AIBU: dog owner in park

[SarahProblem]

I can't sleep so thinking about a situation from earlier today. I totally accept I'm probably being a bit precious.

DP and I were sat in a local park. It's a bit muddy but dry enough to sit on a bench and have a coffee and a cake from the nearby bakery.

A family comes along the path nearby comprising of a man on a mobility scooter maybe early forties, a similarly aged woman walking, their child and dog probably mix breed mostly Labrador, off lead bounding around - very cute

DP and I are mid conversation... Labrador runs over to me without me noticing ..and jumps up on my back muddy paws and body leaving a massive mark down dry clean only coat. owners see this happen and say "(dog name) no food for you there come here " man in scooter drives over and says a quiet "oh sorry " ... And drives away.

DP shouts over :"your dog made a mess of partners coat ..that's really not on. Are you not going to even asses the damage"... Family just half ignore/shrug and walk away. In the moment we were too busy dabbing mud to do anything...not sure there's much to do ...we're not confrontational people.

AIBU to expect some sort of gesture? E.g. give me your number and we'll cover dry cleaning bill. Or is it just one of those things?

@vivainsomnia

Fine. Carry on then.

I just think it’s better to be cautious and know you will never cause an incident with your dog, than to regret it later.

Most dogs of a lead will jump up at other people or lunge at dogs that are on a lead
Well not where I live, I guess og owners are more responsible and train their dog properly.

@esloquehay

I would have apologised profusely, but no, I wouldn't offer to pay for someone's dry cleaning.

This. It wouldn’t occur to me. Coats are to protect inner clothes from getting wet and dirty.

I just think it’s better to be cautious and know you will never cause an incident with your dog, than to regret it later
But that applies to anything or anyone you're responsible for. Dogs on leads can be dangerous too.

@vivainsomnia

I just think it’s better to be cautious and know you will never cause an incident with your dog, than to regret it later But that applies to anything or anyone you're responsible for. Dogs on leads can be dangerous too.

That’s not an argument for leaving them off lead. It’s an argument for better training on lead.

But you are determined you’re right and won’t see another view, so I think I’ve said all I want to now.

Coats are to protect inner clothes from getting wet and dirty

Coats are more than that - but regardless of their purpose, if your dog damages or marks someone else’s clothing you should pay for it. Decent, responsible dog owners would.

We have two dogs and I’d be mortified if my dog did this.

I can understand posters saying don’t wear a nice coat on a muddy walk IF you’re walking your dog. My dogs jump at us when we’re walking them and they’re excited, so we only ever wear scruffs.

But I don’t see why someone on a walk can’t wear what they like. Our dogs shouldn’t be jumping at other people. It’s happened to me before when someone else’s dog has jumped at me, making me dirty and it’s really annoying.

Ignore the people saying give over, it’s just a bit of mud, etc etc.

As a dog owner I would be really embarrassed if my dog did that and would apologise profusely but wouldn’t offer to pay for dry cleaning if I’m totally honest

But you are determined you’re right and won’t see another view, so I think I’ve said all I want to now
It's the exact opposite! I accept some dogs should be on leads, just not all. You're the one insisting all dogs are dangerous and should be on the lead, making assumptions on all dogs.

If all dogs were indeed potentially dangerous, of course it would be the law that they should be. Its not...because thankfully the vast majority of dogs are not dangerous.

I would be mortified if my dog did that

But I don’t see why someone on a walk can’t wear what they like
I agree with this. In OP situation, it's her reaction that would have raised concern. If she'd said 'oh no, I expect I'll have to take the coat to the dry cleaners now. If I show you that its dry clean only and show you the receipt, would you agree to reimburse me' she might have received a different response.

One of my dogs is a jumper and I keep him in a lead because of this. But there was one instance on a very muddy walk in the woods he did jump on a woman who shouted at him that he'd got mud in her jacket . I really did feel you don't go on a muddy woodland walk filled with dog walkers if you are going to be precious about your clothes. But it seems you were in a more urban setting if you were eating cake for a cafe. They should have taken more care with their dog (you could have had a baby in your arms after all) and kept him away from you.

what is the coat made out of? I have never dry cleaned anything n my life, you can clean leather and suede yourself

But I don’t see why someone on a walk can’t wear what they like. Our dogs shouldn’t be jumping at other people. It’s happened to me before when someone else’s dog has jumped at me, making me dirty and it’s really annoying.

Of course they can wear what they want - but that doesn't mean what you want is practical or sensible.

And of course dogs shouldn't be jumping at anyone either, but parks in winter aren't exactly pristine places to be - muddy puddles, leaves and grass on the paths, children tracking mud all over the place on bikes or scooters etc.

It just wouldn't occur to me to wear anything that's "dry clean only" to a park in winter - but maybe that's because I'm clumsy and am always slipping over or tripping over my own two feet. In my experience, the nicer my outfit, the more likely I am to spill something down it or slip over and get it filthy

More apologies definitely but I wouldn't have even thought about dry cleaning as have never dry cleaned anything. Had it been mentioned I would offer to pay.

I expect my coat to keep me warm and dry, I've never considered that it would need to keep me clean! Crazy that PPs have said 'what do you expect on a muddy walk! They were in a park, sat on a bench having a coffee, why on earth would you think that you couldn't wear whatever you want in that situation. Agree that the owners probably didn't think about dry cleaning, but doesn't sound like much of an apology, a more concerned, sincere one would probably have meant the op wasn't still thinking about this incident. It's a lack of common decency, not too much to expect at all.

I expect my coat to keep me warm and dry, I've never considered that it would need to keep me clean! Crazy that PPs have said 'what do you expect on a muddy walk! They were in a park, sat on a bench having a coffee, why on earth would you think that you couldn't wear whatever you want in that situation

Of course you can wear whatever you want, but that doesn't mean that what you want to wear is a sensible choice.

Maybe it's area dependent, but around here in winter, parks, even parks with clear marked paths, are muddy places to be. There are puddles, mud and grass all over pathways, children tracking mud everywhere, dogs running about, joggers and cyclists to avoid etc.

So as a result, it would never occur to me to wear clothing that couldn't be gotten muddy or splashed, even if my plan was to just go and sit down and have a coffee, as I know I'd end up having to step off the path at some point, or would end up having to go down a path with a huge puddle in the centre etc.

Annoying, I've had it happen when dressed in work clothes before but once it dries it usually washed off. Not sure now you've dabbed it though as that sets it in. They weren't to know it was dry clean only though. I can't see what else they could do but apologise. I'd certainly not be losing sleep over it

@vivainsomnia

But you are determined you’re right and won’t see another view, so I think I’ve said all I want to now It's the exact opposite! I accept some dogs should be on leads, just not all. You're the one insisting all dogs are dangerous and should be on the lead, making assumptions on all dogs.

If all dogs were indeed potentially dangerous, of course it would be the law that they should be. Its not...because thankfully the vast majority of dogs are not dangerous.

@MsAgnesDiPesto

The law is that dogs should be under control - a lead helps to ensure that, although not 100%.

Yet another apologist failing to understand that all dogs are potentially dangerous, so assumptions have to be made. Current law on this is behind the times and rarely enforced.

I’d have them all muzzled in a public space too.

It doesn’t matter what you would wear to a park with concrete paths in order to sit down and have a coffee a short distance from the coffee shop and well away from the muddy areas @fairylightsandwaxmelts. What matters is - as a responsible dog owner - that you take ownership of the damage/mess/whatever that your dog does to someone else’s property and pay for it to be repaired/cleaned/whatever.

YABU to expect them to be polite about their pet, dog owners usually think this kind of thing is charming. They love their smelly, dirty beast jumping all over them so why don’t you?

A park isn’t the countryside, you were fine to wear a fancy coat.

I agree with others though, I think offering to pay a dry cleaning bill would be ott.

I wouldn't wear a dry clean only coat to a muddy park and then whinge when it gets dirty. So in that respect, I think you're being a bit precious and wouldn't offer to pay as I think that having a coat that can't easily be cleaned is your choice.

But then, I wouldn't allow my dogs to jump up at strangers so the situation wouldn't arise in the first place.

Dog owners at fault, they should have at least offered to cover the cost of dry cleaning

I mean yes they should have apologised properly but 'assessing the damage'

What's there to 'assess?'
I would've probably worn a more suitable coat if going to a muddy park. But the owners should've taken more responsibility of their dog.