To expect people to stop their dog jumping up at me?

[NevertooearlyforGin]

I enjoy walking at our local beauty spot which is a very large forest and heath area, it’s very popular with dog walkers. The problem is I really don’t like large dogs running up to me and jumping up at me which seems to happen most times I go, usually the dog owner is some distance behind so they can’t see their dog jumping up at me.

This happened again today, and a large dog and two smaller ones ran up to me and jumped up, the big ones paws reached my armpits. For context I was attacked by an Alsatian at the age of 9 in our local park, I don’t assume all dogs are aggressive but I am nervous around large dogs.

Today I plucked up the courage to say something to the owner, I asked him to stop his dog jumping up at me because I am scared of large dogs. He was very arrogant and laughed at me and said then I’d ‘come to the wrong place.’ As if the countryside exists for dog owners and nobody else and I was being ridiculous expecting him to control his pets.

The area is managed through grazing by the local forestry commission (usually hardy breeds of ponies, sheep and cows), there are frequent incidents of animals being worried and often mauled by dogs, I’ve seen this happen and there are signs saying that animals that don’t have a string recall should be kept on leads.

AIBU?

@SwordToFlamethrower not based on facts....

@yossell yep, luckily they turned up way before you.

To add perspective to the ridiculous all dogs are bastards narrative.

I'm with you I hate it too, recently had a dog come up and nip my hand. luckily wearing a glove, but I was so incensed I couldn't think what to say. That's the problem, looking back I should have said that dog should be on a lead, not nipping people. Also had one jump up behind me and put its muddy paws on me, I gave such a yell and the wife made a fuss of trying to pat off the mud, bloke apologised. I really don't like dogs to be honest. The key is to have a response ready for such an occasion.

i am a dog owner and i too have had others dogs jumping up at me. The owners seem to think I would laugh it off as a fellow dog owner. Eh nope control your dog. My dog doesn't do that as he is trained and I am not an asshole

IME it definitely is a minority. We have lots of parks and green areas and I can only think of 1 time when any of my family have been jumped up at by dogs. All my friends are really responsible with their dogs also. Even at the dog park at least 90% of those I encounter are doing their best to control their dogs whilst training them. There have been a few more serious incidents I have heard about where dogs have being attacked by other dogs off lead but given the high population in the area I live in it is still a very small %.

If another human being, a total stranger whose intentions were unknown to me, jumped on me or one of my DC, I would feel entitled to defend myself/them with my fists, my voice and any object I had to hand, to a reasonable extent that would make them desist. I feel no different about strange dogs who jump on me/my child.

This message is so wrong on so many levels. Really comparing some dog owners letting their dogs jump up to male violence against women 🙈 jjjjeeezzzzusss

p.s. I live by two parks, hugely popular with dog walkers, never encountered a problem. This post has obviously triggered a small minority of dog haters.

OP - completely agree it’s not okay to let dogs jump up on you. They should put their dogs on the lead if they have been unable to train this behaviour out.

To some of the PPs on here, you all need to get some perspective or some therapy 😂

OP, YADNBU!

If I had a pound for every time a dog has randomly jumped up at my toddler, even running and jumping on him from behind, frightening the bloody life out of him.

And not once have any of these dog owners taken it seriously, stopped it or apologised. Pretty much every single one has casually walked over, laughed and told us the dog ‘is just being friendly’. 🤬

It does not bother me when I am on foot. I always end up with dogs slobbering all over me if I am walking in a park, field or even on trains.

It does freak me out when hacking on a horse though. I have had that quite a few times (coming across dogs off the lead) and thankfully the horse I was on was always chilled about it, but still.

I do think dog owners should be mindful that not everyone enjoys having large dog jumping over them...it is probably very scary for many people.

I am getting increasingly fed up of walking round my local lake. Recent episodes that stick in my mind are being chased by a dog that was off its lead whilst I was going for a jog. Owner miles behind, completely ineffectual, just shouting the dogs name meekly and asking me to stop jogging. I stood still for a while as the dog barked at my ankles, then I just ran off as fast as I could with the woman shouting behind me, as if it was my fault that I was going jogging, and should base my life around her dog.

This morning a big dog jumped up and got muddy paws all over my pants - woman muttering sorry and walking off as fast as she can.

Poo everywhere. Grim.

I was on a 30 minute run along the canal one Sunday and had five dogs jump up at me during the course of the run 😬

My views are unpopular but I think the law needs to change to state that all dogs should be on leads in a public place. No excuses.

Yanbu I have a son who hates dogs. Some dog owners have their dogs under control but they are the minority. Most aren't paying attention and when they do try to call their dog back it ignores them. The other day my son was some way ahead and I said to a dog owner excuse me, my son doesn't really like dogs - he totally ignored me and let his dog go up to my son.

Plant totally agree ... we had a very similar situation recently when a dog lept at my DH, muddy paws all over him, and when my DH forcefully suggested they controlled their dog we were told we shouldn't walk in the area as it was popular with dog walkers .
Of course it's not all dog owners but I am now very, very cautious about where I walk.

And yes, why do dog owners say 'he's only being friendly' ... I do not want or need to make friends with a dog.

And I have done all those things at some point-the dog got the message and the owner stopped laughing and got their lead out.

We could change the word dog for the word child - I've just been out with my young dog who Has excellent recall because we trained him to do this, and we had 3-4 children about 4 up to age 10 racing up and down on their scooters while their parents were sat outside the pub blithely ignorant to the fact that their little darlings were banging into our dog and myself and DH.

I suppose I would describe their parents as entitled and rude and think everyone loves their little treasures and woe betide anyone who asks the children to be more considerate and careful not to bang into people and dogs

No. We aren’t all the same.

Likewise, I appreciate it when people aren’t all up in my dog’s face.

Also- control your children.🙄👌🏻It literally NEVER ceases to amaze me that parents will allow a child - in fact a toddler to just trot over and start hanging off my dog and poking him.

It gives me the rage.

It’s so frustrating. My now 5 year old unfortunately has had 3 very scary run ins before the age of 4 with off lead dogs, and it made her completely terrified of dogs. We did loads of work to try and undo that - you’d hear us on walks narrating: “look it’s ok, the dog is on its lead with its owner, we’re keeping you safe and the owner is keeping the dog with her…” etc etc. Also as she got a bit more confident and felt she could challenge herself being calm around off lead dogs, we’d have to reassure her “Look, it’s not interested in you, it’s just walking past” or “see how well that dog listens to its owner?”

we’ve also talked to her about dog body language and try to get her to recognise when a dog is threatening.

but this all gets rewound in an instant when some out of control dog just bounds up to her with its tongue out jumping all over. Last time she full on leapt up into my arms. And then we get “oh he won’t hurt you… well he’d just LICK YOU TO DEATH”. I’m sorry but to a five year old that’s fucking terrifying. Also she is not really scared of being hurt, she doesn’t think that far ahead! She is scared of the jumping and licking and basically not being able to control what something else does to her body. Which lets be honest is fair and right that she finds that terrifying.

So yes. Thank you to the good dog owners. The others - please please call your dog back before it jumps on a child. Or keep them on a lead.

oh and my youngest absolutely adores dogs, if he sees one he will try and run up to it and will want to pet it, which is why I’m always right there to stop him! Then ask the owner and remind him we can’t just go straight up and touch a dog, not all dogs want to be petted. So yes it works both ways but it’s blooming exhausting when it seems so many don’t keep their end of the bargain!!

YANBU I used to live in an area backing onto the woods one day in an old but cream coloured coat. A muddy dog came running up to me and jumped up putting paw prints all over. The owner looked at me and smirked. I was too scared to say anything. I wish there were dog areas in the bigger woods where it's a possibility. I think that might work for some people.

One day I went for a walk*

I agree. Owners should be issued with on-the-spot fines if their dogs are witnessed jumping up onto other people without their consent. I'm sure they'd soon learn to control them if each incident cost them £60 or so.

When my son was small we spent lots of time in parks and woods and had many incidences of dogs jumping on us and bounding over to steal food during picnics. After yelling at one man to stop his large dog eating our food (we were on a picnic blanket in a park) just to be told it is our fault as we shouldn't be eating outside I started giving dogs a piece of chocolate if they weren't recalled. I then told the owners that the dog had eaten chocolate and they had better get them to the vet. Hopefully having to pay vet bills made them think twice about keeping their dogs under control.

I am sure I will get loads of dog lovers saying how cruel I am but I really don't care. It is cruel to have a child terrified because a dog has jumped up and knocked him over or scratched him or had the food bitten out of his hand. Keep control of the dog and there will be no problem.

How utterly ville you are, imagine teaching your children to harm animals.

If you did that to my dog (unlikely because she has good recall), I'd do my utmost to find out who you were by taking a photo of you and going on local Facebook page, and shaming you.

What dreadful parenting.

You're actually scum

Never will that happen thankfully