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AIBU?

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Original poster

Keep your fucking dog under control

34 replies

Merryoldgoat · 25/02/2021 09:24

I nearly just ran over a very small puppy. I’m really shaken up. I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye and managed to emergency break in time whilst honking the horn loudly.

At first I thought I’d hit it - a nearby pedestrian (with children who were really upset) told me it was ok and I missed it by a few inches.

It had run out of a house where two women were chatting on the doorstep and hadn’t secured the puppy.

The owner raised her hand in apology but I’m still shaken. Could you imagine how awful it would’ve been if I’d hit the puppy? And if I’d had a car behind me it could’ve gone in to me.

I just feel really angry thar I could have killed that puppy through no fault of my own.

OP posts:
MyLittleOrangutan · 25/02/2021 09:29

People make mistakes. My dog once got out while we were moving house. It was terrifying and she wouldn't come to me, some awesome woman saw what she was doing and called her over and held her collar. But their reaction tells you all you need to know, they dont care. And they'd probably have blamed you if you hadn't missed.

LakieLady · 25/02/2021 09:35

You're right, but you need eyes in the back of your head when you've got a puppy.

I swear they can teleport. They can be safely out in the back garden one minute, and in a nanosecond they're indoors, up the stairs and eating your shoes. One of mine (I suspect it was the first one, he was the puppy from hell) managed to get to the bottom of the drive when I answered the door when while he was fast asleep in his bed. He clearly had a cloak of invisibility because neither of us saw him move.

I bet that woman won't do that again. After that heart-stopping incident, we never opened the front door unless the door into the hall was shut.

It still seems weird not doing that, and I lost my last dog nearly 4 months ago.

An awful shock for you though, and well done for stopping. You deserve a cuppa and cake!

murbblurb · 25/02/2021 09:40

Given that reaction it will get run over sooner rather than later. Hopefully without causing injury to people or damage to property. Don't beat yourself up.

Scarlettpixie · 25/02/2021 09:42

These things happen. Dogs can be unpredictable and get out of places you think are secure. Ours shot out the door from know where and across the road to the park once where he waited patiently for us to come and play (get him). Scared us to death, we hadn’t had him long and it was unexpected/out of character. Usually if around he was much more interested in saying hello to the person at the door.

Awful shock for you though.

PhatPhanny · 25/02/2021 09:45

YANBU
I felt bad enough for nearly hitting a fox.

However, accidents do happen, maybe the puppy was secured, but a child let it out.

Hope you manage to calm down soon, have a nice cuppa and take a moment.

Snowymcsnowsony · 25/02/2021 09:48

Last year dd witnessed a van hit a dpuppy. The owner wasn't even going to take it to a vet.. Dd insisted she took them... Poor thing was pts immediately.. Dd was very shook up and it wasn't even her who hit it..

Lochmorlich · 25/02/2021 10:04

When our girl was a pup we secured the garden with plastic coated fencing.
Well, we thought we had.
We had a gate which was composed of railings about 4 inches apart.
Yep, she got through and she wasn't a small puppy. We put wire on the gate.
Then the fish van called next door and the bit of garden we hadn't fenced had a 4ft wall, she jumped over.
Extra fence above the wall.
Then she found a tiny gap in the hedge behind our house and got into next doors garden.
More fencing.
She didn't get through the cat flap though but it got stuck on her head and had to be broken off.
We should have named her Houdini!

You must be shaken up though.

My dh also stupidly opened the car door the opposite side to where I was sitting holding her lead, she was in the middle, I'd told him not to, in her excitement she pulled away so hard that I couldn't hold her, jumped from the car and ran towards a really busy road.
Luckily she stopped at the kerb and my dh grabbed her.
That was totally our fault and if an accident had happened we would have been to blame.
She's been clipped securely in the car ever since when travelling.

giletrouge · 25/02/2021 10:08

YANBU OP - raising her hand in apology is not really enough of an acknowledgement, she should have been over to find out if you were all right. All far too bloody casual IMHO.
Hope you're ok.

Wolfiefan · 25/02/2021 10:08

OP that’s awful.
We have a stairgate across the hall to prevent similar accidents.
Van is guarded. Tailgate included.
Legally a dog must be under control in public and people are liable if it causes an accident.

SomewhereInbetween1 · 25/02/2021 10:19

Puppies are babies, but they're not Houdini, you need to keep your attention on them all the time you're outside. Hazard perception is key.

I'm so sorry this happened to you OP,. I had a similar experience last year when a dog came pelting out of a public footpath straight into the country lane I was driving on. Thankfully for that dog I happened to be driving my very poorly dog to the vet so was going significantly below the speed limit, he might not have been so lucky if it was anyone else.

I would have been mortified if I was that owner, and equally shaken up. YANBU, hope you're ok now.

ferretface · 25/02/2021 10:19

You're not unreasonable for being angry and shaken.

Often people aren't as careful/responsible as they should be. Sometimes also accidents do happen and it's just one of those unfortunate things.

Original poster
Merryoldgoat · 25/02/2021 10:57

Thank you - I keep seeing the little black streak running towards the tires.

It was so little. I’d have been utterly distraught if I’d killed it.

OP posts:
Mittens030869 · 25/02/2021 11:25

YANBU, OP, that must have been really upsetting. I remember how upset my DH was a few years ago when he killed a cat on the road. He spent some time trying to find out which house the poor thing belonged to and couldn’t. We have 3 cats, which made it even more upsetting (despite him not actually being the cat person himself).

Mittens030869 · 25/02/2021 11:27

But it being a little puppy must have made you feel even worse. It wouldn’t have been your fault at all, though that wouldn’t help.

I think you’ve definitely earned yourself a nice cuppa. Flowers

BlackeyedSusan · 25/02/2021 11:57

had the same thing with a fecking toddler. shot out form between the legs of parents and kids waiting to cross the road. I had a sixth sense and had been going slower than normal that day.

Original poster
Merryoldgoat · 25/02/2021 12:27

@BlackeyedSusan

had the same thing with a fecking toddler. shot out form between the legs of parents and kids waiting to cross the road. I had a sixth sense and had been going slower than normal that day.
Oh Jesus - that’s horrifying!! I think I’d have cried.

I am a very safe and careful driver - I don’t speed and as I’m often driving around school drop off and pick up I’m extra-vigilant so I’m glad I was able to stop but it shakes you up. If that had been a child... it actually makes me feel sick.

OP posts:
badacorn · 25/02/2021 12:40

Some people have a careless attitude toward their pets op.

as a child I saw our family dog get run over because my parents wouldn’t bother closing the porch door before opening the front door to stop him running out (and he was a fast dog who would run straight out into the road predictably). Even with the dog after that they couldn’t be arsed to close the porch door when answering the front door. My parents would swear they love their dogs but they aren’t careful with them, that’s for sure.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 25/02/2021 12:43

Accidents happen, I had to chase mine once or twice when they somehow managed to escape, postman or builders leaving gate open, collar bursting open, but you are absolutely right it be upset about it.

RickiTarr · 25/02/2021 12:44

Accidents happen. Maybe she thought it was secure behind a baby gate or in a crate and someone in the house released it while she was chatting at the door? It could have been a number of causes. I’m sure she didn’t want her puppy run over.

So YANBU to be badly shaken and upset, but you are a bit U to be angry. Have a sit down and a sweet tea.

Treehops · 25/02/2021 12:51

Yeah I agree. Our house is a terrace that lands right on a road and I have to either shut the door or ensure dog has harness on and am holding him. And he's big enough to spot and grab, and getting on in years too. Couldn't stand talking without a hand on him - not least because any dog coming past would mean he was off and causing mayhem. I never let him off lead either... he's a doofus though, better than he was but still in the dog reactive box. Puppies haven't learned though, literal babies - they're the least clued up on approaching other dogs too, so they require more caution I think. I think as someone said, accidents happen but the reaction there was either delayed and it'll have hit them later or they just haven't got their heads around the reality and responsibility.

AnnieKN · 25/02/2021 15:48

Last year I was driving past a local dog walking spot and a dog that wasn’t on a lead ran out of the car park directly into the path of my car. I didn’t even have time to swerve or brake.

The distress of it for me was horrendous - I’m sure it also was for the owner but they should have had it on a lead. I am still furious that it could have been prevented if they had just been sensible. It was so so upsetting and I still get really anxious driving.

And as an aside - you cannot claim against a dog or dog owner so the over £2k damage to my car had to be claimed on my insurance (including the £300 excess which I had to pay immediately).

sunflowersandbuttercups · 25/02/2021 16:00

YANBU.

Some people are far too lax with their dogs' safety. I see so many leave their dogs unsecured in gardens, or people let them just wander around loose on their driveway with no lead or gate in place - it scares the shit out of me.

It takes two seconds for a dog to get distracted and bolt across a road in pursuit of a cat/squirrel/their friend/someone with a bacon sandwich.

SwedishK · 25/02/2021 16:33

My dog caused a similar thing once. We were on a field, heading into the woods when all of a sudden he thought it would be fun to just run the other direction, jump over a hedge and across the road. A woman came driving, honked her horn which scared my dog so he ran to the side of the road and managed to not get hit.

My dog was 4 years old at the time, and we go this area almost daily and he has never once left my side. He also normally has impeccable recall and can't wait to get into the woods. It was completely out of character and it was a one off. I have no idea what happened to him. I apologised profusely to the driver and thanked God my dog was unhurt but still to this day I get a raised pulse thinking about it.

I think it is impossible to trust any dog 100%. They have instincts which we can't always understand or predict.

TheDoctorDances · 25/02/2021 16:34

@AnnieKN

Last year I was driving past a local dog walking spot and a dog that wasn’t on a lead ran out of the car park directly into the path of my car. I didn’t even have time to swerve or brake.

The distress of it for me was horrendous - I’m sure it also was for the owner but they should have had it on a lead. I am still furious that it could have been prevented if they had just been sensible. It was so so upsetting and I still get really anxious driving.

And as an aside - you cannot claim against a dog or dog owner so the over £2k damage to my car had to be claimed on my insurance (including the £300 excess which I had to pay immediately).

It’s my understanding that as an owner, I would be liable if my dog caused injury or damage to property.

yourcommunity.tescobank.com/content/3658-Do-I-need-third-party-liability-cover-for-my-dog

Elai1978 · 25/02/2021 16:38

And as an aside - you cannot claim against a dog or dog owner so the over £2k damage to my car had to be claimed on my insurance (including the £300 excess which I had to pay immediately).

I think you can, and pet insurance would probably cover this.

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