Horrible encounter with a dog

[Thoughtsforcoffee]

I was walking my dog this afternoon when a small dog ran out of its front door and onto the pavement and started yapping and snapping at me and my dog. I got a fright and tried to move it away and it started snapping at me and my dog. A young girl came out calling its name and I suppose was in shock so shouted at her and she ran back inside crying. Her mum came out and I told her that her dog was trying to bite me and my dog and she raised her voice and told me I shouldn’t have yelled at her child. I was really annoyed and told her the dog had been Trying to attack us and she totally minimalist it, saying it’s a chihuahua and couldn’t attack anyone and hadn’t even bitten her. I told her I would call the police and she swore at me and slammed the door in my face, I was really unsettled and frightened and just need someone to tell me I’m not actually the one in the wrong here, I should be able to walk my dog without fear of being set upon.

So the dog was 'trying' to bite you. What prevented it from doing so? I'm a bit confused, given the dog was racing towards you and you were rooted to the spot, why didn't the dog bite if that was it's objective?

I'm not a dog lover, can't stand them actually but I would give you incredibly short shrift if you reduced my child to tears, especially when they were trying to help.

And if she'd moved away and the chihuahua followed and ended up in the road? Would that be OK?

You are not in the wrong. You felt attacked and your nervous system reacted by raising your voice. Just have a nice relaxing evening. Try and move past it. There will always be selfish idiots around, unfortunately.

I tried to walk away but it was barking and snarling and I just felt rooted to the spot.

You shot yourself in the foot shouting at the kid really. If you'd left her alone she would no doubt have scooped the dog up.

You expected a 6 year old to handle the situation better than you did?

I have dogs - but you shouted at a six year old who tried to get her dog back? Seriously?

well I think it’s absurd a child would come out instead of the parent, I do worry for their safety too. Where on earth was the mum when this was happening? The dog had been snapping at me for a whole minute before the child appeared so they clearly didn’t even know it had got loose.

This is so incredibly silly it has to be a wind up 🙄
if this dog was “trying to bite you” how come it didn’t succeed when apparently loose?
utterly ridiculous. OP needs to recline on her chaise longue fanning herself until her hurty feelings have recovered. If indeed this ever actually happened.

FGS,total overreaction.
I'd be pissed off if you shouted at my child too.
Maybe you should be on a lead.

I'd have been annoyed about the dog being loose yes but would have stopped short of shouting at the poor 6 year old- hardly old enough to be responsible for a dog, and yes if I was her mum I'd have been angry that you'd upset her too. It sounds like nothing actually happened so I'd just move on at this point rather than allowing it to upset you further.

I can assure you it did happen and other posters have suggested calling 101 as it was a threatening dog off a lead and without supervision which is illegal.

I had a situation in Thailand, a place outside Bangkok where the dog ran out of nowhere barking at me.

The owner who was a bit further back, started screaming at her child (in Thai) to get the dog and even the kid looked very worried something was going to happen.

I didn’t say a word but thankfully the kid - who was probably no more than 8 - was very on the ball, and assertive and she got the dog under control.

But we are all different, I assume Op shouted out of panic rather than giving the child into trouble. Her mum should be more upset that she’s been negligent really and put her kid in a bad situation.

Please don’t waste the police’s time with this!

Cant you see it was a mistake and the woman was upset a total stranger made her child cry? Seriously I’m shocked you can’t see how horrible you’re being.

For what it's worth, it will have sunk in with them. As much as the bravado kicked in when it happened, they will have had time to think and hopefully restrain there dog.
You have a dog, you are going to get lots of dog encounters, some good, some unpleasant. Get used to itl

It wasn’t off lead in a public place, it got out of its house by accident. The same could happen to your dog. Just chill, 101 ffs. They’ll laugh at you.

That's not a great situation - the aggressive dog getting out and the child getting out & involved before the parent showed up. She could have ended up in the middle of a dog fight. I doubt I'd call the police over a one-off but I hope the mother got enough of a shock to control them both better in future.

I agree with pp, go enjoy the rest of your night and relax as you had a nasty encounter and need to calm your nerves.

Call the police or don’t call the police - it’s up to you, but probably best to take a beat and get a good sleep before you make any decisions.

I’m in my 50s and a dog lover. The only time I’ve been bitten was about 45 years ago by a chihuahua. I really don’t like them. Just because they are little doesn’t mean they aren’t viscous.

Picked up the child and thrown it at the Chihuahua or vice versa?

I think I've had too much gin.

The mother didn’t look like she cared at all, that’s what really upset me. She just shouted at me for raising my voice at her child
and flounced off. I don’t think she took it seriously at all.

The dog was definitely in the wrong, but I imagine it sees that area as being its territory. Very bad timing of the door being opened and your passing.

you’re not in the wrong at all I don’t think, but I wouldn’t report it, I’d just let it go and move on

YABU it’s a chihuahua and a child.
An unpleasant experience but why shout at a young child and waste police time on this

I'm with you OP - it's that woman's job to control her dog, and she's not doing that if the dog is 'making someone worried that it might injure them' (definition of an out of control dog). I'd report it.

Did the dog not just escape from the house? And the little girl followed to try and retrieve it? If so it was a ridiculous reaction from you, you had no right to shout at a 6 year old and I’m not surprised her Mum was cross.