A DOG owner has been left “shaken” after she and her pup were “cornered” by a foul-mouthed neighbour’s pooch.
Becky Burrell was out for a morning walk with her dog Kaiser on Tuesday when she says she was chased and cornered by a neighbour’s pooch.
The 31-year-old is trying to train her rescue dog – a German Shepherd cross – to aid his reactivity and anxiety around others – but says the three-year-old has been left “on edge” by the incident.
Becky, from Harlow, Essex, claims that she had to retreat into the bushes with her pooch to avoid the “growling” Irish Wolfhound, but was shocked when her neighbour branded muzzled Kaiser as an “evil f***er”.
A shocking video shows Becky walking away from the neighbour across the field as on-screen text reads: “This owner’s dog has just chased us into a corner of the field with her screaming after it – we come out of the bushes to see it is still not on a lead.”
Whilst they walk away, the other woman’s dog – Dennis – can be seen running towards them alone, with text adding: “No recall whatsoever. The dog is chasing us again and growling.”
Becky then turns and shouts “Ah, no, no” at the dog who appears to back down before his owner confronts Becky for shouting at her pet.
The woman can be heard in the distance shouting: “If you taught your dog how to read other dogs -.”
Becky then interjects, saying: “Your dog reacts to mine on walks every time and it just growled.”
“My dog’s a rescue and it’s against the law to have your dog out of control in a public space.”
The neighbour barks back: “Is your dog aggressive then?”
Becky says: “No, it’s reactive and nervous.”
The woman continues to approach Becky despite her attempting to get away from her dog as she then says: “Yeah of course, you’re making it nervous by hanging onto it like some sort of f***ing nervous wreck.”
Becky attempts to explain why the woman’s dog should be under control before she is rudely interrupted by the neighbour, who threatens: “Shut up before I slap you in the mouth.”
Becky retaliates: “Try it, you’re the one breaking the law by having your dog off the lead with no recall.”
The neighbour replies: “I’d like to actually. You’re the one who’s got the muzzle on who’s aggressive, so who’s the f***ing -.”
“Yes, because he’s in training and he’s a rescue [dog],” explains Becky.
The woman then mocks Becky saying: “Oh big deal. If you taught your dog how to read other dogs love, right, he wouldn’t be like that.”
Kaiser then starts barking, causing the neighbour to say: “You’re dogs an evil f***er, not mine.”
“Then why is yours chasing us into a bush then?” adds Becky.
The neighbour then claims: “Because he wants to f***ing play you prat. Because he’s curious and he’s an animal.”
Becky claims that Dennis had just approached the pair growling with his teeth bared, which the woman appears to vehemently deny.
Becky then explains she will be posting her video on social media, causing the infuriated neighbour to walk after her, saying: “Oi, oi b***h, you post it on social media and I’ll have you, you dare.”
Becky retaliates: “For what? You’re in a public space, your dog’s off the lead, you’re in a public space, I can film if I want to.”
The neighbour then points to Dennis and says: “You post him on social media, and I’ll be around your house.”
The pair then trade blows with allegations of Dennis cornering Becky and Kaiser, before barking and lunging at the duo.
The woman attempts to reason that Becky is causing Kaiser to be more nervous by her treatment of him, and directs a question at her dog, Dennis, asking: “Dennis do you like that dog?”
Dennis then rears up on his hind legs and launches himself whilst barking at Kaiser.
Becky says: “That’s what I mean.”
The woman is undeterred by that still and continues to argue: “Do you not see that they would find their pace, they’d find themselves.”
Becky asks: “Is it worth risking it though, for a dog fight? He’s got a muzzle on obviously, which is my worry because if a dog attacks mine, he’s got a muzzle on and I can’t do anything,”
As Becky makes this point Dennis starts barking again at Kaiser causing the two women to continue arguing over the pets’ wariness.
Becky posted the video to social media on Wednesday with the caption: “Karen on the loose with her growling dog that wants to play.
“Don’t worry that he already chased you and your muzzled dog across the field into a bush – you’re the one with the “evil f***ing thing” who should never leave the house!
“Ignorance is bliss. Until your dog runs into a road or gets attacked itself. Train your dog.”
The clip has since received over 59,000 likes and more than 3,800 comments from users left shocked by the woman’s explicit rant towards Becky.
One user said: “We live here and have a nervous reactive spaniel who doesn’t want to play, and we have had the same argument with this lady.”
Another added: “The Wolfhound definitely does not want to play.”
A third wrote: “That poor dog is going to end up getting put down if she’s not careful. Why? Because she’s a f***ing irresponsible dog owner. She shouldn’t be allowed to have them.”
Another replied: “She’s a self-entitled, foul-mouthed, irresponsible dog owner and I’m sick of people like her.”
A fifth commented: “Why is her reaction just to fight and get physical? Pathetic woman. Hope she sees how many comments have backed you up.”
Speaking today, Becky said: “The lady lives nearby and her and her husband always avoid me and my dog on walks – because it’s very clear they do not like each other.
“My dog had two homes before I took him on at eight months and was not socialised, so it has been a very long, expensive and time-consuming journey to get him to where he is now – however he will still react to a dog like that if approached when he is on a lead.
“We were on an empty playing field in the rain, training in the corner so I could see if any other dogs were nearby so I could recall and put him on the lead if needed.
“I saw the lady miles away with the dog behind her off lead, not looking at her dog and walked off without it.
“The dog stopped, and I could see it was going to charge over to us – I shouted ‘Get your dog’ but she was too far away, and the dog was not trained to recall.
“The dog then came after us into the corner and I had to go into bushes, brambles etc. with my dog to try and get away from it.
“She was screaming after it. The dog did not manage to find us but when I exited the bushes, I walked ahead to see she still had the dog off lead and was not paying attention.
“I then called to her and said her dog should be on a lead – she had just seen it charge us. She then started being abusive and so I started to film.
“My dog wears a muzzle with a bright orange strap and is always on lead if there are other dogs around who we don’t know for everyone’s safety.
“He’s not aggressive but he is reactive on lead especially if charged like this. He barked but he still stayed sat down in the heel position and stopped when I told him to.
“He is, however, now very on edge because experiences like this can really set a dog back In their training and reactivity work you have been doing with them.
“Hopefully after a few more days he will settle back down. I seriously thought the dog was going to attack him and as she was so useless and miles away, I would have to defend my own dog on my own.”
Becky went on to say: “I was very shaken up, and shocked at her language and general threats when I was trying to protect both of our dogs.
“Someone also commented that they have heard her shouting at the dog since it was a puppy.
“I’ve had some really supportive and understanding comments and private messages although there are a handful of critical people or those spreading misinformation that you should let your dog play with a dog approaching like that.
“Most people can see it’s wrong, but some aren’t aware of the laws surrounding dog ownership – [the dog] must be under control and not causing alarm to people.
“With the current climate and imminent breed ban, every owner should be aware.”
