Threatened this morning! :(

tk123

Last year we were in a green near our park - Bailey was off lead, and small pup Lucy was on lead. A guy who we'd seen every morning for months came up the path behind Bailey and surprised him. Bailey put himself between the guy and me and started barking. The guy started shouting at both of us and stamping at Bailey freaking him out and making him bark more. I called Bailey and put him back on lead apologizing - it took me longer than I would have liked because I had Lucy on her flexi lead (blasted thing!) and she was getting tangled in my legs etc etc From then on every time I saw the guy I'd call Bailey to me and keep him with me until the guy passed even though he had no interest in him because his aggressiveness that morning frightened me and threw me off guard - we'd been passing him for months and he seemed nice enough.
Fast forward to this morning in the park before it opened - I was distracted checking the time on my phone and I'm not sure what I heard first - barking or shouting but it was the same guy coming along the path towards us. He was roaring at me to control my dog but at the same time rushing up on the grass off the path towards Bailey and pushing him further away from me if that makes sense so I couldn't get near him - the second I could get close enough and the guy backed off Bailey stopped barking and sat like I told him. The guy was still roaring at me and threatening Bailey and in the heat of it I said something like how brave would he be if it was a man he was dealing with (I'm a 5 foot tall girl) and I'm not sure if it was just Bailey he threatened to "batter" or both of us because I was walking away from him at that stage.

I'm not even sure why I'm posting tbh. I'm not trying to excuse Bailey's behavior or anything. The whole thing has me a bit freaked out and worried about going back to the park tomorrow. On one hand I don't want to risk seeing the guy again but on the other I don't want to give up our morning off lead time in the park when I can keep to one area where I know I won't bump into him If only I hadn't taken out my phone I would have seen him and could have moved away.:(

AndyBoBandy

Some people are just A$$holes,

ignore him, he's an idiot, if he threatens you again, call the Guards.

Your not breaking any law are you?

aonb

Horrible experience but those of us who let our dogs off lead have this price to pay. There will always be people like this, who are afraid of dogs, or aggressive towards dogs and frighten your dog so that it barks and the whole situation blows up. Best thing is to avoid where you see this guy, and keep your eyes peeled. Alternatively if it seemed worth it, you could approach him next time you see him in the park, with the dogs on leash, apologise for the chaos of Bailey barking, let him see that Bailey is not aggressive etc - and see if Bailey doesnt seem afraid of him/recognise him - if he is horrible/obnoxious, you will have tried to defuse the situation, and get your nice park off-leash time back again maybe... if not, then I guess avoidance...

Dont take it personally - not everyone is an animal lover - and those who arent are best avoided

tk123

Andybobandy wrote: »

Your not breaking any law are you?

Am I breaking the law though if he's not under control?!

If a crisp packet had of blown past he would have had the same reaction! :rolleyes:

Oink

aonb wrote: »

you could approach him next time you see him in the park,

I'm not sure how much of a good idea that is. It sounds like he is on a crusade or trying to make a point or something. He might just love the validation. And he is already being aggressive, or at least passive/aggressive.

Consider using a leash in that park if you are supposed to. If he behaves in a threatening manner on a regular basis you are going to have to report it to the guards. No one needs to put up with that kind of crap.

TheQuietFella

Are dogs supposed to be muzzled when in public places?

I tried to find out but can't find the info'

cocker5

TheQuietFella wrote: »

Are dogs supposed to be muzzled when in public places?

I tried to find out but can't find the info'

Not they are not... why woud they be?

tyview

TheQuietFella wrote: »

Are dogs supposed to be muzzled when in public places?

I tried to find out but can't find the info'

As far as I know, only restricted breeds are

Larbre34

tk123 wrote: »

Am I breaking the law though if he's not under control?!

If a crisp packet had of blown past he would have had the same reaction! :rolleyes:

You may be breaking a bye-law in your own area by not having him on a lead, best to check the local Council website. On the other hand there are very few dog wardens left after the last few years of staff reductions so little chance of you getting in strife.

tk123

Larbre34 wrote: »

You may be breaking a bye-law in your own area by not having him on a lead, best to check the local Council website. On the other hand there are very few dog wardens left after the last few years of staff reductions so little chance of you getting in strife.

They're allowed off until 11:00am and last hour before closing in our park. The park was closed at the time - they leave one gate open for dog walkers.

jopax

He sounds like a bit of a loose cannon all right.
As upsetting as the incident was I wouldn't leave him stop you walking your dogs there.

When you see him coming the next time just veer off in another direction.

I agree with what you said about turning on a woman, no sort of man IMO would do this.

If he had something to say he should have said it calmly in an non aggressive manner.

Off the topic, fair play to Bailey, at least you know he'll protect you.

smeal

Just general aggressiveness and noseyness I'm afraid. People honestly live sad lives to act like that.


Similar thing happened to myself last weekend actually. Myself and my Dad took our 8 month pug to the local park and had him on a flexi lead.. The park is extremely rural with lane ways and lakes etc it's not a very busy public park like Stephens Green for example. Anyways, we got to a really quiet lane that leads around one of the lakes and allowed the lead to go to its longest.. there was nobody about and even if there had have been we still would have probably done the same thing as he is an extremely friendly pup. Nowhere in the park does it say that dogs need to be on leads might I add but we kept him on the lead anyways because due to his friendly nature he tends to wander towards over to people when he spots them, 99% of the time to the delight of other people!


So in the quiet lane way dad climbed up on to an embankment on the right hand side of the lane that led up to a forest area and wanted to show me where an old swing rope used to be.. Myself and Gus (my dog) followed, still on the long lead, up the embankment. It was fairly slippy with leaves etc and Gus was happy enough sniffing through the terrain. Next thing, a man running suddenly appeared on the lane way- he was running pretty fast and I definitely wouldn't have called it jogging so I honestly didn't have time to pull the lead in or grab Gus because of the slippiness. Gus, excited at seeing someone running, suddenly bolted down the embankment and headed out on to the laneway- still on the long lead. The runner, who jolted to the left hand side of the laneway roared and kicked my dog in the process who then started to cry because of the kick. He started roaring at myself and my dad for not having the dog on a more controlled lead etc etc and shouted at us for not having him properly trained. I'm extremely grateful that my dad was there with me because this man got very very aggressive, swearing etc and saying stuff like "There's people here like me trying to f***ing go for a jog". Yes, I understand that the runner was maybe wary that the dog may have lashed out on him or whatever but that behaviour is still not on- kicking an animal, a puppy!! If we had have been on the laneway I could have jolted him in pretty quickly if he had done the same. He could have easily slowed down when he seen Gus running towards him but kept at his speed. And there was no need for the aggressiveness one bit- completely over the top and pretty much announcing that he had superiority over other park users just because he was a f***ing runner!!!

Anyways, my point is ignore these kind of ignorant people. Just looking for a good topic to rant on about when they get home. So long as your dog hasn't physically harmed anyone, enjoy your park and your walks as you have the same entitlement to this enjoyment as everyone else. Your dog just probably knows that your man is a complete d***head.

VonVix

You need to get him a muzzle. The human who threatened you that is.

And I agree with ignoring the chap, people like him are intimidating (I can understand as a 5' 3' woman myself!) but they are often all talk because they know it works in making people feel as bad as they do themselves, it was probably just another thing in his day that pissed him off and you just ended up the one he let off at. Don't let it stop you or your dogs from enjoying themselves. I think most dogs would react the same way as your did. Only yesterday I was walking my two, the moment we got into the park there was an older man coming up behind us, well wrapped up in his winter gear, both my dogs just stopped and stared at him, one of them began growling and chuffing, he laughed it off and said "morning!" these incidences always seem to happen to me when I'm alone with my dogs, which isn't very often.

ihatewinter

I have a similar story. This morning went for a walk with my 2 dogs, off lead. I didn't see a woman approaching with 2 dogs and my youngest dog went around the corner and starting barking at her dog. No aggression but following him around. I came running down and this first thing she said to me, you're dog snapped at me. No way my dog snapped at her because the 2 dogs were 5 metres away from her.

Anyway I was putting my dog on a lead and her dog comes behind my dog and starts snapping at her and then a full scale fight started. I pulled my dog away and they stopped.

I apoglised and didn't say anything about my dog supposedly snapping because I didn't want any hassle. :mad::mad::mad:

My dog has never done anything like that until today. She's great with other dog. I might have to go a bit later from now on.

AndyBoBandy

ihatewinter wrote: »

I might have to go a bit later from now on.

I wouldn't go changing your routine to suit someone else.

mattser

smeal wrote: »

Just general aggressiveness and noseyness I'm afraid. People honestly live sad lives to act like that.


Similar thing happened to myself last weekend actually. Myself and my Dad took our 8 month pug to the local park and had him on a flexi lead.. The park is extremely rural with lane ways and lakes etc it's not a very busy public park like Stephens Green for example. Anyways, we got to a really quiet lane that leads around one of the lakes and allowed the lead to go to its longest.. there was nobody about and even if there had have been we still would have probably done the same thing as he is an extremely friendly pup. Nowhere in the park does it say that dogs need to be on leads might I add but we kept him on the lead anyways because due to his friendly nature he tends to wander towards over to people when he spots them, 99% of the time to the delight of other people!


So in the quiet lane way dad climbed up on to an embankment on the right hand side of the lane that led up to a forest area and wanted to show me where an old swing rope used to be.. Myself and Gus (my dog) followed, still on the long lead, up the embankment. It was fairly slippy with leaves etc and Gus was happy enough sniffing through the terrain. Next thing, a man running suddenly appeared on the lane way- he was running pretty fast and I definitely wouldn't have called it jogging so I honestly didn't have time to pull the lead in or grab Gus because of the slippiness. Gus, excited at seeing someone running, suddenly bolted down the embankment and headed out on to the laneway- still on the long lead. The runner, who jolted to the left hand side of the laneway roared and kicked my dog in the process who then started to cry because of the kick. He started roaring at myself and my dad for not having the dog on a more controlled lead etc etc and shouted at us for not having him properly trained. I'm extremely grateful that my dad was there with me because this man got very very aggressive, swearing etc and saying stuff like "There's people here like me trying to f***ing go for a jog". Yes, I understand that the runner was maybe wary that the dog may have lashed out on him or whatever but that behaviour is still not on- kicking an animal, a puppy!! If we had have been on the laneway I could have jolted him in pretty quickly if he had done the same. He could have easily slowed down when he seen Gus running towards him but kept at his speed. And there was no need for the aggressiveness one bit- completely over the top and pretty much announcing that he had superiority over other park users just because he was a f***ing runner!!!

Anyways, my point is ignore these kind of ignorant people. Just looking for a good topic to rant on about when they get home. So long as your dog hasn't physically harmed anyone, enjoy your park and your walks as you have the same entitlement to this enjoyment as everyone else. Your dog just probably knows that your man is a complete d***head.

As a regular runner. I have had to change training venues at times due to dogs not under control.

If you're on a 5K or 10K or Marathon training spin for an upcoming race, you're trying to make a certain time, controlling your stride, breath,etc.

You cannot simply just " slow down " because someone's loose dog is coming at you.

Your'e quite entitled to protect yourself from an attacking dog.

That's how the jogger might see it.

smeal

mattser wrote: »

As a regular runner. I have had to change training venues at times due to dogs not under control.

If you're on a 5K or 10K or Marathon training spin for an upcoming race, you're trying to make a certain time, controlling your stride, breath,etc.

You cannot simply just " slow down " because someone's loose dog is coming at you.

Your'e quite entitled to protect yourself from an attacking dog.

That's how the jogger might see it.

Yes you are right- you are entitled to protect yourself from a loose attacking dog. Except my dog was on an extended leash and he could see that, he wasn't barking or growling just running in his direction, he could see that I was having difficulty getting down on to the lane way to stop the dog from continuing out but nevertheless continued running and then KICKED an animal and started to use aggressive language.


Marathon training or not, he would have stopped or at least slowed down if it had been a small child for example who had jumped out on to the lane.

kylith

ihatewinter wrote: »

I have a similar story. This morning went for a walk with my 2 dogs, off lead. I didn't see a woman approaching with 2 dogs and my youngest dog went around the corner and starting barking at her dog. No aggression but following him around. I came running down and this first thing she said to me, you're dog snapped at me. No way my dog snapped at her because the 2 dogs were 5 metres away from her.

Anyway I was putting my dog on a lead and her dog comes behind my dog and starts snapping at her and then a full scale fight started. I pulled my dog away and they stopped.

I apoglised and didn't say anything about my dog supposedly snapping because I didn't want any hassle. :mad::mad::mad:

My dog has never done anything like that until today. She's great with other dog. I might have to go a bit later from now on.

Ara, in fairness ye were both in the wrong there. It's not acceptable to have your dog, out of your sight, following another dog around and barking at it. You weren't there to see if your dog did snap at her or not.

That her dog then started snapping at yours is not on either but, having a dog-reactive dog myself I know that it can be a huge setback to have another dog tailing you, barking, until your own dog reaches its limit and retaliates. It's all very well you saying your dog isn't aggressive, but she doesn't know that and her dog doesn't know that.

OldNotWIse

smeal wrote: »

Just general aggressiveness and noseyness I'm afraid. People honestly live sad lives to act like that.


Similar thing happened to myself last weekend actually. Myself and my Dad took our 8 month pug to the local park and had him on a flexi lead.. The park is extremely rural with lane ways and lakes etc it's not a very busy public park like Stephens Green for example. Anyways, we got to a really quiet lane that leads around one of the lakes and allowed the lead to go to its longest.. there was nobody about and even if there had have been we still would have probably done the same thing as he is an extremely friendly pup. Nowhere in the park does it say that dogs need to be on leads might I add but we kept him on the lead anyways because due to his friendly nature he tends to wander towards over to people when he spots them, 99% of the time to the delight of other people!


So in the quiet lane way dad climbed up on to an embankment on the right hand side of the lane that led up to a forest area and wanted to show me where an old swing rope used to be.. Myself and Gus (my dog) followed, still on the long lead, up the embankment. It was fairly slippy with leaves etc and Gus was happy enough sniffing through the terrain. Next thing, a man running suddenly appeared on the lane way- he was running pretty fast and I definitely wouldn't have called it jogging so I honestly didn't have time to pull the lead in or grab Gus because of the slippiness. Gus, excited at seeing someone running, suddenly bolted down the embankment and headed out on to the laneway- still on the long lead. The runner, who jolted to the left hand side of the laneway roared and kicked my dog in the process who then started to cry because of the kick. He started roaring at myself and my dad for not having the dog on a more controlled lead etc etc and shouted at us for not having him properly trained. I'm extremely grateful that my dad was there with me because this man got very very aggressive, swearing etc and saying stuff like "There's people here like me trying to f***ing go for a jog". Yes, I understand that the runner was maybe wary that the dog may have lashed out on him or whatever but that behaviour is still not on- kicking an animal, a puppy!! If we had have been on the laneway I could have jolted him in pretty quickly if he had done the same. He could have easily slowed down when he seen Gus running towards him but kept at his speed. And there was no need for the aggressiveness one bit- completely over the top and pretty much announcing that he had superiority over other park users just because he was a f***ing runner!!!

Anyways, my point is ignore these kind of ignorant people. Just looking for a good topic to rant on about when they get home. So long as your dog hasn't physically harmed anyone, enjoy your park and your walks as you have the same entitlement to this enjoyment as everyone else. Your dog just probably knows that your man is a complete d***head.

Jeeez If anyone dared to kick my dog they'd live to regret it. What an ásshole

OldNotWIse

smeal wrote: »

Yes you are right- you are entitled to protect yourself from a loose attacking dog. Except my dog was on an extended leash and he could see that, he wasn't barking or growling just running in his direction, he could see that I was having difficulty getting down on to the lane way to stop the dog from continuing out but nevertheless continued running and then KICKED an animal and started to use aggressive language.


Marathon training or not, he would have stopped or at least slowed down if it had been a small child for example who had jumped out on to the lane.

Wonder would he kick a small child if it ran in his direction too :rolleyes: Is slowing down a problem in general or just when there is a dog involved. I agree that a dog needs to be under control but he had no excuse for resorting to physical violence.

tk123

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Wonder would he kick a small child if it ran in his direction too :rolleyes:

I was going to say the same thing or cut across the path on a bike/scooter/skates like what happens in our park! When Lucy was very young she went on strike and lay down on the path on the bull wall..a jogger who had lots of time and space to move gave out to me :rolleyes: That said I always tell the dogs to wait ie STOP when there's training going and people running past us - we go to a bigger park at weekends/days off that's got a stadium in it so lots of groups running around all the time. God forbid some kid trips over one of them and ruins their running career - I'd never forgive myself

mattser

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Wonder would he kick a small child if it ran in his direction too :rolleyes: Is slowing down a problem in general or just when there is a dog involved. I agree that a dog needs to be under control but he had no excuse for resorting to physical violence.

I agree in the OP's case it seemed out of order, I'm simply making a point about a minority of owners who act irresponsibly, and how it impacts on people running.
The child analogy is ridiculous.

jayobray

Happened to me a few years ago in an area frequented by joggers and dog walkers. A teenage girl was walking her dog and a jogger ran up behind her on a path, almost into the back of her and both she and the dog jumped, and the guy almost fell over her dog. He turned around and kicked the dog, yelling at the girl for not getting out of his way (he had not tried to move around her or her dog). As he ran off towards me, he kept going straight towards me, expecting me to move. I did, but one of my feet obviously did not move in time as he tripped over it and went sprawling. He said absolutely nothing to me, probably because I'm 6'2 and male. The dog was fine, the poor girl was in tears. Dog walkers can be prats, so can joggers. I always keep our dogs on a tight lead when joggers or cyclists are around, for everyone's safety.

OldNotWIse

mattser wrote: »

I agree in the OP's case it seemed out of order, I'm simply making a point about a minority of owners who act irresponsibly, and how it impacts on people running.
The child analogy is ridiculous.

I am agreeing with you re keeping the dog under control. Why is the child analogy ridiculous? His rationale for kicking something is because it got in his way. So, what if something else gets in his way?

mattser

OldNotWIse wrote: »

I am agreeing with you re keeping the dog under control. Why is the child analogy ridiculous? His rationale for kicking something is because it got in his way. So, what if something else gets in his way?

I have had to dodge children suddenly appearing in my path from time to time...absolutely no problem. I usually apologise for frightening them. And it's only a matter of a couple of seconds

It's a different story when it's a dog that wants to bite. You have to defend yourself within reason, usually you stop and waste a lot of time. 8K into a 10K run, that's end of story.

No comparison.

Potatoeman

When you say barking at it can be a small dog yelping or a big dog snarling and there is a world of difference.

There are two dogs down the road from me that use the front garden and go crazy barking at passers by. They dont seem dangerous but the owner gets frequently told to keep them inside by people as it gets pretty old.

OldNotWIse

What's with all the dog kicking?

TerryTree

He should not threaten you or nobody should kick an animal. It's just easier to keep the dog on lead, don't change your route... Many people have just a massive fear of dogs and when they bark people assume they are viscous...

OldNotWIse

mattser wrote: »

I have had to dodge children suddenly appearing in my path from time to time...absolutely no problem. I usually apologise for frightening them. And it's only a matter of a couple of seconds

It's a different story when it's a dog that wants to bite. You have to defend yourself within reason, usually you stop and waste a lot of time. 8K into a 10K run, that's end of story.

No comparison.

The OP's dog did not want to bite.

There is a comparison between the two in that both joggers are interrupted by something crossing their path. Whether you think the evasive/defensive action would be different in either scenario does not change the fundamental similarities between them.

noodler

The guy doesn't know whether or not your Dog was aggressive.

The parks I walk my Dog in have that before 11am and last hour before closing rule (I didn't even know until you said it - I thought I was always breaking the rules having her off the leash).
but I usually will walk my dog in less populated areas anyway.

I wouldn't want to be barked at by a loose Dog when I run through the park either and if my Dog did that to someone I would of course leash him and apologise.

Its a tough situation but I'd personally keep my Dog off the main path (if unleashed) if he was going to get starteld by runners or cyclists or other people who might be using it as pace.

Karen91

People in this country need to be educated on how to behave around dogs. This sort of behaviour towards people walking their dogs seems to be happening a lot.

I have had this reaction from people before and parents who over react, my dog is a Pomeranian who I always keep on a normal leather lead not even an extendable one and even at that people are still controversial.

I live in Co Limerick and I take my one to Lough Gur sometimes and I used to walk her on the foot paths in our town but I have had to stop that because of arrogant joggers, a high percentage of people jogging seem to think they own the parks and foot paths their stand back get out of my way attitude is terrible. I now walk her in the ballyhouras to avoid arrogant joggers.

In this situation I would not change my routine because of this person but I would not approach him either, if he abuses you like this again I would be reporting it to the gardai.

OldNotWIse

noodler wrote: »

The guy doesn't know whether or not your Dog was aggressive.

The parks I walk my Dog in have that before 11am and last hour before closing rule (I didn't even know until you said it - I thought I was always breaking the rules having her off the leash).
but I usually will walk my dog in less populated areas anyway.

I wouldn't want to be barked at by a loose Dog when I run through the park either and if my Dog did that to someone I would of course leash him and apologise.

Its a tough situation but I'd personally keep my Dog off the main path (if unleashed) if he was going to get starteld by runners or cyclists or other people who might be using it as pace.

Likewise. Ours is a terrier so fast-moving legs are irresistible! On-lead only unless we are alone. Better for everyone, herself included. It's jsut too much to think about with kids, joggers, cyclists, cars etc. Much prefer to walk her somewhere remote so she can have a bit of freedom and the non dog owners can have a bit of peace!

piperh

Some people are just clueless when it comes to how a dog reacts that said there are as many clueless dog owners and these people mean that others have to bare the brunt of their bad behaviour.

Unfortunately it sounds like for a trouble and stress free walk you may (unfairly) have to change your walk tines.

tk123

Potatoeman wrote: »

When you say barking at it can be a small dog yelping or a big dog snarling and there is a world of difference.

There are two dogs down the road from me that use the front garden and go crazy barking at passers by. They dont seem dangerous but the owner gets frequently told to keep them inside by people as it gets pretty old.

I used to not let him bark outside in the garden - until the neighbors place had 3 guys breaking into one of their outbuildings on the other side of our fence and I brought him in - ooops!

I agree 100% that it can be frightening but Bailey barks at anything he's suspicious and I have a handle on it - he stops when I tell him to and calms down. This morning the guy prevented me from getting to Bailey because he was I guess trying to intimidate him (and then me) but it made matters worse. I get that it could be frightening BUT I also get the impression that this guy has dogs barking at him all the time by what he was screaming at me. Running/stamping/shouting at a dog who's afraid of you is stupid and dangerous regardless if they're on or off lead. He didn't give me a chance to explain or apologize - I was worried he was going to kick out at him and god forbid hit his jaw. (he had 1/4 of it removed 4 months ago)

Potatoeman

tk123 wrote: »

I used to not let him bark outside in the garden - until the neighbors place had 3 guys breaking into one of their outbuildings on the other side of our fence and I brought him in - ooops!

I agree 100% that it can be frightening but Bailey barks at anything he's suspicious and I have a handle on it - he stops when I tell him to and calms down. This morning the guy prevented me from getting to Bailey because he was I guess trying to intimidate him (and then me) but it made matters worse. I get that it could be frightening BUT I also get the impression that this guy has dogs barking at him all the time by what he was screaming at me. Running/stamping/shouting at a dog who's afraid of you is stupid and dangerous regardless if they're on or off lead. He didn't give me a chance to explain or apologize - I was worried he was going to kick out at him and god forbid hit his jaw. (he had 1/4 of it removed 4 months ago)

I dont know what size your dog is but if its barking at him all the time it sounds like he flipped. If youre worried I would avoid him.

Sometimes joggers and cyclists can be aggressive as they react when their heart is pumping and they are in full flow. Its not an excuse but I do think people react differently then they normally would.

smeal

Bottom line my stance is this:

1) If I'm in a busy public park/ any public park where there are clear signs that say "All dogs must be put on a leash" or there are tonnes of joggers or people around I will put my dog on a stern leash and keep him near my heel to avoid him getting in the way of anyone.

2) If I'm in a public park (and especially in a large country park) with my dog, where there is no such sign, its a quiet day and there aren't many people around where I could walk for half an hour at a time until I'd meet somebody, well then I'm going to walk my dog whatever way I please pending my dog isn't violent in nature. In these kind of conditions there is no way that I am going to give right of way to joggers/runners over other park users. Especially not to other violent users. I'm not for one minute dissing joggers, I jog myself, but in circumstances like this there is no excuse to assume superiority over the parks.

This man's actions toward the OP were completely unacceptable. Even if he has had a bad experience with a dog before, he can't act like that towards this person and their dog. It seems like he was almost provoking the dog to turn on him so he can strengthen his argument.

tk123

Potatoeman wrote: »

I dont know what size your dog is but if its barking at him all the time it sounds like he flipped. If youre worried I would avoid him.

He's a golden retriever and has barked at him twice in the last year.. and possibly yesterday when he was on the other side of the river. I assumed he was barking at the heron/ducks but possibly it was somebody on the other side of the river walking along? We walk before the park opens when it's quite dark so can't really see over to that side..

twowheelsonly

tk123 wrote: »

Bailey put himself between the guy and me and started barking.
.:(

OldNotWIse wrote: »

The OP's dog did not want to bite.

How do you know this? How is anybody, including the OPs' aggressor supposed to know this.

noodler wrote: »

The guy doesn't know whether or not your Dog was aggressive.

In his mind the dog was aggressive, what was he supposed to think?

Karen91 wrote: »

People in this country need to be educated on how to behave around dogs.

A lot of dog owners could do with education as well...

piperh wrote: »

Some people are just clueless when it comes to how a dog reacts that said there are as many clueless dog owners and these people mean that others have to bare the brunt of their bad behaviour.
.

This ^^^^^^^


I just want to state that I've had half a dozen dogs in my time, big ones, small ones, quiet ones and boisterous ones. One thing that they all had in common is that they were my dogs and lived by my rules. If I have visitors to the house the dog goes out the back. If I'm out for a walk with him in any public area he's on a lead - a short regular lead.
Those long leads, apart from being useless, are the bane of walkers/joggers/cyclists everywhere. What purpose do they serve? If the dog wants to sniff around then why can't he do so alongside you? Why does he have to be 15/20 feet away ?
Last point is that I (generally!!) know that my dogs are not going to bite ME.. I can't, and neither can anyone else, guarantee 100% that they're not going to bite/attack/intimidate anyone else or any other dog for that matter.
"He won't touch you" is absolutely no consolation to someone with an innate fear of dogs.
Dogs/dog walkers can bring out the worst in some people so it's up to yourself not to do anything that re-inforces/provokes that mind-set.
It's one of the joyful paradoxes of taking a dog for a walk. Some strangers will want to stop and chat 'doggy chat', others will want to avoid you or possibly confront you. Go for a walk without the dog and chances are you'll experience neither!!

Having said all that, it does appear that the aggressor in the OPs' post is definitely in the ars*h*le category

nc6000

Bring a large male family member or friend with you on your next walk and I bet the guy won't say boo to you if you meet him again.

ABajaninCork

I've had this down the Marina in Cork too. The dog's walked off lead, but I train him to sit and wait when there are cyclists and joggers (of which there are plenty).

One day, we were walking along. Loads of off-lead dogs, but this old git decided he was going to have a go at me, as I appeared to be alone. I'm 5ft 2 - But he got what he was looking for...

I've seen him since. The fella even salutes me now, but I just nod and go on my way.

Potatoeman

tk123 wrote: »

He's a golden retriever and has barked at him twice in the last year.. and possibly yesterday when he was on the other side of the river. I assumed he was barking at the heron/ducks but possibly it was somebody on the other side of the river walking along? We walk before the park opens when it's quite dark so can't really see over to that side..

Then he over reacted. Twice in one year is not a big deal. He should worry more about his own behaviour and learn how to have an adult conservation.

tk123

Well I'll be walking as normal tomorrow but keeping them both near me with recall games. I'll be doing 6 half laps instead of 3 long ones to avoid that path - and there's a chance I might bump into him at the bridge but I'll keep my eyes peeled. I shouldn't meet him until the 5th or 6th lap but if he says a word to me i'm going to tell him to FO and that I'm calling the guards. I know his first name (he's friends with somebody in the park an apparently loves dogs ) and I have a fair idea where he lives from seeing him walking down if I was going into work early etc on the off chance something does happen and I need to call them. I never wanted to see my brothers as much as I did this morning after it happened! Or one of guys who are in some mornings with their dogs to walk around with us.

I ever even thought of poor Lucy when it happened. She's been going through a bit of a spooky phase the last while so I really hope this doesn't hasn't affected her.

OldNotWIse

Potatoeman wrote: »

Then he over reacted. Twice in one year is not a big deal. He should worry more about his own behaviour and learn how to have an adult conservation.

Indeed. Never mind the dog, it sounds to me like the hysterical jogger was more likely to bite! ... and in the end it was he who resorted to physical violence

tk123

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Indeed. Never mind the dog, it sounds to me like the hysterical jogger was more likely to bite! ... and in the end it was he who resorted to physical violence

He isn't a jogger - just somebody who cuts through the park. I decided I was sticking to my normal route but put Bailey on lead when we got near that path. He was very skittish for the first 10-15 mins. It's not acceptable for him to run over and bark at anyone and there's no excuse.. but at the same time I've spent the last year looking out for that guy, keeping Bailey him on lead in certain places and not being able to relax for fear of bumping into him even though Bailey has strolled past him every time our paths have managed to cross without a second glance. If he's afraid of dogs then there's other paths he can take to avoid them like I've doing to avoid him for the last year.

I'm not going to let some stranger bully me!

tk123

Well we saw the guy again this morning and Bailey didn't even notice him. However...he's gone very very nervous of everyone we meet except friends - both people and dogs so I can't let him off lead at all now. Hopefully once the mornings get a bit bright he might relax a bit - I'm sure he's picking it up from me too.

SpaceTime

Honestly, I think Irish people have terrible attitudes to controlling dogs.

I have been attacked by dogs on numerous occasions while out running here and I mean actually chased and attacked. They see someone running and think it's something to be chased.

I've also had my dog attacked while out walking her on a leash.

I'm sorry to say it, but people in Ireland are completely ignorant, clueless and self-rightious about letting their dogs off the leash in public places.

It's totally unacceptable, it's dangerous and it's a major hazard and annoyance to other people using those public spaces.

In most other countries, you face serious penalties for doing that i.e. major fines, court appearances etc.

However, when you say it to anyone here in Ireland, you'll quite likely be told to f**k off in no uncertain terms.

It's one of those things that drives me nuts about living in Ireland. You see nothing wrong with litter, dogs running wild, dog defecating on play areas in parks and so on.

We have a local dog walker who casually wanders up to my grass margin and lets his dog do its business there. I have actually shouted out the window at him and he still does it!
I am tempted to put the dog turd into a bag and just empty it out on his lawn at this stage, as that's what he's doing to mine!

It's time Irish dog owners grew up a bit!

I do think this guy completely over reacted, but I think dog owners here need to start acting a bit more responsibly too.

borderlinemeath

SpaceTime wrote: »

Honestly, I think Irish people have terrible attitudes to controlling dogs.

I have been attacked by dogs on numerous occasions while out running here and I mean actually chased and attacked. They see someone running and think it's something to be chased.

I've also had my dog attacked while out walking her on a leash.

I'm sorry to say it, but people in Ireland are completely ignorant, clueless and self-rightious about letting their dogs off the leash in public places.

It's totally unacceptable, it's dangerous and it's a major hazard and annoyance to other people using those public spaces.

In most other countries, you face serious penalties for doing that i.e. major fines, court appearances etc.

However, when you say it to anyone here in Ireland, you'll quite likely be told to f**k off in no uncertain terms.

It's one of those things that drives me nuts about living in Ireland. You see nothing wrong with litter, dogs running wild, dog defecating on play areas in parks and so on.

We have a local dog walker who casually wanders up to my grass margin and lets his dog do its business there. I have actually shouted out the window at him and he still does it!
I am tempted to put the dog turd into a bag and just empty it out on his lawn at this stage, as that's what he's doing to mine!

It's time Irish dog owners grew up a bit!

I do think this guy completely over reacted, but I think dog owners here need to start acting a bit more responsibly too.

You're tarring a lot of dog owners with the same brush there. Yes there are some irresponsible owners but there are just as many responsible owners who are more than capable of controlling their dog off lead. Not every dog chases joggers, not every dog owner lets their dog defecate without picking it up and not every owner lets their dog run wild off the lead.

SpaceTime

borderlinemeath wrote: »

You're tarring a lot of dog owners with the same brush there. Yes there are some irresponsible owners but there are just as many responsible owners who are more than capable of controlling their dog off lead. Not every dog chases joggers, not every dog owner lets their dog defecate without picking it up and not every owner lets their dog run wild off the lead.

Sadly, I'd say it's only 50:50 at best where as in a lot of other countries it'd be more like 95:5

Yes, it's tarring with the same brush, but until someone actually enforces the law here and most people start to take responsible dog ownership seriously, that's exactly how it looks!

Karen91

SpaceTime wrote: »

Honestly, I think Irish people have terrible attitudes to controlling dogs.

I have been attacked by dogs on numerous occasions while out running here and I mean actually chased and attacked. They see someone running and think it's something to be chased.

I've also had my dog attacked while out walking her on a leash.

I'm sorry to say it, but people in Ireland are completely ignorant, clueless and self-rightious about letting their dogs off the leash in public places.

It's totally unacceptable, it's dangerous and it's a major hazard and annoyance to other people using those public spaces.

In most other countries, you face serious penalties for doing that i.e. major fines, court appearances etc.

However, when you say it to anyone here in Ireland, you'll quite likely be told to f**k off in no uncertain terms.

It's one of those things that drives me nuts about living in Ireland. You see nothing wrong with litter, dogs running wild, dog defecating on play areas in parks and so on.

We have a local dog walker who casually wanders up to my grass margin and lets his dog do its business there. I have actually shouted out the window at him and he still does it!
I am tempted to put the dog turd into a bag and just empty it out on his lawn at this stage, as that's what he's doing to mine!

It's time Irish dog owners grew up a bit!

I do think this guy completely over reacted, but I think dog owners here need to start acting a bit more responsibly too.

I have seen more responsible owners than irresponsible ones yes there are some but that does not mean they are all the same. I used to walk my dog at Lake near by and on the paths in our town but I had to stop because of joggers and parents who will not control their kids, I have only ever had one bad experience with a dog off lead but generally its people that cause the drama and when I say people I mean people who don't own dogs.

borderlinemeath

SpaceTime wrote: »

Sadly, I'd say it's only 50:50 at best where as in a lot of other countries it'd be more like 95:5

Yes, it's tarring with the same brush, but until someone actually enforces the law here and most people start to take responsible dog ownership seriously, that's exactly how it looks!

I actually think it's hard to quantify. In your opinion it looks 50/50, but I can say that there's only a couple of regular dogs that are allowed to run amok and annoy other dog owners where I walk. Yet I see lots of walkers with dogs, so for me it's perhaps 95/5. Of course, it's very easy to remember the negative instances and let that cloud your view and want the laws changed in your favour. It's a bit like customer service, there's always that place that you won't return to and give out about because you got bad service but people are less quick to recommend places if the service was grand. Perhaps it's an Irish thing but people moan about the negative but rarely praise the positive.

SpaceTime

borderlinemeath wrote: »

I actually think it's hard to quantify. In your opinion it looks 50/50, but I can say that there's only a couple of regular dogs that are allowed to run amok and annoy other dog owners where I walk. Yet I see lots of walkers with dogs, so for me it's perhaps 95/5. Of course, it's very easy to remember the negative instances and let that cloud your view and want the laws changed in your favour. It's a bit like customer service, there's always that place that you won't return to and give out about because you got bad service but people are less quick to recommend places if the service was grand. Perhaps it's an Irish thing but people moan about the negative but rarely praise the positive.

No, quite genuinely I am absolutely horrified.

One friend of mine actually regularly has to take an alternative route to work because she's terrified of dogs and people keep letting them wander around the streets, in Cork City anyway... perhaps there's just no enforcement here, I don't know but it's absolutely beyond ridiculous.