Another entitled dog owner… 😡

Some people on this thread must live their lives in constant fear if most family pets are seen as potential threats, what other everyday occurrences are people terrified of? I get that some people like the op’s wife have genuine phobias, but the internet hardmen who are posting on here are really curious.

You do realise there is no correlation between being scared of / disliking dogs to be afraid of everything including your own shadow.

have to try and share the road and take sensible precautions to protect myself

indeed. Cars are – however – slightly more predictable than an exuberant dog.

jump up and down in an over exuberant manner

but that is an “attack” to some people…You may disagree, but some people do not like it, and indeed are quite scared of it. It’s not dissimilar to showing a tarantula to an arachnophobe. Irrational fear to most people (even hard to comprehend), but terrifying to them.

It’s just about respecting others. And as you don’t know the other person, you have to be more cautious until you do.

indeed. Cars are – however – slightly more predictable than an exuberant dog.

Not in my experience, never been attacked by a dog, have been attacked by a car on lots of occasions.

Fortunately I’ve never been attacked by a car. But I can understand how people do not like it, even if the car is only being friendly, exuberant and excitable.

See – almost as if the situation can be reversed.

However, I fear this will just descend into the usual camps; those who can’t understand how anyone can dislike dogs, and those who are indifferent or actively dislike them.

Just had a dog snap at me whilst riding down at the woods. When I came back the other way the elderly couple constrained the dog and gave a very old-fashioned look as though I was to blame for something. I suppose if you live in an alienated, divided society generating anxiety and vulnerability you will find people full of bile and false entitlement.
I’m wary of dogs having done the xmas post and the complete mismatch between what the owners say and what the dogs do. Oh, and I had to move the car to get everything back in without getting covered in the dogshit in the carpark. It’s taken me decades to come to terms with how kin awful some people are, I don’t blame the dogs but I’d still happily give a sharp flick of the foot than receive a bite.

I’m 61. I’ve been bitten by dogs three times in my life. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had to clean shit off my shoes, had my face licked, my crotch sniffed, my clothes muddied or slobbered on, or been put in genuine fear of another bite. Dog apologists, please explain to me just why I should have to put up with this? Why is it ok that someone else’s right to own a dog allows them to impinge on my life like this?

I completely understand unwanted attention by dogs being unwanted, even my dog does, she gets out of control and sometime aggressive dogs running up to her regularly, she doesn’t like it. It’s just moaning and acting tough saying you will kick a dog if it comes near you is not going to help anyone. For the most part taking sensible precautions like slowing if on a bike or, grabbing a collar if it jumps up or just pushing it away will allow you to get on with life quicker, more calmly and happier and are much less likely to cause the idiot owners to react aggressively.

Although tbh I did a few years ago get into a physical confrontation with a bloke after his staffie ran across a road growling at my on lead dog after I bent down and held its collar to keep it away from my obviously scared dog. “Don’t **** grip up my dog”…FFS….it wasn’t my finest moment.

Anyone tried a dog tazer?

Are these effective /legal?

Why is it ok that someone else’s right to own a dog allows them to impinge on my life like this?

Because the dog is owned by a moron, if they werent pissing you off with a dog they’d be driving at you in their car or some other equally annoying/downright dangerous thing. Just don’t tar every dog and every dog owner with the same brush. I mean even I will admit not all white van drivers are homicidal sociopathic bike haters

but that is an “attack” to some people…You may disagree, but some people do not like it, and indeed are quite scared of it. It’s not dissimilar to showing a tarantula to an arachnophobe. Irrational fear to most people (even hard to comprehend), but terrifying to them.

Absolutely this. What one person finds quaint and happy; the dog jumping up being friendly, saying hi, whatever another person could easily find absolutely terrifying or mistake it for an attack.

I know a forum member like that – she hates dogs so while I’d be happy to have a big waggy-tailed lummox bounding over to say hi, she’d be terrified.

Yet every post we ever have about dogs brings out folks calling out the constant menace of attacking dogs.

because it’s a thread about dogs attacking people?  most dogs, most owners are perfectly sound, but I do think that 1.dogs are more popular than ever and 2, standards of training have gone down.

Because the dog is owned by a moron

There has been an awful lot of ‘it’s not the dog, it’s the owner’ on this thread. Makes me think that there should be some kind of licensing scheme with compulsory training and testing.

I got recently bitten by a dog on a ride, even though I always pass people with dogs at walking pace and announce myself on a shared path. The owners were apologetic, although the female, who seemed startled that a bike was on a shared path despite there being several other bikes around, said ‘oo – he might bark…’, the dog was elderly I think, off the lead and seemed startled by a bike (still at walking pace..) and proceeded to run up and bark at my shoes – and caught me, breaking the skin. ‘oh has he grazed you ?’ – she says. Her partner was a bit more switched on and said ‘no, he bit’.

Being a dog lover I had a few words, they seemed genuinely upset, so I left it. Had to go and get a jab, and the hospital reported to the police, even though I had made it clear I wasn’t going to. Police incompetence meant they never successfully got my head cam footage. There ends my story.

Dogs are great, people who don’t look after or train their dogs to be around others, including children, are part of the general human condition of uselessness.

I’m just going to leave this here for any remaining dog lovers who got this far..

https://www.wedontdeservedogs.com/

I know a forum member like that – she hates dogs so while I’d be happy to have a big waggy-tailed lummox bounding over to say hi, she’d be terrified.

A responsible owner should know if a dog will act like this. Thankfully mine has never been a jumpy uppy dog, but then she was trained that this was unacceptable from the start. Even then a responsible owner will read a situation, see a nervous person and put the dog on the lead or call it away. We regularly see people with learning difficulties taken out where I often walk my dog offlead. She won’t approach them but I still call her back and hold her collar as we pass. Some are very scared some very interested and want to stroke her, I try to think off boths needs.

Disclaimer: I do not own a dog, nor do I have a problem with them.

I cant help but find it difficult to stomach some of the responses to the “dog murderer”, you know the one who made it very clear that dogs terrify them. Almost like, I dont know, a fear so bad they believe they really are in serious danger. I mean its not like there’s ever any posts on here of members bashing/kicking out etc towards those over exuberant big metal boxes (that are also owner controlled) that get a bit close when they are on the road on the bike that they believe put them in danger of injury.

this:

Why doesn’t everyone calm the **** down and just try and be nice.

No need to try and kill dogs through booting it or exhaustion. Most of the time a dog has bounded up to me it’s usually been pretty young, followed by loads of apologies and an explanation that they are still training it but not quite there yet.

Some dog owners are ****. Lots in fact. But the people here who get glea from the possibility of hurting their dog is just as much of a ****.

The majority of people are nice we all have to co-exist. Be nice, spread happiness

and this:

The amount of people who are so quick to turn to violence and in one cases killing someone’s dog here is bonkers and why is everyone’s answer to this escalating the situation??

really? I just cant fathom this thought process from people who are usually fairly empathetic and logical.

Anecdote: At the park with my kids, a mate and his kids on the bikes. My mates daughter is terrifed of dogs. And I mean terrifed. So much so, that while we had stopped on our loop around the park (just me and the 4 kids for a bit) she burst into tears and was inconsolable as there was a dog, on a lead, controlled by its owner over by the bin nearly 15foot away. The fact that there seems to be people that simply cannot grasp the fact that some other people are simply that scared of dogs is, quite frankly, pathetic.

There has been an awful lot of ‘it’s not the dog, it’s the owner’ on this thread. Makes me think that there should be some kind of licensing scheme with compulsory training and testing.

It sounds like a good idea but morons gonna moron whatever you do. Look at cars and how they are driven.

Anecdote: At the park with my kids, a mate and his kids on the bikes. My mates daughter is terrifed of dogs. And I mean terrifed. So much so, that while we had stopped on our loop around the park (just me and the 4 kids for a bit) she burst into tears and was inconsolable as there was a dog, on a lead, controlled by its owner over by the bin nearly 15foot away. The fact that there seems to be people that simply cannot grasp the fact that some other people are simply that scared of dogs is, quite frankly, pathetic.

Cant see the point you are making, what was done wrong in this case?

I used to be pretty nervous around dogs but I’m a fair bit better these days. I’m not usually particularly interested in them but they don’t make me as jumpy as they once did.

On Saturday I was walking along the path by the local river when I bumped into a friend. We stopped and had a chat for a while. Every single dog that came past while we were talking decided they really wanted to come up and say hello to us, me in particular. Neither of us made any move to engage with any of the dogs yet they all still came up to us and ignored the calls of their owners to leave us alone. One or two jumped up a little at me but as I was wearing scruffy clothes I wasn’t bothered about getting muddy.

It didn’t bother me, but after reading this thread and thinking back to my younger self, who could be very nervous around dogs, the fact that none of the dogs’ owners had enough control over them to stop it happening was rather unimpressive. (Childhood me was bitten by a neighbour’s dog mere seconds after the classic “he won’t bite” line had been delivered, which definitely contributed to my longstanding nerves about dogs.)

Cant see the point you are making, what was done wrong in this case?

This exact case? Nothing. But what if instead of a 6yr old girl with me, this is a “20 stone lorry driver” on his own with this exact reaction (terrified) and the dog in question came over fussing/jumping up whatever. Do you really think this sort of person wouldn’t lash out??? I’m sure in a scenario like this a dead dog isn’t the aim, but big guy kicking out in fear+little dog+wrong spot this could feasibly be an outcome.

I would hope a 20 stone lorry driver would have acted like a grown up and got help with his issues tbh, but seeing as my dog doesn’t approach strangers I wouldn’t need to worry myself

Thats great, for you. Sounds like a responsible dog owner. As has been pointed out several times though, not all dog owners are. As has been asked further up too, why should a person have to get help with their issues, instead of the owners being in control of their animals? Maybe we should get the sheep to get help for their issues around this time of year too? Facetious I know, but if an owner cant control their dog off a lead, it should be on one or not taken to places where they cause the issue in the first place

As has been asked further up too, why should a person have to get help with their issues, instead of the owners being in control of their animals?

Because on is being controlled by him, the other a moron….

but if an owner cant control their dog off a lead, it should be on one or not taken to places where they cause the issue in the first place

Everyone here knows this but keeping repeating it to me won’t make it any more likely to happen.

I shouldn’t have to ride defensively on the road because everyone should be capable of overtaking me safely, I can moan about poor driving standards, and I do, I can hope/wish/campaign for improved enforcement, and I do, but I still have to ride in the real world amongst morons and not try to kill them, and I do that too, although on occasion I have done a few things which I’m not proud of. So I understand what you are saying, I just don’t see it improving markedly any time soon.

I’ve been knocked over by a big dog that then growled and barked on top of me. I’ve had a big dog come barreling over to a family picnic and steal/wreck half the food. I’ve had my young daughter cowering in fear because a dog was aggressive towards her for no reason. And that’s leaving aside the constant jumping up/muddied clothes/crotch-sniffing etc as mentioned above.

I’m not really sure why I’m supposed to think any of that is ok. It’s nothing to do with living in constant fear.

I’m not really sure why I’m supposed to think any of that is ok.

Has anyone here suggested you should be?

Has anyone here suggested you should be?

I think tpbiker was wasn’t he?

I’m with the non-doggists on this. I’m not particularly bothered about dogs so I haven’t got one. As such I’m even less bothered about your dog – I don’t want to talk to it, I don’t want it to sniff me and I don’t want to tread or ride in its shit. And I’m pretty sure (but they can’t speak or type on here so I’ll need to take a guess on this), the livestock in the countryside is also not keen on your dog.

I think tpbiker was wasn’t he?

Dunno, but as long as you haven’t miss understood the points I’ve tried to make through a lack of clarity on my part, I will wish you good day, and move on! 😃

As has been asked further up too, why should a person have to get help with their issues

As described it’s a phobia not an issue and at some point big as he is someone bigger, armed or more skilled will damage him. Us non-neurotypical types do need to make some adjustments to fit in with the ‘normals’ as it’s not all about me nor is it all about you. It’s about us.

There are a lot of arseholes in the World, some have dogs, some have cats, some have cars, some have bikes, some have guns, some have cancer and some have awesome internet banter.

Not in my experience, never been attacked by a dog, have been attacked by a car on lots of occasions.

Cars don’t attack, drivers do

the car is usually in the drivers control, the dog usually isn’t in the owners control. You have to have a test to drive one but not own the other etc etc

but I still have to ride in the real world…..

Absolutely agree with this.

It’s about us.

Again, agree. But if somebody should seek help for their phobia, then others should control their pets. If both don’t do their bit, then where is the ‘us’?

But if somebody should seek help for their phobia, then others should control their pets.

100% agree

If both don’t do their bit, then where is the ‘us’?

Trying to be the bigger person?

If I was left petrified by something I was likely to encounter regularly, which in 99% of cases are more annoying than dangerous I would hope I would be seeking help

If I was left petrified by something I was likely to encounter regularly, which in 99% of cases are more annoying than dangerous I would hope I would be seeking help

Good point, I’d imagine though it may not be so easy? Access to services/cost etc

Cars don’t attack, drivers do

the car is usually in the drivers control, the dog usually isn’t in the owners control. You have to have a test to drive one but not own the other etc etc

Don’t see how that matters tbh, both are often annoying, sometimes scary and sometimes downright dangerous, neither are in my control (except my dog and I’d be lying if I said she’d never scared anyone or annoyed anyone, but then despite best efforts and good intentions, I’ve **** up driving my car too).

I’d imagine though it may not be so easy? Access to services/cost etc

True

One of my joys is riding with a dumb dog chasing after me with an equally dumb dog owner shouting for me and their dumb dog to stop.
No. No I won’t. You can spend the next few hours searching for your dumb dog in the woods if you are too dumb to keep it on a lead or train it.

I’m sorry for Mrs_outandabout and sorry that the situation escalated like that. It often does where dogs and morons are involved.

I also had my fair share of run-ins with dog owners when I used to ride. Never actually got bitten but I was pretty sure I was going to on a number of occasions. All my fault apparently.

Until recently I had a little reactive terrier and other dog owners would let their dogs run up to her and I’d ask them to call them back and got much the same response as Matt did.

I’ve now got a super friendly dog with people and dogs but she is going to appear very much not like that in future as she is going to have to wear a muzzle. She has been starving in the past so scavenges for food and yesterday she found a load of chips and naan bread whilst we were out on a walk. I knew what was coming… retching in the night, having to go out twice in the early hours to eat grass (won’t eat the grass in the garden so we have to take a walk), diarrhea, generally not feeling very good today. We managed not to have to go to the emergency vet this time and she’ll hopefully recover with supplements and time.

The point I’m making is that human beings – dog owners, non-dog owners, the whole damn lot of us, if not in the main, at least in vast numbers, are just ****** dicks.

However, I fear this will just descend into the usual camps; those who can’t understand
how anyone can dislike dogs, and those who are indifferent or actively dislike them.

Not sure which camp I am in then. I love dogs and own two of them yet I don’t want other people’s dogs jumping up at me when I am riding my bike.

One of my joys is riding with a dumb dog chasing after me with an equally dumb dog owner shouting for me and their dumb dog to stop.

Well we all have to get our fun where we can but I prefer to try to avoid contravening rule 1.

If your dog chases cars, bikes, sheep… whatever it is entirely your responsibility to sort it… not the driver, rider, sheep… whatever.