Dog running around children's play area

[justshocked]

Was I unreasonable to report a man allowing his pit bull type dog to run around a kids play enclosure? He told us he wouldn't hurt us but does that make you anymore comfortable when a huge powerful dog runs up to you and jumps up you?
He had no control over the dog, no recall and no lead in sight. It's like the dog didn't even know the man he was just completely ignoring him.
Honestly I'm so shocked someone could be so irresponsible

Why was he there? Had the dog ran in of it's own accord as they were passing? YANBU. If they were passing a play area it should of been on a lead. Even more unreasonable if the dog was took in deliberately. People who say "he won't hurt you" and treat you like you are unreasonable for being wary of a strange and out of control dog boil my blood. I am a dog lover, experienced owner, and adore large dogs. However, in cases where people gave been hurt of killed by dogs, I doubt if many of the owners had ever thought they might ever do that.

It may well have been a pitbull X staffie cross, passed off as a staffie (as pitbulls are illegal in the U.K. unless licenced and always leashed and muzzled in public). Many are bred, bought or rescued by people who have no idea of their breeding history.

It’s very hard to tell a pure staffie from a pitbull or pitbull cross as staffie genes tend to dominate. Either way, the sheer bite force, strength, ability to bite and hold on, and pain tolerance of either breed makes them unsuitable to be running freely in a playground!

I would have taken photos and reported him to the police.

Everyone thinks their dog is soft and gentle until one day it isn’t and a child ends up maimed or worse.

Ears are only docked for one reason; dog fighting. Very sad but still a lucrative underground industry, and legal in some countries. People bet thousands on a fight.

He could have been a rescue (eg rescued from a breeder trying to breed fighting dogs) but still no excuse for being lose in a playground!

IMO any large powerful dog needs to be leashed in public.

As far as I'm aware he was walking the dog. When I approached the park I could only see the dog in the playground, so I stopped where I was before going in and then he appeared from out of the bushes, he was just walking round on his phone. It was only when a lady with a pushchair was shouting over is this your dog please come and get him that he then went over. He said he's fine he's only 9 months old, he got him out of the park and the dog then made a beeline for me and my son, I didn't know what to do so just stood still and he jumped up my son, it was then that I questioned him about having him off lead in the playground.
The dog ran off from him numerous times and he didn't even notice.

I know some people get offended when I say pitbull type but this is honestly the only way I can describe the dog it isn't meant to be offensive. He looked just like a pit to me I don't know how else to describe him
He was tall, muscular and had a big head, quite frankly I was petrified when he ran at us

It’s not about being off a lead in the playground,thing should never be in the playground- bloody thicko of an entitled owner

I would film it and send footage to the local authorities

Doesn't matter about the size or the breed of the dog, you didn't really need to mention that. no dogs should be on the play area.

@HushingDusk

Ears are only docked for one reason; dog fighting. Very sad but still a lucrative underground industry, and legal in some countries. People bet thousands on a fight.

He could have been a rescue (eg rescued from a breeder trying to breed fighting dogs) but still no excuse for being lose in a playground!

IMO any large powerful dog needs to be leashed in public.

That’s not true. A lot of owners sadly still find it aesthetically pleasing. Boston Terriers, for example, are not fighting dogs but there has been a trend towards cropping their ears.

Just love it when people get upset that "big"
dogs get stereotyped and then stereotype small dogs as "snappy" ! Talk about hypocritical.

I own both a large staffy x and a small terrier, so get both sides

The hypocrisy is when people allow small dogs to run riot and jump up but big dogs are a threat because they exist.

Dogs are not usually allowed in children's play areas, big or small. There are good reasons for that.

Pitbulls aren't all that tall..

But no matter, because a 'pit bull type' dog is illegal in the UK and that determination is made on appearance, not genetics. Stupid as that sounds.

Despite pitbulls and their types being made illegal over 20 years ago, because you can breed two perfectly legal dogs (labrador/staffie, labrador/mastiff, lab/rottie etc etc) and create a dog that fits the description of a pitbull type, they will NEVER disappear.

There are more of them now, than there were when the legislation first came into effect.

OP, if you see this person again video them and report it to the police, it sounds like this is an illegally cropped dog, may be a type dog but the major issue is this dog is out of control (wont recall) in a public place (childs play area) and you have reasonable apprehension of injury (it jumps up).

I can't stand those bastard type digs. I wouldn't let one near a kid in a 100 years. The owner was a complete cunt.
When in parks etc I'll generally have some kind if equipment in the bag to deal with one of these devil mutts.

It's probably counterproductive to try and engage with the owner, they have shown by their actions that they are not reasonable or co-operative people!
however if local authorities received a 'citizen video report' every time there's an incident like this they will surely have to take action?

@Watchingyou2sleezes you know you sound batshit right?
Deal with those devil mutts??

@Watchingyou2sleezes, personally I wouldn't tackle them, I just try to keep well away, then again it doesn't hurt to carry a stout stick if you're walking does it ☝️

@Wolfiefan but no one mentioned a small dog. You actually stated snappy terrier as a description, which to me is no different from the people that stereotype big dogs.

I hate that people do it to both

@Watchingyou2sleezes you sound like a bigger worry than the dog the OP is talking about.

@Looubylou

Why was he there? Had the dog ran in of it's own accord as they were passing? YANBU. If they were passing a play area it should of been on a lead. Even more unreasonable if the dog was took in deliberately. People who say "he won't hurt you" and treat you like you are unreasonable for being wary of a strange and out of control dog boil my blood. I am a dog lover, experienced owner, and adore large dogs. However, in cases where people gave been hurt of killed by dogs, I doubt if many of the owners had ever thought they might ever do that.

This Used to have to visit houses as part of my job and have been bitten by dogs that are 'friendly' my mum boarded dogs and had some in the house. Was once bitten by a dog that was a regular visitor and once bitten by our family dog. It is impossible to know how your dog will always react to people they don't know.

@looubyliu @clareBlue absolutely

I had this the other day, went early morning to the playground with my kids before school and a mum
Came in with her 2 kids and then brought her dog in to. Clear signs saying no dogs, she didn’t make eye contact. At this point dog was on a lead. We then went for a scooter and came back
And now dog was off the lead. I politely explained no dogs allowed to which she said he just ran in I’m trying to get him out.. hmmmm! For some kids the no dog rule in play areas is their safe space.

Poor dog with cropped ears, that can be very painful if done badly. Owner wants to look like a hard man :(

Of course no dogs (big or small) should be in a children’s playground.

@NoIdontwanttoseeyourknob

Poor dog with cropped ears, that can be very painful if done badly. Owner wants to look like a hard man :(

This is exactly what I think it is. Wants to look like a big man

These sort of dog owners make my blood boil (and it seems to be most of them around here). I barely go to our local playground anymore because of all the off lead dogs. Big sign on the gate clearly says NO DOGS. One day recently (before I started avoiding) there were four off lead dogs running around at the same time. And a fifth off lead left out on the road by the gate, jumping at everyone going in and out and running in and out of cars that drove by. Someone else finally grabbed that dog and took it down the road and shoved it in to its own garden after it nearly got hit by a car. The owners (in playground) were like, oh he was fine there, but thanks!

There is one mum with a dog that it quite bad. It bit my son and scratched his face. Literally he was running with the dog attached to his arm, dragging it behind (thankfully had a very thick jumper on, so only a bruise). It bit his friend the same day. I heard it bit another child the day before and another day, I watched it chase a child up a tree! The mum of the child had to come get him down crying out of the tree. Even worse, one day this mum with the dog just disappeared for like 15 minutes down the road to visit a friend or go to the shop, and just left the dog completely unattended running around the playground like it was her garden.