Sick to death of dogs

[SwordToFlamethrower]

Went to the beach today with dh and dd1.

Got jumped on by a dog off its lead. Owner said "oh. Sorry"

Two dogs ran up to us and started growling and snapping at me and dd who was playing on the sand.

Another dog ran up to us, had no idea what it's intentions were!

All off lead, all owners using their baby voices "don't do that Fido darling!"

Dog shit bags everywhere despite their being loads of bins and even free dog bags!

Absolutely so fed up of entitled dog owners and their nasty little dogs.

We were at the coast yesterday ( Sunday). We'll known for dog walkers.. never encountered this and it was busy.. sunny but cold..
Loads of dogs running on beach.. some actually in the sea.. loads on the pier.. l actually stroked a couple of dogs.. Well behaved..
I think some people just don't like dogs.. Full stop!

I actually quite like dogs and would one day like to have a dog (life is too busy for that particular commitment at the moment).

However, I am also tired of being regularly harassed by poorly controlled dogs and coming across dog shit everywhere. My 2 year old has become anxious around dogs because of several experiences of being chased, knocked over, or run around in circles by reactive, barking dogs over whom their owners have no control. Not only in parks or fields or even woods, but mostly on footpaths in residential areas (because that's where we do most of our walking). I am not exaggerating these kind of things happen every few weeks and in one particularly bad week there were 3 incidences in a single week!

She now stands against me facing my legs whenever she sees a dog because she is afraid. She is not able to understand the difference between a controlled non reactive dog safely on a leash and one that is unleashed and might run over to knock her down or bark in her face. I don't even discourage this response because frankly it is safer for her.

Thankfully where we live large dangerous breeds are not popular. This behaviour is mostly from terriers, spaniels and sometimes medium sized retriever types.

At a beach or out on a woodland walk if we have a picnic it is not uncommon for dogs not on a leash to hassle us for food or even steal our food whilst their owners fail to recall them because they have not been properly trained.

And I see discarded bagged dog poo, or unbagged dog poo every day. On footpaths, thrown into our front garden (!), in fields / woodlands and natural areas.

Lastly there is a problem where we live of under exercised bored dogs locked in small gardens who reactively bark at everything and anything. To be honest that's a minor nuisance but it's the poor dogs I feel sorry and upset for.

It's true - this isn't the fault of dogs themselves, they are animals governed by their instincts and training. It isn't all or even a majority of dogs. In fact, the good behaviour of most dogs makes these bad examples even more annoying because they are so unnecessary if a dog is either well trained or controlled on a leash!

But there are a lot of irresponsible owners out there and I think the problem has actually got worse or is more noticeable as dog ownership has increased. I believe owning a dog is a major commitment to a certain kind of lifestyle which should include its training, exercise and also managing its waste. If you don't have the time or don't want the commitment, you shouldn't own a dog. I am in favour of dog licensing.

Dog threads appear in Active all the time! Just before typing this I had a look at Active and there were two Doghouse threads there.

I once went on a Doghouse thread that was complaining about fireworks and how they affect dogs. I was told by posters to go away because dog threads are for dog lovers.

I agree that MN is for discussion, whether agreeing or disagreeing with an OP or other posters. But that doesn’t seem to be the approach of dog lovers.

Honestly it is absolutely unreasonable to let your dog off the lead anywhere but an enclosed field specifically for dog training, or an enclosed private space such as your own garden, IF you dog does not have 100% recall.

If your dog can be instantly recalled then it's no problem it being off lead in most places. However, noone should be harassed by an uncontrolled dog in a public space. It's an event that should never happen! Dog friendly means dogs are allowed, not dogs are allowed to do whatever they want.

Both dogs and children have so much in common.
Their attitudes and behaviour depend on the adults raising them.

Imagine if people spouted how much they are sick to death of your child because you raised it shit. It's not the poor kids fault.

I'm sick to death of adult humans. Some are mad levels of stupid and have no business raising children or dogs. Spouting foolishness online.

Ooh it must be at least five minutes since we had a thread like this 🥱

I have to admit that I was a bit when I went on a dog walk with some relatives. They have a lovely non aggressive dog, as do I. I have always called mine to me and popped a slip lead on if people without dogs/people with children/people with dogs on leads approach, until we get past. Mine won't jump up or bark at you, but she might meander into your path following a scent, which you might find annoying or worrying, so on the lead she goes for a couple of minutes. Relatives don't do this and very much have the attitude that other people shouldn't mind being bothered by dogs if they have chosen to walk somewhere where they might encounter them.
Sometimes my approach causes confusion though, I did this when I saw a women with a young child and a baby in a pushchair approaching and the women panicked and called her child to her, as I got level she told me off for letting my dog off lead if its vicious, I explained she isn't vicious and she asked why I had put her on the lead then ?

I can just imagine what people would say if I let my toddler run up to them and put his mucky, chocolate covered hands all over their clean clothes.

’Sorry love, if you don’t like toddlers, don’t come here”.

Dog friendly is not the same as dog only.
You are allowed to visit a dog friendly location without a dog and enjoy that space.

I used to love dogs and grew up with a black lab I thought as a kid was genuinely my own flesh and blood. As an adult I'm now absolutely sick to death of dogs. They are everywhere, in every cafe, on every train, in every shop. They are off lead constantly, often with poor recall. They invade play parks, beaches, everywhere and there is dog poo on so many pavements, or for some reason in a little bag which is then placed at the side of the path. Wtf! That's before we even get close to the insanity of the xl bully lot. Proof, if it were needed, that some dog owners have completely lost the plot.

I'd be happier in a world without dogs now.

I wish more dog owners were like you tbh. You sound very considerate and caring. Although it sounds like you can't win with that particular person😬

People on here get annoyed about the number of threads about dogs. In response we get, in no particular order:

Dogs are better than humans
What about your horrible brats?
You are a dog hater
Why don't you go somewhere with no dogs?
People who don't like dogs are psychopaths
If you're scared of dogs, get some therapy

The vast majority of these threads could be eliminated by dog owners taking more control of their animals. My local leisure centre has an enclosed area for exercising dogs. Does anyone use it? Hell no, they'd rather let their dogs loose on the football/rugby/gaelic pitches. Dog faeces everywhere. And there have been loads of incidents where dogs have chased and snapped and growled at people. Probably only a tiny minority, as I reckon most dog owners are responsible, but if those other numpties are there every day, that's a daily problem. A 6yo child was bitten in November last year. My SIL has NO control of her dogs. I used to go out for the odd walk with her, but it was embarrassing how her dogs just ran up to people, jumping and barking. She would shriek at them to come back, but they ignored her. They shouldn't be off lead in public places. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me.

Dogs are great, but not everyone loves your dog as much as you do.

I’d probably give it a miss then.

I go out of my way to get to a dog friendly beach.

Owners should pick up and bag poo, as humans should pick up and bag their litter. We cause far more mess on beaches than dogs.

Completely agree with this

I think most people ARE considerate dog owners, but these threads are almost always very OTT, and get OTT responses back as a result.

I have never come across these situations that posters here apparently seem to encounter on a daily basis. I have a dog and I’m a dog lover, where do you all live as I would probably love it 🤣

Yeah I've had this too, being viewed with suspicion because I actually have my dogs under control and don't let them bother other people.

Or bizarrely mine being on the lead and under control blamed for the behaviour of an off lead and out of control dog that causes an issue.

"It's because yours are on a lead!" Nope! The issue is happening because yours are not under your control - lead or otherwise!

Other people are allowed to use a space and not want to interact with or entertain someone else's dog, it's beyond me why people expect others to interact and entertain their dogs - why have a dog if you're just going to expect other people to entertain it?

Some people have absolutely no intention of treating anyone else with any decency or respect but demand they are treated with it. An increasing number of these people are dog owners and there in lies the problem.

Oh my I wish dog owners would take responsibility. This thread reminds me of the parents of the kids at school who would always defend their priceless little shits kids who could do no wrong.

I have friends who have post Covid dogs who won't go anywhere without them. They're cute but I don't want their slobber and 'kisses' thanks. And I don't want to be restricted where we go .

Thank goodness NT properties are strict so we can have a day out without my daughter being petrified.

I've had my eldest dog for almost 14 years, she loved to play and interact with other dogs - right up until she got attacked and hurt by another dog, and now of course she's old, her sight and hearing isn't what it was and she's not interested in other dogs and reacts when they are persistently in her space because she doesn't want them near her.

She never used to go over to other dogs but wasn't reactive if they came to her, so it wasn't really an issue, now because of a number of factors, she reacts.

I guess because it causes an issue now, being approached by other dogs that the owners have no control of or think they should, I notice it more than when she would greet, have a sniff and move on.

I agree though that the 'experiences' are probably exaggerated somewhat at times and OTT and you get those types of response in return.

Are you sure you were not visiting an all-year round dog beach (as designated by council)? Because yesterday I was at a dog beach and there was a very vocal lady complaining about "all the dogs" :) There are other beaches in the area where dogs are BANNED, but she still chose to come to the dog beach - because its the closest and most convenient to her, and complain. Don't be that person.

🥱

There are plenty of beaches where dogs are not allowed.

I personally much prefer to see a beach full of dogs enjoying themselves away from entitled parents.

Not necessarily. The only beaches near enough for me to get to for the day all allow dogs between October and April.

I don’t mind sharing beach space with them, as long as they’re under control and the owners pick up after them, but it’s a bit entitled to just say find somewhere else / don’t go to the beach. Dogs allowed doesn’t mean dogs can do what they want.

“Another dog bashing thread”.. well maybe there is a good reason for it.
Don't see any goldfish bashing threads coz they’re not pains in the arses who leave their shit everywhere (yes I know it’s the owners who don’t clean up after them), but I don’t care about that when I have to clean my sons shoes for the 866886th time this month.

It’s humans who leave the poop around not the dog.

Don’t seem to get many rubbish on beach / human bashing threads either, but there’s usually plenty of rubbish left behind by humans in parks and on beaches and roads. It seems we are only offended by poop, not by rubbish. Not to mention human spit, phlegm, poo, piss, etc everyone is fine with that apparently.

Less dogs less crap though

@Missingmyusername rubbish anywhere is awful, agreed, but there is a huge difference between stepping on a crisp packet and a lump of dog turd. You can’t trample a mcds bag all through your house, and rubbish like that doesn’t get all over buggy wheels/kids shoes which they then take to school/ home.
Yes, rubbish anywhere is terrible, but shit on pavements, which will always be dogs, is worse. Much much worse.

There is duck poop all over our local park, we expect that. It’s rank but ducks don’t have anyone who should he cleaning up after them.