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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think people who own dogs should walk them?

42 replies

BWatchWatcher · 23/04/2017 09:53

Walking my son to his swimming lesson yesterday at the local pool I passed the following:

Guy standing in the middle of enclosed astroturf football pitches.
He had two large dogs off the lead, they were running around the pitch, peeing on it and generally being dogs.

On the other side of the path, guy sitting in enclosed and largely abandoned playground while his dog played.

Just 30 seconds away (really!!) from them was a greenway in which millions had been invested. Lovely paths, perfect for dog walking.

I have nothing against dogs, they are lovely. I'm sure the next guy out playing football on the astroturf will appreciate the dog pee.

OP posts:

CoconutOilWink · 23/04/2017 09:57

Perhaps they had walked through the greenway and their dogs were having some off lead run around?

Sometimes dogs just need to burn off energy they don't always need to travel far. As long as it's not the same thing every day.

Now people that own dogs and think it's ok not to take them out of the house as they "have a big garden" is another story!

TakeASipOfDancingJuice · 23/04/2017 10:00

The pee will dry and footballers normally gob everywhere don't they, I'd find that worse to slide in.

ScrumpyBetty · 23/04/2017 10:01

Hmm. I do see where you're coming from. I wouldn't let my dog run around on astroturf.

However I often do go to local fields behind a park, and let my dog sprint around for a bit, but then I will take her off for a good walk too afterwards. She loves to run off the lead. Perhaps the people you saw had already walked their dogs, or were going to walk them afterwards?

Trifleorbust · 23/04/2017 10:03

Letting your dog run around isn't an issue, surely?

Location should be appropriate of course.

Mermaidinthesea123 · 23/04/2017 10:04

Yes they should. I recently joined a local site called Walk my Doggy even though I have cats at home as I like walking on the National Park but I'm a bit worried about going to some of the more remote places on my own so I was looking for a big dog to come with me. I offered one or two days at the weekend or to walk an elderly persons dog.
The replies I got were unbelievable, they were all from young people who wanted me to walk their dog morning and night everyday and look after their dog if they went away - for free of course.
I was absolutely disgusted, they had a dog but wanted some stranger to take care of it. I left the site after 6 months of people taking the piss.

madasa · 23/04/2017 10:04

How do you know what happened before or after? My dogs are walked every day...they spend some time walking and some time off their leads running around like crazy things

Cantbeatatryer · 23/04/2017 10:04

I'm with cocunut. Where I live we have gardens. The majority of people here don't walk the dogs and leave them outside to bark all day long. I don't understand getting a dog and then never walking it. Then they wonder why they have a bored and destructive dog that is finding it's own ways to burn off energy!

NormaSmuff · 23/04/2017 10:05

my dh takes our dog for a walk to the rec and throws a ball for her. is this wrong?

i thought the thread was about actually taking dogs out of the house for a walk.

GloriaGilbert · 23/04/2017 10:06

I probably wouldn't take my dog on astro at all, but certainly not before she had taken her morning constitution.

Imamouseduh · 23/04/2017 10:07

dogs need to be walked and to have time off lead to run around. What a weird post.

Autumnsweater · 23/04/2017 10:12

@Mermaidinthesea123 thats ridiculous! If you still want to borrow a dog without all that hassle, try the Cinnamon Trust they are a charity that help the elderly/ill get help looking after their pets. They have a database of dogs that need walks so you can choose them rather than being hassled by lazy people

HandbagCrazy · 23/04/2017 10:15

I have 2 dogs - we walk a relatively short distance to a field then I let them off. This is because ddog1 is too old to walk further as her legs and hips get sore but ddog2 still has lots of energy to burn.

I don't really understand the point of your post to be honest. Dogs like to wander / sniff things and burn off energy on a walk - they don't care how far you walk them!

Autumnsweater · 23/04/2017 10:16

OP, I think most people who do what you describe have dogs that can't go off-lead elsewhere - either because they are aggressive with other dogs or just untrained recall. So the owners are probably doing what's best for the dogs there - their dog still gets to run around in a safe environment and other dogs don't get hassled. Whether that's the best thing for the other users of the AstroTurf of course is another matter.

GloriaGilbert · 23/04/2017 10:17

Mermaid I had some pisstakers on BorrowMyDog (is that what you mean?) just before I got my own dog.

I watched someone's dog for a week (after many walks, obvs), which was fine because I adored the dog. They left me a key so I dropped him back just as they were to return from the airport and guess what.... they never thanked me. I never heard from them again except 'Hey Gloria, do you want to collect doggy today?'

HerBluebiro · 23/04/2017 10:17

Dogs need to walk run and play. Multiple times a day. Ideally some routine walks (so they know their patch. Helps to reduce their guarding instinct and therefore baking at home) and then some variety/longer walks for mental stimulation. Maybe weekend walks.

Think why they were domesticated - to guard, shepherd and hunt. It is only the last 150 years or so that the concept of pet came about in the uk. So let them guard your hamlet by taking them on patrol then take them out on a longer exploration or hunt walk. It is the latter of these that my dog does not get enough of and I do feel guilty but I've been spending the dry weekends getting my garden in order. It is amazing how much shrubs grow!

Astro55 · 23/04/2017 10:17

We often walk the dog then park ourselves on a beach while he mooches for a bit!!

Ferrisday · 23/04/2017 10:17

Sounds to me like maybe they both needed an enclosed area so their dogs didn't run off.
A greenway path(whatever that might be!) is not necessarily the best place to walk dogs.

On lead next to me is a really boring walk for my dog and doesn't burn off any energy.

Some need to be off lead and to sniff and to pee
The rain does wash away pee, even on AstroTurf

KateDaniels2 · 23/04/2017 10:18

Our dog is walked everyday. For at least an hour AND has off lead time to run around and sniff at everything. At the end.

You may see me sat reading or mn'ing. Doesnt mean the dog hasn't had an actual walk.

Badcat666 · 23/04/2017 10:24

Most dogs need a run around to burn off energy. I used to walk mine 20 mins to local huge park for her to have a mad run around and play with other dogs (and get cuddled by other dog owners) which kept her healthily and kept up her social skills. When I did my back in once I did sit on a bench whilst she played and ran about cos it bloody hurt running around with her!

It's like saying children should only be allowed to walk and not run around in parks! Maybe in your area there is an actual lack of safe green spaces for those dog owners to use. If I had a dog now no bloody way would I go to my local park in the evening cos its badly lit and full of teenage gangs drinking.

And footballers are forever gobbling and snorting their noses onto AstroTurf which is more vom inducing to me than dried up dog piss. (And a lot of places hose the AstroTurf down on a regular basis)

pilates · 23/04/2017 10:28

Not acceptable to let a dog off the lead in an enclosed astroturf pitch or playground area imo and don't get me on football pitches.

Sparklingbrook · 23/04/2017 10:29

Oh blimey are we really comparing dog piss and human spit on a Sunday morning?

Dogs don't belong on astroturf football pitches.

WeAllHaveWings · 23/04/2017 10:32

The dog shouldn't be in the Astroturf pitches peeing, that is inconsiderate.

You don't know where they have walked before/will walk later, or whether the guy sitting down just fancied some fresh air and a seat and took the dog with him as he has mobility problems and another family member does the long walks.

YABU to make up judgements on snapshots you have seen.

Whatsforu · 23/04/2017 10:33

I imagine the person in question let their dog relieve themselves and then give them a run in an enclosed area. Admittedly astro pitch not idea but as people are saying there are probably other bodily fluids on there. I guess it's no different to dogs peeing on a grass pitch, you can't pick up pee!!!! At least these people are out and about with their dogs and not leaving them in their garden as their daily walk.

AnnieAnoniMouse · 23/04/2017 10:34

Bizarre.

You have no idea what they did the other 23 hrs 55 minutes or the other 24/7/365.

Sparklingbrook · 23/04/2017 10:35

Our local astroturf is owned by the council and attached to the leisure centre. The staff would have been out like a shot to eject the dog and it's owner.
The local football teams pay hourly to hire the astroturf, the local dog owners don't.

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