Completely outrageous dog owner behaviour

[Onepeople]

Went for a walk this evening. We live by the sea and my walking route was along the sea front, popular with dog walkers. I am often bothered by dogs off their leads coming up and sniffing me, running round my ankles etc. I find it bloody annoying and inconsiderate really but, whatever.

Tonight though. Dog comes running up to me, leaps up and covers my trousers with his muddy paws. This annoys me and I tell the owner to control her animal. She gives the typical 'He's only saying hello!' response, which always makes me wonder whether I should go up to dog owners and slobber all over them as it's 'only saying hello' apparently. Anyway, the dog carries on jumping up at my so I kick out at it to make it go away.

Obviously in an ideal world I wouldnt have needed to do this. And I kicked out at it, rather than actually kicking it. I knew I wouldn't actually make contact.

Owner comes running up to me, suddenly showing a burst of speed she wasn't capable of when the dog was misbehaving. She screams 'Dont you dare kick my fucking dog!' then shoves me with two hands right in my chest. I almost lost my balance, but just about stayed upright before her friend dragged her away. I honestly thought she was going to punch me.

Not sure why I am writing this other than the fact that I am still a bit shocked and shaky.

I know that not all dog owners are like this, and that this woman seems to be particularly twatty. But God sometimes I hate them all. Bloody dogs and their bloody inconsiderate owners. Control your animals!

Easy way to avoid that situation occurring....... Don't allow the dog to approach anyone or anything else, people, dogs, horses, livestock. It's like people have no clue they can prevent these situations occurring at all by just not letting the dog wander off towards anyone and anything in the first place, and some responses are like the OP walked up to the dog and kicked out at it.

Some people banging on about how much they love their dog and how it's part of the family and so loved - yet quite willing to allow them to wander off into situations where the owner has no control over the response of the other party, usually too far away from the dog to do anything quickly and not enough control over the dog so the dog gets itself out of the situation. Even if you discount the other party and any distress to them, you're really letting your dog down by allowing it to get into a situation where it can get kicked and you're not able to prevent it happening. As your dog, that's your responsibility.

I would have reacted the same. I’m really frightened of jumpy/barking/growling dogs that approach me and also allergic so don’t want them making contact. I’ve had dogs literally snap at me and the owners say ‘oh they are friendly don’t worry’

Dog owners need to keep them under control as it’s absolutely not acceptable to allow your dirty dog to jump up at someone you don’t know.

It's not been dry enough to evaporate the actual sea.

but it isnt mud surely?

My fist would have made contact with her face unfortunately.

You're very lucky that a shove was all you got 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

“She’s only saying hello”. I don’t care. I don’t want her to say hello. Honestly OP I’d have done the same

Can't comment on the other posters but yes, I do.

The buggers know I don't like them and they just fancy a sniff, I guess. I do have a very large cat so perhaps it's that.

People husbands are important members of the family. If mine went up to you and started sniffing around, getting his muddy hands on you and clawing at your legs would it make you 'unpleasant' if you kicked out?

Considering something to be an important family member doesn't mean that strangers have to put up with unwanted aggressive behaviour.

Legally she assaulted you. She had her dog out of control on a ‘public highway’. She was taking many risks. I would have photoed her and let the police deal with her

Dog owners are nightmares - most don’t realise what a bloody nuisance their dogs are

I love animals, but if a dog is jumping up at you, of course you can kick it away. The owner shouldn't have put their dog in that situation in the first place

@Onepeople I am a dog owner.

I don't allow my dog to run up to people in public spaces because

1. Some people are frightened of dogs and I wouldn't want my (small but fast) dog to scare them.
2. My dog might jump up and muddy that person (as happened to you)

So if my dog had no recall (as that owner's dog didn't ) in a public space then they would be on a lead. You didn't do anything wrong as far as I can tell. That dog owner was a p*ck. Imagine if it was a child the dog ran at and the owner was unsuccessfully recalling and the dog jumped up and knocked that child over? I had a fear of dogs for a long time after a dog ran at me and knocked me over when I was little. Luckily my dear granny was there with her walking stick and she used it appropriately to make the dog go away.

I have a very big dog. If he jumped on someone and that someone kicked him, I would apologise and thank them. Serves him right for being a twat.

Manners apply to dogs as well as to people.

YABU for hating all dog owners. Most of us would never dream of behaving like that

I must shamefully admit that I didn't undertake a detailed chemical analysis of the substance that the dog deposited on me having gone from the sea, through the sandy beach, and onto the promenade. In retrospect I should have been clearer and said 'possibly wet sand'. I will immediately ask MNHQ to delete both this thread and my account.

Dogs out in public should be under control per the law and the dog was not under control - check the definition next time so you can clearly say but a dog jumping up when not warranted is deemed not under control. I think you’re right to want to defend yourself

Maybe carry mud and throw it at owners who let their dogs jump up!

I love dogs but people cant control their dogs

I dont know why you and others keep making these comparisons because Dogs are not humans. They're animals. That's what you lot tell us all the time is't it?

Or is ok to put animals on a par with humans when you want to kick them?

Kicking animals is wrong. Animals running up to you is also wrong. Both things can be true at once.

ETA - if you think two wrongs make a right then then you were never taught how to be in society properly. Lowering yourself, your behaviour and logic to an animal's level is not a good look.

I don't hate all dog owners. In my original post I acknowledge that not all are like last nights delightful example.

But the ones with our of control animals are very disrespectful of other people. And there is a special section of hell reserved for the ones with those enormous extendable leads who turn pathways into trip wire zones.

lol, so many tough guys on MNs 😆

oh i so agree about the extendible leads
they are such a menace and dangerous

To be fair the comparison with humans began when you said that dogs were family members. And when dog owners say that their animal is 'only saying hello' they are making that same equivalence.

Dogs aren't family members. They're dogs. And they aren't saying hello. They're acting on animal instinct.

Dog owners should behave accordingly.

True, kicking out at a dog is wrong. But there are degrees of wrongness, and sometimes wrong behaviour is more than excusable when acting in response to a much larger possible threat. It's not like I went up to a passive dog and kicked it out of the blue.

I have no qualms about kicking a dog attacking me. And jumping up at me is attacking me. If you don’t want your dog to be kicked the solution is in your hands. Keep it on a lead.

Report to police. Be sure to mention dog off the lead. Not a dog person and definitely wouldn’t want a random dog jumping all over me, she did assault you. You didn’t touch the dog nor the aggressor in this situation.