Me and my dog being verbally abused on the park

shelleuk

I have lovely 5 year old white boxer dog called Lewis. Who can't be let off his lead because he runs away and gets really excited and doesn't come back when called (he is the softest dog ever). He goes for a walk around the park several times a day but in the evening i take him in the old unused tenis court and shut the door and let him off his lead so he can have a good run about and play chase with us. For the past few weeks theres been a women on the park with a dog who seems to constantly want to argue with us. First of all we are apparently abusing the dog by locking him in the tennis court with us because he should be allowed to run free all over the park, shes going to report us because we are keeping an illegal breed and apparently playing tug with him equates to beating him up. Now i think this women might not be a full shilling, because she sits outside the tennis court all day but everytime i go on the park now she says some daft remark and saying shes going to take pictures of us hurting our dog. Anyone whos had a boxer knows that they love toy fighting and we are not hurting him. He now gets walked around the block because im worried about this women being at the park. Lewis is now suffering and needs his exercise. When i said to her last time that boxer dogs are not illegal breeds she started going on about how one had just savaged a child to death and i was a disgrace for owning one with children (i think she thinks hes an american bulldog). I don't know what to do, i know i should ignore her but its hard when she is shouting stuff when we are running about with our dog.

epsilondraconis

I would just completely ignore her. i.e. Not even eye contact.

I'm sure any other people in the park will see you are doing nothing wrong.

Good luck.

Tropez

She might think it is an American Pit bull Terrier. There's a relatively large amount of "pit bull savaged my child" stories that get printed.

I can't really offer you much advice. To be honest, I would ignore her. If she's particularly mouthy you could perhaps suggest that she is in breach of Section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act of 1997. You wouldn't really be able to take this to the police but some people are surprisingly responsive when you start quoting specific acts of law at them - it might just scare her enough and she is technically committing an offence if her actions are causing you to feel uneasy.

I take it the tennis courts have no staff you could report her to?

Nelski

Just had to say hi cos I have a white boxer too who you have described to a T - loves his toys loves his humans... not that fond of other dogs.

Its awful you and Lewis and having to suffer this woman and her abusive comments. Yes its easy to say ignore her but I would also put a call into your local police station - maybe they would have a word and let her know that boxers are by no means illegal or dangerous and that her behaviour is out of order in a public place.

Sounds to me like you are being a very responsible owner - understanding your dog and letting him have the exercise he needs (and they do need a lot lets face it ) without putting him or anyone else under stress.

Stick with your tennis court if you can .......I wish I had something similar.

robpw2

just let the dog chase her round lol

shelleuk

Nelski wrote: »

Just had to say hi cos I have a white boxer too who you have described to a T - loves his toys loves his humans... not that fond of other dogs.

Its awful you and Lewis and having to suffer this woman and her abusive comments. Yes its easy to say ignore her but I would also put a call into your local police station - maybe they would have a word and let her know that boxers are by no means illegal or dangerous and that her behaviour is out of order in a public place.

Sounds to me like you are being a very responsible owner - understanding your dog and letting him have the exercise he needs (and they do need a lot lets face it ) without putting him or anyone else under stress.

Stick with your tennis court if you can .......I wish I had something similar.

I never hardly see any white boxers where we live. Whats yours called? We do always get people coming up to us saying what a beautifull dog he is and ask us if hes rare. I think they would be suprised at how many are rescue dogs because they don't meet breed standard.

Thanks for the replies everyone, the tennis courts haven't been used for years so no one really to report it to. I have spoken to my OH about going to the police but hes a police officer and said they wouldn't take it seriously and that it would be a bit petty. He just ignores her but i find it really insulting. Once she was on there and Lewis was on the lead and her little dog came up to Lewis and started growling and barking at him and wouldn't leave us alone. Eventually Lewis turned around and lay on the grass like a lion in the grass ready to pounce on its prey and he nipped Lewis jowel and she started laughing saying look at them playing (Lewis was wimpering but it didn't draw blood). I think she might be an alcholic because she always got a can of cider with her and i really hate making judgement on someone, but thats no excuse for her behaviour.:mad:

EmptyPockets

I reckon this woman has some sort of mental health problem, and it sounds like nothing you say or do will make a difference to her appalling behaviour. Is there nowhere else you can go with Lewis, or can you not visit this park at times when this woman may not be there?

If you must keep bumping into her, if it was me, then the next time she told me she was reporting me for this, that, and the other, I'd say, "Go ahead then, Love. Look, there's a payphone there, I'll even give you 20p for the call." She sounds a bit 'all mouth and no trousers' to me...

dizziblonde

Boxers can be quite intimidating dogs though... just had my own dog up visiting my parents (very last minute thing that we had to do) to discover my stepfather is really really uneasy around dogs - turns out his "previous traumatic experience" was a very slobbery, utterly manic boxer repeatedly jumping up and generally causing mayhem at his brother's house (brother in question being a plank who couldn't even look after a gerbil properly).

They're fantastic dogs when well-trained but because of the size and slobber factor, and the fact they can be like Tigger on speed in the charge of a pillock for an owner... they're also one that I think a lot of people think "woooah big slobbery thing incoming" and get slightly wary of in the street - I know I used to because a friend of mine as a kid had one that was completely not trained at all.

I get the dog-owner hate thing though - we've got a guy who's set about making my life walking muttley hell - shouting out of his window about dog dirt and the like because my dog once lifted his leg to a lampost (dog had been out on fields so long there wasn't even any piddle to come out!). It does get you down a heck of a lot... I've started changing walk routes and the like to avoid the earache, carrying full poo bags home instead of putting them in the bins at the playing field in order that I can offer him to inspect the evidence if he wants to have a go at me and the like (then I slid over on the snow and landed on a full poo bag )

Sagz_2

Do you have a dog warden? I wonder if you could arrange to meet them in the park so they can 'have a chat' with the lady and put her mind at rest about the breed of your dog and try and satisfy her that you are a good owner.

Although it sounds like the woman is an out-and-out nutter to me!

zaksmum

Yeah she does definitely sound like a fruitcake to me. Just totally ignore her...even if she shouts don't respond.

We've got a bail hostel round here apparently for alcoholic men, many of whom are also crackers. One comes over to my dogs, kneels down putting his arms round them (even if it's snowing or bucketing down) and tries to kiss my dogs on their mouths while putting his tongue in!!!

The dogs don't like it and try to pull away (don't blame them, he stinks of booze) so I'm grappling with the leads trying to keep the dogs under control. He's such a pain.

All I can do is divert sharpish if I see him approaching...but I can well understand your annoyance.

Sometimes we do have to suffer fools gladly!

wilykit

shelleuk wrote: »

I have lovely 5 year old white boxer dog called Lewis. Who can't be let off his lead because he runs away and gets really excited and doesn't come back when called (he is the softest dog ever). He goes for a walk around the park several times a day but in the evening i take him in the old unused tenis court and shut the door and let him off his lead so he can have a good run about and play chase with us. For the past few weeks theres been a women on the park with a dog who seems to constantly want to argue with us. First of all we are apparently abusing the dog by locking him in the tennis court with us because he should be allowed to run free all over the park, shes going to report us because we are keeping an illegal breed and apparently playing tug with him equates to beating him up. Now i think this women might not be a full shilling, because she sits outside the tennis court all day but everytime i go on the park now she says some daft remark and saying shes going to take pictures of us hurting our dog. Anyone whos had a boxer knows that they love toy fighting and we are not hurting him. He now gets walked around the block because im worried about this women being at the park. Lewis is now suffering and needs his exercise. When i said to her last time that boxer dogs are not illegal breeds she started going on about how one had just savaged a child to death and i was a disgrace for owning one with children (i think she thinks hes an american bulldog). I don't know what to do, i know i should ignore her but its hard when she is shouting stuff when we are running about with our dog.

American Bull Dogs aren't an illegal breed - I have one!

I would just ignore her and not indulge her!!