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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect someone not to let their three dogs jump all over me

394 replies

8oreighty · 23/09/2009 11:51

and "playbite" my arms?!!! I was on a rural path...fair enough, but I think people should control their dogs...I got muddy footprints all over me. It is also kind of scary if you don't know the dogs. There were two women with 3 dogs, not even an apology. Even when I said angrily, "please can you get your dogs off me". That's just not on - is it?

OP posts:
Morloth · 24/09/2009 14:50

Humans are basically monkeys and dogs are basically wolves. Monkeys not so keen on wolves running towards them mostly.

If your dog attacks or in any other way jumps on someone else, whatever happens next is 100% your fault. I wouldn't think twice about defending either myself or my DC from a large dog with violence towards the dog, whether or not the owner thought it was just being "friendly".

Control your dog and there will be no problem.

GrimmaTheNome · 24/09/2009 14:52

Agree with Iggy about muzzles... a vet once insisted on muzzling my dachs and it was a bad experience. I don't know but suspect that if dogs had to be muzzled outside they might be more likely to be agressive at home. Which is where a lot of the horrible child-mauling events happen.

doggiesayswoof · 24/09/2009 14:52

I agree weegiemum - complacent dog owners are a worrying lot.

thesunshinesbrightly · 24/09/2009 14:53

keep my dog under control! wtf i do thankyou.
my dog has never bit and doesnt run up to children or people

sarah293 · 24/09/2009 14:56

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GrimmaTheNome · 24/09/2009 14:57

I'm sick of bad owners.

Fortunately most we encounter where we live are good and considerate. For instance, I've been agreeably suprised when cycling off-road how almost everyone gets their dog under control as we approach.

It can be done, so why doesn't everyone?

GrimmaTheNome · 24/09/2009 14:59

well good sunshine, so theres no problem.

So long as the control is sufficient that if your dog suddenly behaves out of character you can deal with it, then thats what we all want isn't it?

doggiesayswoof · 24/09/2009 15:00

Grimma I don't understand why every single dog owner doesn't train a good recall if they want to let their dog off the lead. (Apart from anything else, it could save the dog's life too)

I get annoyed by people who own dogs and then can't be bothered to train them.

iggypiggy · 24/09/2009 15:01

sorry but disagree about muzzles - you are taking away the dog's natural defences. It's not a case of 'getting used' them becasue they would have to not wear them to eat/ drink etc. at home. So if you put a muzzle on a dog every time you took it out, you are making it feel vulnerable. It is their insinct - is not as simple about learning to live with muzzles - you are talking about interferring with dog communcation.

But that is off the point from the OP totally - and if I haven't said earlier... OP - YANBU The people were wankers. and I love dogs.

GrimmaTheNome · 24/09/2009 15:09

Yup doggies. Our previous dog used to go off lead in the countryside but one day he decided to chase a hare and wouldn't come back (ambitious at least for a dachs!). So we kept him on the lead after that.

weegiemum · 24/09/2009 15:12

I think I have made my point here adequately.

I think people who are so enamoured of their dog that they can't ever imagine it hurting anyone are actually misled!

I think that there are a lot of potentially harmful dogs out there and I will do whatever it takes, including hitting or otherwise atackign a dog, to keep my children safe!

I am leaving now - going away for the weekend and need to pack - and suppose it will not make much difference what else I say.

But I will never trust any dog round my kids. Ever.

GrimmaTheNome · 24/09/2009 15:18

Have a nice weekend.

I'd kick a dog if it was hurting my dog let alone my child

MillyMollyMoo · 24/09/2009 15:20

If you hit or hurt the dog you'd be committing a criminal offense I believe, we sent a solicitors letter to a neighbour who poured a bucket of hot water over our dog because he escaped into their garden and the vet wanted us to call the police.
I'm sure a push to get the animal off is fine but kicking it certainly isn't.

barnpot · 24/09/2009 15:26

whatever your take on dogs, i would strongly recomend that you do not push/hit or any other sick suggestion i have read on here, not for the dogs sake, but for your own. I know freindly dogs turn because they came up to someone, stood about 3 feet away, just sniffing at the air, but because someone over reacted and went to hit that dog the dog jumped up, and nipped.
the best advice i can suggest is to stay calm, ignore the dog and turn your back.
I would never trust anyone elses dog, simply because i dont know them, nor would i expect anyone to trust my dog.
all you can do is trust the owner that they are responsible and have tought the dog manners.

MoonlightMcKenzie · 24/09/2009 15:32

I had a dog come and jump all over me when sitting on the ground.

I screamed at the owner who said 'oooooh get you' and then told some other dog owners (who had a lovely well-controlled dog) to 'stay away from her, - she hates dogs'.

No I don't you moron. I hate people like you.

FWIW I think that a dog entering a human's personal space uninvited is out of order and the owner needs to ensure it doesn't happen.

I think jumping up at you, or licking is equivelant to physical abuse and I WOULD fight back.

pooexplosions · 24/09/2009 15:33

if a dog is biting or trying to bite my child you can be sure i'll be kicking it, and once the immediate danger has passed I'll be kicking the owner as well, and anyone who sent me a solicitors letter would wish they hadn't.

MoonlightMcKenzie · 24/09/2009 15:34

You can hurt a dog in self-defence.

You can defend yourself against potential harm. You can also defend yourself against physical abuse. You wouldn't allow a strage person to lick you without hitting them.

MillyMollyMoo · 24/09/2009 15:36

You would be able to use reasonable force, just as if a person licks you it would be reasonable to push that person away if you started to kick that person or use a stick to hit them or indeed your hand to hit them it would be you that ends up in trouble.
Biting is a different matter entirely but some of you are totally over the top.

barnpot · 24/09/2009 15:41

if you were certain that dog wasn't going to come back at you for pushing it away, then by all means do so, but if you were to push someone, would you not expect them to push you back?

barnpot · 24/09/2009 15:44

do not be led into the trap that dogs have human instincts and behaviours, we know that dogs are supposed to be inferior to humans, but unless they have been trained that way, they may not, you could be making the situation worse for yourself

MillyMollyMoo · 24/09/2009 15:45

This is the trouble, we have a puppy who isn't allowed off the lead btw but in the house we are training him not to jump up at us and when the kids get fed up of him they push him down, the dog of course then thinks it's a game and jumps up again. Turning your back is the only civilised way to deal with it, pick your child up if they are frightened and move away.

thesunshinesbrightly · 24/09/2009 15:48

i feel sorry for all of you, teaching your children it's ok to hit a dog. terrible way to live.

Stayingsunnygirl · 24/09/2009 15:49

Someone made the point that we can't 100% accurately predict our children's behaviour, so how can we accurately predict our dogs' behaviour.

I tried to make the point earlier that an owner who knows their dog well (and clearly the longer you know them the better you will know them, their temperament etc) should be able to be pretty accurate about their dog and its behaviour - people like sunshine aren't just guessing - they are basing what they say about their dog on knowledge and experience. That was dismissed as rubbish by another poster, but I don't see how you can share your life with a dog and not get to know their character. I am not saying that a dog will never act out of character - that would be ridiculous but isn't it logical to think that a well-trained dog with a long history of good behaviour and non-aggressiveness is far less likely to act out of character?

I am not sticking up for irresponsible dog owners who mistreat their dogs by not training them to behave properly and controlling them - but we aren't all irresponsible and reckless and uncaring of what our dogs might do to other people.

Weegiemum is never going to trust another dog - given her experience who can blame her for this - I might well feel the same. But what happened to her child was the fault of the owners - they hadn't got their dog under control and they had taken it into an area where dogs weren't allowed. The fact that it went on to attack another child, plus the attitude of the owner when the attack on weegiemum's ds happened, makes me think that this dog had been giving warning signs in the past (ie, growling or snapping at people, maybe biting them) and the owners had ignored them - with dreadful consequences. Such behaviour is indefensible, but not all dog owners are like this.

sarah293 · 24/09/2009 15:49

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Ivykaty44 · 24/09/2009 15:50

Most dog owners are really good and accept that not everyone likes there dog or wants it jumping all over them.

Some dog owners just don't give a monkeys about there dog or what it does.

eel sorry or the poor dog it's not the dogs ault they have crap owners.