Sorry if this is formatted weird, I’ve never posted on here afair
I wanna start this off by saying I don’t like dogs. I don’t hate dogs at all, don’t get me wrong, I think they’re very cute and I can see why some people like them, but I’m just personally not a fan. I wanna emphasize that I don’t dislike dogs, I just don’t really like them. I’m much more of a cat person.
Earlier this morning, I was walking through a park, when this unleashed German Shepherd (I think) came running at me and tried jumping on me. Naturally, I jumped back and screamed. I kept trying to politely push the dog away, backing away, all that, but it was very intent on getting the food I was eating.
The owner finally approached, and I was relieved, until he started laughing and encouraging the dog to play with me, saying it was fine because “she’s friendly, she just wants to play!”
I tried explaining that I didn’t want to play, but the guy just kept emphasizing the dog was friendly, until I snapped and said “well I’m not, so get your dog away from me”.
The guy was all huffy and puffy for a while, acting all shocked that someone could ever possibly not want a muddy dog jumping all over them and ruining their favorite shirt. Finally, the guy called the dog back and I went along with my day.
About an hour ago, I told my mom about the whole ordeal and she said I was unnecessarily rude and could have just walked away, which is something I have a hard time doing bc I tend to freeze when my fight or flight is triggered.
So aita for telling a guy I’m “not friendly” to dogs?
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Sorry if this is formatted weird, I’ve never posted on here afair
I wanna start this off by saying I don’t like dogs. I don’t hate dogs at all, don’t get me wrong, I think they’re very cute and I can see why some people like them, but I’m just personally not a fan. I wanna emphasize that I don’t dislike dogs, I just don’t really like them. I’m much more of a cat person.
Earlier this morning, I was walking through a park, when this unleashed German Shepherd (I think) came running at me and tried jumping on me. Naturally, I jumped back and screamed. I kept trying to politely push the dog away, backing away, all that, but it was very intent on getting the food I was eating.
The owner finally approached, and I was relieved, until he started laughing and encouraging the dog to play with me, saying it was fine because “she’s friendly, she just wants to play!”
I tried explaining that I didn’t want to play, but the guy just kept emphasizing the dog was friendly, until I snapped and said “well I’m not, so get your dog away from me”.
The guy was all huffy and puffy for a while, acting all shocked that someone could ever possibly not want a muddy dog jumping all over them and ruining their favorite shirt. Finally, the guy called the dog back and I went along with my day.
About an hour ago, I told my mom about the whole ordeal and she said I was unnecessarily rude and could have just walked away, which is something I have a hard time doing bc I tend to freeze when my fight or flight is triggered.
So aita for telling a guy I’m “not friendly” to dogs?
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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> 1) I said that because I was in a panic mode and he wasn’t getting the hint that I didn’t want to play with his “friendly” dog
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Contest mode is 1.5 hours long on this post.
NTA.
I LOVE dogs, and even I don’t want a large, muddy dog jumping up on me trying to get my food. The fact this guy encouraged this behavior is just awful. I don’t know where you are, but he likely should have had his dog leashed. (I know not all areas have strict leash laws.)
Your response was fine, IMO.
NTA, and I say this as a dog lover. They are my most favorite of all creatures. But I understand that not everyone feels that way. Furthermore, unless you’re in an area where it’s explicitly stated otherwise (like a dog park), dogs should be kept on a leash. This is for everyone’s security, and for the dogs’ as well.
It’s all fun and games until Fido jumps on a 4 year old to steal their corndog, and they get seriously hurt. A german shepherd could be the friendliest of floofs, and still cause damage.
NTA. I don’t understand why any dog owner would let their dog around strangers who are clearly uncomfortable with it. Parks are not private property so the guy should’ve been more careful regarding his dog’s whereabouts and behavior. The dog was causing you discomfort and you communicated that so the owner should’ve taken the dog away (or rather watched where his pet runs off to so situations like this don’t happen)
NTA! I hate when dog people think everyone will love their dog just because they are not biting someone. There are several circumstances in which a dog makes someone uncomfortable. Here are a few:
1.) Having been attacked by a dog. A giant animal running up can be triggering.
2.) Having a natural flight or freeze response that makes these interactions panic inducing.
3.) NO REASON at all. Guess what some people don’t owe you an explanation about whether they do or do not want to be near your animal.
Your mom is wrong, the owner is wrong. When you are a pet owner you should abide by the same rules as a parent. Control your kid and don’t let them run up to strangers. Control your dog and don’t let them run up to strangers.
NTA – That dog owner is a MONSTER.
How dare they allow their dog to jump on anyone?
I would have screamed bloody murder.
NTA. Its flight/fight/freeze now bytheway.
NTA. The owner should never have let the dog off the leash unless he was in a dog park. I don’t know of any city that doesn’t have a leash law. If his dog had knocked you down and injured you even though friendly, he would have been liable for your injuries. But, aside from that you have a right not to have a dog, even if you know the dog, jump on you and be out of control with wiggles and licks and dirty paws. I love dogs, but I don’t want one to do that with me. When it has happened the owners have always come to my rescue by either telling their dog to knock it off and it obeys or getting the dog and telling him/her to stay down or just no. Since the owner kept ignoring your pleas you had to same something stronger.
“Naturally, I jumped back and screamed.”
LOL.
NTA! It’s incredibly rude and scary to let a big dog run up to strangers. How were you supposed to know it was friendly? That kind of situation could give the right person a heart attack.
NTA. I love dogs. This dog owner makes the rest of us look bad. I would have no issues telling him that if I see his dog off of its leash again I’ll call animal control (if there’s a leash law where you live, of course.)
YWBTA if you were, idk, at a dog park? But anyone who lets their dog go unleashed in public spaces like that, is in fact, the AH
NTA. Cats are crazy. Dog owners are crazy.
NTA. Some people think that if strangers give their dog a chance, they will get along swimmingly – but trying to force someone to interact with a dog tends to increase the likelihood of a negative interaction.
NTA! Basically, he was handwaving his dog’s actions (and his shittiness as a dog owner). And, in honesty, I think he was getting his kicks off his dog tormenting you, or he wouldn’t have encouraged the dog to continue.
NTA,
I absolutely love dogs and have your back OP. Not everyone feels this way about dogs for a variety of reasons and I find all of them to be legit. A lot of my family come from an area that has stray dogs and as a result have trauma from dealing with them so I fully sympathize with anyone that doesn’t like dogs.
I would never have my dog unleashed unless it is specifically a dog park so that other person was completely in the wrong.
NTA and that’s a great comeback.
I’ve known people with dog phobias and that guy is putting them in great jeopardy.
Nta
I adore dogs, but people need to train their pets before they allow them off leash. End of discussion
NTA
Honestly, this is how I feel when I go to shake someone’s hand and they say, “Oh, I’m a hugger.” Good for you, I’m not. Just because someone owns a dog does not mean that everyone within 100 feet of them is required to like said dog.
I am a huge dog lover. I think dogs are better than people. Even I say you are NTA at all. No one should assume anything about your intentions or amount of time you have to play with a random dog. It wasn’t a cool move on his part at all.
NTA. As a dog owner, even tho he is friendly with most people, I tend to keep him short on his lead around people we don’t know. It’s incredibly rude and entitled to think everyone should welcome him. He’s not small either, so that can be very intimidating for some people. My question….were you near a leash free dog park? If not, I would be fairly certain that person broke the law by the dog being off lead in a public place.
Cats are cool too 🙂
NTA. I’ve sadly had to have that conversation with multiple people in my neighborhood who ignore leash laws. My dog hates other dogs. She will ignore them if they are far away, walking on the other side of the road, etc. If any come into her personal space, she will attack it. Despite this, people will laugh as their dog is coming up, wagging it’s tail, and I’m yelling “NO” at it to try to make it back off.
I’d have maced it.
NTA, I would be very freaked out and upset by an unknown German Shepherd jumping on me and trying to take my food. Even more so.if the owner just laughed and didn’t control his dog. Under the circumstance I might have hurt the dog. And I do like dogs, well trained ones.
NTA.
I am a dog mom. And I would be PISSED if someone’s dog ran up to me (especially if nobody else was in sight!) and jumped on me.
Bad owner, bad!
NTA I am a dog person, I am a dog owner – I am NOT AN UNLEASHED DOG PERSON. Leash your freaking dogs. Unless it’s on your property in your fenced in yard leash your dog
The owner saying it was fine when it was in fact, not fine, was TA. Also, that dog wasn’t trying to play, it was after your food. Your mom saying you could have walked away when there’s a large dog all over you was being unrealistic.
If it took firm language like “Well I’m not”, that’s not rude, that is simply being assertive, and good for you!
Edited to add: NTA
NTA.
NTA. Dog person or not, NTA.
NTA. I love dogs but I still don’t want them jumping on me unexpectedly. There are too many dog owners who use “he’s friendly” as an excuse to not control their dogs at all and it’s dangerous to the dogs too
NTA. Why was he letting his dog jump on you? That’s not friendly, that’s rude. When my dog plays he never jumps on people. He may jump but it’s near you, not on you.
NTA
I love kids, but that doesn’t mean I want a stranger’s child crawling all over me with dirty sticky hands.
You were not wrong. You didn’t give permission for the dog to approach you or jump on you.
Nta I’ve done this
Listen, I’m a huge dog lover, but I HATE when dog owners pull the shit. Leash your dog. Keep your dog away from other people unless they approach you and literally ask to interact with your dog. Idgaf if your dog is friendly or not. You’ve got zero right letting your dog approach people and even less right saying “oh he/she is friendly, how dare you not interact with him/her?!” You handled yourself perfectly. These kinds of people have no business owning pets. It’s not even safe for your dog to let it off leash in public approaching strangers!!!! They are lucky you didn’t freak out and stab the dog or something. Ugh!!!!
NTA
I’m much more of a dog person than a people person. That being said, poorly trained dogs are because of irresponsible owners. A power breed like a GSD shouldn’t be running around in public off leash and the owner shouldn’t be encouraging her to jump up on strangers. He’s the AH, not you or his unruly furbaby.
NTA. I have multiple small dogs and I have all my life. But I don’t want them jumping on me or anyone else and I’ve trained them not to do so. People who let their dogs (small or large) jump on people shouldn’t have dogs.
NTA, dogs out in public should always be on a leash, for their safety too! There was probably a leash law at the park, but even if there wasn’t, you did nothing wrong. It was def on the owner
NTA, the dog should’ve been on a leash. I can’t stand that shit. I don’t like dogs either but I still leash mine up when I walk them. There’s no excuse for that. You did nothing wrong. Don’t feel bad that he got mad about it.
NTA
As someone who loves dogs but is allergic to them, I give you full permission to also use this excuse to assholes who dont know how to keep their dogs on a leash in public and dont teach them that it’s not OK to jump at people and try to take their food.
“Dont worry, he’s friendly”
“And im fucking allergic. Get your dog off me!”
NTA. I’ve said the same thing about my past dog. 95lb, Always leashed on trails and then we’d run into these loose, muddy, drooly, happy dogs. The owners would always be out of eye sight and then yell “oh he’s friendly”. I’d say “he’s not!” (Even though he was a nice giant baby). The look of horror on their faces as he was a big Bully.
I LOVE dogs. But just like my kids, I love MY dogs and kids and sometimes only can tolerate other peoples.
Dog owners are some of the most entitled people out there nowadays. I don’t like your dog in the grocery store, in TJ Maxx, in the non dog friendly restaurant… only people who think your dog is too cute to be left alone for an hour is you, the entitled owner, who could probably benefit from therapy for your codependency and anxiety issues.
Rant over 😆
You are absolutely not an asshole!
I really hate dog owners like this. They think their dog’s the sweetest doggie in the world. And it’s true! They’re wonderful, at all times. To their OWNERS. I don’t know their free range dog isn’t going to try to eat my face! I don’t care if dog owners say their dog’s friendly & wants to play. I do not know their dog! Hello, dog owners! PLEASE, keep your dog(s) leashed & out of everyone else’s faces!
I think your come back was PERFECT.
NTA
nta I don’t want anyone’s dog jumping all over me. He disregarded your wishes, you indicated you wanted the dog off you and he did nothing.
All this bluster about you not liking dogs but you post pics of your dog in other subs? Yeah I dont believe this story is real at all.
NTA!! I’ve encountered this so many times while walking my dog. Luckily she’s tolerant when other dogs come sniffing at her and such, and then they’ll jump on me, etc. The nearby owner (who of course doesn’t have their pooch leashed, as is the rule in our townhouse complex) always laughs and says “He just wants to play……;you must not know dogs very well, that’s how they play…..” I usually responded that neither my dog nor I wanted to play. One time my poor pooch was yanking at the leash, shrinking away and cowering from two obnoxious Pomeranians who kept swarming around her and sniffing at her private parts (my dog had been spayed years ago, so she wasn’t in heat or anything). The owner kept laughing heartily and repeating that that’s just how dogs play. I finally replied that if his dogs were not leashed the next time I walked by I would report him to Management.
NTA. No responsible dog owner would allow a dog to run up to and jump on someone who hasn’t clearly indicated that’s what they want. And no dog that is well-enough trained to be off leash would jump on someone uninvited or try to grab their food.
Next time, don’t jump back and scream; cross your arms in front of your chest and say “No!” or “Off!” in a deep firm voice. Then tell the owner “please call off your dog and leash it according to the law”.
There is almost certainly a leash ordinance in a public park. 6′ or shorter leash.
Your mom is full of beans. Never turn your back and walk away from an undisciplined dog that is jumping on you. That’s a way to get your butt or your ankles bitten.
Source former dog trainer and owner of 4 well behaved dogs
I think you were NECESSARILY and appropriately rude! NTA
I adore dogs and I would not have enjoyed this situation. NTA
right? people act like it’s a crime not to love getting tackled by dogs lol
I cannot imagine a ruder response.
Dog owner here – you were fine!
You didn’t freeze – you stood up for yourself! Go you!
NTA. People need to leash their dogs unless they are in a designated leash-free area, and if they are in such an area, they still need to be able to recall their dog before it interacts with another person/pet.
Lots of people are afraid of dogs, lots of dogs are leash-reactive or fearful of other dogs, and nobody should be jumped on by anyone’s off-leash pet unless they’ve welcomed that kind of behavior (but it’s generally discouraged!)
Signed, a responsible dog owner
Even if you walked away, the dog would’ve probably followed you.
NTA.
Hahaha, my dog has been attacked twice in the past 1.5 years. And she’s giant, wasn’t the instigator. In one of the fights, my hand got mauled.
I’ve had people tell me that their dogs are super friendly, while out on walks. I always respond with “she and I are not”. She’s extremely friendly, but you never know.
A responsible dog owner would ask if you were okay with their dog. I do this when getting on the elevator to my building with her and other people.
Absolutely NTA. Keep on keepin’ on, my friend.
I think something is wrong with you to not love dogs, but I own big fluffy breeds and I’d be scared and pissed off at a GSD charging at me and trying to jump on me too, and if I had food the dog was after, the owner would be either reimbursing me or making a quick getaway from my lecture voice. Not to mention, there’s plenty of reasons people wouldn’t want to play with dogs- time constraints, clothing, or like in your case, having food. Heck, I’ve even refused to play with other dogs at a dog park because occassionally “friendly” means “will take you out with a stick to the knees.”
NTA, and if you’re feminine presenting, your mom’s advice is actually deadly. You have no idea what that dog is trained to do and when men won’t accept no for an answer, they need to be told that you mean business, end of story. (Also true for opposite genders, don’t come for me, everyone be firm with anyone who won’t hear your no.)
NTA. That dog owner did not have appropriate control of his dog in public, and he knew it.
NTA
I have owned dogs most of my life & I like dogs just fine
But I am freeze up afraid of strange dogs
I get afraid just hearing a dog bark in the distance when I’m walking. I was 24, I had a toddler & I wanted to be able to walk the block with him when my husband wasn’t available so I decided to try it. A puppy & a friendly Chihuahua had me pinned to the curb in fear
It’s debatable if you were but owner definitely was
NTA-
The dog doesn’t get to play with anyone he wants to play with. Owner had zero control over their dog.
If the owner yelled “She’s friendly”, AS she was running towards you, it could help minimize a fear that the dog was NOT friendly & about to bite you.
If your dog is off leash in public spaces, your dog should have completed & passed an extensive off leash course, or have very reliable recall responses.
Whenever someone tells me that their dog is friendly, as their dog is jumping up at me, I assume it’s a reactive dog that hasn’t been taught basic manners; and not likely to be taught them in the future. No shade on the dog. That shade belongs to the owner.
Also what if they are allergic? That’s another reason they shouldn’t be jumping on people
YTA.
Dogs > Cats.
Dogs > people.
I hope that good boy got to or ruined your food.