It wasn’t germaine to the OP, but I too have noticed this reaction to dogs among the large # of people from India/Bangladesh who lived in our apartment complex - not a single one of them were dog friendly and the kids would occasionally start crying merely upon seeing the dog.
Yes, but my dog was leashed. There was no danger at all. The baby was a newborn and had no idea what was going on 3 feet away from it, much less what was approaching down the street.
The bus is heavier than my dog, but I don’t think the woman reacted in fear seeing a 20,000 pound vehicle approach her (and the precious baby) @ 20mph. :rolleyes:
(FYI, in regards to my other post, the mom was definitely from India/Bangladesh).
You do realize that the OP stated that the dog was off-leash in an area where that was permitted AND that the dog didn’t approach the fearful woman, correct?
So, in what way did the woman need to defend herself from anything?
That’s a shame, and I can only suggest that I’ve never seen anyone be afraid of a dog dressed as a clown or a ladybug or a dragon. Maybe make the situation absurd and they’ll see the goggie’s cool. Extra points if you wear a matching outfit and post pictures for us to see.
WTF? Do you think all dog owners should have country parks and packs of dogs? Because taking your dog to the park is about providing them with a larger space than most people with gardens have and letting them have a wander round the outside world - they get bored otherwise - and meet other dogs. Even the Royal family walk their dogs in parks and they’re not exactly lacking in private open space.
I don’t think ‘self defence’ would apply to you attacking a dog that walked near you.
Hmm. You don’t happen to live in Bethnal Green, do you?
Heh. That would actually be an interesting experiment. I have taken her out in a Santa suit (on Christmas Day) and got totally ignored, which is an improvement.
I will back off of my strong statement a bit upon rereading a bit. If a dog is walking near me, no I do not feel threatened and wouldn’t react as such, but if a dog is walking, running, or aiming toward me, I have every right to defend myself. I don’t view dogs as predictable as a 20,000 pound bus.
But my bigger point to SciFiSam is that you shouldn’t own a dog in that situation. No there shouldn’t be packs of dogs in a city, I totally agree. If one so desperately needs a dog to live their lives happily, they should move out to the country or to a location where they are able to give their dog the life it deserves.
You definitely have the right to defend yourself, and owners definitely should train their dogs not to harass strangers. However, hitting out at a dog that’s just being friendly might have the effect of turning into the biting dog you’re afraid of.
What situation shouldn’t you own a dog in?
Dogs aren’t wild animals, you know; they are perfectly happy living in a city or suburb where they get regular walks. Like I said, even the royal family take their dogs for walks. You’re basically proposing that nobody ever own a dog again.
Hopefully you don’t have ANY pets (unless you live on a farm in the country, of course), considering they all ‘deserve’ the ability to roam free according to your logic.
Do you share this sentiment with any friends or family that have cats, hamsters or birds?
From what, exactly? Doesn’t one actually have to be in jeopardy for the need for self defense to arise? Where is the threat in a dog walking toward you?
If the dog were required to wear a leash, I still would have said the man was overreacting and rude, but I would have leashed my dog. Given that it’s not required, I would just ignore him.
Based on this, I personally probably would have said “This is an off leash park, if you have a problem, call the cops” and gone on my merry way. The ‘correct’ way to handle it probably would have been to say “Sir, if your wife doesn’t like dogs, just ask us to move, but there’s no reason to swear at me” and maybe (nicely) add in "BTW this is an off leash park, you might want to find somewhere else to walk.
Concur - if people react in a way that seems out of proportion with the actual problem, then it could be the result of bad experiences.
I tend to be oversensitive of dogs approaching our group when we’re sat down for a picnic, but only because dogs tend to assume they’ve been invited to dine with us. On one occasion, a dog ate sausages right out of the pan I was frying them in.
On more than one other occasion, dogs have strolled up and pissed on our bags, towels or other stuff, so I tend to shoo them away before they get close now - which I expect could be perceived as over-reaction by a dispassionate observer.
Candyman, you say you’re in a city. Many Jews choose to live in cities, and some Jewish families have maintained a tradition of aversion to dogs, which were sometimes used to harass Jews by local authorities. So, in addition to all the other possibilities, you might just have encountered a present day echo of that fear.
