AIBU to be upset after a dog jumped at our baby?

[KellyK2026]

Okay, so myself, DH and baby were at a country park the other week. Baby was getting hungry so we sat ourselves down on a park bench and got some food out. A woman was walking with her family and dog and the dog must’ve smelt the food as it suddenly
comes bounding over and is jumping at baby (who is on DH knee) to get the food. We don’t know this dog and don’t know what it's capable of. I scream at the owner that we have a baby and to get her dog under control. At this point, she’s pretty far away and is taking her time to come over. My DH then kicks the dog to get it off them as it just will not stop. The woman wasn’t particularly apologetic and seemed shocked. Did we overreact?

People are just saying you’re not unreasonable to be upset, as that’s what you asked. You didn’t ask if you were unreasonable to kick the dog, panic, straddle your baby and not simply stand up out of reach of the little dog

I’ve said repeatedly we couldn’t just stand up. If you’d seen the situation, you would’ve understand why.

Dogs and babies are both allowed in country parks, and there has to be some kind of mutual respect.
obviously viscous or biting dogs should be on a lead at all times

In my local park dogs are allowed but they must be on leads but they never are.
I don't know why not, there are signs everywhere and a fenced off area where dogs can run free.

Like op, I had a free range dog coming to sniff in my 1 yr old gsons buggy. He was asleep. I got in between it and the buggy and politely asked the woman to call her dog away. She replied, very loudly "I hate people like you"
So quite surprised I replied "and I hate dog owners like you"
"No need to be aggressive" she shouted.
"You're the one who's shouting"

Funny woman.

No no no no no.

I teach my kids to leave strangers' dogs alone. Dog owners should keep their dogs under control and out of the way.

No one should have to be 'dog savvy' - the dog should not need this. If it does, the dog has a shit owner.

Most people agree with your question. You aren't being unreasonable to be upset that a dog jumped at your baby.

Most people even agree the dog owner was irresponsible.

Two grown adult parents staying sitting while a dog jumped at their baby instead of at the very least standing up and removing the baby from the dog (or any other potential danger)? Try asking if YWBU in your lack of action.

There is a lot of victim blaming that happens in these situations. I saw a video of a horse rider whose horse was bitten by a woman’s dog and the dog owner blamed the horse rider for not halting her horse! It’s madness. It’s like it’s everyone else’s responsibility except the person who actually decided to buy/adopt a dog.

Could your DH not have restrained it by holding its collar or you stood up with the baby

I'd never get hold of a strange dog's collar, am I alone in that?

No, the last bit of the OP is My DH then kicks the dog to get it off them as it just will not stop. The woman wasn’t particularly apologetic and seemed shocked. Did we overreact?

82% of people are voting that OP was not being unreasonable / overreacting.

But life doesnt always go to plan! I had a kid come over to my dog and wrap her arms around her and then lie on her yesterday. All innocent and trying to hug my dog.
Kids parent just smiled and said she loves dogs.

The kids parent was entirely in the wrong but I didnt overact, start screaming, kicking etc. I just calmly asked the kid to give the dog some space and said you must always ask before touching dogs you dont know.

I’ve said repeatedly that my husband was straddling a bench, holding a squirming baby, while a dog was profusely jumping up at him. He used his body to shield the baby. If he had stood up and tried to swing his leg over the bench while the dog was jumping up at him and he lost his balance, would you be blaming that on us too? Because then it would’ve been ‘why didn’t you just block the dog instead of standing up when you knew it was risky to do so?’

It is your fault for two grown adults not standing up and getting a baby out of the reach of the dog. You weren't chained to the picnic bench.

Did I say the dog owner was not at fault? Irresponsible dog owner implies they were.

Good for your DH he did the right thing.

What dog do you have? If you had recalled it, would it have responded quickly?

Unfortunately, there are a lot of shit dog owners.

No it wasn’t our fault. None of it was. It was the fault of the shot dog owner who didn’t have control of her dog.

I routinely do. Dog body language is quite easy to read if you know a bit about dogs! Whenever we have a picnic we have dogs coming over, it’s food outside so we expect it

A lot of people don't know much about dogs especially strange dogs.
What I do expect is owners to be in full control of their off lead dogs otherwise they shouldn't be off lead.

A shihtzu. She was on lead.

If the dog wasn't being aggressive you over reacted which is probably why the owner didn't apologise

Quite right. Isn’t just safer to assume, as a dog owner, that most people aren’t dog people and that you should train them? I’ve never had a dog but I’ve had other pets and I would always ask people if they are comfortable with the animal before I would plonk them on their knee.

Exactly this

She apologised, but it was under her breathe but now, in hindsight, I think she was probably just embarrassed because her family didn’t look particularly happy with her.

This is an entirely different situation.

Actually no. There is no requirement for pedestrians, or even cyclists or horse riders to be familiar with the high way code. Legal requirement for vehicle drivers to be familiar though.

You chose to have a dog, you are solely responsible for its behaviour.

Ok, you do you. Enjoy your life full of unnecessary stresses

Whilst all the crap dog owners cause people unnecessary stress.