Dogs and poo and public areas. Why isn't this practice questioned more?

[Exgiraffe]

Just returned from a walk (with dc, no dogs as I don't have one) and started to think about how extraordinary it is that people take dogs on walks in public parks and green spaces specifically to give them the opportunity to poo!!

Why isn't this practice questioned more by the community? Surely dog owners are the minority so why aren't communities discussing this and requiring dog owners to change their behaviour and encourage dogs to poo at home.

This is especially an issue in cities where green grass and space are limited. Even if dog owners scoop up the poo there would be remnants on the grass where unsuspecting picnickers sit and children play upon.

I don't have a dog but have been dog minding recently. Many people take dogs for a walk to the park for the exercise/poo but also remember that many people live in apartments dwellers with no outdoor space. The dog I'm minding won't go in my back yard - she needs a good walk before she'll go.

There are plenty of dog walkers who don't pick up after their dogs - councils need to be more forceful in fining people like this - though it's obviously hard to catch people in the act.

As to making the grass dirty - plenty of animals (and humans) shit on grass - rats, cats, squirrels, birds and so on. If you're worried about dirty grass then you should take a picnic blanket.

What is the best way to get something done about this problem?
Create more green spaces and parks So there is space for all.

many people live in apartments dwellers with no outdoor space
indeed, you might think they would know that their circumstances are not suited to dog ownership?

I did dog ownership with only access to a communal, insecure garden (ie DDog could be neither off lead nor unsupervised there). It was through circumstance rather than choice. It's dog ownership on hard mode, and not being able to simply open the back door is a pain, but a suitably engaged dog owner will make it work.

During elections I usually go out canvassing; you can often find well cared for dogs in high rise flats. IME good dog owners can make it work in a high rise flat; bad dog owners will fuck it up in a country manor.

In answer to your question, op, it's not questioned more because large swathes of our society are hugely enthusiastic about their dogs and are entirely blind to issues they can and do cause to others. These (not all) dog owners see their pets as legitimate members of the family and therefore equivalent rights to actual human children. The aforementioned blindness can be wilfully ignorant at times. It's like they are physically incapable of understanding how some people don't find a dog that barks incessantly or jumps up and slobers to be 'friendly'. So given that, it's not all that strange that they don't question the established practice of permitting defecation in public.

Also, the pps citing 'nature' are misguided. Yes, obviously wild animals also produce waste, sometimes in public green spaces. However, human members of society are not permitted to shit wherever the mood takes them and can be punished by law if they do. Domesticated dogs under human control fall more closely to this category than they do to badgers, foxes etc.

However, human members of society are not permitted to shit wherever the mood takes them and can be punished by law if they do.

I've found human turds in my local park on more than one occasion; it's common to see homeless people camping there so their options are limited.

I'm certain that some people would look at those turds and assume they came from a large dog.

Agree with you Mikesh. I also think it happens because culturally we allow it.

It is perfectly possible to train a dog to only poo in certain places ie your own garden. This is what all guide dogs do. It's just that it takes effort and as long as we accept pets pissing and shitting all over the place, dog owners won't be arsed to put the effort in.

I also agree that the "other animals poo" argument is facetious - dogs are not part of nature and the very fact that they are only around at all as companions for humans - as evidenced by all the witless "my dog is part of my family" brigade - tells us that.

I'm certain that some people would look at those turds and assume they came from a large dog.

How can you be sure they did not? If others can be mistaken, surely you could also be?

I don't doubt that homeless people / campers or both are sometimes forced to defecate in public but the fact remains its not permitted.

It is my heartfelt hope that, over time, it will become culturally unacceptable to own cats and dogs as pets. There are policy steps which could promote this outcome, although I don't imagine any will be implemented any time soon. Community consequences for bad owners (especially those leaving poo in trees in bags like grim christmas decorations and those not picking up in children's play areas and outside schools - poo trekked through schools is truly vile) would be helpful.

Yy to this it is perfectly possible to train a dog to only poo in certain places ie your own garden but I imagine that if they were honest about it dog owners often don't feel all that keen on their own gardens being filled up with shit.

Agree that it is part of our culture to accept this. I think it's valid to question that though and seek out ways to bring about change. As someone up the thread stated, it was only a few hundred years ago people were throwing their own human turds into the streets as was the cultural norm in those days.

It is perfectly possible to train a dog to only poo in certain places ie your own garden.

I trained my last two cats to do this too, so it's possible with some cats, although probably easier with dogs as they don't roam.

Cats shit in my garden and the owners never come and clean it up. It is utterly disgusting. Cats should be banned.

@SillyBilly I have the perfect solution to stop cats coming into your garden - get a dog

I am more concerned by the sense of entitlement that dogs don't need to be on a lead because it's a little used ROAD between housing estate and country footpaths, these dogs poo in our garden, dive in our pond, don't come back when called and run amok ignoring their owner when you are driving down the road

Mikesh it's absolutely valid to question it. Some people are, maybe others will follow. It's already less acceptable to leave faeces on the floor - lots of owners pick it up, it's just that there are so many more dog owners now that even if a portion of them do so there's still as much shit as ever. Hopefully in time it will also become less acceptable for them to poo in public spaces at all. It would be nice, after all, to walk through a nature reserve and not have to clean everyone's shoes afterwards, so it seems like a sensible and not too outrageous thing to ask for.

"Yes I think the world would be a better place without dogs, for everyone"

What an utterly stupid and brain dead statement. So no more hearing dogs, guide dogs for the blind, police dogs, drug sniffer dogs at airports etc, dogs working with bomb disposal, herding dogs, guard dogs, watch dogs, therapy dogs etc

Yes, isn't it funny how they want their dogs to be part of nature while simultaneously being a member of the family

Obviously she meant pet dogs rather than working dogs you

One massive bonus of working dogs is that they don't shit on the street. Could you imagine going through customs and the dog handlers being all like "Ah, all the exercise makes him open his bowels, sorry about your suitcase love"?

Personally I enjoy the near seamless transition my dog makes from chasing squirrels in the park (he's never caught one) and sniffing other dogs rear ends to sleeping under my duvet.

He's only a part of nature insofar as he likes to observe and chase it. I'm under no illusions that he'd be able to survive in the wild; his dislike of strangers means he wouldn't even be able to beg effectively. He's far too used to eating pheasant for dinner and sleeping in the warm.

(a) that's not what she said
(b) the implication of working dogs only is that bitches would continue to produce litters but the majority of the dogs would be euthanised at adolescence or around the time that they fail to meet the grade as a service dog. I don't think you will get that policy to fly

What were you going to say, you've left me hanging with "you...…"

@FranHeaton That's basic house training. DDog knows the difference between inside and outside, even in new locations, so that situation wouldn't occur.

Other posters seem to think that dogs should be taught never to poo outside their own garden, which is unrealistic for the reasons stated above.

Meh. Assistance dogs manage it perfectly well because it's a priority for those owners. That other dogs don't do it just means it isn't a priority for their respective owners. Because they think it's fine for their dogs to shit in public spaces.

Dear Lord Fran - a pet dog wouldn't shit in customs either because its 'indoors'; all dogs with even a tiny modicum of training know not to go indoors. I think you will find that dog handlers take their dogs out for regular toilet breaks. Doh