Aibu to have not picked up my dogs poo?

[greenteaplease]

Today I took my dog out for a walk on the beach, it's a lovely beach and majority of owners including myself pick up their dogs mess.

My dog loves to run out far and swim in the sea, she was ahead of me but in the distance I could see she was crouching down to go to the toilet. I hurried up to catch her however by the time I had got there I realised she had gone to the toilet at the edge of the sea and it was being washed away. I had a look to see if there was anything there but nothing was left.

A man with three large dogs approached me telling me 'your dog has just done a massive shit aren't you going to clean it?!'. I responded that I would have however it's been washed away. He pointed to something floating which wasn't a dog poo and said I should go in and get it.

Aibu to have not gone in? He spoke to me in a really threatening manner and said that it's people like you that make the world a disgusting place. I now don't want to go to the beach for a while as I've seen him there before and he speaks to a lot of other dog walkers, it was very intimidating as there wasn't many around that end of the beach and he was raising his voice and swearing.

Id rather see dog poo on the pavement than in a plastic bag thrown in the nearest bush. Really dont get why dog owners do this?

Loopy - no, she says it's a lovely beach and a dog friendly beach, and she also says she goes there when it's not busy and full of families.

This isn't ideal for dogs as there is a risk of finding and possibly eating things discarded by people that are harmful.

The solution to the issue of where to let a dog run is to maybe think about that before you commit to a breed of dog that needs to run?

...when they're running, it takes a very well trained springer to come when called. They do tend to cock a deaf one.

I agree with this. All three of the springers I have known have only reliably returned when they are tired out.

All the dog beaches I've ever been on have other people on it too. It's not like a dog is an entry requirement. Also, there are few breeds that don't need a good run. This idea that a dog has to be by the owners side 100% of the time is a great recipe for frustrated, neurotic dogs. Obviously most places you do need them by your side. The local dog-friendly beach is a good compromise.

She didn't say it is a dog beach.
A dog-friendly beach is a different kettle of fish. It's one where there is no sign saying dogs are banned.

Staying by the owner's side until the poop is done and picked up is not too onerous an expectation for dogs and their owners. You can let them off afterwards, but unless you are sure there is nothing in the area that could make your dog ill it's not always a great idea.

Our dog never does a poo when we go out on walks - she always waits until we get home. Literally, there have been a handful of times in her life when she's gone while on a walk.

However, take her to a body of water - and bam. Straight into it to take a dump.

I don't know what it is.

We're usually prepared for it and are able to deal with it, but if it's winter or a strong, high tide beach or she's sprinted way ahead, there's sometimes no chance of getting to her deposit by the time it's washed away.

You do your best.

In my area, a beach where dogs are permitted off lead ( not permitted at most beaches ) is a dog beach. And staying by the owners side until they have done a poo is an issue for a lot of dogs. My dog won't poo on a lot of outings. Sometimes it's the run itself that makes them poo. All this fuss to prevent one poo in 1400 going into the ocean? If all dog owners overall only missed one poo in 1400, I'd be delighted.

How is a dog friendly beach different to a dog beach? They are places you take your dog so it can have fun. Walking to heel is not fun. It is work.

Dog beaches are open to dogs year round.

Most UK beaches restrict dogs to October to April, because people get understandably upset when their toddler rubs dog poop in his or her hair, or when dogs interfere with picnics or jump up on people, run through sand castles, knock small children over in the surf, etc. Situations can get out of hand.

Then there is the danger to dogs from things like opened and sharp cans that once contained interesting food, food items that are harmful to dogs left lying around, etc. A friend of mine had a dog when she was a child, who cut his tongue trying to lick a can he found while out on a walk. It took ages to heal. Exposing dogs to potential danger like this is not fair on a dog.

This is not just a big fuss to prevent one out of 1400 poops going where it shouldn't. In general, it's best to keep a dog close until s/he poops because that way you can scoop the poop immediately. You can also prevent the dog from pooping on someone's property. Many people resent the sight of a dog sitting in their flower bed working on a deposit and also don't like to see strangers tramping in after their dog with a baggie in one hand and an empty leash in the other. A lot of aggravation can be avoided by a little common sense.

YABU OP, you pick up dogshit. End of story. If you can’t get there in time, keep the dog on a lead.

I am SICK of having to watch every step my kids walk because of selfish dog owners. I wouldn’t throw my rubbish around for you to walk in. Clean up after your dog.

The fact someone confronted you tells me all I need to know. Even if he was unreasonable in the way he did it.

No excuse

Math, you seem to think dogs poo on schedule. They don't- or at least, some might, but I've never had one that did. Mine is likely to poo three times on a walk or not at all.
And yes, any time you let a dog off leash, it comes with a risk. That's life. You manage the risk by taking the dog to a relatively safe place - like the beach ( away from people's garden beds) - and training the dog well.
In this case, the OP has failed to predict her dog pooing in one instance. You can't predict all risks, and in this case, the outcome, while gross, is pretty minor in the scheme of things.

oh there's nothing like a dog poo thread!
Poor OP its horrible being shouted at when there was nothing you could do. Bet the bloke wouldn't have shouted at another man.

It's the sea, it's already full of literal shit. An extra dog turd will make no difference - it's something that can break down after all.

Its amazing how many people think dogpoo, being organic, quickly biodegrades. Actually, it takes months or more on a pavement or dry grassy areas. In water it either will disperse or be washed back up to shore, where it will degrade more slowly, unless someone speeds up the process by stepping on it barefoot.

Thanks to all those dirtying up the beaches and pavements which makes life harder and dirtier for the rest of us, having to watch the floor where we tread and ensuring children don’t walk in the verges or edges of the pavement. Disgusting.

The detritus and filth left on the beaches up and down the country after this bank holiday weekend was left by PEOPLE, not dogs. You'd need to watch where you tread because of filthy lazy people, not a random solitary dog shit.

what ThymeLord said. Nappies have got to be the worst or maybe condoms? Broken glass, cans, disposable bbqs where barefoot people of any age can stand on them (and no, burying them in the sand doesnt help), fag butts, fish n chip wrappers. I would far far rather that the lazy scumbag trippers took all their shit home with them - or even to the nearest bin, that would be a start - than panic over a dog poo in the sea.

Agree with yolofish and add syringes and razors to the mix - whether it is on the beach or at a kids playground or on the street.
But that doesn’t make dog poo nice. Getting it on your shoes you can basically throw those shoes away because the smell never comes off.
I don’t think 50 years ago people littered so free of any restraints. What happened???? (Except plastic)

I'm with the OP here, I've a spaniel too and walking them on the lead all the time isn't fair on them. They, just like other dogs, need to run. The only difference between spaniels and other dogs when they're off the lead is that spaniels have a need to sniff out everything they can, which means they often are further away from their owners than other dogs. It doesn't mean we're not in control of our dogs and it doesn't mean we couldn't call them back if we needed to. The posters commenting about keeping dogs on leads or having their children knocked over by dogs is a bit of a non-issue in the context of the original post, you're just assuming the OP has no control over her dog.

When i was a kid dogs literally roamed the streets, often in packs. People would just open the front door in the morning and let them out for the day, to do whatever they wanted.
Dog shit everywhere there was...... Much worse in those days.

I’d say the majority of dog owners on here are responsible, pick up poo etc and the op didn’t do anything wrong, it was the one that got away no one would step in it and it would wash away. I was brought up at the seaside before dog beaches were a thing, we would play at the beach happily with dogs running about wasn’t a big deal.

Now have my own kids, and a dog and the beach isn’t somewhere we go often and the dog loves it. He’s ex guide dog so v well trained and does poo on command using busy busy as his phrase. I wouldn’t like my giant retriever running up to kids so he stays close, and close enough that I can see if other dogs are looking menacing. I can totally understand if you’re not a dog lover but many people do worse, like picking up poo and dumping the bag...why?!?!? Or letting it do it on the path to school...urgh

It's hilarious the number of posters who seem to think that the world would be a sterile place for their little darlings if it weren't for these revolting creatures and their poo!

Which toilet / brand of bleach spray do you think foxes, badgers, squirrels, cats, rats, mice, hedgehogs, birds etc all use? Nature is simply full of shit already. Your child has probably ingested tons.

Wish my dog wouldn’t do his fake poos it’s embarrassing!

My dog does that too. When there's been a lot of people around I've even been known to fake pick up the non existent poo just to save the hassle.

OP YANBU. One missed dog poo in 4 years is a responsible owner. There are plenty of irresponsible dog owners our there so I understand why people get upset about it but some of the comments on this thread are laughable.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-essex-44046903/southend-beachgoers-leave-behind-piles-of-rubbish

I am not sure how to make my links clicky but there is a video of Southend beach after the weekend. No dogs were responsible for the carnage left behind on that beach.

dogs need nappies !
no shit on the floor, no shit in little bags dangling from trees, bushes or dumped on the ground

@ThymeLord - how brilliant!!! People litter so we shouldn't worry about dog shit everywhere. That's sorted the issue then.