Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this dog owner was in the wrong?

52 replies

NameChanged25 · 17/02/2025 19:50

I’m still quite shaken by an incident in the park at lunchtime. I was out for a jog and saw a dog ahead of me - a young lab I believe, not on lead but within a few metres of owner. As I approached from behind I gave the dog and owner a wide berth, moving on to the grass to overtake. Next thing I know the dog is chasing after me! I thought it would stop after a few moments and the owner would take some control, but no, it grabbed on to the jacket I had round my waste and I then panicked a bit and stopped/froze, dog continues to pull on my jacket as it slipped down my legs.

owner approaches and I’m shaking. I can’t remember what I said exactly but something about maybe the dog isn’t ready to be off a lead yet. The owner was very rude and said I should be mindful running around dog friendly parks with ‘a big bright thing flapping round your waist - it will obviously get him excited’, and ‘no need to be pathetic and nervous he was clearly just playing’.
the running jacket is fluorescent pink but I’ve never had issues with it round my waste before. It’s too hot to wear while actually running but I need it for warm up and cool down hence it’s round my waist. AIBU to wear this?!

OP posts:
marshmallowfinder · 19/02/2025 06:32

Bloody hell that's awful. Yadnbu.
(Yabu to spell waist as waste though.)

AlertCat · 19/02/2025 07:04

Zusammengebrochen · 19/02/2025 06:10

Unless this is a reverse YANBU.
An increasing number of dog owners are incredibly entitled though.

Obviously this owner doesn't know how to take accountability for stuff like this so he decided to put the blame on you.

both of these, dog owners seem to be increasingly unreasonable (and I am a dog owner) but not just dog owners- drivers and cyclists, and people generally wanting something for nothing, to behave as they please and blame others if they’re called out. Rudeness and a sense of entitlement seem to be spreading exponentially.

Togglebullets · 19/02/2025 07:08

Of course the dog owner was in the wrong! I've had dogs jump up at me before when out for a run and the dog owners have been nothing but apologetic and embarrassed - as they should be.

Jellycatspyjamas · 19/02/2025 07:37

My dog is unpredictable around runners, most of the time he completely ignores them but every now and then he’ll jump up or try to chase. He’s not at all aggressive but that’s not the point. For that reason he’s on a lead until I’m completely sure he won’t react or chase people. It’s not difficult to keep them with you if they aren’t able to ignore distractions.

Hearmeroar4 · 19/02/2025 08:35

It's sadly the norm, people have let their dogs run up to my kids and jump on them, they then blame me for allowing my kids to be frightened of off lead dogs. We also run and often on a running track where people take their dogs to walk so have to be mindful of them there too. YANBU

DazedDragon · 19/02/2025 08:40

I'm guessing the 4% of people that voted YABU are the tw*ts that let their dogs loose in parks when they can't control them!

The owner was 100% in the wrong. I hope your jacket wasn't damaged.

A dog friendly park doesn't mean that dogs can run around off lead if they have no recall.

Togglebullets · 19/02/2025 08:44

Hearmeroar4 · 19/02/2025 08:35

It's sadly the norm, people have let their dogs run up to my kids and jump on them, they then blame me for allowing my kids to be frightened of off lead dogs. We also run and often on a running track where people take their dogs to walk so have to be mindful of them there too. YANBU

The stupid thing about this is that the jumping up is what's making them scared!! I'm scared of dogs but was terrified as a kid because of attitudes like that. I only became less scared as an adult being around friend's well behaved dogs who weren't allowed to jump up at me.

Pussycat22 · 19/02/2025 09:38

ChancesAreLow · 17/02/2025 19:58

The dog was not under control - completely their fault.

But - you'll never stop dickhead owners.

When I'm out running, I stop and walk when seeing off lead dogs.

Also, I shout 'please control your dog' and when they inevitably say 'he/she is friendly' I always say 'I'm not!' Even when I'm walking by, giving a wide berth.

I love dogs but I do not want to be chased/jumped up at. I will kick/shove your dog away if I feel it's needed !

Me too!!!

HawkeyePierce · 19/02/2025 09:42

The amount of nice dog owners I meet, is decreasing rapidly. Quickly becoming the most entitled group of people around.

We were walking on the shoreline last year with our 6yo. A dog bounded over, jumped up my girls back and knocked her down. My girl stood and ran off, the dog knocked her down again. My girl by this point is obviously very upset and crying. The owner is sat around 100m away. She sat down, not even close to coming over to us and not calling the dog back. We shouted over come and get your dog, she didn’t move. We shouted again, third time I didn’t feel like being so nice. I shouted again and physically kicked her dog off my girl. At which point another lady appears out of nowhere complaining I kicked the dog. Saying dog is only saying hello. My girl is now sobbing. They had no remourse, no sorry, no asking if my girl was hurt. Just unbelievable

ThisZanyPinkSquid · 19/02/2025 10:39

As a dog owner myself, they are 100% on the wrong!! I would be mortified and so apologetic if this were my dog. He is the biggest, fluffiest lump of cuddliness ever but not to everyone…we don’t let him off the lead anyway but make sure to avoid dogs and kids incase they have a fear!

SeedyM · 19/02/2025 12:07

Both my dogs have reasonable recall but it’s not 100% as they have high prey drive. They do not go off lead except in our garden. It’s a shame for them in a way but better than being put to sleep for attacking a small furry dog or a runner (although mine aren’t interested in humans). There are so many dog owners who not only let their dogs off lead when they know they can’t always recall, but who aren’t concentrating on their dogs when they’re out (often on the phone) so even if they could recall them they’ve not noticed there’s a potential situation on the horizon. I’m sure you just got a lot of verbal from the owner because they knew they were in the wrong and were embarrassed and concerned you might report the dog. You can only hope they might have learned from the experience, but likely not.

Poppyfun1 · 19/02/2025 14:27

Nope. Dogs shouldn’t be off lead in a park or at all unless they have good recall. Bad dog ownership, the face they got lippy is an indication they knew they were in the wrong.

LetMeStopWhatImDoingToFixTheProblemYouMade · 19/02/2025 19:23

Dolambslikemintsauce · 17/02/2025 19:53

If you had been running with rashers of bacon hanging for your belt his ddog should have been under his control..
And it clearly wasn't..
He was a twat.

Nailed it! Owners a prick. They are exactly what's wrong with dog ownership right now and as a good dog owner, I can't stand it. My dog is simply not allowed off lead on walks because, like this owner, he's an unreasonable prick 🤣

couldabutdidnt · 19/02/2025 19:35

Another dickhead owner. Last year a dog leapt up at my baby’s pram so I kicked it away. It then took my sandwich (we were sitting on a bench some way from the path around the park where dogs are walked) The owner had no recall and just laughed at me. TBF I think he was really embarrassed at his lack of recall.

I was 3 months post partum, full of hormones and yelling at him like a lunatic! The entitlement of so many owners nowadays is something else.

echt · 19/02/2025 19:37

Another dog owner here.

That man was a colossal knob and entirely in the wrong.

eatsleeptutor · 19/02/2025 20:09

100% he was in the wrong. Totally irresponsible!

The dog should not be off the lead unless it can be recalled and/or reasonably trusted not to do this.

My dog is a liability around runners and bikes. Given the opportunity, she loves nothing better than to chase them, barking loudly like an idiot! She's never hurt anyone but she can sound scary and she's quite big.

She's now 6 and I still don't trust her, despite a lot of training and reinforcement. So, she only comes off lead in certain places. It's sad for her but necessary for everyone else's sake and my peace of mind.

The only words out of that man's mouth should have been him apologising and checking you were ok.

BogRollBOGOF · 19/02/2025 20:35

He's wrong. Legally wrong.

A few months ago I challenged a similar fuckwit who was slow to recall his dog that terrified a woman on to a bench bouncing and barking. I was running and by the time I caught up to him, she was still terrified on the bench and the dog was with him, but the lead still around his neck.

I told him to put the dog on the lead and that legally his dog was out of control for scaring her like that. He was about to argue back but then decided to humour this silly little interfering woman by using the lead for a minute.

Naturally when I saw him again 5-10 minutes later, the dog was off-lead again 🙄

At least I managed to warn another dog walker with a reactive sign to keep a wide berth and she changed route.

I am fucking sick of these entitled arseholes. Over the past decade I've been scratched from jumping up, felt teeth scrape me (not a closed bite) and constant adjusting speed and course to read the body language of unpredictable, untrained animals.

I am fed up of them ruining public spaces.

welshmercury · 21/02/2025 13:47

I was bit whilst running by a so called friendly dog. They had hold of the dog and let them go. I was running towards them. I am now nervous around dogs whilst out. Owners shout they’re friendly and I will reply well I’m not friendly and will kick it. owners try and get their dog back but many dogs ignore them.

i obviously don’t want to hurt an animal because the owner is stupid. If a dog comes running over to me, I will freeze, arms down my side so not flapping etc and wait. I do have my hand in a fist as I will punch on nose if needed.

I have never been nervous around dogs before but I don’t trust them or their lazy owners.

rb124 · 20/05/2025 18:13

ChancesAreLow · 17/02/2025 19:58

The dog was not under control - completely their fault.

But - you'll never stop dickhead owners.

When I'm out running, I stop and walk when seeing off lead dogs.

Also, I shout 'please control your dog' and when they inevitably say 'he/she is friendly' I always say 'I'm not!' Even when I'm walking by, giving a wide berth.

I love dogs but I do not want to be chased/jumped up at. I will kick/shove your dog away if I feel it's needed !

You do know that could be construed as Criminal Damage and animal cruelty?

NeedASafeSpace · 20/05/2025 18:16

rb124 · 20/05/2025 18:13

You do know that could be construed as Criminal Damage and animal cruelty?

Show quote history

Not only that, a dog might react to being kicked/pushed by fighting back.

MagentaRocks · 20/05/2025 18:20

I take my 2 off lead to a dog friendly woods. It’s also horse friendly, bike friendly and runner friendly. If I see any of the above close by I make mine sit and wait until they have gone past. The park being dog friendly doesn’t mean it is just for dogs.

rb124 · 20/05/2025 18:25

NeedASafeSpace · 20/05/2025 18:16

Not only that, a dog might react to being kicked/pushed by fighting back.

Show quote history

Yes, my dog (a rescue who was subjected to cruelty) would certainly have something to "say" about someone trying to kick her!

Bigtom · 20/05/2025 18:42

rb124 · 20/05/2025 18:13

You do know that could be construed as Criminal Damage and animal cruelty?

Show quote history

Not if it was in self defence, which it would be if the dog was chasing and biting you.

Bigtom · 20/05/2025 18:46

rb124 · 20/05/2025 18:13

You do know that could be construed as Criminal Damage and animal cruelty?

Show quote history

Not if it was in self defence, which it would be if the dog was chasing and biting you.

tigger1001 · 20/05/2025 18:51

rb124 · 20/05/2025 18:13

You do know that could be construed as Criminal Damage and animal cruelty?

Show quote history

Nope! It's self defence in the scenario described. Out of control dog - then I'd take whatever steps I felt necessary in that moment to get the dog away from me or my family. If the owner didn't like it, they'd be told to keep their dog under control - it's an offence for it not to be, if you are talking about legal issues.

owners who do bugger all while shouting (usually as they are nowhere near their dog) oh he's friendly, are irresponsible idiots who shouldn't have a dog.