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??

I agree and it follows that for the sake of animal welfare no one should have a dog unless they have access to an area of private land large enough to exercise it

Absolutely and you should not reproduce unless you can definitely provide that offspring with a house, income and cast iron guarantee that it will not commit criminal activity.

I think I recognise a dog hating runner who has namechanger on this thread. I was waiting for her to turn up, but I think that she is already here. Yawn.

Jeremy its bad form to chase posters from thread to thread.

do you mean me Jeremy?
If so I think you must be confusing me with someone else.
I am not a dog hater
I have said several times on this thread that I like dogs in general and I recognize that to an extent we have co evolved with them, they are a kind of companion species (albeit largely a human created species/subspecies)

However I dont see them as equal to humans and I think that dog ownership needs to be regulated, I dont think I should have to run the gauntlet of large threatening creatures when I go out in a public open space

Can't be me either, I'm a name-changer and a disliker of badly-behaved dogs.
But a runner?

are we to be accused of namechanging on mumsnet now?
namechanging is built into the fabric of the board

perhaps you should take up running or some other hobby Jeremy you clearly have too much time on your hands if you are reduced to stalking posters on mumsnet

the pleasure they experience running free is a treat to watch

So why not let them off the lead in fields and woods, where there are no people around? Or take them early in the morning/late at night when it's quiet? I hate seeing dogs running free in public, it puts me on edge. You're spoiling the parks and beaches for other people. That is so selfish.

Bombadier yes that is literally what I say. Why is it wrong to not want dogs squeezing past me and my baby in his pram, brushing against us and getting hair/mud/slobber everywhere. Do you seriously think a mum with a baby should have to push her pram off road to avoid squeezing past dogs on a narrow path? How difficult is it to move the dogs off the path and wait for her to pass? I don't want dogs sniffing me, sticking their noses into my pram, cocking their leg on the wheels or jumping at me. They are animals; people have right of way on footpaths! Don't let them be a nuisance.

I like to keep at least a metre between me and any strange dog.

people pay for the sidewalks , parks , public spaces etc thru taxes . people contribute to society as a whole thru their work. e.g.People without cc pay for schools; people who do not break the law pay for courts, prisons etc ;people who do not cost the health care system much money pay for hospitals etc. People who own dogs pay how much? for a dog licence, but there is no benefit thereby to anyone except the dog owner. There are costs tho to society as a whole. Dogs are NOT equal to people for these and many other reasons. Boggles my mind that this needs explaining! But bet the dog owners do not agree.

So why not let them off the lead in fields and woods, where there are no people around

I do let mine off in OUR fields on OUR land. However, you always get one parent shouting "put your dogs on a lead we're walking". To which I reply "get your kids on a lead, sheep are not for chasing and horses are not for feeding and my dogs run where the hell the want on MY land." My dogs never chase our sheep (well, ok the sheepdogs do) or try to stuff my horses full of polos/carrots/unfinished sandwiches/crisps. Then parents wonder why their child gets nipped by a horse If parents don't like dogs in OUR fields then stay to hell out. It's the same with a pond we have. We have huge "DO NOT ENTER DANGEROUS WATER" signs but they still picnic there then whine when my dogs run over the hill and wolf their picnic. If it's our land I'll let my dogs off wherever I choose

Dogs are NOT equal to people for these and many other reasons. Boggles my mind that this needs explaining! But bet the dog owners do not agree
You are exactly right armarmai and of course they don't agree since that would negate their only argument ie the 'put your child on a lead then' defense😒

Shining our land our rules. If people aren't happy then yes, put your child on a lead if need be to stop them chasing sheep and feeding horses.

Spring, it may be your land but presumably there is a public right of way through it, if people are walking over it and picnicking? If so it is disgraceful that you let your dogs devour people's food, run freely on a public footpath and intimidate walkers! A public footpath is for public use! Your dogs are causing a nuisance and upsetting people. Why don't you restrict them to fields without a public right of way?

The countryside is for everyone to enjoy, people should be able to use the footpaths and have a picnic without being hassled by your dogs.

Lol tiger. I expect you'd like the cows and sheep on leads too

Spring is in Scotland and people have 'right to roam' It's a disgrace when there are sheep with lambs.

You might want to think about whether your current stock phrase is working for you. Its up to you what you say, but i wouldnt move either if you phrased it that way. Your choice of course.

If so it is disgraceful that you let your dogs devour people's food, run freely on a public footpath and intimidate walkers!

Read my previous post. As I said we have signs up as the pond is dangerous. Do you understand the word? It's DANGEROUS as its a pond that used to be used to feed a waterwheel. It's deep FFS and a stream flows into it. This is why we have signs telling people "DANGEROUS NO TRESSPASSING PRIVATE LAND." Yet people still climb the fences and cut the chains on the gates to let their little cherubs into it. There is no public rights of way through most of our land. On the land that does have a right of way do you find it acceptable that children chase sheep "for fun" or feed horses when there are signs clearly saying "DO NOT FEED THE HORSES". People are free to enjoy our land when they respect I am free to walk my dogs without a lead on it 😊

Thank you Derxa it is a disgrace the way people act.

dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2014/04/30/would-you-mind-reading-this-please/

These are 'softeners' used for just this situation. You are quite free of course to 'demand' and use the demand phrase 'please' at the start of your sentence. Its just counter productive if you actually want people to do what you say.

People are free to enjoy our land when they respect I am free to walk my dogs without a lead on it 😊

That should have read people are free to enjoy our land when they respect it as I am free to walk my dogs without a lead on it 😊

Shining our land our rules
ah yes despite appearances to the contrary I wasn't aiming at your post there Spring rather the general response of some dog owners along the lines of:
'your dog is annoying'
'well so is your child'

it appears that to them the dog is an honorary child and thus its rights are equal to those of 'human' children

they overlook the fact that human children are the doctors, nurses, office workers, inventors and innovators of tomorrow without which we are all (dog owners included) sunk
but the dog,the dear dog, however much you love it and enjoy it's company will only ever be an annoying useless shitter to other people

Thank you Derxa it is a disgrace the way people act My shepherdess would be out with her gun. Surely right to roam means walking where there are no vulnerable animals?

I agree with you completely, I always ask politely that dogs don't come near us - to be fair most owners are great with the odd shouty exception. Both of my children are scared of dogs so even the best behaved ones freak them out!

derxa unfortunately not. We've had families in fields to 'pet' the lambs and stressing out the ewes in the process especially around the Easter weekend. They just don't think of the consequences to the animals. I've asked families to leave the fields and been met with torrents of abuse from them. DH went up to the pond two weeks ago and a family had a BBQ going then got irate as the dogs ran over the hill before DH appeared. It infuriates me that people think they're entitled to walk through our land to allow their children to 'pet' and chase lambs and feed our horses yet if I dare allow my dogs off the lead I'm in the wrong. Our dogs are more biddable than most children.

You might want to think about whether your current stock phrase is working for you

Yes you are probably right. I'm aware I sound snappy as I feel a surge of fear everytime a dog rushes towards me. Even the sight of a big boisterous dog on a lead, on a narrow path where I can't step aside, makes me nervous! Any suggestions for what I should say instead?

Ah just read the link about softeners, thanks. I'll try saying 'Could you possibly keep your dogs away from me please' ...should I add that I'm scared of them or will they just laugh?