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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To expect dog walkers to keep their giant dogs on leash around other peiple

999 replies

Thewithesarehere · 27/12/2020 12:52

I am still quite sick after seeing a dog, nearly my DC’s size, running after my DC knocking them to the ground and running over them.
DC is covered in mud. I was taking a picture of them running to me and it happened in a flash. I shouted at the dog owner who something like put your own children on leash.
Why the hell people don’t keep such huge dogs and then let them off leash in a public park around children? DV is covered in mud, shivering and complaining that their leg hurts where it hit a rock and that they are scared of dogs. I wish I had done more but don’t know what else I could have done.
AIBU in feeling bloody furious?

OP posts:
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5
CrotchetyQuaver · 27/12/2020 14:18

I hope you have both barrels to the dogs owner in clear ringing tones so all around would hear. That person was a complete utter idiot. Any decent person would have apologised profusely and offered to help you and the fallen child.

danadas · 27/12/2020 14:21

Sorry this happened. Dogs should not be off lead in areas where the public are unless they have 100% recall. No excuses.

Increasingly as a society we are losing the mindset of dogs being dogs and end up with insufficiently trained dogs, people not understanding the breed/breeds their dog comprises of and therefore the best way to train and work them to satisfy their mental/physical needs resulting in a lot of unruly (albeit often friendly) dogs. Our gundog breed is fit and solid muscle, he isn't giant but could easily knock an adult over and he is only medium sized.

Cherrysoup · 27/12/2020 14:22

I’d report to the dog warden. I think the owner’s response telling you to keep your dc on the lead is ridiculous. I’d be horrified if my two bowled over a child. Fortunately they know not to approach people/other dogs. I hope your dc is ok, this is the kind of thing to make dc scared of dogs. See if you can get him/her to stroke a friendly dog to stop him/her becoming phobic.

SlothMama · 27/12/2020 14:23

YANBU
I don't let my dogs run up to strangers but equally I don't appreciate out of control children that approach my dogs who are on leads.

NuniaBeeswax · 27/12/2020 14:29

"fetishistic anthropomorphic live toy" is peak mn 😂😂

Yohoheaveho · 27/12/2020 14:30

@Thewithesarehere

OP, if you have footage or a clear photo of the event it might be worth talking to the local dog warden. I do and I will now. Thank you for this. I simply didn’t know what to in the moment other than shouting at the owner, which probably scared DCs even more.
Please let us know how you get on!
LaBellina · 27/12/2020 14:30

Your poor DC.
I hate such people and I think they deserve to be reported to the council.
So sorry it happened to you Flowers

Cactuslockdown · 27/12/2020 14:31

I voted YABU because IME it’s the little buggers that are the most trouble, but of course YANBU that the dog should have been under control. I hope your DD is ok!

Yohoheaveho · 27/12/2020 14:33

the dog owner felt emboldened to express aloud their desire that children should be kept on a leash for the convenience of dogs🧐
I find this very alarming

Yohoheaveho · 27/12/2020 14:35

@Shinylikeglass

I had one recently where a dog jumped all over me. He was very cute and friendly, I wasn't scared but I did end up covered in mud. How is that acceptable? The owner did shout at him but he was never going to do as they said.
In these situations ignore the fact that the dog is 'cute and friendly', glare at the owner and say, 'get it off me now'
Ruddyfedup · 27/12/2020 14:39

A dog dangerously out of control that causes harassment, alarm or distress to a person fulfils the offence, doesnt have to be in public or off lead either. you can ring 101 and the neighbourhood can deal with it. I had to when a lab snapped at my sons face when we crossed the road walking in the other direction but i was able to get the owners details in that circumstance.

Zenithbear · 27/12/2020 14:39

Hope you are all OK now.
I'm a dog lover and always had and still have dogs. However irresponsible dog owners really piss me off. One of my dogs was bitten by a dog running loose while mine was on the lead and another time a large out of control dog knocked me over while out walking, another time two enormous dogs surrounded my then small child who was eating an ice-cream and frightened them to death. The response from those arrogant people was a load of fuck you, fuck offs.

TheCrystalShip · 27/12/2020 14:40

There is a small a minority of dog owners that really don't care. Where I live there are strict rules for dogs in parks. On any given day you'll always find people blatantly ignoring the rules, while most comply.

FightingWithTheWind · 27/12/2020 14:43

If anyone has a dog they need to be in complete control of that dog if they are going to let it off the leash around other people. It doesn't matter what size the dog is, if you cannot trust it not to jump up at other people or not come back when called then it needs to be on a leash. I personally like dogs and am not scared of them, my friend however has a huge phobia - there have been many instances in the park where (admittedly very friendly) dogs are allowed off their leash, run towards us hoping for attention and do not listen when their owners call them back from a good distance away. This means my friend cannot relax and enjoy the park which is not fair. I think alot of owners are incredibly selfish and do not train their pets well at all which isn't fair on the pet or anyone else.

cakeflower · 27/12/2020 14:47

Similar happened to us today. My little boy is autistic and loves dogs but also gets terrified if they jump up at him or chase him. Which is what this woman’s dog did, and despite seeing his panic, she didn’t try to call the dog off. I told her my son was scared and she started telling him off for running away from the dog and getting upset. I explained my son is autistic (he can’t understand to try to stand still and ignore the dog and was in a state of panic) - I asked her again to control her dog and eventually she called it off and stormed off saying to me I was a ‘stupid woman’. Then later she walked past us again and out of the blue angrily said to me ‘I’m not sorry’! some dog owners don’t seem to understand some people are scared of dogs. And reasonably so in my son’s case as a couple of years ago he was patting someone’s apparently cute little pet dog having been told by the owner it was fine to do so, and it suddenly snapped and bit his shorts, then the owner ran away!

Itscoldouthere · 27/12/2020 14:47

I've recently moved to Canada with my dog, it's very different here as dogs have to be kept on a lead at all times apart from in a dog park. I live in the city and its very different from what I'm used to, but I can see it's a good idea as there are so many joggers and cyclists, free running dogs would be a real hazzard.
My dog seems to have got used to being on lead, in the current snow and icy weather I wouldnt want him running off as I would struggle to catch up with him, so we don't mind keeping him on lead even though he used to be off lead a lot in the UK.
I was once knocked over by 2 massive St Bernards in a park in the UK who were trying to get to my dog, must say it was terrifying for me and my dog, the owner had dropped the lead of one and then could hold on to the second one.
I'm 100% a dog lover but found the whole experience very scary.

WitchFindersAreEverywhere · 27/12/2020 14:48

@CardoMondo

So it was a Labrador?

Not that it matters but giant dogs are stuff like Irish Wolfhounds, St Bernards, Mastiffs etc

Are you being intentionally ridiculous about the point of this thread?
Yohoheaveho · 27/12/2020 14:53

Don't bother bandying words with these bad dog owners... get your phone out and take footage

WitchFindersAreEverywhere · 27/12/2020 14:58

Loudly and ostentatiously offer the doggy Christmas chocolate and watch the owner suddenly give a fuck and rescue their fur baby from the psycho. They’ll avoid you from then on.
Hopefully dog laws will be increasingly tightened.

LST · 27/12/2020 15:00

Whilst this dog owner was unreasonable. I dont agree all dogs need to be on a lead in a public place. Untrained dogs do yes.

My dog is never on a lead except on pavements by road or parks where it asked for dogs to be on a lead.

WitchFindersAreEverywhere · 27/12/2020 15:05

LST, many owners are not capable of judging the behaviour of their dogs. So the law needs to do so.
On leads in public places.
Insured so owners take responsibility for damages.
God knows what we can do about the poo, and the thousands of dumped dogs every year.

LST · 27/12/2020 15:09

@WitchFindersAreEverywhere so me and my dog need to be penalised because of dick heads who can't control their dogs? Erm.. no.

Original poster
Thewithesarehere · 27/12/2020 15:16

I've recently moved to Canada with my dog, it's very different here as dogs have to be kept on a lead at all times apart from in a dog park.
After today, I think that is how it should be in the U.K. too. There is no excuse for anyone to put other people’s children in danger. I don’t care how much you love your pet, my child is all I have got.

Thank you everyone. DC is much better now and I am feeling good because I have a plan. I am going to write to the council and the dog warden and will share the proof I have. I wish it was a video so the owner could probably come in the view too (don’t know if that is legal? But a proof is needed if you want to show who it was). Next time, and I am quite sure there is going to be a next time, I will record a video if I can.
I will also search Canada’s laws regarding keeping dogs on leads at all times and will include that too.

OP posts:
LST · 27/12/2020 15:19

@OP I understand your frustration, but how is that fair for people who have a reliable dog? I couldn't get to a dog park. I don't drive and have mobility issues. The fields I let my dog off are a 2 minute walk from my door. You'd have me need to keep my dog on a lead?

Original poster
Thewithesarehere · 27/12/2020 15:20

@WitchFindersAreEverywhere

Loudly and ostentatiously offer the doggy Christmas chocolate and watch the owner suddenly give a fuck and rescue their fur baby from the psycho. They’ll avoid you from then on. Hopefully dog laws will be increasingly tightened.
Sorry but what do you mean? Do you mean to say that chocolates are a danger to dogs so the owner will try to get to you ASAP? What if the dog eats it in the furore and gets ill? I think that is not what I would want at al. I just want every dog owner to be sensible and be in control of their dog at all times.
OP posts: