To have been annoyed by this

[NittyNuttyNoo]

Just got back from walking my dogs in my local park and saw two pieces of paper stuck on two trees up there. They were both posters done by a child and the first one said "Please clean up after your dog" which is fair enough. The second however said "Please keep your dog on a lead". Having walked my dogs in this park off lead for the last 16 years I have never seen a sign or been told they must be on lead. I understand people let their dogs act like complete hooligans and these people should keep their dogs on a lead but mine are both well behaved and do as they are told. I have as much right to use the park as a child and yet I don't go round telling kids what to do! Just annoyed me quite a bit.

A child probably did it for a laugh - do what you like with your dog as long as it's safe. Why would you even give this as second thought? I'd laugh if I saw it not get cross.

So child took it upon themselves to put these up?

YANBU to be annoyed by an unofficial sign saying "Keep your dog on a lead" when that's not the rule.

The person responsible probably thought it would annoy people less if it was a cutsey child-handwriting sign.

If I had my way, all dogs would be on leads, always. But that's because I don't like dogs, and always feel uneasy and a little bit scared around them. Dog lovers never seem to fully understand how non-dog lovers feel. It really doesn't help when you tell us that xxx has never hurt anyone, or is just a big softie etc.
Whoever put the signs up probably feels just like me, and probably wants a nice stroll in the park without having to be constantly vigilant for free running canines.
(Though I do see your point of view too).

Eh a child wrote it - what do you think they're going to do if you don't obey? Chase you down and put sticky hands on you? Whoever wrote it is probably sick of all the stupid dog owners who think "My disgusting mutt is wonderful everyone wants to be slobbered on by them. I personally believe all dogs should be on leads but I do know a lot of dogs are well behaved, it's just the annoying few that give them a bad name.

Most dogs I come across do not run up to people they don't know. So you don't have to be vigilant for them, because they won't come near you.

(not a dog owner)

I understand people let their dogs act like complete hooligans and these people should keep their dogs on a lead but mine are both well behaved and do as they are told.

And here lies the problem, all dog owners believe that their dogs are saints and wouldn't harm a fly. I am not trying to start a fight.

I have two labs, when they are out they are always on a lead, I know that my dogs are well behaved however I wouldn't trust them not to run off if they saw another dog acting up. Think Fenton.

The person responsible probably thought it would annoy people less if it was a cutsey child-handwriting sign.

Lol at this ^^. I am sure this person would expect I sign stuck up by a child to be adhered to.

YANBU. I would feel bad at seeing a sign saying that someone though my beloved, well behaved do should be on a lead at all times, no matter how lacking in credibility the sign was.

Ignore it, you know you are doing nothing wrong by letting your dogs off the lead in a park that is for public and community use.

Trills. The rational part of me understands that, but I only have to see a free running dog at the far end of a field and I feel uneasy. I know several other people who feel the same.
And when they do come up to you, they slobber - uch!

Not all dogs slobber. If people have a problem with dogs running free, then I say this in the nicest possible way, the problem lies with them, not the dogs. As evidenced by the fact that millions of perfectly average human beings not only don't care if a dog is running loose in a park, but actually choose to have them roaming around their own homes.

Yanbu if that's the rule there but I see why people want them on leads my son was bitten by a dog that was walked by a child off a lead too busy chatting.

I can see why someone would put a sign like that up. They probably don't expect it to be adhered to, they just want to make people aware that not everyone is comfortable with free roaming dogs.

I'm a massive dog lover but I can see why some people don't like them. Also, I have a three year old DS who also loves dogs and always tries to go after them when he sees them in the street, park, or whereever. I obviously don't let him, unless the dog/owner are known to us and/or he is holding my hand and both he and the dog approach each other nicely but ..... This task is hard enough in the park when he's running around and dogs are on leads, when they are off lead its much more difficult as so many come bounding over. Now I'm used enough to dogs and confident enough with them for this not to bother me (though I've never owned one) but I can see how some parents and children may be frightened by this and so be extra wary of any dog who is not on a lead. I know the hard work keeping an eye on my DS is at least doubled with free roaming dogs.

Ok I've rambled: YANBU to go against what the sign says as its not official but IMHO YABU to be annoyed at it as like it or not it is a safety issue, ALL dogs can and will bite if aggravated. I hate dig owners who say 'oh he/she's lovely they won't bite' I always reply 'No, you mean they haven't bitten anyone yet and are gentle, believe me if provoked they'll bite!" so to all dog owners please say "They've never bitten anyone yet" or "They are really gentle" saying they won't bite is just a lie IMHO.

All dogs will bite if provoked, no matter how gentle they have always been previously. They relevant word is 'provoked'.

Don't provoke a dog and you are very unlikely to be bitten.

Since getting a puppy and now having a dog, I am astounded by parents who do nothing to educate their children about dogs. It is very common, and is far more likely to be the reason that children get bitten than dogs being allowed off the lead.

YABU.

I think dogs should be on leads.

Make your own sign saying "please keep your children on a lead at all times, I might be hungry" and then do a paw print of your dog under.

YANBU. If it was a child then the posters are precocious and smug, and if it was an adult doing it in childlike handwriting in an attempt to be cute then it's annoying.

It's not up to members of the public to put up posters about 'rules'. They certainly can't expect people to take any notice of them anyway.

Dogs should be allowed to run free in a park like this

Maybe not so much in a park like this

The park near me has signs up asking owners to keep their dogs on leads, most owners ignore it though.
I get so fed up of having to dodge the shit that lazy dirty owners can't be bothered to pick up.

I agree that the important word is 'provoked' however it's so hard to keep an eye on well educated children. My DS has been taught exactly how to deal with dogs sensibly, but he's young and gets excited sometimes.

I'm not saying dogs should be kept on leads personally, I'm just stating the reasons why some people may feel that way and be uncomfortable otherwise. I think I'm with the posters who say dogs should be on leads within a certain radius of a children's play area (let's say 100 metres for an example but it's only and example figure plucked out of thin air) but elsewhere in a park is fair game. A local park near where I used to live actually had a 'dog walking zone' which was a large section of the park where dogs were allowed off their leads and they had to have leads in the rest of the park. Not saying it would work everywhere as this was a particularly large park, but I thought it was a good idea.

(Oh and I always keep a very close eye on my DS but don't want to be right by his side all the time in a park just incase a dog appears.... It's nice to let him have freedom as its nice to let dogs have freedom, which is why I think boundaries etc are a good idea as allows dogs and children to run free with less worry.)

Trills

We have a green area - not really a park - that has a fenced off children's play area in it. A notice says 'No Dogs Inside'. What did I find? Yes, a dog inside with a teen in charge of it. I asked nicely for it to be removed, pointing out the notice - and it was. It was one of those black and white spaniels, a dog that I would trust and I quite like them if they belong to someone else, but it doesn't matter what sort of dog it was. It was a dog and the notice said 'No Dogs'.

A small toddler could easily provoke a dog without meaning to. It's impossible to explain to a very small child that the seemingly friendly animal could get upset and bite them if they're too rough. If the dog actually approaches the child then the only option is to pick the child up or keep them in a buggy, which really isn't fair. You just can't assume that a dog will be fine with a toddler possibly pulling their ears or stroking them roughly.

Dogs should not be off their leads in playgrounds - children running around, screaming, being rowdy, could upset the most placid of dogs.