to be sick to death of having to put up with other people's dogs

[WriterofDreams]

I am not a dog person. I think they're nice but I don't want to pet a dog or be anywhere near them really. This partly comes from being attacked by a dog as a young child.

This was never a problem when I lived in Ireland, where a dog is a subservient pet that is to be kept in line. In busy areas dogs are generally kept on a lead at all times and IME if a loose dog ever came up to me the owner always apologised and pulled the dog away. In the park where I used to go walking any dog that wasn't on a lead was taken away by the pound, whether the owner was close by or not. This was to protect the wildlife in the area.

Since moving to England I have come to hate dogs, not really through any fault of their own. There is a common near me where I often go walking with DS, who thankfully is still in a pram so I don't have to worry about him. On every single occasion, often more than once, a large dog has come up to me, often running. On a couple of occasions a dog has jumped up on me, scaring the absolute shit out of me. On practically every occasion the owner has either not been anywhere in the vicinity (as the dog has run far ahead of them) or has smiled indulgently and uttered the immortal phrase "he is very friendly!" before feebly calling the dog and offering no apology for the fact that dog invaded my space and scared me. On a few occasions I have been scared witless by dogs viciously fighting on the path.

AIBU to think the owners have a responsibility to keep their dogs close to them and not allow them to harrass other people?

I don't understand that either, Thereisnotry. We have one in our park, near the gate. I think people pretend that they will collect them on their way out and then just don't. It still baffles me though. I'd rather put a bag full of dog poo in a dog bin than take it home for my household rubbish.

I do seem to have inadervently trained mine to only poop at home though. They get chicken for pooping in the yard, they don't get any chicken for doing it in the park. They save themselves until we are back.

a dog is a dog. DOes it have to be big to be alright? why would a small dog be silly?

WoD, a hell of a lot of dogs kept as pets are treated like shit.

I repeat, citing Ireland as an example of good practice does your case no favours and insults the intelligence of those of us who know all too painfully the real story.

My dogs are like Dooin's only they don't sit on laps. Too big. They do sit on our sofas though. This is their home. If you don't want a dog beside you either don't visit or get off their sofas and sit on the floor! (only half joking)

As it goes they would settle nicely after a few moments but yes, my younger GSD is indeed boisterous albeit well trained. You can EXPECT whatever you like in my house but if thats for me to remove my dogs you will leave disappointed. If you ask or demand that I do so you will just leave. Fast.

If you EXPECT anything that is not your right in a persons own home, you are displaying a sense of entitlement which is over-inflated afaiac.

WoD, I am vegan, my children lifelong vegetarians. No meat is ever cooked or served in this house.

And I have many friends and too many visitors. :)

Fair enough Valhalla. I don't agree FWIW. I love my cats and think they're great but I don't expect others to feel the same way and I'm perfectly fine with people expecting them to be put out of the room when they visit, just as I'm fine with serving food I think my guest will like or I'm fine with turning down music they might find too loud etc. I like my guests to feel comfortable and I don't expect them to like cats just because I do.

Vallhala I'm a bit disappointed in your answer to the vegetarian question, I know you know that's a cheap debating ploy ;)

sam I was nodding along with your post until I got to the point where you said you put your dogs back on the lead if you see someone - really??

Our family dog does not have 'perfect recall' - IMO no such thing exists, even police dogs probably have the potential to be distracted by somethng, in some situation - but she is really quite good. We let her off in woods and in park spaces and keep an eye on her, and call her back if she gets too near people. 99% of the time she comes. I have never seen her jump on anyone - and obviously if she did, we would be horrified and discipline her appropriately.

It's just a compromise, as far as I can see - unless you live in the middle of nowhere, you do need to let your dogs off where there are people - so you train them to behave in those situations!

Valhalla if you came to my house and I served meat and then asked you to leave because you wouldn't eat it, how would you feel? I'm sure you expect your meat eating friends to provide vegan food for you if you visit - or do you not have any meat eating friends? How is serving vegan food to suit a guest any different than keeping your dogs away from someone who is afraid of them?

My Dad's new foster Whippet wraps herself around guests shoulders, much like a cat would . He'd never tell her to stop. I think she's brilliant. I want my dogs to perch on my shoulders like a nice warm scarf, but they won't

I don't really have a problem with guests and my dogs. I don't know anyone who doesn't like dogs. The small child over the road was a bit nervous of them, but I helped her with that.

I think 'Princess Entitlement' is one of the funniest things I have ever read on MN

FWIW even though I love meat and am not keen at all on the vegan food I've eaten so far (admittedly not much) if you were coming to my house I'd cook an all-vegan meal and make an effort for you.

My dogs are never shut up in the house. If people get funny about them being there, I insist on meeting somewhere else. It's easier that way for all concerned.

Maybe I should change my name to it BornInAfrica?

WoD, I understand completely where you are coming from. I'm a dog owner but I'm also nervous of dogs I don't know who approach me (again, I was bitten as a child and even though I grew up with dogs, I'm nervous of unknown dogs). I walk my dog off lead mostly, but he is very intelligent, has total recall and is not interested in people. Our last dog, who never calmed down in her 14 years, had to be on lead at all times because she just thought everyone loved her as much as we did and would be all over people if she got the chance.

In our local park, dogs are allowed off lead until 11am each morning and for the last hour before closing and everyone obeys this.

I have two friends who are afraid of dogs. One has learned to relax around my dog so he stays in when she comes but my other friend is terrified of dogs so the dog goes out when she's there. No question about it. People first, animals second (and I speak as a vegetarian too!!). I think it would be so rude not to put my dog out if someone is scared of him.

Maybe you should WoD. If the tiara fits and all that.......

OOOOH do I get a TIARA?!! darn big-headed DS

DooinmeCleanin, my dog does that! He perches on my husband's shoulders. He also thinks he's a cat and curls up on our laps and makes little happy noises (and he's much too big for this- he's a springer).

When DH came home from a couple of weeks away, the dog leapt up on his shoulders and peed all over him in his excitement. And he loves him enough to laugh about it

revolting where we walk our dogs is a big valley so we watch out for other people, it's easy to see to the other side so have plenty of time for the dogs to come back. It is also quiet at the times of day we choose to walk them,generally very early morning or late afternoon.

My dogs DO come back every time they are called, because they are trained to do so and they are then allowed to walk at heel and then leaded when we are closer to the other people. Once we are passed and the dogs are showing no interest in whoever we have passed they are let back off the lead to walk at heel and then free run. It isn't difficult to train an Alsatian to behave in this way, with other breeds it would be more difficult and with some I'd imagine impossible.

I don't let my dogs off in the woods where we would be unable to see people approaching because I'm aware alsatians can appear aggressive to people who don't know the breed well. I realise I'm lucky to be able to walk my dogs in an area where there are few people, however if I took them to a busy park I would keep them on a lead, as I said previously I trust them 100% but I choose not to take risks as dogs can react in different situations than we would expect.

Op I wouldn't shut my dogs outside if you came to visit, sorry but you know they're there and it's their house as much as mine. They are part of our family, neither would I shut the cat out, he would be most annoyed at you pinching his chair!

YANBU in any shape or form flipping dog owners think we dont have a right to choice as to whether we have they furry mutt in our business! im not afraid of dogs quite like them really but this attitude that i must whether i want to or not enjoy some elses pet on all my walks and picnics i think is not fair. i keep chickens maybe i should walk them and see how dog owners enjoy a friendly peck from my babies! also please remember that some people are very alergic to dogs so the wont hurt you sentence just dont work how would ou know?

i must also say different in the dogs own home

My colleague lives in Belfast, has two rescue dogs, and certainly doesn't treat them as subservient beings so you're generalising a bit. Maybe you left a while ago?

You're not being unreasonable to not like dogs, you don't have to like them. It is the dog owner's responsibility to keep their pet from causing harm to anybody else. As a devoted dog owner, I find that not all parents keep their DCs in check in the same way. I don't want DCs I don't know, rushing over to maul grab my dogs around the ears.

I find that parents who don't like dogs tend not to teach their DCs about how to behave around them, possibly because they mistakenly assume that their DCs won't like them either.

So, keep your DCs away from my dogs and I'll do my bit. :)

Lying I'm from Ireland. Belfast isn't in Ireland.

I'll definitely teach DS how to behave around dogs - ie not approaching them from behind, letting them sniff him a bit before touching them (with permission from the owner), being gentle etc. Any other tips?

Aaah the weekly dog-bash thread... and it's only Tuesday. Thought this one was Thursday fodder and Tuesday was the cat in my garden whine time folks!?

With the house thing... My house, My dog's house, My cat's house, My husband's house... not your house therefore my rules or the door's behind you. The dog/cat/husband (last one negotiable - JOKE for those who've had their sense of humour removed) will NOT be removed on your demand. Don't like it - don't come round. I don't ask people to remove their babies/scan photos etc (which upset me massively) when I go to their homes - accord me the same degree of consideration in my home. Anyone with issoos with our pets who won't be in the same room as them - can arrange to meet up with us in a coffee shop or in the pub.

And in the park - keep your kids away from my dog (unless they ask to say hello - I've got a zero tolerance policy on kids coming up unrequested - for the sake of the day when they go bowling up to a dog that ISN'T calm and sociable) and I'll keep my dog away from your kids. However the fucktarded morons who try to demand that I'm banned from public spaces as I dare own a dog and it's the two weeks that passes for summer in the UK and they want it all for themselves - can, quite politely, go fuck themselves to be honest because I am sick and tired of hysteria, passive aggressive muttering and downright rudeness because I walk a very well behaved, very focused on me, very calm (and downright gorgeous) dog... so these days I give it back in abundance.