Dogs Everywhere

Since lock down there's been a huge surge in London of dog owners. And what's worse is that aren't trained well.

I have one child afraid of dogs since witnessing an attack and the other has quite severe allergies. So when owners are letting their dog walk on a very slack lead right next to my children, sniffing and slobbering, I either have to cross the road, or if there's a dog on the other side too i have to ask them to please keep their dog away. There's always upset at that because I've insulted their precious little fur baby by not wanting them touching my children.

If for example, a lion, a giraffe, a rhino, a pit bull or a Komodo dragon were wondering around in your local park, or on the street would your preference be that they were left alone, and would you be citing that they have just as much right to be here as humans ?

Are you sure ?

Animals have just as much right to be here as humans. Simple as that. No one has a right to dictate where an animal can be when outdoors. Cafes and pubs, ok I get that. Outdoors? No.

Evolution ?

Since you don't seem too happy with your lot, I'd be interested to hear which species would you prefer to have in power ?

I really dislike most dogs generally - I’m not scared of them, but I just really dislike how unhygienic they are, and how badly trained most are. (I have a lovely cat instead who is an indoor cat and doesn’t bother anyone, doesn’t mouse or poo in anyone’s garden.) But dogs smell horrible and are generally a bit of a nuisance. The well trained ones with considerate owners are really very few and far between.

It’s interesting to me to notice how they go in and out of fashion, too. My boomer parents had dogs as children in the 50s, 60s and 70s, but they didn’t have any as adults. Dogs definitely seemed to decrease in popularity from the mid-80s onwards (though I do remember the dog shit on the pavements when I was a kid - ugh). In the 90s and 2000s, though, hardly anybody had a dog any more - I knew very few people or families who had one. (I wonder if this coincided with the new laws on picking up dog poo.)

Since around 2014/15 they have suddenly become very popular again. I can understand the lockdown effect, but the increase in dogs IMO dates from a little bit earlier - suddenly breeds like cockapoos and French bulldogs got fashionable around the middle of the decade. I agree with OP that it’s all a bit much now. We too were on holiday in Cornwall this summer, and there were dogs everywhere - we didn’t have that many problems on restaurants, but the overflowing dog poo bins were nasty, and many owners were simply ignoring beach signs that dogs weren’t permitted, and letting them run all over beaches off lead with kids playing. Hugely antisocial IMO.

@EllBellWell Well said.

Yup I hate it

What makes humans more important than another life? Regardless if its a dog, giraffe or bird.

I'm shocked at the entitlement of this thread. That's why the world is shit because HUMAN attitude is shit

The world doesn't belong to humans. It is home to a vast array of animals, domestic or wild.

The problem with society is entitlement. Works both ways, dog owners can be but also non dog owners.

The OP's absolutely right.

There are those who for whatever reason couldn't have kids and nurture their dogs as though they are their kids.

There are also an overwhelming majority who expect everyone else to love their dog just as much as they do, and are often quite hostile to those who don't.

When we take our dog out in public places, the focus is to minimise its' impact on others. Barking is totally unacceptable, and if in a pub / restaurant etc. our dog will lie down, unseen and unheard. Any other approach is selfish and socially unacceptable.

Don't worry, dogs will be providing our care needs in our dotage. As much as people hate children, someone's kid will be keeping you alive when your nearing end of life. If no one had children then we would be working past 80 and being operated on by 80 year olds when we die out. I guess people who hate kids want humans to die out anyone so it's win win.

I'm an animal lover.

Pork, beef and chicken taste great!!!

Indeed. If we were a nation of animal lovers, we'd all be vegan.
Such hypocrisy.

I'm sick of the dog culture nuttery in this country. Absolutely hate it.
I didn't mind dogs growing up. They tended to stay at home, or just on their walks. Now they are everywhere. Detestable.

Yes of course.

The post I replied to stated that Britain was a nation of animal lovers.

I beg to differ.

However, you are correct - it isn't 'most' pet animals that end up in animal rescue centres. It is a very significant amount. Enough to show that the British are not, indeed, animal lovers. They are animal 'must have'ers but then often 'can't be bothered'ers'. We are a very lazy pet owning nation. So many people getting pugs just so they don't have to walk them much (they can't actually walk very well as they can hardly breathe).
Loving the breeds of cruft despite the genetic problem the breeds have.

It's all a sham. We are NOT a nation of animal lovers.
Pet owners are just entitled. 'I want therefore I shall have'.

Agree with all of this. I am sick of them everywhere especially when food is around 🤢

Do they only look at the effects on people owning the dog though? As some dogs (not all!) definitely have an adverse effect on my mental health.

I’m really not. Incredible. More than one person has an opposite view to yours.

Please don’t bother feeling anything for me.

And dog ownership is known to confer physical and mental health benefits, so perhaps saving the NHS money……

This thread is about dogs, so....

And?? So only humans that pay in are allowed to exist now? Pet dogs don't take from the public purse, they are paid for privately from people's own money.

This post was about animals.

You are talking only about dogs.