Inability to control dogs

Common sight in parks and on bridleways, cows.

I see that when the dog owners can’t mount a reasonable defence

There is no defence to being unable to control your dog. As a dog owner, I’m not trying to defend it. It shouldn’t happen; if you can’t control it then leash it. And pick up its shit too.

But it does.

But while being in the right is not in dispute, can you honestly not reflect that things are not as they should be and therefore as a parent you have a responsibility to equip your son with the skills to deal with an imperfect world. Whether that is poorly controlled dogs, classroom bullies, child abusers, people who text and drive and might therefore not see him crossing on a zebra crossing where he has every right to (ooh, more whataboutery)……

That’s the only point we seem to disagree on.

I got chased by a bull on a public path nowhere near the normal fields in the Pentlands once. Lucky I was going downhill!

Common sight in parks and on bridleways, cows.

Parks no, but bridleways yes.

did you think of trying to attempt a veronica with your camelbak and then kicking it in the balls as it came past?

What counsel will you offer your child to help him learn from his experience OP?

I got chased by a bull on a public path nowhere near the normal fields in the Pentlands once. Lucky I was going downhill!

Every spring on the local hill I run on they let the cows out after a long winter with much time indoors. That’s often an interesting experience navigating through the hooning around like nutters.

Can’t remember the last time I was in either real or imaginary danger of being attacked by a horse.

Next time you see a horse or two being ridden along a bridleway or narrow road, keep your speed up and shout STRAVA OUT OF THE WAY at them as you go past!!

I see that when the dog owners can’t mount a reasonable defence they just resort to name calling. Classy.

Maybe its the fact that no one is trying to mount a defence its just a few people have made a couple of suggestions about ways you might avoid such situations in the future

Ok, if we’re resorting to whataboutery, picture the scene.

A woman is sitting on her own on a park bench, reading a book and minding her own business. A big bloke comes along and sits next to her, starts talking to her. She’s uncomfortable and doesn’t engage, but he’s persistent. She asks him to leave. Then, he starts touching her arm, and then tries to lick her face.

Conclusion: she hates men and just needs to learn how to act around them, should’ve worn a longer skirt so she doesn’t attract them. Probably shouldn’t even be out in a public place where men are likely to be around.

—

Some people like dogs. Some people don’t like dogs. Some people – like me, for instance – love dogs but don’t particularly want to be covered in mud and drool, don’t want the concern that with it running round erratically it might end under my back wheel, don’t want the fear that it could be dangerous, and frankly just want to be left the **** alone to go about my business whilst others get on with theirs.

If anyone truly finds that such a difficult concept to grasp then they can stick their over-inflated sense of entitlement in a poo bag with the rest of the shit and probably go hang it in a tree.

Couger I realise you are a mod and all and are capable of wielding the ban hammer but, frankly you are either really stupid or trolling and you should maybe have a bit of a think about how you approach the forum

anagallis_arvensis – Member
a few people have made a couple of suggestions about ways you might avoid such situations in the future

large brick to the fore dome?

Nah..

Cougar’s right man..
If the world simply isn’t the way that we personally would choose it to be, why should we adapt?
Surely the sensible thing is to loudly demand that the rest of society conforms to our ideal?

large brick to the fore dome?

Thats an option I’m sure but given some of the knuckle draggers that own these dogs it wouldnt be an option thats very good for a wimp like me.

At least I got a couple of posts in before any lock

Some people like dogs. Some people don’t like dogs. Some people – like me, for instance – love dogs but don’t particularly want to be covered in mud and drool, don’t want the concern that with it running round erratically it might end under my back wheel, don’t want the fear that it could be dangerous, and frankly just want to be left the **** alone to go about my business whilst others get on with theirs.

Exactly. This is the bit that some people seem to be unable to grasp on this thread.

Cougar making perfect sense to me, although committing the fundamental mistake of reading each post before replying…the shame.

Still, 3 perhaps 4 hard of understandings on a thread like this is a pretty good show I think.

It’s an easy enough concept to grasp, but the point is that it’s not realistic

anagallis_arvensis – Member
but, frankly you are either really stupid or trolling and you should maybe have a bit of a think about how you approach the forum

Where’s that bloody picture of ironing when you need it?

Still, 3 perhaps 4 hard of understandings on a thread like this is a pretty good show I think

I’d imagine most dog owners have seen this thread and not bothered opening it as they’ll already know how it pans out.

FWIW, I’m of the opinion it’s my responsibility to make sure my dog bother anyone unless invited and safe.

A real problem for me at the minute is in public places a lot of people want to make a fuss of him due to his age(pup) and I’m trying to train him to ignore everyone unless invited.

A woman is sitting on her own on a park bench, reading a book and minding her own business. A big bloke comes along and sits next to her, starts talking to her. She’s uncomfortable and doesn’t engage, but he’s persistent. She asks him to leave. Then, he starts touching her arm, and then tries to lick her face.

Conclusion: she hates men and just needs to learn how to act around them, should’ve worn a longer skirt so she doesn’t attract them. Probably shouldn’t even be out in a public place where men are likely to be around.

Good example, difficult to counter. But that’s not really the equivalent of what has happened here is it? What we are suggesting is when the guy comes over that she immediately makes it clear she isn’t comfortable with him there and he realises this and goes away again. Because with most badly behaved dogs this is exactly what would happen, you tell them they aren’t interested in their game by your posture and action (my kids fold their arms and turn away from them) and the ‘game’ is over.

And i realise the next counter would be ‘how do you know what the dog / man is capable of?’ – you don’t, and again no-one’s defending a dangerous out of control dog or a sex pest. But by appropriate pre-emptive behaviour at least you can fend off the inappropriate advance.

It’s an easy enough concept to grasp, but the point is that it’s not realistic

I don’t dispute that – I said as much earlier. In an ideal world we wouldn’t have to learn how to deal with out-of-control dogs, lock our doors, give way to trucks even though we have right of way, or learn self defence. Unfortunately we share the planet with a small percentage of bastards and so it may be prudent to do some of those things.

The point I was challenging was the attitude rather than the behaviour. The ones trying to defend / justify on here that dog owners who let their animals be a pain in the arse is actually perfectly acceptable and we’re the ones who should have to adjust to their antisocial behaviour. To which I say most emphatically, **** that. That’s what I was trying to explain in the post A_A so eloquently desconstructed just now.

So the REALLY sensible thing to do is to loudly demand that the world conforms to our ideal, whilst at the same time, endeavouring to adapt to our surroundings?

And i realise the next counter would be ‘how do you know what the dog / man is capable of?’ – you don’t, and again no-one’s defending a dangerous out of control dog or a sex pest.

In my little tale I originally wrote that she was a rape survivor as an analogy to having been badly bitten, then deleted it as it felt a step too far.

So the REALLY sensible thing to do is to loudly demand that the world conforms to our ideal, whilst at the same time, endeavouring to adapt to our surroundings?

No, the really sensible thing is to stop making excuses for people who are behaving badly and acknowledge the fact that they are, in fact, behaving badly.

I don’t doubt that some people are dickwads and will carry on being dickwads out of sheer bloody-mindedness, because that’s the way some people are. But I’d hope that most dog owners who are behaving irresponsibly or inconsiderately are doing it from a position of ignorance, and that they might actually consider amending their behaviour if we went “hey, that’s not cool” rather than making excuses for it.

Am I reading a different thread to you?

Wading in too late but anyhow…

When my son was about a year old a neighbour’s 9 month old lab puppy got loose. My wife was up the garden hanging up the washing. As a bad parent I had popped into the next room to do a job and our son was sat in the high chair in kitchen when this dog came flying in the house, running around and barking. Scared teh **** out of my son.

As my son got older it became clear he had a deep seated fear of dogs. Especially energetic or yappy attention seeking ones.

We do our best to address this. We have a regular loan dog that we take for walks (he’s a big old bearded collie with a lovely temperament). Our son is quite happy walking with him on / off a lead and petting him.

But even with this our son (now 6) is still **** scared of tail wagging / yapping / barking / attention seeking dogs. We’ve done our best to get him used to the well behaved ones but it’s damn hard just to say ‘ignore it – it’ll go away’. These dogs have a sixth sense to hassle people who are scared and how you tell a 6 yr old to man up and deal with it is beyond me.

So I’m with the get them under control if they aren’t trained or behaving view.

So am I, and most owners on here, and I’m sorry your son still has a fear of the more ‘demanding’ types. But keep working with it, because sadly (and I say this as a dog owner) not everyone is.

The ones trying to defend / justify on here that dog owners who let their animals be a pain in the arse is actually perfectly acceptable

Could you point out who has done this?

can we rewind to the bit where the two forum members are in each other faces about fire extinguishers and car boots? that was great.

Could you point out who has done this?

Well, gavtheoldskater places the blame firmly with the chased if that’s a good enough start for you.

Except that wasn’t what he said at all – it was something he mentioned as a comment from the owner of the dog “justifying” its actions (because such dog owners are totally incapable of apologising IME). You seem to be keen on the idea of people taking pre-emptive action to “defend” themselves from out of control dogs – does that mean if I’m out running on a local common and spy a dog running off the lead I should stop running? Just how close should I allow the dog to get before I stop running? One time I got bitten I was doing an interval session, and the dog ran in from the side from quite a distance away. I could have completed my dog owners’ bingo card from the reaction of the owners. Is your suggestion that I give up doing running training anywhere there might be loose dogs – or do you have a better one?

I can’t provide specific quotations, but you’re doing a damn good job of implying that it’s not all the fault of the dog owners.

I can’t provide specific quotations

Well there you go.
Gavtheoldskater maybe an example but I cant be bothered to go back and look so I’ll give you that one. But everything I’ve seen has said that it shouldnt happen and the owners of such dogs are bellends but a lot of people are bell ends and own dogs so a bit of knowledge and or give and take can help.
I see a horse whilst out on my bike I slow down and say hello, I see a dog I slow down, if the owner controls it I say thank you, if the dobt I slow down more or stop and think the owners a bell end.

One time I got bitten I was doing an interval session, and the dog ran in from the side from quite a distance away

Once you saw the dog running at you then it might have been a good idea to stop. Its what I’d do. This doesnt excuse the owner of said dog though.

Well this devolved quickly. OP’s son gets hassled by a dog who’s owner hasn’t got it under control. OP is now to blame according to some. This is great.

I’m going to sign up for a defense against everything that might happen course. Clearly if I get mugged, bitten, end up being the victim of a terror attack, fall victim to a random natural occurrence, get mauled by a baboon that’s escaped from the local sanctuary for insane animals yada, yada, yada it’ll be completely my fault.

Riding down a country track, saw 2 Weimaraners off the lead and looking intently at me. I stopped and put the bike between me and them, still ended up with the puncture marks below for my trouble.

Owner accused me of making it up that I’d been bitten. How should I have handled it differently?

EDIT: To be clear, it’s front teeth were on the outside of my leg (puncture marks) it’s back teeth were behind the tendon/ligament. It’s just luck that it decided to release and not bite harder, otherwise I doubt I’d have much use for that leg.

NOBODY HAS BLAMED THE **** OP OR HIS HIS **** CHILD!

Seriously, you lot have a bloody cheek, hard of thinking indeed…

OP is now to blame according to some.

Could you show where this happend?

How should I have handled it differently?

Take pictures of dogs and owner and report to police?

NOBODY HAS BLAMED THE **** OP OR HIS HIS **** CHILD!

Seriously, you lot have a bloody cheek, hard of thinking indeed…

Yes, they have. Not overtly and they’re a minority, but still. For instance, on the previous page:

with respect, teach your kid to deal with dogs. if he had known how to its very likely he wouldnt have been chased, and also from the initial post you did not see what caused the dogs to run after him so who is to say your kid didnt throw a rock at the dog.

sorry if this offends about a million people but as a dog owner i know that they very worst people you meet out and about are those that act stupid and scared around dogs. dont blame a dog for a persons inability to deal with one.

Fabricating a completely imaginary rock-throwing incident is hardly laying the blame at the feet of the dog owners now, is it.

Complaining about people being “stupid” and scared of dogs completely handwaves the fact that there’s an uncontrolled animal there to for a child to be scared of in the first place.

Thanks Cougar, saves me responding. Must be the fact that I’m hard of thinking :roll

Yes, they have

One example does not make a “they”