Aggressive dogs in pubs

[spookyastic]

Me, my husband and my 18 moth toddler were just in a pub for tea, arrived at 6ish and in the corner of the bar were two cocker spaniels who were absolutely fine with everyone in the restaurant except our 18 month old child.
Our 18 month old was exploring (this might be unreasonable on our part) it was a small pub and she was around our bar stools, always within reach but these cockers kept lunging, barking and growling at her, at one point I had to pull my daughter by her arm as she was about to get lunged at, it made the whole experience in a very small pub really intense.
I genuinely don't know if I'm being unreasonable, these dogs were on leads and if my toddler did get bitten it would be because she went in the dogs space.
We don't hate dogs btw, we own trained gundogs ourselves who we trial to a high standard, cockers too, none would ever bite or show aggression:
We didn't say anything, we just were on guard in the bar area until we were seated but what's everyone's thoughts on this? She didn't even apologise for her dogs aggressive behaviour, but equally we didn't apologise for our toddler walking past the dogs or playing near, but it's a small pub and they were in a doorway

I kind of saw your point until you came out with this. Maybe a lot of parents on here could guest enter if your child belonged to then they wouldn't be places on the floor to "explore" a pub so close to two dogs showing aggression to their child.

I'm not a fan of dogs in pubs at all and I also have experience of working gun dogs. There's no way I'd choose to allow my child sit so close to dogs growling and lunging at my child. If I wanted to encourage a toddler to explore pubs I'd have chosen a different seat and said no to walking on the floor near the dogs especially when I know the dogs have been ok with everyone else in the pub except my child. Id leave if I couldn't seat further away from the dogs or couldn't tell my child no to walking past them because it would be no fun for either of us and it sounds like the dogs were stressed too if they were calm with everyone else.

Were there other children around, as well as your child?

Yes but all it would take was a momentary lapse in concentration and your child would have been ripped limb from limb by these visions dogs. For example, had someone engaged you in conversation, had you developed a sudden itch on your left calf, or any other minor distraction.

You shouldn’t really be letting your child wander around in a pub. It’s annoying for other people.

And obviously, you shouldn’t take vicious dogs into a pub. But by your own admission; the only risk to your child would have been if your child entered their space. Owner probably felt annoyed that your child was constantly wandering around and not seated. Your child was also at risk of getting under the feet of bar staff etc.

@vodkaredbullgirl nope, there were only 5 tables in the bar area where we had to stay before being seated and the place was tiny!

You cannot cure fear aggression with obedience training. If you create enough fear in the dog using aversive training you can mask the symptoms of fear-aggression but you are risking far more serious consequences in the future.

If that is how you've trained your fifteen dogs I sincerely suggest you seek the help of a qualified behaviorist before something tragic happens.

To the poster whose dog is afraid of bikes look up BAT.

https://grishastewart.com/bat-overview/

It's based on behavioral science as opposed to the nonsense OP is spouting.

Disregard my last comment. You’re an under bridge dweller OP given a few of your comments on this thread 🙄

You’d be surprised the methods a LOT of ‘trainers’ use. There’s a few very handy with their feet and fists let put it that way.

I wouldn’t be letting an 18 month old just wander about in a pub.

Given that they chose to ignore my comment about the atrocious training class I went to who used choke collars, I don’t think you need to wonder.

Why did you put care in quotes?

Did you have the fish. OP? Smells like you might have....

It’s a tricky one but I think the owners should have tried to calm their dogs and apologise. I was walking today, using a walking stick, and a woman with two dogs on long leads allowed one of the dogs to get tangled up around my walking stick. No apology and if the dog had shot off I would have fallen over. I did call her something under my breath as I walked away and rather hope she heard.

You had to stay?

What method of entrapment did they use?
Locking the door?
Physical restraint?
Vicious guard dogs preventing you from leaving?

No. You chose to continue to put your child “at risk” from a pair of vicious, aggressive dogs, in a confined space, because your pint/steak pie was a higher priority than the safety of your offspring.

I missed your comment, apologies.

I’ve met a few gun dog breeders who use methods that DH nor I agree with. The ‘boot in the face’ comment told me everything I needed to know about the OP as did the walking 15 dogs comment.

The toddler was having her dinner at the pub. In my view she has a right not to be harassed by aggressive dogs just for walking about a bit with her parents before her food arrives.

Most pubs are family friendly which means that children are likely to be around. If dogs can't cope with children they shouldn't be in spaces where children are likely to be.

I have a strong bond with all my dogs, never had to use choke chains. I spend every spare minute I get training and caring for them. I compete at a high level which you would never achieve unless you had an almost telepathic connection with your dog, I don't expect you to understand

Yabu for a variety of reasons.

I’m also very surprised such an experienced ‘trainer’ who walks 15 dogs at a time can’t read a dogs body language/behaviour in a pub!

😂😂😂. Yeah I think we all understand. You’d boot a dog in the face, and can’t read a dogs body language. Enough said really.

That one experience put me off taking my reactive dog to a trainer again. They literally had us march him round, yanking his neck every four seconds, to the point that his bark was hoarse afterwards. At one point, they were pulling him so hard with his choke … sorry, “check” collar that he was walking on his two back legs for about 10 metres. We left before the class finished and binned the collar on the way home.

Yuck you sound like an entitled arse with your "mini human" and rude attitude towards the dog owners.

Let's hope you never need professional help with your "mini human" eh.. cause god forbid.

Is it a dog pen then?

Then you'll understand dog behaviour. They're letting you know it's not OK.
You said yourself that the dogs were fine with everyone else. So parent your child

Never took our 18 month olds to pubs because smoking was still allowed then.

Tbh, even though it is now, decades later, wouldn’t take our little grandson into one either.

if it’s a dog friendly pub, you have to be prepared for all kinds of dogs. Some won’t be friendly.

I think you're being unreasonable to continue to let your child wander around on the floor if it was clear she was causing the dogs to bark. If I was in that situation as soon as the dogs growled or showed any hint of aggression I would pick up my child until we were seated.