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....

themoon- instead of preparing an apology for the next time your dog upsets someone - why don't you just keep him under control?
I don't understand why people think it's okay to let their dogs bound around if they have a history of leaping on people.

If I ran around leaping at children, knocking them over, would that be okay, because I'm only playing?

I agree with you ahundredtimes. I think the attitude displayed by some posters is setting their DCs up for serious phobia issues and possibly years of anxiety and fear around dogs.

If anyone takes exception to that, please read my other posts, I'm not condoning out of control dogs and understand that not everyone likes dogs. I just think you've got to realise that you will come across dogs that sniff you in the park / on a dog-friendly beach.

No, not you, but toddlers bump into people a lot. I have myself had a toddler wipe it's chocolate ice cream on my trousers just yesterday.

The parents sort of smiled in a 'oh dear, oops' gormless fashion.

Next time, I'm going to suggest they either restrain their toddler, or suggest they find adequate place for their toddler to eat ice cream ie NOT on a public footpath in the park.

I'm sure that dog owners with the "get a life" or "what's the big deal" attitude would have more to say if a complete stranger's 2,3, or 4 year old over-excited kid with sticky chocolate fingers, snotty nose and goodness knows what else came bounding up to them and wiped themselves all over their clean clothes.

See below citronella.

Only I didnt. Because I have had toddlers too.

But I don't know why my DD is so scared of dogs, she has never been attacked and we had the Lab when she was younger. Neither DH or myself are scared of dogs and DH has been bitten 5 times! He must have Chum coursing through his veins. My neighbour has a Westie and we take DD in to see it and she is getting better, but it's the dogs outside that is the problem.

And 100x you are so wrong about the birds being the ones to watch, we have a homicidal cat in our street. It's the Hannibal Lecter of the animal world

Seagulls can be pretty scary. A mummy crow once dive-bombed me as I was obviously too near her nest.

I think their sense of entitlement is completely deluded. The only place they can feel entitled to read a book in peace without fear of dogs / toddlers bearing chocolate ice cream / frisbees / cricket matches is their own back garden.

If they go in a public place, they are in a public place and have to take the risks that the world might not go or be exactly as they wish it.

Same is true of people allergic to dogs, I'm afraid.

But that sense of entitlement to peace cannot account for birds, because NOBODY CONTROLS THEM.

And they are planning on taking over the world. And they are WATCHING.

And they are vicious and nasty.

The noise dogs make is often really scary and they can hurt you. I remember waiting for a lift in my block of flats with my baby in a Bjorn and a dog kept barking at us and jumping and I turned away and my baby cried. When the lift came, they got straight into it, even though I'd been there first, and I thought it was wise to wait for the next one because she was so upset. I don't think the fear of dogs comes entirely from my own overcautiousness, they are very loud and - to a non-dog-owner - unpredictable. To be honest, I'd rather my dd did have a dog phobia and stayed away from dogs than went up to every dog she saw. Because I genuinely don't know how to tell between the dogs that are lovely (I've no doubt this is the majority!!) and the dogs that might snap or nip or just start barking like crazy and jumping around in a scary way. So I'd rather stay away. I know this post will make dog owners hate me.

To be fair, not everybody likes children. They cry and stuff don't they - speshly on planes and trains and they DO take up a lot of park space what with some of them being a bit wobbly on not only thier bikes, roller skates and scooters but some of em even struggle on their blardy legs. Always tripping up the zimmer frame brigade and occasionally wiping snot or ice cream on passers by as they lunge forwards.

Cripes, some of them even demand a whole picnic rug of personal space while they sit there sampling Hipp jars and soggy banana.

True, children are at the very core of our continued existence, but it'd surely be wrong to assume total and absolute superiority over any species? Somebody already mentioned dogs and their many uses to the benefit of mankind...

Anyway, "I'd like to teach the world to sing..." la la la

Most cats kept as pets aren't a threat to wildlife. The majority of well fed domestic cats aren't in the least bit bothered about trying to catch anything IME.

would be interested in your thoughts on this:

Years ago, I was walking my (quite tall) dog on a lead and walked past a woman with three young children (probably aged between 2 and 7). The children didn't react very much to the dog and the dog didn't show any interest in them. But the woman grabbed the youngest children and pulled them in to the bushes, shouting at me "Please keep your bloody dog under control. We don't like dogs." The dog may have been about 3 or 4 feet away by them when she shouted this, and we were passing each other in a park (dogs allowed). Now that experience was confusing.

She clearly had a deep phobia herself since the dog was only there, not doing anything except trotting along, and she perceived it as something else entirely. Sadly though she was most definitely passing her fear on to the children, especially in light of her comment.

Sometimes there are people (both dog owners and non-dog owners) who react in extreme ways.

or in the wrong ways, as far as the majority perception goes

for 100x

Yes, yes and children are EVERYWHERE. At least you don't find dogs in restaurants screaming and throwing things off highchairs or getting down and running around restaurants. Thank god for that.

No, we don't hate you Ebene. I used to tell my children - and ds2 was frightened of dogs - to always ask the owner if they could stroke the dog. Not to assume that the dog would be thrilled to see them. That seemed to work.

Since getting this absurdly dopey and wagging spaniel, ds2 now thinks all dogs are his friends so we've had to re-introduce the 'can I stroke your dog?' line again.

I can see where you're coming from EBenes. But fostering a dog phobia is also very sad. I always try and make sure my dog is never scaring / intimidating those around me when I'm out (not that he does)

FWIW I don't hate you, am sure many more people hate me on this thread as an evil dog owner

Well said objectivity, let's all joint hands and paws and live life in overcrowded harmony

"But fostering a dog phobia is also very sad."

Yes, I think this is true, too. I do think I will pass on my own dog phobia whether I want to or not. I have already passed on a goose phobia, which I regret!

Geese are really mean, though.

We're not really comparing it, are we - not seriously anyway? In a discussion of public space though, everyone is entitled to some space, so actually the only sensible thing to do is to try and behave courteously whilst there.

WandP - yes, I've seen that too. Thing is I don't like birds, I MISTRUST them, and believe they have PLANS and they are without rules or laws and are utterly unpredictable in my book. But if I meet a bird owner [shudder] I don't hold the owner of the bird responsible for my hatred of them. That would be barking. Or chirping. Or something.
I don't blame people who feed them either, though I do shoot them filthy looks. But that's personal.

Ah, I can't reassure you that most geese are lovely cos I also think they have rather evil eyes!

Geese pretty awful, not nearly as bad as swans though. [faints]

hellish.. think you've mixed me up with someone else... I don't have a dog.