Are some dog owners a bit deluded about their dogs?

Sorry, my post was in agreement with @Didimum.

Agree. It’s so tedious the way these dog-adorers always turn the opprobrium back on parents. Change the record ffs. 😡

This is pretty much my experience too. I posted on another thread about a big dog putting it's chin on my table as the waiter set down my roast beef dinner in a restaurant. My impulse was to whack it on the nose. The owners thought it was asleep under their table apparently 🙄

Yes.
My cousin has a dog and won't leave him alone for more than half an hour. She either takes him with her or gets people to look after him so he's passed from pillar to post and must wonder what's happening.
He doesn't have separation anxiety or anything like that (although he might do now because he's not used to being alone). He sleeps in her bed 🤢 and she calls him her "baby".

Absolutely. Of course most dog owners are reasonable and sensible but there are definitely a few who seem to think there dog should be allowed to do whatever it pleases and go wherever it pleases.

When my eldest was a toddler we were at a park and an unleashed dog ran at him. He was barely 2 and was terrified and of course he started to cry and scream in fear. Dog owner didn’t pull the dog away, even when I’d scooped my child up and she could see he was very distressed. She just kept saying ‘he only wants to play!’ She was genuinely bemused and then genuinely annoyed by a small child crying and being scared of her unleashed dog. Mind boggling.

Yeah except a human child's legal rights are not the same as a dog's so suck that up.

Why can there never be a conversation about dog behaviour without it turning on parents?

Definitely, some are.
I was at our allotment gate getting my stuff out of the boot when a man with a huge Weimaraner walked up to me with the dog on an extending lead. As the dog started sniffing at me I walked away from it slowly and he carried on letting the lead out so the dog could follow me. I do like dogs that I know but this one was making me feel nervous.
I asked him to pull the dog away and he just looked at me and uttered the famous words, ‘he only wants to be friendly.’ I said I don’t like big dogs I don’t know coming up to me. He stared at me totally incredulous like there was something wrong with me then yanked the dog way and marched off.
Tough. Like someone dared to not love his dog as much as he does. Why can’t these people read the room?

They end up with both the dog and the baby when they wanted neither

It drives me round the bend. I can’t abide this level of delusion.

What’s really saddened me after all these poor dog owners and dogs being allowed everywhere, is that I used to consider myself a big dog lover and I have gradually come to really dislike them.

It’s the equivalent language. Always happens on these threads from the “I love dogs more than humans” types.
repugnant.

I don't think people should dictate how and where your dog lives in your own home as long as its needs are met/it's well cared for. My dog sleeps next to me, is allowed on the sofa and I do take him out to dog friendly places with me if it's suitable.

I don't think it's fair to name and blame "doodle" owners either. My dog was taken to regular training classes and there were many other doodle owners there (as well as pedigree).

I have come across some really idiotic dog owners who will let their dogs jump all over you, chase your dog and harrass it and just have an awful lack of etiquette.

One in particular is an elderly lady with three dogs (jack Russell's and Yorkies) who is involved with dog rescue and the kennel club, her dogs are untrained, out of control and apparently are only being friendly when they have jumped all over me covering me in mud and hassling my on lead dog.

This particular lady has taken the time to tell me that my dog is not a breed (never said he was) is unhealthy (he's not) and that i will probably get rid of him when the next "fad" dog comes along.

I take great pleasure in having my beautifully trained dog walk to heel, off lead and listening intently to me walk past her in the park as she stands there screaming at her dogs as they run rampage.

My 2 are allowed anywhere in the house, apart from 1 of my daughters room. The dogs go for walks, never taken them shopping or to eating places.

My dogs are not fur babies (hate that word), not replacement children. Good company for me and my adult kids.

We moved to our last house ten years ago. Nearby are fields and suitable areas for dog walking, bur not off lead. In 2020/21, the number of dogs in the area rose exponentially and the level of training didn’t rise to the same extent. There are far too many folk who got a dog for something to do and either couldn’t or didn’t want to train them. It’s a nightmare to try to walk round the area now and the amount of dog poo is alarming.

A local dog rescue place frequently puts posts on FB about lost and found dogs, describing them as ‘ this dear little girl’ or ‘ this lovely boy’. No, they’re not. They’re male or female dogs.

We’ve moved to an area with far fewer dogs and it’s so much more pleasant.

An exchange along the lines of “no worries either way, but can I bring the dog if I come over for Christmas?” turns into them demanding the dog sits at the head of the table and carves the turkey.

I don’t disagree about people training their dogs and not bothering other people , expecting them to go everywhere etc however that has nothing to do with dogs sleeping upstairs and being a proper integrated family member . I didn’t expect to take my late dog anywhere but if he wasn’t welcome one of us , or all of us , stayed home with him . He was absolutely a member of our family and was respected as such .

Dog owners don't have to explain themselves to you and Mumsnet. "Oooh I'm such a good girl, so considerate of everyone. Validate me please!!"

Yup.

There are dog owners who fully understand that their animal is just that, an animal. That animals do not understand about Santa and Christmas, and actually just want to stick to their usual routine and go for a nice long walk.

Then there are DOG MUMMAS who refer to their animal as an equal member of the family on par with anyone's children, who demand Fido be accepted as a guest on Christmas Day because you wouldn't leave granny at home would you, and Fido is just the same. Or who just treat their animal like a furry human, without actually realising that dogs have quite different needs.

I think a small minority of people are a bit ott about their dogs and the rest of it is over exaggerated nonsense made up by MNers.

Mine definitely sleeps downstairs. She did sleep in my bed for the first 12 months but that was entirely due to Logistics . We were living in a flat and how on earth can you stop?
But now we’re in a house she’s downstairs in the kitchen
I have bought her an electric blanket though, and you will never seen a happier creature
But she is a dog.
And you read about these people that spend £9000 on keeping dogs alive which I would never do in 1 million years. There are children in this world starving it can’t be justified.

Yanbu. I went to browse in a branch of Waterstones this week - a lovely Christmassy thing to do. I lasted less than 10 minutes and bought nothing because there was a woman in their with her 3 or 4 kids all trying to find books to take on their forthcoming long haul flight. Not only was she having very loud conversations with all of them simultaneously, her bloody dog was barking throughout. It had the sort of yelp that sounded like it was in pain. She was standing right in front of the payment desk, the dog barking and yapping and running around her in circles. I mean W. T. F. ?? I was so annoyed that the staff did nothing too. So I left. It was nerve jangling!

@FigTreeInEurope What a great post - we have a border terrier ( well we used to have 2 more but sadly passed away ) but the newest one - every day he is trained to sit , not pull on lead , recall need treats but he does it. The previous two went to dog training and now we think we could do this and he is behaving.

Re Dobermans - not the same but My mother' friend ( who was in charge of the MET police dog division ) his German shepherd - so a big dog - was so well behaved . she went for a walk and a little yappy dog was jump umping up at her and she ignored it. But when she got bored she just put her paw over its head and made it lie down . So gentle .

One thing I do not like is dog walkers who cannot control their dogs. I have a friend who was a dog walker and he would only take two. I have seen ( & I am short ) people taking dogs for a walk - so eg those husky looking dogs - I couldn't control 3 dogs of that size, & this dog walker lost control of one so DH picked up ours.

Dog ownership turns a lot of people fucking crazy.

It took me a full year, every single day, to train my Doberman. Hundreds of hours, to make a few simple training videos into reality. Its very tedious, and takes unlimited patience. I reckon less than 5% of dogs have that level of training. And it was all basic stuff like sitting down at kerbs, reliable recall and not pulling on the leash. They want a fluffy friend, not something to be invested in through time and persistance. Then they blame the dog for its behaviour.