To have kicked an old man’s dog?

[itsme189]

This morning I was walking my 2 very small elderly dogs on lead in the woods near me where it’s nice and cool for them.

they love people but they don’t love when dogs run up to them and get all in their face, valid I wouldn’t like that either. If a dog on or off lead just walks past or gives them a quick sniff they don’t mind. I always tell people not to let their dogs come right up to them.
Theyve never bitten just growled and I just don’t want to risk anything.

there was an old man walking a large greyhound type dog off lead and he’s miles away from it it runs at us very fast so I stick my leg in front of my dogs and the dog doesn’t stop runs straight into my leg. He then excitedly throws his foot on top of my smallest dog he squeals in pain and my other dog starts growling and showing teeth.

so I picked them up and then the big dogs starts jumping up at me to get to my dogs so I kick it away.

Old man then starts screaming at me for “abusing” his friendly dog and a lady walking passed then said to him “I saw her kick the dog”

and now I don’t know if I did too much but I was so overwhelmed and worried it would become a fight and there’s no way my old boys would do well in that situation. To make it worse the lady made a post about it in our local Facebook group (luckily no pictures) and everyone’s saying awful things but they only know one side!

For the record the dog was not hurt didn’t even squeal!

Yes you were wrong to kick a dog.

If your dogs aren't socialized then hire a field for them to be walked in but don't expect socialised dogs to be kept on leads in areas where they can be off lead and expect them to change 363936529936 thousands of years of genetically inbred social behaviour

if you can’t control your dog they shouldn’t be off lead man could not get his dog to come back to him? What was I supposed to do?

Too much yes. And the wrong thing to do from a protection point of view too.

I totally disagree, I have a greyhound and only ever let her off in a secure private field so she doesn't chase or hurt other smaller dogs.
I despise owners who just let their dogs off lead and do whatever they want.
No OP you were not in the wrong at all

I have dogs and am completely on your side.

I have also had incidents with uncontrolled off leash dogs bothering mine and I wouldn't hesitate to defend my dogs against an unknown dog.

As far as the FB post you have two choices, ignore it or go all out blasting him with your version.

What’s the right thing to do? I’m not going to let a dog hurt mine or jump all over me. I’m happy to be told what to do in future in case it happens again!! Obviously I tried telling it to get down and getting the man to call it back neither worked!

I agree with the OP, her dogs were on lead, the other dogs shouldn't have been allowed to approach

You could not be more wrong.

Off leash being acceptable does not equate to uncontrolled and untrained being acceptable

And if you have to pick up your own dog to defend it from another animal then only your foot is left to repel the dog with no recall or training.

I agree with you. Dogs should be put on lead when passing other dogs unless they are well controlled. My dog also hates big dogs running upto him & gets cross. The old mans at fault here for not controlling his dog! This has happened to me many times!

While I don’t condone kicking dogs obviously, I probably would’ve had to do the same. People need to keep their dogs on leads if they have no recall / control! I’ve had a chunk taken out of my thigh from a relative’s greyhound, they’re not all ‘friendly dogs’.

I think you went too far really in kicking a dog that wasn’t being aggressive, if the dog was trying to attack your dogs then fair enough, but it sounds like the other dog was excited and wanted to play. I understand your dogs were on lead and the dog shouldn’t have approached the way it did, but I think kicking a non aggressive dog was taking it too far personally.

YANBU. Nothing wrong with kicking a dog in this situation.

I don’t have dogs but I would absolutely be kicking any that came too close to me or my kids. Not appropriate. Don’t like it? Don’t let your mutt come up to strangers 🤷‍♀️

Yes it’s happened a few times normally one of mine gives a warning growl and the off leash dogs backs off. No issue with that because that’s just dogs sorting it out between themselves! Or people just call them back and off they go!

He should keep his bloody nuisance creature on a lead in future then shouldn't he. You were defending your own dogs from being hurt by it.

Dogs are not children.
A dog who invaded another dogs space is not just a cute pooch wanting to " play" it is an untrained and badly socialized animal.

What should I have done then? I’m honestly happy to hear an alternative but it’s a big dog jumping all over me and I had a dog in each arm!

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On lead and having a dog run at them doesn’t mean they are the unsocialised ones - a well socialised dog doesn’t invade unwilling dog’s space, and doesn’t jump up at the owner to try to get to the other dogs 🙄

Would suggest you look at your own dog ownership here and how you think the on-lead dogs were the problem.

But how would you feel if a stranger kicked one of your dogs? You can say what you like about their behavior and how nobody would ever have to do that. But if you think it's ok then surely you accept it if your own dog gets kicked?

Well I can control them though can’t I because they are on a lead and the second they growled I scooped them up! you cannot say the same for the other dogs owner

His dog was out of control and jumped at you. It isn't relevant that you were holding a dog to protect them from his hound. I'd report him to the local dog warden. He should keep his dog on a lead if it cannot be controlled.

And I say that as a dog lover. But I've been jumped at before - once when I was out for a run (I gave it a wide berth, it was on a lead, but the oblivious owner allowed it to run and jump at me and injure me), and once when I was out for a walk and stood between three out of control dogs and my family - it jumped straight into me causing an injury.

When dogs are pushed like that they react. There’s nothing in this post that indicates the OP’s dogs are unsocialised.

The dog jumped at you because you picked up your dogs, you could have dealt with it better.

If my dog ran up to and hurt another dog and I had no control over them absolutely defend your dog and kick them if you have to but they never go off lead and they avoid other dogs so never been in that situation

If my dog was up and in other dog’s faces and behaving in a threatening way I’d have no problem someone kicking her!