Dovedale today - woman in white t.shirt with 5 year old(ish) little girl - scared of dogs. Was it you?

[Doodle2U]

If so......

Big fat / sign and rasberry to you and shove the dirty look you gave me where the sun don't shine.

Sorry Stopsitting - he's a Border Terrier...so about mid-calf in height.

I don't honestly see why I should have to to teach my child how to behave and I reserve the right to walk anywhere I choose. I am not scared of dogs and don't actually have a problem with them but I do find it absolutely astounding that dog owners think that it's up to parents to teach children how to behave. Err no, if you don't trust your dog around children, then you shouldn't have them off the lead (am not suggesting that you can't trust your dog OP) anywhere where there might be families about.

Erm, right SM, you've lost me a bit now....

I agree, if your dog is not to be trusted around children, they should not be off-lead. To be honest, even the most immaculately behaved dog can chuck a wobbly, so why take the risk at all....but my dog was only off lead whilst he went in the river for a drink.

The bit where you've lost me....dog owners can teach their dogs how to behave but surely, as parents, we have a duty to explain dangers and appropriate behaviour to our children. It's a two way street, right?

Noy unless my child is likely to go up and maul your dog

She probably wishes that dogs would stay away from places where its nice to go with kids. Its not as if she gave you a mouthful is it?

And you're not that red hot at keeping your dog on a lead when kids were about if your dog was on a lead and there was a kid about. I'm not saying your dog needs to be on a lead just pointing out that your posts contradict each other.

I'm a dog owner and if this happened to me it wouldn't bother me. The woman has a problem with dogs, don't let it spoil your day.

But surely that's the point of the OP - the dog wasn't doing anything at all apart from walking past.

Obviously all responsible dog owners should keep their dogs on leads if they're going to approach children.

Everyone needs to be taught how to be around common animals like horses/dogs.

It's a mutual process, twats shouldn't have dogs (dog owners should be responsible), kids should be taught to move away safely from animals.

Ah right...well don't bother teaching them road safety either...not unless your children are likely to smash into a car on purpose.

Don't forget - my anger here is about a dirty look given to me BUT also given to a bloke who had his dog on a lead.

x-posted with the much better put Doodle

Stripey, I'll just clarify...you are right, my posts do contradict each other. My dog was in a stream off lead. He was coming out of the stream walking toward me up the bank.

He gets to me and I clip him on his lead.

You are quite right though, I cannot claim red-hotness when I clearly had a dog off-lead for those moments between stream and how ever many paces he needed to get to me over the top of the bank - sorry.

Well the path at Dovedale can be narrow in places and I imagine when its heaving with trippers a dog on a lead unless its on a short lead can still be worrying for people who are a bit dog phobic. I'm not excusing the dirty looks you say she's given people but its really not worth getting worked up about is it?

I keep my dog on a very short lead past people, expecially kids. Some people have their dogs on a lead but the lead is 10ft long and dog is all over the place.

I have grown up with dogs and I would never trust one off a lead with a child around. They are not rational beings, there is only so much that they can be taught. It makes me so angry when dog owners let their dogs bound up my child saying "don't worry, it won't do any harm". You can't guarantee that and it's highly irresponsible to take the risk.

Stripey - it was busy today. We went up towards Lover's Leap and it was calmer but around the stepping stones, it was like Market St in Manchester on the last Saturday before Christmas.

You'e right - I need to leave this now. It was a great day and the dirty look was but a second in time. Thanks all, for talking me down etc.

Well it does sound like you were being very responsible with your dog. Woman maybe was a loon but there are plenty of them about and as others have said she maybe has her reasons. I give dirty looks to people smoking in doorways when I have to pass close to them. They probably think I'm a loon.

one of my friends dog bit me more than once and from that point on i hated the dog so needles to say I wasn't too sad when it died.

You were brave going on a BH Monday. I rememebr going climbing in DoveDale on a BH monday up the needle thingy. The crowds watching were a bit of a buzz but the traffic jam that afternoon. Took about 2 hours to get to Chesterfield!

Dogs are part of life - teach your children how to behave around dogs - I don't care if you hate dogs with a passion.

er, no.

Teach the owners how to behave with their dogs in a public place.

Is it a large dog maybe?

I think all dog owners should be aware that not everyone in the world either likes dogs or is comfortable about being close to them.

I get sick of dog owners saying to me "He's just being friendly...he won't hurt" when their pooch is sniffing my crotch or licking bits of me I frankly don't want licked.

Keep your dog on a lead in a public place - I know excatly where you mean, and it's no excuse to say it is a dog walking capital etc etc- and be a more considerate citizen.

There is nothing wrong with most dogs- it's their bloody owners who need training.

YABU. Dogs as pets are pointless.

Pointless

the patients in the hospice who have dogs brought in from the local rescue centre don't think so

gosh, the subject of dogs really does polarise MN, doesn't it!

I wasn't being serious.

However I do think it would be lovely to have one day a week when dogs could be confined to their own gardens. Imagine being able to go for a walk without fearing that your child will fall into the river when a dog bounds up to him or being able to let your baby crawl around the park without worrying that she will eat dog poo.

I don't really hate dogs but I am getting sick of ds walking in shit and fed up of people bringing their dogs into childrens playparks. The woman that the op described may just be sick to the back teeth of irresponsible dog owners so she unleashed her annoyance onto the OP.

I agree with ForeverOptimistic

Dogs are unpredictable- how was the woman to know that your dog- still don't know the breed- was likely to bite, sniff, jump up or whatever on her child.

Just keep your dog on a lead.

I agree wit ForeverOptimistic but with one exception, I do hate badly controlled dogs, but only marginally less than I loathe dog apologists who think their pets have a divine right to roam and the rest of us buggers have to fit in.

We don't have any animals but I think it's part of my job to teach my children how to act around dogs. My Dh was brought up to think they were all terrible biting monsters and all his family jump wildly and flinch when even the smallest dog walks past. Now it wouldn't be their fault if a dog bit them but their actions do draw dogs' attention. I explained this to my DH when we first got together and he now only flinches at enormous or scary dogs.

Whether or not you like dogs they are around, and it helps children to know how to behave around them.

I repeat, I wouldn't blame a flincher for being bitten but I would teach them how to be less noticeable to dogs.

Having been to Dovedale on a bank holiday, with my children (one of whom is absolutely terrified of dogs), I would imagine the woman had probably had a long walk surrounded by dogs off lead in the areas where they're supposed to be on leads. Dog phobic children don't respond to logic, and saying that 'they're not going to hurt them' is completely pointless. She is probably sick of thoughtless dog owners (of which I'm sure you're not one). We get them letting their dogs run off leads through the playground opposite our school at 3.15 in the afternoon and they wonder why people get upset about it!