I’m so tired of people with dangerous dogs ruining the park for everyone else.

I've given up running in parks, commons, beaches, rural areas etc.
Too many incidents of dogs jumping up at me, with no recall, and owners who think I shouldn't have been there in the first place.

I don't think people realise how many people have had to avoid areas, not take young children to green areas, not take the nice woodland path but walk on roads instead etc. People are routinely adjusting their own needs to accommodate dog owners who think their right to allow their dog freedom to do whatever it pleases should take priority.

And dog owners win - because they have the dog, which could be lovely or could be aggressive but its a chance people are less and less willing to take as dog attacks increase.

Yay. Again 🤦🏼‍♀️

Doesnt sound like any of these dogs did anything wrong, you just think they shouldnt be allowed there.

I think all owners of big dogs have a responsibility to put their dogs back on the lead in crowded places, or near smaller dogs. My dog is a Border Collie cross, he's a lot bigger than ordinary Border Collies as his mum was a Ridgeback. He's a massive softie, gets upset when other dogs bark at him. But, other people don't know that! I always put him back on the lead if we're in a crowded park, or there are children or small dogs nearby as I know he can be intimidating.

I second this. I'd like to know the source of this claim.

My Lhasapoo (inherited from my brother's feckless ex!) can be a knobhead, tbh. He is always walked on lead unless in a dog field with others running freely. Seems to have a tolerance for a certain number of other dogs, will sniff nicely etc (although we don't approach other dogs, he just reacts well to most off lead dogs) and then it's like he's hit his limit and will bark and sometimes snap. Never done anything too bad, and if your off lead dog is approaching my on lead dog and you're ignoring my 'he can get stressed' warning, you need to bloody listen.

This is basically to say you're right and and dog can be a sod, so actually pay attention and listen to owners

I too am sick of dogs off lead.
We have a lovely promenade and though it’s banned, people let their dogs off lead, the dogs run on ahead and the dogs defecate and the owner doesn’t know or care and the poo is left there. ☹️
It spoils it for the rest of us.
And I’m a dog lover.

They do but there are also individual characteristics. And nearly all dogs chase squirrels and most will chase cats and rabbits too. We do let our greyhound off the lead- her biggest risk is dawdling and sniffing everything and being dopey, she would barely notice anything unless it were under her nose. She doesn't chase our cats and we stop her chasing other cats, and she is generally very good with other dogs. I usually end up with her on the lead so that she keeps up rather than in case of running off. We were of course much more careful when we first got her though and she did like a good big run around the playing fields when it was quiet when she was younger.

Some greyhounds have a huge prey drive though but it does vary quite a bit between individuals.

I get nervous seeing big dogs off lead but to be fair it’s generally the scary breeds are the best trained dogs (owner of cocker here who would run for the hills if let off lead!).

Yes, I do know this. But I don’t understand why you made this point.

The OP hates large dog breeds for just existing. I was trying to talk about all the wonderful large dogs that I know or have met.

Really sick of so many dogs. It’s completely crazy how many there are. Some irresponsible owners around.

To all those who may wonder why people are starting to hate dog owners so much..

I was in the park on Sunday at a kids event with a picnic. Some idiot had let a German Shepherd loose to roam round stealing food and sniffing children. I remembered the MN thread last week about a dog eating a box of grapes, and realised the GS was trying to get grapes out of our cool box. It made me so angry for the dog that its owner was being so careless. If I could have found them I would have had strong words. I dislike dogs close to me any time, but this seemed extremely ill judged. Surely a Picnic in the Park event is an occasion for a lead? Or are dog owners exempt from consideration for others? I know, not all owners are the same, but it only takes one to ruin the day.

Echo that. Had to give up Saturday morning Parkrun with the kids due to maniac dog owners!

Two dogs were on leads, not technically on leads, they were on leads.

If you don’t like the park, go elsewhere with your small dog?

I have a big rescue dog. I would honestly say that he is better trained and managed than the vast majority of smaller dogs we meet. I know that he could come across scary and could do more physical damage (even accidentally) than a small dog so I am accordingly more careful although he is a friendly chap on the whole. I do not take him to busy places or at busy times of day for his own sake as I have learnt that it stresses him out and I have him on a lead nearly all the time apart from in more remote places with a good line of sight. If I come across another person or dog I recall him and put him straight back on a lead. People tend to assume that he is reactive or unfriendly because I do this but he actually isn’t I just want to be better safe than sorry and I feel that at his size any unwanted approach at all would be perceived badly. It’s people with small dogs Jack Russels, mini poodles, cockatoos, shitzus who always have them running about off lead and coming up to my dog. Most of them jump up on me too. Big dogs don’t do that as they don’t need to. I don’t massively care it doesn’t bother me but occasionally I do think that I would never get away with allowing mine to do half of this stuff.

Went for a meal out with MIL and her mini dachshund and I had my dog. I usually would not take mine to an indoor food place but she was insistent. Mine lay down quietly under the table whilst the dachshund sat on her lap trying to climb on the table, beg for food and was constantly whining. It did make me think that mine just doesn’t have an option on that. No one would think it OK to have a massive dog on their lap at a table but a small one gets away with it and it isn’t a good thing for the dog. Same to carrying them around and taking them unsuitable places like clothes shops. Just because you can with a dog that size doesn’t mean you should.

Dangerous dogs should indeed not be in a public park but a large dog that is on a lead I really can’t see the issue and I think OP should review her criteria for dangerous.

Exactly. Why should anyone have to endure that? I had a very similar experience with a Westie not so long ago. I’d been walking in the opposite direction to where the useless owner and his bothersome dog had been. I hadn’t walked anywhere near them or made eye contact. It didn’t matter. The dog ran up to me, barking and circling me. Before I knew it the dog had got in front of me, blocking my path.

The owner was stood on the spot like he was playing stuck in the mud, several metres away and shouting, “[dog’s name] come! Leave! [Dog’s name] treats! Home!” I think he even said, “lay down,” at one point too. The dog wasn’t listening and it was obvious the berk owner had no recall ability whatsoever.
The dog wouldn’t stop barking and growling. I avoided eye contact and turned around so I had my back to it. The bloody thing ran around and got in front of me again.

The owner hadn’t moved from where he was stood and was carrying on with his futile chant: [dog’s name] home! Treats! Leave! etc.” I ended up saying, “sort the dog out/come and get it please.” Owner took his sweet time walking over and as he got closer came out with, “oh doesn’t normally play up.” He tried to carry on a conversation instead of picking the dog up or distracting it, so I cut him off with, “put it on a lead, get some training.”😡

It would be amazing if the UK ,passed a law to say all dogs on leads in all parks all areas at all times
Only exception a dog park
That would make walking my two enjoyable again

What about the dachshund who mauled a baby to death? Jack Russell’s are over represented across the board in bite statistics. Labradors are higher than dobermans on the fatality lists and the dog you are most likely to be bitten by in the UK (besides your own.)

How about just all dogs on leads except for within specifically designated safe dog friendly areas?

@Bridport he wasn’t “in the area” he jumped on top of me (I was on a bench reading a book) and he dug his claws in and drew blood when I tried to shake him off and snarled in my face. So I kicked him off.

I was legally & morally within my rights to do so. It was an immediate and proportionate response to unexpected and physical actual harm.
my (to be fair light linen )trousers were cut and my thighs bleeding. I got a fright and pain.

the owner tinkly laughed and says he likes a cuddle. no apology, no concern, no offer of replacing my clothing.
a
tinkly effing laugh. As I said- I’d like to have kicked her. It’s entirely her fault her dog was aggressive, off the lead and untrained and entirely HER fault her dog got hurt and yelped.
poor poor dog. Zero pleasure taken but would I do it again ? In a heartbeat.

Wouldn’t it be great!

On a local Facebook group, there was a random hard man saying a woman would be "catching fists" if her off lead dog attacked his.

😂😂😂

I have two small dogs age 9
Things have changed so much ,
with people letting aggressive dogs of the lead ,
not watching where their dog is ,it's often miles ahead while they are on their phone .
It's so stressful walking my two dogs now ,every corner there is someone with an off lead dog out of control.
We are good dog owners
But we will never get another dog after these two have passed on
Dog walking is stressful.. people don't give a shit that my dogs are on the lead and .. therefore...obviously .. don't want to be approached
I'm sick to death of hearing ..oh he's friendly..while it causes major stress to my two on the lead and the owner can't even see what's going on they are so far away .
Never again

This is the law in Canada. Dogs can only be off lead in designated enclosed areas. I only found out when I commented to my host about it being so refreshing that every dog was on a lead. Here's hoping they bring this law in in the UK, there would be so many benefits.

If that's your viewpoint (very broad and again, baseless) you're suggesting that all dogs, large and small, must somehow verify their behavioral credentials before being allowed out?

The OP doesn't like large dogs for whatever reason, Which is their prerogative. Other than that, literally nothing else has happened here to warrant any kind of concern.