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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:
Original poster
notimefortv · 22/02/2010 11:45

Adios too

OP posts:
coldtits · 22/02/2010 11:46

Some people are too blinkered to see their own contribution to a negative situation, others aren't. Generally it's the first group of people whose dogs are always getting kicked, whose children get told off by other adults and eventually, who don't get invited anywhere because their lack of self-responsibility makes them unbearable to be around.

overthemill · 22/02/2010 11:46

op knows she needs to work on recall with her very young puppy. Having a great big scary dog running at you is one thing but tiny baby puppy another. I know jumpy yappy dogs are annoying , i hate them too, but nobody should ever kick a dog unless in self defence.

And this isnt an aibu thread so calm down people.

Original poster
notimefortv · 22/02/2010 11:48

back again for EdwardianSnowdropExpert - exaclty my point!!!!!!!!

OP posts:
coldtits · 22/02/2010 11:49

I really hate this attitude by dog owners that every green space in the country is their solely for the benefit of the dogs. It's not the dogs who look after it, and pay for it's upkeep with taxes, and, unlike with our children, it NEVER will be.

Dogs should be trained not to be a nuisance. I don't care if it's PHD level work for your dog because I genuinely don't give a fuck about your dog unless it is in my face, jumping, barking or biting. Sort it out or leash it.

coldtits · 22/02/2010 11:49

\And i still agree that the man should not have kicked the dog unless the dog bit him.

overthemill · 22/02/2010 11:52

oh yes and i agree with op about how terrifying this was for all. The police should be interested and i'm certain herts police will be. I am sure mp and others arent actually saying it was the correct thing to do but can imagine how someone might be scared. Clearly the jogger here was complete idiot.

Bella32 · 22/02/2010 11:58

I really hate this attitude by dog owners that every green space in the country is their (sic) solely for the benefit of the dogs.

coldtits - can you just show me where somebody said that please?

Many thanks.

paisleyleaf · 22/02/2010 11:59

ESE, Letting an untrained puppy runabout when you're also trying to manage small children and a buggy, like the OP here, sounds far from ideal.
It'd be best to work on the training when you are free to focus on it.

JodieO · 22/02/2010 12:01

You didn't control your puppy, when she came back to you you then should have put her lead back on right away. You said your puppy went up to him, then to you but then you allowed the puppy to carry on bothering the man. I'm not agreeing that kicking her was right but you really have no idea about his possible fear of dogs, any dogs, regardless of whether you think they are sweet, cute etc.

It is your responsibilty to ensure you puppy leaves people alone. If your puppy "mouthed" someone, and many puppies still will at 5 months, then the police etc will not make a difference between that and a bite; especially as their teeth are needlesharp at that age and easily draw blood.

You need to make sure she is kept safe and also that other people are too.

I am not a dog hater, I have a puppy myself who is 8 months old now. She is still not good at recall so have to be very careful when out as she is also very friendly and curious but I understand that not everyone will appreciate that or realise that she won't bite them.

Bella32 · 22/02/2010 12:03

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

This is not AIBU.

Cheers, all.

EdwardianSnowdropExpert · 22/02/2010 12:03

coldtits, I'm certainly not of the opinion that green spaces are for the sole provision of dog owners, and sod the rest of you.

I'd like to think that green spaces are for EVERYONE, and some people would like to enjoy them with their dogs.

Can you not see though that if you want to see a world where we only have beautifully trained dogs, that at some point in that dog's life it will have made some mistakes while it was being trained?

It is up to the owner/trainer then to change the training and to set up the situation where it will succeed, but that's a trial and error thing.

I think unless you want to see ALL dogs in ALL places walking on the lead, or you want to live in a country with no dogs then you have to expect that in some public green spaces you are going to encounter dogs that are not behaving 100% perfectly 100% of the time.

And I'm one of those secret dog owner judgers that inwardly tuts and scowls when I see dogs roaming all over the place, leaping about all over strangers and generally being annoying.

GetOrfMoiLand · 22/02/2010 12:05

Lol at public service announcement

morningpaper · 22/02/2010 12:05

If it's fine for a dog to make mistakes, then surely it must also be fine for a possibly terrified member of the public to make a mistake too?

Bella32 · 22/02/2010 12:07

I aim to please.

OrmRenewed · 22/02/2010 12:07

Man is a twat. Simple as. Hope your dog is OK.

Having said all that I do get approached by dogs when I am out running. And I always stop - not because I'm afraid of them as I am not, but because I am simply afraid of getting tripped! They often jump up (again that's fine with me) which would be a problem with many people.

I do think it's hard when areas are used by dog owners and other people. It's bound to cause a bit of conflict which is a shame as there are so many places you can't take dogs now. I guess the answer is to keep a dog strictly under control or on a lead at all times. You are going to meet dog-phobes, and just plain ordinary arse-holes.

GetOrfMoiLand · 22/02/2010 12:08
Bella32 · 22/02/2010 12:10

lol - I was just about to ask which category you see yourself in, GetOirf.

pmsl - really gotta go.

OP - please update on puppy when you can x

EdwardianSnowdropExpert · 22/02/2010 12:13

well yes MP, but there are mistakes and there are mistakes.

Don't you think it's a leeetle bit of an overreaction for this bloke to have kicked OP's dog? In the circumstances I probably would have held onto the dog after his (the runne's) first head shake, but still a boot in the stomach is OTT don't you think?

GetOrfMoiLand · 22/02/2010 12:13

lol Bella. Thank you for your restraint

See this is a never the twain thing. I am emphatically not a fan of dogs (no shit, sherlock). I firmly believe that all dogs should be on leads in public places. At the other end of the scale are confirmed dog lovers who think the absolute opposite of what I think and would believe that I am mad, or a cow.

So will have to agree to disagree as our opinions will never change

Bella32 · 22/02/2010 12:22

No shit sherlock.

I'm a confirmed dog lover (pas de merde) but I would be mortified if my dog ran up to someone and bothered them. That said, there have been (a very few) instances where that has happened - either because the dog has not behaved in exactly the way I had expected, or because (for instance) I did not see the other person until it was way too late.

I always apologise. Always.

But do I think someone would be right to kick a tiny puppy in what - according to the OP's description of the incident - was not an instantaneous, knee-jerk reaction? Er, no.

And that would apply to any animal. Not just dogs.

Ciao

iggypiggy · 22/02/2010 12:22

OP - sorry about your puppy getting kicked - kicking dogs is really not on.

And whilst i understand the points people make about not letting dogs run up to joggers - I do also think that these posters should probably bear in mind that this is a tiny puppy and this bloke sounds like a complete cock. Nevermind whether a dog should or shouldn't run up to a person - it isn't black and white... puppies are curious. I can see that a dog phobic would not like it and be afraid - but I suspect most dog phobes would NOT lash out like that. Being afraid of dogs doesn't make you cruel to animals... I can understand the jogger being cross or upset or fearful - but the agression is OTT.

I'm sure the OP knows she has to work on recall and won't let it happen again - the dog hate on here is so depressing

MrsL123 · 22/02/2010 12:25

I wonder if the opinions on this thread would have been different if, God forbid, the kick had killed the puppy? Because it could easily have happened.

I find it interesting that my 'wouldn't be jogging for a while' comment raised an eyebrow, but the abhorrent actions of this man are being defended. For what it's worth, he wouldn't be able to jog for a while. Or pee straight, for that matter. I'm much more dangerous than a six inch puppy, especially when my animals are being attacked.

neume · 22/02/2010 12:26

Probably the jogger over-reacted, but maybe this was the fifth dog that had bothered him that day, maybe he's allergic, maybe he's absolutely terrified of dogs following some previous trauma.

The fact is OP did not have her dog under control so this incident is her fault. I am absolutely sick of people's dogs bothering me and my DCs. I don't care if you think it's cute/friendly/won't bite etc....why should I have to put up with it? At best it's an intrusion and at worst it can be dangerous. Dogs would not get kicked if dog owners kept them under control. End of.

(Disclaimer - I have never kicked a dog but would do so in a heartbeat if I thought it was a threat to me or DCs.)

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 22/02/2010 12:29

Taking the thread slightly off on a tangent, do you think we could have a recall thread in the Pets section where all of us with L plate dogs could swap stories and all the wise dog people who are further down the line and have cracked it can offer us tips ?

I'd love to get ddog get her Ph.d in recall. We've conquered joggers, cyclists & horses and she can now not jump at people when they stroke her, but other dogs in the wood are like a red rag to a bull and any tips anyone can offer will be put in practice at lunchtime, despite fact it is pissing down.