Chased Out Of Dog Park

[DaffodilDilly]

Just been to our local dog park as i do every day, usually twice a day. I've got a Lab who is 14 months old. Mostly well behaved with good recall.
This is a designated dog park and 99% of the dogs are off lead. They all run around together quite happily
Well today a lady was walking a small dog, she saw us walking towards her and picked up her dog. Well, my lab saw this and jumped up at the dog. I quickly got him off and put him on the lead. I apologised to the lady and said if she left her dog on the ground my dog would have just walked past it.
She started swearing at me, took my photo and demanded money for her dirty coat.
She then followed me so I had no choice but to leave the park. All the time she was asking for my address and money.
I said I had no money, just poo bags and my phone.
I said she should expect to get dirty in the dog park and most people wear old clothes.
I was muddy and a few smaller dogs had jumped up at me. it doesn't bother me.
I've not seen this lady before and it really shook me up.
Was I in the wrong?

Everyone is saying she was aggressive and unpleasant but the fact is that had your dog not gone up to her and jumped up at her, she’d not even be in your life. You’d not have been spoken to in a way you disliked. You’d not have been asked for money. If your dog had behaved you’d have just had a lovely walk and gone gone, the end.

You can’t complain about the personality of the poor person your dog jumped at, you can just stop your dog jumping up.

The jumping wasn't on purpose. People should be able to control themselves regardless, being threatening and abusive is never ok.

what is this thing called a dog park - or a 'dog designated park' ?
to me a park should be a place for quiet contemplation and admiring the scenery. Is it a new phenomenon exclusively for dogs and thos dreaded dog walkers who release 5 or 6 dogs at a time at the entrance to the park and ignore them messing or running amok?
I am a dog lover but I do find it annoying when there are signs saying dogs to be kept on leads but the park becomes full of loose off lead dogs annoying other people who just a quiet moment.
It would be better if an area was set aside for 'dogs' as on some beaches and outside of that dogs must be under close control.
I know 'dog parks' are a thing in the US where leash regulations are stricter but they seem to be new to this country and it is tempting lazy dog owners to not bother to train their dogs on recall or lead walking. End of rant.

Threatening and abusive dogs are never ok either. The woman didn’t know that the dog wouldn’t attack, I’m sure her hackles were up. You can’t then complain she’s too upset at your dogs upsetting behaviour.

I think the woman is over reacting and as for her coat getting dirty the dirt could have come from her own dog for picking it up. I wouldn't pay for the dry cleaning she needs to wear something that she doesn't care whether it gets dirty or not.

I've had dogs jump on me and not that I expect it - but it does happen - no-one was injured. She probably realises now that she over reacted.

Admiring the scenery???

If you like a muddy field and half cut hedges in the dog park where we are, then admire away!

@Mymycherrypie it shouldn't have happened, you're right. But that's life, things like this do happen. It was an accident. The way she reacted was completely unacceptable and quite deranged. If everyone went around reacting to accidents like this then the world would be an even more frightening and hostile place. The op offered to write a cheque, that wasn't good enough and the woman acted like a psycho.

It shouldn't have happened but it did and the way the woman reacted says far more about her

You were both BU. You can’t allow your dog to jump up at people and she shouldn’t have responded so aggressively.

Is a dog park only for exercising dogs in or is it just a council field? Is it in the UK and are they fairly common/uncommon? I’m in the UK and there’s nothing like that near me but I’m wondering if there is one somewhere that I don’t know about!

I don't think YABU. A big pup getting over excited because a small dog was picked up was totally understandable. Plenty of dogs will jump up at a dog being carried. I have small dogs and would never pick them up when approached by another dog, for that reason. Dogs aren't machines and the best trained dogs sometimes go bonkers. Mine all have their Kennel Club Gold Award but still show me up at times 😂

The woman was incredibly rude and overreacted. We live in a holiday hotspot, well loved by Londoners and the Surrey Set, and they all seem to bring their teeny tiny pooches down here the holidays, walking them on lead in off lead areas, picking them up and fussing whenever they pass any of the local mutts. Or marching through the middle of a group of playing dogs and getting arsey because the dogs aren't on lead.

I get that things happen you cannot mitigate for, like meeting an aggressive person or dog in the park. But OP can mitigate for this by putting the dog on a lead near smaller dogs. The woman is stuck with her personality. OP met an unreasonable woman today, the woman met an unreasonable dog. One is not more unreasonable than the other, we have no idea what was going on in either of their heads. It might be a very expensive coat for all we know, she’s entitled to wear wtf she likes without strange dogs jumping on her no matter where she is. Being in a dog park doesn’t excuse bad behaviour.

I am in the UK and it is a designated dog park. Apparently it was bequethed in someone's will years ago that it was to remain an area for dogs.
As for scenery, there are trees and bushes and mud and puddles😁No children's area.
There are dog poo bins regularly emptied by the council and the whole area is totally enclosed. There are a few benches dotted around.
It's not great at night as it's pitch black but in the daytime it's great and right on my doorstep.

'Being in a dog park doesn’t excuse bad behaviour.'

Well no but you'd like to think a grown woman would have nicer manners than a young pup which in this case is questionable!

Yes the dog should have been on a lead but the woman was a complete arse and had I been in the OPs shoes, after the initial apology and attempt to rectify the situation (which she flat out refused) I would have been telling the daft bint to take a running jump.

Yes. Shout at a woman your dog has jumped up at because she wasn’t pleased about it and could legally have reported it. That’s obviously a very reasonable way to react yourself...

Lots of excuses for the dog - he did it because she picked her dog up, she didn’t do as I (a complete stranger with a jumpy dog) told her ie put her own dog down in order to calm my dog, she didn’t react how I wanted her to about being jumped up at.

How about control your own dog and shouty strangers don’t even have to talk to you. Problem solved.

@Mymycherrypie well yes we've already established some pages ago that ideally the dog shouldn't have jumped up and the whole unpleasant incident would never have occurred. But as I previously said, accidents happen. It's life. How graciously we react to these things says a lot about our personality. Had my dog done something like this of course I would have apologised and tried to do all I could to resolve or recoup for any damage caused. The op has never denied responsibility and tried to do both of those things. To then be met with abuse and harassment - well yeah you can believe I would react.

Legally she probably shouldn't be following, abusing and taking photos of the op against her will. And unlike the dog she is a grown human who should know better.

Anyone got some training advice on how to stop dogs jumping up then?

Something positive can then come from this thread

I got jumped on last weekend by German Shepard puppy who was soaked from the lake shore! Was called off by an unbothered owner ... I had thought nothing of it really but he did muddy my bag.

It’s cool if you were ok after being jumped at. This woman clearly wasn’t. I don’t get from the OP that she was entirely compassionate, she found a way to blame the other woman for her dogs behaviour by saying she didn’t do as she was told and picked her own dog up. We can’t expect everyone to react the same and blame them for being more upset than we want them to be. I certainly wouldn’t be aggressive in response, that would only spur someone to report, surely. Maybe she needed the photos in case she wanted to report or in case OP did become aggressive.

Here’s some positive advice. If you see a small dog being carried and you know that’s a trigger for your dog, do what you need to with yours, don’t tell a stranger what to do with theirs. She can carry her own dog wherever she wants.

I have experienced undesirable behaviour from my adolescent dog and been on the receiving end from other dogs. It’s life and as long as you apologise which you did that’s the end of it. Mud does dry and then brush/wipe off and nobody got hurt. The lady completely overreacted and sounds thoroughly unpleasant. Just be more aware for the future and be ready to put your dog on a lead if the same situation arises again.

Honestly it's just one of those things.

We have a dog park. It has open times where dogs can come and go and you can privately book at certain times.

Dogs are animals. No matter how well good their training is, they can act unpredictably, when something different happens. That's why you stay near by, just in case.

With the best will in the world, no one can stop their dog doing something in a split second 100% of the time.

If her dog cant be around big dogs, a communal dog park isnt the place for the dog. My older dog does give a shit about other dogs and ignores them. In peoples arms or not.

You apologised. You know to watch out for people carrying dogs and to do more work on jumping up.

People have completely unrealistic expectations of what it means to be around animals. If you go to a dog park you will encounter dogs and if you behave in a way that excites them you may have one that jumps on you. It's the same with all animals. At the puppy classes, about once a year the puppies knock someone over - this is what happens if you are around puppies that are playing vigorously and you don't stand with your back to a wall/fence. If you go to a horse show you are likely to see horses spooking, running off or breaking away.

Even with the best of training animals behave in uncharacteristic for them ways (just like children who can never be 100% under an adult's control).

It’s a dog park, I wouldn’t be too thrilled at having a dog jump up on me but there is no way on earth I would be demanding money for cleaning, that is nuts.

Posters don’t help, seem to aim to make you miserable.

I agree with this, sadly. It never used to be like this but so many posters now don't apply the great dog behaviour knowledge they have to human behaviour.

Continually badgering an OP until they prostrate themselves in a display of regret and grief helps no one.

The dog jumped up in a dog park. Dogs do that. It's not ideal and an apology tends to smooth the way considerably. The OP did not do that and, yes, that probably didn't help. But let's not pretend that following, demanding cash, photographing the OP was anything other than bloody weird behaviour totally out of proportion to the "crime".

Tbh the reaction of the woman is something that i'd consider reporting to the police, it is not ok to threaten and use scare/bullying tactics. I'd also be concerned that she does that regularly to other dog walkers. The OP apologised and did the right thing. Agree that posters here and unsympathetic and don't get that dogs just like to play, they aren't machines. The jumping up wasn't ok, OP accepts that and now has experience to learn from. Criticising constantly is no help (except to make poster feel better about themselves?).

I'm trying to picture my local dog warden's face if she tried reporting this to him. 'So, you are saying that a big puppy tried to play with your dog, and you got mud on your jacket? Where was your dog? In your arms? Well, there's your problem then! Keep your dog on the ground!' Followed by a big eye roll 😁

I live in the countryside and am a doggy person. I know pet dogs, show dogs, working dogs, sniffer dogs, pedigree dogs and rescue dogs, of all ages, sizes and breeds. One of my good friends is a well known dog trainer. Never met one of these MN robot dogs who have never acknowledged another dog, let alone done a crazy stunt when very happy and a bit excited. The best you can hope for is 95% good behaviour, and an apology usually covers everything else.

I grew up with chihuahuas I get peoples anxiety about having big dogs near them.

However, small dog owners have the responsibility to act responsible. If your dog can not be around other dogs, for whatever reason, dont take to a dedicated dog park. Know if you pick your dog up, it will attract others dogs interest, more than if you left ot on the ground.

Dogs are dogs. They need to be trained and ALL owners need to be responsible and think about their actions around other dogs, including small breed owners.

Anyone who thinks their dog always behaves perfectly and cant understand that sometimes dogs do things they wouldnt normal do, is delusional.

Thank you, the posters this morning have made me feel much better. I was worrying about it all night and this morning we just went on a long sniffy road walk which was nice but not quite the same.
I may venture back to the park tomorrow