To tell Dog owners control you fecking dogs!

[Wishfulmakeupping]

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 :(

I'm hoping that a dog owner who is too relaxed about their dog jumping up on people and their children might see it from 'my' point of view and see that its quite imtimidating even if you think your dog is well behaved its still at best annoying and at worst frightening for the person on the receiving end

Totally agree with the OP. I am a dog walker and usually manage to keep control of up to six dogs at a time. I don't let them off the lead, so I always have control.

I also have three pet dogs myself and don't let them off the lead.

Having said all this, it does concern me when people let small children come up to my dogs - it happens a lot. I always say "don't stroke the dogs" but, by then, the child is usually right there.

Kitten, it's because we've had the first sunny weekend of the year. Happens every year on MN. Those of us who have spend 5 months tramping round parks and woods walking and training our hounds in complete glorious isolation, rain, hail and snow are now expected to vacate the country's green spaces so that families can use them.

And yes, I do agree there are some crap dog owners, and we need better licensing. But the whole 'a dog looked at me' hysteria drives me a bit bonkers on these threads.

I don't hate dogs Kitten. I have one who I live very much.

I do however, dislike arrogant dog owners who don't control their dogs properly. IMO it isn't the dogs fault so why would I hate it?

Looking is OK
Is anyone here complaining about being looked at by a dog?

Twelve you're just sounding silly now.

I've been looked at by a few wild-eyed dog owners when I've pushed their dogs away, does that count?

Absolutely agree OP. The majority of dog owners I've encountered seem responsible and considerate, but some are clearly not

Twelve - Yeah! Precisely. Every year.
Also, anyone who never lets their dog off the lead is just cruel, unless they have behavioural problems.
Some people just have dogs so that they have someone to boss around.

Well, Twelve won't have a problem if her dogs are beautifully trained to recall and to mind their own business.

I don't understand people who have dogs in built up areas, especially inner cities. I live in an area dominated by student residences, and council flats during the week and every second person I see has a dog - even malamutes, Alsatians, Newfoundlands, all sorts. Why? It doesn't benefit the dog, cooping it up inside a house?!

I have a dog at my mums, she lives in a tiny village on the seafront and her garden backs on to fields. I can walk the dog through the fields (unowned, unmanaged), on the country lanes and on the beach (dog friendly beach, on the lead, at 6am when no one else about). Most people in the village own dogs of some sort - mainly normal, family dogs.

We have the space and free areas where dogs can be left off lead without the worry of them bothering others.

The only people I can understand having dogs, are those who own farms, who need them for work purposes (e.g. stalking or game keeping, my relatives involved in this generally have 6 or 7 workers and 1/2 pets) or if you live rural and have the time and energy to care for a dog with space to walk it etc.

Why have a dog in a city where parks and greenery are in short supply anyway, it just clutters the park up with poo (far less of a problem in rural areas where dog poo will be outnumbered hugely by sheep, deer, cow, horse, rabbit) and causes problems for people on the street.

I'd be all for a licence that has strong conditions attached, especially around breeds, whether you have the time to care properly for the dog and whether you're in the right area.

If you're in a flat and you must have a pet, get a bloody fish or gerbil. Even having a cat in a flat or heavily residential area is a bit cruel!

I have to wonder where a lot of people on this thread live.

In UK I have lived in N Yorks, Shropshire and Oxfordshire whilst I have had dogs. I've never had uncontrolled dogs run up at me, attack me, attack my child or attack my dog - or even look like they are going to.

I've never had to dodge mountians of dog poo on the pavement, either with a pram or a child (although did have to do so when I lived in one area in Spain that was rife with strays).

I've have seen people not pick up poo - but each time I have called after them and offered them a poo bag (I must have close on to 50 in all my coats and bags) and they have always taken me up on the offer - even the 6 Ft 4 skinhead.

I do have a crazy dog living next door to me, that broke the fence to get in and play with my dog, but that was easily sorted and I don't now hate all huskies simply because my neighbour had a particularly strong one.

I have had a screaming woman scream at me to get my dog away from her kids...the dog was about 150 ft from her children, wasn't even looking in their direction, and the humans had chosen to walk in a dog park, with clear signage to say that dogs were allowed off leads.

Something like 25% of households have a dog, there are around 9 million dogs in the UK. I would suggest that there are far more good dog owners than bad, but people get so frothy on threads like this that seems to be forgotten. Suggestions that ALL dogs should be on a lead at ALL times, or that ALL dogs should be muzzled in public just get the decent dog owners backs up - because that would be punishing the many for the offences of a few.

I do enjoy the people who leap into the air and scoop up their children in horror when my doggie and I pass by.
My husband has taken to calling the dog back with 'Oi Tysonetta, come here you little cunt'.

I get a bit triggered by this because I suspect I see things from a different side. My dog is usually off the lead because:

1. He comes when he is called.
2. I never let him get more than a few feet away from me unless we are in open fields and away from people.
3. (and I know this will annoy some people) He is not in the slightest bit aggressive. Have never once seen his so much as growl at a human being.
4. He is leashed when we are in busy places where he could get under people's feet or bother anyone.

But twice in the last few weeks he has been walking to heel along a quiet footpath and we have passed small children who had made a noise like a steam whistle in absolute terror at the mere sight of him. Which, apart from making me jump out of my skin, has me wondering if that contact counts as my dog being out of control or terrorising children. I can't help thinking that a dog sticking it's head 'near' a pram might count as a similar incident and that I am guilty of having an out-of-control dog or being an irresponsible owner simply for the crime of simply being near someone else whilst my dog is off the lead.

Would anyone who is particularly dog-averse or nervous care to answer this because I genuinely would like to know what does and does not counts as irresponsible dog ownership. Thanks

no not being looked at but a drooling stinking dog jumping up at me and my two year old yes i am complaining and all the owner says is it wont hurt you .how the fuck do you know you utter twat !

What a charmer he is, to be sure Kitten

Morg. Yeah. Makes me laugh every time.

Yes you all sound quite charming kitten enjoying people's fear how lovely

I did read a thread on where a very crazy person suggested dog owners ought to carry a bottle of antiseptic spray and rubber gloves, and start cleaning down the ground after picking up what the dog's left. I can only imagine the looks I'd get if I start washing patches of the pavement with dettol!

Hello Pawprint

That makes at least four other dogwalkers I've found on MN!

Wishful - Enjoying people being called on their total over reaction, yes.

letting the dog off the lead is not necessarily the problem. I dont hate dogs, despite being attacked by one, I understand it was just one bad dog owener. What I want is for the dog owner to be able to control their dog when my children are around. I'm not saying you have to leave the parks so my children can play far from it, I want my children to grow up liking dogs.

What I want is for the dog in question to be able to go back to the owner when its called, not to ignore the owener whilst owner laughs and says 'its just friendly' you wouldnt appreciate my toddler trampling through your picnic, you would expect me to be right behind her stopping her, so why should I put up with that from a dog?

Orm, my children would scream at your dog because they are scared, that doesnt make you a bad owner, not recognising a childs fear and allowing the dog to chase the child or not reassuring the child by calling the dog back would make you a bad owner. You sound like a very good owner

• you wouldnt appreciate my toddler trampling through your picnic

Most larger dogs are more like Frankenstien than a little toddler so lets change that too, you wouldnt like my pet, Frankenstein tramping through your picnic nibbling at your fingers and jumping up at you.

Perhaps it is more a problem in built up areas, rather than in the countryside where people and dogs can get some distance from each other.

I live in central London and my nearest park that I take the children to is full of badly trained dogs and lax owners and it does make for a stressful time.

I scoop up my 2 yr old up KittensoftPuppydog at the approach of dogs off leads. A Doberman type dog (I don't know what it was) went for him when he was toddling around on the grass kicking his ball. It came out of nowhere, went for the ball, growled when my child burst into tears, scared the crap out of me, and the owner came over and pulled it away without a word of apology.

I am sure they assume, as perhaps you do, that I am being precious about their Tysonetta, but it is scary when it happens. I would like to see a proper licensing system which would impose punitive fines for those who cannot be arsed to be responsible.