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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dangerous dog near miss?

294 replies

volcan · 06/08/2023 23:59

I feel l Iike we had a near miss today and I feel awful about it. DC (5) was cycling around a housing estate where I was visiting a friend when he disappeared off round a corner with a group of kids. It was away from the main road so I wasn't overly concerned but when they didn't appear around the next corner I walked over to investigate. What I found was a massive bully type dog walking alongside my DC whilst it's owner was frantically trying to get it back into the house. The owner being a petite young girl holding a tiny baby. The dog was totally ignoring her and carried on tracking my DS. I told my DS to slow down so the dog would stop 'chasing' him and we got back to the car safely. My heart was in my mouth and still is. When I asked my DS what had happened he said the dog has escaped and he was trying to catch it to help the woman. I know this has been done a million times but my AIBU is that people should be prosecuted for allowing these animals out in public uncontrolled?

OP posts:
Dillane · 07/08/2023 09:54

volcan · 07/08/2023 00:28

The point was that my son started chasing it on his bike (no experience with dogs) and then the dog started tracking him. The dog was clearly one of the Bully breeds that regularly appear in the news after attacking children. And the dog was not under the control of anyone and no-one there could have done anything if it had decided to get aggressive.

You weren’t supervising your son, the responsibility lies with you, stop passing the buck.

LuvSmallDogs · 07/08/2023 09:56

Just because the owner was panicked at the dog running off doesn't mean it was dangerous. I was panicked when our pet rabbits jimmied open the run and went running round the estate, and they were only ever "vicious" when I clipped their nails!

Honestly OP, I think some of this is coming from the realisation that something bad could have happened to DS in the time you allowed him to stay out of sight. 5 is a bit young to be disappearing off outside with unknown kids and no adults - the dog COULD have been a vicious one, after all.

Marmalade71 · 07/08/2023 10:00

There are many reasons why a 5 year old should not be out without adult supervision. Dogs are only one of them.

FOJN · 07/08/2023 10:04

volcan · 07/08/2023 00:17

Child was nowhere near cars. And if the dog was just having a laugh why did it's owner look completely panicked? I think I'm capable of reading a situation.

How do you know the young girl trying to call the dog back was its owner?

She could have been the babysitter and was worried about getting into trouble for allowing the dog to escape?

The dog could take off and get into traffic and get hurt.

She was calling the dog back and was frustrated it wasn't responding; what you thought was panic could have been frustration.

There are many reasons why she could have "looked" panicked. You judged the dog as being dangerously out of control but have not provided clear evidence of that so posters are sceptical about other claims you may make.

Strugglingtodomybest · 07/08/2023 10:07

Yabu

Malificent1 · 07/08/2023 10:09

Presumably your 5 year old was only able to start chasing the dog because you weren’t there to supervise. The owner was probably worried that your son would chase the dog straight into a road.

5 is way too young for a child to be out on a bike unsupervised. All blame lies with you.

Balloonhearts · 07/08/2023 10:09

Oh don't be so dramatic. You're being ridiculous. A dog walking along with your child is not dangerous. It showed no aggression whatsoever, it just followed him. Animals do that, they are curious and sometimes they don't listen. It doesn't make them dangerous. We're not the only animals with a right to live, you know.

If you didn't want it to play with your son, why did you let him chase it? He was the one initiating the game. Most dogs will join in if you act like you want to play with them. It's on you to make sure your child knows how to behave around animals and supervise him adequately.

She was probably panicking because her dog was buggering off on its own to get lost or run over. It shouldn't have been allowed to run off but accidents happen, like with children, they can't be in arms reach 24/7.

She dropped the ball, you dropped the ball and you know what? Literally nothing bad happened. Dog and child chased each other for a few seconds and that was that. This wasn't a near miss, it wasn't even in the same field as a near miss.

Boomboom22 · 07/08/2023 10:11

Dillane · 07/08/2023 09:54

You weren’t supervising your son, the responsibility lies with you, stop passing the buck.

Show quote history

Legally it doesn't though, if the dog was out and hurt anyone the owner is legally responsible never the human.

Boomboom22 · 07/08/2023 10:13

Also weird how dog owners trust their dog, would never hurt anyone, best friend yet the dogs have to be locked up or they will escape and refuse to come when called? Bit contradictory I find.

Newname211 · 07/08/2023 10:18

Icycloud · 07/08/2023 09:36

It was stalking your child, like prey, so yes, you’re not being unreasonable

Did you read the bit where the dog was being chased by the child, not the other way around?

Also, dog attacks don’t happen with dogs walking alongside a child and “stalking them like prey” - very few dogs actually have this instinct intact (ironically, it’s dogs known for their herding abilities like border collies who are more likely to bite under these circumstances) - I’d suggest you read up on dog body language

whowhatwerewhy · 07/08/2023 10:23

My one DDog escaped ,had a call from a loverly lady who's son had found her , she was happily following her son . He had no idea we're she had come from so he very sensibly took her to his house.
Had I of realised she was missing I would of been panicking running around like a headless chicken, not because my dog is dangerous but because she could get run over or injured.
You have labelled a dog dangerous due to its looks alone get a grip and supervise your 5 year old.

Helpmepleaseimbusy · 07/08/2023 10:24

volcan · 07/08/2023 00:33

OK I get it. My 5-year old should be locked up and the bike binned whilst the dangerous dog is allowed to roam around unsupervised.

But you don't know this dog was dangerous.
You let your young child go out of sight, (first mistake) and he chased the dog with his bike (second mistake).
The dog was WALKING alongside your son after your son was chasing him.
Nothing happened.
Next time don't let your son out of your site.

Helpmepleaseimbusy · 07/08/2023 10:26

Also yes owner was panicked as many owners would if they had a dog that got out (even if friendly).
Nobody knows if the dog was "stalking like prey" because none of us were there.
Again don't let your young child out of your sight.

YourCrackersMiLord · 07/08/2023 10:31

There is no one on here - including you, OP - who knows for sure if this was a near miss or not. For that reason, I suggest you take it at face value: a dog walked with your child until they got in the car.

Original poster
volcan · 07/08/2023 10:42

Lets call a spade a spade. I would not have had this reaction if he had decided to chase after, say a golden retriever. Yes I may have over reacted given that 'nothing happened' but these breeds are known to be dangerous, some are even banned, so I don't think it is unreasonable to expect that this dog was at the very least under control in a area where children are playing. Noted about keeping an eye on my child. But he went down a path (not a road) in a housing estate and when he failed to come back into my view I went to find him. It really would be quite sad if even this very limited amount of freedom to play was not possible.

OP posts:
floribunda18 · 07/08/2023 10:44

It sounds like the dog shouldn't have been roaming around, certainly, and I'm glad there are other places that that 5 year olds can go round on their bikes! DDs used to ride around the cul de sac on a bikes, kids still do now, and they shouldn't have worry about loose dogs.

whowhatwerewhy · 07/08/2023 10:44

Would you have jumped to the same conclusion had it been a golden retriever ?

YourCrackersMiLord · 07/08/2023 10:48

so I don't think it is unreasonable to expect that this dog was at the very least under control in a area where children are playing

All dogs should be under control. It's not UR to expect that. But you asked if it was UR for owners to be PROSECUTED for allowing this specific type of dog in public uncontrolled.

In the example you gave, the dog was out (presumably as an accident) and the owner was attempting to bring it back under control. That does not sound like a prosecution is reasonable at all, to me.

Cheeseandlobster · 07/08/2023 10:51

The owner probably looked panicked as she was scared she wouldn't be able to juggle a baby and get her dog back into the house. It doesn't mean the dog is automatically vicious. Huge over reaction and nowhere near a near miss. I hope this is not what you have told your ds

sashagabadon · 07/08/2023 10:52

I too would be alarmed and think a near miss. Nothing happens with dangerous dogs until something does happen and everyone is shocked as the dog was usually well behaved and must have snapped

CBAanymoreTBH · 07/08/2023 10:56

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

It's absolutely Not a fuss over nothing. If this dog turned there would be nothing anyone could have done to save the child. Please don't spout the line that's the same with any dog. It is not. This country is a joke "banning" pit bulls but allowing supersize ones. Check the deaths from pit bulls in America. U.K. is heading the same way

CBAanymoreTBH · 07/08/2023 10:58

Yes OP you are right. Any interaction near these dogs if they are loose...is a near miss. I completely agree with you. Same as if it was a lion or a cougar or any other beast you would have zero chance of defending your child against.

Ponoka7 · 07/08/2023 10:59

I totally panic when my Dad's french bulldog gets out. You've got to be calm otherwise she goes into the zoomies and is a danger to herself. I'd like to see XL bullies banned, but this dog wasn't out of control and showed no aggression etc. Although I understand that it is frightening, I had German shepherds and understood that some people were scared of them, so did my best to counteract that.

onefinemess · 07/08/2023 11:04

ToBeOrNotToBee · 07/08/2023 00:02

So nothing happened. The dog wasn't dangerously out of control. And you were not supervising your child fully.

Recent changes to the Dangerous Dog's act means that, yes, that dog would have been considered to be "dangerously out of control".

People (dog owners especially) need to be aware that if a dog (your dog) does anything that causes another person feel alarmed or distressed, then the owner has committed an offence. This can include barking, lunging, jumping up, or even (as strange as it sounds) doing nothing at all.

YourCrackersMiLord · 07/08/2023 11:08

People (dog owners especially) need to be aware that if a dog (your dog) does anything that causes another person feel alarmed or distressed, then the owner has committed an offence. This can include barking, lunging, jumping up, or even (as strange as it sounds) doing nothing at all.

This is not quite true, I don't think. There is a test of reasonableness applied. The wording is...

"A dog shall be regarded as dangerously out of control on any occasion on which there are grounds for reasonable apprehension that it will injure any person or assistance dog, whether or not it actually does so"