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Original poster

A plea to dog-owners

284 replies

Dogsonleads · 19/04/2023 14:00

Please keep boisterous dogs on leads if you have no intention on controlling their behaviour

When walking in woodland with my 10 year old DS this morning pre school (because we were ridiculously early), a fully grown and very boisterous Labrador jumped fully up and put his paws on my sons upper chest. very exited dog, barking, more jumping. Before I can react, my sons runs into my arms and the dog continues to jump, now onto my son’s back.

At this stage the owner comes round the corner, the dog rubs off and I try to call out that this really is not acceptable. Calmly. I get a perfunctory sorry, the dog is being ignored, bounds back, jumps up my legs and manages to “Kiss me on the mouth”. Again, a perfunctory sorry and the owner walks away. Is this acceptable? (At this point I lost my calm 😞and shouted after them as I was upset at being brushed aside, no swear words though )
No attempt to reign in/ educate the dog?

It has taken me probably 5 years to get my son comfortable around dogs, had this happened only 2 years ago he would have been in an all out panic.

so my plea is to please please keep large dogs in sight if they have the tendency to jump, or at least try to mitigate situations that are difficult for others.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
CreepyQueen · 19/04/2023 14:03

Good dog owners are sick of it too!

I barely take my 2, well behaved (always on lead) dogs anywhere 'nice' anymore because of boisterous dogs running at mine.

flossypots · 19/04/2023 14:03

YANBU. Some people shouldn't be allowed dogs! Fed up with the amount of uncontrolled dogs wandering off lead.

randomuser2020 · 19/04/2023 14:09

This reply has been withdrawn

This post has been withdrawn at the poster's request due to privacy concerns.

UWhatNow · 19/04/2023 14:16

I sympathise. Lots of dog owners are completely inconsiderate selfish cunts. And you can’t go anywhere now to avoid them. Depressing.

I would love a dog owner to tell us what we do in those situations to successfully avoid being physically accosted like that. If it were a human doing that it would be classed as common assault!

KateyCuckoo · 19/04/2023 14:19

Equally, please teach children not to approach my dog.

coffeeiswgatkeepsmesane · 19/04/2023 14:21

As a dog owner myself, off lead "friendly" dogs piss me off too. Sorry OP, I promise we're not all irresponsible.

Saucery · 19/04/2023 14:24

would love a dog owner to tell us what we do in those situations to successfully avoid being physically accosted like that

A firm “Down!”, or “Away!” can work, plus turning side on with your arms crossed on your chest.

Totally agree you shouldn’t have to, though. If that had been my bouncy Lab I’d have been mortified. It wouldn’t have got to that stage though, because if I can’t see where she is, she goes on her lead.
DH did the loud “Away!” to a Cockerpoo that wouldn’t leave our dog alone (Red Squirrel sanctuary too, so should have been under very close control or on a lead). The owner was most put out, but I’d be ashamed to let my dog continually pester dog or human like that. I doubt it had ever heard a firm command in its pampered untrained little life but it got the message Grin

greenacrylicpaint · 19/04/2023 14:25

another plea: it's bird nesting season. don't let your dog off lead in open grassland and woodlands until mid june.

carriedout · 19/04/2023 14:27

KateyCuckoo · 19/04/2023 14:19

Equally, please teach children not to approach my dog.

Biscuit for this irrelevant whataboutery

Original poster
Dogsonleads · 19/04/2023 14:27

@KateyCuckoo
of course you don’t approach dogs, and of course it needs to be taught.
and that you don’t run from dogs. That you do not threaten, don’t touch without permission…

I taught my son how to behave appropriately- but that is difficult to do if you have a snout in your face.

OP posts:
carriedout · 19/04/2023 14:29

I'm sick of bad dog/owner behaviour and I think it is time for people to start campaigning for dog bans in more places. Many places that were previously dog free now let them in, and those places have been made much less pleasant as a result.

We need some separation back.

Original poster
Dogsonleads · 19/04/2023 14:30

@Saucery
thank you!

OP posts:
Saucery · 19/04/2023 14:30

greenacrylicpaint · 19/04/2023 14:25

another plea: it's bird nesting season. don't let your dog off lead in open grassland and woodlands until mid june.

Yep, this too. We walk moorland paths and I’m sick of twats letting their dog off through the foliage. Some even have the cheek to say “you need to let your dog off its lead”. No, you jerk, she doesn’t do close control reliably yet, so she has to wait until we get down in the valley path.
Don’t even get me started on the ones who have their dogs offlead around sheep. Angry

blobby10 · 19/04/2023 14:30

Former dog owner here who also hates being jumped up against - I use the knee technique - if a dog comes to jump up lift you knee so it blocks the dogs progression. I never do it aggressively but it does provide a barrier for most dogs which will then (hopefully) back off. Its better than using your arms as many dogs see this as an invitation to play.

Dogsafety123 · 19/04/2023 14:33

blobby10 · 19/04/2023 14:30

Former dog owner here who also hates being jumped up against - I use the knee technique - if a dog comes to jump up lift you knee so it blocks the dogs progression. I never do it aggressively but it does provide a barrier for most dogs which will then (hopefully) back off. Its better than using your arms as many dogs see this as an invitation to play.

Thank you, this is helpful.

Maverickess · 19/04/2023 14:35

CreepyQueen · 19/04/2023 14:03

Good dog owners are sick of it too!

I barely take my 2, well behaved (always on lead) dogs anywhere 'nice' anymore because of boisterous dogs running at mine.

This.

It's not acceptable, but I guess more of the type of person who thinks the world revolves around them are now dog owners and that entitlement stretches over their dog too.

Get approached by off lead dogs on at least half our walks and at least once a month the approach is with aggression and the owner oblivious and twittering that they're just friendly and it must be because mine are on a lead. No fuckwit, your dog isn't under control, that's the problem, not mine being under control.

I want to walk my dogs, and they just want to go for a walk, not entertain yours!

VenusClapTrap · 19/04/2023 14:36

I don’t like dogs, but all my friends have them. In fact the whole village has them. I am an island of cat in a sea of dog. Many are untrained and boisterous, and because they’re owned by friends they think it’s ok (even funny) when they jump up me, even though I complain every time and make my feelings very clear.

I could refuse to go out and about with them, but then I would have zero (local) friends left and if I went for a walk I’d still have randomer’s dogs jumping on me, so nothing gained.

One friend (who has actually trained her dogs) recently taught me to shout a sharp ‘NO’ at them in as low a voice as possible. And it’s been a real game changer, because most of the time it works surprisingly well, even on the most out of control hairy lunatics.

user19888891 · 19/04/2023 15:09

I totally get your frustration OP. Both my toddlers are scared of dogs after having this exact same things happen many times. Every single time without fail the owner has said ‘oh he’s just friendly, come back X’ and the dog completely ignores them and yet the owner makes no attempt to actually take the dog away. Dogs who cant / won’t recall shouldn’t be off leads.
I was actually going to make a post asking if anyone has advice about how to stop dogs from doing this so was pleased to the post about the knee technique. Any further advice would be welcome!

Cheapcookies · 19/04/2023 15:17

A lot of dog owners are sick of it too.

Me and my under control dog, with good recall, don't want a "friendly" (dog with an owner that can't be bothered) dog running up to us. Me and my child don’t want them running up to us. We are in an epidemic of people getting dogs that don't have the time or commitment to provide for their dog, or train them to an acceptable level, thus out of control dogs are everywhere. I'm sick of it.

Sorry this happened to you OP.

FrenchBoule · 19/04/2023 15:18

Unforunately OP some dog owners don’t give a shit. You, your kids and anybody else are waaaaay down the priority list of wankery dog owners unwilling to train their animal.

Ersorrywhatnow · 19/04/2023 15:19

Maybe there should be a separate boards just to discuss dog's behaviour.

Cheapcookies · 19/04/2023 15:20

another plea: it's bird nesting season. don't let your dog off lead in open grassland and woodlands until mid june.

My dog has been trained to ignore birds, due to us living in an early with a lot of birds, waterfowl, and couldn't give a hoot about birds at all. There could be 30 birds hopping around the floor and he will ignore them all.

Idratherbepaddleboarding · 19/04/2023 15:22

I agree as the owner of a (thankfully non-boisterous) lab. He’d get short shrift for doing that to anyone!

Mary46 · 19/04/2023 15:23

Op sick of it too. Met my neighbour last week. Beagle bounding round housing estate. Oh he not on restricted breeds. I said thats not the point) til he bites. I always keep mine on lead.

DunkingMyDonuts · 19/04/2023 15:25

You must have the patience of a saint not to have yelled at the owner! I have in the past and always confront the vile owners for not picking up their dog's poo (I always keep a poo bag to offer them, though I have no dog). The shock on their faces as I wave the bag at them

I walk a lot is ALWAYS middle-aged/old people that have no consideration for others. Am one myself so not being ageist. The young people I see at weekends walking their dogs more often than not pick up their dog poo.