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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:
Obimumkinobi · 17/05/2025 15:52

FanofLeaves · 17/05/2025 14:43

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

I don't hate dogs in the least. I hate the stupid owners/"Dog Mummies" who can't control their dogs.

But then I'm like that with "Childen Mummies" too. Crazy, I know.

OneFineDay13 · 17/05/2025 15:55

Op. I would be livid if someone did this . People should keep their dogs under control and not up in someone's personal space

OneFineDay13 · 17/05/2025 15:56

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.

😂 I would be so pissed off with this.

GoodWorkSally · 17/05/2025 15:58

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

Seeing a lot of threads about unruly dogs seems to me to demonstrate how widespread the problem is becoming. Has become.

MaisieMouse87 · 17/05/2025 16:19

GoodWorkSally · 17/05/2025 15:58

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

Seeing a lot of threads about unruly dogs seems to me to demonstrate how widespread the problem is becoming. Has become.

To be fair, in this instance the dog wasn't unruly. It was a cute poodle looking thing just plodding along. I think entitled people probably act this way in all branches of their life that extends beyond dog ownership.

OP posts:
Boomer55 · 17/05/2025 17:00

Some dog owners are like some parents - think we should all love their little darlings, no matter how obnoxious they are. 🙄🤷‍♀️

KarminaBurana · 17/05/2025 17:02

Boomer55 · 17/05/2025 17:00

Some dog owners are like some parents - think we should all love their little darlings, no matter how obnoxious they are. 🙄🤷‍♀️

The difference being that children are a necessary part of human society. Dogs aren't.

Purplecatshopaholic · 17/05/2025 17:03

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.

This. (I have four myself).

Deanthebean · 17/05/2025 17:03

I have a what some people would call an over friendly spaniel, however wouldn't do anything like this and I swear to god if anyone did this to me and didn't apologise on behalf of their dog I would have thrown it in their owners face 🤣
Can't stand entitled dog owners, gives us all a bad name....

bugalugs45 · 17/05/2025 17:04

MaisieMouse87 · 17/05/2025 14:46

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.

Oh I do , I love a snog with my dog 🤣
joking …
But I actually do let him lick me & I’ve yet to die or even get ill from it

ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 17/05/2025 17:09

OTOH....I have a very cute dog who is meh about people, but kids and adults alike want to pet him when we are out, which he isn't too keen on, especially when kids do all that squealing "OH HE'S SO CUTE!" I can see he is uncomfortable (especially as he thinks he's a big manly dog, and not "cute"!) My other dog loves people, but they ignore her because she isn't as "cute"😪

ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 17/05/2025 17:09

OTOH....I have a very cute dog who is meh about people, but kids and adults alike want to pet him when we are out, which he isn't too keen on, especially when kids do all that squealing "OH HE'S SO CUTE!" I can see he is uncomfortable (especially as he thinks he's a big manly dog, and not "cute"!) My other dog loves people, but they ignore her because she isn't as "cute"😪

ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 17/05/2025 17:09

OTOH....I have a very cute dog who is meh about people, but kids and adults alike want to pet him when we are out, which he isn't too keen on, especially when kids do all that squealing "OH HE'S SO CUTE!" I can see he is uncomfortable (especially as he thinks he's a big manly dog, and not "cute"!) My other dog loves people, but they ignore her because she isn't as "cute"😪

ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 17/05/2025 17:09

OTOH....I have a very cute dog who is meh about people, but kids and adults alike want to pet him when we are out, which he isn't too keen on, especially when kids do all that squealing "OH HE'S SO CUTE!" I can see he is uncomfortable (especially as he thinks he's a big manly dog, and not "cute"!) My other dog loves people, but they ignore her because she isn't as "cute"😪

KarminaBurana · 17/05/2025 17:10

bugalugs45 · 17/05/2025 17:04

Oh I do , I love a snog with my dog 🤣
joking …
But I actually do let him lick me & I’ve yet to die or even get ill from it

That's your preference. Not everyone relishes that experience.
Do you think that's why some people don't stop their dog licking strangers? Because they themselves like it?

ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 17/05/2025 17:11

No idea how that posted 4 times! Sorry!

KarminaBurana · 17/05/2025 17:11

ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 17/05/2025 17:09

OTOH....I have a very cute dog who is meh about people, but kids and adults alike want to pet him when we are out, which he isn't too keen on, especially when kids do all that squealing "OH HE'S SO CUTE!" I can see he is uncomfortable (especially as he thinks he's a big manly dog, and not "cute"!) My other dog loves people, but they ignore her because she isn't as "cute"😪

How do you know what your dog thinks of himself?

ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 17/05/2025 17:12

KarminaBurana · 17/05/2025 17:11

How do you know what your dog thinks of himself?

Because I do! 🤣

ZebraPyjamas · 17/05/2025 17:12

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!

Seems to me that the OP is complaining about the dog owners here, not hating on the dog

Screamingabdabz · 17/05/2025 17:13

Boomer55 · 17/05/2025 17:00

Some dog owners are like some parents - think we should all love their little darlings, no matter how obnoxious they are. 🙄🤷‍♀️

Pathetic and shameful comparison to make.

MaisieMouse87 · 17/05/2025 17:18

bugalugs45 · 17/05/2025 17:04

Oh I do , I love a snog with my dog 🤣
joking …
But I actually do let him lick me & I’ve yet to die or even get ill from it

I'm sure as a considerate dog owner you can understand that members of the public might not feel the same way as you and so you'd avoid this from happening. Don't know about your's but my dogs lick each other's butt cracks and have on occasion taken a "snack" from the cat's litter tray. No way am I going to find anything appetising that's been around that.

OP posts:
JohnofWessex · 17/05/2025 17:33

I suspect that there will be growing calls for public open space to be dog free and the dog owners will have nobody but themselves to blame

WellDoneThatSupremeCourt · 17/05/2025 18:04

Tutorpuzzle · 17/05/2025 15:08

Nah…poor vulture management, though, plenty of that about😉

My vulture would have your dog for breakfast.

nietzscheanvibe · 17/05/2025 18:04

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 so much the dogs that are hated, as the entitled, pig-ignorant owners. 🤷‍♂️

KarminaBurana · 17/05/2025 18:20

WellDoneThatSupremeCourt · 17/05/2025 18:04

My vulture would have your dog for breakfast.

My vulture doesn't like dogs, he thinks they lick each other's arses.