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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Hivaluegirl · 07/08/2023 22:08

If that dog wanted to attack your DD it would have. You really think a 5yr old can out run a dog?
Your issue here is you read to much nonsense of the daily mail about these dogs and panicked.
If the owner has a baby don't you think the dog could have been protecting or trying to protect your child?

Hivaluegirl · 07/08/2023 22:11

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.

Because any dog owner will panic.
Maybe she has had a lot of horrible neighbours complaining about her dog because they sit online all day reading the daily mail?

Dogs can switch but as I said if that dog wanted to eat your kid it would have.

Hivaluegirl · 07/08/2023 22:13

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.

Lol "regularly appear in the news" I left my comments before even reading this how did I know.

Hivaluegirl · 07/08/2023 22:14

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Absolutely agree.

Twilight7777 · 07/08/2023 22:18

Yeah my dog a toy poodle does a similar thing, if there’s a door she becomes Houdini and somehow finds a way out, especially if there are children about because she loves kids! She’s not remotely dangerous, she thinks it’s a funny game to run off after someone she deems as more exciting than me. Your child was out of your sight, and being followed by a dog that probably in all likelihood just wanted to play.

Hivaluegirl · 07/08/2023 22:19

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primoseyellow · 07/08/2023 22:22

All the people giving Op a hard time can you honestly say you would be fine and relaxed with a Bully Breed being that close to your child and focused on them which the op has said it was.

I would be pretty anxious if that was my child.

CBAanymoreTBH · 07/08/2023 22:30

Hivaluegirl

Attempting to make an analogy comparing racism to dog breeds is both idiotic and offensive. All humans are 1 race. Surely you know that? Dogs have been bred selectively for centuries which is why they differ so widely in both appearance and propensity.

Dog racism? Grow up & wise up

CBAanymoreTBH · 07/08/2023 22:32

Hivaluegirl · 07/08/2023 22:08

If that dog wanted to attack your DD it would have. You really think a 5yr old can out run a dog?
Your issue here is you read to much nonsense of the daily mail about these dogs and panicked.
If the owner has a baby don't you think the dog could have been protecting or trying to protect your child?

You need to take a look at statistics in the USA. And also ask yourself why the rescues are full of this type of dog.

StarDolphins · 07/08/2023 22:38

Nothing seems dangerous about this to me. I’d be frantic if my dog hot out as I wouldn’t want him to get lost or knocked over. You seem overly anxious about a no issue situation.

PixieLaLa · 07/08/2023 22:52

LpPp · 07/08/2023 19:11

If anything, i would have thought this ‘altercation’ would have had the opposite effect on you? You obviously have a fear or ‘bully-type’ dogs, but this one wasn’t viscous, dangerous or out of control. Sounds like he was just enjoying a bit of freedom, being a bit naughty and ignoring its owner, and enjoying the company your son 🤷🏼‍♀️. Owner was most likely panicked because his recall is bad AND because people like you will wrongly accuse her of having a dangerous dog.

I would have thought this incident would have taught you that your opinion of ‘bully-type’ dogs was wrong.

I own a very large mastiff and she is over friendly. Regularly accused of being aggressive and dangerous. She isn't. Like I say to those people… If she was aggressive or dangerous she could have just killed your dog who started on her, but she didn’t even touch it.

if that ‘bully-type’ dog was so dangerous and out of control why didn’t it attack your son? That was a perfect opportunity for it to do so. Out, off the lead, obviously owner doesn’t have much control to get it back and your son was unsupervised.

get a grip 🙄

Agree with all of this! The dog showed zero signs of aggression and that was after being chased down the road by a child on a bike yet OP still wants to label it dangerous…Utter bullshit.

IhearyouClemFandango · 07/08/2023 22:53

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Of course there's relevance to the breed.

Hivaluegirl · 07/08/2023 22:55

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Hivaluegirl · 07/08/2023 22:57

More cars harmed people let's ban them too!
Whilst we're at it let's ban cats which kill birds or seagulls which recently hurt an elderly woman.

Why not let's just ban everything because we read it in the news .....

PixieLaLa · 07/08/2023 23:00

IhearyouClemFandango · 07/08/2023 22:53

Of course there's relevance to the breed.

There is no relevance here because NOTHING HAPPENED. It could have been an alpaca escaping and getting chased by the child whilst a big burley bloke stood at the door holding a melon, it all has zero relevance to this non event. OP just wanted to have a dig and moan because she clearly has an issue with “bully breeds”.

HiHoHiHoltsOffToWorkWeGo · 07/08/2023 23:07

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This is the most bizarre thing I've read today - and I've spent most of the day pissing about on the internet; what a complete non-sequitur.

Mummyof287 · 07/08/2023 23:15

RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime · 07/08/2023 00:43

I would have been scared by that too. Don’t know why posters are pretending the breed doesn’t matter, or that it’s a parent’s responsibility to supervise their children in order to prevent them being chased by dogs. The dog shouldn’t have been out, following a child. A petite woman with a baby is going to struggle to hold the bully, and her baby is at risk too.

This! Shocked by the nonchalant and dismissive replies on here, some actually being quite nasty!
OP I'm with you, I would be very scared by this happening too.Those sort of dogs are dangerous and should not be loose around kids.Personally I would report to the police/SS that a dangerous breed is living with that baby.It doesn't bear thinking about if something happened....there's been too many accidents like that already.
Hope you and your son aren't too upset by the event.

CBAanymoreTBH · 07/08/2023 23:39

Dog breed racism is not a thing and it will never be a thing. You think all dog breeds should have equal opportunities? No gun dogs? No sighthounds? No shepherd dogs? All the same. Ok then.

CBAanymoreTBH · 07/08/2023 23:44

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Boomboom22 · 07/08/2023 23:46

I find it racist to say dog racism and have reported that post.
The poster is implying that stereotypes about race are true but we should ignore them. When actually stereotypes are untrue and dangerous about race but very useful to categorise dogs.
Also dogs are not comparable to men / children / Karen's?? Which now means mass murderers apparently not middle aged women who complain/ cars.

CBAanymoreTBH · 07/08/2023 23:47

Shared wrong image previously & reported post. Dog racism is a crazy notion dreamt up by the US pro pit-bull lobby

Dangerous dog near miss?
Boomboom22 · 07/08/2023 23:47

Wow that pic, that is not a pet. Get a tortoise or a horse if you must have something strong and large ffs.

OrwellianTimes · 07/08/2023 23:51

Teach your kid not to ride off away from you and teach them never to help someone with their dog. Teach them to leave dogs they don’t know well alone.

CBAanymoreTBH · 07/08/2023 23:52

Boomboom22 · 07/08/2023 23:46

I find it racist to say dog racism and have reported that post.
The poster is implying that stereotypes about race are true but we should ignore them. When actually stereotypes are untrue and dangerous about race but very useful to categorise dogs.
Also dogs are not comparable to men / children / Karen's?? Which now means mass murderers apparently not middle aged women who complain/ cars.

Well said...

elm26 · 07/08/2023 23:57

Leave it out 😂

I'd be panicked if my spaniel was near a road off lead purely in case he got hit by a car not because I think he'd attack somebody.

On the other hand, no way would my 5 year old be off on a bike near a road without me beside them.

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