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.

Not a baby at all. I never used ro be nervous of dogs but I really can be now due to owner/ dog behaviour. I remember a dog jumping at me when I was pushing my newborn and I had a full on panic attack so I'm not saying hormones aren't involved but it's also completely normal to have a protective instinct for your child before you give birth

It’s possible he did just want to play but big dogs have big barks and can be quite scary, his owners should know this. We have a very tall dog with a deep chest and very loud bark and we can tell the difference between his play bark and aggressive one, however I wouldn’t expect a stranger to know that and would not want someone to be in a position where they think they’re about to be attacked. His “attack” is most likely to be paws on shoulders and a licked face, but no one wants that either (apart from the odd weirdo you meet 🤣🤣).

They were out of order. I'm sick of irresponsible owners saying 'my dog is friendly' I've had it a few times while I've been walking my dog and my toddler. I've had dogs knock my toddler over and try to jump on my dog that's been on a lead.
My dog is well trained and will walk beside me and will not show any interest in other people/dogs but I still put her on the lead when I pass people. If it's a busy place then I won't even let her off the lead. You never know if the other people are scared of dogs or their dog is reactive.
Also if their dog was barking then it's obviously not trained well. It could have made you fall over and hurt yourself.

YADNBU. I’ve got a littleish dog (14kg) and I always put her on the lead when we walk past people when out and about. I would be mortified if she barked and circled like that at ANYONE, let alone someone heavily pregnant. She is an antisocial bugger though and avoids people she doesn’t know like the plague. Sorry you had a fright, they were being wankers.

Do not tar every dog owners with the same brush! I had a huge GSD and I would never allowed him to do what this dog did.

This sort of thing absolutely pisses me off!! The “don’t worry he’s friendly” line always being used by irresponsible dog owners!!! So what? I don’t give a flying fuck if your dog is ‘friendly’ I don’t want your bloody dog bounding up to me and barking and jumping up and sniffing at me! What makes dog owners think they have the right to let their dog go bounding up to a stranger and think “oh yeah it’s alright for him to annoy a random stranger” just because…. he’s friendly!!

The above is bad enough as it is but being pregnant too - in your condition should not have had to put up with that! They are in the wrong! Completely in the wrong! I would have been absolutely livid op and would have gone mental if I was pregnant and it happened to me!

I understand you felt vulnerable. But it sounds like the dog was communicating to you that it wanted to play.
It might help to read up on dog communication. Many people do not understand what dogs are saying to humans, including warning signs that it may become aggressive or attack.

German shepherda are herding dogs so you did the right thing to stay still.
You where not a baby as they can look feirce when barking if showing all their teeth.

They let their dog circle and bark at a heavily pregnant woman. They’re arseholes. And I am SO pro dog. This is totally unacceptable.

I have a german shepherd and I adore the breed, but I would be quite scared if an unknown GSD was refusing to recall to their owner and barking at me. So you aren't being stupid. They are capable of some real damage - mine in always leashed in public for that reason, he gets plenty of off lead time in secure fields and our garden, no need for it in public.

@bozzabollix

you can't go around putting strangers (pregnant or not) on leads!!

@Fizzypop88 I agree the owner should have had it on a lead if they can not control it. But maybe read up on dog communication as it sounds clearly like lets play communication.
If you have a dog, especially a large dog, you need to understand dog language. And lots of owners do not. That makes your dog more dangerous as you will not necessarily understand warning signs.

@LittlePinkLampshade

back in your box.

have you not read the posts by dog owners??

Totally irrelevant. No dog should approach other people or dogs ever until agreed. If your dog doesn’t have perfect recall (and GS are very easily trained) it should not be off lead. I love dogs, I have my own, but I don’t want others to approach me at any time.

I hate that when people say 'oh don't worry he's/she's friendly' when they are massive and hurtling towards you. It's intimidating and frightening when you are not used to dogs. As this dog didn't respond to their recall then they are even more at fault. The dog should be on a lead if it can't respond to command.

So we should all learn ‘dog language’ just because irresponsible dog owners allow their dogs to bound up to other people and terrify them to death? No how about keep their effing dogs under control! We don’t give a shit if it’s ‘being friendly’ or what it’s ‘communicating’ a heavily pregnant woman (or anyone for that matter) doesn’t want some random big scary dog circling and barking at them!

It doesn't matter why the dog behaved the way it did.

The bottom line is, the dog made you apprehensive, and they did not have the dog under control as they could not recall their dog.

Being worried or scared that a big dog may knock you over or hurt you in some way, when that dog is off lead and not responding to the owners IS reasonable, and you'd have grounds, if you wanted to, to report them as having their dog dangerously out of control in a public place.

If such a situation arises in future, stand still, fold your arms and ignore whilst asking people to come and get their dog (as calmly as you can). This makes you the least provocative as you can be to a dog - it will not stop a dog attacking you if that is what the dog has in mind, but it can help avoid a playful or silly dog from being excited and wound up and bouncing around as a result.

You may not be able to do that, and its not your responsibility to do so, it is the owners responsibility to keep their dog under control, but if you can, it can reduce the risk of being tripped or knocked over by an idiotic dog.

Big apologies as my fat thumb pressed on the wrong button by mistake . I meant to say you are definitely not unreasonable.

I get scared when dogs come close. I had this a couple of days ago with the owner telling me that their (big) dog is alright. I said but I’m not alright.
No apology as it stood in front of me and growled aggressively and had no recall.
She could see I was frightened and blamed my fear for its aggressive reaction.

Why don’t people put their dogs on leads if they can’t control them?

I hope you’re ok.

OP Yanbu
Thank you for the tip on how to behave around this type of dog behaviour @Weedoormatnomore

Can you or other owners say what to do if a dog is growling at you? Do you shout/walk away/run/something else?
I hope it never happens again but would like an idea.

(am very wary since a neighbour that previously had well controlled and dogs let things deteriorate. I was 15 walking back from school and one of a GS, Doberman pincher, or Rottweiler would be on our doorstep growling at me. The owner said to shout and it would go away. Happened a few times. I walked round to a different neighbour and stayed till my parents got home, when it had gone, though it separately happened to them as well. . My parents got the police involved and it stopped.)

You are not unreasonable at all. I don't want dogs I don't know approaching me at all and certainly not a large dog that is barking.

The ‘he’s really friendly’ dog brigades, especially those off lead, are irresponsible idiots. And I’m not usually that harsh on mumsnet!

Honeslty the number of people with dogs now in the UK and elsewhere who are like children, putting everyone at risk.

And yes I have a dog, a big dog. I don’t ever let her off the lead, I train her, I never ever say ‘she’s friendly’ as it’s actually really good to have your own healthy reactions to a dog.

And any potentially aggressive behaviour, like circling, growing, little barks, hackles up - these are red flags in dogs so keep away.

There used to be posters saying stand still like a tree keeping arms and hands still by your side and to avoid directly staring at the dog.

It’s actually very difficult if a dog is growing at you. That’s the trouble, if they are aggressive towards you, there is very little we can do. The owner has to put them on lead and call them back. Moving slowly, carefully away, putting any barriers between you, sometimes even really shouting but honestly it’s so risky which is why people can’t escape.

And also, we can’t outrun most dogs.

Nope they are fully in the wrong. A*holes. They clearly have no control and that behaviour is aggressive - I have a dog and that’s a no no