to think that this man was an utter twat?

[fgh]

I took my 20 month old and my 10 week old baby for a walk today in a park, which is also a nature reserve. This park is very popular with dog walkers, but also popular for families with little children.

There are some signs that say that dogs should be kept on leashes. Anyway, noone sticks to it... Some dogs are on leashes, but a lot aren't. I don't really have a problem with this as I understand why dog owners want to allow their dogs to run a little bit.

I think some owners are also probably not aware of this rule.

Anyway, today a man came towards me and his big black dog came running to the pushchair and started sniffing my baby.

My toddler and baby are in the Joie double pushchair which means the legs hang low, so a dog can get a good sniff.

I don't feel comfortable with dogs running up to my baby or my toddler and sniffing them as I don't know the character of the dog and if it's friendly or dangerous.

The owner made no attempts whatsoever to call his dog back. He said nothing to assure me that his dog was friendly.

This annoyed me because people always call their dogs back and/or reassure me that they are friendly.

I then shouted "Can you call your dog back please". He answered in a rather annoyed tone "She's fine". I then replied:"I have a baby here".

He then said: "Don't walk in the park then". I replied :"You're supposed to keep dogs on a leash" to which he answered:"Where does it say that?".

I then pointed out to him that there's a sign outside the park that says so to which his reply was "utter rubbish!" and he walked off.

His face was really angry and red.

AIBU to think that he was an utter twat?

There was also nobody else around at the time of the encounter and I feel like he wouldn't have spoken to me like that if my husband had been with me.

My legs were shaking after the encounter and I feel like I can't go there on my own anymore.

Carrying pepper spray is illegal in U.K.

I hate people like this - just keep control of your flipping dog! I have 3 & admittedly walk them in local parks without leads. But i call them back if they approach a mum/kids/picnics & the like because not everyone thinks they're cute fluff butts like I do.
He was definitely an arse. Don't let it ruin your days out with the kids 💕

YANBU. And always the same flipping answer “oh, it’s ok, he’s friendly” , like that makes it ok.

Not everyone likes/wants your precious dog leaping all over them!

@TeddyTrucks

The thing is, my children shouldn't have to be raised to have "good relations with dogs" any more than dog owners should be expected to have "good relations' with my children - in both cases unless invited the dog should not be approaching us and my kids should not be approaching them!

You often see this from dog lovers - "children should be taught how to behave around dogs" - and yes they should, of necessity, because of twat dog owners who who don't control their dogs so they may well be forced into contact with them. But the fault lies with the dog owner who doesn't keep their stupid dog away. Not the child, however they react.

The only thing you’re unreasonable about is that you can’t go back. You must go back. He was a cunt because he embarrassed himself. And you’re right, people like that would never do it it to a man.
Gird your loins and be ready for him next time. 💪🏻

What an utter twat of a bully

People like this shouldn't be allowed dogs

Yes he was rude but you're also being rather dramatic!

How is she being dramatic?

Hopefully he’ll have seen the sign on his way out and realised he was in the wrong. You were definitely not being unreasonable and please don’t stop taking your children to this park because of this one idiot, you were not in the wrong and well done for being so assertive.

Or kids

My legs were shaking after the encounter and I feel like I can't go there on my own anymore.

YABU to not want to go back.
He didnt sound rude or aggressive.

YANBU to be annoyed that dogs aren’t on leads though.
It happens near me where they have pregnant sheep and lambs and so many people let their dogs off.

If a dog does come towards you, don’t stop the pram as that gives them time to sniff more.
Just keeping walking and they’ll soon get out of the way.
You could even look at the owner and say hello or look at the scenery so you don’t think about it and if the dog does accidentally get hit then it’s the owners fault for not having it on a lead.

@scautish I don't doubt there was some misogyny there, but it also is very much about some dog owners' sense of entitlement. This has happened to me and my daughter so so so many times, it's not rare that owners allow their dogs to do that.

Yep. Had you been a man pushing a baby, not a word would've been said.

Another dog hating thread. You shouted at him. The dogs were sniffing your children's legs. You overreacted.

A blasé person would have just said 'dogs name, come here'. Then 'sorry' to you.

A polite person would have called the dog back immediately when the dog got within a certain distance of the pram.

A responsible person would have kept their dog on the lead.

A dickhead would have called the dog back but audibly tutted.

His reaction was nob-headish on another level!

DD is autistic and has a severe dog phobia. I can't tell you the amount of times we've been somewhere where dogs are supposed to be on leads and they're not - after getting them to recall their dog I will say it's supposed to be on a lead. This is either met with cowardly silence or they have a go at me. Despite it being quite clear that DD is in a state, nobody has ever said sorry or been nice. Utter twats.

Just tell him his dog ate your childs chocolate covered raisins! He'll soon have the dog away.
It is very annoying when encountering selfish dog owners.
Please try to get back to the park. Although I've had a few incidents while out running recently which have given me second thoughts on route choices now. One dog on a lead, narrow busy track, lunged at me and tried to take a chunk out of my leg. Just grazed my tights. Thankfully on a lead but what the heck?
Another where I've been barked and chased at by off lead dogs forcing me to go off track. This particular dog had just been barking and leaping at a man carrying a tiny baby. Owner smiling away like it was adorable. Just no.
Perhaps there should be a day dedicated to arsehole dog owners. They can all take their nuisance pooches out for a walk together to leap and pester each other. Everyone else gets the rest of the week in peace? I say this as a responsible dog owner.

I had literally the same argument with an owner the other day. This labrador charged at me carrying my newborn and my elderly mother who was visibly cowering. It was in an area where dogs are allowed off the lead and the owner told me I shouldn't walk there if I had a problem with dogs running round. I don't have problem with dogs running round, I have a problem with large dogs running AT me. What was most galling is that the dog was actually quite well trained, the guy just hadn't bothered to call him to heel because 'he's friendly'. Fuck friendly, I don't want dogs to run at me!

My children have had too many encounters with dogs owned by twats like the one in the OP. DS1 is phobic. DS2 is nervous. If all owners keep their dogs under control and not allow their dogs to pester people and ignore distress signs, or allow their dogs to jump up, scratch, steal food, wind or bowl over children (all things that have happened over the years) then I might have stood a chance at being more successful at getting my children to ignore dogs rather than panicking.

We encountered one like OP's last year. Apparently it's our fault for walking a child in the woods. DS (then 7) was standing still minding his own business when a "puppy" charged at him, jumped and pressed his paws into DS's abodmen. DS was naturally shocked and cried, the dog owner blamed DS for his out of control "puppy". This owner wasn't a mysogenist in particular, just a common woodland twat and had a go at DH when he challenged the situation.

My response to "he's friendly!" is "my child isn't"

Not all dog owners are like this, but a far too significant minority are and ruin public spaces for everyone else (including those with well-trained/ controlled dogs)

This is what you took from this ?? The man was an arsehole

How was op meant to know if the dog was safe to be around her baby or not

Jeez

@labscollie dogs have teeth. Dogs can bite. OP didn't know the dog. She was not being dramatic.

I don't have small children OP but I do have a small dog and will always tell people who have allowed their out of control, off lead dogs to run up to me and my dog and leap all over us to call their dogs off.

I've been sworn and shouted at by both men and women in these circumstances.

Unfortunately there are twats everywhere and some of them are dog owners.

He was red and angry because you're a woman and you were in the right.

Don't let this incident stop you from walking where ever you want to go.

And don't let it stop you telling people to call their dogs off. You don't have to stand by while strange dogs sniff your children.

If a stranger walked up to that man and started sniffing him I'm pretty certain he wouldn't like it.

A public walking place that says dogs must be kept on a leash. Hmmmmm....I bet all the dog haters have made their way over here from the last two dog hating threads. Your legs were shaking OP? Drama llama encouraging the same behaviour. As for carrying a pepper spray from a PP...seriously. its getting very boring with reading about dog owners' entitlement when I see precious souls expecting their activities to be uninterrupted by nature. How about YOU staying out of parks instead of expecting the rest of tax paying walkers to revolve around you. YABU.

Should have said. I'm not equating my dog with your children.

Oh please. Get a grip.