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AIBU?

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Original poster

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

650 replies

KellyK2026 · Today 12:14

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?

OP posts:
Original poster
KellyK2026 · Today 21:16

BuildbyNumbere · Today 21:12

And your husband then has no other option but to kick the dog?!? What a weird reaction … hence my question, which I assume the answer is yes.

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No, he didn’t. His arms were full with a baby and he had one foot free. And guess what, it worked.

OP posts:
BuildbyNumbere · Today 21:16

FreshJalapenos · Today 21:16

The funny thing is that if the OP had a dog, being attacked by another dog, the dog loons on here would be applauding the DH for kicking it. Baby’s are annoying but fur babies are acceptable to so many people

Baby wasn’t being attacked.

Vivi0 · Today 21:17

KellyK2026 · Today 21:15

Yes but my child doesn’t have massive canines and claws. If I’m being honest with you, the minority of responses that have been negative have actually convinced me that we should’ve taken it further and reported it under the dangerous dog act. We didn’t at the time
because the owner apologised and we didn’t feel it necessary. However, the victim blaming and thinking that we should’ve just let a full grown dog jump up at an infant has shown me that, actually, people need to take a stance because others clearly think this is acceptable or are quick to make excuses. If it happens again I most definitely will report it, as others have suggested.

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However, the victim blaming…

Victim blaming?

What were you a victim of, exactly?

Lacksie · Today 21:17

FreshJalapenos · Today 21:14

Well trained dogs don’t do this and good owners keep their dogs on leads if they can’t leave food alone

Animals aren’t like humans, FYI.

I I know dog loons expect the world to bed to their fur baby but a family having a picnic in the park is a perfectly reasonable thing to do and expect without some twat and their mutt coming to spoil things.

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Of course animals are like humans in the sense that no matter how well trained they aren't perfect 100% of the time. It's absolutely ridiculous (and totally callous/ objectifying to animals) to pretend otherwise.

BuildbyNumbere · Today 21:17

KellyK2026 · Today 21:16

No, he didn’t. His arms were full with a baby and he had one foot free. And guess what, it worked.

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So if his arms were full of the baby, why didn’t he stand? You said he was straddling the baby?
DH sounds like a nasty piece of work.

FreshJalapenos · Today 21:17

NaomiTroll · Today 21:15

Honestly if my dog had bounded over like that and behaved in such a way around parents with a baby, I wouldn’t mind one bit if my dog was kicked away from the baby and would’ve been mortified that they’d caused such a problem. Our dog was food obsessed so we’d usually keep him on a lead in picnic areas because even though he was well trained with recall, because he was a Labrador when it came to food he had a one track mind. So sorry you had to deal with that, how stressful for you and your baby.

Me neither. I’d expect it and I’d apologise and check if they needed compensated for the food. I wasn’t weirdly obsessed with my dogs when I had them though like people are these days!

Original poster
KellyK2026 · Today 21:17

BuildbyNumbere · Today 21:16

OP doesn’t know dog breeds, isn’t confident around dog … but is apparently an expert in dog training.

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Well I have been around many well trained dogs. They don’t just lose basic skills over the smell of food. If they do then that’s a problem.

OP posts:
Vivi0 · Today 21:18

KellyK2026 · Today 21:17

Well I have been around many well trained dogs. They don’t just lose basic skills over the smell of food. If they do then that’s a problem.

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Of course they do.

FreshJalapenos · Today 21:19

Lacksie · Today 21:17

Of course animals are like humans in the sense that no matter how well trained they aren't perfect 100% of the time. It's absolutely ridiculous (and totally callous/ objectifying to animals) to pretend otherwise.

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No they’re nothing like humans, humans are far smarter and more nuanced and have the ability to be way more complex. I’m not an expert dog trainer but never ever had an issue training my dogs to not eat random food or bother people. It’s not hard

Original poster
KellyK2026 · Today 21:19

BuildbyNumbere · Today 21:17

So if his arms were full of the baby, why didn’t he stand? You said he was straddling the baby?
DH sounds like a nasty piece of work.

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No, and I’ve said this a million times, he was straddling a bench. To stand up would’ve meant to stand up with a bench between his legs and then balance on one leg as he swung his other leg over the side. That’s a pretty precarious situation to be in when you’re holding a baby and a medium sized dog is jumping up at you. But I guess if he’d had fallen with the baby that would’ve been blamed on us too.

OP posts:
FreshJalapenos · Today 21:20

Vivi0 · Today 21:18

Of course they do.

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The they’re not well trained.

Lets face it, this wasn’t a one of. An unbothered owner plus the dog being of it’s lead is more likely to be a badly trained dog who does this all the time

Original poster
KellyK2026 · Today 21:20

Vivi0 · Today 21:18

Of course they do.

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Then they aren’t well trained.

OP posts:
BuildbyNumbere · Today 21:20

KellyK2026 · Today 21:19

No, and I’ve said this a million times, he was straddling a bench. To stand up would’ve meant to stand up with a bench between his legs and then balance on one leg as he swung his other leg over the side. That’s a pretty precarious situation to be in when you’re holding a baby and a medium sized dog is jumping up at you. But I guess if he’d had fallen with the baby that would’ve been blamed on us too.

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Just stand up with the bench between his legs then … is he a midget? It’s a dog, not a bear.

Lacksie · Today 21:21

KellyK2026 · Today 21:15

Yes but my child doesn’t have massive canines and claws. If I’m being honest with you, the minority of responses that have been negative have actually convinced me that we should’ve taken it further and reported it under the dangerous dog act. We didn’t at the time
because the owner apologised and we didn’t feel it necessary. However, the victim blaming and thinking that we should’ve just let a full grown dog jump up at an infant has shown me that, actually, people need to take a stance because others clearly think this is acceptable or are quick to make excuses. If it happens again I most definitely will report it, as others have suggested.

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Go ahead and report it next time. There will be absolutely no consequence and maybe you will realise you are being hyperbolic

WhatNoRaisins · Today 21:21

I also don't get how it's ok for dogs to get so excited about food that they just can't help but bound over to strangers picnics. Aren't there foods that are dangerous for dogs?

Original poster
KellyK2026 · Today 21:21

FreshJalapenos · Today 21:16

The funny thing is that if the OP had a dog, being attacked by another dog, the dog loons on here would be applauding the DH for kicking it. Baby’s are annoying but fur babies are acceptable to so many people

God that’s so true

OP posts:
FreshJalapenos · Today 21:22

KellyK2026 · Today 21:19

No, and I’ve said this a million times, he was straddling a bench. To stand up would’ve meant to stand up with a bench between his legs and then balance on one leg as he swung his other leg over the side. That’s a pretty precarious situation to be in when you’re holding a baby and a medium sized dog is jumping up at you. But I guess if he’d had fallen with the baby that would’ve been blamed on us too.

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Honestly OP ignore the dog nutters. they’re projecting because in their world you should have been overjoyed to be getting harassed by this dog. In their world you should have looked longingly then said to your DH “Why did we have children. We should have got a mental dog instead” with a heavy sigh of sheer regret.

Original poster
KellyK2026 · Today 21:22

Lacksie · Today 21:21

Go ahead and report it next time. There will be absolutely no consequence and maybe you will realise you are being hyperbolic

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We will see

OP posts:
Liverpool52 · Today 21:22

Lacksie · Today 21:05

It didn't start jumping out of nowhere- it jumped because you had food.

Is it really your claim that trained dogs, never put a food wrong, ever??

do you apply the same beliefs about parenting, because you have a big shock coming!

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That's why they should be on leads.

BuildbyNumbere · Today 21:23

FreshJalapenos · Today 21:22

Honestly OP ignore the dog nutters. they’re projecting because in their world you should have been overjoyed to be getting harassed by this dog. In their world you should have looked longingly then said to your DH “Why did we have children. We should have got a mental dog instead” with a heavy sigh of sheer regret.

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Hahaha … give it a few years, probably be asking why they had kids and didn’t just get a dog!

Lacksie · Today 21:23

FreshJalapenos · Today 21:19

No they’re nothing like humans, humans are far smarter and more nuanced and have the ability to be way more complex. I’m not an expert dog trainer but never ever had an issue training my dogs to not eat random food or bother people. It’s not hard

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So are you another person pretending that a trained dog is 100% perfect 100% of the time? And any failure to be 100% perfect is "suddenly losing skills"? People have SUCH weird attitudes towards animals.
It's really messed up tbh.

Original poster
KellyK2026 · Today 21:24

BuildbyNumbere · Today 21:20

Just stand up with the bench between his legs then … is he a midget? It’s a dog, not a bear.

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What if he was a midget? What if we were both in wheelchairs and immobile? Would it be the dog owner’s fault then, or would it still be our fault?

OP posts:
Vivi0 · Today 21:24

KellyK2026 · Today 21:20

Then they aren’t well trained.

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It’s completely unrealistic to expect all dogs to be trained to the level of a working dog.

Most dogs, even trained dogs, will temporarily react to something in their environment.

Ohdfod · Today 21:24

Vivi0 · Today 21:17

However, the victim blaming…

Victim blaming?

What were you a victim of, exactly?

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Absolutely nothing, but more than 20 pages have been filled! I call bullshit. This either didn’t happen and/or op is a massive drama queen. MY BABY!!! Who was apparently totally unaffected and having a snack at the time?

BuildbyNumbere · Today 21:24

KellyK2026 · Today 21:22

We will see

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Report it to who? The police? Ha, good luck with that.