Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have shouted at dog?

89 replies

RubiMurray · 02/10/2021 07:08

I went for a walk along the riverbank yesterday. It’s quite isolated and peaceful, just farms etc - rarely see anyone. Suddenly a Dobermann comes running out of nowhere, no owner in sight. It spots me and stops dead just staring at me. I stop in my tracks hoping an owner is around. Then it bolts towards me barking. I shit myself and start move backwards knowing full well I’m not going to be able to outrun the bloody thing. It reaches me and stands in front of me barking and growling at which point I start shouting “help!” The dog gets more hyped and and is jumping around all heckles raised barking and air snapping. Finally a woman comes running shouting at me to stop shouting (!!??), she’s calling the dog who isn’t taking a blind bit of notice. She finally reaches us, puts a lead on the dog and starts to drag it away (it’s still barking at me) and as she turns to walk off she says “shouting at a dog will only wind it up!” I reply “well I’m sorry but having a big fuck off Dobermann barking and growling at you is rather frightening! Why isn’t it on a lead??” She replied “did he bite you? No so what’s your problem? Stop being dramatic” !!!

WIBU to panic and shout??

OP posts:
WhoWearsShortShorts · 02/10/2021 07:11

I like dogs and I would have done the same thing. I wouldn't have been so polite to the woman either

Waxonwaxoff0 · 02/10/2021 07:12

Well it was probably a reflex thing on your part, but she is right, shouting can wind up and excite some dogs. She should have had it on a lead if it is prone to approaching people.

Fubitch · 02/10/2021 07:12

This has happened to us a few times, and only one owner was even semi-nice.

Honeyroar · 02/10/2021 07:12

I hope you got a photo of her and her dog. She needs reporting and putting all over social media. And I say that as a dog owner/lover. She was absolutely out of order.

echt · 02/10/2021 07:17

While it's true that dogs can get worse reacting to noise, the owner was entirely in the wrong in every way. It's funny how such dogs are never under the voice command of the owner. Hmm

There is only one thing acceptable when your dog barks at a human: apologise and take it away.

YABU. You were afraid and with no help in sight.

incognitodorrito · 02/10/2021 07:20

What a scary situation, I would have done the same as you. I have a barky dog (she only barks if a stranger pays her attention) but also do get the brass neck of some owners who don't / can't apologise if their dog goes off like that. I'm always mortified when mine does it.

incognitodorrito · 02/10/2021 07:20

@incognitodorrito

What a scary situation, I would have done the same as you. I have a barky dog (she only barks if a stranger pays her attention) but also do get the brass neck of some owners who don't / can't apologise if their dog goes off like that. I'm always mortified when mine does it.
Don't ...
Cheesepuff1 · 02/10/2021 07:20

it's a natural reaction but yes more likely to have put you in danger by shouting at a already wound up dog.

Deathraystare · 02/10/2021 07:25

What is it with these stupid fucking dog owners? If it is like this with people it doesn't know it should be on a lead. Some people are really scared of dogs, mainly because of their twattish owners.

echt · 02/10/2021 07:25

@echt

While it's true that dogs can get worse reacting to noise, the owner was entirely in the wrong in every way. It's funny how such dogs are never under the voice command of the owner. Hmm

There is only one thing acceptable when your dog barks at a human: apologise and take it away.

YABU. You were afraid and with no help in sight.

Sorry.

YANBU.

echt · 02/10/2021 07:26

@Cheesepuff1

it's a natural reaction but yes more likely to have put you in danger by shouting at a already wound up dog.
She was shouting for help.
RickJames · 02/10/2021 07:30

Pepper spray. It will save you and doesn't injure the dog, just disables it temporarily. You can get the sprays from outdoor stores, its specifically for animal attacks - just remember to only carry it in the wilderness and not take it shopping, to pubs etc.

Im so sorry this happened. I'd have been terrified.

CatOfTheLand · 02/10/2021 07:32

So what are you supposed to do then if you genuinely think you're going to be attacked by a dog? I'm not talking about a dog coming over to you, but if you're in OP's situation and the dog is at the point of attack

HipHopanonymous · 02/10/2021 07:34

I'm a dog person and not easily spooked but I certainly would be tense at being stated down by a growling doberman! Fuck that. As much as the woman was right that shouting would be winding the dog up, the only correct reaction on her part should've been to apologise profusely and take her bloody dog away.

You weren't unreasonable at all, but with a dog coming over as aggressive the best way to placate them is to be no threat - turn to the side, look down, scratch your head, yawn. I've had an aggressive dog and when she attacked a dog trainer in our living room he did this.

But I've also been in your situation with a dog barking and snarling and lunging towards me out in a field, and there was no way I wanted to take my eyes off it! My DH told those owners that the dog should be on a lead if it wasn't good with people, and their response was "Don't be silly." ShockHmm

HipHopanonymous · 02/10/2021 07:35

*stared down, not stated.

MyDogTails · 02/10/2021 07:37

These owners are totally myopic - they can't control the dogs and make it someone else's problem.
YANBU.

HalzTangz · 02/10/2021 07:39

She was wrong not to have the dog on a leash, but she's right, shouting would make the dog worse. I'd report her to the dog warden for your area if I was you

HalzTangz · 02/10/2021 07:43

I'm a dog owner and I wish to god they would make walking dogs on a lead in any public area a law.
Loads of off lead dogs run up to my dogs, don't recall when called by there owners.
We rent a dog field for our dogs to run around off lead, everywhere else they are on lead.

Cheesepuff1 · 02/10/2021 07:43

@echt what she was shouting for would be irrelevant to the dog though, it's just shouting which could have made the situation much worse.
yes of course the dog shouldn't be allowed to do that at all, but when in the situation anyway it's best to know how to stay as safe as possible.

you go quiet, calm, slightly turn away from the dog, no eye contact, arms down by your side. any movements are slow to get something between u and the dog if u can etc

BrownCurlsAmberEyes · 02/10/2021 07:43

It will save you and doesn't injure the dog, just disables it temporarily

A dog that has been pepper sprayed is much more likely to bite attack in future. I'm not saying don't use one if you are scared and there is no other option but don't think it's nothing more than an inconvenience for the dog. It carries real risk for them in terms of learning that strange humans pose them genuine threat and behaving accordingly.

None of which excuses this owner who is a ducking idiot for allowing a nervous dog the chance to behave like this and even more if a twat for not offering a grovelling apology when they did. This dog - and any human they encounter - deserves much better.

MarmiteyCrumpets · 02/10/2021 07:45

As a confirmed dog person the Doberman owner is a twat.
I have a small dog whose been attacked by aggressive off-leash dogs and it was terrifying (thankfully he was okay). I always carry pepper spray - works on dogs, humans, baboons, or any other critters up to no good.

Cruiser123 · 02/10/2021 07:47

This is why I'm scared of dogs. She obviously doesn't have a nice dog if it's growling and showing aggression towards you. She needs to keep it on a leash. Imagine it had barked and growled at a small child.

I'm always shocked that people insist on having dogs when they have 0 control over them. At my local park there are wild cows. It clearly states that dogs should be kept on a leash. Now I don't mind if well-behaved dogs are off leash. In 2020 when I was heavily pregnant a cow frantically stormed out of one of the bushes because it was being chased by a labrador that looked like he had the time of his life. No owner in site. It was very close, me and my partner could have been run over and trampled to death or at least badly injured.

And I don't dislike dogs. I find some of them rather cute. It's the owners that are the problem.

wetotter · 02/10/2021 07:47

She was utterly wrong in being so far away from her dog that she is unaware of what it's up to, and therefore not being able to intervene and recall her dog as soon as it starts to approach someone.

Shouting will make the dog worse, but if you need to call for help then that's what you do. If you need to them it's better to call in a 'bossy PE teacher" confident sort of voice (the sort that is sometimes used to project commands over distance) rather than a screamy one.

Angryattrackandtrace · 02/10/2021 07:48

This sounds like actual hell. I mean it’s totally nightmare fuel and I’d be terrified.

I was once so scared at a dog barking and air snapping that I kicked it. It’s really not my proudest moment but I was just so scared and my instincts just went into protect mode.

I’d like to think the owner was just shocked/ scared and she was snappy because of that.

Hope you’re ok now the adrenaline has passed OP.

Lockheart · 02/10/2021 07:48

@RickJames

Pepper spray. It will save you and doesn't injure the dog, just disables it temporarily. You can get the sprays from outdoor stores, its specifically for animal attacks - just remember to only carry it in the wilderness and not take it shopping, to pubs etc.

Im so sorry this happened. I'd have been terrified.

Pepper spray is illegal in the UK. Carrying it, let alone using it, would (rightly) get you arrested.