to think that an "oh dear, sorry about that" is a piss poor apology from a dog owner......

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Whose sea-drenched dog bounded up to me and jumped up at me on the beach, and then bounded over to 3 yr old DS and jumped all over him and knocked him over?

Both of us were filthy (was a late afternoon stroll - no swimsuits etc) and although the owner asked if DS was okay (he wasnt hurt), when I replied that he wasnt hurt but he was now filthy dirty - he just said "oh, okay" and wandered off....

ahundredtimes your contribution to this thread is a triumph and you should be very proud.

ahundredtimes your contribution to this thread is a triumph and you should be very proud.

I am actually intrinsically suspicious of people who dislike dogs or animals in general. Although one of my closest friends doesn't really like animals very much, but she is frightened of them more than dislike.

"pet dogs are for the inadequate" and something about over sentimentality?? Self obsessed?? maybe, in the minority of cases but most pet owners enjoy the empathy and affection they get from their pet - its a human instinct to nuture.

I have always loved animals, always had pets, only ever been without a dog in my life for a month (im 37). I don't like my house without a dog in it. But i am sooo not oversentimental about animals. I used to be a veterinary nurse and that pretty much knocks the sentimentality out of you, else you would go mad. I am objective and probably quite hard about animals actually. I have no problem "dispatching" injured wildlife etc and disapprove greatly of people who can't control their pets in public. It is a fundamental responsibility of pet ownership.

Its funny, i live by the sea and there is a pub on the beach, quite an elite clientelle, pseudo intellectual, boden wearing brigade. Yet you walk past there at any time and there are dogs a go go and no one seems to give a fiddlers fart. We took our dog there once, had him on the lead. I was getting the drinks when behind me i saw the HUGE pub dog chasing what looked like a white rat around the bar area. Then i realised it was my dog - no one batted an eyelid, small children just stepped out of the way. I said to DP, why did you let him off, he just said, well there are about 10 dogs running around and he was doing my head in pulling on the lead. Fair enough. Everyone was enjoying the sun, children getting muddy in the sand. Random dogs shaking water all over people. NO ONE CARED Was a great afternoon.

Whenever i see a dog off the lead on the beach, i assume that it is friendly and not a danger. Thankfully 99% of the time this is right. Most of the dogs just ignore everyone anyway. My little terrorist does run up to people, but they generally encourage him. He is getting out of that stage now though.

I never said I don't like dogs and I seem to have been leapt on for objecting to a dog eating my picnic, slobbering on my kids drinks and the banshee madwoman screaming in my face - must be me.

and I apologise for telling you to fuck off, it just annoyed me at the time. I'm not known for my sweariness on MN!

and always one needing to clarify things.... she screamed at me, not the other way around. I am a ladeeeee

Oh let's have a hug and a love in kbear. I didn't mean to say fuck you all picnic eaters either really: in fact we're mostly on the same side as I think some dog owners are shocking, my kids are scared of dogs too etc...

Gawd, I am such a "cat" person
I was knocked over by an overenthusiastic Red Setter when young and have since been very scared of dogs.
Some owners respect this and respect others by keeping them on a lead, some don't. That's life I s'pose.
I just don't see why other people's choice of pet should ruin my day/afternoon/whatever, not everyone likes my kids, but I don't let them jump up all over people (or lick other people's picnics).

LOL Wilf. All better.

red setters, man: the stupidest dogs in the world and the most, er, boundy... I don't think they even could be controlled by Barbara Bleeding Woodhouse.

Great Danes are probably the most stupid. Too much in-breeding. Little dogs more intelligent

At least you got an apology! A large dog, filthy with mud jumped all over me and grabbed my arm in his mouth (luckily I was wearing a thick coat) and when I complained to the owner I was told not to make such a fuss, he was only being friendly! I felt like giving her a "friendly" slap!

Yeah. Sounds like you all need a borrow of Dave my pet tiger...

See I like tigers, you know where you are with a tiger. There is no doubt as to what the outcome will be if you happen upon a tiger out walking!

I'm a dog owner and other dog owners who don't keep their dogs under control are the bane of my life. If your dog doesn't come back immediately when you call it - it's not under control and should be on a lead. If you let your dog get more than 30 or 40 yards away from you, it's very likely not to pay any attention to you when you call it - so it's not under control. If you see someone coming towards you with a dog that is on a lead, the correct thing to do is to put your dog on a lead - not shout "oh he's perfectly friendly" - because hey, maybe the other dog isn't. If your dog is chasing other dogs or bothering people in a public place and you get reported, you will get into trouble for having a dog that is "dangerously out of control" - no matter how "sweet and friendly" you think your dog is. It'll just as likely be a responsible dog owner who reports you to the dog warden as a "dog-hater". As the owner of a small terrier, I'm sick of being cannoned into by staffies who "just want to play", sick of being terrorised by the local unsocialised rottweiler which has already killed one jack russell and is keen to get another asap, sick of being bounced on by idiot slobbering labs that don't even appear to notice that they've knocked my children over and bloody sick of the sight of the crap left on public footpaths and playing fields by other people who are too lazy to clear up after their pets. And as for those idiots who insist on walking their dogs beside a main road without a lead - and the dog has just taken off across the road to "say hello" (or even to say "f*ck off") to my dog, thereby nearly causing a horrible accident... Can you tell it's one of my "pet" (har har) peeves?

See that's where you're wrong kbear: when he jumps up at people and swats them with his claws, ripping their faces to shreds, that's just him being friendly. And when he bounds over and eats a baby or two, well that's their fault for calling him over. And so what if he growls scaring the living daylights out of the old dear who has a heart attack: it's not his fault if she doesn't understand tiger body language and makes eye contact.

You make a really good point, NBNC, that I don't think has been made yet - asbo dogs and their owners are just as much of a pest, if not more so, for nice dog owners as they are for non-owners.

oh FFS wilf are we going to fall out again?

NBNC, it was a good point until I got to the totally frustrating generalising about breeds. Have seen plenty of out of control dogs that aren't staffies or rotties (in fact that are mainly not staffies or rotties).

(first time I've used the emoticon!]

Yanbu. Also hate people who let their dogs jump up on you. I have worked hard to stop my dog doing this.

Admittedly, she did it when she was a puppy and I'd have to really grovel to people. Especially when she was covered in fox crap, the stinkiest and nastiest substance known to man or woman, but crack cocaine for doggies.

Anway, grovelling apologies are in order if your doggie jumps up on people, not just casual comments.

Thanks, SqueakyPop. I reported the rottweiler incident to the local dog-warden because it left me and my 2 two DCs (10 and 3) and our dog very scared. Am unable to give any details as unlikely as it may be that the rottweiler owner goes anywhere near MN, she is extremely litigious so I don't want to give any identifying details. Unless the owner of the terrier that was killed by the rottweiler decides to press charges, the rest of us just have to hope that we don't meet her when we're walking our dogs. The dog warden told me that if this rottweiler gets loose the only thing I can do is let my dog off the lead. So then my kids and I can watch our beloved little dog either being ripped to bits or run over.

Well, sorry wigparty, but I'm just giving a few examples from my own recent experience. Jack Russells can also be v. aggressive (mine is a JRT/lakeland cross), which is why I make a point of managing my dog's behaviour. I know plenty of very responsible staffie owners, but it just so happens that the majority of out of control dogs around here are staffies. This is probably purely because staffies are one of the most popular dogs in the UK - i.e. there are more of them.

NBNC, that's an awful story, am so sorry.
I'm sorry for using at you in hindsight (feels like swearing). I just get so tired of people pigeonholing certain breeds.