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Original poster

Did 70s/80s dogs walk themselves?

228 replies

RamblingRam · 29/08/2020 11:29

I don't know if I just grew up in a rough area, I don't think I did, but when I was a kid it was common to see dogs wandering the streets either alone or in small groups, and very rarely on a lead. Does anyone else remember this it being like that? DH reckons I'm mixing up reality and old films but I'm sure it happened.

OP posts:
MrsClatterbuck · 30/08/2020 01:33

I was having this conversation with DH the other day about how you would see dogs just roaming the streets. Talking 70's here.

roundandsideways · 30/08/2020 02:00

No, definitely used to take our dog out for a walk on a lead. It was a GSD, so maybe why. But she was totally tame, and I took her out aged 8. But we never just let her wander around. Neighbours had a black lab that often just sat in their front garden and watched people, I don't remember dogs just wandering around

Jdhshekr · 30/08/2020 07:12

I was born in 77 and don’t remember this at all. I do remember lots of people walking their dogs on leads though so they must have all been lead walkers where I lived. I do remember there was always dog poo on the pavements though because clearing it up wasn’t a thing back then.

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Dogs
Heatherjayne1972 · 30/08/2020 07:18

I remember my boss in the early 90’s getting his dog insured
Oh how we laughed at this ridiculous indulgent excess

redeyetonowheregood · 30/08/2020 07:25

We lived in a lovely suburb of a large city in the north of England. It was normal for some people to let their dogs out to wander around. There was a lovely dog called nip, a jack Russell, that I grew up with who lived around the corner. Of course not everyone did it and people still took their dogs for walks.

redeyetonowheregood · 30/08/2020 07:26

This was in the 70s.

zaphodbeeble · 30/08/2020 08:45

Ours was a pedigree - Basset Hound, this was 70s/80s

Mrsjayy · 30/08/2020 10:41

You don't see many basset hounds these days I've not seen one in years.

ExclamationPerfume · 30/08/2020 11:02

My Nan lived on a council estate. There were always loose dogs in the road chasing the cars.

I don't remember any where we lived. We always walked our dogs twice a day.

ZiggeryZaggy · 30/08/2020 11:18

@zaphodbeeble - That made me laugh properly Grin

Yearinyearout · 30/08/2020 11:29

I lived on a council estate in the 70s and I definitely remember dogs wandering about unattended, either alone or in small groups.

I had the same discussion with my DH the other day who claims he didn't see any where he lived so it must just have been in rough areas!

It was definitely real.

sashh · 30/08/2020 11:33

We used to 'let the dog out' at the first two houses we lived in, then we moved to a house on a main road, the dog couldn't understand why she now had to be on her lead, after she had got over the shock of finding out what a lead was.

But if anyone left a door open she would take herself off for a wander.

Two memorable walks were when she brought the dog warden home. and when the neighbours (next door but across a corner so on a different road) were gettig their caravan ready to go away and she brought us a bag or pork chops. This was unusual because, to my memory, she never carried anything, not even her puppies, she used to push them with her nose.

Our neighbours at the other side started buying bonios for her, but she learned the time their dd got home from school so went for her biscuit, then when mum of the house and finally when dad got home.

Houseplantmad · 30/08/2020 11:34

My DH grew up in a well-heeled coastal area. The family dog used to take himself off after breakfast and return for dinner (a bit like DH when a child). Ddog spent most of the day on the beach or cliffs with a couple of mates. What a great life. I actually thought he was more human than dog when I met him!

zaphodbeeble · 30/08/2020 11:37

@Mrsjayy I know, I work with someone who has two and they’re the only others I’ve ever come across

Germolenequeen · 30/08/2020 11:45

Never saw wondering dogs in any of the SE villages towns or suburban areas I grew up in and lived in during the 60s 70s 80s or 90s so this thread is like a parallel universe to me too 🤷‍♀️

NoWordForFluffy · 30/08/2020 11:50

My nan used to turf her two out to roam, yes!

NoToast · 30/08/2020 11:52

Yes I remember this. Late 70s early 80s in my Midlands town there would sometimes be a gang of about 10 dogs wandering about together in our shabby neighbourhood. Quite scary for little kids on bikes.

wowfudge · 30/08/2020 14:35

This is definitely a parallel universe to mine - and DP's! I wonder if some of you have remembered a dog or dogs that used to escape regularly and thought it/they roamed around as a matter of course.

OrganicSmorganic · 30/08/2020 14:40

White dog poop= high bone content in last meal.

gamerchick · 30/08/2020 14:44

@wowfudge

This is definitely a parallel universe to mine - and DP's! I wonder if some of you have remembered a dog or dogs that used to escape regularly and thought it/they roamed around as a matter of course.
No, they ask to go out..owner opens front door and off they go. It's a bit patronising to say that maybe we got it wrong maybe.
tiredanddangerous · 30/08/2020 14:51

I was born in 1980 and this wasn't the norm where I grew up. My dm walked our dog on a lead twice a day (he was let off the lead for a run in the park). There were no dogs wandering the streets.

ravenmum · 30/08/2020 15:48

@wowfudge

This is definitely a parallel universe to mine - and DP's! I wonder if some of you have remembered a dog or dogs that used to escape regularly and thought it/they roamed around as a matter of course.
Hav a read through the thread (HARTTT, polite version of RTFT) and you'll see that people have specifically said they deliberately let their dogs out for a walk on a regular basis. Not much room for confusion there.
thelegohooverer · 30/08/2020 16:01

I remember walking home from school and regularly trying to fend off aggressive dogs by throwing them chocolate and legging it. I probably poisoned quite a few without realising.

Thisismytimetoshine · 30/08/2020 16:04

What's this parallel universe shite when people hear about something that happened outside their tiny rural village? 😂
And the "maybe it happened on a council estate" 🤣🤣🤣
There's a big bad world out there, folks.

category12 · 30/08/2020 16:28

@wowfudge

This is definitely a parallel universe to mine - and DP's! I wonder if some of you have remembered a dog or dogs that used to escape regularly and thought it/they roamed around as a matter of course.
Other people's experiences are not the same as mine shocker.