Dogs are everywhere?!

[LadyMonicaBaddingham]

I took DS to a university open day today. Two separate families had brought their dog with them! Is this someone I've missed?! Why is this necessary?!

I'm always amazed how small greyhounds fold up. They're the Swiss army penknife of dogs.

People do a lot of things that give them pleasure but have no value to society in general and cause nuisance for people around them - vaping and smoking, playing loud music, driving too fast, getting lashed and singing loudly on the way home at 2am and graffiti for example.

Dogs seem pretty ok compared to some of the stuff 'useful' members of society get up to.

So true! Look at what's happening to women in Afghanistan. There's a lot of shit humans. We seem to think the entire planet should be just for us

It would be cruel to keep a dog only to your back garden and never walk them, that's not realistic to say you can't have your dog anywhere but your own property.

I would support higher penalties for not picking up poo and more areas where dogs must be kept on a lead though, even as a dog owner. There is no excuse for leaving poo on the pavements, it's vile. One of my (rescue) dogs is nervous and it would be easier to walk her if I could be confident other owners would not let their off lead dogs just bound up to her and crowd her. The USA is much better at this, they have dogs on lead in public spaces rules in most states except dedicated dog parks and open spaces like national parks.

I know I'm going a bit "not all dog owners" but honestly, some of us really do want to do the right thing and coexist peacefully. Banning us all from the streets and confining dogs to their own homes and gardens just feels a bit extreme!

You don’t know much do you? My young dog is currently learning ‘mantrailing’. Most dogs doing that are family pets. Which dogs do you think go out looking for missing people? Its volunteers with trained and certificated family pets. Dogs also do many other important jobs in society.

Also the dogs that go into care homes as therapy dogs are family pets.

And also hospitals (where no allergies present of course)…. PATS - pets as therapy.

This is the therapy dog that goes to one of the groups I attend. She also goes to care homes. She is such a softie, and everyone loves her.
I used to work in a children's hospital, and we had a lovely chocolate lab that came in. The storeman used to give him a bacon sarnie on the way out.

One of my FB friends has several dogs, and a few have had work in TV. The one that comes to mind first is the dachshund in one of the Vitality insurance ads. He is also trained in scent work.

🙄🙄15 years into the future doesn't change how much of a PITA a lot of them are at the time!!
and no there's no given that they will be 'pro social'

whereas the dogs are not likely to commit rape, burglary, driving offences etc rtc

dogs aren't only of value to their owners, other people's dogs bring me far more joys than other people's teenagers/young adults.

Totally agree, why are there so many dog haters on Mumsnet, so glad 'real' life isn't like this. Everywhere I go with my dog (who is very well behaved) people are warm, welcoming and pleased to see us. My dog puts a smile on everyone's face, it is his super power!

What actually is the point of all these ‘children are worse’ arguments? Even if it’s true, so what? It’s not as if more dogs and dog owners mean fewer annoying teenagers or toddlers, we’re still going to have both so why bring children into it at all?

It’s like someone complaining about say, burglaries being a problem, and others shutting them down with ‘but dangerous driving is worse!’ And? So what?

@eastegg because children and dogs are often annoying to others in the same situation - eg cafes

So what if it’s in the same situation? It’s still saying ‘but I think something else is just as bad/worse’. Just blatant whataboutery.

But to run with your logic for a moment;

Other things I might find annoying in cafes:

Slow service
People not queuing properly
Someone leaving the door open and creating a draft
Loud people

I could go on. Can I and everyone else bring all these things to this same thread, if they are all things that are annoying in the same situation eg cafes? As that was your logic for bringing children into it.

I don't utilise our local cafe in the village because it's dog friendly.

Lots of dogs frequent and it turns my stomach. I wouldn't force my opinion on dog owners/the cafe owner - I've just quietly chosen not to go back.

The slobber/hair/barking/whining/jumping on people/whatever else they get up to is just not for me.

Seeing as how there’s a lot of dog V children comments on here I’ve just got to add I’ve had at least forty young kids come to the door tonight trick or treating, most aged between four and eight (ish) and all bar one loved seeing the dog answer the door in a Halloween dress up. They all fussed her and several chatted to her, and our dog thought they’d all come just to see her so she was over the moon with the biggest doggy smile on show, all the kids were super polite, the dog was very well behaved, and gentle and calm with the littlest ones, mums and dads all polite too. And the little boy who was nervous? Our dog was sent to sit in the kitchen doorway and did so obediently, and the little lad seemed happy and said thank you.

Well behaved and sociable all around and it’s been a lovely evening.

Woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woofwoof
Dogs rule!

That’s a relief that the dog didn’t savage/eat the children (according to MN).

Same story here tonight, all the trick or treaters loved our dog & he loved them. Obviously, I only let him be fussed by the ones that wanted to. Which, surprisingly, was all of them! He is very cute though!

Such nice stories! We had a trick-or-treat free evening, sadly.

We had pumpkins out and had loads of sweets ready. I’d put Fang, our XL Bully, on a long chain in the front garden to say hello to kids knocking for sweets. But no kids seemed to want to come in 😢. They’re obviously dog haters.

Fang is remarkable. He can actually cure sick children. When I say on Facebook that I’ll be taking him to the local children’s ward for pet therapy, the ward’s always empty when we get there! It’s miraculous! Which means the doctors and nurses take the time off too and we never see them either! The only staff we see are security guards who come along and ask us to leave. Yet more dog haters. Shame.

Please don’t think most people are like this! My DD absolutely loves dogs & theres the softest XL Bully round the corner from us that we know well & she gets so much attention from all the kids on our estate. She’s a rescue & THE softest, goofiest girl ever! She had a pumpkin coat on today & every time I saw her out on her walks, she was being fussed!

My friend in the next village had only 3 trick or treaters so please don’t think it was fang😀

MANY years back (would have been in the 80s), Dartmoor Wildlife park (now, If I remember right, Dartmoor Zoological park, the one they based the film "we bought a zoo" off) did allow all and any dogs. they don't now. I don't know about assistance dogs.
we took our German Shepherd and he and the wolves were play bowing at each other. it was adorable.
BUT he was scared SHITLESS of the tigers.
one of the most touching things is that there was a play area which had a fibreglass tiger in it. when my cousin and I, small children, ran towards the play area, he nearly crapped himself. we were climbing on this fibreglass tigre, and he went into full on growling and snarling mode, approaching it with stiff legs, fully willing to fight a terrifying animal to protect us.
apparently as soon as his nose touched it and he realised it wasn't real, he nearly collapsed with relief.

they do love a bit of sofa space though :P

sadly, I know all too well how many of them don't even HAVE to grow to be bullies. I was bullied from Primary School to the end of my education. which happened after I finished my A levels, as I just couldn't bear to keep putting myself through it.
and then in several workplaces too.
no wonder I'm a bloody hermit. I'm amazed I still have as much compassion for others as I do, considering what most people are like.

I know the exact one! he's cute.
I don't like a lot of the physical issues the breed has, but when I was a dog groomer, I always had a soft spot for them. they're proper cheeky little characters.