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AIBU?

To just let my dog off anyway

241 replies

LittleYellowIceCream · 14/05/2020 12:35

Live on a small rural street where we are all quite close with neighbours.

At the end of the street is a farm, they don't use one of the fields closest to the road so a long long time ago they turned it into a 'dog walking' field for the people on the street (and whoever really).

There is a public footpath through the field which is clearly marked and runs up the side near the wall and then through the other fields. You have to enter this field from the road and there is a big sign which says 'X STREET DOG WALKING FIELD' and a message about picking up after them etc...

It's nice, the dogs often play on there together and we all have a chat if we happen to be on at the same time etc...

However since this warm weather I've seen about 3/4 families all sat down on the field on blankets having picnics. Not with their own dogs, just them.

It means none of us feel we can let our dogs off to run around and play.

One neighbour did point out the sign and said it may not be the best place for a picnic but was ignored.

WIBU to just let my dog off his lead anyway? He does have good recall but I obviously can't guarantee his frisbee isn't going to land in someone's 'picnic area' whilst we play fetch! Grin

There's not many places dogs can just have a run off lead round here that are closed off and safe. There is a park where people can have picnics literally 5 minutes away!

Its really annoying me. I don't take him to the park because I don't want to get in people's way when they are trying to sit/eat/kids playing etc.. this is the one area that is supposed to be for dogs to run about off lead and I feel like I can't even let him off here now either.

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TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 14/05/2020 12:37

No. I was attacked by a dog yesterday and honestly think they should be kept on leads.

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Windyatthebeach · 14/05/2020 12:38

The sign says it's a ddog walking field. Not your fault if entitled fuck wits can't grasp what that means. Tell your dodg to head for the sausages...
Grin

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LittleYellowIceCream · 14/05/2020 12:39

Well obviously aggressive dogs shouldn't be off leads anyway when there are people around. My dog isn't aggressive.

But if you're going to have a picnic in the middle of a dog walking field maybe some common sense...?

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TheFuckingDogs · 14/05/2020 12:39

Of course you should let the dog off! Dogs need space to run around, it’s cruel not letting them off lead and if people will choose to picnic in a dog walkers field they’ll have to expect they get their sausage rolls snatched

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Twillow · 14/05/2020 12:40

Could you organise it for picnics/dogs off leadi at different times? I'm not sure I'd even want to picnic in a dog walking field!!

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HugeAckmansWife · 14/05/2020 12:40

If its a designated dog area than yanbu. However my kids are absolutely terrified of dogs (for no good reason and I've tried and tried to fix the problem) and we've had our walk ruined this morning because a guy had his dog off the lead on a narrow public footpath and it ran right up to us. My kids were screaming and trying to get away so of course that made it worse. I am desperately trying to help them not react like that, I do know it makes things worse but in that instance the dogs should be on leads. In your case, could you not ask them directly to use the picnic place instead and explain why?

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britnay · 14/05/2020 12:41

Its not a public field, so random people can't just picnic in it. The owners have specifically dedicated it for the purpose of neighbour's being able to exercise their dogs. The picnickers have no right to be in there.

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Ijustreallywantacat · 14/05/2020 12:41

Absolutely let him off! That's what the field is for. Off lead exercise is so beneficial.

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LittleYellowIceCream · 14/05/2020 12:41

The problem is Twillow that none of these people are from the street so we can't really arrange times.

It's a nice spot, I can see why someone would pick it for a picnic, it's got a nice view and it's in the sun and just off the footpath but it's quite clearly marked as a dog walking field!

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VickyEadieofThigh · 14/05/2020 12:41

No. I was attacked by a dog yesterday and honestly think they should be kept on leads.

I've been attacked by more than one dog whilst out walking (two friends and I were once set upon by 3 large dogs - their owner appeared to think it was out fault she had her aggressive dogs off-lead in a public place).

I only ever let my own dog off-lead in a private, enclosed space. I've had previous dogs attacked by off-lead dogs whilst I was walking them on their leads and it was horrendous. Everyone thinks their dog is "fine"; some of them are not.

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SnuggyBuggy · 14/05/2020 12:42

How clearly is it marked?

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IncrediblySadToo · 14/05/2020 12:42

I'd do them the courtesy if telling them once that it's a field fir off lead dogs and you're about to let yours off the lead and he quite likes the odd sausage roll etc. See if they're going to leave or not - then let him off.

It's for 🐶 they can go elsewhere if they don't like dogs 🐕

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Tc83 · 14/05/2020 12:42

All dogs round here are off the lead with the exception of the odd one.

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LittleYellowIceCream · 14/05/2020 12:43

HugeAckmansWife yep totally agree. He's never off lead if we're walking down a path. This is why this field is so good for us all as most of the footpaths round here are narrow and not suitable for off lead exercise.

So he has a big run and we play fetch on the field and then do the rest of the circuit on lead whilst we are walking the paths.

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vanillandhoney · 14/05/2020 12:44

No. I was attacked by a dog yesterday and honestly think they should be kept on leads.

You think dogs should be on lead in a field specifically designed for letting them run free?!

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LittleYellowIceCream · 14/05/2020 12:45

When you enter the field from the road, there is a big plastic sign stuck to the entrance saying 'X STREET DOG WALKING FIELD' and then please pick up after your Dog etc etc.

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PrincessConsueIaBananaHammock · 14/05/2020 12:45

YANBU

The field is not public property anyways, so they would need the approval of the owner to begin with.

And secondly, if they really want to be there I suppose they can , but can't demand or expect dogs to be on leads in a dog field. It's them encroaching on the dogs' space, not the other way around.

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AlphaNumericalSequence · 14/05/2020 12:46

I can understand your frustration, but I don't think that the details of the location ('dog walking field' versus public park, etc.) make a difference. If there are people having a picnic you have to keep your dog away, wherever you are.
That doesn't mean you have to keep him on a lead, and I dont think the picnickers should expect you to do that. It just means that you need to have enough control to be able to make sure he doesn't enter anyone's picnic space. If you can do that with good recall, let him off-lead. If you can't, keep him on-lead.

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Boysnme · 14/05/2020 12:48

As a dog owner who is sick of other off lead dogs running up to mine on our walks YANBU. It’s a dog walking field abs you are using it for that purpose. Carry on and let them move.

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vanillandhoney · 14/05/2020 12:48

If there are people having a picnic you have to keep your dog away, wherever you are

But it's a designated dog-walking field, not a picnic spot.

If you want to have a picnic undisturbed, maybe don't sit down in the middle of a field that's specifically for dogs to run free?

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B1rdbra1n · 14/05/2020 12:48

The field has been designated a dog walking field by people with dogs who want to use it for that purpose
why do their rights take preference over those of people who would like to designate the field a picnic field?
Who owns the field and who has the right to say what it is used for?
Why should dogs have a right to enjoy themselves when it interferes with the rights of humans to enjoy themselves?

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LittleYellowIceCream · 14/05/2020 12:48

He does have good recall and I'm not really concerned about him nicking anyone's food.

But it does really limit us as I don't feel comfortable playing fetch with his frisbee and stuff.

Today for example, and the thing that spurred on this thread, there was a family all sat on a blanket and kids playing with a ball and bat running about all over the place taking up practically 3 quarters of the field. So it doesn't leave enough space for my dog to play with his ball... On a field specifically designated for dogs!

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vanillandhoney · 14/05/2020 12:49

Who owns the field and who has the right to say what it is used for?

It says in the OP. It belongs to a local farm who has put a sign up saying it's a dog walking field for X street.

Ie. private land and not a public picnic spot.

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LittleYellowIceCream · 14/05/2020 12:49

I've said quite clearly in my OP the field is owned by the farm on our street. THEY chose to designate it a dog field for the people on the street to use, THEY put the signs up etc...

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Potionqueen · 14/05/2020 12:49

Yanbu. Let your dog off lead. There is a clue in the title Dog walking area. Does it say picnic area - no.

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