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Original poster

Puppy got sworn at and kicked by a jogger today...

304 replies

notimefortv · 21/02/2010 21:17

she is only little and looks like a teddy bear - Bichon and toy poodle cross - can't even reach your knees if she jumps up.

Walking in woods with a friends and her lab x puppy and 5 children under 5 with us (2 in a buggy and 3 running around). Going a long a path and a jogger is running up - he shakes his head as he passes us as the pups have shown some interest in him - they come back to us but go back up to him when he is further away - he then stops and screams at mine to F Off but she sniffs a bit more so he boots her in the stomach. I couldn't believe it - most people at least give me the chance to say I'm sorry and am training her etc.

He was too far away to say antyhing although some other walkers shouted at him but then off he ran.

Please tell me that I will be more traumatised than the dog? Was in a wood with loads of dog walkers so can't believe it doesn't happen to him all the time.

Had just taken her off the trainng line but quickly put it back on - now need to re-gain my faith in mankind.

OP posts:
Bella32 · 22/02/2010 11:05

I know, MP - you're right. We should all be hideously ashamed of ourselves for thinking that kicking a tiny pup was the wrong thing to do

Am so incredibly pleased to disagree with you on this one.

Nobody has said anything about entitlement - that is your prejudiced reading of the thread. The OP has taken responsibility for the dog but some of us do think that kicking it was a little too much. A kick could kill a tiny pup like that - I used to be a vet nurse so I do know what I am talking about here.

Like I said, you clearly think kicking is the way to go. Good luck to you.

morningpaper · 22/02/2010 11:06

"If someone kicked my dog they'd not be capable of jogging for a while, I can tell you."

Original poster
notimefortv · 22/02/2010 11:08

GetOrf - I am looking for useful advice not totally unecessary hindsight comments that are seemingly made to get peoples backs up.

OP posts:
AmazingBouncingFerret · 22/02/2010 11:17

Wow notime your dog is scary
Want to try walking mine in the same area and see if the jogger fancied his chances picking on her.
not mine but very similar looking!

Fortunately she is very friendly and has very good recall. It took some training though. so hang in there your dog is still young and learning.

AmazingBouncingFerret · 22/02/2010 11:17

BTW disclaimer I would never try to use my dog to threaten people, twas a joke.

Bella32 · 22/02/2010 11:20

You have to admit, though, that all the anti-dog people are incredibly consistent.

A dog bites you - it's the dog's fault.

A jogger kicks a dog - it's the dog's fault.

Very easy to understand and remember that rule, isn't it?

morningpaper · 22/02/2010 11:21

I'm not anti-dog

I'm anti-dogs being out of control and chasing people

Original poster
notimefortv · 22/02/2010 11:23

I don't think they are anti-dog so much as love a good rare up on mumsnet - they exist on most threads

OP posts:
Bella32 · 22/02/2010 11:27

I can assure you, MP, that most if not all dog owners are also against their dogs being out of control and chasing people.

Unfortunately, us dog owners are human and our dogs do sometimes make mistakes (especially when they are this young) and that's what we call L - I - F - E but we just kind of hope to get on and make the best of it without having our animals badly hurt in the process.

coldtits · 22/02/2010 11:28

Train your dog properly or keep it on a lead. If you can't recall it at will, it's not appropriate to let it run around pissing and barking and chasing people, is it?

I'm truly sorry your dog got kicked. It isn't appropriate to kick a dog. You need to train her so that she isn't ever put in the position of being in someone's way while they are trying to get away from her. SOme people hate dogs and it doesn't matter how fluffy they are. She's your pet, nobody else's. You see a fluffy ball of cute, other people see unpredictable teeth and unpredictable legs.

coldtits · 22/02/2010 11:29

And I, personally, quite like dogs.

morningpaper · 22/02/2010 11:29

I think that you need to accept that when you 'make a mistake' which could result in another person being terrified, then that person is likely to lash out in self-defence

Bella32 · 22/02/2010 11:31

I think 'resonable force' could be expected to come into it.

This puppy is the size and weight of a pet rabbit.

Bella32 · 22/02/2010 11:32

reasonable

GothDetective · 22/02/2010 11:34

Have to agree about keeping it on the lead till recall is sorted. I've got a dog and her recall is ok, but a jogger is too tempting to follow and sniff. I know that in these cases its only 80/20 if she'll come back. She's very friendly but it annoying and intimidating for this to happen. So when I see a cyclist/jogger coming towards us I call her before they get close and put her on the lead until they pass. I jog as well and some mornings I've had 5 or 6 dogs chase after me. Its not on.

He shouldn't have kicked your dog but then he shouldn't have been in that position.

GetOrfMoiLand · 22/02/2010 11:34

I in no way condone kicking dogs. Kicking a bichon frise would be look booting a teddy bear fgs.

But I would be pissed off if a dog came up to me whilst I was running. And I would shout I expect. When you are running you do get into a zone and any distraction is an annoyance.

OP I didn;t come on here for a rant - and I know this isn't an AIBU so isn't a free for all - however you have been given advice - if you don;t want your dog kicked then put it on a lead.

Fair enough you need to treain your dog, but other people are using the park for thier pursuits as well and they rank higher than your dog I'm afraid.

slightlystressed · 22/02/2010 11:34

I hate the term "out of control" it implies that the dog is aggressive and a threat, where in fact in most cases the dog is just being a bit of nuisance, like in this case, the jogger is clearly a tosspot.

GothDetective · 22/02/2010 11:35

And all the people saying its only a tiny dog, etc. My friend who is a postie says the worst dog bite he's had was from a dacshund. He needed quite a few stitches.

Bella32 · 22/02/2010 11:35

And if you're going down that route, MP, then it really brings me back to the toddler argument. There are people who really do not like children. So if my dd runs up and throws her arms round someone who hates children, can I reasonably expect them to 'lash out in self-defence'?

morningpaper · 22/02/2010 11:37

Well when that situation with the toddler happens, start an AIBU and we'll discuss it

Until then I don't see how it can remotely compare to this situation?

Bella32 · 22/02/2010 11:38

It's okay - I can see we'll never agree.

Some people settle things by kicking. Others don't.

Adios.

BalloonSlayer · 22/02/2010 11:43

Sorry for your wee pup but I don't think the police will do anything, although they may well smirk.

A friend of mine was badly bitten by a dog while out on his bike. The bite marks were horrendous.

The police were unwilling unable to do a thing.

People do get scared of dogs and lash out in fear, and maybe you should have realised that and kept it under better control. Sorry.

coldtits · 22/02/2010 11:44

No toddler has ever ripped another toddler's face off with their teeth.

That would be another dog behavior that dog owners try to defend ("he was teasing her!")

Original poster
notimefortv · 22/02/2010 11:44

OMG - do you know how scared and sick I felt to see a 6ft grown man shout F**K OFF with a proper angry face to my tiny dog who was just sniffing around him and I had young children with me and a buggy and then I watch as he booted her in the tummy - he then may have started on me if I dared say anything - I then have to answer questions from my 3 yr old about why he was shouting and why he kicked the puppy etc and just felt sick about the whole thing.

His behaviour freaked me out and was scary. I could not have been in a more vulnerable position.

Yes I know, I should have kept her on the lead - I had literally just taken her off to see how she went for a few minutes.

OP posts:
EdwardianSnowdropExpert · 22/02/2010 11:45

Am I reading this right that some people on this thread are saying it's OK that this puppy was kicked in this particular situation?

hmmm I'm trying hard to imagine any situation where is would be OK to kick a dog of this size.

I'm not a dog owner yet (7.5 weeks and counting) but I am spending plenty of time at the moment reading about dog training. Training of recall is HARD. Getting a perfect recall in a fabulously wonderous environment for a dog (like a wood with another puppy) is PhD level difficult for a dog. It takes a LOT of hard work from the owner to get it right.

Now from my lofty position of being an imaginary owner of a perfectly trained dog that I don't even have yet I can currently say "yes, I'm going to have a dog that recalls perfectly, every single time". The reality is that when I get to the point where I am confident enough to let my dog off the lead in an exciting outdoor place to train recall there IT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY FAIL, many, many times.

So do I NEVER take my dog off the lead....or do I train it properly and hope like mad that when it makes one of its inevitable initial fails that it doesn't get kicked in the stomach for its failure?