Dog on the beach

[Redebs]

So I'm here on the beach with two small grandchildren. Just about to sit on the only dry rock (I really NEEDED to sit down) when a smallish dog runs up and tries to pee on it. Grandkids aren't happy with dogs running up to them and peeing on their shoes.

Owner nowhere in sight, although they must have just arrived at beach.

I tell the dog 'No! Off you go!" but it ignores me and carries on sniffing. Total disregard. It cocks a leg, so I take a hold of the collar and guide it away. I'm annoyed, but calm and gentle. It has sprayed over the rock and immediately runs to another part of it to spray again. I repeat, taking collar and pulling dog away. Dog is unconcerned about it and quite happy sniffing everything.

Owner comes up and starts being all passive aggressive. At first I thought he had come to retrieve his dog or apologise, but turns out he wants to accuse me of 'pulling his dog'. I was about to accept his apology, but then had to assure him I was appropriately gentle with his dog but I didn't want dog urine on the children.

He protested that it was a public beach ( presumably giving his dog freedom to pee on anyone) and it didn't look like I was gentle. I again assured him I was gentle and that I have had dogs myself. He replied that that didn't count for HIS dog.

While he was muttering away, his dog squatted and pooped amongst the rocks and I pointed to it and helpfully asked him if he had a bag. He said he did, because he was a RESPONSIBLE dog owner. I replied, 'Excellent!'

He went away complaining to anyone near that I had PULLED his dog and how totally unbelievable it was.

I suffer from extreme anxiety and depression, so I'm venting here to get it out of my system.

I held it together throughout. Dignified, calm, reasonable. Just feeling so angry now.

Bluddy ignorant man.

I don’t why on earth you think I’m expecting it to be sterile - now that is bonkers!! I live by the beach - very very familiar with them - and we often go with family dogs. She said the dog was so close it was peeing (or at close to peeing) on her GC’s shoes. That is not the same as peeing on a random rock.

@Justcallmebebes

I know plenty of dogs who go out armed with poop bags (myself being one of them). I live in Lake District so I get what you mean. People leave dog shit on mountains and lakeside paths too but as gross as it is, that doesn't mean I want them all banned.

I assumed that poster was objecting to my use of deliberately rather than the actions of the dog. Dogs are not capable of complex thought processes. It clearly did not look at DD and think "Oh, a small child, I shall pee on her deliberately in order to upset her and her mother," rather something about DD triggered an instinctual behaviour or the dog was unwell. There was no thought process on behalf of the dog.

And in fairness to that poster it is highly unusal for a dog to cock its leg on a human, particularly a stranger. DD loved meeting new dogs when she small and would approach 2-3 dogs a day and politely ask the owner for permission to interact, on her way to and from school (via a local park) and was only ever pee'd on once. The dog's behaviour otherwise was perfectly normal. It didn't give any other indication it was overly excited or anxious about DD.

The behaviour is unsual enough that had it been my dog I would have wanted to explore the behaviour further starting with a visit to the vet for a check up. A couple of days later our foster dog came into season, so in retrospect, my guess would be it smelled that on DD and reacted on instinct to that scent, but even then, it is not normal behaviour. Dogs, in general, do not pee on strangers with the exception of submissive urination which is more a dribble and doesn't involve leg cocking.

@Redebs If it Ignored a “pssshtt!” A “No!” and everything else, it sounds completely untrained.

A stick 🦯 is a useful thing for deflecting mutts as they run up to you wanting food as well

Don’t make contact, just use it as a barrier.

So many untrained dogs everywhere.
I own a dog, but she isn’t interested in other people, and is very easy to train.
People don’t put effort in OR watch their dogs- faces usually buried in phone as dog runs riot.

Well dogs only pee where other dogs went before - its their way of communicating, like leaving a comment on a forum thread. If dog tried to pee on your grandkids shoes... I have some bad news for you.

You need to teach your grandchildren better recall.

I mean you could have just said to the children to move away from the rock if it was clear it was going to piss and they were stood right there - managing to piss on a rock and two children's shoes all at the same time is quite something. Also amazing that there was only one dry rock on the whole beach.

I don't think what you did was terrible, if he didn't want people trying to get rid of his dog then he should be aware of where it is and what it was doing. But I think your anxiety has made you make a mountain out of a molehill.

I think OP should have "marked" the rock and her grandchildren... to let all the dogs know that this is her patch!

A dog on a public beach peed on a rock that you were planning to sit on so you laid hands on it.

Thats the short version without the laid on drama.

You got it all right but forgot to mention next time she's going to take a stick. OP I can't think of how a stick would help you to stop a dog trying to pee unless of course you're going to beat the dog with a stick ?

Sorry, no, I don’t agree with adjusting the world to suit dogs (and certainly not moving my foot so they could pee right next to it, are you crazy?!) Firm kick to move them sideways (definitely not a nudge) from me. Allowing dogs to toilet where children play is quite disgusting anyway. Can’t blame the dogs so can only be the owners.

You're the one who yells arsily I HOPE YOU'RE GOING TO PICK THAT UP when my female dog has a wee or sits down to watch the birds, aren't you?

I have three dogs and if any of my three somehow made their way unsupervised up to your grandchildren and cocked their leg up him I'd be telling you to kick (not boot! big difference) the dirty gremlin away as I ran up to you

@W0tnow - your comment summed up my thoughts perfectly 👍🏻

The dog didnt cock its leg anywhere near the grandkids, it pissed on a rock that the OP was planning to sit on.

The my grandchildren dont like dogs running up to them and pissing on their shoes is an irrelevant smokescreen to jazz up the drama.

@Bambooshoot

I know, I know. Your foot has far more right to be on that particular patch of sand than a dog's urine does. But it's easier and less pathetic to simply move your foot than stick it in a dog's ribs. And take it up with the owner if the dog is annoying you. Or go and kick them instead.

It is a beach. Dogs are going to pee there. Ever take your kids to the woods? Dogs have peed there. Ever take them your kids to play by the river? Dogs have peed there. Ever taken your kids on a walk in the countryside? Guess what! Dogs have peed there. Along with foxes, badgers, rabbits, deer, rats etc.

Did you read the post

Dogs pee on anything that sticks up on a beach, rocks, driftwood, pebbles, sandcastles, shells ... anything.

The dog's owner should have been closer and had more control over their dog. But dogs pee on everything.

@Verv

That's my thoughts. If you see a dog raising it's back leg, you don't stand stock still watch a stream of piss coming towards you. You move yourself and your grandkids out the way sharpish.

Lucky you were not bitten op and injured and then the dog potentially would have had to be out to sleep.

Through no fault of its own.

@Justcallmebebes

The whole human race thinks it is perfectly acceptable to dump zillions of gallons of raw sewage and god knows what other vile pollutants into oceans, rivers and the atmosphere. We systematically deforest half the planet and cause untold suffering and obliteration to everything in our path. My god, the hypocracy and entitlement of our species is beyond words. But yes, let's get a grip and worry about dogs urine shall we?

@oakleaffy

I've worked with dogs and lived around all sorts of dogs all my life (including nervous rescue and disabled ones). I'm now in my sixties. Most of my friends and family have also had dogs throughout their lives. Never, ever once have I seen a dog urinate on a child or an adult for that matter. Yet you say you have seen this several times. That's strange. Would you like to explain the circumstances?

It doesn’t have the right to piss on OP’s seat, or over her grandchildren’s shoes!

I’ve seen plenty piss on strangers’ prams, pushchairs and children’s bikes in the park. All of which had children on/in them. Fine if you haven’t, but it definitely happens.

@Saschka

It didn't piss all over her grandchildren's shoes though did it and it was never going to. We established that a long time ago on this thread. Do you think that you and the 8 billion other humans on the planet are entitled to flush piss and crap into the sea? I guess you'll say that's different, yes?