Have you ever been pleased/relieved to be told a dog “is friendly”?

[lingle]

Or to hear more about the dog’s age, training, “people who don’t like dogs” or that said dog is “just having fun”

I personally haven’t - it’s very annoying because I’m often thinking about work/solving a work problem, or getting away from the stresses/conflicts of everyday life when on a walk and if a dog needs to be called away I prefer the owner to just say “sorry” so I can say “no problem” and then we can each get on with our day.

of course the dog owner can curse my failure to embrace the chance to praise their dog/ask what breed it is afterwards - not on my time.

These days I tend to just yell at the dog in an unfriendly and aggressive manner, and tbf the majority of dogs do actually get the message and back off. Speaking to the 'my dog is friendly' owner is usually a waste of time, they just get upset that you have yelled at their out of control dog.

And yes, I got bitten once and apparently it was all my fault for not having a dog with me as that would have avoided the problem. The other bite was because they had not been to train the dog due to lockdown. Or best of all, to a neighbour who nearly lost an eye due to a dog bite, 'he has never done that before, he is very friendly.'

I actually think many people hate dogs, but if you express this opinion in real life, some people will take huge offense, or think you're satan. So most dog-haters don't speak of it. I do, and am usually met with sighs of relief that I've liberated people to be able to say oh! Yes!!! Me too!

I'm gonna start calling my children (you know, actual human ones) my skin babies.

@TropicalTheIslandBreeze well if most people are dog haters that explains why I prefer dogs to humans! But I disagree, yes there are dog haters, cat haters etc around but would say it's not most people.

I don't have a problem with dogs, it's dog owners I have a problem with!

@Soubriquet oh that's so cute! We need a(mother) photo of her!

As a dog owner myself I agree totally! Last week I had one dog owner who thought it was funny and perfectly acceptable that her dog liked to chew my dogs rather large, floppy ears. Some owners just don't have a clue and it probably gives the more responsible dog owners a bad name!

Same. I've had a dog run after me. It stopped chasing me when I stopped running. Owner did nothing. Most owners will call the dog and tell them I don't want them running with me.

every Weekend??

you must be too busy to see the ones every day in the week! It's ridiculous.

@BeatriceFranklin so you kick a dog that's not under its owners control? Apart from cruel, that sounds utterly sensible 🙄🙄🙄

@slowquickstep

id rather come across a muddy dog than a thug.

I am a dog owner so shoot me and I find there are some more dog friendly places to walk my dogs where people are more tolerant and I tend to choose these as opposed to the places where people seem to actually hate dogs but still go for walks where they know they will encounter dog walkers and their pets.

When I take my dogs out to a specific place I let them off the lead in certain areas where it is permitted because they can run about after a ball and stretch their legs, sniff out rabbits etc and generally have fun.
People who dislike dogs should stick to the areas where humans can walk freely. They are allowed to go anywhere they like but they can't have it all their own way.
My dogs are nice. One of them loves people and will run to say hello but this is when we are in the middle of an area where she is allowed off her lead. If you don't like it then stick to the path is what I say, and I have seen you nipping into the bushes for a pee which is frankly quite disgusting, plus you throw your tissues down that you have blown your nose into which my dog will eat.

One family allowed their child to shit behind a tree when the toilets were not far away. My dog would eat that if she got the chance.
Why can't humans stop with the appalling double standards - throwing their rubbish everywhere in these beauty spots, filling the dog shit bins with their waste. Take your picnic/barbecue shit home. It is not all on dogs or their owners. Its on all of us to do the right thing

You need to stay off the Voddy then @vodkaredbullgirl. Alcohol and walking are not a good combo

@ItWillWash he sounds adorable!!

I think there is responsibility on both sides. One of my children was terrified of dogs so we went out of our way to work with them and learn to stop dogs jumping up etc. Dog owners also need to be sensitive.

😂

I love dogs and pretty much all other animals can't say the same about people, so I'm definitely not in tune with the general consensus on MN.

I like it when somebody confirms what I already thought from their body language, as it means I can turn my hands out to continue the introduction and check if fusses would be acceptable. I've also been able to keep things calm and not unintentionally escalate them whilst an owner has pegged it over to retrieve their not particularly socialised animal (would definitely rather not be in that situation, but some people are shit/ineffectual owners and some are caught out by escapees, collars slipping and the like).

But I'm not scared/repulsed/have a visceral hatred of them. If a dog or other animal is intent upon attacking for whatever reason, that's different, but that is rare (which is why it makes headline news - along with it being good for the media by generating clickthroughs) and owners will not be saying 'he's friendly' in those cases - a shouted 'Stay still!' is definitely an uh-oh moment.

So yes, it is pleasing to hear a dog is friendly.

Hare coursing is when people illegally set sighthounds after hares, usually for gambling purposes. The people who do it are often trespassing and there can be large sums of money at stake.

Sometimes they take off without the dog if they're disturbed or a dog doesn't perform and they you have a sight hound with a strong prey drive running loose. If you're walking anything small and fluffy, it's a concern.

Yesterdays altercation was a cockerpoo who thought it was great fun to bark at my ewes and lambs while their feckless owner was running along the road shouting ‘she’s friendly’. Last week was a yellow lab and two sausage dog things. I don’t give a shit if they’re friendly, if you come on my land you keep the thing on a lead and under control, there are signs up, anyone that can read can see them. I have 5 dogs who I can walk anywhere off leash, if I have a puppy in training it’s on a lead until it recalls perfectly, it’s not difficult.

This has to be a joke surely?

‘ people seem to actually hate dogs but still go for walks where they know they will encounter dog walkers and their pets. When I take my dogs out to a specific place I let them off the lead in certain areas where it is permitted because they can run about after a ball and stretch their legs, sniff out rabbits etc and generally have fun.People who dislike dogs should stick to the areas where humans can walk freely. “

Didn't say most. Said many. Comprehension skills might improve if your brain wasn't addled with dog propaganda.

The fact that you see your filthy pet eating poo as a non-issue, says it all. Rank. Bet you kiss it on the mouth, too.

This bit is genuinely bad

.” One of them loves people and will run to say hello but this is when we are in the middle of an area where she is allowed off her lead. If you don't like it then stick to the path is what I say,”

No. Your idea of friendly and well behaved could be very different from mine. If you need to say these words, your dog is pissing people off. I don't presume people want my kids bounding up to people shouting so we deserve that basic manners back. I like dogs and generally not scared but after someone let there black lab bound up to me and jump up when I was very viably pregnant I don't really trust anyone with dogs any more. They are all potential threats.

I had someone tell me their dog just loves babies when it jumped up on my pram the other day. I’m not usually scared of dogs but it was a huge XL bully type dog and seeing it jump up on my baby in her pram was awful!

They really do love babies. For breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks.