To consider reporting this dog owner?

[AInightingale]

Once a week for the last couple of months, I've had to walk a particular route with my son (re. an activity he's been doing). We pass a house on our way, and the owner has a Doberman dog kept in the garden. Every time we pass, this dog comes charging across to the fence (a high metal one) barking like mad. Naturally, given the breed, it's a bloody terrifying sight if it catches you unawares. I'd forgotten about it today and it scared the living daylights out of me. The house is next to a busy road.
It made me think back to my son when he was about four or five and petrified of all dogs, when he would just scream and run if he saw one. I had to keep a pretty tight hold on him because of it, was a stressful time. We now have our own dog and he's okay with them. But the way this animal behaves is concerning me for the safety of other children - the traffic on this road is non-stop. Surely dog owners aren't allowed to let animals roam about their gardens behaving in this way? No doubt the owner would say it's a guard dog just doing its job (god knows why, the house is a shit tip). I don't like dogs being penned but I don't like having the bejasus scared out of me either.

Managing a child’s fears to stop them being afraid of a dog barking at its own window or passing in the street is one thing but I’d imagine the vast majority of children would get a fright from a Doberman charging at them, jumping and barking at a fence would catch anyone completely off guard.

I’ve had dogs my whole life, mostly large breed and if I experienced that unexpectedly I’d be a bit taken aback so it would be much worse for young kids.

my Dd is the biggest dog lover and has zero fear of dogs. We have a lab ourselves and and she also sees her gran’s Rottweiler 3 or 4 days a week - doesn’t even flinch and they chase her round the garden and play with her etc. However if she were to walk past the scenario OP has described she’d get the fright of her life. It’s more the being caught off guard from an aggressive dog charging at you as opposed to a general phobia of dogs

Yabu. Dog was secured in the garden and whilst I appreciate the unexpected noise will make people jump, the dog isn't behaving in a way that would concern me by what you have described and you and your son weren't in any danger so theres nothing to report. Dobermans can be quite barky, like alot of those kind of protection breeds, there's a german shepherd down the road from me that does that, barking does not equal aggression, it's communication. Walk on the other side of the road when you approach that house in future.

@AInightingale if the dog is safely contained YABU. A dog barking on its property does not mean it is aggressive.

YABU

The dog is contained in its own garden. Walk the otherwise if the road & leave it ti di others, if they, like you, are SO traumatised they don't even think about doing so.

I'd love to see a response to your complaint.

'🤣🤣mate, listen to this, this nightmare is complaining a dog is barking in its own garden where there is a 6ft secure fence it can't get out of 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣'

Dog generally bark when they’re scared, you even have mentioned that the dog is triggered by your passing. Why would you willingly walk past knowing that the dog is triggered when there’s an alternative. It’s the lesser of two evils. Cross the road or get barked at. You can’t complain about being barked at if there’s an alternative route that you aren’t prepared to use. Who would you even complain to about the dog?

FFS, absolutely ridiculous 🙄

Blimey

First time I've seen a dog moaning thread where the majority have disagreed with the OP!

These threads are sooo 2025 it would seem 😁

Id probably ask the owner if it's ok to give it a treat now and then. After 2-3 times of lobbing a dog biscuit at it it won't bark at you.

As the mum of a now adult ds who was terrified of dogs when he was younger.... bloody behave