...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 thank you Florence. I do not know enough about you to know whether or not I would like, love, dislike or hate you, (although your post does give me a bit of a hint in a certain direction).

Obviously you have some knowledge of me that I was not aware of, for you to be able to decide to hate me. Or was that simply on the basis of my being a dog owner?

NSF I think what is worrying the dog owners here is that you are helping to perpetrate myths. I do a lot of rescue work and deal annually with hundreds of dogs, especially SBTs, who have been dumped and/or abused. Those I and others like me get them out of pounds and prevent them from being PTS by finding rescue places for them. The problem I find is that because of the press scare stories many people believe that SBTs/Rotties/GSDs and the like are totally unsuited to family homes because of the irresponsible actions of the few, be that abuse which has made a dog fearful or aggressive or just that the dog was a stray. Yet these unsuitable dogs are very few in comparison to the number of totally harmless ones. Then people start to make and believe the kind of remarks which you have and the result is more and more of these types of dogs in rescue or being killed in pounds, so adding to the theory that there must be a reason and the dogs must be bad".

IME this is far from the case. So many harmless dogs are dying in pounds thanks to this - do you wonder that I get upset at comments such as yours, backed up by picked out of the ether, bogus statistics?

A couple of ideas for Juicy.

Can you find someone (perhaps a Mum at school) who has a big, gentle dog who you could meet? If you were secure in the knowledge that the dog lived safely with small DCs you might feel more comfortable. Perhaps ask if you could join the Mum on a walk with the dog on a lead and take it gradually from there?

I'm no psychiatrist but someone I know who was afraid of spiders have taken this type of approach. In their case they started off being in the same room as one held in a box, then moved closer, then held the box, gradually moving on to putting their hand in and so on. It worked for them.

An alternative is to contact the PAT charity whose dogs are especially chosen for their temperements and have to pass various assessments in order to meet and cheer hospital patients. Perhaps someone there might be local to you and be happy to help you by introducing you to their dog?

What about your local independent rescue? The one I help out in would be delighted to considerately introduce you to one or two of their gentle big fellas (you'd end up in love with "our" lazy, sloth-like Greyhounds!) in return for an offer of shredded paper/blankets/help on a fete stall or whatever.

I hope you can overcome your fear - I am the owner of a huge GSD and a Labrador cross and know how rewarding and loving they can be. (And no, they aren't allowed to jump up at strangers, they do have excellent recall and I do pick up their poo!).

OP I have had dogs all my life but you are totally NBU, appalling lack of control over the dog. Your kids must have been terrified, and if anyone grabbed my child I would probably sink my teeth in!!

I think CCTV should be in parks so people who are responsible for this kind of thing can be culpable/get a telling off. If people can't control their animals (especially young lads with trophy dogs round here) perhaps warnings resulting eventually in fines should be given out. Would make parks generally safer all round too. My local commons have had sexual attacks and weirdos waiting in bushes for a romp ..

However I do have a personal bugbear with people giving bread to ducks in the park. I know, I know, it's tradition before the "FFS!'s" come pouring in, but there are signs posted around our local common imploring people not to do it, or bring seed instead.
Bread contains empty calories for wildfowl - filling them up but with very little nutrition which is not good for them, and a lot goes to waste, floating at the edge of the water and attracting rats. So it's just for human gratification really.

Plus my little pooch will, unfortunately, make a break for it if he spots people chucking bread before I do, and can put him on a lead. He doesn't scare anyone, just begs or snaffles what he can from the ground, but it does make him fat!!!

Haven't read all the posts but OP you have my sympathies.

We have had the same sort of incident with a couple of rotties. The last time I was told "it's your fault for bringing your dc up to be scared of dogs". No, it's your fecking fault for not controlling your dog you idiot.

I'd like to see the OP returning to this thread, which has gone a little off-topic.

I still want to know WHY the hell the owner held on to the OPs child! I'm a dog owner and yes I do get peed off by over-protective parents (I know this calls for flaming but please lets just accept that I'm suitably bollocked and remain on topic at the moment so that my point can be addressed without complication). Regardless of my opinions I would NEVER hold onto anyone's child in such a situation unless for safety reasons and as I said long ago it was far from a safe or wise move for the owner to hold the OPs child. If I were the OP that would have been what really worried and angered me.

'over-protective parents' ans you wonder why dog owners get a 'bad press' on MN.

OP still think YANBU.

I live in Ham which drum roll please.. is in Richmond in Surrey.

The type of dog we have is further drum roll.. a Staffie.

Anymore generalisations?

I hadn't returned to the thread I was satisfied I was NBU! Thanks everyone. And I have no particularly strong views about dogs in general, and it had rather gone off topic. Vallhala - you are right. It was the dog owner grabbing my DD that upset me most. Had she called off the dog straight away, or taken the dog's collar and moved it away immediately, I would have been less angry, as the situation would have diffused. I have no idea why she felt it was appropriate to grab hold of DD, who was really shaken up. She took hold of DD RATHER than grabbing the dog, which, in retrospect, is probably indicative of how little control she has over the dog - it did remove the child from the dog, but in the most inappropriate way possible. I had a moan about this to a friend at playgroup on Tuesday, and she said she's had problems with dogs in the same park. It's a shame as it's the only park nearby that has ducks, but I would be reticent to go there again any time soon.

Oh dear. I didn't expect someone to take me completely and utterly literally or for someone to take what I said personally. Oh dear. Perhaps I have hit a raw nerve.

My good, good friend who happens to be my old Boss is a dog owner and not a very good one in my opininion as she thinks the sun shines out of that Mutts arse!! I don't hate her as she is a very dear friend, but I do dislike her attitude very much.

Ignore me florence, I have had a verrrry bad week and have been a tad over-sensitive.

Your post just caught me at a bad moment.

Haven't read tho whole post either, but, I too had a child feeding the ducks in a park and a fully grown golden retriever went for the bread she was holding, biting her thumb and almost taking the nail off (thought it would do, but, didn't in the end).

These dogs are not known for aggression, but, seem to be big softies.

The most truamatic thing for the child was seeing the owner beat the dog for biting.

She was terrified of dog's for ages afterwards, but, like an earlier poster suggested, we exposed her to a very friendly dog in a controlled situation. She took dog biscuits for the dog and the dog had a little teddy gift for her to take home.

Took a while, but, everything is back to normal.

It's very simple but dog owners seem to struggle with this KEEP MUTS ON LEADS AT ALL TIMES!!!
Then parks a safer place for those it intended for!!

Zombie thread.

why, just why bump this thread, you could have stared a whole new one about how all dogs are evil.

in fact I am going to hijack it.
chickens Eric is going in on Friday, am really nervous, how long did it take Jasper to recover?

Aswift kick would have dealt with the bitch, not sure what you could do about the dog though

He was a bit sorry for himself the next day, dita, but full of bounce again the following morning. If anything, I had to try and keep him calm so he didn't injure himself. He really did recover super quick. The worst bit was waiting to hear from the vet that it was all over He ate that night, just some rice and chicken, and then was zonked. Jasper's op was three weeks ago, and you'd never know he'd been done. Apart from the shrivelled up nut sack, obviously. I definitely worried about it more than he seemed to :)

I don't think thread was hijacked it was a thread about dog owners letting there dogs run upto children & I'm saying if dog owners kept them on leads at all times there would of been no problems or need for the thread at all!!

What's wrong with muzzling a dog? The dog can run around without harming people or other animals (not including livestock here). Safer for everyone including the dog. Muzzles are not cruel. The dog should be able to drink with one on.