Nervous of dogs

[Wombe92]

I was wondering on people's opinions.... I am nervous of dogs and sometimes see them off if when comes up to me while walking. Is this actually okay to do?

A decent owner shouldn’t allow a dog to come up to you unless you want it to.
But it depends what you mean by “ seeing them off” Shouting go away, fine, kicking them in the head, not so much! Hopefully the former!

I’m not nervous around dogs, but I have absolutely zero desire to interact with them, and will certainly ignore any dog that comes up to me, and will shoo any persistent ones away.

Provided you’re not kicking them for coming near you, I don’t see how you could be unreasonable.

My dogs are on leads and do not go up to people. Some people with dogs are total dicks. I walk with a stick my very very obedient labs have been attacked multiple times- I’m not afraid to use the stick. I say ‘please recall your dog now’

No dog should be approaching you without the owner having checked it was ok. However how are you ‘seeing them off’?

I think you're entitled to discourage a dog from making physical contact but how close do you allow them to get? How do you see them off?

The fact that the dog is listening to you and going away means that it is a good-natured dog. The dangerous ones might take your actions as aggressive and respond in kind. Honestly though if your concern is being attacked then letting them sniff you and quickly move on to something else is the safest way.

Shouting "go away" will actually excite the dog though. They hear it as "wahay, keep doing what you're doing, this is fun".

Much better to just stand still, look up at the sky and be very boring. They'll lose interest quickly.

By saying 'shoo'

More useful as a clear cue to the owner than for the dog. My dog might not comprehend shoo but I certainly would!

Can I just get this right.

You're actually asking Mumsnet if it's ok to shoo a dog away when you don't want it near you?

Or have I completely missed something else?

Just turn your back and ignore!

Yes, it’s absolutely fine to say shoo to a dog. I don’t think many would be offended.

You might be better saying ‘leave’ as a majority of dogs know this word and should return back to owner/leave you alone. This has worked for us in the past when we have had an unwelcome dog approach us when walking our own dogs.

My dog is extremely well trained and doesn’t wander up to people unless they encourage him to.

Having said that, let’s imagine a scenario where he approached you.
If you told him ‘shoo’ he would find this noise very interesting and exciting and would want to see what happened next.
Being still and boring is more effective to achieve your desire of being left alone.

No, dogs should not be approaching you. Mine are trained not to and do not approach strangers. However, like a pp said “shoo” is an interesting noise to an untrained dog. You’d be better to put your hands in your pockets, say nothing and keep walking. If the dog persists, keep your hands in your pockets, stop and turn your back. You are now boring to the vast majority of dogs.

I agree with standing still, letting them sniff, and hoping they’ll go away. However, when this hasn’t worked and they are making physical contact with me (or my children when they were young) I’ve never met a dog that doesn’t understand “Fuck Off” in an authoritative and reprimanding tone.

My daughter (11) is terrified of dogs. It is the bane of our lives! I am not exaggerating when I say every time we go to public spaces there are off lead dogs that are not properly under control.

She is autistic and really can't cope with the complexity around me telling her that they won't be dangerous - she just does not want them running and bounding in uncontrolled ways in her space -

it happens so often - even when I take her places they are supposed to be on leads.

i wish we had clearer rules around dogs being on leads unless it's a specific dog space.

The idea that the onus should be on a person who does not like dogs to stand still and let a dog sniff ?! My daughter would have a full blown panic attack if a dog was sniffing her - and clearly not under control of its owner to have got that close to her. We do our best to avoid dogs at all times and I also work very hard to encourage her to feel relaxed - I am always telling her that most dogs are well behaved, most dogs just aren't interested in her...

yet so often we meet very out of control dogs.

Absolutely should not be on you but as previous people have said it would be better to say leave, sit, away than shop. Standing still etc is really boring to dogs but not your responsibility to have to do that. I had kids that were scared of dogs so now I have dogs they do not approach anyone without express permission and then with a warning that they are bouncy so if they can be stopped if that would be an issue.

But what is "approaching you"?
I've been yelled at by a man who was running in my local park, on the path, a good 15feet wide, I was on the side of the path with my dog who was just smelling something on the ground, and he ran past me saying "GET OUT OF MY WAY".
Maybe from his perspective I was ON HIS WAY, but I really wasn't. So I'd be curious to know what is "approaching".

I don't know many dogs who would approach someone they don't know in a park, to the point of making contact.

The majority of dogs approach because they want to sniff you rather than be petted. I object to being sniffed & coming home with dog snot all over my trousers, never mind the jumpy over friendly ones.

Generally if you keep walking and ignore them they should leave you alone. Otherwise just shout at them, no in the right tone of voice tends to work.

I have two dogs who I walk all the time, and even I spend half my walks shooing away dogs belonging to ignorant owners who let them bound around off lead. Mine are never off lead except for when we're in an secure paid-for field! I have a young dog and an older dog, and for different reasons it could be disastrous if the wrong dog came up to them. The younger one can most definitely defend himself if he had to, and the older one cannot defend herself as she has always been very gentle.

So yes it's perfectly fine to say "shoo" or as a pp said "leave!" to a dog - they'll very likely understand the latter better than the former. I too am wary of off-lead dogs and I wish something were done about it.

Of course it's alright to say shoo to a dog. They won't generally understand though

Turn yourself side on to it and look down saying No!

Does this genuinely happen to you often though? Do you spend a lot of time wandering around dog walking areas?

I’m wading in here, just because I really feel for the OP and this epidemic of irresponsible, shitty dog owner behaviour has got to stop.

I was out in a park with the kids a few weeks ago, and saw a large doodle breed chase a wee girl along a path, bounding around her in circles, barking. The poor kid was terrified and her dad had to pick her up and move quickly away. Did the owners apologise? Did they fuck.

Dog then locks eyes on me and my (dog-loving) kids. Pulls the same shit. I snap at my son to stay still, and warn the dog off with a loud “uh-uh”. Owner grabs dog, gives me the stink-eye and nobs off.

So no, I wouldn’t blame you OP for repelling the unwanted advances of someone else’s poorly-behaved animal. And I say this as a genuine dog-lover who’s had dogs my entire life. It just makes me so cross. And weary. I don’t know that the solution is.

'Shoo' means naff all to dogs to be honest.

I would say ignore is the best advice, but the idiot dog owners don't register that as disinterest anymore, I think they register that as 'they obviously don't mind being approached by my 'friendly' dog'.. I have this problem with my on lead dog being approached quite often.

A firm 'no' or 'can you get your dog' would make it clear to the owner that you are not receptive to their dog, don't expect them to rush to get them though, any person who lets their dog approach people willy nilly are pretty much a lost cause IME.