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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Friends Dog nearly strangled me on walk

74 replies

MrsJBradders · 08/02/2021 10:18

was out with a friend for a socially distanced walk yesterday, we normally go each Sunday and walk around a large area of playing fields, about halfway through her dog (flat coat retriever 21 months) got super excited, and grabbed my scarf that was tucked under my coat, as the scarf was obviously wrapped around my neck and he was pulling and pulling i got very frightened, i managed to remove the scarf to which he decided was a trophy and ran off with it.

my friend was trying to retrieve him during this - whole thing prob only lasted less than a minute but she ended up having to tempt him with treats to get hold of him, he's got form for jumping up and occasionally grabbing sleeves but this really frightened me, she got upset as she thought i was angry with her, as i told her it was dangerous and if he could do it to me, when i have known him since 8 weeks old, he could do it to anyone.

he goes to doggy day care everyday. her training with him is sporadic.

just looking for some advice as i feel within my right to refuse to walk with him until she has got him better trained, but equally don't want to seem like i am not wanting to see her? i suggested a muzzle and extendable lead for future but it's not my dog so what can i do?

OP posts:

Fieldofyellowflowers · 08/02/2021 13:00

Tuck your scarf in your coat next time so the dog can't grab it. It is a young, playful dog that grabbed an eye catching scarf thinking it was a toy. There was nothing malicious in his actions. Do you have a dog OP? Or have you owned one in the past?

Snookie00 · 08/02/2021 13:00

How overly dramatic. The dog didn’t try to strangle you.

Agree that some people in Doghouse are very over the top but you also get the dog haters who are as bonkers the other way.

If you don’t want to be around the dog (and it does sound like it could have more training) then you don’t need to. Just tell your friend that it scared you a bit so you’d rather not spend time with the dog until it’s calmed down. Why all the stress and drama?

ComDummings · 08/02/2021 13:02

You are not being dramatic at all. As the linked articles a PP posted show it has happened that someone has been strangled to death by their dogs. Tragic. I wouldn’t walk with your friend either until she gets the dog properly trained. She’s a shitty owner for not training the dog.

PurpleRainDancer · 08/02/2021 13:03

@KaptainKaveman

There was a story in the news just a day or two ago about a woman killed by a dog in her sleep. So many dog owners are blind and in denial.

What the OP describes in her post has absolutely no similarity to the tragic case you have mentioned. Don’t be so ridiculous.

Fieldofyellowflowers · 08/02/2021 13:04

@KaptainKaveman But we are still more enlightened than people who have never owned a dog before, read a few horror stories in the news and think that they know all there is to know about them.

Anotherlovelybitofsquirrel · 08/02/2021 13:07

Mm you don't know a lot about dogs it seems.

Fieldofyellowflowers · 08/02/2021 13:08

@ComDummings That person got strangled because she had the dogs' leads around her neck, which is really not a good idea.

Snookie00 · 08/02/2021 13:09

Ha ha. Scared for her life @KaptainKaveman? You don’t like dogs- that’s fine. Don’t have one and don’t spend time with friends who have them. Your feelings seem way over the top and disproportionate. So much hatred.

No one on here has claimed that all dogs are angels and things can’t go wrong but there are millions of dogs in this country and there are very very few tragic incidents.

starsparkle08 · 08/02/2021 13:16

This could be the beginning of the end of your friendship ....
It was an accident

ExConstance · 08/02/2021 13:17

I always think it is a bit dangerous to have a scarf around your neck in this way, it needn't be a dog, remember Isadora Duncan? I think it is much better just to have the scarf not wrapped round or looped through, or to wear one of those circular knitted things.

C152 · 08/02/2021 13:20

I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest your friend keep the dog on a lead until she can control it properly / it responds to commands.

Costacoffeeplease · 08/02/2021 13:36

Scared for her life? With the dog’s owner right there and the possibility to take the scarf off or hold it higher so it didn’t ‘strangle’ her

Over dramatic? Absolutely

Hoppinggreen · 08/02/2021 13:39

@KaptainKaveman

There was a story in the news just a day or two ago about a woman killed by a dog in her sleep. So many dog owners are blind and in denial.

Pretty sure OP wasn’t asleep Not everyone likes dogs, some people are scared of them. Fair enough, that is why mine isn’t allowed to approach anyone unless invited to However, to suggest they are ravening beasts who just want to kill us all is a bit dramatic

Anotherlovelybitofsquirrel · 08/02/2021 14:04

This could be the beginning of the end of your friendship

It would be for me, if you criticize my pets... byeeee

tabulahrasa · 08/02/2021 14:54

I mean... the dog is clearly not well behaved and she should be training him...

But, firstly the dog wasn’t actually trying to strangle you, you know that right? He was just playing with a bit of cloth, he’s a dog, he doesn’t know what scarves are or how they work.

Also, what does within your rights to refuse to walk with her even mean? Are they compulsory walks?...

Original poster

MrsJBradders · 08/02/2021 15:08

Thanks to all the people that suggested I was playing a tug of war game with my scarf that I clearly stated was tucked inside my jacket which was zipped up, he grabbed the end of it which was underneath my coat which then meant I had to try and a) undo my coat whilst a 35kg dog was pulling the scarf and b) remove the scarf that was wrapped around my neck!!

In no way was it flapping or was I inciting any form of tug or war game. This dog is taller than me when he jumps up and I defy anyone else to not find it even a slightly scary experience especially when it hasn't happened before. Also FYI I am used to dogs but thanks for all the sarky advice

OP posts:

PurpleRainDancer · 08/02/2021 15:58

Crikey you do sound hard work OP.

Fieldofyellowflowers · 08/02/2021 17:16

@MrsJBradders

He was just trying to play. He saw the scarf sticking out and decided to pull on it for a bit of fun. Dogs love tug of war. That's all it was. A game, not a savage attack. It sounds like he could do with a bit more training but he is very young and if he is in doggy day care then that might make his training a bit sporadic. A muzzle isn't going to help. A long lead would only be a temporary solution until he is trained, if he friend wants to teach him to be obedient off the lead.

WildWaterSwimmer · 08/02/2021 17:18

@Newfor2021

You sound a bit over dramatic, it sounds like the dog was playing rather than attacking so not sure why you’re saying you’ve known him since 8 weeks old. Dogs aren’t robots, your friend did exactly the right thing by distracting him with food and as you said yourself it last less than a minute.

Unless I’m missing something it sounds like, dog jumped up pulled my scarf as he wanted to play with it, I unwrapped it from my neck, friend distracted dog and dog ran off with scarf?

If you don’t want to walk with your friend after that it’s of course entirely up to you, however I would be reflecting on my own emotional resilience and over dramatic reaction.

^ I completely agree with this!

Onjnmoeiejducwoapy · 08/02/2021 17:20

OP you seem to have really got your back up to people saying the dog saw it as a game, but it sounds like that’s exactly what happened. He needs to learn the “drop” command, it’s not a huge deal he’s a young dog that is still learning. They are playful animals, if you’re a bit nervous with them though I can understand that it’s scary. I’ve had dogs and horses do that to me! They can be very cheeky and sometimes enjoy getting a reaction and attention.

4Mongrels · 08/02/2021 17:22

The dog is poorly trained but I think it was daft to suggest muzzling the dog.

JeanClaudeVanDammit · 08/02/2021 17:23

I wouldn’t go out with your friend and the dog again, because it doesn’t sound like she’s fully in control of it.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 08/02/2021 17:28

I'm sorry you had a horrible experience

But the dog didn't do it on purpose. It was just trying to play. It didn't understand that its actions were hurting or scaring you.

The problem here is the dogs lack of training - the dog should have ideally have dropped the scarf on command and should have had a solid enough recall/stop command not to have run off.

But those things come with reinforcement and training, and if the dog has never been in that situation before, or was excited/playing, it may not have understood what was being asked of it.

IMO it's not a reason to end a friendship or refuse to walk with her. Just ask her to keep the dog on a lead around you in future.

Nogardenersworld · 08/02/2021 18:01

‘it was dangerous and if he could do it to me, when i have known him since 8 weeks old, he could do it to anyone.‘

Are you actually joking
It wasn’t premeditated murder OP
The dog pulled your scarf, it didn’t know it was around your neck and therefore could strangle and thereby kill you - in an extreme version of events.

The dog is not a cold calculated murderer who will kill you, even though you have known him since he was 8 weeks old.

How many people do you know that have been killed wearing a scarf as well? Surely that would be a seriously freak accident.

‘i feel within my right to refuse to walk with him until she has got him better trained, but equally don't want to seem like i am not wanting to see her? i suggested a muzzle and extendable lead for future but it's not my dog so what can i do?’

You are completely within your right, as is she, for not wanting to put a muzzle on a young dog who stole a scarf one time.

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