...to be cross with this dog owner.

[EvilTwins]

Have just come back from our local park with my DTs (3.4) We went to feed the ducks, and go on the swings. Whilst we were feeding the ducks, an enormous dog suddenly appeared (it did seem to come from nowhere - the duck pond is in a dip, surrounded by bushes, so we didn't see it coming, and anyway, we were engrossed in conversation about the ducks) My girls are not used to dogs, as we don't have one, and none of our family do. They are usually a bit wary anyway, and I try to deal with it with as little fuss as possible. Anyway the dog in question was huge (I'm not a dog person, so couldn't say what breed, but it was nose-to-nose the same height as the twins, and, on hind legs, would have been taller than me) and the first we knew of its presence was when all the ducks suddenly scarpered. The dog then tried to get the bread that my one daughter was holding in her hand. Not surprisingly, she thought it was trying to eat her hand. Both twins were pretty hysterical, so I was holding them both tightly, trying to to calm them down (and prevent them from flailing around and falling into the pond) Meanwhile, the owner of the dog was nowhere to be seen. I then spotted two women standing on the path above the pond, obviously looking for something, so I shouted "Is this your dog?" They meandered down to the pond, and despite the fact that they could see the twins in a state, did nothing to take the dog away. In fact, rather than grabbing the dog's collar, she grabbed one of my daughters. I got really shirty then - told her to let go of my child and take her dog away. At this point, another woman, who'd seen what had happened, came past and told me that it was ME scaring the children, NOT the dog. I was speechless. All three women and the sodding dog then wandered off,complaining loudly about what a hysterical so-and-so I was. I was livid. The twins were really shaken and both crying.

On the way out of the park, I noticed that the sign by the gate said "Dogs must be kept under control. Do not allow your dog to frighten children" so I did feel slightly vindicated.

Sorry for long post. AIBU to be cross?

Why did I not guess this would become an anti Staffy/rottie/GSD thread

Honestly some of you need to get a grip on reality. Staffies are NOT danegrous dogs, nor are Rotties or any other 'dangerous' breed.

Stop reading the blooody Daily Mail et al and so some proper research.

The woman was out of order, if her dog doesn't respond to her commands and she cannot be arsed to watch it, it shouldn't have been off it's lead in a public place and would be better off with some willing to give it the proper traing. It was the womans fault, not the dogs.

Edam, Staffies LOVE people, the dog was more than liklely excited to see you and has owner that doesn't know/care/want to train it not to jump at people, which they are prone to doing. This is not dogs fault and doesn't automatically make it dangerous.

Shiny, so breeding has not enhanced any characteristics in these breeds?
Their behaviour characteristics are no different at all to say a red setter?

Good, responsible breeders are trying to breed out agressiveness. And Staffies and other Bull Terrier dogs were bred for dog on dog agression not people agression. They were infact specifically bred to be handled by people while they were in a state of high excitement and not be aggressive towards to them.

Why not punish the irresponsble breeder and liscence and regulate dog breeding and lewave the breeds alone?

ok simple question:

1] If you could choose which dog you were about to be bitten by which of the following would you choose honestly?

a] Staffy

b] Cocker Spaniel

c] Dachshund

?

None. I'd rather live in a society where dogs are trained well and breeders are responsible. That's a stupid question to ask.

Plus the Dachshun is far more likely to bite a young, irritating child than the ever patient Staffie and the KC recommend that it only be kept with older children.

So if you want to ask which WELL TRAINED dog I'd be happiest to have around my children I'd chose the Staffie hands down, every time.

simple, b or c. Obvious.

The breed is relevant. It's not enforcible to ban most potentially dangerous breeds, but the breed
is not irrelevant

Because the worst dog owners (including some good ones) are attracted to the most potentially dangerous breeds. And the breeds bred for fighting can kill in a second.

[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7264620.stm see here: Hospitals see rise in dog bites]]

So concerned citizens are not being hysterical when we pick up our children when unleashed dogs appear. We are being sensible. Put your dogs on leads and we won't need to, unless you're not strong enough to control your dog on a lead (plenty of you aren't!)

see here: Hospitals see rise in dog bites here

The OP is NBU but dear god, there are some Daily Mail readers on this thread.

Shiny the nearly 4000 annual dog bites in the UK are not presumably from the what 400 well trained dogs in the UK?

I very rarely see a well trained dog. Very rarely. You must be exceptional. Most dogs, other than working dogs, are not well trained. They do jump on children which is appalling. A well trained dog would simply never do that.
But they're not dogs are they? They are 'pets' they're an indulgence of the owner who will apologise for it's poor behaviour as if the dog is a child

How many of you dog lovers have dogs that have never ever jumped up on anyone they don't know? If they regularly do so then they are not well trained in my opinion.

I hate the Daily Mail but I hate dog owners with untrained dogs more than the Daily Mail.
You are mostly deluded about your dog's behaviour
You are mostly in denial about how well trained your dogs are.
You hardly ever see a well trained dog. I live in a dog mecca, I see rich and poor dog owners. They are hardly any who are really properly trained ime.

LOl did you actually read the comments in that link you posted, specifically the one about the child being mauled by a 'cute cocker spaniel' and the one about the well trained Staffy.

Dog bites maybe on the rise, but no where in that link does it say which dogs are biting.

As I said leave the breeds alone and bring in harsher penalties for bad owners and breeders.

We live in a society where many dogs aren't well trained though.

And in cases where serious harm/death has been caused rottweilers and powerful dogs along those lines are often the culprits. No wonder people feel worried when dogs (especially those types) come charging up to them and their dc.

And even if they are just being friendly not everyone appreciates the attention, slobber and mud.

But, Tsar, these are 'pets' not dogs so it's alright then.
If these dog owners had husbands who behaved like their dogs then many of them would be, happily, in prison! [happy]

sorry

What I find so appalling is that you are all so sneering of other people's experience of dogs as if they are pathetic oversensitive ickle idiot Daily Mail readers.

This is real experience that we are having, and some of it is caused by YOUR dogs, you just can't be rational because your dog is a pet and that makes them immune from criticism.

There is nothing less rational than a dog owner ime. Listen to yourselves. People have a real problem with you and you think it's all the other dog owners. It ain't!

I have a Japenese Akita that has never ever jumped on anyone outside of our family. He once knocked out me because I encouraged him to jump up to greet me, but he has never jumped at a child or visitor because due to his size/strength it was one of the first things he was trained on. I had a SBT that did jump at visitors while she was a very young pup, and jumped at people who encouraged her to. As soon as she jumped at some one, she was told NO and put back on her lead. She stopped doing it by the time she was four months old.

I have a rehomed Fox terrier X now, who attempts to jump on passers by for cuddles. He is kept on a short lead while wealking past people and is NO and has his lead pulled to discourage him from doing this. He is starting obidience training shortly.

BTW NigelSlaterFan where in the hell do you live? I live opposite a park, in a not great area, but I'd say that 90% of the dogs I see are superbly trained and others are kept on leads. My dd's, nor myself have NEVER been jumped at by any kind of dog while walking through that park.

I am neither in denial nor deluded and I regularly see well trained dogs. I am not sneering of other people's experience of dogs either.

What is Daily Mail about some of the attitudes on this thread is the hysteria.

The worst problems I have had have been when I've been out running. I always stop now if I'm near a dog which makes some places ie the beach/park pretty hard to run through

you can't keep some breeds on leads all the time because they have a lot of energy and need to run around a lot even if you take them on a long walk.I think lots of people with young children don't like dogs because they are worried for their children,but you will change your minds when your children are older and actually start nagging you for a family pet.

I was going to comment and say the OP was NBU and that I hoped her DTs were ok and that the dog owner/s were irresponsible, but then I saw it had descended into the usual anti-staffy turmoil.
I have two staffies and I love them to bits.

I am not criticisng anyone with a fear of dogs. I have a fear of Yorkshire terriers, believe it or not, after being bitten by one as a child.

My problem is with people believing the hype that SBT/Rotties/GSD/Akitas/Bull Terriers are automatically dangerous because of their breed and should be banned, when it is untrue.

ANY dog can be dangerous in the wrong hands, blame and control irresponsible onwers/breeders are leave the breeds alone is all I am saying.

I am not defending anyones right to inflict their ill trained dog on passers by, poodle or SBT, it's not on. Maybe introduce compulosary training classes for dog owners?

I live near a large area of dog mecca of public open forest.

Many dogs appear so demented at getting out of the house, presumably after being cooped up for hours that they jump all over people and are all off the lead because it's open country. So it's very nerve wracking if you want your toddler to walk in their boots along the track. How do you know which bounding dog is owned by one of you perfect dog owners?

Maybe those dogs could wear a neon collar so we know it's been perfectly trained and will not bark our ds off his bike into the mud or knock dd over into its steaming pile of poo.

Also because it's forest it's considered game for dog toilet. The posh owners are just as bad as the scuttlers in this respect.

The hysteria from me is because you're all so smug and snooty about it. I'm appalled that the rest of us put up with it.

'you can't keep some breeds on leads all the time because they have a lot of energy and need to run around a lot even if you take them on a long walk.'

Well ok but are your ickle darlings trained to never ever jump up on anyone ever?

'I think lots of people with young children don't like dogs because they are worried for their children,but you will change your minds when your children are older and actually start nagging you for a family pet.'

Um no, not a problem. Some of us think about the whole community, not just what suits our own family. Also some of us actually think dogs deserve a better life than being stuck in house all day. Get some fish if you want a pet that doesn't spoil our shared public areas.