Day out in car with friends’ American Bully?

[WildGreenHedgehog]

My friend has adopted an American Bully recently and is and another friend are going down to Brighton on Friday for a day out and she’s messaged us saying she’s bringing the dog. It isn’t one of those XL types but I’m still concerned about getting in the car with a dangerous dog I don’t know (and she doesn’t know really) incase it gets territorial. I don’t know whether to say anything in case she thinks I’m being a wet lettuce?
AIBU?

Who’s getting a decent muzzle ordered in time to muzzle train a dog before Friday?

OP needs to make her own way there or cancel if the dog and car owner decides they want their dog there.

RampantIvy - Id take a sick incident over potentially being attacked by a dog, so yes.

Like getting in a car with Peter Sutcliffe

Don't let her push you into something you're uncomfortable with. Your reasons sounds very sensible to me.

Fuck that! Absolutely no way

If that dog switched and went mental in the back of the car on the M23 you'll not stand a chance in such a confined space

I’ve got friends who dogs travel very well in cars but are always caged. There biggest issue is if the dogs see another dog or some random thing they don’t like and kick off, safely, in the car

no way would they travel with the dogs on the back seat

Good move. You've established she will not see your point of view.

She cannot say it will be fine. She doesn't know the dog or its temperament or the reason why the previous owners gave it up.

The poor dog has a new owner, new territory, would be confined in a small space with strangers, may get car sick.

She should be taking it very very slowly and not involve other people.

Rehoming a rejected dog of any breed or size is a huge responsibility.

Having a dog with you will restrict where you can go in Brighton, and an American Bully may specifically be refused. (The open air swimming pool there holds a dogs' swimming event and they have excluded bully types).

She's being irresponsible.

I'd say either you'll meet them for coffee if you still want to go to Brighton by train, or pass on the day.

So many women being killed by dogs in the UK.

https://news.sky.com/story/family-so-broken-after-woman-with-heart-of-gold-killed-by-her-pet-dog-13184486

https://news.sky.com/story/woman-killed-by-her-two-xl-bully-dogs-in-east-london-13140219

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-68197109

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/woman-attacked-dog-public-gravelly-hill-caterham-surrey-police-b1052701.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-57333128

I went round a friends a few months ago who have a smaller bully dog. I was shitting myself and wasnt actually keen to go in
andi would say i wasnt wrong the dog growled at me! (Obviously its the dogs wphoypuse and territory. But despite loads of dogs jumping uo at me on walks that is the first ever growling. It defiitely wasnt happy with people in its house.
Even after that it was generally not friendly like our family dogs.
I dont get why people would have them round kids as they dont seem playful etc.

i think its sad for kids with one as i cant see many people being keen on letti ng friends go around

"A pet dog that savaged its owner in Coventry has now been identified as an American bulldog breed"

Well whaddya know!

DO NOT RISK YOUR LIFE for a dog.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/coventry-dog-attack-police-issue-33318299

Plus they reek, could puke, poo, bark all the way. How unpleasant.

Sitting next to a big dog for hours in a hot, increasingly smelly car?? No thanks!

Then perhaps they could drive themselves…

Quelle surprise eh.

This is the case I was referring to upthread.

ETA: “Kelly suffers from seizures and is thought to have fallen to the floor while having a fit. The dog was in the flat and grabbed her neck. It may have been trying to help her at first and not hurt her and then panicked and attacked. Her ear had been ripped off and was later found on the floor nearby."

I don’t know if the dog or the neighbour who said this is more daft. “Trying to help”

You can’t just ‘muzzle’ a dog - they have to be trained to accept the muzzle otherwise it is just as likely to cause massive problems and exacerbate fear (and therefore aggression in both the immediate moment and the longer term). Honestly, people who have never had dogs or at least never had traumatised rescue dogs really don’t understand what’s involved in animal welfare centred care.

OP I love dogs but you’re totally not being unreasonable with these feelings, I’d feel the same and I have dogs. It’s a newly adopted dog so even your friend does not yet truly know its character and what might be triggers, and when it’s a dog with a jaw that size it could be incredibly frightening or worse case dangerous.

I have already replied, on the side of the dog isn't going to enjoy a trip to Brighton for various reasons.

The dog owner / your friend hasn't thought this through.

it wouldn't be advisable to muzzle the dog for the journey / the day as already said you can't just pop on a muzzle esp for a whole day, and I wouldn't muzzle an unknown dog in a car as it could be sick and that will cause problems on the journey.

The safest way for a larger dog to travel in a car is in a crate, I suspect the back seat of this car isn't going to be big enough for a crate ? and I suspect the boot of the car isn't big enough for a crate ?
I suspect the back seat isn't big enough for a crate and an adult too ?

I think the dog owner needs to accept / realise her life changed the day she adopted the dog and she needs to realise she needs to make different plans in advance - she probably doesn't want to leave the dog home alone for the day - it could howl / bark for the duration it is left ?

We don't know how long she has had the dog, nor if the owner works nor how long she works for and who, if anyone, cares for the dog whilst the owner is at work.

I have dogs ( plural ) I wouldn't arrange to go out ' for the day ' having recently adopted a rescue dog. but if I had to - i would be arranging dog care i.e. a dog sitter coming in / dog going to a dog sitter or even the dog going to kennels for the day or a family member having the dog for the day etc.

No surprise to anyone who has any grasp on reality.

The neighbour is ridiculous to claim the killer dog was 'trying to help'. How gross and ridiculous.

Thanks again for the replies. It’s sorted now as I’m going down on the train.

Can this thread be deleted as this is the first post that comes up on Google and don’t want her to find it. Thanks.

Good decision @WildGreenHedgehog

If you want the thread deleted I think you need to contact mumsnet. Maybe select the “report” tab on your OP and note you want it deleted there?

I would love a day trip to Brighton with 2 friends. I would not love a day trip with 2 friends and a dog. Different vibe entirely!

As the thread is still here, and you wish it gone - I have ' reported ' it for you. Whether I am successful remains to be seen.

Hi, OP. If you'd like to report your own thread, just hit Report and we will be able to discuss things further with you off the boards.