Dogs off leash....

Lex Luthor

I was walking thro my local park this morning with my 11yr old who is a little nervous aroud big dogs off leashes.

As we entered the park where there is a big sign that all dogs should be on a leash, there was a dog owner with their dog running free. The dog is somewhat of a St Bernard but taller and is very imposing to a small kid.

When I asked the owner would he mind putting a leash on his dog as he had absolutely no control over it, he told me he was ok. I asked again and he just ignored me. The dog then made a bee line for my kid and started barking in his face.

I more or less at that stage lost the plot, went to get myself between the dog and my kid and scream at the owner to get him away and control his dog.

He just took him by the collar, moved him 10ft away and proceeded to let him walk again thro the park with no leash.

My kid was hysterical and wouldnt walk any further but we had to get somewhere and eventually pass the dog & owner. I took a few pictures of the dog and called the gardai and left a voicemail on the dog wardens phone to call me back.

The guards really said it was nothing to do with them which I find surprising to say the least...

any idea what type of dog this is and what I can do to get this irresponsible owner penalised for their lack of responsibility?

are you serious

Without pictures we cant help with the breed.. could have it have just been a tall St Bernard?

If you did call the Gardaí there isnt much a lot of them will do because they will not know the full legislation on dog laws, also each park has its own rules and these should be endorsed by the park ranger and warden.

If a call to the station did you no good, when you have time call in to the station and ask to speak to the Sergeant in charge at the time and ask him can they do something about it for you.

Cherry Blossom

You need contact the relevant authority, ie - whoever owns the park and put those rules in place, at best all you expect is for the person (if found) to be asked to produce a dog licence and get a telling off from the dog warden.

I highly recommend you work on your kids issues with dogs as it will turn into a lifelong phobia otherwise, basicly your/your kids fear of the situation will undoubtedly have unnerved the dog and caused the situation to escalate. Tbh your screaming and reaction to the dog barking will not have done your child any favours either. I appreciate this is not what you are asking but it appears that you have much bigger underlying issue at play here and your kid is not going to be able to go though life without many similar incidents happening. The problem is that the control of dogs act is not enforced properly, to your advantage in this regard the park/local authority rules are probably much better managed.

I'm sorry you had to deal with this person, people like this are the reason why there is a complete ban on dogs in a lot of parks, idiots like this ruin it for the rest of us. Realisticly there is not much that can be done at this stage. Once the person has left the park there isn't really any way to find them, it is still worth making a complaint about the incident though as they may have prior/future reports about the same person.

time lord

Yep ya met a wrong one alright. I know what I'd like to have done in your situation but anyway i'll stick to the thread.
If your local authority has passed by-laws on this park then the Gardaí are meant to help you by dealing with the offender.
I have seen the senario go further where a person has been bitten with broken flesh etc and their experience of contacting the Gardaí is to be informed that it is a civil matter. The injured party or their parent/guardian is usually up to high doe at this stage and very few pursue the civil route to its conclusion. A few irresponsible dog owners can ruin any park for patrons inclusive of responsible dog owners.
An incident like that can cause great upset to a child and parent alike and from your account I would guess this individual will be back without having curbed his ways ie. put the dog on a lead.

Lex Luthor

ok here's the pictures...I tried to attach them last time so here again

are you serious

Yeah that is just a regular St Bernard

loconnor1001

I don't think there is anything you can do unless the dog has actually harmed someone.

Lex Luthor

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

it appears that you have much bigger underlying issue at play here and your kid is not going to be able to go though life without many similar incidents happening

11yr old kid...big dog...no leash

A kid doesnt have to have a problem with dogs to be a little nervous around big dogs off a leash...

As you can see from the picture it is a very big dog and when something this big is 2ft from your face barking at you its scary when you are that age

I dont have an underlying issue with dogs either...I grew up with many dogs, small jack russels to alsatians but they were always under my control

loconnor1001

Did the dog charge your kid?

mattser

Lex Luthor wrote: »

11yr old kid...big dog...no leash

A kid doesnt have to have a problem with dogs to be a little nervous around big dogs off a leash...

As you can see from the picture it is a very big dog and when something this big is 2ft from your face barking at you its scary when you are that age

I dont have an underlying issue with dogs either...I grew up with many dogs, small jack russels to alsatians but they were always under my control

Pay ABSOLUTELY NO ATTENTION to those on here who believe this is a learning curve for your child. You are completely in the right to be concerned about this incident. Dogs in public are supposed to be under EFFECTIVE control, not barking into your face.

mathepac

loconnor1001 wrote: »

I don't think there is anything you can do unless the dog has actually harmed someone.

loconnor1001 wrote: »

Did the dog charge your kid?

All nonsense. There is a park bye-law clearly displayed, stating that dogs must be on a lead according to OP, and whatever penalty applies for breaching the bye-laws applies here.

kelly0

mattser wrote: »

Pay ABSOLUTELY NO ATTENTION to those on here who believe this is a learning curve for your child. You are completely in the right to be concerned about this incident. Dogs in public are supposed to be under EFFECTIVE control, not barking into your face.

Well said, couldn't agree more. It's due to dog owners like that man with the St. Bernard that Dun Laoghaire Council are banning all dogs from beaches etc and us responsible owners are suffering.

OP, follow this through with the park operator or the guards. This guy needs to be reminded of the responsibilities of owning a large breed dog.

Cherry Blossom

Lex Luthor wrote: »

11yr old kid...big dog...no leash

A kid doesnt have to have a problem with dogs to be a little nervous around big dogs off a leash...

As you can see from the picture it is a very big dog and when something this big is 2ft from your face barking at you its scary when you are that age

I dont have an underlying issue with dogs either...I grew up with many dogs, small jack russels to alsatians but they were always under my control

I regularly walk my dog with four kids in tow - all under the age of seven, kids and dogs attract other dogs so the incident you describe is just a normal part of my weekend, so how you dealt with it seemed rather extreme to me - hence my assumption that there was possibly something more to it. Thanks for your clarification that this is not the case.

loconnor1001

mathepac wrote: »

All nonsense. There is a park bye-law clearly displayed, stating that dogs must be on a lead according to OP, and whatever penalty applies for breaching the bye-laws applies here.

It wasn't a statement, it was a question.

are you serious

kelly0 wrote: »

Well said, couldn't agree more. It's due to dog owners like that man with the St. Bernard that Dun Laoghaire Council are banning all dogs from beaches etc and us responsible owners are suffering.

OP, follow this through with the park operator or the guards. This guy needs to be reminded of the responsibilities of owning a large breed dog.

Why just a large breed dog? Surely you cant blame only large breed dog owners on what is happening in DL?

You have the pictures, you have contacted the Gardaí and Warden, if you see this guy again just go through the same steps...

kelly0

garkane wrote: »

Why just a large breed dog? Surely you cant blame only large breed dog owners on what is happening in DL?...

Hi Garkane, I definately don't blame large breed dog owners for the DL issue. I have two GSD's myself. But as the owner of a larger breed and a dog on the RB list I do think we have a greater responsibilty. Larger dogs misbehaving are literally more visible and are more likely to be commented on than a misbehaving westie for instance. I can't dpeak for the OP but I doubt the incident would have occured if the he had an off leash yorkie!

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor wrote: »

I was walking thro my local park this morning with my 11yr old who is a little nervous aroud big dogs off leashes.

As we entered the park where there is a big sign that all dogs should be on a leash, there was a dog owner with their dog running free. The dog is somewhat of a St Bernard but taller and is very imposing to a small kid.

When I asked the owner would he mind putting a leash on his dog as he had absolutely no control over it, he told me he was ok. I asked again and he just ignored me. The dog then made a bee line for my kid and started barking in his face.

from reading your post op, it appears your child is nervous of big dogs? there doesnt seem to have been a problem until you approached this guy and asked him to put a leash on the dog?
maybe, just maybe the way you spoke caused the dog to bark?

the guy took his dog away, no problem? he obviously could control the dog then?

and i wouldnt expect the gardai to deal with the fact that a dog barked at your son, they really have more important things to deal with.

Lex Luthor

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

I regularly walk my dog with four kids in tow - all under the age of seven, kids and dogs attract other dogs so the incident you describe is just a normal part of my weekend, so how you dealt with it seemed rather extreme to me - hence my assumption that there was possibly something more to it. Thanks for your clarification that this is not the case.

My extreme reaction was probably borne out of seeing the fear in my kids face and his hysterical actions

TooManyDogs

With our archaic dog laws there's nothing you can do to about this a-hole and his dog unfortunately and while I agree that working on a kid with dog phobias is an excellent idea in general I really don't think any kid would have been ok with an enormous dog barking right into their face. It'd have been scary as hell, you have to put it into perspective, the dog must have been most of the child's height and certainly several times his weight. Kids who adore dogs would have been rattled at that I'd have thought.

OP have you considered carrying a can of Pet Corrector? It's a completely safe product, only compressed air but when you release it it makes a hissing noise and shoots air at the dog, most cases it stops the behaviour instantly. Might give your kid a bit of security knowing there's something he can do.
http://www.petshoponline.ie/pet-corrector-training-spray

Lex Luthor

bubblypop wrote: »

from reading your post op, it appears your child is nervous of big dogs? there doesnt seem to have been a problem until you approached this guy and asked him to put a leash on the dog?
maybe, just maybe the way you spoke caused the dog to bark?

the guy took his dog away, no problem? he obviously could control the dog then?

and i wouldnt expect the gardai to deal with the fact that a dog barked at your son, they really have more important things to deal with.

When he saw the dog without a leash when we entered the park and ten feet away he said he didnt want to walk past which is when i approached the owner to put it on a leash

The problem was not the way i spoke to the dog owner, it was because they had their dog roaming free.
Ya he took his dog away but look at the pictures .... he just let it loose again

kelly0

garkane wrote: »

Why just a large breed dog? Surely you cant blame only large breed dog owners on what is happening in DL?...

Hi Garkane. I definately don't blame large breed owners for the DL issue. I'm the proud owner of a GSD and a boxer X. But as an owner of a large breed and a dog on the RB list I believe we have extra resposibility. Larger breeds misbehaving are literally more visible than a misbehaving westie for instance. I can't speak for the OP but I doubt this incident in the park would have happened if it was an off leash yorkie! Its just unfortunate and gives large breeds and their owners a bad name

mickmcl09

A bit of a mountain being made out of a mole hill by the OP IMO.
NOTE: I did say it was at least a mole hill and I'll get to that.

Dog did not make contact with the child.
Who as it happens was accompanied by an adult.
An adult that knows what an alsation and a JRT are, but not a St.Bernard (I find that a little unusual, but possible I suppose).
As a parent, I would have thought that calming the child would be far more effective in dealing with this in the first instance.

In the OPs defence, no harm at all in letting the owner know that the dog should be on a leash, but you'd probably have got a much better reaction off him, if you had prioritised your child first and tried to deal with it calmly.

I have 2 Samoyeds. They get one of 2 reactions from people.
Oh look at the cuddly dogs or Christ look at the White wolves.
1 has great recall, the other will do his own thing when it suits.
It's like defensive driving of a car, you look further up the road for issues. I like to let them off the leash at every opportunity, but the minute I see a potential distraction, the mad fella goes on the leash, with a little reward I might add. The point I'm making is, in the OPs situation, given that the child was terrified, if the owner was half decent he'd have been sprinting down to the dog, putting on the leash and apologising.

As it happens, I always offer parents and kids an opportunity to rub my fellas, especially if I sense they have a little fear of dogs. A fear of dogs is not a healthy disposition to be in!

Yes these dog owners ruin it for the rest of us, but I can't help thinking that there's other forces at play here.
Side note: Correct me if I'm wrong but the pictures look more like a green area beside a housing development or within in one and not a park area as described by the OP and if so, I'd find it strange that there are signs telling owners to keep dogs on leashes in situ. Just seems strange, that's all.

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor wrote: »

When he saw the dog without a leash when we entered the park and ten feet away he said he didnt want to walk past which is when i approached the owner to put it on a leash

The problem was not the way i spoke to the dog owner, it was because they had their dog roaming free.
Ya he took his dog away but look at the pictures .... he just let it loose again

maybe your making your son more anxious?
why not try and walk by, at a safe distance, maybe the dog wouldnt have came anywhere near you or your son?

are you sure the way you spoke didnt have anything to do with it?

obviously he should have put the dog on the lead but he did hold onto him and move him.

tk123

Lex Luthor wrote: »

I was walking thro my local park this morning

Is there a chance you were walking during off lead times? Our park has 'dogs must be kept on leash' stamped on the ground at all the gates but actually allows them off before 11:00am and last hour before closing?

mathepac

loconnor1001 wrote: »

It wasn't a statement, it was a question.

One of the contributions I quoted was a statement, a stupid uninformed statement that indicated to me that you hadn't read the OP properly.

The other contribution I quoted was a stupid irrelevant question that showed little if any empathy for the plight of the terrified child and the upset parent.

loconnor1001

mathepac wrote: »

One of the contributions I quoted was a statement, a stupid uninformed statement that indicated to me that you hadn't read the OP properly.

The other contribution I quoted was a stupid irrelevant question that showed little if any empathy for the plight of the terrified child and the upset parent.

Not stupid or irrelevant given the OPs original post. I think asking whether or not the dog charged the kid was quite relevant.

the_syco

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

I highly recommend you work on your kids issues with dogs as it will turn into a lifelong phobia otherwise, basicly your/your kids fear of the situation will undoubtedly have unnerved the dog and caused the situation to escalate. Tbh your screaming and reaction to the dog barking will not have done your child any favours either. I appreciate this is not what you are asking but it appears that you have much bigger underlying issue at play here and your kid is not going to be able to go though life without many similar incidents happening.

Coming from someone who used to fear dogs, I agree. I used to fear the large dogs, and this became a fear of all dogs.

OP: unless you plan to transport your kids to school for the rest of their lives, I'd advise you to get your kid used to dogs. I overcame my fear when my family got a small westie, and now I don't fear dogs as much as I used to.

Lex Luthor wrote: »

I more or less at that stage lost the plot, went to get myself between the dog and my kid and scream at the owner to get him away and control his dog.

Are you a man or a woman? If a man and this were to happen again, I'd advise you to get in front of your kid, stamp your foot, and shout sternly "home" and/or "go away". If you're a woman, scream abuse at the dog. Dogs generally accept commands from people with a masculine tone, but sometimes ignore women, IME.

Cherry Blossom

Lex Luthor wrote: »

My extreme reaction was probably borne out of seeing the fear in my kids face and his hysterical actions

Lex Luthor wrote: »

When he saw the dog without a leash when we entered the park and ten feet away he said he didn't want to walk past which is when i approached the owner to put it on a leash

Sorry OP, but both of these posts would indicate to me that your son definitely has issues with dogs. If it were me I'd be approaching as many people as I could with bigger dogs that are calm to introduce him to as his fear will only worsen after this incident, you screaming at the dogs owner has only reinforced that fear. There is no way a person can go through life without crossing the path of dogs off-lead. Public streets don't have a rule that dogs have to on a lead and he isn't going to care or know the difference between dogs under effective control and untrained dogs. It doesn't excuse the person you met in the park at all, but there are a lot of these people out there. You should see what I have to deal with 10 feet outside my own gate.

Hellrazer

mathepac wrote: »

One of the contributions I quoted was a statement, a stupid uninformed statement that indicated to me that you hadn't read the OP properly.

The other contribution I quoted was a stupid irrelevant question that showed little if any empathy for the plight of the terrified child and the upset parent.

So far Ive had 2 reports about this post.Now calm it down.

Meteoric

TooManyDogs wrote: »

OP have you considered carrying a can of Pet Corrector? It's a completely safe product, only compressed air but when you release it it makes a hissing noise and shoots air at the dog, most cases it stops the behaviour instantly. Might give your kid a bit of security knowing there's something he can do.
http://www.petshoponline.ie/pet-corrector-training-spray

Only my own experience and I don't know the product, but I've had two dogs who if air is shot at them they react to it by trying to bite the stream of air and/or just getting manic and running around like loons then trying to stop the source, so I'm not sure that would work, not that my dogs ever approached a nervous child but if they did it would have made the situation far worse, it might just be my dogs though.

Zapperzy

Meteoric wrote: »

Only my own experience and I don't know the product, but I've had two dogs who if air is shot at them they react to it by trying to bite the stream of air and/or just getting manic and running around like loons then trying to stop the source, so I'm not sure that would work, not that my dogs ever approached a nervous child but if they did it would have made the situation far worse, it might just be my dogs though.

Would also be a bit weary of an 11 year old having one of these, if he isin't able to read a curious dog's body language that just comes over for a sniff (obviously said dog shouldn't be approaching children) and starts spraying it in the face with something like this it could push a dog over the edge and cause it to snap.

Nuisance off lead out of control dogs are an absolute pain in the arse for both dog owners and non-dog owners but for the forseeable future they are still going to exist so best thing is is to help your son overcome his fear. Apart from asking these owners to put their dogs back on leads and possibly contacting dog/park warden there is not much else you can do for a once off situation like this.

boodlesdoodles

My niece once had a dog jump in on top of her when she was a baby in her carrycot. It was an imprinted memory and my sister was forever in fear of dogs after it. My niece is now 30 and 4 years ago decided to buy a dog, who she now completely adores. What caused this change? Admitting she had an unreasonable fear of dogs or situations with dogs she couldn't control. She spent a good few years approaching people she knew with dogs getting to know them etc. She knew she couldn't avoid dogs in normal life and by accepting that, she learned she could cope. It took time but she did it.

OP I don't mean to be dismissive of the dog approaching your child, but your child's fear needs to be dealt with. Unfortunately, you're enabling that fear by your hostile reaction, sorry. I can imagine its hard to see your child in distress but it does sound like their fear could be seriously debilitating. Why not talk to a local rescue, they always need people to walk their dogs, or talk to neighbours with dogs, get your child used to them big or small.

My niece often says (esp when a bit drunk lol) that she's glad she did something about her fear. She has the most gorgeous doggie now, that she has trained to perfection and she even got her Mam liking dogs again. Fear is a terrible thing. Wishing you the best.

falabo

Lex Luthor wrote: »

I was walking thro my local park this morning with my 11yr old who is a little nervous aroud big dogs off leashes.

QUOTE]

you also need to work with your child on this fear or he/will end up being a social freak, afraid of his own shadow. dogs are EVERYWHERE.

star-pants

falabo wrote: »

you also need to work with your child on this fear or he/will end up being a social freak, afraid of his own shadow. dogs are EVERYWHERE.

falabo that is completely uncalled for - a 'social freak' ? there are a lot of people out there with severe phobias about different things, some have social phobias but none of them are 'freaks'. I suggest you choose your words a bit more tactfully next time.

TooManyDogs

Meteoric wrote: »

Only my own experience and I don't know the product, but I've had two dogs who if air is shot at them they react to it by trying to bite the stream of air and/or just getting manic and running around like loons then trying to stop the source, so I'm not sure that would work, not that my dogs ever approached a nervous child but if they did it would have made the situation far worse, it might just be my dogs though.

It's not a stream of air but a short blast accompanied by a hissing noise, I've never seen a dog react by trying to bite the air source because it happens so quickly they normally simply stop what they're doing.

I totally agree with working on OP's childs fear, fear of dogs is paralyzing going through life because of how common dogs dogs are. However I really don't believe that a dog as big as a St Bernard running at a child and then barking in their face would be ok with many or any child. I know my own child who is being raised with 6 dogs, regularily comes with me to the rescue I volunteer for and comes dog training with me would have been absolutely terrified. I feel some of the replies have been a bit harsh to the OP, he was within his rights to ask the dog owner to put the dog on a lead because that's the parks rules, whether or not the same child will meet off lead dogs out on the public road is surely irrevelant to this one incident. It's not his or his child's fault that the dog approached uninvited and then barked into the childs face, if the child wasn't already a bit nervous of big dogs then he'd certainly be after that.

bette

According to the bye laws, dogs must be kept on a leash/lead at all times. Therein lies the problem. The dog owners do not want to respect the bye laws.

Many owners do not want to pick up the mess their dogs leave, especially the big ones...

seamus

TooManyDogs wrote: »

However I really don't believe that a dog as big as a St Bernard running at a child and then barking in their face would be ok with many or any child.

Even someone with a lot of experience with dogs would be initially apprehensive by having a St. Bernard run up and start barking straight at them. They're big dogs, typically 12 or 13 stone in weight.
While most adults would have the wherewithall to evaluate the situation and determine that it's just a dog sounding off, I can imagine any child in same scenario would get a massive fright.

In the OP's case his reaction to the dog wasn't ideal, but perfectly understandable if he has very little experience with dogs.

I don't think there's really much more you can do than you have done except to get in touch directly with whoever manages the park. They can look out for this guy and fine him or warn him if they spot him walking the dogg off-lead.

Your son's fear of dogs is definitely something I would recommend working on, but it's not really all that relevant to this specific incident.

Though in future I would avoid approaching people to ask them to put leads on their dogs. By definition the kind of people who ignore the bye-laws are the same ones who'll give you a load of abuse for daring to tell them what to do.
It may be less stress all around if you just continue on past and show your son that the dog isn't going to come over to him.

mattser

seamus wrote: »

Even someone with a lot of experience with dogs would be initially apprehensive by having a St. Bernard run up and start barking straight at them. They're big dogs, typically 12 or 13 stone in weight.
While most adults would have the wherewithall to evaluate the situation and determine that it's just a dog sounding off, I can imagine any child in same scenario would get a massive fright.

In the OP's case his reaction to the dog wasn't ideal, but perfectly understandable if he has very little experience with dogs.

I don't think there's really much more you can do than you have done except to get in touch directly with whoever manages the park. They can look out for this guy and fine him or warn him if they spot him walking the dogg off-lead.

Your son's fear of dogs is definitely something I would recommend working on, but it's not really all that relevant to this specific incident.

Though in future I would avoid approaching people to ask them to put leads on their dogs. By definition the kind of people who ignore the bye-laws are the same ones who'll give you a load of abuse for daring to tell them what to do.
It may be less stress all around if you just continue on past and show your son that the dog isn't going to come over to him.

I have no problem asking people to put the animal on a leash if it is bothering me while out for a walk or run. Depending on the response, I usually take it from there.
Of course when you have a child in tow it's different, but if someone advised me to deal with the CHILDS problem, well let's say, they had best move away pronto.

tk123

bette wrote: »

According to the bye laws, dogs must be kept on a leash/lead at all times. Therein lies the problem. The dog owners do not want to respect the bye laws.

Many owners do not want to pick up the mess their dogs leave, especially the big ones...

bette wrote: »

According to the bye laws, dogs must be kept on a leash/lead at all times. Therein lies the problem. The dog owners do not want to respect the bye laws.

Many owners do not want to pick up the mess their dogs leave, especially the big ones...

What bye laws?! The OP hasn't said which park this was - how do we know it wasn't during off lead times? If we go by the file names of the pics that appear to be time stamped it was around 9:30 which is off lead time in our park? Also the comment about owners of large dogs not picking up poo is well a load of poo.

I'm not condoning what happened btw but if somebody asked me to put my dog on his lead during off lead times I would most definitely put him on his lead so he doesn't scare the child but I would politely point out that they may be best to avoid the park during these if they are are afraid of dogs walking/running around off lead. I'd also ask if the child would like to come and pet him/see him do a trick etc if it'd help in any way - getting him to do some tricks has helped a few nervous kids in our park.

axle108

The op in question had a child with a fear of large dogs and simply asked for the dog to be leashed. Whats the problem, put the lead on wait till the child has walked out of sight and dog gets to enjoy its freedom again. No confrontation. If the child is coming back, put the lead on.

Your showing understanding of the childs fear, respect for the parents right to remove the threat and hopefully then in time the child can feel comfortable in the presence of large dogs.

As an owner of a large breed iv'e no issue doing the above and find people learn to trust you and the dog.

No big drama or major rehabilitation for the child, just common courtesy.

mattser

axle108 wrote: »

The op in question had a child with a fear of large dogs and simply asked for the dog to be leashed. Whats the problem, put the lead on wait till the child has walked out of sight and dog gets to enjoy its freedom again. No confrontation. If the child is coming back, put the lead on.

Your showing understanding of the childs fear, respect for the parents right to remove the threat and hopefully then in time the child can feel comfortable in the presence of large dogs.

As an owner of a large breed iv'e no issue doing the above and find people learn to trust you and the dog.

No big drama or major rehabilitation for the child, just common courtesy.

And that, as the man says, sums it up entirely. Common courtesy. Great post axle.

07438991

two words - rat poison!!!

07438991

On a serious note, I am have a similar problem with a foreign girl around the corner from me. She has two big dogs that she lets off the lead at the little green at the end of my road. One is a staff or pitbull mastiff and the other is _???_ big. I have a japanese akita (always on a steel choker lead and muzzle) but her dogs try to attack my dog when we walk past! One incident got very serious when I had to hold her staff/pitbull and my dog apart, stuck betwen them as my dogs muzzle was slipping off.

I try to tell her to put a lead on them (an a steel chain a that) but she has very little english. We called to her house and her bf just says ok and no problem.

If a fight broke out, I would have no problem taking the muzzle off my dog so he could defend himself!

Vince32

deleted

Cherry Blossom

07438991 wrote: »

two words - rat poison!!!

Breach of forum charter on two counts:

Advocating cruelty to animals - 1 week ban
Advocating illegal activity - another week ban

Lex Luthor

mickmcl09 wrote: »

A bit of a mountain being made out of a mole hill by the OP IMO.
NOTE: I did say it was at least a mole hill and I'll get to that.

Dog did not make contact with the child.
Who as it happens was accompanied by an adult.
An adult that knows what an alsation and a JRT are, but not a St.Bernard (I find that a little unusual, but possible I suppose).
As a parent, I would have thought that calming the child would be far more effective in dealing with this in the first instance.

Let me put it in perspective to you and I'll presume you are an adult.
6ft dog on all fours weighing 25-30st approaches you and is 2ft from your face barking at you. Lets see how much of a tough guy you are then?

bubblypop wrote: »

maybe your making your son more anxious?
why not try and walk by, at a safe distance, maybe the dog wouldnt have came anywhere near you or your son?

are you sure the way you spoke didnt have anything to do with it?

obviously he should have put the dog on the lead but he did hold onto him and move him.

There was no safe distance. We wanted to walk a certain pathway through the park to where we were going to. The dog was on that path, I have a right to walk that route safely.

Liked I said, he moved him 10ft away and decided to release him again, on the same path we were walking.

tk123 wrote: »

Is there a chance you were walking during off lead times? Our park has 'dogs must be kept on leash' stamped on the ground at all the gates but actually allows them off before 11:00am and last hour before closing?

No...dogs are to be on leashes at ALL TIMES

the_syco wrote: »

Are you a man or a woman? If a man and this were to happen again, I'd advise you to get in front of your kid, stamp your foot, and shout sternly "home" and/or "go away". If you're a woman, scream abuse at the dog. Dogs generally accept commands from people with a masculine tone, but sometimes ignore women, IME.

:rolleyes:

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Sorry OP, but both of these posts would indicate to me that your son definitely has issues with dogs.

I did not once say that my son has an issue with dogs (in general). He has an issue with big dogs off leashes which can be quite understandable. My sister has 3 labradors and he is fine around them. We know several people with dogs and he is fine with them. This dog is exceptionally big, was jumping around and in his eyes is very imposing.

falabo wrote: »

you also need to work with your child on this fear or he/will end up being a social freak, afraid of his own shadow. dogs are EVERYWHERE.

No comment :rolleyes:

seamus wrote: »

Though in future I would avoid approaching people to ask them to put leads on their dogs.

I cant see that happening...there's one thing that pi$$e$ me off about dog owners is that they feel its ok to let their dogs off a leash when it clearly states they should be on a leash in a public park. They need to keep them under control.

tk123 wrote: »

What bye laws?! The OP hasn't said which park this was - how do we know it wasn't during off lead times? If we go by the file names of the pics that appear to be time stamped it was around 9:30 which is off lead time in our park?

correct the time was about 930am Sunday morning. It is Monread Park in Naas and it clearly states on a big sign as you enter the park that dogs are to be on leashes at ALL TIMES

axle108 wrote: »

The op in question had a child with a fear of large dogs and simply asked for the dog to be leashed. Whats the problem, put the lead on wait till the child has walked out of sight and dog gets to enjoy its freedom again. No confrontation. If the child is coming back, put the lead on.

Finally someone with a bit of sense, but he was entering a park where there were approx 30-40 kids training at that time of the morning. As much as they would like to think they could let the dog off the leash it wasnt like the park was deserted

andreac

Sorry ill just correct you on something, no dog weighs 25-30 stone, a St Bernard weighs about 10-12 stone max.

seamus

Lex Luthor wrote: »

I cant see that happening...there's one thing that pi$$e$ me off about dog owners is that they feel its ok to let their dogs off a leash when it clearly states they should be on a leash in a public park. They need to keep them under control.

Enforcing the rules is not your business though. You have no more authority to tell these people to leash their dogs than you do to stop drivers for speeding.

Fine, civic duty and all the rest, but people who will ignore these rules aren't going to give a second thought to your opinion and more often than not they will ignore you or even get angry with you for daring to tell them what to do.

I wouldn't be inclined to be getting into arguments with strangers when you're out for a nice relaxing stroll with your child. Take a photo, report the person. If it's really getting on your wick then go higher up the chain and complain to the local councillors. Make enough noise and they'll post someone there to keep things in check.

Sorry ill just correct you on something, no dog weighs 25-30 stone, a St Bernard weighs about 10-12 stone max.

I think his point is that a St. Bernard appears twice as large to a child than an adult.

doctor evil

Seamus I can understand not wanting to spoil a quiet walk but if someone says something gentely to someone than it may make them think for next time.

mickmcl09

Lex Luthor wrote: »

Let me put it in perspective to you and I'll presume you are an adult.
6ft dog on all fours weighing 25-30st approaches you and is 2ft from your face barking at you. Lets see how much of a tough guy you are then?
Lol, I think that's a bear your describing there. Shouting at a bear is recommended though, if you get the pleasure of facing one, out in the wilderness. I also note that you decided not to take me up on my suggestion that it is indeed not a park, but a green area beside or within a housing development?????

There was no safe distance. We wanted to walk a certain pathway through the park to where we were going to. The dog was on that path, I have a right to walk that route safely.
No sign of any paths in your pictures???

No...dogs are to be on leashes at ALL TIMES
And whose going to enforce that. Don't be so nieve. Control of a dog is what's important, not the leash. The pictures do nothing to suggest an out of control dog, quiet the contrary actually

I did not once say that my son has an issue with dogs (in general). He has an issue with big dogs off leashes which can be quite understandable. My sister has 3 labradors and he is fine around them. We know several people with dogs and he is fine with them. This dog is exceptionally big, was jumping around and in his eyes is very imposing.
Ah, but he has and if you didn't say as much, you insinuated as much in your initial post. The first page of replies to your initial post were all very understanding and indeed helpful and I agree with their sentiments 100%. However, from your most recent post, that's not enough for you. Your posts border on trolling without seeming to be. There's holes all over your initial post judging by your last post.

I cant see that happening...there's one thing that pi$$e$ me off about dog owners is that they feel its ok to let their dogs off a leash when it clearly states they should be on a leash in a public park. They need to keep them under control.
Does it miff you that people get to enjoy their pets. Dogs equate to family members/kids for most owners that I know. Again it's not the leash that matters, it's the control and the pictures don't support it, as the dog is in the heel position in one picture and by the perimeter in the other, which means the owner is between the dog and anyone else in the so called park.

correct the time was about 930am Sunday morning. It is Monread Park in Naas and it clearly states on a big sign as you enter the park that dogs are to be on leashes at ALL TIMES
Does this park have a sign at all entrances? There certainly doesn't seem to be any as you enter this 'green area' from the housing development at the back of your pictures. And no this is not petty. It would be a very exclusive development that would have it's own park attached as distinct from normal green areas me thinks.....???

Finally someone with a bit of sense, but he was entering a park where there were approx 30-40 kids training at that time of the morning. As much as they would like to think they could let the dog off the leash it wasnt like the park was deserted

Again, I question your final quote. That grass is way way too long for kids to train on, seems unusual that's all.
As regards the park not being deserted, as it was far from being deserted as you point out......if the dog was so 'out of control' it would be fairly logical to expect you to mention that the dog was bothering other people, but you didn't. ?????

Dog owners who don't have a leash on their dog bothers you. The size and control of the dog is only a smoke screen.

I don't know if it would be advisable to suggest that you get a dog yourself. This might go a long way in sorting out your issues, but I don't know whether dog owners or dogs themselves bother you more so it might be best if you steer clear of both:(

Lex Luthor

mickmcl09 wrote: »

Again, I question your final quote. That grass is way way too long for kids to train on, seems unusual that's all.
As regards the park not being deserted, as it was far from being deserted as you point out......if the dog was so 'out of control' it would be fairly logical to expect you to mention that the dog was bothering other people, but you didn't. ?????

Dog owners who don't have a leash on their dog bothers you. The size and control of the dog is only a smoke screen.

I don't know if it would be advisable to suggest that you get a dog yourself. This might go a long way in sorting out your issues, but I don't know whether dog owners or dogs themselves bother you more so it might be best if you steer clear of both:(

pick holes in it all you want...I know what I saw, I live near the park, I would like my kids to walk through it without being harassed by big dogs
I have no bother in admitting that dog owners who dont leash their dogs and allow them to run up and jump all over me and my kids annoys me...this particular instance the dog was larger than your average dog, so if I felt it necessary to ask the owner to leash it, then thats my business

I'm not doing it every time I see a dog off a leash, but it was the total inconsideration of this particular owner that ticked me off

The only reason you see the dog in the heel position is that the owner started doing this when he saw me taking a picture of the dog off the leash

mickmcl09 wrote: »

Does this park have a sign at all entrances? There certainly doesn't seem to be any as you enter this 'green area' from the housing development at the back of your pictures. And no this is not petty. It would be a very exclusive development that would have it's own park attached as distinct from normal green areas me thinks.....???

no but the sign was at the entrance the dog owner entered the park in clear view

The park is situated in between many housing developments...its not just exclusive to a particualr housing development and all these housing developments have small path way entrances into the park at various locations