To demand people keep their dogs away from me on the seafront

[TigerPath]

I'm sick of random dogs coming up to sniff me and DS or getting under my feet. All dogs make me nervous even small ones. And I hate it when they cock their leg on my pram wheels

So now when a dog comes up to me or just before it reaches me I shout to the owner (politely but firmly) 'please keep your dog away from me/my pram'
Most oblige but a number are rude! Yesterday a woman retorted crossly 'but it's the sea-front'. I replied 'they should be on leads' and got a mouthful of abuse. There is a bloody great sign saying 'dogs should be on leads on the promenade'!! I wouldn't care if people kept them to heel but I don't want them touching me, my pram or tripping me up

AIBU??

These threads always make me laugh. Personally I am sick of small children reaching out to grab my dog's tail (he's a big fluffy dog) and the parents letting them continue or giggling at how cute junior is. Get your bloody kid under control and buy a backpack with reins if you have to. The evils I've been shot for body blocking a small child or catching their hand as they reach out are unreal.

It's no wonder so many children and dogs don't behave perfectly all the time around one another when each side feels forced to avoid the other so desperately. I imagine the people with shitly behaved dogs have shitly behaved children too.

Are you that important that you think a dog cannot SNIFF you?? Do you realise just how ridiculous you sound

A well-trained dog does not go up to strangers and start sniffing them! It shouldn't approach people at all! I do not want strange dogs sniffing me or DS.
If it can't be trusted to give people a wide berth, it shouldn't be off the lead!

In all my YEARS of owning and walking dogs I have NEVER seen a dog randomly put their paws all over someone
Farrow, honestly it happens to me multiple times every week, dogs are very interested in me, I am not lying.

I like dogs, they are fun friendly animals, I would never hurt one, when they jump up at me I push them off firmly but I am not aggressive or rough, bear in mind I weigh less than 8 stone, we are sometimes talking about dogs which are bigger than me

All dogs sniff, trained or not. You are embarrassing yourself now.

Sniffing hedges and objects, yes obviously. Sniffing people, no, a well-trained doesn't approach strangers and start sniffing them! I don't want your dog making physical contact with me or DS.

This attitude of "my dog has as much right to play here as anyone else" simply is not correct. Dogs should be on leads in public, and if you don't have the land or access to a "dog walking area" to exercise them freely, then you don't have the resources to own a dog.
Dogs are marvellous, loving, intelligent companions. But they are still dogs, not people, and to pretend otherwise is doing them a disservice

Agree totally!

You don't know dogs can't talk don't you?

Or use their paws to shake hands as a way of saying hello?

They sniff as they go by because it's their way of getting who you are. It's not rude, it's not your arse or your face. It's your leg.

You honestly sounds very much "I am more important than anyone else" right now.

I'm a huge dog lover and quite happy to be jumped all over by them most of the time. However I do think that a dog that won't come when called or drop something when told shouldn't be off a lead in a public place.
I've started doing a training session in a local park with a friend (nervous of dogs) and a personal trainer. So far we've had a dog pick up and chew one of the little cones she puts out for us to run to (almost all her cones are dog chewed) and run off when its owner tried to retrieve it, refusing to come back when called. When it came back eventually and was persuaded to give it up it then nosed through her small box and had to be stopped from dragging out my coat and running off with it (no food in it) - it then bounced up on my chest and locked my face - we were doing squats so nothing bouncy and exciting. It didn't bother me too much but would have totally freaked out my friend. Owner apologised but didn't put it on a lead. In the same session we were chased/run with by another dog.
In the next session we had two seperate dogs with seperate owners come up and get under foot while doing squat thrusts and mountain climbers - they were lucky not to get accidentally kicked as we couldn't see them, the trainer warned us but at the last minute because she expected the owner to call them back. In this case no apology and no putting them on a lead.
It might be quite normal for dogs to sniff people but it's also quite normal for people not to want to be sniffed by dogs so if you can't trust your dog not to get that close to people and they won't come back when called away from someone they need to be on a lead.

used to live in an area where people commonly owned "muscle" dogs, who were a nuisance to runners and other users of public spaces

Evidently I live in such an area!
These dogs are attractive to certain types precisely because they allow them to dominate public spaces, the owner feels powerful and gets a kick out of the fact that his dog is making people feel nervous.
With the dog the owner becomes a menacing presence, he enjoys intimidating people

I stand by my comments that a dog sniffing round is normal behaviour, obviously some dogs do this more than others and dog owners should be sensitive as some people are nervous of dogs, however a dog that shows a an interest in those around and then moves on is acceptable. A dog that jumps up should be kept under control

How near to someone would you let your dog sniff? Closer than a metre say is too close IMO.

A well trained dogs stays to heel and doesn't try to interact with passersby ...doesn't it?

No. A well trained dog will listen to commands and go off their owners response.

If it hasn't been taught not to heel on command it won't do it. Some people want their dogs to walk just infront of them or just behind

ALL dogs will interact with passerby. Mostly it's a look or a sniff in their direction but not actually on them. It's just interacting with their environment.

Personally I have no objection to a dog sniffing around my feet, but once it starts wiping its nose on my trouser leg then it is too close. Depends on the size of the dog and its general behaviour too.

As a general rule I don't want to touch dogs or be touched by them because I am allergic to them, although I'll make an exception for lost dogs (hunting dogs gone astray are commonplace round here) and will check a dog's collar and ring the owner if I think it appropriate.

All dogs do not interact with passers by, I'm nervous around dogs and walk a lot so notice these things, guide dogs never make me nervous as they're so well trained, other dogs are very well trained too, some dogs are just erratic, fact, whether that's their personality or because they aren't trained I'm not sure, that's just what I've observed.

When I'm talking about the dogs above 'sniffing' me I mean they had their noses on my legs, feet, clothing etc - sniffing from a metre away if they stopped there wouldn't be a problem.

OK, I am a fiesty terrier schanuzer and so, despite my very own thread being put down deleted I am going to put my comment here.

Basically my companion/friend says that valuing animals and valuing people are linked? So sometimes she is wary of people who dislike and are intolerant around non-human animals.

She says she read about it here: www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-dogs-go-heaven/201212/valuing-animals-and-valuing-people

Nb: I can't 'read' because I'm a dog, but I have a PhD in non-verbal communication

While ago I saw a friend walking her dog, it stayed close behind her and completly ignored me and every other person and dog, I was amazed,

If the op does hate dogs what of it, she ought not to have to be inconvenienced by them

Some dog owners seem incapable of rational analysis, I guess they are emotionally attached to their pets in the same way that they are to family member and that leads them to feel that the dog is equal to a human.
And that it has a right to run off lead, it doesn't
I have a right to roam freely because I am accountable for my actions and can make rational choices.
The dog cannot be allowed the same freedom to do as it pleases that we give to a human.
Your dog doesn't work in an office, pay bills for you, drive the car

drwhy do you smell of pedigree chum by any chance?

Like I said before I've had dogs but no longer have them.

My dogs were never off a lead because I couldn't trust them to run off apart from one.

No they were not equal to humans. I didn't take them into shops or allow them to jump up at people.

But they still had the right to be safe in public which means stopping people from going near them. Especially children.

I had chihuahuas who were a lot smaller than a toddler and therefore capable of being seriously hurt or even killed.

My dog doesn't drive a car or work in a office?? So.

They still deserve to be let off lead.

I agree with FarrowAndBallache.

I have had dogs all my life. I have worked as a volunteer for two independant rescues. I have worked with my local dog warden and helped to train rescue dogs ready for their forever homes.

All these dogs running around terrorising children and parents, jumping up on strangers, ruining angel hair coats and eating defenceless babies must be happening on a different earth to mine.

Farrow, do you feel that your dog has the right to be off lead even if that leads to it chasing and jumping up at other people?

Those who talk about dogs having rights
Id like to ask does the dog have equal rights to a human?
If the rights of the dog are in conflict with the right of a human to enjoy public spaces who's right comes first?
Do humans have a right not to be inconvenienced by dogs, if not why not?