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?

[WhackingPhoenix]

I love dogs of all sizes and have a medium-sized dog of my own, but I don’t like this either unless I’ve specifically invited them to jump up for a fuss!

I was walking my dog yesterday morning in the pissing rain and he was calmly trotting around sniffing and minding his own business, a man with a lab came along and the dogs greeted each other, then the lab jumped up at me with wet, muddy paws 😒 luckily I was only wearing a tatty old jumper and jeans but I still wasn’t pleased! The man also wasn’t pleased so he told his dog off but I wish the dog had been trained not to jump up! If I’ve managed to teach an ex-street dog not to do it, anyone should be able to!

[AllThingsServeTheBeam]

@yossell

Didn't take long for the 'Not all Dog Owners...' brigade to arrive

So I should just take being called something I'm not then?

[Sailorchick14]

My worst incident like this was when my children were about 2 and 4. We were sat on a bench having sandwiches and we were surrounded by about 6-8 dogs all trying to jump up/get attention. When the owners eventually caught up they were saying the standard of they are just friendly. My children were both terrified and screaming and they really didn't seem to understand how intimidating that experience was for kids (I wasn't exactly feeling comfortable with it but trying to act that way to reassure my kids). Even the calmest dog may snap when confused by a screaming flailing child. Took ages to get them to get all the dogs away and they would not acknowledge that anything was wrong about the event.

Thankfully most dog owners are not like that but there are enough out there that cannot recall their dogs that I always assume the worst now.

[Southwig22]

No you are definitely not being unreasonable.
Although I'm surprised it is happening this frequently to you - could you be inadvertently encouraging it e.g. by drawing your arms up, making noise etc?

[ProbablyNotMad]

@GloriousGlory

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.

Shaming me on a Facebook page for a dog not being under control and stealing food from a child? Ha ha ha I'd like to see how that works.

If people keep control of their mutts there would be no problem.

[threegoodthings]

@AllThingsServeTheBeam

Never will that happen thankfully

Why thankfully? Why shouldn't dogs be on leads in a public place?

[RiftGibbon]

I like dogs but I hate it when they jump up. As a PP has said, if your dog doesn't have recall it shouldn't be offlead.
Not everyone likes dogs. Parks and countryside spaces are for multiple users and some dog owners need a harsh reality check. If their dog was offlead and got into a field of sheep, the farmer would be quite within their rights to shoot the dog. Perhaps something to consider when its' running amok.

[AllThingsServeTheBeam]

@threegoodthings

Why thankfully? Why shouldn't dogs be on leads in a public place?

Because my dog needs off lead exercise. Why should he suffer?

[threegoodthings]

@AllThingsServeTheBeam

Because my dog needs off lead exercise. Why should he suffer?

Let him have his off lead exercise around your house and in your garden. I'm sure you could give him enough exercise if you tried.

[NeedSomeRelief]

I walk my dog off lead through the woods and meet lots of other dog walkers, I've trained my dog good recall and I put her on the lead when we are passing anyone, with or without a dog. Not many do that though and it is annoying when off lead dogs run up to us.
There is one woman I hate seeing though because she wants to pat my dog but flaps her hands all over the place which does confuse my dog, so I'm sure some dogs will jump up at her. Kids running up to her, also annoying. She lies down and is, trained, to stay down but they don't know that and she could be savage for all they know.
Same with cyclists who appear from nowhere and don't ring their bell and give me a few seconds to pop her on the lead.
But yeah, no substitute for being considerate, in all interactions.

[AllThingsServeTheBeam]

@threegoodthings

Let him have his off lead exercise around your house and in your garden. I'm sure you could give him enough exercise if you tried.

Nah. I'm ok thanks. We will continue to walk him off lead as we have done for the last 11 years.

[Piglet89]

Some dog owners are unbelievably inconsiderate. This guy who lives across the road from me has these two wee foxy looking dogs and one of them was barking incessantly on Friday for over an hour while I was trying to work from home. I had to complain in the end - went and knocked on the door, pretty annoyed, said “your dog has been barking incessantly can you deal with it, please?” I was amazed he was at home to he honest - assumed the dog had been left home alone, as it was so worked up.

owner was Just like “oh, ok, I’ll go and calm her down.” No apology for the nuisance notice - nothingS

Totally inconsiderate, rude and self-absorbed.

[Thisisnotmyname2]

YANBU. My child is scared of dogs and I'm trying to help him with this. But people always expect him to be overjoyed at thier dog jumping up at him and offer for him to stroke thier dog etc.. When I reassure him that it's okay, the dog is ok and then explain to the owner that he's scared they often look disgusted, or like I have two heads. So arrogant.

[GloriousGlory]

@ProbablyNotMad I think you'd be surprised, anyone poisoning dogs is vilified!

[GloriousGlory]

@Piglet89

Some dog owners are unbelievably inconsiderate. This guy who lives across the road from me has these two wee foxy looking dogs and one of them was barking incessantly on Friday for over an hour while I was trying to work from home. I had to complain in the end - went and knocked on the door, pretty annoyed, said “your dog has been barking incessantly can you deal with it, please?” I was amazed he was at home to he honest - assumed the dog had been left home alone, as it was so worked up.

owner was Just like “oh, ok, I’ll go and calm her down.” No apology for the nuisance notice - nothingS

Totally inconsiderate, rude and self-absorbed.

So you thought the dog was gone alone? So knocked, which would've wound the dog up more?

What wax your logic there?

[kingtamponthefurred]

@Plantstrees

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.

Agree-and they should be proper leads, not those daft extendable things.

[Jojow21]

YANBU At. All. I have had the same problem many times with entitled dog walkers. I don’t know why someone would think it would be ok for a dog to come and jump at me and leave muddy marks on my clothes?! I don’t like dogs and I don’t want them near me, but why should I have to stay inside in case this happens? I don’t mind walking past dogs, or there being dogs off leads if they are well behaved and will respond to being called back, but if you can’t stop your dog jumping at me then it should be on a lead. Now I’m even more aware and annoyed about this as I often walk with my toddler in local woodland and he’s been jumped at before. Where it’s annoying for me he can be pushed over and hurt and “ha ha it’s ok he’s friendly” doesn’t really cut it with me. This combined with constantly dodging dog poo = I hate dog owners as much as the dogs.

[Jojow21]

Also agree. Dogs should be on leads in public places (unless it’s a designated dog field or something). I’d even go as far as licensing them - repeated failure to pick up poo or not control your dog = loss of license and loss of dog.

[paintitallover]

People have a responsibility to stop their dogs jumping up. Apart from anything else, you could be knocked over and have your bone broken in this why, especially by a strong or big dog. I have a broken arm right now from falling over, although no dog was involved.

[Cw112]

As a dog owner I don't think you're being unreasonable. We walk our dog off leash but he's got a really solid recall and we generally try to train him to ignore other dogs and walkers but sometimes people will want to say hello and that's fine because he is so friendly. We work very hard on training him to keep 4 paws on the floor even when he's excited but it's difficult when others encourage him up and he will happily oblige for more attention (he then gets told off). I will say for large breeds it's difficult because they grow so tall so fast so these may be things an owner is actively working on and training is a continuous process, or it might be a rescue dog they've just rehomed so sometimes the dog will get it wrong because they're actually just a pup or they're still learning. I think the owners reaction is telling though.

[Cw112]

@theremustonlybeone

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

This. I think sometimes small dog owners are more likely to let them away with certain behaviours as well because their dog doesn't 'look' as intimidating but it's still not well trained and isn't fair on others . It also immediately makes me nervous for my dog because I don't know how well socialised the other dog is as well.

[GettingStuffed]

I was jumped on when I was about 7 , I was walking through the woods when an ear splitting bowl started it got louder and louder and the next thing I knew I was on the floor with a bloodhound licking me like I was a long lost friend. Apparently he'd never done this before.

[GloriousGlory]

@GettingStuffed

I was jumped on when I was about 7 , I was walking through the woods when an ear splitting bowl started it got louder and louder and the next thing I knew I was on the floor with a bloodhound licking me like I was a long lost friend. Apparently he'd never done this before.

Well at least that one can't be blamed on "lockdown" dogs, or "owners these days".

[lawandgin]

But the problem HAS massively increased in my area since lockdown @GloriousGlory - what's wrong with pointing that out? I'd estimate there's twice if not three times the amount of dogs on our estate since covid. And I'd never had so many problems when using our local green space in the 7 years I lived here pre-lockdown.

[GloriousGlory]

@lawandgin

But the problem HAS massively increased in my area since lockdown @GloriousGlory - what's wrong with pointing that out? I'd estimate there's twice if not three times the amount of dogs on our estate since covid. And I'd never had so many problems when using our local green space in the 7 years I lived here pre-lockdown.

But it's not all owners, not all dogs, not all are lockdown owners, it's this ridiculous all dogs, all owners, it's rubbish!