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.

Quite. When my children were 4, if they stopped on a walk and pissed against a lamp-post, I would have had stern words with them.

Please will someone direct ME to all these places where dogs are coming over to folk and jumping up at them, putting their muddy great paws on their clothing? Because I really wouldn't mind.

I am out 3 times a day MINIMUM walking dogs. I haven't got to meet that kind of dog in yonks, not even with the 6 month old full of fun Lab puppy I enjoy meeting so much.

Cropton Forest would be a good start.

Yup, if you like several big dogs set loose from their car and hurtling up to your pram barking like bastards whilst their lardy owners hoik their carcasses out of the estate car before saying 'he's only playing! he can tell you're frightened!', that's yer forest!

Suit me fine, Elaine.

I own 3 big dogs and regularly work with about 70 dog of various shapes and sizes. :)

S if you can see that someone genuinely isn't comfortable around them, or that a child is unhappy with a dog near it, (dog owners generally) then, do you think:
'hysterical child needs to be taught better, silly parents'
or
'oh dear, that little one looks nervous, I shall recall my hound'
?

DBF, try Wimbledon Common too. It is a bloody nightmare at times. DS1 is less than 2 1/2 and in his short life we have already had 2 incidents, where dogs have been "friendly" to him. No wonder poor thing has been petrified of dogs. IMO there should be dog parks for dogs and in other areas they should have to be on a lead.

Also any beach in Cornwall. I especially recommend the (very few) on which dogs are banned, if you really want owners who are cool with their animal running up to you and ruining your cricket/lunch/swim.

I've had many holidays in Cornwall; we never took our dog because so few beaches do allow them. I've never been harrassed by a dog on any Cornish beach.

Maybe some people just smell hugely attractive to dogs and unfortunately they tend not to be dog lovers?

DBF, try Wimbledon Common too. It is a bloody nightmare at times. DS1 is less than 2 1/2 and in his short life we have already had 2 incidents, where dogs have been "friendly" to him. No wonder poor thing has been petrified of dogs. IMO there should be dog parks for dogs and in all other areas they should have to be on a lead.

I should add that I am from a doggy family too. My mum has a dog who is very sweet (and also quite small) and well behaved but I just very much dislike the way owners think it is acceptable to allow their dogs to run miles ahead of them.

'oh dear, that little one looks nervous, I shall recall my hound'

that one, obviously. I do sometimes point out to a querulous small child how very much taller he is than my dog though, which often as not prompts request to 'pat sossage doggy'.

Are we on page 15 where we can share fluffy dog pics yet?

...I want to hug all the dogs I meet, and walk them, play catch with them and take them home and feed them and snugglehug them....coo at their little black noses and waggily tails, but I can't as there are too many dogs...and their owners may object....

Ali, I know the common well. Never had an issue there tbh. My best friend lives not 10 minutes walk from it. He's an avid walker although not a dog owner (yet - his DP has severe allergies so waiting for a suitable rescue Poodle). Just dropped him a pm on FB - he's never had a problem there either. Gotta be a matter of bad luck - mine and yours! :o

Elaine you wanted to know:

"S if you can see that someone genuinely isn't comfortable around them, or that a child is unhappy with a dog near it, (dog owners generally) then, do you think:
'hysterical child needs to be taught better, silly parents'
or
'oh dear, that little one looks nervous, I shall recall my hound' "

I think "Hysterical child needs to be taught better, silly parents"... and at the same time I recall my dogs.

msfishneedsabycycle are you my brother? Remember what mum said? Dogs you have tied to a bit a string have NOT followed you home and no you can't keep them.

Have put pics on profile just for Deja.

I think dog owners needs to be more aware, just because they say they are friendly and won't bite A - doesn't guarentee they will or B - mean that a child wants a dog coming up to them at all, even if they are goofy and cuddly. Would you want a randaom adult just coming right up to you invading your personal space, would you? I could bound up to you on a lead and say I'm only wanting to play and would you play with me? No. And I really would not want one anywhere near me when eating out, when I have gone out to have a nice time with adults and/or children, if I wanted to sit next to a dog I would take a sandwich to the nearest kennels. Lets be honest most dogs smell, big ones, small ones etc and don't tell me they don't cos they do! I also hate the plethora of dogs yapping and barking tied up outside the school gates, lunging at people, quite frankly take your yappy lungy dog to dog school and get it to behave, otherwise I will stand outside your house and yap, bark and pant all over you as you try and walk in the door, nice huh? I live dogs, had they as a child, but there is a time and place for them and in restaurants and creeping into to adult spaces is certainly not the place! You chose to have a dog don't force it on me or else I might come stick my pet tortoise on the table with your starters, after all he's only sleeping, what harm can he do?

Kids do not have irrational fear of dogs or do they need to be taught about them. The owners need to be taught that not all children want a dog in their face just because they thinks he's cute and he won't bite.

And I regularly tell off the owner of a dog that thinks its OK to piss in my front hedge twice a day. Why should that be OK? Go piss in and poison your own hedge FFS. I may start pissing in their hedge, good idea?

Have only read the OP. But YABvU.

I love dogs, but there are so many dog owners who allow their dogs to ruin the places that they go.

Park = covered with dogshit, despite dog bins and notices asking people to clean it up.

Streets by school = covered with dogshit, disguised with leaves - great - how many kids going into the school with shit on their shoes?

I really don't want dogs being allowed more places than they already are and wouldn't use a cafe if dogs were allowed in there.

Oh and I'm just going to add that my kids also love dogs. They socialise with dogs belonging to family members.

There are just too many irresponsible dog owners.

And I have just recalled that this week, DS rode his bike through some squashed dogshit ON OUR OWN DRIVEWAY!!!!! that some idiot owner had let their dog do.

CaroCaro, I feel about other people's kids as you do about dogs.

Happy to share my dining table with a tortoise though.

I agree with you about the tying of dogs outside of school gates, but mainly because they are at risk of being stolen (a very real risk and an increasing problem in the UK) and are at risk of being poked and prodded by badly behaved or badly supervised kids.