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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Argument at dog run

53 replies

Eggegggoose · 01/09/2023 19:16

I don’t think I’m BU but thought I’d check. Took my cavalier to local dog run and throw his ball. A biggish dog maybe a lab gets the ball and runs off. Owner watches. After a minute or so I ask if owner can help get the ball.

She rolls her eyes and starts following her dog. Eventually gets dog still by holding collar. She says drop it over and over again. Then tells my dog to go away as her dog will go for him. My dog is desperate to play fetch.

I politely say can you get the ball from dogs mouth. She says ‘what?!’ As if I had ask to stab the dog in the face. I say it won’t hurt! She says I will do it my way and I said ‘but it’s my ball’ she Says I should find out if there are any ball stealers before throwing balls. I said don’t bring a dog who steals ball.

She said ‘it’s a fucking dog run’ then leaves. Who is BU?!? I don’t think it’s me!

OP posts:
Nopenopenopenopenopenope · 01/09/2023 19:24

Hell is other dog owners

RunningUpThatBuilding · 01/09/2023 19:26

She sounds unhinged!

Original poster
Eggegggoose · 01/09/2023 19:27

I thought maybe I’m being rude asking her to get the ball from her dogs mouth but surely not?!

OP posts:
quitefranklyabsurd · 01/09/2023 19:28

Did you get the ball back???

WeetabixTowels · 01/09/2023 19:28

Ugh what a total entitled DICK

The fact people like this are allowed to own animals and allow them to bully other animals really worries me

WeetabixTowels · 01/09/2023 19:29

Eggegggoose · 01/09/2023 19:27

I thought maybe I’m being rude asking her to get the ball from her dogs mouth but surely not?!

You were far more polite than I would have been OP!

BoobyDazzler · 01/09/2023 19:30

My dog loves to steal a ball but he’s also had other dogs steal his balls… isn’t that just the life of a dog owner?

IHateWasps · 01/09/2023 19:31

She's an idiot. Dogs being dogs will sometimes steal balls. That's not a big deal if the owner retrieves it immediately but clearly she had no intention of doing so.

WeetabixTowels · 01/09/2023 19:31

BoobyDazzler · 01/09/2023 19:30

My dog loves to steal a ball but he’s also had other dogs steal his balls… isn’t that just the life of a dog owner?

Presumably though you wouldn’t just go ‘meh’ if your dog ran off with another dog’s ball?

IHateWasps · 01/09/2023 19:32

My dog loves to steal a ball but he’s also had other dogs steal his balls… isn’t that just the life of a dog owner?

Yes it's normal but you should apologise and return it to the owner ASAP.

Andthereyougo · 01/09/2023 19:32

RunningUpThatBuilding · 01/09/2023 19:26

She sounds unhinged!

This.
It’s obvious you get the ball of f your dog and return it to the owner, either canine or human, with an apology. Happens all the time and most owners are sensible she sounds unhinged.

StationManager · 01/09/2023 19:32

My dog is a ball stealer (and generally a bit of a twat anyway). Whenever he takes another dog's ball I am mortified and apologetic and I always make him give it back. You were absolutely NBA and the other woman was clearly deranged.

BarbaraWoodlouse · 01/09/2023 19:32

Clearly she was being rude and obnoxious BUT I do think throwing a ball when there are other dogs around is somewhat asking for trouble. And I think asking your dog to back off was actually reasonable as I don’t think any dog in the world gets the concept of “well actually this ball belongs to that other dog so I get why he’s in my face”.

YANBU however the vast majority of responsible dog ownership is avoiding situations where there might be an issue.

TicTacNicNak · 01/09/2023 19:34

If her dog is likely to go for other dogs then it should be muzzled and on a lead.

I have a friend who has a ball stealer. He's a huge German Shepherd and there's no hope of prising it out of his jaws so she always carries a couple of spare balls on the walk in case she has to give one to another dog owner to replace what he's stolen.

Justcallmebebes · 01/09/2023 19:36

She was weird. Did you get the ball back?

Prescottdanni123 · 01/09/2023 19:38

She was rude. My dog is often doing ball 'swaps' with other dogs but I always get it back as quick as I can. Ditto for the owners of the dogs that steal her balls and then we usually laugh about it.

Sexnotgender · 01/09/2023 19:38

She’s a fucking loon.

ActDottie · 01/09/2023 19:41

YANBU! If your dog is a ball stealer then it’s your responsibility to teach it not to steal!

I had this once when a dog stole my dog’s ball and the owner was on the phone. I couldn’t catch his dog and I asked if he could get it and he acted sincerely pissed off id asked him and interrupted his call! He got the ball back then a few minutes later the dog got the ball again!!! In the end I just had to leave it as I was scared of the bloke getting aggressive.

HappiestSleeping · 01/09/2023 19:42

StationManager · 01/09/2023 19:32

My dog is a ball stealer (and generally a bit of a twat anyway). Whenever he takes another dog's ball I am mortified and apologetic and I always make him give it back. You were absolutely NBA and the other woman was clearly deranged.

This 👆

Mine is a ball stealer too, although learning not to be as fast as I can get it into his thick head.

I would be most apologetic and make sure original dog got ball back. I usually carry several in case swapsies are required.

Floralnomad · 01/09/2023 19:42

I had this issue once , many years ago , the owner couldn’t catch her dog - so it shouldn’t have been offlead anyway and thought it was hysterical , whilst my poor dog just sat waiting patiently. Since then I’ve always taken more than 1 ball out - not worth the hassle . However YANBU .

WiddlinDiddlin · 01/09/2023 19:46

She is a loon, avoid.

Her dog doesn't give stuff back and she's well on her way (if not there already) to teaching him to resource guard balls by yanking stuff out of his mouth rather than teaching him properly to drop n swap. If she keeps that up she's likely to get very badly bitten soon.

She knows he nicks balls. She knows he's aggressive to other dogs over it. She continues to take him to places he can perform this behaviour. She is a twat.

Original poster
Eggegggoose · 01/09/2023 19:50

Yes got the ball before she left, she took ball from her dogs mouth and put it on the floor.
I have no issue with ball takers. My dog is very submissive so he often gets it taken and then sort of looks at me to sort out! My dog wasn’t particularly in his face. Maybe standing about 3ft away waiting.

OP posts:
Original poster
Eggegggoose · 01/09/2023 19:51

I even waited a while as she said ‘drop it’ a million times in case she was teaching him but after a while I thought this is taking the piss!

OP posts:
Dymaxion · 01/09/2023 19:54

Whats a dog run ?

Escapetofrance · 01/09/2023 19:54

Always take more than one ball.

She should have tried to get it back and not been rude.