Bare minimum dog ownership

Bare minimum dog ownership is not owning a dog at all.

Why do people always describe recall as having to be “bomb proof”? Always with the bomb proof. Are there no other adjectives? You hardly hear bomb proof used for anything else.

Agree with this.

I have a little dog with awful recall and very over excitable, she is on a lead at all times.
Really surprising to me how many people let their dogs come over to her.

I like dogs but I am still wary.

I was bitten on my face by a friends dog, she was a friendly, relaxed dog generally but that day something wasn’t right for her.
Point being all dogs have the capability to bite.

I am uncomfortable with dogs off lead and I love walking in woods and countryside, the off lead dogs give me pause.

I only let mine off if I’m absolutely sure there is no other dog on the field, as soon as one appears she’s recalled and straight back on. She’s a temperamental cockapoo and I simply don’t trust her.
the amount of owners that just let their dogs run up to her saying don’t worry she’s friendly. They get a well mines not and she’s likely to go for your dog. They are really taken aback. Really annoys me.

At the moment, at this time of year, she’s firmly on the lead at all times, she’s got a thing for swifts flying and loses her head, I walk her in woodland mostly in the summer now.

"He's friendly" is just code for "I cba to train him, be prepared to be jumped on while I wander on slowly down to you".

THIS! Instead of a dog licence we should have an outdoor cat licence* tax to subsidise the time those of us who are 'chosen' end up picking up cat shit. I spend more on poo bags for cats than for the dogs I sometimes look after, and with a lot less enjoyment.

*I'm kidding about the licence - don't hurt me, cat owners

Most of this is crucial not just for etiquette but also for keeping your own dog safe, so it always baffles me when people don't do it.

Yes, recall training is hard. It's also one of the most important things you will do for your dog. In the meantime you can give your dog stimulation with a 'sniff walk' where they can stop and sniff what they like while on a (possibly loose) lead, or by training other things so they get used to listening to you. We found with a Lab that the best thing was to have something tastier than the thing she was likely to be running after - in our case sprats. It may be harder if your dog is more motivated by fun and wants to play with others, but in that case it's even more important for you to get recall ingrained, because playing with the wrong dog could get your dog killed or injured.

I reckon 0.001% of dogs fit that behaviour criteria tbh, and like children, that’s part of the joy of having a dog.

I don't think it needs to be one or the other. I very much despair about the cat that insists on pooing in my veggie patch, but equally I didn't appreciate the dog that licked my leg last weekend whilst I was waiting to cross the road.

I like dogs and cats, but less so when they're left to their own devices.

Are you suggesting that dog owners are the only ones walking in the winter months? Because that absolutely isn't the case.

I saw a man calling his dog the day and it wouldn’t come back. It was too busy hassling another dog/owner. Not aggressively or anything but just in the way and being annoying.

The owner wasn’t even walking over. He was right at the other side of the field just doing this pathetic shouting. If I was the other owner I would have been fuming at his lack of urgency to come and get his annoying dog.

Personally I think all cats should be kept inside/in peoples gardens. Dogs don't dig up my vegetable seeds, shit in my strawberry beds, shit on my lawn where I want to sit/eat, sit under my bird table waiting to catch birds or kill loads of wildlife (birds/shrews/slow worms I've all seen recently killed by cats).

I'd much rather people kept cats in their gardens than people kept dogs in their garden as I'd rather have a dog bounce up to me than I would have cat shit in amongst my asparagus (I don't have a cat or dog).

And no dog should be approaching another dog, on lead or not, without the owners checking it is okay. I’m sick of other dog owners letting their dogs approaching mine (always off lead) just because they’re off lead.

Dogs are sociable creatures, it’s natural for them to want to say hello. If your dog is off lead I’d assume it’s ok around other dogs - if not you keep it on a lead. My dog will greet others if they’re off lead, if the other dog is on a lead he’ll walk on by.

I appreciate that if you have a reactive dog the presence of other dogs might be an issue…

… but I don’t think the solution to that is every other dog having to be kept on a lead, not being able to sniff other dogs etc. They are ultimately dogs and they need freedom to be a dog.

If your dog is very reactive and unable to cope, I think the solution to that is walking your dog somewhere you won’t see other dog walkers.

I live somewhere with a lot of dogs (and a lot of visitors with dogs) and I can’t think of the last time I saw any dubious dog/owner behaviour when out walking.

My old dog was very reactive (abuse case rescue) so was never off lead. My dogs now love to run and swim. We are semi rural and they are always off unless we’re near a road or livestock

Where do you live?

I can only think of once in the UK that I’ve seen a ‘designated dog park’.

Agree to all your points. I have two dogs: one has crap recall which I'm working on(any tips greatly appreciated!), so he is on a lead at all times

The word “friendly” tends to mean will bounce all over your dog in a rude fashion. Have no manners at all and the owner won’t do a thing as he’s only “playing”.

I disagree. Dogs are social animals and just as we say hi as we pass other people so do dogs. If the dog is not sociable it's for their owner to make that clear or to walk it at quiet times.

Agree. When they yell "they're friendly!!" I always wonder why are they telling me that?

The reason they're yelling that to me that is because the alternative (recalling their dog) won't work.

@BennyBee I completely feel your pain: but like you say, you just keep your dog on a lead in the danger zones, right?

YABU. Around my way, most dogs are off lead in public parks and enjoy playing and chasing and sniffing each other while the owners chat or stroll. No one has ever complained except owners of aggressive dogs on leads.

My dog is not "fluffy" but is totally chill. I am bemused by owners of problem dogs who have to keep them on a lead who get upset when my non aggressive dog approaches their aggressive dog. It is not my dog that is the problem, its yours! Stay home if you can't control your dog, or put a muzzle on it.

The only time my dog is a nuisance is during the summer when people are having picnics. He loses all recall when there is a possibility of a mini sausage around. Many picknickers like to feed my dog these treats, which only makes his recall worse, so I do just keep him on a lead if there are picnics around.

We walk them very rurally and they are trained to return straight to me if they see anyone else, dog or person. They actively avoid and ignore other people or dogs unless I “release” them to play. So if we came around a bend and saw you? They’d come back to me and stay with me on “hold”. They are also very good at ignoring other people’s badly behaved dogs who jump all over them.

Dog parks are not a UK thing, and I’m glad they aren’t. They can lead to problem behaviours.

Most dogs need a good run off lead. Shit owners spoil it for good owners, the problem is shit owners, not responsible owners who have control of their dogs.

Dogs on lead at all times = yes, reduced chance of bad dog behaviour but also antisocial behaviour like barking due to boredom.