'Don't worry, he's friendly'

[PraiseBee]

Too flippin friendly. Yet again, another dog running up to my four year old DC with a chunk of a branch in its mouth, firmly ignoring it's owners recall whilst they yell at me 'don't worry, Fluffyballs is friendly'. My DC loves dogs but hates dogs rushing up to him and is obviously scared. Large dogs are the same height as him and can easily knock him over. Imagine as an adult being rushed up to by a horse with a bit of tree trunk in its mouth trying to lick your face. I think most adults would be perturbed by this. It seems to be happening more often. Are dogs getting less well trained? I think the thing that makes my blood boil over is that the dog owners seem to think their dog is the most amazing thing ever so of course me and my DC want to bowled over by Fluffyballs. No we really don't and no, I give a shit what your dog is called. AIBU to be so annoyed by this happening every time we go to a children's park?!

I had this this morning, but what was worth it was in a kids playground where dogs aren’t allowed.

This is a pet hate of mine (no pun intended!)

Strangers who might be scared of dogs don't know if your dog is friendly.

@FayeFayeFayeFayeFaye

My 6 year old is terrified of dogs because of this. I don’t give a shit how friendly people think their dogs are. My child is scared and he’s my priority, control your dog.

I used to be too. I'm more OK around dogs now but it's taken me years to get over my fear of them and it was because a big one jumped on me as a child. My brother got menaced by an angry JRT in a park when he was little, and it was growling at him and clearly not friendly, but the owner insisted it was.

@PraiseBee 100% agree, and I am royally sick of dog owners thinking their piece of fluffy fur is such a positive cutie who wouldn't hurt a fly.

No no NO! You can never ever EVER have full control of your dog, no matter HOW cute and friendly he is to YOU. Keep him on a lead please! AND behind a fence, and a gate!

We currently have a person in our street, who moved in 3 months ago, and whilst she is pleasant enough, she has 2 (quite big) dogs who she allows to sit on the front lawn. She has no gates, and a big open 2-car-wide driveway (with, as I say no gates...)

Several times one of the mutts has run onto the road, and across to the houses opposite, and growled and barked at people in their front garden. They also bark at people walking their dogs, and kids walking past. And they chase cats, and go batshit at them.

Thankfully I am several doors away, and on the same side of the street, and my main door that I use (side door of the house,) faces away from the street - as I am an end house. And our driveway goes up the side of the house too, so the bloody dogs don't see me or DH or any visitors of ours, and also thankfully, they don't really see our cats, as the catflap is in the side door too...

Several neighbours have said their cats are becoming scared to go out, and they won't let the kids out of the front now, and have to let them out via the back gate! One neighbour had one of the dogs chase her into her garden the other day, barking and growling at her!

But the owner says 'awwww, he won't hurt you, he's only curious/friendly/playing!'

Seriously, some dog owners are breathtakingly irresponsible, ignorant, inconsiderate, and bloody arrogant and entitled! And I am SICK TO DEATH of the fucking apologists! The amount of threads on here that are the same as this one, and the huge majority agreeing with the OP here, speaks volumes. Some dog owners are so arrogant and obtuse though, that they just won't accept the fact that many dog owners are useless, and many dogs are badly behaved..

I agree with many posters that there are WAY more useless, irresponsible dog owners than their used to be, and WAY more badly behaved dogs. 25+ years ago, I don't remember EVER hearing any stories of children/babies being savaged to death or seriously injured by a dog. Now this kind of story is commonplace.

From a different perspective, I have a small dog who has never, ever hurt a person but can be unfriendly to other dogs (he susses them out, given time, and then is friendly, or not interested, or wants to fight). He is always on a lead (with a yellow warning ribbon on it). Other owners let their friendly dogs hurtle up to him and are surprised when he growls. If I see a particularly bouncy dog approaching I pick mine up, and get the "It's OK, he's friendly!", and I have to say "Yes, but mine isn't", at which point I become the villain and get told to lets see what happens, you're spoiling him, put a muzzle on him, etc, when they should just keep their dog from approaching strangers without care.

I look after dogs, and regularly walk 4 by myself, or up to 7 with my DH. They are ALL on the lead at all times. It is hell when another loose dogs runs up to me. If one of my dogs is timid it will pull away and almost slip its collar, or if mine are friendly they will start play flighting with the loose dog. This results in my 4 leads all getting tangled, often around my legs, sometimes cutting in to my skin, and my arms flying in opposite directions. It takes every ounce of my strength to try to control 4 dogs who are being goaded by one loose dog. My struggle is so obvious, and yet the owner of the loose dog will just look on and smile. I feel like shouting "fuck off!"

I agree with many posters that there are WAY more useless, irresponsible dog owners than their used to be, and WAY more badly behaved dogs.

AUTOCORRECT TYPO - should be 'THERE used to be' not 'their used to be...'

No because my dog will scared stiff and just freeze. You know, as some kids do too when they are scared?

A dog needs to be in very close proximity to be hit by a child - be vigilant and recall your dog before it gets close enough, recall your dog if you see a child running towards it. It's what I do, it's not hard. My dog gets inert of off lead time but I do it in larger parks where you can keep a distance. On busy paths and in direct proximity to playgrounds at busy times I keep her on lead for her own safety more than anyone else's. She doesn't need to be off running around all the time. No dog does

Ugh I hate this. Was having a picnic in a London park with the DC recently and within two minutes of sitting down 4 dogs had come right up to is and were sniffing around. None were aggressive but that didn't mean I want them all over my lunch. Owners were all far in the distance, usually on their phones. After the fourth "Don't worry, he's friendly", I felt obliged to call back that I didn't care how friendly he was, I still didn't want her mutt slobbering all over my lunch . There is no excuse for a dog to be off the lead in a crowded city park. Some dog owners are so inconsiderate of others, so long as their precious dog is happy.

I have a small dog who absolutely hates other dogs( because she has twice been attacked by large off leash dogs) she will growl and snap whilst jamming herself under my legs. She is never off lead because I can’t trust that she won’t bolt if approached.

I am always told don’t worry he’s friendly! Well my wee dog isn’t, and will come off worse if she bites your dog.

My experience is that it’s usually big dogs that have a bad reputation (wrongful reputation might I add) who’s owner are trying to prove a point( that their dog is friendly and not the scary monster the news reports)

I definitely don't think it's getting worse. It's been awful for years.

We've had our lunch eaten twice on a picnic by a 'friendly' dog. Owners didn't even acknowledge that their dogs made off with the pie from dd's hand (literally inches from her face when dog jumped and grabbed it) and an entire pizza. Didn't apologise. Didn't offer to replace the eaten food. They've been knocked down so many times. My 70 year old mum was knocked clear off her feet by someone's big dog jumping at her from behind. My littlest dc was bitten by a dog in the 'dog-free' playground a few weeks ago. I regret not reporting the bite now. The same dog has bitten two other children (that I know of) in the same playground in subsequent weeks.

It literally puts me off going anywhere outside our own garden, which is a shame. But sadly, it's been this way for years.

I remember my father giving me a stern lecture on how “one should never be afraid of dogs”. I was only six and had just been flattened by an excitable red setter. I took his advice, overcame my fear of the moment and have loved dogs ever since.

A healthy fear of dogs is a good thing for a child to have. A large dog can savage a small child to death in minutes.

Completely agree.

I love dogs but there's been a shift in how dogs are percieved, now. Dogs are seen as fluffy mini humans rather than... dogs. So their owners let them do whatever, have no ability to train them and give them boundaries, and then act shocked and upset when something bad happens. It's not the dog's fault, but it's the dog who pays for it in the end by being dumped or PTS.

The amount of 'funny' videos I've seen over the last few years where a toddler is pulling a dog's tail and it's seen as 'hilarious' honestly makes my blood run cold.

Dog's running wild in the park is just the beginning to something awful potentially happening a few years down the line. Dogs need a loving home but they also need boundaries and an intelligent owner who understands dog body language.

This is exactly why I have chosen not to get a dog until my kids are 8 years plus. They need to be able to clearly understand how to behave around a dog for their own safety.

As harsh as it is, people do need to stop treating dogs as replacements for babies. They are dogs and absolutely wonderful as dogs. They aren't, and never will be, a replacement for a child.

Recently an idiot dog owner let it sniff around ds's special needs buggy and just stood there smiling. When I asked her to move it away because ds might grab it, she said fluffykins (or something equally wet) loves children. Dog them jumped at me sticking it's paws on my clothes. Finally she called it away.
In the car park a skanky dog owner let it piss up someone else's car and then we found shit on the buggy wheels.
We then remembered why we had not been on that walk recently - too many idiots and skanks on it.

I love irresponsible dog owners. As someone who detests dogs I am grateful to the people who helped me become the person I am, and those who drive ordinary people to become like me.

I live near a big park, walk my dog daily, yes dogs run up to me, as a dog owner l kind of expect it, dogs are sociable creatures, and excited to finally be untethered off lead. I have never experienced an aggressive dog running up to me , or my children ever. But what l have noticed is the fear concerning non dog owners and their children. In my opinion non dog owners don't want dogs off lead full stop in parks. My dog is a greyhound, she was born to run but not the slightest bit interested in humans, yet it is tiring having to recall her, put her back on the lead whilst passing hysterical kids and parents , l do try to avoid people and walk mostly in remote fields and woods as so much more relaxing and enjoyable.

I also think a big part of the issues with dogs nowadays is every moron who has bought a Frenchie (or another popular breed) has decided that they're a dog breeder and breeds it with their mate's equally inbred Frenchie, resulting in a lot of dogs being bred with awful temperaments (and health issues, might I add).

These people don't care. They just want their three grand per pup from Gumtree.

Similarly, those who rescue a dog (eg a dog who was abused and can't be around young children), then are suddenly shocked when they have a baby in a year's time and the dog's behaviour goes to pot. Alas, the dog is dumped back at the rescue centre with more emotional damage than before.

People genuinely don't have any ability to plan for the future.

There are more areas in my local parks and open spaces where dogs are allowed off lead than have to be kept one.

I tell people who complain if my dog walks within 5 feet of their precious brat while sniffing round (and she's scared of people so wouldn't go closer than that) to go to the no dogs allowed/dog areas. There are spaces which fit everyone's preferences and I'm not restricting my calm,well behaved dog to the lead all the time just because a small minority think all spaces should he as they like it all the time. Walk somewhere else if you don't like it.

My lovely neighbour has cute little dog but when she sees another dog while out walking she deliberately unleashes hers and says “go play” the dog then chases other unleashed dogs and gets bit of exercise but is now highly charged and excited. It proceeds to run wild and rushes up to children and dogs and won’t be recalled. There should be an exam or licence before people are allowed dogs large or small.

In the car park a skanky dog owner let it piss up someone else's car and then we found shit on the buggy wheels

the other day a man was totally ignoring his off lead dogs whilst they left him and came sniff around the entrance of a child's play park. The dog then cocked its leg and pissed up against DD's jacket which was hanging on the fence

YANBU. I grew up with dogs and am currently a 'part time' dog owner. I adore dogs but hate this. It's not fair on kids, and even the most placid dogs could snap unexpectedly if aggravated by a child. You just never know.

Too many people are getting dogs as pets/accessories without taking time to train them properly or know how to look after them when out and about.

My sister has just sent me a photo of her arm with a mighty great cut on it from being sent flying by a Labrador. Couldn't make it up

@vivainsomnia

I do not agree at all with this. You should not push a toddler. If your dog is as small as you say it is scoop it up. It's not the toddlers fault it isn't being helped to avoid the dog or approach carefully The double standards are staggering. It's ok to kick a dog but pushing even gently a toddler isn't. My dog welfare means as much to me as your kid does to you. I know hard to comprehend for many but nevertheless a fact.

I never said I would purposely harm the child, but if your toddler came running after my dog with a stick trying to strike my dog, I would do anything to stop them. If that means they fall in the process of me picking up my dog, it would be the irresponsible parent's fault, not mine.

Ahhh you have a fur baby. Your dog's welfare does not trump that of a human child. Pushing a child would be assault.

Totally with you OP

I have a large very friendly dig who likes to say hello. That’s why he’s on a lead if we’re in a place with kids

It’s not hard

I think there are a lot more first time dig owners about because of the pandemic. Teaching recall is hard work, quite a few people can’t be bothered

(My dog is not perfectly trained, as a lurcher he has ehm selective hearing, hence the lead)