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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To tell Dog owners control you fecking dogs!

397 replies

Wishfulmakeupping · 17/03/2014 10:16

I'll get flamed I don't care. I'm fed up of people letting their dogs run wild just had another dog clamour all over me when I'm walking down the street with a 'sorry' from the owner again this happens to often. Last week a dog off its lead stuck its head near my child pram.
Its simple if you can't control your dog off its lead then keep it on its lead until you get to the park.
I think I'm going to go nuclear next time :(

OP posts:
addictedtosugar · 17/03/2014 10:51

I also think you should require a training session and certificate of competence before your allowed loose with those extendable leads.

Out running yesterday. Catching up with 2 ladies walking dogs, very impressed they noticed me, and shrunk the lead for the dog. However as I went onto the grass verge to pass them, dog lunged at me, and they let the fucking lead loose. Made me jump and let out a small scream - more due to surprise than anything else. Did get my fastest time on that route tho....

AlpacaLypse · 17/03/2014 10:53

yanbu at all, and I walk dogs for a living.

I would love to see a proper dog licence system, with real teeth to enforce it, and the funds raised put towards decent dog welfare and education. The RSPCA and Kennel Club are not coping, the microchip identification system is in chaos, puppy farming is still rampant, and in general the whole system is extremely un-joined up.

BackOnlyBriefly · 17/03/2014 10:54

Maybe some areas are better, but where I live walking down the street means steering constantly round the shit. Never mind admiring the trees and flowers, you have to concentrate on the pavement.

As for the dogs themselves, some owners do make the effort to keep their dogs away from you, but there are a lot who don't.

One problem is that if you see half a dozen dogs off their leads and they rush towards you perhaps 4 of them will stop when their owner calls them. But you don't know which ones do you. So that's 6 times you've had to brace yourself for an 'encounter'.

It's extra work that I didn't agree to undertake when they made a decision to buy a dog.

Pumpkinette · 17/03/2014 10:58

Not unreasonable at all. I have a dog and when she was younger she was on the leash all the time. She's an OAP now and doesn't run let alone jump anymore - more like a hobble than a walk - so she is off the leash a lot more.

We used to live beside a large park and I would get really annoyed at the people who would take thier dogs through the play area to get to the gate rather than walk an extra 30 seconds to the main gate. The large NO DOGS ALLOWED sign obviously didn't apply to them.

Canidae · 17/03/2014 11:12

These people make life hard for those of us who do train and pick up after our dogs.

My two are trained to sit by my side when jogger, walkers or cyclists pass by. I always put them on leads around unknown children and can honestly say that neither of them has ever jumped up on a stanger. I have a never ending supply of poo bags and am used to carrying poo for miles until a bin is found.

The areas that I can take my dogs is getting smaller because of selfish dog owners.

LithaR · 17/03/2014 11:13

Its awful for dog poo where I live, so much so that when I walk my dog and pick up after her I get strange looks. Hmm

Canidae · 17/03/2014 11:18

Went for a lovely long walk yesterday but it was ridiculous when I went to pick up poo from dog2 and saw it was nearby 6 or 7 other piles.

Pobblewhohasnotoes · 17/03/2014 11:18

I hate ineffectual calling.

Like if you're having a picnic and a dog comes over and the owner stands 20 meters+ away just standing calling it whilst the dog ignores them. Just come and get your bloody dog!

Also I don't care how friendly you think your dog is, I don't want it jumping up in my toddlers face.

Armadale · 17/03/2014 11:21

I agree with you and I'm a dog owner.

Dogs should not be wandering down public pavements off lead, IMO and not picking up after your dog is frankly disgusting.

The worst problems we have are from a few 'professional' dog walkers who turn up with 6+ dogs each and let them wander at will across the park while they chat. There are signs clearly posted saying no more than 3 dogs per person, and dog waste must be picked up, but they are not enforced in any way.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 17/03/2014 11:22

I would love to see a proper dog licence system, with real teeth to enforce it, and the funds raised put towards decent dog welfare and education

This^

In combination with DNA testing of dog shit m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4876022

Onsera3 · 17/03/2014 11:29

Most of the owners who walk their dogs around here do control them. But I saw one run up to a special needs man who was feeding ducks and jump up eating the bread from the shopping bag. He stood frozen in fear and the owner took her sweet time getting over to them and had let the dog get so far ahead of her.

We went to the park in the weekend and there were dogs and dog poo all over the place.

The dog poo around where we live is disgusting. DS likes to toddle along and pick up leaves etc but it is such a minefield due to lazy dog owners.

Why do the councils not do more? If they were to enforce fines they would make a killing around here in the mornings.

LtEveDallas · 17/03/2014 11:34

These people make life hard for those of us who do train and pick up after our dogs

Agreed Canidae, MuttDog has excellent recall, will sit when shouted and not move again until given the command 'Stand'. She walks off lead more often than not (I have free rein to use MOD land) and never goes more than 5 ft from me unless I let her (by shouting 'squirrels' or 'seek').

Sadly I know that I cannot do that in a public park, because untrained dogs have spoiled it for us. She ends up on lead and gives me that long suffering look that she can do so well Smile

AlpacaLypse · 17/03/2014 11:38

And part of the reformation could include proper regulation for my own business - professional dog walking. Idiots like Armadale describes give the rest of us, who abide by our Code of Conduct and have proper insurance in place, a bad name. At present, anyone can set up as a dogwalker by putting up a postcard in a shop window. I've got myself and all my staff police checked, we've all done a basic dog first aid course, we have a code of conduct involving safety and courtesy, I've got £5 million public liability just in case something dreadful happens - eg dog knocks child off bicycle.

gleegeek · 17/03/2014 11:41

I agree YANBU to be angry but I am really sad, as a dog owner, to be lumped in with the ignorant ones. It's like saying all parents are rubbish!
There are dog owners who clearly don't give a hoot who they inconvenience/scare/annoy but I suspect they are also the bad neighbours/agressive drivers/can't be arsed parents of this world. The majority of people are good citizens who generally want to live in harmony and this includes many many dog owners.

I wonder if naming and shaming certain councils might paint a picture of where the problem areas for this are? In my part of the south east I don't have to slalom through piles of dog poo and dog owners tend to keep their dogs under control, which is great Smile

OcadoSubstitutedMyHummus · 17/03/2014 11:42

Recently a big dog off a leash raced straight towards myself and my 2 year old barking. I picked the 2 yo up before the dog got to us and the dog then barked around us until the owner arrived. Hadn't said a word but the owner starts in an aggrieved manner "there was no need for that, he was just trying to be friendly". Hmm

RedFocus · 17/03/2014 11:52

Of course dogs shouldn't be allowed to jump up and scare people or snatch food from unsuspecting duck feeders. Owners should be responsible and pick up their dogs crap and keep them on leads in places that are family orientated.
I have 2 dogs, I only walk them on the common which is just for dog walkers and their families so no one cares if they get jumped on because we all enjoy meeting and greeting new dogs and we all pick up our dogs crap.
My village has no crap on the streets and dogs are never off the lead.
Everywhere I have lived, and I've lived in many different places, it's the same. I've never lived anywhere where I have had to dodge dog crap and protect my kids from wayward dogs. I guess I'm just very lucky.

Goblinchild · 17/03/2014 11:55

We have very little dog poo around here, and most dogs are well-mannered and under control. Which makes the ones that aren't really stand out, and the general response is very disapproving.
I do like where I live now! Smile

sheriffofnottingham · 17/03/2014 11:55

Totally agree re dog owners but can I just have a go at cat owners?

Why is it acceptable to have a pet that you take no responsibility for?
Cats kill birds and other wildlife, they crap everywhere, wander into people's houses. At least with a dog it has to be somewhere near you and you have to (or are at least supposed to ) have at least 1 eye on it. Cats apparently it's fine to open the door and let the bloody thing do what it likes. Out of sight out of mind, as long as it's not crapping on the owners lawn why should they care?

Armadale · 17/03/2014 11:55

AlpacaLypse, it must be so galling to do the job properly and have others who can't be bothered allowed to blunder around.

deakymom · 17/03/2014 11:56

im not brave enough to do this but ive seen someone at a park soda siphon a dog (squirty fizzy water bottle thing) they were in the area for children only and week after week people bought dogs who would swipe their food and crap everywhere then one day they had gramps with them and he squirted them! they threw a hissy fit about taking wet dogs home in there car gramps told them to walk them next time NOT in a childrens park and told them next time their dog crapped on the play area he would send them the clothing cleaning bill (gramps is afraid of no one apparently) they didn't return (btw there is a dog park literally next to the play area)

parakeet · 17/03/2014 12:00

Oh please, MN do your next campaign about new dog laws. Please

Goblinchild · 17/03/2014 12:01

Oh I agree cats can be annoying and the poo problem in gardens is revolting.
But they don't strike fear into people in the same way that dogs do, as they are not given to running up and attacking strangers, or knocking them over, or snapping and biting, or stealing food.
So cats are a different sort of problem.

KitchenDiscoDancer · 17/03/2014 12:05

I like to think I try to be a responsible dog owner, I clear up my dog poo, I keep my dog on the lead until I am in a suitable area and my dog has excellent recall. I always carry a pocketful of training treats just in case he looks like he may get carried away. I do get wound up by other owners/ dog walkers, who saunter along while their dog harasses mine, or ignore their dog pooing. I have reminded some people that their dog has done a poo and have been greeted with an annoyed response....... (I don't 'remind' big blokes with fierce dogs).

soverylucky · 17/03/2014 12:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CountdowntoSummer · 17/03/2014 12:13

Thank you OP for bringing up this subject. A lot of people take offence when you talk about dogs but what they don't realise is yah what is a best friend/companion to them is not necessarily so to a stranger. I was walking along the park the other day and a dog just came straight at me trying to jump onto me..maybe he was trying to be friendly/inquisitive but as a stranger all I feel is that I'm in great danger. I really didn't want to fall over being 36 weeks pregnant and let out a terrified shriek and the dog owner didn't even apologise!!