouldn't survive a neck bite or a shaking.

My BF just got a Husky so we hope he'll help protect her! By law, in our province, dogs are required to be on a lead so I don't think it's such a hardship.

What on Earth is she on about? If you didn’t love dogs then you wouldn’t have one yourself! Stupid woman.

She’s the type of dog owner who gives dogs and other owners a bad name.
Not everyone wants an unknown dog jumping up at them. It’s rude of the owner to allow that to happen and expect people to find it adorable.

I don’t even like dogs I’m familiar with jumping up at me. I’ve offended a couple of people for telling them straight that I find it irritating.

Lazy dog owners are shit. A walking stick is definitely the way forward.

@Kaliorphic

Lazy dog owners are shit. A walking stick is definitely the way forward.

or maybe a telescopic one in your pocket? Today I saw a man cycling in traffic with a dog on a lead yes controlling the bike with left hand and the dog on a lead in the right hand

"Lazy dog owners are sht..."
I agree @Kaliorphic.*
Today, I was on a walk when a dog wandered up, wandered out in to the road and almost got run over. Owner and pal along with three other dogs strolled around the corner.
I asked did they own the dog and explained that the dog had almost been killed. One woman was quite dismissive, called him to heel and the walked on. I noticed her friend had a lead in her hand.
None of the dogs were on a lead.
One of the other dogs then proceeded to wander onto the road and back.
🙄🙄🙄

The difference is that it is a tiny minority of people who steal or drink drive, and they know that it's seen as 'wrong' by society hence it's against the law, whether they choose to do it or not. This doesn't appear to be the case with an increasing number of dog owners who seem not to agree that they should be stopping their dog from bothering others
It's a minority of dog owners who are irresponsible.

Unless you're on mumsnet, in which case everyone other dog is out of control, charging through picnics, terrorising unsuspecting walkers and leaving huge mountains of poo. Mumsnet descriptions of dogs and dog walkers border on hysterical and quite unlike anything I've seen in years of dog ownership.

It still doesn't change the fact that it's fairly obvious that dogs shouldn't be jumping up at people. There isn't really an AIBU.

AIBU to think neighbours shouldn't be having loud parties at 2am? Obviously YANBU, of course some people will do loud parties after midnight but it's hardly a big discussion over whether it's ok or not. This, like the 'AIBU to think dogs shouldn't jump up at me', is a silly AIBU.

blackkitty1234
No, she isn't. The man was frankly a bit of a confrontational idiot and totally hysterical in his response. I get the impression from some responses on MN dog threads that some MNers are a bit like that too.

I really wouldn't be happy, once a dog licked my groceries in a crowded bus and there wasn't anything i can do. I do feel for dog owners, it must be so hard to have an animal that you have to bring out everywhere and obviously not everyone is naturally talented at dog training (and not all dogs are trainable!).

Thats why i chose a hamster as my furry friend. No chance of it mauling or inconveniencing members of the general public. I always wonder why dogs are so popular as pets when they are so inconvenient and often involve involuntary exposure of members of the general public to your pet. All pets are work and would inconvenience you but there are a lot of perfecty lovely pets out there who can be left at home for more than 4 hours.

@hopingforonlychild my dog is quite happy left more than four hours.

@hopingforonlychild the nastiest bite I ever had (actually the ONLY bite) was from our blasted hamster. Wow those little jaws are powerful! Puncture wound and almighty bruise!

@LST i hope that it doesn't bark all that time (the dog in the flat downstairs does this even when its owner is home).

If most dogs can be left at home for long periods of time, then whats the justification for dog friendly cafes, dog friendly supermarkets. It only makes sense if dogs can't be left alone for long periods of time; if not, having dogs in all these public spaces makes it difficult for people who are allergic or scared of dogs. Or just don't want doggy slobber all over their fruit and veg (yes this actually happened to me!).

[quote hopingforonlychild]@LST i hope that it doesn't bark all that time (the dog in the flat downstairs does this even when its owner is home).

If most dogs can be left at home for long periods of time, then whats the justification for dog friendly cafes, dog friendly supermarkets. It only makes sense if dogs can't be left alone for long periods of time; if not, having dogs in all these public spaces makes it difficult for people who are allergic or scared of dogs. Or just don't want doggy slobber all over their fruit and veg (yes this actually happened to me!).[/quote]
Because dogs are our companions and it’s nice to take them out and have a coffee in a cafe when walking them. I’ve never seen a dog friendly supermarket, unless it’s a guide dog. Mine doesn’t bark when she’s left either, our camera shows that she curls up and goes to sleep.

@AuntieMarys 😂😂😂

@VinylDetective some of the small grocery shops in my area allow them. It is Highgate after all!! I remember once my DH was having a coffee at highgate caffe nero and there were so many barking dogs it was quite unbearable.

i am resigned to the fact that it would always be this way always cos people love their dogs but yeah they can be a bother. Esp the dogs that jump up on you and lick your hands while you are walking. I want to wash my hands but can't always find a toilet to do so so i am walking all over town with doggy slobber on my hands. With my hamster, i always have access to tap water in my home to wash my hands after i handle him.

I was walking in highgate woods today and the dogs kept walking into me/blocking my path.

I love dogs, I really do. But I don't want them running up to me if I don't know them. I don't want them jumping up at me with muddy paws. I don't want them shitting all over the path if their owner is too lazy to pick it up. And I really, really don't want them to be off the lead in a red squirrel park where there are countless signs telling owners that dogs must be on a lead even if giggles "he would never catch one".

None of this is the dogs fault. Bloody stupid owners.

@vinyldetective no he doesn't bark all day. Or I wouldn't have said he was happy being left would I. He'd be pretty unhappy if we left him barking all day

@VinylDetective ahh but thats the thing. They are your companions! Not the 92% of Londoners who don't own dogs or the 80% of UK residents who don't own dogs. dog owners chose to own their dogs, I never consented that I wanted to be licked and slobbered over by someone else's dog.

Sorry that was for @hopingforonlychild

@scentedgeranium i got bitten once when i forgot to wash my hands.

But the distinction however is that hamsters don't tend to bite random members of the public. Just the people who chose to adopt the hamster in the first place so its a private affair. a dangerous and ill trained dog is a danger to members of the public, which is why its deserving of a Mumsnet thread.

@hopingforonlychild the great vast majority of dogs also don't bite random members of the public. Jumping up and biting are 2 completely different things!

@scentedgeranium which is why a dog is a really risky pet in a way! A psycho hamster/rabbit/guinea pig would only affect its resident family but the psycho dog affects all people who live in its vicinity. People have been seriously injured by dogs.

@LST how do i know a dog isn't going to bite me when it jumps up at me? or runs towards me? I don't know the history of the dog.

Also not a big fan of dog slobber. I can't think of another pet that people keep that slobbers on me randomly or invades my personal space. They say that its bad training but then there must be many badly trained dogs out there!

@hopingforonlychild I didnt say you did. I said that biting and jumping up were completely different. Both are wrong obviously. But none comparable

Had many off lead dogs jumping and barking at me - but some owners are idiots even when the dog is on a lead.

Once in a newsagents buying the paper, in comes dog owner with big dog and it's big slab dry mouth and jumped up on me - my work suit was covered in dog saliva. Dog owner says 'Aw - he likes you'.

Another time I was carrying a tray of drink across from a cafe to a table in the park. Dog owner has mutt on huge stretchy lead while she is texting on her phone. Dog bounds at me, tray of drinks went flying - idiot dog owner just says 'soz'. No offer to pay for my drinks, nothing, just flipping 'soz'.

@LST Btw i do like dogs. Just in controlled circumstances- friends' houses, friends' dogs. I wouldn't like toddlers who jump in my arms and lick me either but that has never happened to me!

A pair of shoes with a stout tip works well. A swift kick to make the point brings matters to a good conclusion.