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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Muddy paws dog jumped on me on walk, WWYD?

768 replies

Blip · 18/02/2023 11:36

I was walking across a park yesterday and two spaniels bounded towards me about 50 yards away from their owner. I could tell they were going to try and jump up at me so I avoided eye contact with them and told my dd to do the same.

Unfortunately one still did jump up at me multiple times and left mud on my clean trousers.

I shouted at the owner to please keep her dogs under control as one had got mud on my trousers. Not in an aggressive or rude tone though.

In my opinion if you don't have sufficient control over your dog to stop them doing this they need to be kept on a lead in public. The owner didn't seem very bothered and I think there is zero chance of her preventing this happening another time to someone else or possibly even to me again. I feel pretty annoyed about it.

I think there are some owners who either don't think it's a problem when their dogs jump up at strangers or who just don't care.

What would you do if this happened to you?

OP posts:
Mainlinethehappy · 18/02/2023 12:46

I had a large dog and although his recall went out of the window when something exciting was happening, training him not to jump up was so, so easy. It took persistence and a lot of water pistols (and he regressed at one point so it felt like starting all over again) but he learnt.
So I have zero tolerance with jumpy dogs. I couldn't stop him from running up to play and explore, though, and I always felt awful when he would do this to nervous dogs.
I'd have passively-aggressively engaged the owner with a detailed request for advice about what they thought would be the best way of getting the mud out of my clothes. At 30 degrees. On a non-spin cycle. To be air-dried by 8pm that evening. I reckon I could have kept that going for 30 minutes.

Crumpetdisappointment · 18/02/2023 12:46

if it happened i would turn my back

Crumpetdisappointment · 18/02/2023 12:47

i had a dog wee on my back when i was sitting in the park!

i had a job steal my cake, sitting on the rugby pitch

at both times the owners apologised

Crumpetdisappointment · 18/02/2023 12:48

a dog stole my cake!

the dog owners bought me another slice

StupidlyImperfect · 18/02/2023 12:49

PortiasBiscuit · 18/02/2023 11:41

Dogs can’t be kept on the lead all the time, poor things!

A decent owner would train them so they a) have good recall and b) they don’t jump up on people.

ShakespearesBlister · 18/02/2023 12:49

The other week a large puppy ran up to me In a nature reserve and I knew I couldn't stop it so I just let it happen. It covered me in mud. I didn't make a fus about it. Sometimes it just happens. What I did was wash my clothes when I got home and then moved on. Nobody died.

GlobeArtichoke · 18/02/2023 12:50

When DD was about three and walking beside me in our village, she was knocked flying by a boxer that had slipped its lead. It just came flying round a corner knocked her for six and I think then wanted to lick her face when she was floored. It was a genuine accident, not an aggressive dog and the owner couldn't have been more apologetic but DD was hysterical as all she could see were huge teeth. For years was terrified of dogs as a consequence.

CryInToYourCornflakesNicola · 18/02/2023 12:51

Blip · 18/02/2023 11:50

Maybe I'll put some posters up saying this owner will let their dog jump up at you

Marginally better idea than getting angry at dog owner. I can see that going very wrong. Dogs are likely to defend owner.
Anyway for my two cents, I would pet the dog, go and wash my clothes and think nothing more of it. Animals are gonna animal.
I once picked up a baby (in the family, not a random strangers baby) and it was sick all over my top, abd then dribbled down my trousers, did I go ape shit at the parents? Of course not, babies will puke, dogs will sometimes jump, cats will shit wherever. Its life.

2bazookas · 18/02/2023 12:52

I'd wash my trousers and get over it.

Sparrow80 · 18/02/2023 12:52

One recently ripped my leggings and scratched my leg. When I pointed this out to the owner she asked what I expected running through the park 😵‍💫

Ummm not to have my clothes ripped and end up bleeding?

TheNine · 18/02/2023 12:52

I’d give them a few hard kicks

Cherrysoup · 18/02/2023 12:52

I was mortified when my two jumped up at someone-no contact, just playing but they were recalled immediately and I apologised.

A big Labrador nearly took me out this week, a youngster but almost had me down. The owner was very apologetic, I wasn’t too bothered, I was out with mine at the time.

MissyB1 · 18/02/2023 12:52

If you really want to carry something to deter jumpy up dogs (personally I love them), then might I suggest Pet Corrector? It’s basically a small tin of compressed air (nothing comes out except air). It makes a sort of hissing sound as the air comes out, dogs don’t really like it but it won’t hurt them. They will tend to stop and shy away from the noise.
The risk might be that a highly anxious dog might bolt or react badly. But in my experience it’s confident dogs that approach humans they don’t know - like my little bloody diva schnauzer!

3WildOnes · 18/02/2023 12:53

TulipCat · 18/02/2023 11:48

Life is full of minor irritants. People accidentally spill drinks, dogs jump up, cars splash you with dirty puddle water. It's just life. Expect an apology from the owner and put your clothes in the washing machine.

This. I know someone who gets so wound up and angry about all of lifes minor irritants. As if they are personal. She isn't great company.

IndiaDreamer · 18/02/2023 12:53

vodkaredbullgirl · 18/02/2023 11:39

Day in day out, many of these posts appear.

Indeed, it's so boring now....

If I had a £1 for everyone someone said "if your dog doesn't have good recall they should be on a lead" I'd be very rich.

MrWhippersnapper · 18/02/2023 12:54

I wouldn’t care

IndiaDreamer · 18/02/2023 12:54

Blip · 18/02/2023 11:42

I'm tempted to get more aggressive with people who simply don't give a shit about their dog smearing you with mud

Carry on! You do that.

buttercupboots · 18/02/2023 12:55

TheNine · 18/02/2023 12:52

I’d give them a few hard kicks

Not wise unless you're happy to be on the receiving end of the same (or worse) from the owner!

IndiaDreamer · 18/02/2023 12:55

Blip · 18/02/2023 11:48

I'm tempted to unleash verbally to try to incentivise owners not to do this.

You sound very threatening, but I don't think they'd care TBH.

faffadoodledo · 18/02/2023 12:55

Crumpetdisappointment · 18/02/2023 12:48

a dog stole my cake!

the dog owners bought me another slice

Oh god our old dog was awful for this. We had builders working on the house, parked on the drive. They left a van window open with the scent of pasty wafting out (we live in Cornwall). Dog did an unbelievable vertical jump up into the cab and escaped with his booty. I apologised and made the guy a plate of cheese sandwiches.
Same dog accompanied me the children on a picnic with a friend at her farm. She laid out the lunch beautifully and my dog lunged at a whole sponge cake and made off with it. Friend nearly p@ssed herself laughing, and the children (all now grown up) still remember this,
But for that reason I have my eyes alert for picnics when out and about and now have a dog whose recall is fabulous. He's not a pasty nicker!

CustardySergeant · 18/02/2023 12:56

whatthehelldowecare · 18/02/2023 12:08

If anything, I might be quite happy. I love dogs and I would probably make a fuss and tell the owner what good boys they were

Same here. I've never owned a dog and can no longer go for walks, but when I could go out I was always disappointed if I didn't 'meet' any dogs on my walk. I've had a few muddy pawprints on my clothes and didn't mind one bit. They come out very easily in the wash and I've met a lovely dog! Brilliant. 😀

Blip · 18/02/2023 12:56

Petting the dog will surely encourage it to continue the behaviour?

OP posts:
IndiaDreamer · 18/02/2023 12:57

IClaudine · 18/02/2023 12:19

I would sue (using a pro bonio lawyer).

GrinGrinGrin

Wrongsideofpennines · 18/02/2023 12:57

To me the issues isn't the mud, it's the fact that the dogs aren't well trained enough or the owners don't care enough to call them back.

This happened to an older woman (80s) I know. Walking across a park to get to the bus stop. A large dog jumped up at her and knocked her over. The owner didn't much care and carried on, other people came to help her and ended up calling an ambulance as she wasn't able to get up and walk home. She very rarely went out again on her own after that incident and became housebound shortly afterwards. All because an owner didn't care enough to keep their dog under control.

Motherland2624 · 18/02/2023 12:58

I would of kicked the owner
not the dog 🙃

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