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!

Not toddlers but kids can?…. This dog wasn’t killing anyone… Use your brain. Also, by your reply you didn’t actually read my reply. Or maybe you just couldn’t understand it.

OP you won’t win support from people who just don’t get it. Sensible people do get it.

I was breastfeeding my 3 month baby on a bench recently so hands full and a dog came sniffing around her head!!! I said very politely and firmly to owner “dog away please.” Who didn’t respond. I then said “dog away now please.” She reluctantly moved dog on with a scowl on her face. Thick and didn’t get the point at all (ie I didn’t want her harmless dog sniffing round my babies head). IMO it should be obvious but as before some people just won’t get it so you may as well give up.

Yep, and even if we assume we can tell from what OP has written whether she was scared or not (we can't) the owner didn't know that.

I didn’t read it as couldn’t be bothered x

Explains why you’re so uneducated then. Pays to not have an opinion on something when you don’t actually know what it is then, eh? Odd.

😂 She's fit and well enough to kick "out" at a pet that, whilst annoying, did not have her by the throat.
I'm guessing she'll survive this traumatic ordeal.

Grow up and be accountable? Did you miss the bit where I said quite clearly both people are wrong?

The owner is wrong (i.e. should take accountability) . I have said that in nearly every post on this thread.

The OP is wrong to kick an animal who was not doing her physical harm (annoying her rather than biting her face off). Also , no one is asking the OP to be all "awwww cute dog" when it is jumping up at her unsolicited and muddying her clothes.

BOTH PEOPLE ARE WRONG

there. Bold, underlined and in capitals. Is that clear?

Shout at the owner who was not in control of her dog, tell her she is irresponsible, an idiot, and inconsiderate arsehole who is making being in a public place unpleasant. All of thise thungs are true. Call her all the names under the sun if you want - she was in the wrong.

But to kick an animal that was not a immediate threat (but an irritating annoying thing) and be weirdly proud about it to the point where you post it on a forum, even anonymously, is weird.

Owner allows their dog to cover your clothes in mud and thinks that's OK. So cover her clothes in something unpleasant and then tell her it's fine. I suspect she would not be happy .......

There is a mindset that says a dog can do anything and it's fine - they are just being friendly. The mindset that says that random strangers being covered in mud should just suck it up and stop being such spoilsports.

My friend was knocked to the ground by a dog that was rushing towards her - the owner said it was her fault because she turned her back on the dog ....... what can you say when there are people like this around?

Sigh.....

Both owners in those instances are wrong. No, people do not have to suck it up and bear it. No one is saying a dog can do anything and be fine. No one is excusing a dog rushing up to a stranger and muddying their clothes is fine.

People who let their dogs rush up to people are wrong.

I am getting bored of repeating myself.

Have you called the police yet @Onepeople or is it more fun making goady posts on MN about things that never happened?

You’ve missed the point entirely.

the OP is not in the wrong.

you’ve said it’s acceptable for people to let their dogs jump up at people. That they have to make the judgement call themselves as to whether the dog is a risk to their safety.

I am this passionate about it because this is exactly the circumstance under which my best friend was mauled by a dog and spent 6 weeks in hospital having reconstructive surgery. She loved dogs before. Probably wouldn’t have been bothered if they jumped up. Which more proves the point that it is the dog owners responsibility not to let their dogs jump up at people. If they don’t have that control, then they are, as I’ve suggested before, FAFO.

@TheWildZebra I have not said it’s acceptable for people to let their dogs jump up at people.

It's the exact opposite of what I have been saying.

Which was incredibly stupid as you had no idea how the dog could have reacted. Your actions could have caused it to turn aggressive and then you would have been in a very different situation.

The owner was in the wrong for not controlling her dog. You were in the wrong for potentially escalating the situation which you have already admitted in a previous post, so I am not sure why you're unable to accept that your behaviour could hav escalted the situation.

Yet you qualify your statement with

“people will be along in a minute to say "well I dont know it doesnt mean me harm it isnt my job to read dog body language etc etc"”.

Putting the onus on the person getting jumped on to read the body language etc etc. unless the above quote is meant to be rhetorical?

Perhaps OP had a panic response. People do.

For your own safety, don’t kick out at a dog: if it grabs your leg you’re down on your arse in a second.

completely outrageous behaviour by a very irresponsible dog owner

I think things are getting lost in text here.

People allowing their dogs to rush up to people is unacceptable.

For the person who has been rushed up to, to then go further and kick the animal when it is not a dangerous threat is also unacceptable.

Me saying it is probably a good idea to have a general idea of dog body language if you spend time in these environments (or have this happen an awful lot as seems to be the case on MN) is not the same as finishing that advice with "because people let their dogs rush up to you and that is totally their right as dog owners"

I moved to an area with horses in the fields I walk through. I learned a little (just enough) about reading horse body language because I like that route and want to keep using it.

I have an elderly dog who is always on the lead. I've basically had to stop taking him anywhere where there will be off lead dogs because so many owners are so shit.

The last straw was when we were in the park the other day when a huge dog bounded over to us and started jumping all over my arthritic dogs back. I was shouting at her owner to get her back and she just kept saying she was trying. When she eventually got her under control, she muzzled her and said she was sorry, and that she had attacked another dog about a week ago. All said in a very 'oh aren't dogs funny' kind of way. If you can't control your dog keep it on a fucking lead. Walked past the park yesterday and there she is again, off lead and unmuzzled. Owner ineffectually trying to call her back.

Other dog owners have totally ruined walking my dog for me. He just wants to mooch around and sniff stuff but is constantly bothered or attacked by out of control off lead dogs

But it is a dangerous threat - or, at least, it is completely reasonable for the person to believe, in that instant, that it is a dangerous threat.

Kicking it sounds reasonable to me.

If I didnt want to kick an animal (because as Zebra said most people dont want to kick an animal, and she is right; most people are not desperate to abuse animals)

...if i didnt want to have to kick an animal but I kept finding myself in situations where I felt like that was my only option because I didnt have the knowledge to tell a happy dog from an angry one....

... I'd just learn a thing or two about telling the difference so I didnt have to be hurting animals unnecessarily. (Even if all those owners are idiots for not being in control)

If on the other hand you dont want to spend two minutes learning a thing or two and would rather continue kicking animals then that is your choice of course. Just own it and say "I prefer to kick animals" But it reflects very poorly on you.

ETA - Dead bored if the thread now. Thanks for another classic MN dog thread folks , see you on the next one! 👋🐾

I would do anything I deemed necessary if I saw a dog running towards me, out of control, including pushing it and even kicking.

I'm an animal lover. But I hate the attitude of some dog owners that everyone will understand and indulge their dogs and find them as adorable as they do.

I walk regularly in a local park (where, incidentally, the rule is that all dogs should be on leads, but this is largely ignored). I see incidents like this every week. Once, a jogger was approaching and a woman with one of those fluffy white dogs allowed it to run straight at the jogger and jump up, causing him to trip and fall. His knees were bleeding. She said 'Oh, he just LOVES runners!'

She got a mouthful of abuse from the jogger and I don't blame him.

Have also been run and jumped at by a large dog which knocked me over and covered my jacket and trousers in mud. The owner just laughed.

These people need some kind of lesson, and they need to understand that if they allow a dog to rush at a stranger, that stranger is allowed to take whatever defensive action THEY deem necessary in the moment, and it might not be very pleasant for their dog.

This is victim blaming- let’s remember the person at fault here is the dog owner (for not being in control of the animal, and then also assaulting the OP), the dog is also at fault for jumping up at strangers (albeit through poor training), however the OP is the one with an animal actively jumping at them and covering their clothing in mud, so I’d say it was proportional and reasonable for her to take action to try and distance the animal from herself?

I own a dog, absolutely love dogs & have kicked out at off lead dogs approaching my on lead dog, so I don't think your reaction was unreasonable at all.

The only reason I think YABU is to acknowledge you know it isn't everyone and then say you hate them all. That woman was a moron and if you wanted to contact the police i'm sure you'd have had grounds to do so but she doesn't represent dog owners any more than you represent non dog owners

You are 'gaslighting' the OP here by being so dismissive of what happened to them. I don't blame OP at all.

This kind of behaviour by dog owners needs to stop. If your dog is out of control in public, don't walk them in public areas.

I used to be terrified of 2 horrible women with large dogs who walked a footpath near my home when I was a teenager. The dogs would take hold of my (and once, my friend's) leg, salivate, growl and twice drew blood. When the horrible women appeared, some way behind their dogs, they'd laugh and mock me for being so ridiculous.

Different times - I was a youngster and didn't think I could challenge adults, and even believed their view of myself at the time. Nowadays I'd get the police on to them.