When will dog owners 'get' that lots of people are afraid of dogs

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liaconn

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I have an absolute terror of dogs. I don't choose to have this terror, but I just have it. I am FED UP of dog owners ignoring my raised hand and request to keep their dog away from me and going 'oh don't worry' as he runs up and bounds all over me. I end up screaming with fright as the pig ignorant dog owner just stares at me as if I'm mad. Just had one of those experiences on Butterfield Avenue as a stupid woman said an insincere'oh yes' when I requested 'please put him on his lead' and then made a mild' tut tut' noise as the dog ran and jumped at me, even though I was obviously terrified. She, of course, was minding herself with a ski stick to balance in the snow but didn't care about her dog jumping all over strangers, particularly frightened ones. Hope she slipped and bruised her stupid knees.

Seriously, if you own a dog don't stare at adults who ask you to keep them away from them as if they're childish idiots. You wouldn't throw a spider at someone who's afraid of them, or force someone with a fear of heights to stand at the edge of a cliff. But so many dog owners think there's nothing wrong with letting their dog bound up to terrifed pedestrians and then shrugging their shoulders and offering 'ah shure' type excuses.
 
I don't have a strong fear of dogs but I do sympathise as I'm not keen on strange dogs- a neighbours dog went for my throat when I was a child. Also one of my daughters is afraid of dogs- we get the same platitudes- 'don't worry, he's harmless' or 'he loves children...' Last summer at the beach I was with the two children and a mans very large labrador came jumping up at them. I ended up with both of them in my arms and the dog still jumping up at them. As they were both by this stage terrified I had to kick out at the dog to stop him- then the owner started to give out to me! The dog was only playing, I knew that but the children didn't and the owner wouldnt stop the dog from jumping up. I just calmly told him he should have the dog on a lead and his dog had frightened the children and walked off. If I hadn't, the dog wouldn't be the only one with a kick coming...
 
I am a dog owner and I agree. I never let my dog off the lead anywhere there are other people.
Last year I was walking with my children (then 11, 7, 6 and 10 weeks) beside a small river when a highland terrier ran up and started barking and nipping at my daughter of 6. I picked the dog up and threw it into the river and, unbelievably, the owners got very angry and aggressive even though the dog was fine (it was a small slow flowing river). Some people.
 
I got attacked by a dog when I was younger, so am a little afraid of them. I don't own any but I do walk my sisters dogs for her at times. They're timid and harmless, yet I always make sure to leave a good amount of space when I'm walking them and another pedestrian approaches me. It's common courtesy I thought.
 
I love dogs, I am very good at 'reading' dogs, I love nothing more than a friendly dog coming up to me to say hello. BUT - I have been gone for a few times over the years and I AM nervous of strange dogs getting too up close and personal.

I absolutely hate when people pull the 'ah shure he's grand' rubbish. The dog should be leashed if in public - end of. There are places you can let your dog off leash (dog park, or remote area) but in public, where there are other people around - leash your dog!!

A couple of years ago myself and hubby were walking in Cruagh Woods and a couple were resting by the track with a spaniel at their feet. I knew by looking at the dog he was 'on guard' and sure enough as we went to pass the dog attacked us, lot of snarling, barking, dancing about. Both myself and hubby know how not to aggravate the situation so calmly stood our ground through the worst of it and then began to back away. The two fool owners lay there saying things like 'ah shure he's grand', 'ah he likes to play guard dog', 'ah he wont go near ya'. Only for it would have aggravated the situation further I would have lifted the owners out of it. As it was I just moved off slowly.
 
liaconn said:
But so many dog owners think there's nothing wrong with letting their dog bound up to terrifed pedestrians and then shrugging their shoulders and offering 'ah shure' type excuses.
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I agree, it's not on.

You should just burp in the owners faces and then shrug yourself.
 
Irresponsible dog owners give the rest of us a bad name.
One of my dogs is very excitable and runs at other dogs to play so she stays on a lead or if i she's off the lead and if i see another dog in the distance i'l put her back on, and she's only knee high.

I had an incident with my smaller dog and two big labradors trying to play with her. She was terrified and started to bark at them so i lifted her up, and because i'm short, had to lift her up over my head while the two big dogs tried to get at her!
They were only trying to play but needless to say i was a bit freaked out!
 
I like dogs ( most of them anyway), but I believe it should be a criminal offence to allow a dog off the lead in a public place, especially a beach.
 
Walking along a footpath recently and a lady coming toward us with her dog on one of those extendable leashes. She was on the outside of the footpath and the dog was walking along by the wall. We just continued walking down the middle and made a big deal of getting tangled up in the leash. I am not sure if we were to climb on the wall, walk on the road or engage in some game of skipping.
She was totally oblivious and as for the owner.....
 
Mpsox said:
Maybe the next time it happens, you should tell the owner that you are reporting them to the local dog warden.
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Doesnt work - what are you to report? A person with a black dog at such and such a location and dog wasnt on leash? The dog warden will just tell you he has no way to identify the person.

Even if you report someone and give their address its highly unlikely the dog warden will bother with it unless youve actually been bitten and guards are involved.
 
Thanks for the replies. I know a grown up screaming at a dog jumping up at them probably looks ridiculous to some people but I have a couple of adult friends who react the same. I think a lot of people think being afraid of dogs is a childhood thing that people should have grown out of by the time they're in their teens.

As for those extendable leads, don't start me......
 
truthseeker said:
Doesnt work - what are you to report? A person with a black dog at such and such a location and dog wasnt on leash? The dog warden will just tell you he has no way to identify the person.

Even if you report someone and give their address its highly unlikely the dog warden will bother with it unless youve actually been bitten and guards are involved.
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They do where I live where you've been able to identify the dog owner, and have fined people
 
I have to boxer dogs and i walk them eveyday the same route and come across alot of people out walking, I never have problems with people out walking (my dogs are well behavedand well trained), until someone with a small rat of dog like a jack russell comes along and the little rat starts trying to snap at my dogs legs. These people are the worst dog owners.
 
thombom said:
I have to boxer dogs and i walk them eveyday the same route and come across alot of people out walking, I never have problems with people out walking (my dogs are well behavedand well trained), until someone with a small rat of dog like a jack russell comes along and the little rat starts trying to snap at my dogs legs. These people are the worst dog owners.
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A hard kick usually sorts that out. You can kick their dog as well if that helps.
 
BOXtheFOX said:
Walking along a footpath recently and a lady coming toward us with her dog on one of those extendable leashes. She was on the outside of the footpath and the dog was walking along by the wall. We just continued walking down the middle and made a big deal of getting tangled up in the leash. I am not sure if we were to climb on the wall, walk on the road or engage in some game of skipping.
She was totally oblivious and as for the owner.....
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A sharp scissors or secateurs will resolve the problem of a leash in your path....:)
 
Mpsox said:
They do where I live where you've been able to identify the dog owner, and have fined people
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Thats interesting Mpsox and confirms something I was told before - that dog wardens are very variable in this country and that one may be good in a certain area but another area may have a terrible one.

Although I was more referring to the scenario where you are out walking somewhere and a random dog bothers you and you have no way to identify the owners - like the case when I was attacked in Cruagh Woods - mind you I could have waited in the carpark and gotten their reg plate - but in some cases people could be afraid to wait around to get a car reg - or in others perhaps the dog owners are on foot and the only option would be to follow them home.
 
+1

And I hate people who leave their dogs roam housing estates during the day.
And don't get me started on people who bring their dogs into our estate for a poo on the footpath.

I'm scared of dogs but fond of walking. I am seriously curtailed in walking because of dogs, particularly the "home alone but not locked up" ones.

I got an ultrasonic repeller but they don't work, anyhow I am reluctant to use it around my child. Any other options for keeping dogs away?
 
If anyone here is from Cork they might know the walk along the coast from Fountainstown to Myrtleville. I loved doing that walk but I had to stop because i was constantly being attacked by dogs.

I am not afraid of dogs but I do dislike them so I wonder do I give off some kind of aura advertising this because I have seen other people walk past dogs in that area without a bother only for them to attack me.

I was badly attacked by a German Shepard on that road once who came running out of a garden, past other walkers and straight for me. I was bitten badly and scratched.

The owner subsequently arrived and actually abused me for kicking out at his dog. Another man passing helped me...

Real scary stuff..
 
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