To be verbally abused by this dog owner

[moana1234]

This is an extremely honest account of what happened to me this evening and I am still shook up over now. Out walking my dog with my 2 sons age 2 and 6 dog is very friendly & likes to play, we pass a dog with his male owner and 3 sons near some outdoor fitness equipment both his and my dog are off lead so my dog goes over to say hello both dogs are excited and run in a circle around the fitness equipment. I turned my head and in that moment it is alleged my dog ran and knocked over the man’s son who is obviously upset. I ask if that was my dog and if so I’m sorry and hope the boy is okay. To which I am given a torrent of abuse, the man shouts at me to get my dog under control and on lead. I said sorry she is very friendly and wouldn’t have meant to it was an accident and his dog was playing too. He continued screaming and shouting at me telling me to train my dog and if I didn’t he would train it for me... I was so took aback I asked if he was joking then when he continued shouting I asked if he would just stop so I could firstly put my dog on a lead (I really didn’t need to as she had come back & has good recall but I didn’t want to provoke anything) and secondly not shout round the children (my 6 yr
old was visibly distressed) I got the dog on the lead and as I was walking away he shouted arsehole. I am ashamed to say I was so stressed and upset I actually soiled myself and can’t stop shaking and crying about this. Was I in the wrong here??

So you think his response was reasonable ? Yelling at her after she had apologised and asked if the boy was OK, and after she asked him to stop, and shouting names as she walked away ? The dog knocked the little boy over. The man shouted and yelled. She apologised and asked if the boy was OK, and in the meantime the dog had come back under control. That should have been the end of it. Clearly it shouldn’t have happened but let’s not forget his own dog was off the lead and probably contributing to the excitement. So many people condoning yet another instance of male entitlement and bullying. Do you think that if OP had been another man he would have carried on in the same way ?

Dogs are such a nuisance, especially those that the owners have off their leads. I'd really like to see a law passed that dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled in all public places and at all times.

This would never have happened with a cat. Whoever heard of a cat knocking a boy over... just saying.

Just to add it sounds a horrible experience for all of you. We were unloading car the other day and dog was still in the back...until he wasn't...he jumped out boot and started to chase a runner on the other side of the road. Horrendous. All Our Fault. 100%.

She's probably seriously regretting making this thread, poor woman

Read the OP again. She apologised and asked if the boy was OK and was met with a torrent of abuse. The conversation about her dog just being friendly came after. The mans’ own dog was off the lead too so likely contributing to the situation.

Or at least mentioning the poop !! The armchair medics are out in force on this one. Not to mention the apologists for yet another bullying incident from a man.

So a real dog hater then ?

So you think he would be OK with his child being knocked over if the dog's owner was a man?

Are you suggesting the child's father was only angry with OP's inability to control her dog because she was a woman? That actually, he didn't really give a shit about his child? That his anger was nothing to do with the threat and danger to his child that OP's uncontrolled animal posed?

What is it with women that think their bad behaviour is only ever called out by men because they hate women? This father had every good reason to be angry with OP and her 'my friendly dog should be allowed to do whatever it wants' attitude?

If an uncontrolled dog knocked my child over and then gave me a load of shite about their fucking animal being "friendly", I would be livid. Whether the dog owner was a man or a woman would be entirely irrelevant.

Which is probably what OP tried to do by the sound of it. Unfortunately even at the stage where she was walking away, this man felt the need to name call.

Massive overreaction on his part. Some of the responses on here are BIZARRE. If a man had screamed at me like that I would have screamed back!! No way would I allow someone to speak to me like that. There was no malice in what happened. I’ve had grown men accidentally step on my kids when they’re not looking where they’re going. Did I scream at them?! (Despite the fact they could’ve easily really injured them) No, but I did tell them to watch where they’re going (we were on a picnic blanket).

These things happen, it was not a big deal. Aggressive dogs, different story, of course.

Dog owners are bringing this up onto themselves by thinking there should be no rules whatsoever for their beloved animals. I wouldn’t mind dogs as long as my toddler and I can safely and peacefully use the park alongside them, but since that’s not an option, I’m inclined to agree with this poster.

So no acknowledgment that your dog shouldn’t be off lead if it is knocking over children? It doesn’t matter if the other dog was playing, it didn’t knock over your child. You need to control your own dog.

So you think he would be OK with his child being knocked over if the dog's owner was a man?

No. But I very much doubt the response would have been the same. Especially the name calling. He was angry - perfectly reasonable. He shouted at OP - again perfectly reasonable. OP then apologised and asked if the boy was OK. At that point any further shouting is unnecessary because an apology has been given. But he carried on and then added name calling as OP walked away. That kind of bullying behaviour is saved for women because there’s little chance of a woman turning round and putting him on his arse in response. That’s the point.

I’m just really glad that this kind of attitude is only found on MN.

I’m afraid I am on the man’s side. I recently had an off lead dog bash into me at speed and it seriously injured me. I am such a doormat all I said was your dog really hurt me to which the owner apologised. I wish I was like this man and able to put it across clearly that this isn’t on!

Not before she had made excuses for her "friendly" dog. That is not a real apology, so she didn't really apologise.

I have the membership card to prove it.

However, reading some of these responses, this might not be a dog hating thread, but a poo troll one... or a man hating one - It's a kind of 3-in-1 isn't it?

If the dogs were both off lead and playing together then he was as much to blame as you.

Yes, she did. Read the OP. I ask if that was my dog and if so I’m sorry and hope the boy is okay. To which I am given a torrent of abuse

The conversation about the dog being friendly came after that. OP apologised and he carried on shouting, and as if that wasn’t enough, resorted to name calling as she walked away. You think he would have acted like that if it had been another man ?

What exactly do you find wrong with my ‘attitude’ ? Do you really think it’s reasonable that a small toddler can’t use a public park because a dog could jump on them and push them to the ground which can easily cause a serious injury? Really interested to hear your thoughts!

Not true at all. Its a built in part of an animals flight reflex. Voiding occurs naturally as the body gets ready to run.

Exactly this. If OP’s dog is playful then the other dog probably contributed to the excitement. What’s actually being implied by some posters is that it was fine for this mans’ dog to be off the lead, but not for OP’s. Double standards, yet again.

He sounds like a d+*k to swear and shout at you like that, tbh.

But dismissing his concerns by telling him your dog friendly is ignorant.

Keep your dog on a lead in a public place.

I think it’s utterly ridiculous to expect dogs to be leashed and muzzled at all times if they’re in a dog park. Our local park is clearly labelled as to where dogs are permitted to be let off the lead. If you walk there you expect to come into contact with dogs, so if you take a toddler there you have to take responsibility for that.

OP didn’t dismiss his concerns. She apologised and asked if the boy was OK. He carried on shouting.