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Original poster

Dogs off leads everywhere!

161 replies

Peterbear · 20/07/2021 13:55

Did dogs used to just be on leads more or am I just getting old and intolerant,? Literally everywhere we go for a walk, outdoor swim , park,cafe the place is swarming with dogs off leads. Great if the owner is 'switched on' and aware but really bloody horrible to be licked/sniffed/trampled on/food wrecked if you really don't like them and owner just oblivious. It seems standard now to not have them on a lead.Anyone know why?
If one more person says 'oh they're friendly' I honestly think I will trample on their picnic/ lick their face/sniff their genital s and say 'on well so am I' .Rant over.really pisses me off though.

OP posts:
Original poster
Peterbear · 20/07/2021 18:31

@garfunkle defensive much? I'm not blaming the worlds problems on dogs.😄 They are animals that we humans have domesticated for our own enjoyment (?) so it be silly to blame the animal wouldn't it? I just think there's a massive shift in personal responsibility for said pets. And ofcourse there are great dog owners who can control their dogs/keep them on leads so they don't have to have the cringeworthy 'he's just being friendly ' conversation. Or even the complete oblivion.🤨

OP posts:
Garfunkle · 20/07/2021 18:43

@garfunkle defensive much? I'm not blaming the worlds problems on dogs.😄 They are animals that we humans have domesticated for our own enjoyment (?) so it be silly to blame the animal wouldn't it? I just think there's a massive shift in personal responsibility for said pets. And ofcourse there are great dog owners who can control their dogs/keep them on leads so they don't have to have the cringeworthy 'he's just being friendly ' conversation. Or even the complete oblivion

I’m not being defensive at all lol! 😆 My dog wouldn’t be approaching you - ever! Especially during the day in this heat. I walk my dog at 6am and take the time to clear up other peoples rubbish from the beach. And again at 10pm and take the time to clear up other peoples rubbish from our local park. So shoot me 🔫

Better still take your rubbish home and leave our beauty spots as you found them. You don’t leave your litter? Fine. Not all dog owners are shit dog owners either.

SOME dog owners are crap - I wholeheartedly agree. I’ve met many as I walk my dog every day in rainy season. I’ve also met many many ridiculous “humans”. The litter “humans” see fit to leave behind to destroy our wildlife and sea life is “inhuman” and abhorrent!

poorpaws · 20/07/2021 18:46

It’s children off lead I can’t stand.

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Dogs
Wheretobuy · 20/07/2021 18:48

You are rig it OP. This is endemic now and quite dangerous.

Original poster
Peterbear · 20/07/2021 18:57

So hang on are we now saying :
people with dogs pick up all the litter.
People without dogs leave all the litter.
Wtf?Have I entered some parallel universe?🤯

OP posts:
Wheretobuy · 20/07/2021 18:59

@Peterbear

So hang on are we now saying : people with dogs pick up all the litter. People without dogs leave all the litter. Wtf?Have I entered some parallel universe?🤯
There are some dog owners who think that their dogs take priority over every other thing, including children, other dogs/pets, other people’s food, clothes, shoes and picnic baskets.
Original poster
Peterbear · 20/07/2021 19:06

So as a none dog owner I obviously throw my litter willy nilly whilst the dog walkers get up at 6am and pick it up.Therefore they have the moral high ground and I have to put up with the unwanted dog 'friendliness' every time I leave the house.Ok got it. I think I'm off for a Pimms.🤣

OP posts:
Moonlaserbearwolf · 20/07/2021 19:08

OP, I think it’s mostly explained by numbers
A quick check of the stats shows that UK dog ownership went up from 7.6m in 2010 to 9m by 2019 and 12.5m by 2021.
That is a crazy increase. Even if the majority of dogs are on leads/well behaved, the sheer number of dogs around now means that you will encounter far more annoying ones.

Original poster
Peterbear · 20/07/2021 19:10

Yes I guess that makes sense.

OP posts:
ChardonnaysPetDragon · 20/07/2021 19:13

We need more parks.

Love them or hate them, dogs are here to stay, and there are more of them than ever, because of lockdown and WFH.

Dog owners have the right to use the existing ones just as much as anyone else.

Ask for parks and green spaces to be used by all. I live in London, but I suppose it's the same everywhere, new flats and no new parks. Let's ask for more, we all need them, not just for exercise but also for our mental health.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 20/07/2021 19:15

Disclaimer - I have two of the buggers, they are lovely, but they also need their space, and they appreciate being left alone by children who love stroking them.

MaMelon · 20/07/2021 19:21

Dog owners have the right to use the existing ones just as much as anyone else

Of course they do - literally no-one has said they don’t. However, dog owner’s right to use a park doesn’t include the right to allow their animal to do any of the things mentioned in the OP.

onceivepostedidontcomeback · 20/07/2021 19:22

We've always been here but lockdown has brought us all into the same places. Where we had freedom and spaces all to ourselves we're now fighting for space to exercise our dogs.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 20/07/2021 19:25

We've always been here but lockdown has brought us all into the same places. Where we had freedom and spaces all to ourselves we're now fighting for space to exercise our dogs.

Absolutely.

Add to that cyclists taking over all walking paths.

MaMelon · 20/07/2021 19:26

Add to that x number of millions of new dogs.

Garfunkle · 20/07/2021 19:30

So as a none dog owner I obviously throw my litter willy nilly whilst the dog walkers get up at 6am and pick it up.Therefore they have the moral high ground and I have to put up with the unwanted dog 'friendliness' every time I leave the house.Ok got it. I think I'm off for a Pimms

Enjoy your Pimms. I’m sure you will 🍸

In all the years I have walked my dog(s) and picked up rubbish strewn about by the human race, I can agree that SOME dog owners need training classes. Having said that whenever we have met a friendly, off lead dog neither myself or my dog responds. We don’t give the “friendly” off lead dog an audience so dog gives up and goes on his way.

Seriously, there are bigger things to worry about, unless you just want to create drama? Some people thrive on drama

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 20/07/2021 19:30

If I had to choose between dogs and filthy, antisocial, pig-ignorant droppers of litter, I’d take the dogs any day.

vodkaredbullgirl · 20/07/2021 19:38

I would rather take my dogs, where there are no other people and dogs. Luckly we live not far from the hills and go there.

RandomHomoSapien · 20/07/2021 19:46

@BigPyjamas

At the beach recently there were so many dogs, and many badly behaved: running through picnics, jumping up at children, one dozing man had his ear licked by a random spaniel. His face was something to behold!

And the owners 'oh, sorry, but don't worry he's very friendly' 'sorry, she'd just excited' etc. And the man bellowing his dogs name constantly for 45 minutes as it refused to come back and he refused to put it on a lead 'Nelly, Nelly, Nelly' Hmm

Train your dog and / or keep it on a lead in busy areas.

Jumping up at children hey? The horror of a friendly dog coming to say hello to CHILDREN Shock Hmm

This time of year the majority of beaches ban dogs so why don’t you visit one of those instead. My dog will continue to be off lead and enjoy some freedom at our dog friendly beach.

Bloody dog haters on MN. Sick of them!

vodkaredbullgirl · 20/07/2021 19:50

Who would take a dog out in this bloody heat anyway.

LST · 20/07/2021 19:52

@vodkaredbullgirl

Who would take a dog out in this bloody heat anyway.
The idiots that have 'friendly dogs' with no recall
Imfromhere · 20/07/2021 19:55

I'm probably going to get jumped of for this, but here it goes! I was a dog owner until I lost my doggy 3 years ago so it's fair to say I love dogs. She was never of the lead around other people as was a rescue and very protective. I would get up at 4am to take her for a run on the beach.

I can not stand disobedient dogs of the lead. I have a DC who is allergic and they know that coming into contact with a dog means they will be ill and suffer and is therefore understandable scared. So, having your "friendly" dog bounding over/jumping up because its curious, just wanting to say hello is totally unacceptable.

And dont get me started on the number of cafes, restaurants, pubs, beer gardens that we have tried to eat lunch at who are full of dogs. Walking around with the entire family hungry trying to find one without dogs isnt fun. Even when I was a dog owner I would never consider taking them out with me to somewhere that serves food. Yeah, grabbed a takeaway and ate on a bench somewhere. Just the way the world has gone, people now see dogs as just entitled as humans.

TheVolturi · 20/07/2021 19:56

We have a lovely dog but your post made me laugh op! It's madness isn't it. I hate dogs running up to my children and jumping up, knocking them over and making them filthy. I'd be mortified if ours did this. If your dog is not fully in control, it needs to be on a lead!

MaMelon · 20/07/2021 20:06

This time of year the majority of beaches ban dogs so why don’t you visit one of those instead

Ha. Ha. Ha. Yes, because dog owners always follow the rules and keep their dogs off the dog-free beaches Hmm.

LST · 20/07/2021 20:11

@MaMelon

This time of year the majority of beaches ban dogs so why don’t you visit one of those instead

Ha. Ha. Ha. Yes, because dog owners always follow the rules and keep their dogs off the dog-free beaches Hmm.

Most do yes