To not want my 18 month old's face licked by a random dog?

[CitrusBun]

Every morning we take our five year old and eighteen month old children to pre-school through a small local park. The park has a concrete path on it, and we do not stray from the path to the grass either side.

Every morning, there are two adults there with Labradors who are roaming off their leads. I don't have an issue with the dogs being off their leads, but I do have an issue with one of the dogs consistently wandering over and licking my eighteen month old's face. We don't know the dog owners, I've never suggested this approach is welcome, and my eighteen month old simply freezes and has never giggled, smiled or welcomed the approach.

I haven't yet overcome my Britishness to say something, but I will do tomorrow. Before I do - AIBU to have a problem with this? I fully appreciate the dogs aren't dangerous (AFAIK) and that some people like dogs doing this. But doesn't my eighteen month old have the right not to just be licked by a random dog? Or by default is this just accepted behaviour?

I should point out that the owners seem to understand this isn't welcome, because they tend to say their dog's name in a disappointed voice. But they don't make a move to stop him or apologise or anything like that.

That's exactly it. Dogs they know, fine - but randoms? In no way acceptable, but before this morning wasn't clear that I wasn't being unreasonable. Thank you.

Have regularly picked up, but never yelled. Clearly the next step.

It seems mind-boggling that anyone would think it acceptable for their dog to lick a stranger's face, but some dog owners don't really socialise with other people and don't understand normal social behaviour.

This is what led me to where I am today - in no world would I find it acceptable to let this happen if I was a dog owner (and indeed when I was a dog owner, I didn't allow it to happen) so the fact that another person thought it was OK to do so actually gave me pause that maybe I was wrong. Clearly not the case, so good to know.

A tongue with spit on touches a face without consent, whether there’s a human or a canine on the other end of the tongue. It’s entirely the same, entirely as unwelcome, and in the case of a dog even more disgusting.

I would inform the police
They are not in control of the dogs if they approach babies in prams

@CitrusBun I haven't read the full thread, so apologies if this has been suggested before. I would carry a pool noodle (appreciate they are not the smallest things to carry along with all other child related paraphernalia, but they are very light). Waving this between the dog and your child to block the dog will likely be effective and runs zero risk of damaging anyone / anything.

I'd probably try the earlier suggestions of asking the owners to call their dogs back first though.

I'd be mortified if my dog did this, it is very much undesirable behaviour.

Pool noodles are about £3 from amazon.

Dogs should be on leads. I wish there were virtually no dogs though. So your OP saying you do not mind them being off lead is unrealistic. If they are off lead they are not controlled, so they can do anything inc run in the road or slob over your child. If a dog came up to my child, it would not get the chance to come close enough, I would prevent it. I would have thought it was obvious, it could bite. It is your job to prevent dogs, strangers getting close enough to do something bad. I know people and animals can spring on you though.

The law doesn't agree. Dogs are allowed off lead unless banned and in an area deemed fit to, like a park with no lead restrictions. They need to be under control. Which obviously these dogs aren't. But to say 'No dog should be off lead' is unfair on the owners and their dogs who aren't complete twats

A dog doesn't need to be on lead to be controlled. My dog has never failed to recall. And dick heads who let their dogs off without recall piss me off just as much as anyone else.

Good for you, giving it back to these 'stern' 🙄 people. They can dish out the insults but but don't like it back.

WTF why on earth haven’t you said something!! That is absolutely disgusting. If a dog was close enough to lick my son’s face before his owner called him away then he should not be off lead. I would have gone mad the first time, can’t believe it’s happened more than once. You do understand it’s completely unacceptable??

Exactly!

Haha I'm highly familiar with pool noodles - we use them to protect the edges of our tables from little heads on wobbly legs. But nobody had suggested it, so 10 points for the good idea. I'll start with talking for now and see where that gets me, thank you.

I think what stopped me jumping in was the fact the dogs are obviously friendly breeds, and I've seen them exhibit friendly behaviour, and I was concerned that I was being unreasonable. Very much the takeaway from this thread is that I'm not being unreasonable, so will make my distaste better known tomorrow.

Hi Ange, thanks for the comment. I felt it was unreasonable yes, which is why I'm here asking AIBU. Now it's clear I'm not, I feel much more comfortable addressing the issue.

Thankfully I don't live in the UK where dogs are allowed to run wild. I stand by my comment. Dogs should be on a leash at all times unless in a dog park or at home. In my country if a dog is not on a lead, Animal Control will confascate it and take it to the pound. Owner has 3 days to pay the collection fee or make arrangements, or dog is destroyed (put down) if unable to be rehomed (usually they're put down though). That's how it should be. I was shocked to learn all dogs (not just Service Dogs) are allowed on the public transport there. It sounds like a really grotty country with no hygiene or animal control.

Well both me and my dog, thank fuck we don't live where you do! Phew.

@SoreAndTired1 Have you ever been to the UK? There is no need to call it a really grotty country.

I said it sounds like one, not that it is. Having dogs roam like that, and on trains, is really unhygienic.

They're (clutches pearls) allowed in place thay serve food too!!! And (gasps) John Lewis

What country is this? Sounds eminently sensible to me. In the summer it disgusted me how many people took their dogs to beaches which have clear signs saying no dogs between May and September and let their dogs run free in the sea, amongst swimmers and paddling children. The lifeguards said they were not allowed to tell them to leave the beach, the owners when challenged were without exception extremely rude and pretended not to know about the rule. I know they were lying because they continued to let the dogs run free even after being told it was a dog-free beach.

Australia.

Then again, we also have a delete ecosystem and wildlife, so that also comes into it.

Well clearly you don't like dogs and think they are unhygienic. Perhaps all the dog haters should move where you live and the world will be a happier place.

Do you think all dog owners are grotty for owning them?

Aw, Colin from Accounts in Australia got run over because he wasn't on a lead 😫