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!

But OP is not a dog.

So only your ddogs were acting aggressive but his ddog was abused?
Many years ago my ddog was punched in a misunderstanding..her behaviour changed forever that day. And I was left to deal with her -for over a decade.

Her dogs were on leads, his dogs shouldn't have been allowed to approach

No, but OPs dogs reacted with fear and began to show teeth and growl.
It's impossible to say what would have happened if she had not intervened the greyhound may have got the message and retreated or the conflict could have escalated and ended in a bite.
The greyhound needed to be removed from the situation as it showed no respect for the other dogs. It's not it's fault the owner has no idea how to train it, and if it continues in this way it's probable that one day it will annoy the wrong dog.
It's owner is doing it a great disservice.

I think I’m in the same Facebook group based on what you have said. There are photos from someone else that was there. Can you see them? Or maybe the person posting them has blocked you?

No you weren't in the wrong. Correct etiquette is for the owner to put their dog on a lead when they see that your dogs are on a lead.

It's so difficult to know how to react in that kind of situation, especially with two dogs. My response is usually to scream very loudly....which isn't ideal but it generally puts the dog off. It's an automatic reaction for me and I end up very embarrassed and beat myself up when of course it was the other person's fault!

You could try a K9 defence spray just as a deterrent. The problem is that after a few weeks of no incidents, it ends up in the bottom of my bag so I'm back to screaming!!

My partner had to do this with a greyhound too. We have a small dog who will sniff other dogs but doesn’t have much interest in playing, so he was walking right next to us when a greyhound came sprinting over and starting chasing him (our dog was trying to get away). The owner made no effort to recall or quicken her pace and our dog was getting quite distressed, so my partner kicked the dog in the hope he would back off. No regrets, control your dog.

He couldn’t run after his dog as he was frail!

Why ask when you’re defending yourself when everyone says you were unreasonable? Socialise your dogs better. And keep your feet to yourself.

I agree, but that doesn’t mean it’s ok to kick the dog. It had not turned aggressive.

Her dogs? That were on lead?

Her dogs were not the aggressors.
Her dogs reacted to the greyhound.

" Abuse" is an ridiculously emotional term for a knee jerk ( literally) reaction that saved all dogs from a possible escalation.

I'd have probably turned my back on the dog rather than kick, but I wasn't there and hindsight is 20:20

Aye, are you a parrot?
socialised dogs even on leads aren’t nervous of other dogs coming over to them,

I'd have probably turned my back on the dog rather than kick, but I wasn't there and hindsight is 20:20

I've got an older cocker spaniel with a heart condition, and he's totally deaf so has to be kept on a lead. We used to bump regularly into a lady walking a greyhound, who thought other peoples dogs were there purely to play with hers and tire it out one day it knocked my boy flying and I really did kick off at her for not having any control over it. That ended up being posted all over FB as she was so offended..... I took the higher ground and ignored it. I just don't walk that way anymore so not to bump into her.

Incredibly stupid to kick it, I hope you only did this because you knew it was friendly. Had it been nasty it could have taken your leg and dragged you down and then attacked your dogs. You never use your leg to kick a dog-carry a stick if you are scared.

If I kept my dog on a lead I’m not sure I’d venture somewhere that boisterous dogs might be off lead. Picking both dogs up escalates a situation too as your own dogs are now protecting you. I’ve never understood why people do this. (I get why you want to protect your dogs and it’s annoying etc as old dog energy will never match young pup energy.)
I used to stand in front of my elderly Lab and say a firm, loud NO/AWAY. Or just grabbed the collar and escorted it to the owner, explaining why.

I don’t think anyone heads out thinking I hope my dog jumps up at people and scares them, I think they reframe it as they’re only friendly etc. The person shouldn’t have posted on socials either, they should’ve accepted their dog was being a yob, grabbed it, apologised and moved on. No harm was done.

She literally says the dog was jumping up at her to get to her dogs.

That's pretty outrageous behaviour in canine and human terms !

The greyhound should not have been in a position to be able to rush up to your dogs OP.
However picking up your small dog is asking the other dog to jump up you. It's always best to leave your dogs on the ground if at all possible.
If you carry a stick on your walks that is always useful as a deterrent or a barrier. It drives me mad when people allow their dogs to approach ours, when they are under close control.
Some of these replies have me shaking my head in despair.

Like I’ve said many times if someone has an alternative way I could have dealt with it I’m all ears. So far nobody has! They are socialised but shocking as it may be they don’t like being trodden on. Like I’ve also said many dogs come up to them for a quick sniff and owners call them back when I ask them to. They have never bothered another dog on or off leash unless they get all up in their face!

Yes but there could have been a number of reasons why her dogs were on lead, off lead dogs shouldn't have been able to approach.

You sure can tell who the shit dog owners are

You turn your back on the dog when it's jumping up at you.
Harder to do when you are trying to hold two smaller dogs admittedly.
Of course you should not have kicked the dog. The only excuse for kicking the dog would have been if it was biting you or your dogs.
Dog owners put me off having a dog. The greyhound type should not be off lead if he can't resist running up to on-lead dogs. The on-lead dogs could be extremely reactive and it could be the greyhound who gets badly hurt next time.
Equally, kicking a dog for being a dog is obviously pretty bad form. It's not clear whether your kick was a proper booting or more of a shove off with a leg... The former is horrible and could cause real damage, the latter, not really so bad in the circumstances.
I used to have dogs and I've been had a go at for my off lead dog having fun with another off lead dog, and also for snapping a lead on mine as we approach a dog being walked on lead ❓

Really it depends on the kick.

A toe poke that barely made contact to ward him off, and that barely caused any discomfort let alone pain = no problem.

A full-bodied boot in the stomach if he was simply having a little sniff = big problem!

You were wrong. Don’t kick dogs and don’t pick up yours to separate them. If there’s one thing guaranteed to make another dog go garretty - it’s this.

I would kick a dog to protect my dog! My dog has been attacked my dogs which should NEVER be off a lead and then the owners accept zero responsibility as their dogs are "usually so friendly" eyeroll.

My boy is a big Labrador and I've had to physically pick him up after a dog went for him and the owner said to me "Oh, it's just a lot of noise".

Kick the dog if it means your dogs are protected. The owner will soon learn!