Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

To be annoyed by another dog owner

11 replies

Newtotheforums · 27/06/2023 22:08

Sorry in advance for the novel! I needed to have a rant!

My OH and I were out walking our dog (jackapoo) at the common this evening, our dog loves playing fetch so we were in an open area throwing his ball for him and there were other dogs and owners around / all dogs were off leash.

A large greyhound (significantly larger than our dog) came running over and stole our dogs ball, which was no problem the owner (female early 30’s) who was on her phone came over and attempted to retrieve the ball from her dog. The dog was pretty aggressive towards her and it took a decent length of time before she was able to get the ball back.

We waited until they were a reasonable distance away from us before we threw the ball again and we threw it in the opposite direction as them, however her dog came running back over and took the ball again. The owner shot my OH and I a dirty look and set to retrieving the ball again, but wasn’t having much success. She was still on her phone and there didn’t seem much urgency to her action.

We patiently waited and didn’t put any pressure on her to get the ball back even though our dog was getting increasingly frustrated that he wasn’t able to chase his ball.

When she finally got the ball back she threw it to us and then said “can you not throw it until we are further away” which I don’t think is an unreasonably request (and we were planning on doing this anyway) but the tone of her voice and the lack of apology or explanation made it seem like it was a demand and the whole situation was our fault.

I am being unreasonable to think that if she wasn’t able to control her dog then perhaps she should have kept him on a lead? Or at the very least not get annoyed/blame other dog owners for her dog stealing their balls?
I am not sure how long she was expecting us to wait/how far away her dog needed to be before we were allowed to go back to playing with our dog.

OP posts:

ToBeOrNotToBee · 27/06/2023 22:10

This is a classic case of both parties being sensitive and needing to develop common sense.

BiscuitsandPuffin · 27/06/2023 22:11

Yeah YANBU. She should have kept the dog on the lead in public places until she had managed to train it, especially with how big greyhounds are. I would have shouted back "or you could train your dog not to be a tea leaf!" but I get arsy with people like that.

Daveismyhero · 27/06/2023 22:12

My dog would 100% steal another dogs ball. This is why my dog is 100% on a lead or long line when we are out 😂

BiscuitsandPuffin · 27/06/2023 22:13

ToBeOrNotToBee · 27/06/2023 22:10

This is a classic case of both parties being sensitive and needing to develop common sense.

Do explain how OP was being sensitive or lacking in common sense in any way shape or form...?

lljkk · 28/06/2023 03:57

That's weird AF that her dog was off lead like that.

Groutyonehereagain · 28/06/2023 05:04

It’s extremely common that dog owners blame other people for their own dog’s bad behaviour.

We’ve had all sorts of stupid comments, so I sympathise @Newtotheforums. 🐾💐

stayathomer · 28/06/2023 05:19

Do explain how OP was being sensitive or lacking in common sense in any way shape or form...?
I can kind of see how- my simultaneous thoughts were ‘wtf was she doing with a big dog off lead’ and ‘why did the op throw the ball again if the dog was anywhere in view?’ The second less than the first and my god she was an idiot but still op I think I’d have put the ball away for a time

pictoosh · 28/06/2023 05:28

Yanbu as it's her responsibility to control her dog...BUT yabu to still be thinking about this after the event. It's fleeting and minor.

veryfluffyfluff · 28/06/2023 05:33

stayathomer · 28/06/2023 05:19

Same

I wouldn't worry about it though OP. There are so many dogs around these days you'll probably encounter the same again.

FOJN · 28/06/2023 05:50

You were far more polite than I would have been. This use to happen to me regularly with two different dogs, I could wait until they were out of sight and they would still come running back to steal the ball. Both off lead and owners on the phone. One of them did it so often and was so aggressive the owner use to carry spare balls to give to other owners to replace the one they couldn't get back from their dog.

I use to tell them to put their dog on a lead.

It's not OK to have a poorly trained dog off lead when you are distracted by a telephone call.

Srin · 28/06/2023 05:58

I used to play cricket with my young DS in a park designed for people to play sport in. We used a tennis ball. Regularly dogs would get the ball and we would have to wait for the dog owner to trundle after the dog(if they could be bothered). The ball would come back covered in dog slobber and they still wouldn’t put the dog on a lead. These are people who didn’t actually walk their dogs, they would just stand at one end of the playing field and let their dog off for a shit. There are so many bad dog owners, you are going to encounter them constantly.

Flip