All those who don't like dogs leaping up at them while they're out, look away now....

[TsarChasm]

Here

And at a 12stone dog too! It'd have totally flattened a child.

And fwiw, I didn't say that it's either silly or hysterical to want to enjoy public spaces in safety, nor that it's silly or hysterical to expect dog owners to make their dogs behave. I said that Nancy's generalisations were hysterical and made her look silly, in my opinion.

And I'm not a dog owner either. Nor do I condone those dog owners whose dogs don't behave or who scare others (especially children), or who don't clear up after their dogs.

But, I think that most dog owners are good, caring and responsible, and shouldn't be penalised for the bad behaviour of a minority. Perhaps we need stronger regulation of dog ownership or more enforcement of current laws on fouling etc, but I don't think the answer is to demonise all dogs and all dog owners or to kill every dog in the country!

I wasn't replying to you, Sunnygirl

I agree with you, btw.

Am still scared of dogs though and wondering how much poo a 12 stone dog would produce....

"Nancy66, I don't think you are being utterly reasonable here - the jogger should leave enough space when they run past a dog so that they can react to any sudden move by the dog......"

Can you honestly not see how ridiculous this is?

Oh, OK, hadn't seen that bit....umm, don't agree with that statement Sunnygirl.
The paths are quite narrow where I run and it is hard to miss over-entusiastic hounds at certain points.

Obv I just pick up the little ankle biting mutts and chuck them in the reservoir

over-enthusiastic
Gah!

My ds wasn't afraid of dogs. He believed the dog owner who said 'oh he won't jump up on you'. On which the dog promptly jumped up and bit his leg. I am afraid he found it a little harder to believe the same owner when she said to her husband: 'oh he only nipped his trousers' and then walked off without even asking if he was ok.

I appreciate that dogs need time off the leash in local parks. But there are dog owners that shouldn't be let out at all.

And there are also posters who always assume that if a child gets bitten, the child must have been approaching the dog in some inappropriate way. Ds didn't approach the dog at all; he was in a large open space and the dog ran up to him.

Most dog owners are lovely responsible people. The rest should be put into some sort of pound and left there.

same thing happened to ds, except it was in a cafe toilets in Germany. Ds walks past fucking dachsund to get to loo, fucking horrible woman is not even holding its leads, it runs to ds, leaps up at him [he was 3 at time] tries to bite him on the face, and manages to bite and scratch him on the bottom. She muttered something in German, picked up lead and walked off. I routinely see people allow their dogs to poo on the pavement/footpath/recreation ground and not clear it up. I grew up with dogs. But i find the vast majority of dog owners nowadays careless and irresponsible.

Nancy66, my dog is ALWAYS on a lead. And a short lead.

And Stayingsunnygirl is right - someone passing a dog shouldn't pass too close.

I agree with both sides actually. It is commen sense imo not to pass to close to a dog. If some one came on with "AIBU a jogger ran past me far to close and almost brushed me off my feet" the reponse would be very different to "AIBU I ran past a dog quite closely and it snapped at my leg" Why should the dog not be given the same space a person would be given?

However, the dog should be trained not to react at sudden movements, as a child might not know not to pass too closely.

I don't want dogs anywhere in my orbit. If people can keep their dog under control and pick up when said dog has evaculated its bowels then thats their look out.

If that criteria isn't observed they shouldn't be allowed to keep a dog. I would like to see, at a very minimum, dog free areas in parks and other open spaces.

Having said that, whether more regulation is necessary is debatable - we could just enforce the laws we have. Perhaps put some of the billion bloody CCTV cameras littering the nation to good use?

AIBU?

What a beautiful dog.

It is my biggest regret about MN that is IS so anti-dog.

The balance is tipped too far toward the dog haters on this website. (I really should stay away from the dog threads).

Whitby I think if you had had a dog related incident with your child, then yes you would be anti-dog. [cross]

Don't you consider that the fact MN is so anti dog is due to the number of these incidents that occur.

And no Nancy you aibu.

Totally agree Fimbo

I don't hate dogs, I just choose not to have one and don't see why they (and their mess) should be inflicted on me and my DC.

It isn't anti-dog to not want some huge dog or slavering dangerous breed jumping up at you or your DC, just sensible tbh

Well i can only go with my experience and that of people i know. I've never had a bad dog related incident but plenty of damned good ones.

No need to be cross with me because i'm sticking up for Dogs and the benefits i think dogs can bring to people and yes, i include children in that.

Actually if a dog attacked my child i would be livid with the owner but of course it wouldn't make me anti dog.

I have got a 13 month old black lab. Since becoming a dog owner I feel totally judged when out and about by people who clearly do not like dogs.

MN seems to be full of dog haters, which is a huge shame. Dogs make wonderful family pets and imo, are just as entitled to be off lead in a public place as much as anyone else.

o call all dog owners the most selfish people in the world is clearly ridiculous.

You don't get it Whitby. Honestly I wish you could have seen the state of my dd and my ds after my dd was chased by the rottweiller.

Can you not see why people are anti-dog????

There are other stories on here not just mine.

Yes dogs can be beneficial but try telling that to a 10 year old that was about a fingers width away from being attacked by one.

They should only be off the lead in a public place DrNortherner if their owners can bring them back if required. Unlike the f**kwits who couldn't call their staff and boxer back when they started jumping up at my ds's buggy a few weeks ago.

I think ne'er the twain and all that Fimbo.

You can't tar all dogs or dog owners with the same brush because of one bad experience. Think what a dull and sanitised old world it would be without dogs / pets etc.

Imagine if i said i was anti-van drivers, because my DH got punched by one once.

Although of course i do appreciate how scary it must have been for your children.

I went to see Marley and me last night and teh opening scene shows a young boy wandering aimlessly through a corn field with a stick in his hand, then Marley (big golden lab) appears, runs at the buy, jumps up and nicks his stick. I remember thinking, OMG imagine if his mother was a Mumsnetter

I just wish the balance wasn't so far tipped and quite militantly so.

I really hope to god it doesn't happen to you Whitby, I truly don't. You know what, shit like this thread never usually bother me, but you have made me cry. So there. Christ when I think about how effing close that bloody effing dog was to ripping my dd apart then I had to make the decision whether to try to help her or my ds who was at eye level with it.

Just thank your effing lucky stars it wasn't you.