"It's ok, he's friendly!"

[daffodilandtulip]

Out walking this morning and I've heard the ultimate ridiculous excuse for not training your dog: an off lead dog jumps up at me, snarling and barking. Owner "we didn't see you there, you scared him."

Over the past week, we've had:

"He just wants to say hello", whilst jumping at a terrified, crying toddler.

"He won't hurt her, there's no need to be scared", whilst face to face with a dog the height of toddler.

"I'm not taking him on the road, he'll be scared", regarding the chiwowa IN THE OWNERS ARMS, whilst trying to make me walk three toddlers on a main road in order to pass.

"You'll have to get off the path, she won't walk in the mud" - large Rottweiler, in a children's park.

"He doesn't bite, he'll just jump up".

"Whatever's the matter with her?" said about toddler who has just been knocked over by a large dog and dog is remaining towered over her.

And obviously, a million and one of the "it's ok, he's friendly."

I've also got scratch marks down the entire side of my leg from trying to drag a "friendly" dog off my own dog's neck.

He's not friendly. It's not ok. Stop looking at me like I have three heads when I ask you to move the dog away from the child. Control your dog or use a damn lead!!

@melonraspberry

or even a public info campaign about the legal requirement to keep dogs on lead in certain areas due to bird nesting season March-July.

There's such an area near me and when our dog was young, I had her there in ignorance. There turned out to be one knackered sign, obscured by a bush.

Anyway, a woman (no dog) told me about it, so I got her on the lead immediately. We had a bit of a chat, I like birds and wildlife, too.

I don't go very often, but I've pointed it out politely to other dog walkers. Every single one ignored me, or told me to fuck off, or in one case, offered to rip my fucking head off.

The thing is it should apply everywhere that isn't a park or similar. Birds nest all over the country in any rough grass or woodland. The signs should be needed. March - July all dogs on leads unless in a specific dog park.

That should say "signs shouldn't be needed"!

“Dogs are everywhere. Bring your toddler up to deal with them.”

That sentence sums up the sheer level of batshittery of many dog owners. Namely that the world revolves around their dog and everyone else, including tiny children, is at their mercy.

Ideally no child should be scared of dogs that are on lead/at a distance. But phobias are not logical. And they can be caused by a bad experience.
No dog should be bothering people it doesn’t know.

Firefly2023 · Yesterday 18:16

That should say "signs shouldn't be needed"!

Yes, I twigged that! Where we live, (not the area I mentioned) there are plenty of signs, with maps showing where they need to be on a lead, when they can go on the beach etc. As my current dog is well behaved, I mostly walk her off the lead.

I've had other dogs I'd never let off the lead.

This one is a plodding old Labrador, who doesn't have much interest in people, unless they want to fuss her.

Ahh these tiny children are also at the mercy of cars, birds, fellow humans, ...

Children need to learn to be around dogs. Not every dog that is seemingly running towards them is actually doing so.
Dogs are here to stay!

Well today I have experienced peak dog-pandering.

I go for sports massages. The lady I go to has decided that people can take their pets (not just dogs) to their appointments with them. She has several therapists working for her, so it's not the case that I am the only person there at one time. So I can no longer go to her, because I don't know if there will be dogs in the tiny waiting room.

I am also not sure that dogs should be in a healthcare setting.

Shush, don't talk sense like that.

Dogs are everywhere. Yes, phobias are not rational, but it is also not healthy to pander to them either.

People with something like a needle phobia get told to get a grip and grow up all the time, as needles are a part of life. Just like dogs.

Intrigued as to which other animals people would take to a sprits massage ...

*sports massage 🤷‍♀️

Dogs are everywhere. Yes, phobias are not rational, but it is also not healthy to pander to them either. People with something like a needle phobia get told to get a grip and grow up all the time, as needles are a part of life. Just like dogs

It's slightly different! We might need to accept a needle from time to time for our own welfare (or pain relief) eg a vaccine or anaesthetic.

Telling people with dogs to keep them out of other peoples' way isn't "pandering", it's acknowledging that they can be a nuisance and a danger, and that some people would like dog-free places.

The latest - last year I did an event with Stylist magazine. A half marathon walk. It was dog-free. This year, dogs are allowed, so I can't do it (it was busy enough with people, so having paths blocked with a load of dogs will make it even busier - not sure how it's met risk assessments to be honest). Yet everyone happily did it last year without their dogs, so there was no need to allow them.

Also I noticed England Athletics have changed their guidance to allow dogs at off-road training sessions. Once my club gets wind of that, (the chair got a puppy last year which she keeps trying to inveigle into sessions) that will also mean I can't do our off-road summer runs anymore. Despite people having managed for years not to take their dogs, and to run with their dogs at other times.

My point is people choose to have dogs, so they need to work out how they will fit them into their lives, rather than imposing them on everyone else and the rest of us having our lives restricted as a result.

A needle phobia would be problematic because it stops you having medical treatment that you need.
Dogs ....keeping a dog is a hobby, something that people do for their own entertainment and amusement.
I can't see how the two things are analogous 🤷

All phobias are problematic, otherwise they would not be considered phobias to start with.

Me having a dog does not restrict the lives of anyone else at all. She has no interest in approaching other people. If someone is scared of her being in their eyesight, then that is a problem they need to address.
Otherwise you may as well say someone with a phobia of birds would be within their rights to insist all wild birds are culled, so they can go outside without seeing any.

I'm genuinely put off from ever owning a dog round here because oof the amount of badly-trained dogs I encounter daily. Such a shame as I've always dreamed of adopting a greyhound. I love animals too. I walk dogs 3 times a week (twice for one charity & one dog I've walked for a friend for last 10 years). My friend's dog is a reactive elderly Doberman with arthritis so I try & keep him far away from other dogs. So many off-lead dogs keep running up to him out of nowhere it's making it really hard to walk him now. Such a shame. I've had a few arguments with other dog owners too over the last 6 months when they don't recall their dogs & have zero control over them. V frustrating & I end up feeling like I'm in the wrong for having to ask them to put their dogs back on the lead as we pass by etc. I think I'll stick with cats tbh! OP you are definitely not BU - you & your children have every right to dnjoy being outdoors without constantly scanning the horizon for random off-lead dogs!! People are treating their dogs like pampered little children, insisting on bringing them along everywhere & not training them properly. It's just bizarre!