Girlfriend was out jogging last week, saw a person she knew walking towards her on the footpath with his two dogs. She stopped to speak with him, started having a chat (now standing still) and one of the dogs bit her on the leg. Trip to docs, puncture marks and bruising on leg, ripped clothing, now on antibiotics.

Dog owners response at the time… ‘Did my dog just bite you? He’s never done that before’

Few days later, driving along a narrow road, couple on pavement with a small dog. The dog is on an extendable lead and as we approach the owner let’s the dog’s lead extend and allows the dog to run onto the road. I brake, avoid the dog, all ok. But the dog owner doesn’t seem to care, when I explain to her how dangerous her actions were and that she should keep her dog under control when walking beside a road with traffic.

Back to OP. Maybe (probably) it’s due to me getting older/grumpier but it does seem like the number of dic&head dog owners is on the increase. By Dic&head I mean they don’t take responsibility for their dog, don’t/can’t control it and seem to be unable to understand that not everyone likes dogs.

Perhaps the only course of action when attacked/bitten/molested by a dog is to retaliate and defend by battering the dog?

I’ve not been long in from a meeting at work.

On the way back I passed several dogs and all were well behaved.

True story.

Maybe (probably) it’s due to me getting older/grumpier but it does seem like the number of dic&head dog owners is on the increase. By Dic&head I mean they don’t take responsibility for their dog,

+ 1

Which means you end up talking to their owners. Please don’t get a dog.

Sounds like as good a reason as any not to. (-: But no, I have no intentions of doing so.

so you are getting angry about walking a dog you don’t have?

(-: Not exactly.

Firstly, I’m not angry.

Second, my argument is about the attitude some people have regarding their kids or their animals; that they can do no wrong and get horribly defensive at the suggestion that the rest of the world might not think the sun shines out of the proverbials of their little darlings.

I’m a cat person, but I love dogs too. I’ll happily pat a waggy dog and ask it how it likes being a dog if I’m out walking and meet one coming the other way, and maybe exchange pleasantries with its owners.

What I don’t like is hosing dog mess out of my tyres, being jumped up at by a pooch that’s just run through a muddy river, or have one bearing down on me like an exocet when I don’t know what it’s going to do next (doubly so on the bike). It amazes me, absolutely amazes me that some people seem to think all these situations are equal.

Largely, I’m in agreement with Cougar here. And I own a bloody dog. 🙂 People have a right to be just going about their own business and not be jumped on, have food stolen from their kids, have their bags sniffed (aracer…that’s for you if you’re reading 🙂 ), their picnics ruined, etc etc.

Anyway, sometimes in our park, a dog’ll come bounding up to us and its owner is a distant speck on the other side of the park. This very rarely happens with children, funnily enough. Although, because our dog is small and cute and has a “come-and-give-me-a-fuss” face, lots of kids do come to say hello when she’s in close proximity. Most people ask if it’s ok, which it is, as she’s harmless to humans. However, I’m always quick to reassure any child that does approach us, and if their parent is not that close, the dog has a firm hand on the collar while it’s being fussed. Thing is, I do believe that most dog owners take this approach, But sadly, plenty don’t either. It’s funny, my little boy is fine with our dog, and the few other big dogs he knows well. However, he’s not keen on strange dogs coming up to him and messing around – can’t understand how this has happened, we’ve never made an issue of it, so I guess it just happens with some kids. Slightly annoying for us, but it’s a quick reminder of how to behave around other kids that might be shit-scared of ours.

@ Drac – You were duped mate – a few minutes before, whilst you weren’t looking, they’d been crapping over the local footpaths whilst their lazy fuc&wit owners did nothing to clear up 🙂

Bastards! I fell for the ploy.

I reckon the jogger running infront of the car forcing it do an emergency stop was in on it.

I’ll happily pat a waggy dog and ask it how it likes being a dog if I’m out walking and meet one coming the other way, and maybe exchange pleasantries with its owners.

Bt you said this before…

The bottom lime is, you don’t get to invade other people’s personal space without invitation, whether that’s with a child or an animal or anything else. Someone’s basic right to go about their business without being mithered by strangers does not suddenly go out of the window because they happen to have something cute with them.

❓

I dunno, but I can see that those two quotes are far from mutually exclusive.

A dog with walkers can generally be ignored as it’s more likely to be calm and happy having had a proper walk, rather than hyper because it’s only out long enough to fill a baggie. So I can choose to interact with an approaching dog or not as I feel fit. Oh, there’s that word again.

many people seem to get cats who don’t have children. Food for thought.
many people with cats treat them as their children. they aren’t.
many people with cats let them crap everywhere. don’t.
cats are lower in the pecking order than people and should be taught this.
cats are in essence wild animals, albeit largely domesticated, they can be unpredictable.
teach your children to approach cautiously and always ask the owners if they can say hello and even then do it carefully.
I’m more a dog person but I don’t mind cats.

My dog is part of my family. I’m a responsible dog owner. I hope you and your son have some nicer interactions with dogs and their human soon.