Dogs on beaches. Why?

[Chickensarmpit]

Today i took my 3 young kids to the beach for a rare day out.
It was ruined by dogs!
They shit all over the place, one pissed up my icebox and one bloody stole my sons ball.
We moved twice and eventually gave up and went home

Why do people insist on taking dogs with them? Grrr annoyed!

Saintly I live in Devon and go to a lot of beaches,none I know are like that.

Um my severely autistic son used to love jumping on sandcastles - which led to some interesting wrestling matches. Ban him!

I live in Devon as well. You've clearly been lucky. Or too busy complaining about the dogs.

But this thread is about the particular problems that dogs cause on beaches.

Happy to contribute to another thread about litter.

But pretending that dogs never cause problems is just silly.

Saintly he can't help it and wouldn't scare my kids or spoil their picnic.

And if you live in Devon with the greatest respect - certainly in south devon - maybe the north is different - there are loads of dog free beaches in the summer. And many more with dog restrictions. Considering how much you loathe dogs just go to a dog free beach.

But it is very unusual for a small child to trample a sandcastle and run across a picnic rug and for the parents either not to see because they are 100 metres away

You forgot about the small child weeing on your picnic box and taking a dump on the beach too.:)

Amazing how so many dog owners do not seem to see dog poo on beaches as a problem either. Funny, that.

Well the dog can't help it. And at 5 foot 6 he seems to scare quite a few who haven't been exposed to people with learning disabilities

He being ds1 there - I don't have a 5 foot 6 dog. Point being if my dog or child trample a sandcastle it is my fault not there's but I take actions to ensure neither does because I know they're both capable of it.

Saintly I do but come the winter they're back.Also frankly as we pay a shed load of council tax I wish to go on any beach I choose without having my kids jumped on or chased- all year round!

"Well the dog can't help it"

No. But a dog can and should be stopped. Because it's a dog! And dogs are lower down the pecking order than humans.

Why do people insist on their dog's right to behave badly wherever it wants to? I am not intruding on a dog's space lying on a rug- the dog is intruding on mine by galumphing over me.

Because my nearest beach is 15 minutes way,where my dc see their friends,where the local park is,is safe,better range of water,rockpools etc,etc,etc.

Can't afford petrol to drive miles away.

Dog owners may be tax payers however as a tax payer I have a right to enjoy the beach without my kids being terrified or our picnic spoilt.

I do have the right to want the authorities to clamp down on dogs invading my space and bing a nuisance on beaches which sadly in my experience are the maj on beaches.

GoshAnneGorilla "Humans have greater rights to public spaces then dogs do" - why?

Dogs, cats, in fact any sort of animal has just as much right to use space on this planet as we humans do.....

"Nobody is defending irresponsible dog owners allowing their dogs to behave badly"

I think one of the problems is that what many dog owners think is dogs behaving delightfully well and being friendly is actually very annoying and worrying to others, especially those with small kids.

Er yes curlew I said that it was up to me to stop my dog (or severely autistic child) trampling sandcastles. Hardly defending the dog's right to behave badly!

I live in Devon mrbuttercat & since my children have learned how to behave around dogs have never been chased. As I have said on countless threads ds2's OTT reaction to the mere sight of a dog used to lead to him being chased repeatedly. But not since he's learned to ignore dogs he doesn't want to interact with.

There's loads of room on Devon beaches in the winter. I can't imagine where you're going to be chased by rampaging dogs everywhere.

Since my DS was bitten and is actually 9 not a toddler he certainly doesn't run around,he freezes.

Mrs but they do.