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?

My 9 year old was sitting in the bus shelter and he leant forward to look out for the bus and as he did a dog walked past and stuck its toungue straight in his mouth as it was at exactly the right height - we laughed but how disgusting eh?

icing - you miss the point whole heartedly. dogs are animals, children are humans. who should get priority ?

kerrymum - exactly, agree with you, however much you trust your dog, you can never be sure. i trust our dog (he's a softy) as much as i can trust a dog but that's not 100%

i also believe children should have and need the freedom of parks and the last thing anyone needs is a dog bounding up to them getting excited about a ball or just running around, or a picnic and then there's dog mess to watch out for the dc's falling into or pee to stick their hands in and that's in addition to dogs tongues in faces urgggghhhhh.

we live close to a public footpath and the amount of dogs that emerge a few minutes ahead of their owners is dreadful, the dog mess that is along the path is also testimony to that. it completely hacks me off as i'm having to tell my young ds's to always watch out for it and they should be able to walk on a path and look at the nature and wildlife and their surroundings without having to worry about where they put their feet, we live in a filthy country where poeple are just plain selfish.

some dog owners are downright irresponsible and unreasonable and should be muzzled themselves never mind the dogs.

I am afraid of dogs, a fear I am trying very hard not to pass on to my children, and hate the way some dog owners think its fine to allow some great mutt to come bouncing up to me and my children. I control my children who are highly unlikely to bite, shit or scare anyone (well not yet anyway) they should do the same with their animals

We have two parks close by-they are literally next door to one another. One is for children, complete with play equipment and "NO dogs allowed" signs. The other, smaller one is designated as a dog exercise area, with "poo bins" amd signs pointing out what it is for. When we are walking our dogs in there, parents actually come into the dog park and ask for the dogs to be put on the lead. Now I would not want my kids runnung around in there-not all dog owners clear up the mess as we always do-but WHY do they not go to the pleasant childrens park right next door? So my point is that common sense is required on both sides.If it is an area specifically for dogs, do not expect them to be on a lead!

Dog owners are human too as far as I am aware. Some of us actually enjoy walking our dogs at the park. The parks are for everyone! As long as you pick up your mess (and that includes the kids picnic stuff and sweet wrappers) then I agree - there shouldn't be a problem.

Kids (and I have 3) aren't the most hygenic of creatures either but if a strange snot covered child came up to me to stroke my dog (as often happens) I'm not worried about threadworm and nits and ringworm!

Yellowrose it's shouldn't be a case of who gets priority, it's should be a case of everyone should be responsible for there own dogs/children and learn to share the park. Isn't there childrens play parks where dogs aren't allowed?

icing - i take ds to a couple of nature reserves regularly, sadly both are full of dogs running around without a lead. we have huge dogs running up to us with no owner in sight. it is just irresponsible and selfish in my view. the playgrounds are the only places now shut off to dogs, the parks are full of them. ds (nearly 3) finds playgrounds too boring, he would much rather walk or run freely, which as a child he is entitled to do without fear.

he is incredibly brave, likes animals and goes up to them, i am the one who is scared they will attack and have to stop him from touching them. i do it without panic or showing fear though. i know the WORST possible thing i can do is look scared, or make ds scared so he ends up running. it is a sure way of getting attacked by a vicious dog. as he gets older i will be telling him never to run from a dog or look scared, at his age he is too young to understand now. i think these are sensible things all parents should be aware of. self-defence where you have been attacked is useful to know too. i hope to god it will never happen to anyone.

connie - you do sound very extreme in your worship of dogs.

Connie - bit late getting back to you re: my previous post. Haven't read the rest of the thread, so you may have made further comments I disagree with ;-) , but I do retract my comment about you being a 'one trick pony'. And the yawn. I had only seen you post seemingly deliberately provocative opinions on this and other threads, but have since seen that you do offer constructive advice etc elsewhere, including...ahem...one of my threads. Sorry [humble]

Dionne, a dog jumping up onto my son can trigger an asthma attack.

It isn't being snobby, I would just prefer my son not to need extra medication because people want to let their dogs off the lead.

I feel that the needs of people should come before dogs. Dogs are not proto children, and treateing them as such doesn't make them happy. I keep my son at my side, but unrestrained dogs have bounded up to him, and I've them spent the rest of the afternoon helping my poor son to breath.

But god forbid that the 'rights' of dog owners should be questioned. Obviously the halth of my son is a secondary issue.

I get quite freaked out if I see someone coming towards me with a dog. I have to cross the road or if im with dh and the children I have to let him push the pushchair and I almost hide behind him as we go past.
It's only big dogs though. Not sure where the fear comes from because when I was about 11 there was a couple who had two big alsations in our village. They used to let the children take them out for walks, and then they would give us sweets for taking them out. I used to love it.

I like dogs in the sense of not hating them and being sort of pleased to see one - espcially my parents' dog which is lovely. But I think they are a total pita in towns. And it must be a nightmare to own one - I'd be so nervous of meeting other non-doggy people in the park (I don't think it's unreasonable to let a dog of the lead if it's otherwise under control btw), I'd hate having to clear up poo, I'd worry about leaving them in our small garden or locked in the house. I'd be paranoid about them barking all the time.

If I win the lottery I'll move to the countryside and buy a house with a big garden and probably get 2. But until then, not a chance.

Not convinced that DCs are only scared because we pass on that fear. DH loves dogs, but he was at a friend's place yesterday with DS (who is 2) and they have a lovely red setter (fairly large). DS was so scared he was trembling. Then again DS loves looking at cats but is petrified if they come up to him .

MB - that must be awful for your son and you. Even if your DS is an extreme example, it is still reasonable to expect that children's rights take priority over dogs(with the normal disclaimer that children should never tease or hurt them!). And you can never trust dogs 100% (or children for that matter!)...

I am sure people would soon complain if I allowed my children to run up to them, put there muddy/chocolatey hands all over them, gettting the dirt all over their clothes, wiping there snotty noses on them attempted to kiss them or attempted to try and shag their legs, took food off them, and then finished off having a crap next to them even if I said 'they are only being friendly' so why is it wrong to be annoyed when a dog is not controlled and prevented from doing the same??

Martionbishop - I dont think that your worry of having a dog jump up at your son for health reasons is snobby at all. In fact if you read my posts, my point is, is that I think dogs should be on leads in parks where children are playing. However when it comes to woodland areas and downs, dogs have every right to be off the lead and all familys should expects that.
What grates me about this thread is the ridiculous comments that are just laughable e.g. scared of black dogs means your racist and people shouldnt have dogs full stop! That to me is snobby cos they dont have dogs and have NO idea what they are going on about. But I completely agree with your point and sympathise with your difficult situation. I am a mum and we have a dog. I walk my dog on the lead in parks / streets. but off the lead up the downs. Whats wrong with that?

Totally agree

I hated dogs until I got one myself, and I think children and dogs can mix as long as each side is sensible

I remember last year taking my dog and some of my friends kids to a river on some moorland where they wanted to play in the river. There where loads of kids playing in the river, but I thought my dog should be allowed in. I let dog off lead and she ran into the river, and one of the adults had a right go at me, and I told her that the dog was harmless but if her kids where scared I would remove the dog, 5 mins later all the kids where playing with dogs throwing sticks etc.
I think there are some dogs who can play safely with other kids. Its a judgment call. That said, I trust my dog 100% she is a labrador, and has NEVER even so much as growled

Would it be ok if a dog whose parents were married jumped on you?

I don't have a problem with that either, as long as they are on leads when they are in areas that are heavily 'used' by families. IYSWIM. Connie, on the other hand seems to think that I should take my son to places that dogs are prohibited. She seems to feel that her dog as more rights than my son. Since as she so supportivly puts it 'I'm not the one with the problem'

Personaly I think that humans should have more rights than dogs. I'm actually rather fond of dogs, had them as a child and we support the training for guid dogs for the blind.

The trouble seems to be that some dog ownners think that they dogs are more important than people.

And as far as I know Connie, Human head lice are specific for humans, and are no risk to your dog. And unless you dog licks the anus of a human with thread worms, or bites their fingernails, you can sleep at night, safe in the knowlege that you do will be unaffected.

Human children, however have been blinded by toxicara canis.

So we do actually agree then MB. I love my dog to bits and he is best friends with my little girl. But my little girl always comes 1st! Im lucky in that my dog is a good lad and doesnt run up at people. Infact kids and their parents go up to him cos hes is so big for his breed and a good looking boy (not biased, honest!) that they just want to say hello. He is very soppy!
Even so, I wouldnt let him off in a family park. Mainly because of other peoples reactions.You never can tell.

My cousin kept dogs, they were working dogs. Not treated as proto humans they were some of the happiest dogs in the UK.

My next door neighbour had a dog, spoiled it, fed it the wrong food (which caused it the most awful rashes), never walked it enough. Unhappy, very dodgy do in terms of behaviour.

Dogs are happiest when their owners remember that they are dogs

and you are quite right you just can't tell how a dog will react on 100% of cases. In that being the case it is the resposibility of the dog owner to kepp it properly under control.

MB, I don't treat my dogs as pronto humans - in fact they know they are bottom of the pecking order in this house as it should be.

I would never allow my dogs to jump all over children, particularly if they have asthma or other medical problems that may occur as a result. I do think a dog jumping up is not akin to a 'savage attack' and in most instances is pretty harmless. I did take offence at posts saying dogs were filthy disease ridden creatures who the owners treat like babies and our houses stink.

What I was perhaps clumsily trying to say is that I don't think all dogs should be kept on the lead at the park if they can be kept under control. A dog needs exercise to be a happy dog and that certainly would limit the potential of them turning into a biter.

If the constant dog jumping is giving your child asthma attacks then I would be taking him elsewhere. I don't have the problem of my dogs jumping up at people is what I meant by that comment.

I walk my dogs in a park which is full of regular dog walkers and that's about it as there is no playground etc. WHen the weather becomes hot you see families who dont go there usually with their kids so I avoid walking until the evening. Of course they should be able to go there but dog walkers use it every day regardless of the weather etc.

I put the little one on a lead near kids as if a child and parents starts to scream (and they do) he might be interested enough in the noise to have a closer look. I leave the big one off the lead as she has no interest in other people.

I do have to watch out for kids who like to tease dogs and their owners who think this is okay. Fortunately my dogs dont seem to react to the teasing but it's bloody annoying and I wish their parents would keep them under control.

I wouldnt ever take them to a park which contained swings etc.

THere are a lot of problems rehousing black dogs and battersea tries to put hankerchiefs and the like on them to make them more attractive. I believe there is also a rescue place just for black dogs. I dont believe though it's blamed on racism. Cant remember why in teh article though.

I think I read that black dogs appear more unfriendly for some reason, but definately have read that black dogs are harder to re-home