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AIBU?

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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
Softoprider · 21/04/2023 10:52

@StupidFaces · Today 09:40

YANBU, I would have gone mental and grabbed the dog by the neck and held it down to the ground until the owner came to restrain it.

I would pay good money to watch that. Would you use a military grasp or just a fun 'throw yourself on top' type of manouvre to restrain the animal?

Saucery · 21/04/2023 10:54

I think that poster just talks a good fight on the internet @Softoprider . Like if I said anyone who would pin my dog down by the neck would get their nose broken and a kick in the bollocks.

Natty13 · 21/04/2023 11:00

Last summer my dog was off lead in a fenced in part of a large park where it's allowed - a huge park with 80% of it dogs have to be on leads. A woman called over to me saying if my dog came bear her she would kick it. My dog is small, old and clearly arthritic. She couldn't jump up on someone even if she wasn't trained not to. At the time I wondered what the hell would occur to someone to say something so aggressive out the blue about a dog hobbling along beside its owner, but now I can see it was likely one of the women posting on this thread.

There is no benefit to anyone whipping yourself into a frenzy over your hatred of something. My dog isn't allowed to defend herself - RIGHTLY - but I will defend her however and whenever I have to.

Saltired · 21/04/2023 11:04

Dog owner here. My dog gets off her lead.

The issue is, a lot of people who have no business being dog owners got dogs during lockdown because they were working from home. Now, they are back to work, leaving their badly trained dogs underexercised.

Softoprider · 21/04/2023 11:04

I just wish there was more tolerance.
I have three little dogs who behave nicely. I have full control when we go out. I am the leader of the pack.
Some people like dogs, and some do not. Some people think it is OK to let their children scream when they see a dog who is not in the least bit interested in anything other than chasing squirrels and meeting other dogs.
Some people let their child go straight up to your dog without asking if it is OK. That is scary.
Some people think every dog owner is responsible for dog poo. I am only responsible for what my dog does, and I resent not being able to put the dog poo in the bin provided because some thoughtless idiots have filled it with their picnic leftovers.
Not all dog owners are the same. My dogs are never allowed near the water because birds .live there.

Lampzade · 21/04/2023 11:05

reddragon7 · 19/04/2023 17:37

Oh gosh - I absolutely hate when dog owners let their dogs free to roam about around other people in a small space. Your dog is friendly and special to you, doesn’t mean it’s the same to everybody else. Respectful thing is to keep them away. Most people don’t let their toddlers approach strangers and brush it off, out of respect, they keep them well away. Not everyone is a dog lover

Some dog owners have the audacity to get upset when you politely ask if their dogs is dangerous .
I am sick to death of dog owners who think it is acceptable for their dogs to run amok in public places. Put a lead on your dogs ffs.
I really don’t care how ‘friendly’ your dog is

Softoprider · 21/04/2023 11:09

Is your dog dangerous is a stupid question. Its a bit like asking if your child is !

vivainsomnia · 21/04/2023 11:10

I really don’t care how ‘friendly’ your dog is
What you care about or not, same as the owner is irrelevant. If dogs are allowed to run off the lead in that area, and not being aggressive, it's owner is doing nothing wrong. If there are signs saying dogs should be on the lead, then they are in the wrong. Not because what you care about but because that's the rule.

Lampzade · 21/04/2023 11:13

vivainsomnia · 21/04/2023 11:10

I really don’t care how ‘friendly’ your dog is
What you care about or not, same as the owner is irrelevant. If dogs are allowed to run off the lead in that area, and not being aggressive, it's owner is doing nothing wrong. If there are signs saying dogs should be on the lead, then they are in the wrong. Not because what you care about but because that's the rule.

I am talking about areas where dogs should be on a lead, such as the local high street.

XelaM · 21/04/2023 11:14

Dogsonleads · 20/04/2023 22:08

Born that way
has taken me years, and a very friendly neighbourly dog, to get used to them

Show quote history

Fair enough. OP I must say you sound more sensible than the dog-hating crazies your thread attracted.

For what it's worth, I don't think my dog would scare your son (pic attached) but some of the big labs can be very strong and I see why he wouldn't like them jumping on him.

A plea to dog-owners
Saltired · 21/04/2023 11:20

Softoprider · 21/04/2023 11:04

I just wish there was more tolerance.
I have three little dogs who behave nicely. I have full control when we go out. I am the leader of the pack.
Some people like dogs, and some do not. Some people think it is OK to let their children scream when they see a dog who is not in the least bit interested in anything other than chasing squirrels and meeting other dogs.
Some people let their child go straight up to your dog without asking if it is OK. That is scary.
Some people think every dog owner is responsible for dog poo. I am only responsible for what my dog does, and I resent not being able to put the dog poo in the bin provided because some thoughtless idiots have filled it with their picnic leftovers.
Not all dog owners are the same. My dogs are never allowed near the water because birds .live there.

So they aren’t allowed to chase birds but they are allowed to chase squirrels? Make it make sense.

Softoprider · 21/04/2023 11:22

Yup. They are put on the lead when we go near to the water and I do not think Chihuahuas could catch a squirrel even if it was asleep.. well maybe there would be a slight chance bit very slim
Over to you mate

Softoprider · 21/04/2023 11:23

Or pugs either😃

Saltired · 21/04/2023 11:25

Softoprider · 21/04/2023 11:22

Yup. They are put on the lead when we go near to the water and I do not think Chihuahuas could catch a squirrel even if it was asleep.. well maybe there would be a slight chance bit very slim
Over to you mate

Surely a chihuahua couldn’t catch a bird either, if that is your argument?

Do your dogs approach other dogs?

Personally, I find owners of small dogs far worse than large dogs.

Saltired · 21/04/2023 11:27

Softoprider · 21/04/2023 11:23

Or pugs either😃

No, pugs and chihuahuas are unlikely to harm anything.

Probably because they are bred to such extreme standards that their life expectancy is abysmal.

Softoprider · 21/04/2023 11:28

Well aren't we the expert!

Softoprider · 21/04/2023 11:29

I think you will find a Chi could catch a baby duck ! I muzzle them in hatching season - just in case...

Softoprider · 21/04/2023 11:31

I bet it's you that puts your leftovers in the dog poo bin @Saltired

Saltired · 21/04/2023 11:42

Softoprider · 21/04/2023 11:29

I think you will find a Chi could catch a baby duck ! I muzzle them in hatching season - just in case...

They could catch a baby squirrel? Or mouse? Or rabbit? No?

You have your chihuahuas on a lead with a muzzle? I don’t believe you.

Saltired · 21/04/2023 11:43

Softoprider · 21/04/2023 11:31

I bet it's you that puts your leftovers in the dog poo bin @Saltired

No, we don’t even have dog waste bins here now - you simply put your dogs waste in the regular bins. It’s been that way for many years.

Goodoccasionallypoor · 21/04/2023 11:50

Softoprider · 21/04/2023 10:34

It's always the brown labs that give every other dog a bad name @Goodoccasionallypoor
Avoid the brown labs at all cost

No problem with the dog breed tbh, I like them and had a lab when I was a kid.

My problem is with oblivious idiots buying dogs and not bothering to train them.

The bar for acceptable behaviour of dogs is far too low - basically, if it hasn't bitten someone then all is good.

ellie09 · 21/04/2023 11:56

Dog owner here!

IMO, all dogs, no matter how well they are trained, or how good their recall is, should be on a lead in a public place.

XelaM · 21/04/2023 11:58

ellie09 · 21/04/2023 11:56

Dog owner here!

IMO, all dogs, no matter how well they are trained, or how good their recall is, should be on a lead in a public place.

So unless you live in a house with a massive garden your dogs are never allowed to run
around? That's very sad

ellie09 · 21/04/2023 12:00

XelaM · 21/04/2023 11:58

So unless you live in a house with a massive garden your dogs are never allowed to run
around? That's very sad

Show quote history

No, we have a reasonable sized garden and take her to a free doggy play park to run around off lead. I have also paid £5 for one hour use of a large field that someone nearby offers also to dog owners.

Softoprider · 21/04/2023 12:17

@Saltired
Ah your seriously verging 'off piste' with the humour now. What was the date of your by-pass