Massive dog, felt genuinely frightened- being a complete baby?

[notallmenbutalwaysaman]

I usually love dogs and rarely, if ever, have any fear around them unless they are evidently aggressive. I am also very pregnant (basically about to give birth) and pretty hormonal/feeling quite vulnerable.

I was out for a walk (waddle) today and on my way back a couple were walking with their dog. I don't have a dog of my own but I had stroked a friendly dog previously during my walk so probably smelt of dog. The couple's dog was a german shepherd and huge and they shouted ahead "don't worry, he's really friendly"- fine, I have no issue with german shepherds. He was off the lead and I assumed they meant he'd come up and sniff at me and want a pat or something. Anyway he bounded up to me and I admit up close I did feel a little intimidated by the size of him- he was more like a wolf- but I wasn't trying to show any fear and was still being polite to the couple. The dog then began circling me and barking (in what, in my admittedly rather hormonal state, felt a very aggressive manner). They kept repeating he was harmless but he wasn't coming when they called him. I stupidly seemed to freeze with the dog circling me and barking, and my partner had to come and grab me and insist I walked on.

Was I being a complete baby? The dog didn't attack; there was no attempt to bite or anything, it was just a feeling I had of being in real danger. I'm sure he just wanted to play really. Were the couple out of order or was I being dramatic? I don't think the couple were best pleased with my attitude towards him.

They were out of order. Totally reasonable to have a healthy wariness of a German shepherd you don’t know - it’s very capable of doing you serious harm.

Im a dog lover, cannot stand dog owners who think it’s ok to let their off lead dogs approach people.

Edit: and I missed that you’re very pregnant. All the more reason to feel a bit vulnerable!

Given the fact you’re pregnant and he was barking at you, friendly or not they were very wrong!

I’ve got dogs, if I saw someone heavily pregnant I’d put them on the lead, you feel really vulnerable at that time and so uncomfortable.

No, I don't think circling and barking is normal behaviour for a dog. The owners should have come and got it and put it on a lead.

Idiot owners, they shouldn't be letting their dog off the lead around other people if they can't control it.
Being afraid of a large dog circling you and barking is completely reasonable.

YANBU! I have a massive dog and he's lovely and harmless etc etc - I don't let him do that, and I would be wary of a dog like him if I didn't know it.

I don't think the couple were best pleased with my attitude towards him

Maybe they should train it to come when called then. You did nothing wrong, they should have had it under control or on a lead.

They were in the wrong not you ( and I say that as an experienced owner who loves dogs)

You weren’t being at all unreasonable op. I own a dog, have had lots before. In my experience anyone who feels the need to shout “don’t worry he’s friendly” has a dog that’s badly trained and about to do something either really stupid, annoying or antisocial. Wankers.

Yep, all of us are exactly the same..

Yes, because every dog owner is careless and irresponsible aren’t they….. 😐

It should have been leashed.

I adore dogs especially big dogs. The owners were prats!

Dogs should be recalled over to owner id someone wants to interact they do so beside me the owner who can read and correct any behaviour.

Sometimes dogs can get protective of pregnant women. Mine did. But you don't know this dog so it must have been intimidating, I am sorry you met an awful owner.

My giant breed dog is almost always leashed as she would frighten people who especially can't stand dogs. She's a big softie but doesn't mean everyone else is aware of that.

Totally not unreasonable. If dog wasn’t recalling it shouldn’t have been off lead. Even if it had perfect recall it should have been back on lead or next to owners as they passed you!

I'm in the camp that believe that if your dog doesn't listen to you and doesn't respect strangers' personal space, it should not be off lead in the first place. Whether it's barking or jumping up to play, people should be able to go about their business without being bothered by other people's dogs.

I suspect dog may have been interested in you because you were pregnant - they're really sensitive to those things. My SIL's dogs followed her around like a shadow when she was pregnant.

I’m scared of dogs. I’d have literally have emptied my bladder on the spot if a dog did that to me. You’ve done nothing wrong at all. The dog shouldn’t be off the lead. Hope you’re feeling calmer now.

Given how often people completely fail to interpret their own dogs body language correctly I wouldn't have been terribly reassured either! I'm so sick of seeing "cute" toddler and dog interactions on social media where the dogs look seriously stressed. If the dog won't come back when they call it, especially a big dog like that, then it absolutely should not be off lead.

They were arseholes! No recall = no off lead privileges.

The ‘don’t worry, he’s friendly’ brigade who really mean that their dog is going to harass you and they can’t do a thing to stop it drive me up the fucking wall. When I say that my dog is friendly, I mean “he will walk straight past you in his own little world unless you explicitly invite him over for a fuss.”

I’m sorry that you felt so scared at such a vulnerable time ☹️ wishing you a smooth remainder of your pregnancy and a lovely birth!

No you were definitely not unreasonable. I'd have been intimidated too, and I'm a huge dog lover with a couple of my own.

The owners were undoubtedly way out of order. If the dog does not recall, then it shouldn't be off lead.

Not even slightly unreasonable, I’m sure the barking was probably cause you were pregnant which seems to be interesting to some dogs and you weren’t in real danger but even though I love GSDs I’d have been very annoyed and a bit scared if one approached me like that when I was pregnant. You just feel more vulnerable, easier to fall over of it jumped up etc.

i had a similar situation out with my own dog and a Doberman started circling me and barked. My own dog went for it and the owner was annoyed at me. I’d asked her to call it back several times. She got a right earful from me, I was furious that I was in the position of having to deal with both dogs cause she couldn’t control hers. My dog was on a lead and essentially her dog approached us and scared me. Totally in the wrong.

No dog should approach any person who hasn’t invited it. And if they can’t recall it, it should not be off the lead. Not all dog owners are responsible, and they need telling.

I would have felt the same as you, pregnant or otherwise. And the owners were stupid considering you were heavily pregnant.

To dog owners - what did the circling/barking mean in behavioural terms?

YANBU.

if that had been one of my dogs, I’d have died of embarrassment and been profusely grovelling. If there is a chance they will approach someone uninvited, they are straight on their leads.

Not all dog owners are pricks, but there are an increasing number giving us all a bad name. Best of luck with your upcoming arrival 💐

Don't ever doubt yourself.
I think I read this in The Gift of Fear that humans are the only species that don't trust our instincts.
We have instincts for a reason, to protect ourselves from danger.
You have nothing to be embarrassed about, you felt uncertain, you thought you could have been in danger, do not feel bad about that, you did the right thing, you stood still so you didn't antagonise a big dog and your dp came to your aid.
You came away unscathed, that's a win.
The dog owners should be ashamed of themselves.