To dare to think that the Cult of Dog has gone too far?

No it really isn't up to us.

My children and I should be able to have a picnic in peace. Besides which, we often make crispie cakes or chocolate buns, and I'd hate to think of a poor dog suffering any ill effects from ingesting chocolate (or worse, sweetener) because it has an irresponsible owner.

There’s only one reason that businesses allow dogs and that’s because it makes them more money!

I got on the bus recently in the pissing rain with ds2 in his pram. A woman had her CAT in one of them dog pushchairs and wouldn’t budge. The lady in the other pushchair spot kindly unfolded her child’s buggy so I could get on.

Went to a cafe with outside seating recently and a dog had its dirty, infested arse sitting on the table. 🤢🤢🤢🤢

YANBU.

And I say that as someone who does enjoy being able to take their small, well trained dog out to most places.

Unfortunately, in a pattern as old as the dawn of time, the inconsiderate, stupid and irresponsible ruin it for everyone else.

It amazing that my dog has managed to retain her happy personality despite the amount of 'friendly' dogs allowed to run at and jump on her. The owners are either blank eyed or rude when I explain that no one is psychic, so it's unacceptable to let your dog run at and jump on other people and dogs, no matter how friendly you think they are.

There was a little girl with scars on her face usually walking with her DM that we saw regularly on walks. The girl was obviously a bit nervous of dogs so we always stood off to the side to let them pass with as much distance as possible. Eventually the mum asked if the girl could stroke ddog as she thought she was nice. The mum explained that the girl had been bitten on the face previously and had been terrified of all dogs since. It was lovely seeing the girl light up and run over when she saw us on walks.

I was fucking furious when we saw the mum on her own in the park one day. Her dd was too upset to come out as she'd been pounced on and knocked over by a German shepherd, while the owner laughed and told the panicking mum to chill out, he was friendly.

I don’t know what dogs you are encountering but there is only one dog in my extremely doggy neighbourhood who has ever approached me and behaved badly as that is down to his extremely lax owner who seems to think it’s adorable that his dog is jumping on people’s laps in our local cafe. However, that’s probably a ratio of 1:250 so I’m not sure it’s as big a problem as you make out. One thing I will say is dogs are likely to take eye contact as an invitation to say hello, maybe as you glower away at them you’re making it worse for yourself? If you ignore them they don’t usually approach.

The only dog issue I come across is dogs and picnics, but really parks are the one place dogs should be allowed so if you’re eating on the ground it’s up to you to be aware of incoming dogs.

It is unbelievable how entitled some dog owners are. I used to manage the social media of an arts and heritage centre in my local town. It was a small venue with a cafe, and gardens tended by volunteers, and due to these reasons we had a no dog policy with signs on the gates.

The level of vitriol we received on social media because of that decision was ridiculous. There were some people who'd repeatedly leave negative comments about us because of our no dog policy, and we'd regularly get long ranty messages from people annoyed about it.

We'd calmly explain that the policy was to keep the gardens as a more hygienic place for the volunteers to work, and the usual response would be something along the lines of "well my dog wouldn't do that."

It's probably why most businesses are 'dog friendly' now - because they realise that the headache of dealing with rude and entitled dog owners because of having a no dogs policy is just too much effort.

@MariLlwyd I totally agree!

I don’t like dogs, don’t want to like them and don’t want to be around them - especially when shopping or trying to have a drink or meal and unexpectedly having dogs around!

Pet friendly places should be clear so those of who want non pet friendly places can avoid!

There's a definite link that you're choosing not to see.

Some people can afford to pay for their dogs to eat ice cream. Some people cannot afford to pay for their child's breakfast, let alone ice cream. That is the sign of a dysfunctional economy and society.

They are and they have on other threads too. Calling women ‘Peri-menopausal wild eyed harridans’, telling people they’re wrong to take dogs in cafes and shops when the owners of those cafes and shops allow it, the language they’re using, one memorable poster on another thread said that all dogs should be thrown off cliff edges, another said they should be sent in space, I’d say that is losing their minds. It’s the same on every thread like this. It’s very amusing.

Like you, I hate that they are everywhere but I was in France recently and they beat us hands down. They were everywhere- shopping centre, train, cafe, beach...

Only difference, thankfully, is that I saw one single incident of dogshit and no-one expects you to like or engage with their (better behaved) dog.

I'm afraid dogs are now everywhere, so we might have to start staying home to avoid them.

Not to mention the men who walk dogs in the dark. I'm convinced it's so they can get away with not picking poo up. Evidence is fresh in the morning, just for the children and mums with prams on the school run.

I say that as a dog aficionado and who has someone's dog on my sofa right now. Something else I don't approve of, dogs should be in their own bed on the floor but in reach, so I can stroke them.
I feel sorry for non dog lovers as I feel the same about cats, they make me shudder. At least they don't get our dogs in their gardens.

I don't think covid puppies are the problem.

It's a societal shift that pre-dates covid and is extending beyond.

Where dogs are the equivalent to humans and should be treated as such.

Including having mental illnesses/trauma/attachment issues which need to be treated the same as humans.

Except not quite the same as with most humans, the solution proposed to those difficulties wouldn't usually be 'can't ever be on their own ever because it upsets them' but that seems to what a lot of dog owners are doing.

Dog ice cream is actually perfectly edible for humans.
Ice cream manufacturers making dog ice cream is nothing to do with people starving. Nothing.

I'm a dog owner and I recognise that "wild -eyed harridan". Her uncontrolled mutts jumped all over my poor (on-lead) ddog, joined by another one that jumped through the hedge, whose oblivious owner was half a field away. Now when we go up there, ddog is terrified and wants to go back to the car. So we can't go on our usual walk any more.

Edit: I see people are offended by your term that I used. I'm in that bracket myself so am not offended, but I understand why some people are. Apologies.

They are! It’s ridiculous- too many people going on about how dogs are cleaner than children

YANBU. The other day DH played golf on a course he'd never been to before and dogs were allowed!!

I have a dog and I don't play golf btw 😊

Definitely not. Everyone I know who has a dog is besotted with it and I can’t imagine them going back to not having a dog. There may be some impact from COL as people realise they can’t afford pets, but I doubt it will be a material impact - people find the money if it’s something really important to them.

I like to walk and run around the paths along the fields where I live. I occasionally come across who I think are a couple of dog walkers - man and small woman with 4 or 5 large dogs.

They let them off the lead and then put them back on when they meet someone. The dogs pull and pull on the lead - the woman can barely hold them. They're barking loudly - setting each other off.

The other day they gave up trying to hold them to allow me to pass w/o being jumped on and walked straight through a field of growing crops instead.

It doesn't look fun for either party to be honest.

Nobody is losing their mind. Most people just want pet owners to be considerate to others. Control your pet, train it properly and if you can’t then keep it home or on a short lead. It’s not actually a big ask

I was with you until you started with the ageism and misogyny.

There's never any need to make those sorts of comments. People should be able to make points and have constructive discussions without being ageist, misogynistic, racist, homophobic etc. or displaying any other unnecessary and frankly unacceptable behaviour - and if you are unable to do that, you have already lost the argument.

And please don't say it's in jest - it's only in jest when it's actually funny. Insulting a broad swathe of the population is never funny.

Peri harridan here too. Wouldn't let a dog anywhere near others without being able to control him or her but I dislike intensely how you've e referred to a woman here

Okay I've got it. The answer to the whole problem.

Let just keep ALL dogs and ALL children on leads.

Then we can get back to discussing other things.

This more or less explains your earlier reply to me.

Like it or not, humans are who we are. The world is how it is. You may have a misty-eyed view of a fantasy world in which dogs, cats and gerbils are as important as people. I don’t, and no thinking person does.

There are three revealing things about MN threads complaining about dogs.

One is that dog lovers come along to say “oh no, another dog hate thread” without bothering to think of all the doghouse threads that stink the place up.

Another is that dog lovers compare their dogs to children.

The third is that dog (and other animal) owners will never accept that the appeal of a pet animal is that it can’t speak: it can’t tell you that it doesn’t like you. Unconditional love is your projection.

Anyway, I hope you and your dog live happy and fulfilled lives. Just don’t bring your dog into any shop or cafe I’m in. Ta.

Fair enough. You have made some valid points here. Thanks for replying.

It’s the attitude of the owners that really pisses me off. I was in a pub in London last year and a dog jumped on me putting its front paws on my jeans leaving a dirt mark. I moved my chair back and looked horrified and the owner’s reaction? “Jesus christ it’s just a dog”. Yeah, a dog who has just fucking dirtied my jeans. I was LIVID.