for wanting to walk in the park without being bounced on by giant b*stard dogs?

[bohemianbint]

Shouldn't people keep an eye on their fricking dogs and not let them run all over parks and scare the crap out of people? Was subjected to about 5 minutes fending the world's biggest dog off before the stupid bitch of an owner came sauntering round the corner. Don't people understand that just because they think their dog is great doesn't mean anyone else does?

You miss the point yet again - we are not talking about 'dangerous illegal dogs'. We are talking about the average family pet who wants to have some exercise in the park and have a sniff of the bushes.

Get some perspective.

If I went for a walk in the park, saw an interesting looking person, went up to sniff their arse, jump on them, lick their face and then try to hump their leg I'd be prosecuted. So why is it OK for owners' to allow their dogs to do it. I'm not blaming the dogs here, but the owners are at fault. My friend's father bought the kids a German Shepherd when they were young. He insisted that there was no way they were going to own a dog of any sort without it being trained and they all went to dog training school. It was the best trained, most well behaved dog I've ever known. So it is possible to keep a dog under control but lazy owners don't bother their arse to do it properly.

I must be going to the wrong parks. I never see dogs doing these sorts of things to people. I'm not saying it never happens but this thread makes it sound like you cant walk down the street without being constantly molested by a rabid giant dog intent on sniffing your vagina.

Actually martionbishop I wasnt getting at you at all. Im trying to say that I agree with you FGS! My view on this is very simple which I have stated acouple of times in this thread!
I am sorry fro your DH. I have just beaten cancer myself and I nursed my MIL who dyed of cancer. So I completely sympathise.

My remark wasnt to anyone specific. Just the general people who come out with ridiculous crap! Black dogs - racism, People shouldnt have dogs at all. Stuff like that. Complete nievety!
What on earth mekes you think I was getting at you?! Maybe you should read my comments properly.
Dogs should be on leads in play parks and off leads in woodland areas and downs. Thats my view really. Very simple.

hercules1, you said my words exactly! I don't know what parks these people are going to but in the parks in my local area there is a mixture of children playing in the play area and dog walkers walking their dogs. I don't recall ever seeing any flesh eating, sex mad dogs in the park What i do see is happy children playing and running about, happy dogs running about or walking with their owner on a lead. I think everyones over reacting, the average family dog isn't coming up to you to eat you, hes probably coming up to you to be fussed because hes excited. It sounds to me like its not the children but the grown ups who are frightened of the dogs and a dog only bites if it is threatened or teased. This is the most rediculus thread i have come across in a long while. Its not so much the op, its the posters in it!

I tend to agree Icing. But if you are nervous of dogs I suppose every biggish mutt that you see has the potential to be a problem. When I was at uni one of my friend was terrified of dogs and I've see her reduced to tears by the sight of a unleashed dog within a hundred yards.

Nut then you see, without meaning offence to your friend, if someone has a big fear of dogs then thats not the dog owners fault and the dog owner and their dog shouldn't be punished for it. No one is denying that children are more important than dogs, but we need a bit of perspective here. Most childrens play areas areas are fenced off with no dogs allowed and if someone does let their dog in then surely its not hard to ask its owner to take the dog out the play area.

I agree that 'most' dogs are fine but hey it only takes one to ruin your day. If a dog comes up to me and my family I try to encourage the children to stand still and let it sniff their hand before patting it. I do this so that they don't grow up afraid of dogs. This happens most of the time but there are other times when it's just not acceptable:

• bouncy dog leaps out of car straight onto beach, straight through our picnic, slobbering all over DS (6 months) and bouncing back round again for another go. Lovely friendly dog but our fecking picnic is ruined and DS is screaming the place down

• out for another walk on the beach and another bouncy friendly dog jumps all over me with it's muddy paws resulting in a total mess of my trousers and jacket. As on holiday I've no clean stuff left. Great!

• very large bouncy friendly dog runs a full pelt towards DD & DS. The equivalent for adults would be a Shire horse galloping straight towards you. No one can say that this is not alarming whether intentions are friendly or not.

• meet a beautiful, cut, adorable alsation puppy out on a woodland walk. It bounces up on DS and he falls right over, would have gone right off the path and down an embankment into a loch if I'd not grabbed him.

But Icing, the sort of person who allows their dogs into a fenced off child's play area is prob not the sort of person who will be reasonable and remove their dog from said area if asked. At the very least they'll prob give you some abuse.

261 posts. honestly.

As posted earlier, I am one of those monsters who allows dog into play areas on occasison, as explained in an earlier post. I am NOT irresponsable and would immediatley remove dog if asked.

I disagree with you, lilymoly. I dont understand the you have no option but to take your dog to a park where it's not allowed. How can a labrador get enough exercise this way being kept on the lead? Presumably you would need to walk about 2 hours each day this way to achieve it's exercise needs. And do that with your kids?

I have 2 kids and a 2 dogs. I either take the kids with me and walk where the dogs are allowed. We all agreed to having a dog and they understand this means that they dont get to go so often to play areas but do get to climb trees etc. oR I walk them when someone else is at home to look after the kids. We checked before we got the dogs that walking them sufficienlty would be feasible.

If I saw you in a park where your dog wasnt allowed I would seeth inside but unless your dog was charging about I would rather avoid confronting someone.

While I don't have a problem with dogs off the leash in open areas, I think it is silly to do this in the play park area.

Yes, parks are there for all, but lots of people have explained that their small children are often frightened by over enthusiastic dogs. I have explained how such dogs actually make my son ill.

Dogs need exercise, and so does my son. It isn't enough for you to take your dog away if asked, by the time I ask you, my son may very well have started to wheeze.

I'm with hercules on this one lily. please kepp your dog out of play areas. It isn't the place for them

Labradours do not need 2 hours walk a day! It would kill them! Labs, German shepherds and other large dogs are prone to hip displaysier and that much excersise is just too much!

You dont understand hercules

I walk my labrador off the lead all the time, as I am surrounded by acres of fields as I live in the country, and she also comes with me when I ride.

All I am saying, is that on occasions, when dd and I are on a walk on our own with no other adults to look after dog, I do take the dog into play areas. I have dog on lead very close to me, will NOT allow any child to come up to us, without express permission from an adult, and always wait until after dog has had poo.

I did this the other evening at a local park where a father and his children where playing and I asked with him if it was ok, and he said it was fine.

I am a extremely responable dog owner, and I can not see how my dog would harm anyone under these circumstances.

I cant see any problem with what yo do Lilymolly. You seem a very responsible owner to me!

thank you

Really? My dog is twice the size of a lab and needs a good hour a day off the lead...

We'll have to disagree lillymolly. I dont doubt for one moment your dog would harm anyone. I still disagree with what you do.

and I was also talking about on the lead as lilymolly said.

knew I was right

That's partly why we dint go for a lab.

Yeah they are susceptable to hip dysplasia, but 2 hours exercise will do them no harm, in fact mine is a working dog, often on shoots for 6 hours at a time, their susceptability for hip dyplasia, is why we do not let dog jump over fences and minimise jumping and therefore extra strain on the hips.
The need for labs to be slim also protects them, hence the exercise mine gets, she often follows me on my horse for miles.

Rubberduck, thanks for the info about the gizmo that hurts dog's ears. Am going to get one if I see one, as dog owners just can't keep their pets to themselves. Can't wait!

I own a giant bastard dog and I keep her on her lead as I dont want to be sued basically for her over-zealously greeting anyone who looks her way - she's way friendly - but I can see how such a big dog could appear threatening and whose attention could be unwelcome to some

Don't have anything against dogs, I like all animals, but don't get why owners want me to get intimate with their pets? Why is that? (slobbering on my hand after licking their arse is intimate imo. So is sniffing my fanjo.)