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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Strangers who think we all love their dog

381 replies

MaisieMouse87 · 17/05/2025 14:29

I'm a bit pissed off and need a rant. Sitting on the park with my kids, we had a large bottle of water nearly full, next to us on the grass. The top was off as one of the kids had just had some. The park is a large field and we were not near anyone else. We were minding our business.
These two women walked past with a dog on a lead. I didn't expect them to get as close as they did. They came literally right up to us. The dog (on the lead) came between me and the kids and licked the rim of the water bottle. One of the women did a tinkly laugh and I said " oh no" in an annoyed tone and told one of my kids that the water would have to go in the bin now. They just walked off grinning and I heard them say something like " imagine being like that over a dog."
I did not say anything but got up and threw it in the bin. If they'd said sorry it would have been alright or if the dog was off the lead I would have been annoyed still. But the way they actively led it over to us and allowed it to do that, then laughed about it. Aibu for being annoyed? It's not even really about the water. It's about having personal space invaded needlessly when I'm minding my own business by people who are nosy and need to see what I'm doing. And partly people with dogs who think it's acceptable because the dog likes people making a fuss of it. By the way I actually like dogs and have 2 but I have never allowed them to do this and actively keep them away from people in public.

OP posts:
FanofLeaves · 17/05/2025 14:34

There was a dog chasing a poor terrified duck through the park the other day. The owner caught my eye and smiled indulgently. ‘I don’t know why she bothers, she’d never catch one!’ she chucked. I said ‘that is really quite frightening for the duck, you shouldn’t let her do it’
’well its instinct isn’t it, what can you do!’
GRRR. Since lockdown there are so many more dogs about, and a lot of them are really poorly trained. I don’t know why we are expected to fawn over these dog’s poor behaviour, but it seems we are and it’s irritating.

Tutorpuzzle · 17/05/2025 14:41

Ooh, there hasn’t been a dog-hating thread for at least two and a half hours now…thank god one has appeared!

FanofLeaves · 17/05/2025 14:43

Tutorpuzzle · 17/05/2025 14:41

Ooh, there hasn’t been a dog-hating thread for at least two and a half hours now…thank god one has appeared!

I’ve not seen one for a a couple of weeks 🤷🏻‍♀️

MaisieMouse87 · 17/05/2025 14:43

FanofLeaves · 17/05/2025 14:34

There was a dog chasing a poor terrified duck through the park the other day. The owner caught my eye and smiled indulgently. ‘I don’t know why she bothers, she’d never catch one!’ she chucked. I said ‘that is really quite frightening for the duck, you shouldn’t let her do it’
’well its instinct isn’t it, what can you do!’
GRRR. Since lockdown there are so many more dogs about, and a lot of them are really poorly trained. I don’t know why we are expected to fawn over these dog’s poor behaviour, but it seems we are and it’s irritating.

Edited

The poor duck. I've seen this on a different park. Swans and ducks minding their own business and dogs just free roaming round the lake, out of control.

OP posts:
ItGhoul · 17/05/2025 14:43

FanofLeaves · 17/05/2025 14:43

I’ve not seen one for a a couple of weeks 🤷🏻‍♀️

You haven’t been looking very hard then!

Reprographical · 17/05/2025 14:43

I love dogs and grew up in a very doggy household but there are some absolutely crap owners about, especially since covid.

AusBoundDD · 17/05/2025 14:44

A dog kept running up to a friend and I whilst we were eating our picnic in the park a few evenings ago. At first the owner did come and grab him after failed attempts at recall but a few minutes later it happened again - we were met with a half hearted ‘oh he’s fine, he won’t touch you’. I shoved and shooed the dog away once he started trying to eat our food - the owner was horrified and acted like we were the ones in the wrong. As a dog owner myself I told her that once is an accident, twice is taking the fucking piss and to learn to control her own dog in public places. She wasn’t pleased 🤣

MaisieMouse87 · 17/05/2025 14:46

Tutorpuzzle · 17/05/2025 14:41

Ooh, there hasn’t been a dog-hating thread for at least two and a half hours now…thank god one has appeared!

It's not the dog, it's the owner. And not all dog owners obviously. I just don't want to drink water or allow my kids to drink water that a dog has licked. I don't let my own dog lick things I'm about to consume.

OP posts:
AusBoundDD · 17/05/2025 14:47

Tutorpuzzle · 17/05/2025 14:41

Ooh, there hasn’t been a dog-hating thread for at least two and a half hours now…thank god one has appeared!

I’m a dog owner and lover - people are perfectly right to complain about irresponsible owners being unable to control their poorly trained dogs. Nobody is ‘dog hating’

Blushingm · 17/05/2025 14:47

Dogs need to be kept on a lead and under control - these people who think it’s ok to leave their dog running and thinks it’s ok for a dog to be running up to strangers shouldn’t have dogs

i was bitten and ended up needing a tetanus and a wound that took weeks to heal

my posture ended up needing skin grafts as someone allowed their dog to run loose and it attached him

Mrsbloggz · 17/05/2025 14:48

I'm also sick to death of dogs and dog people.

KarminaBurana · 17/05/2025 14:48

Tutorpuzzle · 17/05/2025 14:41

Ooh, there hasn’t been a dog-hating thread for at least two and a half hours now…thank god one has appeared!

Perhaps if more dog owners were responsible, there would be no need.

EveryKneeShallBow · 17/05/2025 14:48

FanofLeaves · 17/05/2025 14:34

There was a dog chasing a poor terrified duck through the park the other day. The owner caught my eye and smiled indulgently. ‘I don’t know why she bothers, she’d never catch one!’ she chucked. I said ‘that is really quite frightening for the duck, you shouldn’t let her do it’
’well its instinct isn’t it, what can you do!’
GRRR. Since lockdown there are so many more dogs about, and a lot of them are really poorly trained. I don’t know why we are expected to fawn over these dog’s poor behaviour, but it seems we are and it’s irritating.

Edited

A colleague used to take her dog into the woods and tell us all about how many pheasant and deer it had flushed out. Oh he had a lovely time, she’d grin. Until I pointed out the likelihood of it being shot if the gamekeeper happened to be in the vicinity. And then told her I’d have no sympathy if that happened.

MaisieMouse87 · 17/05/2025 14:49

The thing that annoyed me the most is that they had it on a lead and led it over to us for no reason. I'd understand more if it was free and had ran over, I don't like that either but it happens and people usually do say sorry.

OP posts:
KarminaBurana · 17/05/2025 14:49

Mrsbloggz · 17/05/2025 14:48

I'm also sick to death of dogs and dog people.

It's just got too much now. Every cafe, shop, wherever. They're not pets anymore are they?

KarminaBurana · 17/05/2025 14:49

AusBoundDD · 17/05/2025 14:47

I’m a dog owner and lover - people are perfectly right to complain about irresponsible owners being unable to control their poorly trained dogs. Nobody is ‘dog hating’

Edited

This ⬆️. A voice of reason.

Poiuytrewqa · 17/05/2025 14:53

Also owners who let them lie in front of the door of the pub or have their leads extended across the bar. One man laughed and said ‘you’ll have to jump over it or limbo under’. It’s a pub. Not a dog field.

LilDeVille · 17/05/2025 14:55

ItGhoul · 17/05/2025 14:43

You haven’t been looking very hard then!

Well then, the frequency of these threads should tell you that dogs are a real problem for many people.

KarminaBurana · 17/05/2025 14:56

LilDeVille · 17/05/2025 14:55

Well then, the frequency of these threads should tell you that dogs are a real problem for many people.

This is the issue, which too many dog owners choose to ignore.

Doctorkrank · 17/05/2025 14:57

A lot of dog owners simply do not get it. Was trying to explain to a colleague that my kids get scared when dogs run up to them, bark at them, or run after them. We don’t know the dog, we don’t know the owner. Have no idea of the dog’s temperament or the owner’s ability (or lack thereof) to control their dog. It fell on deaf ears, she was looking at me as though I was some kind of animal hating lunatic.

KarminaBurana · 17/05/2025 14:59

They don't get it. A strange animal, barking and seemingly aggressive? Why should we tolerate it? If I took a vulture into Sainsburys, people would soon complain.

Tutorpuzzle · 17/05/2025 15:00

LilDeVille · 17/05/2025 14:55

Well then, the frequency of these threads should tell you that dogs are a real problem for many people.

Ah, yes, I forget that threads on Mumsnet equate to empirical evidence. Silly me!

FanofLeaves · 17/05/2025 15:01

KarminaBurana · 17/05/2025 14:59

They don't get it. A strange animal, barking and seemingly aggressive? Why should we tolerate it? If I took a vulture into Sainsburys, people would soon complain.

So would the vulture, I think they keep all the meat behind glass doors now.

KarminaBurana · 17/05/2025 15:02

Irresponsible dog owners have no boundaries, though, and the dog isn't a pet, it's a member of the family, and attributed the same qualities and emotions. So therefore they don't have the wit to understand that to the rest of us, it's an animal who will slobber, bark and bite.

KarminaBurana · 17/05/2025 15:03

FanofLeaves · 17/05/2025 15:01

So would the vulture, I think they keep all the meat behind glass doors now.

Edited

No! My poor baby vulture! He wouldn't hurt no-one, he's as soft as anything! Why can't he have some meat if he fancies it? Vulture haters 😂