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?

You clearly don't know anything about dogs or canine behaviour
I have no interest in dogs or their behaviour
dogs are things which other people have to amuse themselves, they are your hobby, your interest
I keep my hobbies and interests to myself, I don't inconvenience other people with them
And you need to keep yours away from me
Thank you

You clearly don’t know a thing about dogs or canine behaviour if you think ‘bounding’ is a precursor to aggression

Correct, no expert - I only have first hand experience of having a dog jump up on me and biting me - this has given me a lifelong fear of dogs - specifically dogs off leash (or on those stretchy ones that has dogs about 6 feet from the owner). I choose to keep away from dogs and live in hope they keep away from me.

Not unreasonable at all.

@emilyfrost

I only said I would call the police if someone abused an animal and yes, I DO think animal abuse is an emergency.

blackkitty1234 Defending yourself against an animal jumping up at you is perfectly justified and is not even close to animal abuse, so yes, you would be penalised for wasting police time and having an out of control mutt.

So say a dog jumps up and you kick it, what exactly are you defending yourself against? Because if it wanted to bite you, it wouldn’t be wasting time by jumping up and trying to say ‘hi’. It might just be a puppy who hasn’t been effectively trained yet, granted it should be on at least a lone line but kicking an animal because it got you a little bit muddy is a pretty shitty thing to do. You better hope I’m not about when you do this, I would go absolutely mental.

@Yohoheaveho

You clearly don't know anything about dogs or canine behaviour I have no interest in dogs or their behaviour dogs are things which other people have to amuse themselves, they are your hobby, your interest I keep my hobbies and interests to myself, I don't inconvenience other people with them And you need to keep yours away from me Thank you

Dogs are not things, they are sentient beings. We share this planet with other animals, they have a right to be here too, sometimes they will inconvenience you and you just have to get on with it.

I’m not generally fussed by dogs - not a dog lover, but I do care about animals, happy to share space them and I generally don’t mind the odd dog jumping up or coming to have a sniff or whatever.

But I have to say I was out walking yesterday at a large London park and I found the sheer amount of dogs jumping up, barking, chasing each other around my feet etc SO annoying. My elderly mother was nearly knocked over three times by different over excited dogs. The attitude of owners was the most annoying thing, though. So fucking entitled, never apologising, not even acknowledging that their animals were dominating a public space and causing mayhem. I find it so rude.

A dog recently cornered my son (8) and was barking aggressively at him while my son stood stock still and tried to keep calm. The owner came tripping over the brow of the hill laughing and shrugging. It wasn't a big deal, my son isn't traumatised but I did think she really should take responsibility for her dog which was clearly nervous and anxious around strangers.

yes dogs are sentient, they are also man-made, a kind of 'living toy'
They are not a rare and endangered species, they are a man made nuisance.
Dogs live in human societies they are not wild animals who were here before us, they are not equal to humans and thier rights do not trump those of humans.
I do not wish to have my life curtailed by the needs and desires of other people's dogs!!

@TizzDeSeason

I’m not generally fussed by dogs - not a dog lover, but I do care about animals, happy to share space them and I generally don’t mind the odd dog jumping up or coming to have a sniff or whatever.

But I have to say I was out walking yesterday at a large London park and I found the sheer amount of dogs jumping up, barking, chasing each other around my feet etc SO annoying. My elderly mother was nearly knocked over three times by different over excited dogs. The attitude of owners was the most annoying thing, though. So fucking entitled, never apologising, not even acknowledging that their animals were dominating a public space and causing mayhem. I find it so rude.

Not even acknowledging that their animals were dominating a public space and causing mayhem They won't acknowledge that it's a problem because they enjoy it the dog is the means by which they dominate the public space and that makes them feel more powerful and important

@blackkitty1234
I would go absolutely mental
What would you do 😳

People do not 'just have to get on with it', and passively accept dogs jumping on or at them. People are fully entitled to seek to prevent uninvited physical interaction with animals, just as they are with people.

I won't kick or hit a dog, but I will firmly and briskly raise a knee to deter and frustrate a strange dogs attempt to jump up at me, and if they went near my kids then I did what I had to do to protect my children.

I think it's peculiar to expect people to meekly and passively accept your strange animal's attentions, regardless of how benign you might think them.

That’s unreasonable. You don’t know me or my dog, if you did then you would know that she’s a nervous rescue who doesn’t get off her lead. I don’t think people should go round abusing animals because a dog jumped up at them. Why should the dog suffer because it has a rubbish owner? There is no excuse for animal abuse.

Well if your dog is on the lead then I doubt you and I would have a problem in the unlikely event that we would ever cross paths. If a dog bounded up and jumped up at me or my children though then there would be consequences to that. The dog is not my priority. If someone's dog is likely to do that, then keep it on the lead. And if they don't, then don't be surprised or aghast with what may happen next.

I think it's peculiar to expect people to meekly and passively accept your strange animal's attentions, regardless of how benign you might think them

Yep, there's a weird massive entitlement with some dog owners. I expect that extends to all areas of their lives.

There is a weird massive entitlement
The dog is the very epitome of entitlement, it's owners expect it to be afforded all the rights and enjoyments that humans have.
But (of course!) with none of the obligations, responsibilities or expectations to contribute towards society
B

So say a dog jumps up and you kick it, what exactly are you defending yourself against? Because if it wanted to bite you, it wouldn’t be wasting time by jumping up and trying to say ‘hi’. It might just be a puppy who hasn’t been effectively trained yet, granted it should be on at least a lone line but kicking an animal because it got you a little bit muddy is a pretty shitty thing to do. You better hope I’m not about when you do this, I would go absolutely mental.

blackkitty1234 I never mentioned kicking; I said I, and people in general, have a right to defend themselves if a dog jumps up at them. That could be defence through any means, but yes that could include a swift kick if felt necessary.

It depends how out of control your mutt is as to the reaction it receives.

You could go as mental as you wanted, but all that would do is add to the consequences of your already out of control dog and wasting police time.

Awwk....I hate it when they git their wee lipstick out.

I had this the other week. Rather large dog ran up to me and baby in pram.. was barking very very loudly jumping up knocking the pram over .. was quite surreal looking back I got told " he is more scared of you"

I walk my dopey golden retriever every day. A minimum of 4 miles (for my mental health as much as his). He recalls in an instant when he hears my whistle. It really is quite remarkable when I think about it. Even if he's in mid- pursuit of a squirrel (which he NEVER catches, bless) back he comes. We've had dogs for 15 years, since the children were 8 and 10 respectively and never in that time have I seen anything like some posters have described. Nor did we before we were dog owners, when we were that mother with baby and toddler in a park full of dogs apparently jumping all over people. I'm appalled that this could be happening. I wonder if there are MORE dogs around now in urban spaces than there used to be say 20 years ago? People feeling entitled to have a dog even if they don't have the time to train and exercise the animal?
We now live rurally, but pre-dog we lived in London and hand on heart never had a problem in all the miles we roamed through parks and along river banks.
The worst thing my current dog has ever done was sidle up to a couple eating their cheese sandwiches. He sat and stared and drooled but didn't once touch sandwich or people. I was mortified but they said what a good boy he was. The worst thing the previous one did was steal a whole fruitcake from a picnic. But it was OUR picnic so that's ok.

I think there are a lot more clueless urban dog-owners, who think the solution is that other people put up with their ill trained and managed dogs, rather than they and their dogs get trained not to bother and impinge on other people, who don't have to like or put up with their pets poor behaviour.

all that would do is add to the consequences of your already out of control dog and wasting police time
out of control dog
out of control owner
what's that saying about dogs coming to resemble their owners....

Maybe it depends on where you live scented. I remember when dd was about 4, we went to a local park and she got knocked over twice by two different dogs / different owners about 30 minutes apart. That really was quite something. Neither owner was interested, well they wouldn't be would they, being the sort of owners that would let their dog do that in the first place.

@Yohoheaveho

all that would do is add to the consequences of your already out of control dog and wasting police time out of control dog out of control owner what's that saying about dogs coming to resemble their owners....

I would argue that the person going round abusing animals is out of control but who cares about animals, right? 🤷🏼‍♀️

Just because a dog jumps up at you does not give you the right to harm it.

@Yohoheaveho

Why don't you hit the owners and not the dog Because then I'm in a fight with a thug AND it's dog!

So you’d rather take it out on an innocent defenceless animals rather than taking the issue up with the actual person at fault. Coward.

So you’d rather take it out on an innocent defenceless animals rather than taking the issue up with the actual person at fault. Coward

If a dog attacks me I will do whatever it takes to stop it. If instead I hit the stupid feckless owner, it achieves nothing, doesn't stop the dog attack, in fact it may exacerbate it, and it leaves me open to prosecution. So the if the dog goes for me, it will be the dog that gets it. And it will be the stupid feckless owner that gets prosecuted instead.

@Kaliorphic

So you’d rather take it out on an innocent defenceless animals rather than taking the issue up with the actual person at fault. Coward

If a dog attacks me I will do whatever it takes to stop it. If instead I hit the stupid feckless owner, it achieves nothing, doesn't stop the dog attack, in fact it may exacerbate it, and it leaves me open to prosecution. So the if the dog goes for me, it will be the dog that gets it. And it will be the stupid feckless owner that gets prosecuted instead.

A dog jumping up is not the same as attacking.

A dog jumping up is not the same as attacking

I don't want anyone dog jumping up at me. It would seem plenty of others feel the same way. Dog owners need to take responsibility for their animals and make sure their dogs don't do that. Or they may have to deal with the consequences of that 🤷‍♀️. If you don't want people to bat your pooch off of them then best keep it on a lead unless you can guarantee its recall.