Dog barked at someone who was afraid of dogs

TheChizler

borderlinemeath wrote: »

You'll get some thanks for your anti dog ranting in after hours, but you do realise that you're posting in the pets forum? You may as well head over to the cycling forum and tell them they're all road scourges while your at it.

That's not anti dog ranting it's being understanding of other people's dogs and other people, not projecting your comfort around dogs onto everyone else. For someone who's nervous around dogs, seeing one come up to you seemingly not being controlled (and even as a dog lover I would consider any dog off the lead as not fully in control) could understandably be cause for alarm.

This doesn't apply to the OP's story as obviously the person there was being ridiculous.

FAILSAFE 00

borderlinemeath wrote: »

So it's ok that the woman then went up to a complete stranger and said that the OPs dog attacked her? Just because somebody has a fear, then it's ok to embellish the truth to suit their own agenda so they don't look mad as a brush screaming at a dog?

Terrified people behave irrationally. Their adrenaline would be through the roof. It would take a while to come from it.

I have no doubt the lady felt like she was under attack when a dog starts barking at her. I've seen it first hand with my brother.

I wouldn't be hard on the OP or the lady in this case. I would recommend that dog owners keep their dogs on a lead in public places.

GreeBo

People need to realise that to some people a dog off a lead is equivalent to a stranger with a gun.
Sure they guy with the gun knows he is not a loony going to start attacking people, but the other people don't and have no control over him if he does.

kylith

GreeBo wrote: »

People need to realise that to some people a dog off a lead is equivalent to a stranger with a gun.
Sure they guy with the gun knows he is not a loony going to start attacking people, but the other people don't and have no control over him if he does.

That is absolutely ridiculous. If someone is that afraid of dogs then they need professional help.

TheChizler wrote: »

That's not anti dog ranting it's being understanding of other people's dogs and other people, not projecting your comfort around dogs onto everyone else. For someone who's nervous around dogs, seeing one come up to you seemingly not being controlled (and even as a dog lover I would consider any dog off the lead as not fully in control) could understandably be cause for alarm.

This doesn't apply to the OP's story as obviously the person there was being ridiculous.

But dogs need to be able to socialise and play in order to be mentally healthy and they cannot do that if they are not allowed off lead. It is simply not feasible or fair for a dog to be kept on lead for its entire life.

faceman

kylith wrote: »

That is absolutely ridiculous. If someone is that afraid of dogs then they need professional help.



But dogs need to be able to socialise and play in order to be mentally healthy and they cannot do that if they are not allowed off lead. It is simply not feasible or fair for a dog to be kept on lead for its entire life.

There are designated parks and beaches where dogs can be off lead. Also doggy day care is wildly popular nowadays too.

FAILSAFE 00

notjustsweet wrote: »

Huh?? Your 'rational' point of view was basically you don't like it so everyone should do what you want regardless that the law is against you.
That's rational yeah.

If you had read my post without being in a highly triggered state you'd realise that I mentioned what I had observed in public places. I see the issues that others have.

My recommendation is based on this. It's consideration for other people.

I like going for walks on the beach because usually a happy little fellow will run up to me and say hello and I give them a quick pet. That's me but I've seen the other side of this where people don't want that.

lifeandtimes

Unfortunately a dog off a lead will not be considered under control by any dog warden or judge for that matter.

Ops dog may have a great recall and my only have barked at the lady but if she's as irrational as op makes her out to be, she could have fallen over and scratched herself, blamed the dog and brought op to court. When asked was the dog on a lead OP will say "no but..." the judge will stop them there as OP can't prove the dog didn't do anything. Open and shut case.

Legislation is there to not only protect people but dogs too.

Op keep your dog on a lead unless you are in a designated area for dogs to be off leash, the other people there will be dogs owners and more understanding at the odd sniff etc, if your dog is as obedient as you say then you won't have problems

c6ysaphjvqw41k

This post has been deleted.

kylith

faceman wrote: »

There are designated parks and beaches where dogs can be off lead. Also doggy day care is wildly popular nowadays too.

Doggy day care is also very expensive and not an option for a lot of people who would work non-standard hours.

I can't bring my fella to dog parks because he will simply sit beside me. He is not interested in playing with most other dogs, he just wants to sniff hedges and run after the odd pigeon. There is also a massive difference between taking a dog to a dog park and bringing it for a 10 mile hike up the mountains. High energy dogs will not get sufficient exercise in a dog park especially if, like mine, they have no interest in playing.

99.999999% of the time someone walking their dog off lead int he park is not going to impact anyone in any way. You're much more likely to be hit by a ball from some children playing.

njs030

FAILSAFE 00 wrote: »

Terrified people behave irrationally. Their adrenaline would be through the roof. It would take a while to come from it.

I have no doubt the lady felt like she was under attack when a dog starts barking at her. I've seen it first hand with my brother.

I wouldn't be hard on the OP or the lady in this case. I would recommend that dog owners keep their dogs on a lead in public places.

There's literally no point talking to you when you don't seem to grasp what happened in the ops story and keep repeating an incorrect version and secondly won't see any point of view but your own.

Please stop throwing around inaccurate comments and accusations about my state of mind it's annoying and against the boards rules of attack the post not the poster. Thanks.

Mod note: notjustsweet, please report posts you've a problem with, as here you are back seat modifying.
Thanks,
DBB

TheChizler

kylith wrote: »

But dogs need to be able to socialise and play in order to be mentally healthy and they cannot do that if they are not allowed off lead. It is simply not feasible or fair for a dog to be kept on lead for its entire life.

I agree but I wouldn't use non-consenting members of the public and their dogs to practice socialising my dog on who may not want that for whatever reason. Find a relatively empty field or beach with a friend and their dog, or a dedicated dog park or daycare as someone else suggested. I'd put the perceived safety of others over the need to train my own dog.

borderlinemeath

TheChizler wrote: »

That's not anti dog ranting it's being understanding of other people's dogs and other people, not projecting your comfort around dogs onto everyone else. For someone who's nervous around dogs, seeing one come up to you seemingly not being controlled (and even as a dog lover I would consider any dog off the lead as not fully in control) could understandably be cause for alarm.

This doesn't apply to the OP's story as obviously the person there was being ridiculous.

The post I replied to was a rant. That particular poster had said he didn't like dogs. He did not say he was afraid of them.

FAILSAFE 00

notjustsweet wrote: »

There's literally no point talking to you when you don't seem to grasp what happened in the ops story and keep repeating an incorrect version and secondly won't see any point of view but your own.

Please stop throwing around inaccurate comments and accusations about my state of mind it's annoying and against the boards rules of attack the post not the poster. Thanks.

Forgive the pun... But you are barking mad.

GreeBo

kylith wrote: »

That is absolutely ridiculous. If someone is that afraid of dogs then they need professional help.
.

It's ridiculous *to you*, not to those who are truly terrified by dogs.
I am not one of those people btw, but I have seen them.

I presume you have no irrational fears?

lifeandtimes

GreeBo wrote: »

It's ridiculous *to you*, not to those who are truly terrified by dogs.
I am not one of those people btw, but I have seen them.

I presume you have no irrational fears?

True, people are afraid of heights, tight spaces, large open waters, spiders.

None of which are called ridiculous so it wouldn't be fair to say the same for people of afraid of dogs

borderlinemeath

faceman wrote: »

There are designated parks and beaches where dogs can be off lead. Also doggy day care is wildly popular nowadays too.

But dogs aren't all alike. Lots of dogs hate dog parks and doggie day care for a variety of reasons, they may be afraid of large numbers of dogs, or even some male dogs are intolerant of intact male dogs. It's one of the reasons leash reactivity in dogs is so prevalent in the US. Leash laws are so strict that dogs can end up highly unsocialised and very reactive to others. Particularly if there are no facilities in their owners locality.

borderlinemeath

lifeandtimes wrote: »

True, people are afraid of heights, tight spaces, large open waters, spiders.

None of which are called ridiculous so it wouldn't be fair to say the same for people of afraid of dogs

^^ Most of these are easily avoidable.
You don't have to go up tall buildings
You don't have to get into a lift
You don't have to go in a boat
You can easily kill a spider if necessary.

Dogs are everywhere, your neighbours have them, they are walked on streets, parks, beaches, mountain walks, there's police dogs, customs dogs in airports, guide dogs for the blind, therapy dogs. Thanks to the relaxation of the FSAI legislation dogs are now allowed in pubs, cafes and restaurants at the managements discretion. Cynophobia is something that is easily overcome if somebody who suffered from it really wanted to.

Shaungoater

spindex wrote:

To me the moral of this story is that your dog should be kept under your control and not be able to bother other people.

hmmm wrote:

I'm presuming this is a joke? A man and his child are approached by a large strange dog, and the man reacted. How was he to know your precious dog was "warm" and not there to have a go at the child?

I turned a corner and they were there. My dog is always put on a lead as people are seen as I understand some don't like dogs and not everyone will know what type of dog they are. The dog came within a few metres of the people and he got up and kicked the dog. I won't apologise for that

lifeandtimes

borderlinemeath wrote: »

^^ Most of these are easily avoidable.
You don't have to go up tall buildings
You don't have to get into a lift
You don't have to go in a boat
You can easily kill a spider if necessary.

Dogs are everywhere, your neighbours have them, they are walked on streets, parks, beaches, mountain walks, there's police dogs, customs dogs in airports, guide dogs for the blind, therapy dogs. Thanks to the relaxation of the FSAI legislation dogs are now allowed in pubs, cafes and restaurants at the managements discretion. Cynophobia is something that is easily overcome if somebody who suffered from it really wanted to.

Aye but one thing in common the majority of these have is they are under control and leashed.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a dog person but a simple way to have avoided any issues is if ops dog was on a leash. Then regardless if the dog barked,jumped or whatever this person would have no come back to op. Now if op was in a park for dogs off a lead (which hasn't been confirmed) then the person accepts a certain liability that dogs will be running around, granted this doesn't give dogs or their owners a get out of jail free if their dog hurts someone but scaring someone by barking does fall under any laws being broken.

If this park is not a leadess one and this woman wants to make a complaint then op may have some issue to contend with

hawkelady

Shaungoater wrote: »

Had something similar with somebody a few years ago. A couple and their child were picnicking on the beach and only saw them as I turned the corner. My Samoyed, who is the warmest dog ever, went over to them. He feels everyone should pet him, he's full of himself. Anyway, the man freaked out and kicked him. I ran over and asked what you are doing, he attacked me he said. I freaked out and they were freaking at me.

Moral of the story, some people are dicks and there's nothing you can do about it.

He was right to have a go and give your darling pooch a swift kick !! You should have had your mutt on a lead while entering a beach area !!
You may think your mutt is charming and "wants to be patted " but how is anyone else to know ! You come across as arrogant

TheChizler

borderlinemeath wrote: »

^^ Most of these are easily avoidable.
You don't have to go up tall buildings
You don't have to get into a lift
You don't have to go in a boat
You can easily kill a spider if necessary.

Dogs are everywhere, your neighbours have them, they are walked on streets, parks, beaches, mountain walks, there's police dogs, customs dogs in airports, guide dogs for the blind, therapy dogs. Thanks to the relaxation of the FSAI legislation dogs are now allowed in pubs, cafes and restaurants at the managements discretion. Cynophobia is something that is easily overcome if somebody who suffered from it really wanted to.

So if someone is scared by something they so literally can't avoid then why make the situation worse for them by putting them in the same place as a dog they might feel is not in the control of its owner?

kylith

GreeBo wrote: »

It's ridiculous *to you*, not to those who are truly terrified by dogs.
I am not one of those people btw, but I have seen them.

I presume you have no irrational fears?

Not any more. I have worked hard to get over my fear of spiders and, ridiculous as it may sound, beards and masks.

Yes, I was terrified of men with beards. I would have screaming panic attacks. Christmas time was hell, as was halloween. However I worked to get over it because I recognised it as ridiculous and it impacted negatively on my life. I certainly didn't allow it to fester and then insist that all men should be clean-shaven to cater for me.

TheChizler wrote: »

I agree but I wouldn't use non-consenting members of the public and their dogs to practice socialising my dog on who may not want that for whatever reason. Find a relatively empty field or beach with a friend and their dog, or a dedicated dog park or daycare as someone else suggested. I'd put the perceived safety of others over the need to train my own dog.

No-one is suggesting using non-consenting members of the public and the dogs, just that dogs should be able to socialise, off lead, with other dogs.

Arbie

I grew up on a farm and love animals, particularly dogs. I've had dogs my whole life, from labs to terriers and in between, and have one sitting at my feet right now. >99% of the time dogs are friendly and well behaved. But that depends on many variables, like the dog being healthy, feeling safe, being properly trained, etc.

We convince ourselves that our own dogs are lovely and gentle, but even a great dog can become intimidating or even dangerous in a split second. Years ago my friend's gentle older lab bit someone very badly - it was totally out of character but it turned out she had a sore leg and the person had patted her in the wrong spot. This was a dog who never barked and always obeyed perfectly, she was like a Disney dog. So you can never predict how a dog will behave. They are domesticated but they are still animals. You can't make dogs 100% safe, but you can minimise risk by training them, socialising them, and keeping them on a leash.

Yes, the law says "under control" which might technically mean no leash, but in practice every dog should be on leash out in public. If you feel they need a bit of extra roaming room then you can get an extendable leash or go to a designated park/beach. To my mind a dog is under control if it's doing its own thing at all times and stays near its owner - calling the dog to heel after it has run across a park barking at another dog is not control, it's reacting to an event that should never have happened.

In my experience, many dogs off leash are not really under control, they just happen to be calm dogs, which is different. Every week I see dogs harassing people/swans/ducks/smaller dogs and the owners either laugh it off or make a half hearted effort to call the dog. I have given up alerting people who are too busy chatting to see their off-leash dog leaving droppings in the middle of the path.

The ones who benefit from the dog being off leash are mainly the owners, some of whom see it as a way to exercise their dog efficiently. But the truth is that the vast majority of dogs who are left off leash would be perfectly happy and healthy if walked on a leash. A leash benefits other walkers by letting them enjoy their walk knowing the dog near them is controlled, it benefits the dog owner as you know where your dog is and can enjoy the walk together, and it benefits the dog by keeping it safe.

Ultimately dogs are a luxury not a right and owners have to be respectful of other walkers. Humans have to come first and that means leashes in public.

Edited to add: OP, above isn't a critique of you, it's general opinion on leashes in public.

Alun

TheChizler wrote: »

So if someone is scared by something they so literally can't avoid then why make the situation worse for them by putting them in the same place as a dog they might feel is not in the control of its owner?

If someone really is so scared by something so ordinary and commonplace, then in my opinion it's up to them to get professional help to get over that fear, not for everybody else to pander to them by restricting what they do.

Bells21

The simple facts are that the lady in question could easily have walked away from the dog as it wasn't in her space, according to the OP the dog was happy sniffing. If she was frozen to the spit out of HER fear then politely asking the owner to put her dog on a lead would've worked.
She created the whole unfortunate situation because of her actions. Someone that is either an attention seeker or a person who has to have something to complain about. Perhaps keeping her on a short leash would make her less likely to start barking at dogs happily enjoying their walks.

lifeandtimes

kylith wrote: »

No-one is suggesting using non-consenting members of the public and the dogs, just that dogs should be able to socialise, off lead, with other dogs.

And there are parks for that.

St.Annes in Dublin has a designated enclosure area for dogs to run around like lunatics and socialise, there's even a section for smaller dogs so they dont get hurt by bigger dogs

Mooooo

A lot of fears are born from a bad experience and can lead to irrational responses, I've seen people lose the plot over a spider or mouse for feck sake. Op nothing is gonna happen to you or the dog as nothing happened, all you can do is get on with things and keep the dog on lead if a lot of people about

faceman

borderlinemeath wrote: »

But dogs aren't all alike. Lots of dogs hate dog parks and doggie day care for a variety of reasons, they may be afraid of large numbers of dogs, or even some male dogs are intolerant of intact male dogs. It's one of the reasons leash reactivity in dogs is so prevalent in the US. Leash laws are so strict that dogs can end up highly unsocialised and very reactive to others. Particularly if there are no facilities in their owners locality.

If the dogs are anxious or intolerant around other dogs that reinforces my point that they should be on a leash in public (unless there is a level of certified advanced training complete)

kylith wrote: »

Doggy day care is also very expensive and not an option for a lot of people who would work non-standard hours.

While I utilise doggy day care, I agree re the cost. Opening hours are no different to child creches though from the ones Ive encountered.

wrote:

I can't bring my fella to dog parks because he will simply sit beside me. He is not interested in playing with most other dogs, he just wants to sniff hedges and run after the odd pigeon. There is also a massive difference between taking a dog to a dog park and bringing it for a 10 mile hike up the mountains. High energy dogs will not get sufficient exercise in a dog park especially if, like mine, they have no interest in playing.

I take your point but unfortunately taking a generalised view, the vast majority of dogs will take to a dog parks/day care.

wrote:

99.999999% of the time someone walking their dog off lead int he park is not going to impact anyone in any way. You're much more likely to be hit by a ball from some children playing.

Same could be said about seat belts.

kylith

lifeandtimes wrote: »

And there are parks for that.

St.Annes in Dublin has a designated enclosure area for dogs to run around like lunatics and socialise, there's even a section for smaller dogs so they dont get hurt by bigger dogs

St. Annes is one of the better ones, but I've tried several and dog parks just do not suit some dogs like Finn. He just wants to say hi and be on his way. If I bring him to a dog park he sits under my feet. If I let him off lead in the park he trots around investigating the underbrush and chasing the odd pigeon. If someone doesn't look genuinely thrilled to see him I call him to me.

lifeandtimes wrote: »

Aye but one thing in common the majority of these have is they are under control and leashed.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a dog person but a simple way to have avoided any issues is if ops dog was on a leash. Then regardless if the dog barked,jumped or whatever this person would have no come back to op. Now if op was in a park for dogs off a lead (which hasn't been confirmed) then the person accepts a certain liability that dogs will be running around, granted this doesn't give dogs or their owners a get out of jail free if their dog hurts someone but scaring someone by barking does fall under any laws being broken.

If this park is not a leadess one and this woman wants to make a complaint then op may have some issue to contend with

I was once walking down the road with my terriers, both on leash, when a young man coming the other way began screaming and literally climbed over a wall. What can be done in that situation?

Maybe if, back to page 1 here, people stopped telling their children that dogs would eat them we'd have fewer people so afraid of dogs that one can't walk past them without them having a fit.

How on earth are people saying the dog was under control
The dog was obviously not under control
Did the op command their dog to bark at the woman, no, hence the dog was not under the op’s control

Dog should have been on a lead in a public place
Why, because dogs off leads are a nuisance and will sometimes do the unexpected, like on this occasion

I am a dog owner, walking my dogs is a nightmare because of all the other dog owners who dont have their dogs on a lead
Dogs are dangerous, they do unexpected things, things sometimes completely out of character. On this occasion it was just a bark, but time after time I’ve heard of dogs biting when it was totally out of character

Best keep your dog on a lead or go to a specified area where dogs are allowed run free