AIBU?
to be really fed up with irresponsible dog owners?
ILoveYouToo · 03/06/2011 23:00
...Who ruin it for all of us responsible dog owners.
My dog poos.....there's no getting around this. But I either pick it up or I bury it in the sandy soil where we usually walk (I don't do this too often, as I don't want to add too many nutrients to the fauna-rich habitat where we walk). I despise the owners who leave great steaming dog turds on the paths, or (worse) hanging in bags in trees, like macabre christmas decorations. 
I keep my dog under control. My control isn't perfect, as I'm still training her, and she is liable to run past you, thinking intently about squirrels and rabbits. I am lucky that she has pretty much no interest in humans when we're on walks, but I will recall her if I see that an adult or child is scared of her. I think that dogs jumping up at or bothering people is unacceptable; it happens with mine very rarely, but when it does, I am extremely apologetic. If my dog was antisocial or a nuisance in any way, my default reaction would be to feel ashamed of my lack of control over my dog, to want to improve this, and to apologise to anyone who had been inconvenienced. Honestly, I have never met anyone in real life who is as hostile to dogs as so many MNers are.
So, as a rather drunk person, at this point in the evening, who (as my mum frequently points out) gets a bit foul mouthed when lubricated.... I have the following question....
What the fuck else do you want me to do??
PaddingtonStare · 03/06/2011 23:04
YANBU. I was going to post in response to your title that I am too, because the irresponsible few give the majority a bad name, to say nothing of the direct and indirect effect their behaviour has upon dogs and dog welfare.
As with our children, most of us do our best. And sometimes our charges don't do as we say, sometimes we make mistakes. But, comparing the two, the amunt of sheer vitriol doled out to dogs and their owners is shocking.
BeerTricksPotter · 03/06/2011 23:05
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BeerTricksPotter · 03/06/2011 23:11
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Honeydragon · 03/06/2011 23:14
YANBU though.
I watched a lady let her dog defecate on a public footpath last week, she was pushing a pram and her two children one only 2 were walking. She watched her dog crap and then walked on. I couldn't even challenge her as she deliberately stormed past me...so she knew she was being awful
ILoveYouToo · 03/06/2011 23:17
Thank you; am all radiantly glowing in pro-dog feeling now, having been spoiling for a drunken Friday night bunfight. 
I expect high standards of behaviour from my child and from my dog (and from myself) All of us fall short on that at times, but I'm usually apologetic afterwards (...including me getting very pissed and swearing gratuitously on MN), and look for ways to improve things.
It just really pisses me off when there's this blanket, hysterical reaction to dogs and dog owners.
herladyship · 03/06/2011 23:17
i have a lot of friends whose dc are terrified of dogs 
not sure why, as none of them have had any 'bad' experiences.. it makes me extra cautious about keeping dogs under strict control and not even looking at passers by
i LOVE dogs, have two of my own (one a puppy) and try to raise them to be well behaved, well socialised and 'no trouble' to humans, just wish parents would exercise the same amount of effort with their dc
PacificDogwood · 03/06/2011 23:24
I have considered a few times to put a notice on our fence going something like this:
"Dear responsible dog walkers, thank you so much for your consideration - it is much appreciated. Those of you who don't pick after their canine charges, may you step into every turd on your path, forever more"
Or something like it .
So, OP, YANBU. At all.
I would love to have a dog btw, long work days and v young children, oh, yes, and allergic DH make that unlikely, but I am a dog person. Just not so fond of their poo in my buggy wheels/shoes/toddler's hands
BeerTricksPotter · 03/06/2011 23:25
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ILoveYouToo · 03/06/2011 23:29
Honeydragon I walk regularly at a gorgeous beauty spot, where there are lots of very friendly dog owners. When I first started walking there with my pup, I was appalled at the volume of dog shit on or near the paths. If I saw someone not picking up, I would confront them and ask them if they needed to borrow a poo bag (in a very accusative manner ). I got in to some discussions with people on the subject, but I'm not sure I changed their minds.
It's awful, but as I got to know people there, I started to dread that I would see someone I knew, not picking up, as I didn't want to 'rock the boat' by having a go at them. I got around that by always bringing it up pre-emptively; raising the issue of dog fouling and how it ruins the area for everyone else (everyone agreed - who wouldn't? I hope it shamed them if they weren't picking up before). I will still pick people up on it (if they're not picking it up for themselves...Arf ), but I've become philosophical that so many people just can't be fucking arsed.
Honeydragon · 03/06/2011 23:33
I'm a bag offerer too 
, but the cow baggage literally was in danger of ripping her daughters arm off she went that fast.
It just beggared belief that she knew it was wrong, and still did it. I dread to think what she considers a acceptable place for her children to play
BeerTricksPotter · 03/06/2011 23:37
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ILoveYouToo · 03/06/2011 23:40
PacificDogwood YANBU at all (I know you didn't ask whether you were, but I just thought I'd say...). I am fucking incandescant with rage when I/DD/the dog comes home having trodden in un-picked-up-shit.
I once followed at speed (much to the embarrassment of DP, who felt obliged to keep up) a bloke on a river tow path who let his dog shit on the path. When I caught up, my opening line was
"Excuse me, do you have grandchildren?"
When he nervously replied yes, I asked him how he would feel when they came home from a walk along the river, plastered in dog shit because someone couldn't be bothered to pick up after their dog? He mumbled that everyone did it, and I asked him whether burglary was ok because so many people did it, and whether he wouldn't mind someone robbing his house because loads of people do that? He didn't answer, and hurried off with his dogs.
I'd love to think he started picking up.... but I wouldn't bank on it.
Goblinchild · 04/06/2011 00:08
'The other Dog Thread has gone really nice now. Dog haters go to bed early. They need their sleep so they can get up extra early and fit in a bit more Unfounded Hatred.'
I'm the nightshift at The Golden Woof, Tethers and Goblin all you can eat Korean restaurant.
Although this thread is full of good sense and responsible owners, so I'm happy.
cricketballs · 04/06/2011 07:05
never mind about those dog owners who don't pick up; its the bloody horse riders around here that drive me insane! If I didn't pick up my dog mess I would get fined but I have to navigate the horse crap on the road, paths etc why shouldn't they have to get off the bloody things and pick up their shit????
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