I've just been screamed at by a woman in the park.

[TantrumsAndBalloons]

I have 2 staffys, one is a pup 18 weeks.

I was walking the puppy in the park, it's a massive park, lots of dogs running about off lead, no problems.

The pup was walking next to me, we passed a woman with a toddler in a pushchair on a bench. Milo went to one end of the bench to chase a plastic cup.
The woman screamed "getting your fucking dog away from my child"
I called him, he came over.

The woman then came about 2 inches from my face screaming I was an irresponsible person, I shouldn't let my dog off the lead, he was out of control, she was going to report me.

I don't know what I did wrong tbh, Milo was nowhere near the toddler but she kept saying that he was licking her child's feet, but he was nowhere near her feet and he came back as soon as I called him, he was in no way out of control.

I understand people do not like dogs but isn't this a big of an overreaction?

I understand her paranoia, but not her rudeness. I think you just have to understand that lots of people do not like/are afraid of/have an irrational phobia of dogs, and you need to keep your dog out of their personal space. They were on the bench, your dog was under the bench - he was too close, even if he was totally disinterested in them. Puppies are also bouncy and I find it hard to believe that at 18 weeks he could possibly get that close to someone without showing some interest. Pups are very inquisitive, and he probably made eye contact and scared her.

Just write this one off to experience, and call your dog back before he has the chance to get near to other people. If his recall is good that shouldn't be a problem.

Personally I always have my dogs on a lead in the park, as although I know I can trust them, other people don't, and I want to avoid situations like this.

Yes different I know, that's why he is only ever off lead in the dog walking area and is not allowed to run up to people.

My niece is petrified of dogs, I have every sympathy for people who are wary of dogs, who have had horrible experiences with dogs.

But I didn't deserve to be screamed at, my dog was nowhere near her child. I would let either dog go up to a child because children can be unpredictable as well, they scream and run and kick, and because a lot of children who are not used to dogs are scared. If they ask to stroke either dog, I hold the dogs while they do.

It was the "irresponsible dog owner" and ."out of control dog" that upset me as it is not true.

But someone like me, whose friend's DC was KILLED by a Staffie, in front of them, don't see them as cute dogs, we see them as savage killers, and feel that ALL Staffies should be muzzled and leashed when out in public, can get very 'irrational' (which it ISN'T) when an unmuzzled, unleashed Staffie is ANYWHERE near our DC.

When an unmuzzled, unleashed Staffie goes anywhere near my DC's, I literally SHAKE with fear, and I DO get shouty, and what may seem like 'unreasonable', but if you had had to watch someone hit a Staffie on the head with a brick to get them to let go of a toddler that they were shaking by the HEAD, and that toddler later died of its injuries, YOU would get very rude if one that was unmuzzled and unleashed came within 10 feet of one of your DC's.

I have no problem with Staffies as long as they are muzzled and leashed.

And as a general dog lover, I 'get' that my fear is irrational, in the main. But knowing that will not stop my physical and emotional reaction to dogs of this breed being unmuzzled and unleashed near my DC's.

I have had people confused about me making a fuss of their spaniel, only for me to quake with fear when their Staffie comes trotting over.

But I have seen the damage Staffies can do when they go for someone.

My friend's toddler's only crime? Holding a biscuit.

Sorry.

It is fear, pure and simple, that caused this woman to swear. Would you not swear at someone holding a knife to your throat? Because you are SCARED? Well, to some people, they are THAT scared of Staffies near their DC's.

It's not fair on that breed, but you can't help your reaction if you have had a bad experience. I wouldn't have a Border Collie around small DC's unmuzzled for a similar reason.

couthy that must have beena horrific experience. I'm so sorry. I can understand why you have that fear but if that was the case for the woman in the park, why was she there?
It's a field, the only one in the area where dogs are allowed off the lead. There are 2 other parks within a 20 minute radius where dogs have to be on a lead. I never take my dogs there for that reason.

I will never agree that all staffys should be leashed and muzzled, there are some owners who do not look after their dogs which make the dogs unpredictable but they are in a minority.

The rest of us make sure our dogs are trained, under control and just because they are staffys doesn't mean they are going to bite everyone they see.
My brother was bitten very badly on the face by a dog, I don't even know what breed it was, a mixture of JRT and a few others but I don't feel each and every dog should be muzzled.

I love dogs .......but on a lead please. Some dog owners don't seem to understand the fear others have of dogs. And staffys have been in the news lately.

I understand the point about having dogs around small children, I get some people are scared so I take them to a dog park. Instead of the park 5 minutes away where dogs are not allowed to run about.

If you are so fearful don't take your children there.

Considering the staffy crosses which just mauled a large group of people in St Leonards, all this nonsense that they are "big soft babies" is a load of twaddle. They are capable of causing great damage, they should always be on the leash in public spaces, and the poor woman was probably, quite understandably scared for her dc.

I personally wouldnt shout at you, but I would ask you politely if you wouldnt mind taking your dog away. How was she to know that you believed you were in control of the dog. Every dog owner seems to think that, but I really dont see how others are meant to tell the difference between a dog that will come when recalled, and one which wont.

annie
On a lead? In a park designated for dogs to be off lead? Clearly signposted? Why?

If I didn't exercise him adequately I'd be called an irresponsible owner then as well wouldn't I?

The dog clearly was well trained as he came back as soon as I called him. Before she even started screaming he was by my side not even looking at her child.

You know what? There are murderers in the country. Therefore there can be no nice people in the world, they must all be serial killers?

Please don't presume you know anything about my dogs based on what you have read in the newspapers.

any dog is capable of causing harm just like any human is, think mass shooting at film! but we dont stop people going out or insist they are chained up in public, it was a park that SPECIFICALLY SAID DOGS COULD BE OFF LEAD!! which tantrums has repeated many times!

and the woman was unreasonable, rude and aggressive, perhaps she should be on a lead!

A staffy isnt comparable to say, a spaniel, or some other pet, they are potential killers, with the capability to put huge pressure into a bite and lock their jaws. So, whilst it is ok for "dogs" to be off the leash, perhaps staffy owners should be a little more responsible and keep their weapon-animals ON the leash.

With the exception of people like Couthy who have had genuine terrible experiences, if you are that fearful that you feel the need to be rude and/or violent when a dog comes near you minding it's own business you really ought to consider some kind of counselling.

And yes, what Tantrums said. Go to one of the many, many parks or beaches where dogs are banned or have to stay on the lead.

cross posted with you tantrums :)

Tantrums - was there a play park there? If it was in a play park area, I would expect ALL dogs to be on leads. The field, yes, I would expect to find unleashed dogs of all breeds if it was allowed, but I personally wouldn't expect that in a child's play park.

She may have gone there as it was the closest play park to her house.

Doesn't mean that I would choose to do the same, in fact I struggle in the local Country Park, as the only ACCESSIBLE pathway through it that I can use as I have to push a pram, have physical issues myself, and also have a DC with physical disabilities, is ALSO the pathway where dogs are allowed to be unleashed. I would still expect a Staffie to be muzzled though, as it's the only way through the Country Park for a disabled person, and I don't want unmuzzled Staffies within 10 feet of my DC's.

It's a difficult balance, sometimes. You can't stay in forever, but you would still have issues with an unmuzzled Staffie when you have had the experience I have had.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1379622/Dog-attack-Staffordshire-bull-terrier-mauls-girl-7-chewing-eyelid-exposing-skull.html

This is the reality of what these so called pets can do to children, and you wonder why she shouted at you to get the thing away from her child!

And ONLY the play parks local to me insist on leads for dogs. ALL fields seem to be a free for all. Which means I can never relax on a picnic with my DC's as there is always my friend's toddler waving his biscuit around in the back of my mind...

I really do sympathise with 'good' owners of staffy type dogs but the general public can only go on what you see and experience around you and if you live in an area where the majority of these sorts of dogs are not with responsible owners (and this is no exaggeration where I live) then you have to behave accordingly.

Your ire would be better directed at these people/government and not wary parents.

And I know ful well that other types of dogs are responsible for most dog bites in this country but its not about that its about harm. Just as children dont get hit most often by 4x4s but when they do the damage is much worse, hence they have a low pedestrian rating iyswim.

My friend's little boy's skull was so severely damaged that they did reconstructive surgery on him AFTER he died, as her religion needs an open coffin for a time after death...

no play area couthy tantrums has said that, it was signposted as ok for dogs to be OFF lead, the rules on that are NOT breed specific and nor should they be as you cant lump all dogs together just because of their breed.

it wasnt near her child which tantrums has also explained, i am not a dog fan, am highly allergic for one and my children have had bad experiences with dogs, but i still encourge them to behave in a safe manner around dogs, just like i teach them how to cross a road safely.

and i am sorry some people have had bad experiences, but that does not mean that responsible dog owners should have to pay the price of the the stupid few who dont train their pets appropriately.

Of course there wasnt a play park there.
I've said before. It's 3 connecting fields and a wood. There's a play park 5 minutes away that we do not go to because even though the big dog is scared of his own shadow, children do not know that and think he is dangerous. Therefore I choose not to put him, or any children or adults in distress.

5madthings. Actually I think it does mean that the majority have to pay the price, sorry to say. Like knife or gun control.

I think people suggesting tantrums is being irresponsible are unfair. I am no dog lover, don't like Staffie type dogs since being chased home by one when I was younger. However, because I'm not a dog lover I wouldn't go to a park where dogs were allowed to be off their leads.

If she has been in a playground, or other open space where dogs werent expressly given permission to be off lead then I would agree it was irresponsible but she goes out of her way to avoid that