To be so shaken after dog encounter?

[brothercream]

I was out walking this evening on a quiet country route with my baby (in pram) and my dog (labrador) who was on a lead. I had just reached a gate when a man appeared at the other side of it with what I am fairly sure was a pocket bully dog who wasn't on a lead. The man shouted over the gate that the dog was friendly. I'm well used to dogs but It was honestly the scariest dog I've ever seen in person (fortunately never encountered an XL!) It probably only came up to my knees but it was so muscular, had an absolutely massive head, very wide stance etc. I waited on the other side for the man to try and get the dog on the lead (there geography of where I was meant I couldn't turn back easily and he was coming that way anyway) which he tried to do, failed to do, and so opened the gate, shouting out that the dog was playful. Said dog then lunged at mine, flinging them both into the pram. My dog was howling and my baby was crying. The dog was still trying to get at my dog and I panicked and ran us all through the gate whilst the man shouted at his dog still completely failing to get him on a lead and the dog ran after us, eventually just stopping and staring us down. I can only assume it actually was playful, as the dog definitely could have hurt mine if it was so inclined, but absolutely nothing about the interaction felt playful, I genuinely felt terrified for my baby's safety. I've absolutely never felt like that around a dog before and still feel really shaken up. AIBU to be so upset? I know it was only a 'pocket' dog but it was much scarier than any other 'scary' dog I've ever seen!

You're not being unreasonable to be upset. No one should have a dog they can't control off the lead. I'm so sick of irresponsible dog owners.

Sounds like the dog was dangerously out of control in a public place, report to the dog warden and the non emergency police number. Really glad that none of you were harmed 💐

That sounds horrible. I hate the lax attitude of some dog owners: "He's just being friendly," "She's a softie," while they jump all over you or terrify your dog or kids.

That dog needs a bolt through the brain and the owner can have a nice lobotomy.

Alternatively: All dogs on leads all the time.

That's so horrible, sorry that happened to you!

I really hate the "they're friendly" type dog owners, I tell them "mines not!".

Who cares if the dog is friendly? You still don't want them jumping all over you. It's much harder when you have a baby as well, I walk my 2 dogs with my DD in a carrier so I'm really cautious of other dogs and know how horrible it feels to be around irresponsible dog owners.

I take a walking stick

That would intimidate me as well.

It doesn't sound pocket to me, coming up to your knees 😳 that sounds quite big! YANBU to feel shaken.

My oh so gorgeous isn't he lovely lab is NOT always friendly, hence he is always on a lead I shit myself when the dopey he's friendly mob rock up with their dog off lead and then get upset when they get in my dogs space and he goes for them. Sorry op it's scary when another off lead dog approaches your dog and you don't know how it's going to go, must have been even more with a pram. I do shout he's not friendly but 🤷

People have no business letting their dogs approach other dogs EVER. Especially when the approached dog is on a lead. And no dog with poor or non existent recall should be off lead.

So sick of it.

Terrifying that they jumped into or against the pram.

So hard to think in the moment but if such a thing happens again, put your hand on the gate and say ‘could you get your dog on lead before coming through please’ and to the ‘he’s playful’ comment say ‘he may well be. My dog isn’t, and is on lead’

It annoys me when people let unknown dogs come upto us. My JRT is 20, arthritic, has a heart murmur and only has one eye. She wouldn't hurt a fly but get really nervous with dogs she doesn't know as she is vulnerable so I always have her lead ready to reattach as soon as I see another dog. People see her an assume she's no danger but I don't know how their dogs are and how much they can scare her! She loves the dogs she knows at the park and will happily sniff around with them but people can't just assume other dogs energy's can match their dogs.

Report to dog warden
Get a can of pet corrector (compressed air) for your dog walking bag, I carry it on case we come across unfriendly dog as it can buy enough time to get a dog away from mine, who really is a dappy soft sod.

I also always, always have mine on a lead near people and ask before he approaches another dog. He knows to sit and wait and what "say hello" means as I've installed greeting manners in him.

I encounter these types all the time when walking my Akita.

"He's friendly! Just wants to play!"

I have no alternative but to shout "Mine's not!", because there's not enough time to say, "Have you seen the size of my dog? She expects other dogs to be polite and introduce themselves calmly, so she'll forcefully correct yours if he's really being playful, and will defend me with her life - or your dog's - if he crosses the line, which he appears to be about to do given the speed at which he's approaching. How confident are you that he just wants to play, exactly?".

These idiots create reactive dogs, and blithely go about their lives without a thought as to the wreckage they leave in their wake.