Dogs off the lead in children’s play areas

To be honest, I'd rather a dog licked my face than a person.

How would you like me to come over to you and lick your face? It’s disgusting!

Although I don’t understand your fixation on the dog licking someone, no the dog shouldn’t have been there and it’s not acceptable but a lick isn’t exactly going to hurt anyone.

THIS

Unfortunately, every time I have said something like this the owner has either got defensive (dog is harmless etc) or outright aggressive - to the point of being threatened with violence. Like I am going to engage in a fight when I have a 3 year old with me.

Most dog owners who have a dog playing in a children's play area (even when they really shouldn't) still put their dog on a lead or take them away when I turn up with small children, without being asked, or have asked me if we are ok with the dog around. The ones that don't are the ones who aren't going to react well if they are told.

As a childless dog owner- I agree, it’s unacceptable. Is there a dog warden? Or a local council that can be contacted?

As a dog owner, no it’s not acceptable at all. I also have a one and two year old that play in children’s playgrounds and would not be impressed at dogs running around and getting in their way, plus lots of children are afraid of dogs which makes it completely unacceptable, I would never allow my dog off lead in these situations. I echo the poster who advised you to say “excuse me can you put your dog on a lead so the children can play”

Wow, that’s a bit of a leap. You really thought they’d set the dogs on you?

Tell them you or your kids are either allergic or you have a phobia based on being attacked by 'dog breed infront of you' when you were a child

I would have absolutely said something to the owners and asked them to put their dogs on leads, I don’t think I’ve ever been to a children’s play area where dogs are allowed

YANBU. I’m a big dog lover with a large dog who is off lead a lot. I’d never let him off in or near a child’s play park. There seems to be number of people in my area who are using the actual enclosed play parks to let their dogs off the lead because they have poor recall! These people don’t even have children with them, they’re using it as a dog park. There are signs saying no dogs but they obviously don’t care.

Although I don’t understand your fixation on the dog licking someone, no the dog shouldn’t have been there and it’s not acceptable but a lick isn’t exactly going to hurt anyone.

That poster has a point though.. you had absolutely zero thought for anyone else when you let your dogs occupy the same space as children playing.

I think that is the point that poster is trying to make, too many people now will do whatever they want whenever they want with zero consideration for other people, it's like it doesn't even occur to them, as it didn't you at the time. Unfortunately it is common now.

I'm glad the hostile behaviour made you re-think your stance, and think about things from other people's point of view, unfortunately IME when people do this sort of thing they couldn't give two shits about other people's point of view, they do things knowing it may impact others, and do not take kindly to it being pointed out to them, probably even goading for a confrontation,.

@CurbsideProphet I accept I was in the wrong. People do make mistakes. As mistakes go, I don’t think it’s the crime of the century particularly as I realised the error at the time, corrected it, and haven’t repeated it. I am not defending what these people did in the park, I’m just saying this is what happened to me from the other side of the fence at one point in time.

”We seem to be living in a time of people doing whatever the fuck they want, without any thought for anyone else.” Its funny that you say this, after your condescending and argumentative words to a complete stranger online.

You genuinely thought people would want a strange off lead dog wandering up to them and their children?

Jeez.

I'm not surprised though as I'm often jumped at by "friendly" dogs in parks.

We seem to be living in a time of people doing whatever the fuck they want, without any thought for anyone else.

It does appear though that threatening looking dogs appear to be owned by threatening looking people…..

No, it’s not acceptable and that’s coming from a dog owner.

my park actually has 2 sides, one side where the swings and skate park etc are is dog free. There is a children’s play area in the other side with sand pits and toddler play equipment but this is fenced off. From April to October dogs are only allowed off lead early morning and late evening anyway.

I don’t have kids but I do understand that people with a dog and kids need to walk the dog and take the kids to the park at the same time but the dog needs to be kept out of the swings area eg by tying it to the railings etc so you can keep an eye on it while playing with the kids but kids can be frightened of dogs. Also while my dog is generally good with kids I wouldn’t want one to approach her because I’d worry how she’d react….especially babies or toddlers who don’t understand ‘be gentle, don’t pull her tail’ etc. She did almost snap at a toddler but I had her on a very short lead and the mum was there so the situation was under control, but since then I’ve refused to let babies or toddlers fuss her, I just can’t take the risk that my dog could hurt a baby. Once kids are 5 or more I’m more relaxed but still very cautious. And I’ve got a dog who 99.9% of the time is chilled and happy and loves being fussed over. At the end of the day though she’s a dog and dogs can be unpredictable.

As a side note, does anyone have any advice on how to handle this if it happens again?

You call over "excuse me, could you please put your dogs on a lead so the children can play".

I’ve been the dog owner in this scenario once in the past. I can’t really justify it as I agree with you (now) but at the time I genuinely didn’t think it was a problem. I didn’t have children but we were visiting a friend and their two young children and so their kids went off to play and we followed. There was no sign to say ‘no dogs’ and no fence. I thought of my dog as gentle and friendly and I just didn’t really know that people we averse to dogs. That sounds ridiculous, I know, but I didn’t know.

People were a bit hostile to it so we got the message and took dog away and waited for friends’ kids at a distance. I would have preferred that someone just said quite calmly and politely, ‘would you mind taking the dog away and give the children space to play as we don’t really like animals and it can be scary for the children’, but I also understand why they didn’t do that as they presumably thought we couldn’t give a shit (although that’s not true at all).

🤔no notices, not fenced off, maybe complain to the country park.

Why muzzled?