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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be fuming with this dog owner?

47 replies

Bountifull · 27/03/2022 17:19

Last summer I was walking along a narrow footpath in the village when a man and his 2 children came along behind me on their bikes, he rung his bell to alert me to the fact that he was there. They had their (big) dog with them which was off lead running just in front of them. I called my dog to heel and stood aside as far as I could to let them past. Their dog clocked mine and bounded towards us, I could tell from it’s body language it was dominant/ and or aggressive. It flew at my dog and knocked her to the floor and then kept jumping on her and everytime she escaped from under her would pin her again, growling. I kept trying to grab it off my dog or grab my dog but it was just a tangle of legs/ arms etc. The owner in the meantime wasn’t at all bothered, my dog was cornered because of the footpath being so narrow and so she couldn’t run away so in the end I said to him ‘can you please get your dog as mine is going to go for it in a minute.’ He got off his bike, came over and managed to haul his dog off mine.

He lives in the village, just down the road from me. Since that day I haven’t seen him around the footpath with it again but have seen him most weeks biking around the village with it running alongside on the lead. I half wondered whether this was because it had annoyed or attacked another dog as it’s quite obvious it’s got no recall when off lead when it spots another dog. I’ve walked past him with me on the path and him on the road with his dog since and the bloody thing lunges, growling nearly pulling him off his bike once we’re parallel with it. Again, he doesn’t seem to register this at all and says in a cutesy voice to it as we’re almost parallel ‘who’s this for you to say hello to’ and grins inanely as this thing growls and hauls him around on his bike with me praying he doesn’t let go of it.

Cut to today, was quietly wandering, annoyingly along the same narrow bit of footpath as last summer and I hear a bike sound it’s bell behind me. It was him and his dog, so I called my dog to heel and stepped off to the side as much as I could. I thought it was on the lead, but then as they got closer, realised it wasn’t. It started thundering towards us and my heart was in my mouth he shouted pathetically to it ‘be nice now, who do we have here for you to say hello to?’ No is your dog okay with others, is it okay if mine says hello etc. I knew there was no point in asking him to put it on a lead as it was about 20 yards away at this point and fixed on my dog and I knew it had no recall so knew he had no hope (and so did he!) i had put mine back on the lead but quickly let her off so she would be able to run if needed (though hard as it’s so narrow) it launched itself straight on her knocking her to the floor and then growled and went for her neck and my dog started screaming so I ran over and clapped my hands and screamed loudly ‘Get away from my dog.’ My dog then managed to break free and ran behind my legs, with me stood between my dog and his dog. He went ‘it’s fine, calm down it’s just noise.’ I literally couldn’t even open my mouth to reply I was that angry. He grabbed it and cycled off. No apology, no acknowledgement of what had just happened.

I’m 20 weeks pregnant and am a raging ball of hormones atm so maybe I overreacted but ultimately, his dog had no recall when it’s off lead if it sees another dog. It is a BIG dog and thunders towards you, hackles raised, growling with him feebly calling it to no avail. He doesn’t ever say ‘can my dog say hello to your dog?’ ‘Is your dog friendly?’ Just calls out ‘who is this for you to say hello to?’ HmmConfused

My husband wants to go and knock on the door and ask him to keep it on a lead if he can’t control it off lead but I’m not sure he should as I think it’ll end in an argument and it’s a small village. I’m just upset as I’m not going to be able to relax on walks now knowing this thing could appear at any moment and my dog certainly isn’t a fan of it now after she’s been jumped on/ pinned to the ground twice by the bloody thing.

OP posts:
ForeverLooking · 27/03/2022 17:24

www.gov.uk/control-dog-public

You can report an out of control dog to your council dog warden service. I wouldn't hesitate to do so. The bloke sounds like an absolute twat.

PinkiOcelot · 27/03/2022 17:25

He’s ridiculous. He should realise that his dog is no good off lead. Can your husband go on walks way you and say something to him then rather than knowing on his door?

PinkiOcelot · 27/03/2022 17:25

Knocking on his doors!

Nutsabouttopic · 27/03/2022 17:27

Let your husband go around. Dickheads like this need the obvious pointed out to them. Also report him to the dog warden. He is the reason dog owners get a bad name. Your dog could have been badly injured as could you trying to intervene. This owner has no intention of training his dog properly. I would try and get him stopped before you are walking with your dog and a pram

WhatTheWhoTheWhatThe · 27/03/2022 17:28

Keep a big stick with you and make sure your warn him that you will use it on his dog. He’ll soon pull his finger out. I say that as the owner of a big “friendly” but too enthusiastic for some dog!

I let mine off lead but he goes straight back on if I see another dog that we don’t know well as not all dogs appreciate his “enthusiasm”

Georgeskitchen · 27/03/2022 17:29

He is bound to piss other people off with his behaviour. Send OH round to put him straight!

NumericalBlock · 27/03/2022 17:31

Report it. My dog was aggressive once, she's been muzzled and on a short lead ever since. He is a fucking idiot.

MollyRover · 27/03/2022 17:33

Dog warden, immediately. You have his details and he's well overdue a talking to, just not you or your DHs responsibility. Police if you see him again with the dog off lead I'd say. Your dog, yourself and/ or your baby could have been injured.

PerkyBlinder · 27/03/2022 17:40

Report the dog. The dog is displaying threatening behaviour to you and your dog and is out of control. It's only a matter of time before something worse happens. I really really hate irresponsible dog owners as they give all of us a bad name.

MissyB1 · 27/03/2022 17:42

Please report it. But I would have picked my dog up and turned my back on his dog before it got near. Firstly shouting very loudly “I don’t want your dog anywhere near mine!” You know what that dog is like, no good just standing there and hoping for the best.

But this needs dealing with officially, to prevent any more incidents. And just in case carry either a small water pistol, or a walking stick with you on your walks.

Notanotherwindow · 27/03/2022 17:43

I'd report to the dog warden for having attacked you twice. And let your DH go round there.

I'd also be sure to carry an umbrella or walking stick to fend it off with in future. Don't be hesitant to hurt it, its aggressive, you can't show weakness.

It shouldn't be loose if he can't control it.

Bountifull · 27/03/2022 17:44

@MissyB1, my dog is a labrador, I’m 20 weeks pregnant, I really couldn’t just pick her up off the floor. She’s a small lab, but a lab at that and isn’t light!

OP posts:
Beamur · 27/03/2022 17:47

Report the dog and the previous incident too.

Bountifull · 27/03/2022 17:47

The thing is, my dog hasn’t ever actually been physically hurt by it, I don’t know if it would escalate to that if I don’t intervene as I do. She screamed today, it could well have hurt her when it rugby tackled her to the floor or it could’ve made contact with her skin when it was growling into her neck or she could’ve just cried out because she was scared, but both times she hasn’t been physically hurt and neither have I, I think that’s why today he was Hmm at me getting in between them and shouting at his dog.

So would I have a case with the dog warden given the above?

OP posts:
Itwasntmeright · 27/03/2022 17:48

Send your husband round. The bloke sounds like an absolute dickhead, and chances are you aren’t the only person in the village who’s had this problem.

WizzardPjs · 27/03/2022 17:48

Report him please. These idiots need stopping.

There is a bloke who lives near us who bought a Labrador puppy and was obsessed with letting his dog “say hello” to everyone else’s dog to socialise it. When you tell him your dog is not good with other dogs he insists that’s because you don’t let it socialise. He let his off lead once and it ran over to my dog and attacked her. The bloody thing is vicious and he just doesn’t see it, thinks she’s “playing”. My dog was on lead and they ended up fighting, he ended up with blood on his hands trying to separate them yet the fucking idiot continues to let his dog off lead “to say hello” and has since attacked a number of dogs … one of which was a little Bichon walking with an elderly woman. I have reported him and funnily enough I’ve not seen him all winter. Naturally now that the weather is warming up he’s back out walking it however I’ve not seen it off lead for a while (just lunging and growling on its lead 🙄)

Floralnomad · 27/03/2022 17:53

Dont go round , report as above as if they’ve had other reports they will definitely follow it up . When you are out and about and speaking to other dog walkers ask them if they’ve had the same issues and if they have get them to report it as well .

Queenoftheashes · 27/03/2022 17:55

I’d report him

Princess Anne got prosecuted for out of control dog. They can certainly do this tool.

SirChenjins · 27/03/2022 17:57

Let your husband go round and report it - his dog is out of control in a public place. These sort of dog owners who can’t be arsed to spend the time or money training their animals give the rest of us owners a bad name - it pisses me right off Angry

uptonogoode · 27/03/2022 18:15

Is it a Tibetan mastiff? I live in a village with one that's a menace,

QuebecBagnet · 27/03/2022 18:21

Technically it’s an offence even without any biting, if the dogs behaviour is enough to cause someone to be scared then it’s an offence. Saying that when I was attacked by a dog a couple of years ago the dog warden couldn’t give a shit. The only reason I wasn’t bitten was because I jumped off my bike and battered the Doberman with my bike as it was trying to get me. I knew the owners details. I did always mean to chase that up but covid happened and the world kind of stopped.

WonderfulYou · 27/03/2022 18:22

Go around if you want to - but go around yourself don’t send your DH as that comes across as quite childish like you’ve gone and told your mum on him - but I doubt it will do much good as hell just turn around and say it didn’t hurt your dog.

Are dogs allowed off lead there?
I’d definitely report it and if dogs have to stay on leads I’d definitely mention that too as that’s something he can’t deny.

FromOurHatsToOurFeet · 27/03/2022 18:31

We had someone asking/warning about a dog that attacked theirs on the local FB and the replies were full of other people who had already reported the dog and owner over a number of years Shock and were able to give a name for them to give to the dog warden.

nopuppiesallowed · 27/03/2022 18:47

The owner of the dog you are writing about is a complete wally and totally irresponsible.
One of my grandchildren became terrified of dogs because of an out of control exhuberant dog like his.
If I was in your position, I would go round to his house and politely explain that his dog's behaviour is upsetting you and scaring your dog. Tell him that if it happens again you will report him - and mean it. And just in case, I would take a long walking pole with me on future walks....

WonderfulYou · 27/03/2022 18:52

As the above poster said unfortunately even if you do report it not much will get done.

I was in a similar situation with a big lab that was known to attack other dogs. Loads of people reported it and one day it went for my DD and fortunately my dog protected her so she wasn’t hurt and still nothing was done about it.