To think people need to realise dogs are animals and act as such?

[thisbloodydog]

I had an altercation with my dog yesterday and I’ve gone from mortified to annoyed!

My dog is 8 and is a Labrador. Until yesterday he’s genuinely had 100% recall and never given me any reason to doubt him. He comes back from anywhere with one shout of his name and if he didn’t then he wouldn’t be off lead.

Whilst walking in a local park (where off lead is permitted) he suddenly ran off. I can’t explain how out of character this is for him. I shouted him and it was like he’d gone deaf.

I ran after him as he’d gone over a hill. When I caught up to him I saw a family group having a bbq (illegally). They were about to hit him and were furious.

It turns out he’d sniffed their food, gone off on one and had basically ransacked their bbq.

Of course I was absolutely mortified and apologised profusely. I explained it was completely unlike him and that I would of course not let him off the lead again unless I was 100% sure his recall was in place.

They responded by shouting and swearing at me and saying that they were going to report my dog as dangerous. When I asked why he was dangerous (ie if he had growled at the food etc) they said the fact he took the food off the bbq was dangerous.

Whilst I was trying to apologise they said I owed them £40 for the bbq food he ate and kept insulting my dog and threatening to report him. At this point I said enough was enough and that they shouldn’t have had the bbq in the park anyway (it’s not allowed usually and it’s especially not allowed with the dry grass). I basically said if they wanted to report my dog then I’d be happy to report them back.

At this point they lost it even further and I walked off as there were children present and it felt completely inappropriate to descend into a shouting match.

I am a big believer in dogs having 100% recall if they are off lead and as I said until today he has. We will absolutely go back to basics with training and not running off for food etc.

BUT at the same time he is a dog and not a robot and I cannot possibly predict his behaviour in a completely unknown random situation. He should not encounter a bbq in this place and it was a complete surprise to us both. For once he followed his instincts and went for the food and ignored me. Again, he wasn’t dangerous and didn’t snatch food from a person or growl at anyone etc, but he did take food off the bbq.

I feel like the people needed to consider that he is a dog and he did something bad, but they were also in the wrong for having this bbq when it strictly isn’t allowed!

aibu?

Another entitled pet owner. Jeez

I feel you contradict yourself. It’s not your fault because at the end of the day a dog is an animal which are unpredictable but then; why let your dog off the leash given you know animals are unpredictable?

The first thing you should have said was ‘I’m so sorry I’ll pay for what she/he has eaten how much do I owe you’

I have a dog who has excellent recall and we rent a field to let her off the lead because…she’s a dog. And she’s unpredictable.

Your disapproval of them is irrelevant and doesn’t “even it up”. You were totally and utterly in the wrong, I’d have been furious is someone’s bloody dog ate my food. And I wouldn’t find it funny in the slightest.

I’m glad that we finally arrive at the point where even dog owners say that dogs are animals and are unpredictable. This is exactly the reason why we need dogs on leashes except for designated dog zones. Today the dog ate a BBQ, what if it kills a toddler tomorrow because…it’s an animal and unpredictable.

Good on him, BBQ’s are currently banned for fuck sake- idiots and so are you 50% voting YABU! Idiots. £40 of sausage too aye whatever LMAO.

My dog escaped our tent and stole sausages in the middle of the night (breaking into a cool box) I was mortified but of course he was just doing what dogs do, going on an adventure and “hunting” we had no clue until morning when we found the sausage wrapper in our tent, wasn’t even obvious how he got out as it was zipped up, sneaky creature! Thankfully fellow campers saw the funny side and said they should have put the clips on their cool box (a fox could have done similar)

It’s not even “bad”. If they weren’t breaking the rules by having a BBQ there, then there would have been no problem. Reimbursing them for the loss of food would be the gracious thing. But if you bait a hook, don’t act outraged if something takes your bait. Especially, if you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place. I understand their upset, but it was ultimately on them because of their choice to break the rules.

BBQers were meant to be cooking there in the first place. They should have gone where it’s allowed.

Op, if your dog ‘’is not a robot and you cannot possibly predict his behaviour in a completely unknown random situation’’, then how can you be certain that he won’t, one day, jump on a small child eating a sandwich and push him to the ground? You just don’t know. The problem is not so much what your dog did, but the fact that you seem to be shifting the blame on the people having their bbq in the park.

Many years ago I was in the park, after work, about to have a picnic, on a rare sunny evening. Out of a blue, a big dog ran over and starting grabbing my food and acting very excited. His owner did eventually appear and offered to pay for my picnic (which is more than you did to repay the damage your dog caused) but the last thing I wanted was to have to leave the park to go find a shop, buy more food, return to the park, reassemble…By the time I did that it would have been dark. Of course the dog hadnt eaten everything but his hair and drools were all over my picnic blanket. Yuck

Not innocent.

A squirrel swiped my peanut butter biscuit!

Where did the dog chase, charge at or jump at any people? Nothing reportable about it.

YaNBU @thisbloodydog, I don't agree with dogs being off lead anywhere except in designated off lead parks, which is exactly where your dog was. If people are ignorant enough to set up a BBQ in that area instead of the designated food area that's a risk they take. I wouldn't have offered to pay either after being subject to their verbal abuse.

People who are scared of dogs would avoid off lead dog parks @Flinstones. Why would you actively go somewhere there is a hugely increased risk of encountering your fear?

Only guide dogs should ever be allowed in shops or general indoor public places, don't object to dogs in separated, dog designated areas of cafés though.

Not everyone on MNs hates dogs nor is everyone who thinks dogs should be allowed off lead in designated spaces a dog owner! Shocking.

YANBU dogs are dogs 🤷‍♀️

the bbq lot sound like twats and aren’t those bbqs banned at the moment?!

Dogs are animals we know. This would not have happened if it had been on a lead- that's what I would have been thinking. I would have been mad if my meal had been spoilt Iike this. I wouldn't have been abusive though.

They shouldn't have been having a bbq, but even if they had not been banned this would still have happened

Yep, dogs are dogs and will do doggy things sometimes. They have been domesticated from the wild and have instincts which they will act on, e.g. prey drive, and seeking out food.

I love dogs. I had a Samoyed for 11 years and he was very well cared for (interesting breed - max grooming, max exercise, max barking...! BUT he was absolutely great when left alone for a few hours and never destructive at all). Unlike the OP's dog, his recall wasn't great. Oh yes, he understood perfectly... he'd look at us when we called him, then look the other way to see if anything more exciting was happening before he'd come, and it used to drive us crazy. For that reason, I never let him off the lead when I was alone with him. My husband had slightly better luck in that regard.

All of that said... way too many people have gone too far in treating their dogs like children, particularly dressing them up, carrying them around and expecting to take them EVERYWHERE. We still have pets, but I'd never refer to them as my fur babies. Absolutely cringeworthy.

Not quite sure about the the title of your post.

I realise dogs are animals and will act as such.

Therefore I don’t trust them and don’t own one. Don’t particularly enjoy being near them.

How does that mean if I was eating in a public place I deserve to have a dog run up and take my food?

You seem to be hiding behind the fact they shouldn’t have been bbq’ing. What if it had been a picnic?

So yeah, I realise dogs are animals. It doesn’t mean I’ve somehow signed up to to agree to be ok with this wild animal like behaviour.

I’m torn with this. Yes they were being naughty with a bbq, but the dog was also naughty eating it!

no they shouldn’t have been there and you hadn’t expected it so I’m leaning more towards team dog.

if it had been somewhere people can eat any food then dogs need to be on lead. But if it was a no food area then fair enough.

not ok for them to be sweary. But acceptable for them to shout.

Well yes…because it IS an animal

Completely agree!

Hi airborne elephant it's completely true my sister was in the line of traffic and witnessed it ! She was very upset it was a lovely little dog . Not sure why you don't believe me

I call bullshit on there being an area of the park where food is not allowed.

I mean, it probably wasn't £40 worth of meat, but it's hugely inconvenient to have loads of food you have just purchased and cooked stolen right as you were about to eat. Whether the BBQ was allowed or not does not undo the issue of your dog stealing their food.

Really can't be bothered to read the whole thread but yes, you are being very unreasonable and you should have paid for their food. You're not helping the cause of making dog owners likable. You just sound very entitled.

But your dog doesn’t have perfect recall…. S shown here! Why does society have to accept dogs like children,or worse than, as I have higher expectations of my toddler than the average dog roaming around.