To wish this country was more dog friendly?

[lesley33]

I know some dogs are badly behaved, but surely not all dogs should be tarred with the same brush? My dog is a very well behaved labrador. On the continent dogs are allowed into lots of pubs and cafes and in places like Paris dogs are regularly walked along City streets. But in the UK, lots of people do not seem happy to let dogs share their space anywhere, which I think is vvu.

Pudding, I found Ebay cheaper than the pet shops. You'd need a size 2 for the average Springer - like like this one.

PS, all admiration to you for owning an ESS - they're far too energetic for this old lady! :o

I had a couiple come to a party once and because they had to come a very long way, I offered to put them up for the night. I didn't know that they had a dog amd they brought it with them. I have no facilities for a dog and wasn't going to have it pooing in my garden because I had little grandchildren who play there sometimes.

I didn't want it sleeping in my kitchen for hygiene reasons (I did bring our rabbit in once when it was ill though) and showed her where to take it for its defecation (where I knew everyone else other people took theirs). It was a beautiful dog and was well behaved - retriever/labrador or something but I wish I'd known in advance and cold have said no to the dog's arrival.

Yeah. And if somebody has a nut allergy it's their problem if you want to eat nuts. And if I want to ride my bike on the pavement it's up to you to get out of my way?

It is up to dog owners to keep their dogs under control. As most do. And to apologise profusely if their dog forgets himself- as they all do from time to time. As most do.

Are dog owners not afraid of anything?

Afraid of deer ! The big bloody stags in Royal Parks - some are huge and always here stories (some true) about them going after people.

Damn inconsiderate - I have to put my dog on a lead !

Deer should be banned from Royal Parks so I can walk my dog in peace

I'm afraid of balloons but I cope if I have to attend a childrens party. I would never dream of asking people to restrain their balloons or lock them in another room. It would be rude and silly. My fear. My issue to deal with. I usually just sit in a corner and wibble quietly until it is time to leave.

seeker, we are talking of a dog in his own home!. You can't compare that to activity in public, such as riding a bike on the pavement (which is also against the law I believe... having a dog bark at you from within his own home isn't, that I can assure you of).

And so YES, if someone is scared by MY dog in MY home when they have come to MY door, unwelcome and uninvited... YES, that IS their fecking problem!

BeerTricksPotter

But anyone could walk in at any time and how do you know that the park is deserted? Are there bushes in the park? Your unleashed dog could be at the other end of the park, a long way from you, with a small family coming in. Dogs bound up to people, put their dirty paws on our clothes, slobber over our property. They should be on a lead at all times. A walk is a walk. Dogs should not be allowed to run wild. If you have a garden, let it run there and produce its poo there If you have no garden, you should not have a dog that poos outside other people's houses.

No dogsbeastfriend, Seeker's post was in response to Pudding's, I think, which argues that those who aren't keen on dogs shouldn't try to 'bury their heads in the sand', but rather be cool with dogs running around unrestrained.

dooin it's probably lucky for you then that balloons aren't generally loose in public!

AEN:

1. My dogs don't bound up to people, put paws on them et al. Nor do the majority, you'll find.

1. No, you are wrong. Dogs should NOT be put on leads at all times. That would be very much going against allowing them to exhibit natural, harmless behaviour and adversely affect their ability to exercise, to learn essential social skills with other dogs and humans and has a HUGE potential to cause a host of resultant problems including canine and human aggression and fear.

1. My dogs don't shit outside other peoples' houses either.

They are actually. I often see loose balloons. I wibble. My children chase them and then chase me while holding their wild balloons. Children's parties are worse though. And Xmas parties. I have been invited to a Xmas party for our bootcamp. I daren't ask if there will be balloons. People look at me like

Ah, thank you for putting me straight there Elaine, I must have missed that as I am swapping pages and working whilst MNing. Sorry seeker, I clearly got the wrong end of the stick. :)

Surely their natural behaviour wouldn't extend to them living in a house with some people?

Dogs became domiscated after they choose to hang around humans and help out with hunting, so one could argue that the dogs chose to be kept in houses with people.

Feral balloons.

I have a fear of feral clowns. I'm very much of the opinion that if you have a fear or phobia you do your damnedest to sort it out. As I did with my needle phobic DD2, who was so bad that she would panic and run blindly.

sarah then I hope next time you go to the park, lots of clowns run up to you and shout WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU in your face, while their circus master owner laughs at your fear and tells you you need to get used to clowns.

Although actually I'm not sure there are any documented cases of clowns biting, maiming or killing humans (apart from in It ).

Needles, you need to get over, because you might well need an injection at some point (like if a dog bites you, for example!). Dogs, not so much.

While we're on the topic, I used to live in an area where there were many Indian/Pakistani families. Most children of these ethnicities who I encountered on my walk were outwardly petrified of my (very cartoon-like) dog. They often skirted around us to the point where on occasion, they would jump into the busy road in the face of oncoming traffic. Once a car actually had to swerve. I began to pre-empt this and if I saw this situation potentially arise I made sure she was on a very short tether as far away from where the children were passing.

I respect their fear, but I found it pretty annoying. Most kids can't get enough of her - as I said she's pretty cartoon-like. Can anyone shed any light as to the background of why children of people of southern Asian origin behave this way?

My dogs don't shout 'WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU' they have not yet accquired the gift of speech.

Nor do they or most dogs run around indiscrimately maiming people. That's why it gets in the news. It's RARE. Very, very rare. Probably about as rare as the incidences of balloons causing death or murderous clowns.

Vivi I do believe that many Asian cultures view dogs to be dirty. I am happy to be corrected if I am wrong.

But if you're 4 years old and a dog woofs at you from close range in a friendly manner, it's quite reasonable and evolutionarily sensible for you to be scared. I'm sure you'd be scared if a dog so big it's nose was on a level with yours woofed at you!

thanks, Dooin - I suspect some answers could be gleaned with a google search but I thought it would be more authentic to ask real people (as real as you lot are!) I feel I ought to add a disclaimer that I'm not generalising about ALL Indian/Pakistani children, just many of the ones I encountered in a particular neighbourhood

Exactly - to a small child, WOOF WOOF BARK BARK GRRRR sounds exactly like 'we're going to get you'. It's no less rationale than fearing anything else, and rather more than most.

Happens to me daily Seeker, that's what happens when you own a Greyhound who believes every seat in the house belongs to her.