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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Friend hit her dog

58 replies

aureliala · 13/04/2023 22:59

My friend is a big dog lover and works as a behaviouralist/trainer. We were out walking and her dog pulled when we were near some water. She’s a big dog and my friend ended up falling whilst trying to pull her back. When she stood up she hit the dog multiple times. Not hard but enough to make the dog cower 😔

I’ve never had a dog and I understand that the dog needs to learn not to pull. But to hit her? This isn’t ok, surely?

OP posts:
Agitatethebumcrack · 13/04/2023 23:05

I’d have gone nuts at her if my (ex) friend hit an animal like that.

StrawberryWater · 13/04/2023 23:07

That’s disgusting.

She wouldn’t be my friend after that.

Kanaloa · 13/04/2023 23:09

What did your friend who is a big dog lover say? Because surely it’s not the same friend who then hit her own dog several times? Dog lovers don’t hit dogs! She sounds horrible. I’d have said something (or lots of things) at the time.

JupiterFortified · 13/04/2023 23:10

I’d have hit her multiple times and see how long it took for her to cower. YANBU at all op, it’s disgusting behaviour.

Original poster
aureliala · 13/04/2023 23:10

It made me feel sick to be honest. The dog has such a lovely temperament and was, in my opinion, just being a normal dog. We carried on walking and she hit her again because she was pulling. Poor dog.

OP posts:
CobraChicken · 13/04/2023 23:11

aureliala · 13/04/2023 22:59

My friend is a big dog lover and works as a behaviouralist/trainer. We were out walking and her dog pulled when we were near some water. She’s a big dog and my friend ended up falling whilst trying to pull her back. When she stood up she hit the dog multiple times. Not hard but enough to make the dog cower 😔

I’ve never had a dog and I understand that the dog needs to learn not to pull. But to hit her? This isn’t ok, surely?

Let me guess, she's of the "Cesar Millan" school of dog training... 😡

Original poster
aureliala · 13/04/2023 23:12

I really didn’t know what to say but she could see from my face that I was horrified. She apologised to me but I was only concerned about the dog. In the years I’ve known her, I’ve never seen her treat her dogs like this and I really didn’t know she had this side to her.

OP posts:
Cheapcookies · 13/04/2023 23:13

As an actual, qualified Behaviourist - your friend is not a behaviourist or trainer. She is an animal abuser.

Dogs do not need to be trained using force, pain, or fear. If she can't manage her dog on a lead she needs to hire the help of an actual professional that knows what they are doing.

IamSuperTired · 13/04/2023 23:15

😥😥poor dog. Your friend is not v nice :(

Eggseggseverywhere · 13/04/2023 23:19

Time to review her honestly on whatever advertising platform or sm she uses..
Then block her.

ArmchairAnarchist2 · 13/04/2023 23:20

Is she fuck a dog lover.

Truestorypeeps · 13/04/2023 23:23

Disgusting behaviour. You don't hit a poor defenseless dog. A bully and an abuser.

Original poster
aureliala · 13/04/2023 23:30

I know 😢 I can’t stop thinking about it.

OP posts:
chachachive · 13/04/2023 23:37

That’s awful, I’d be reconsidering the whole friendship who can do that to a loyal dog! Hope your friend has never made any mistakes like her poor dog did, I’m sure she wouldn’t want to be ‘punished’ for them in the same way!! Poor little thing. Makes me so cross

Viviennemary · 13/04/2023 23:39

Report her to the RSPCA for animal cruelty.

Eggseggseverywhere · 13/04/2023 23:39

When I knew my best mate's dh was abusing their ddog I reported him to the charity they got the ddog from..
The charity collected the ddog the next day. Bff never knew it was me.

BonnieLisbon · 13/04/2023 23:43

Is that what she teaches people to do as a dog trainer?

uncomfortablydumb53 · 13/04/2023 23:45

A dog lover wouldn't do that
Poor dog
Hope she's now an ex friend

elm26 · 13/04/2023 23:46

😢 she wouldn't be my friend after that.

Poor dog, please report her.

AmeliaWarnerBros · 13/04/2023 23:50

I'd report your ex-friend. What a coward this person is. Poor dog.

StaunchMomma · 14/04/2023 00:13

Those are not the actions of a dog lover!

That poor dog 😞I hope she's not mean to it at home, too.

Yonkerslopez · 14/04/2023 00:54

Your friend is not a dog lover if she resorts to physical abuse when she is angry/flustered/embarrassed.

Sure, adrenaline could have overcome her and i'm sure she would have panicked in the moment after being pulled over near the water but that doesn't justify losing her cool.

An animal is not a child or an adult with an awareness of danger, they don't understand what we say let alone what we expect them to do. They are compassionate, loyal and innocent, vulnerable beings that we need to protect.

They lack the logic and thought process that us humans have, so to punish her pet for something it doesn't understand and for acting on its animal instincts is absolutely ridiculous.

If she behaved like this in front of you, and her poor pet cowered then I'd worry about how she behaved behind closed doors 'in the moment' and how she enforces her 'behaviour training' on other dogs. I wouldn't want mine trained by someone with such anger issues - "When she stood up she hit the dog multiple times."

This friend of yours doesn't sound very nice. You sound like a decent person to be upset about what happened, but surely you know this is not reasonable behaviour so i'd be shocked if many replies here endorsed her behaviour.

Poor pup :(

Babsexxx · 14/04/2023 05:54

This has made me soo angry she needs reporting that dog has no voice! It’s down to us as humans with the capacity to literally speak for them crazyyy that she is supposed to be a dog trainer of any description!

I would tell her your seriously uncomfortable with how she treated her dog end the friend ship and make sure it’s very well documented on any social media platforms and reviews on her business as to how she treats dogs!

Carsarelife · 14/04/2023 08:32

Jeez and she's a dog trainer. She should be ashamed of herself.

LittleRedRoses · 14/04/2023 08:39

If the dog cowered this isn’t the first time she’s hit it. What a disgusting excuse for a dog lover and she’s definitely not a decent trainer. DH trains gun dogs and has never lifted a hand to any dog, there’s no need to wallop defenceless animals to train them. Kindness and patience is the key. I’d be reporting her and spreading the word at what disgusting training ‘methods’ that she uses. This makes me so angry.

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