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.

I agree with a previous comment, I know it was not intentional but it still happened because your dog was out of reach and control. Most dogs poo within a fairly short time of finding somewhere suitable so maybe a extender lead until business is sorted then let them run free. Some child may step in that later, yuk. I'm a dog fosterer and work very hard to ensure I've never left a poo on any piece of ground no matter where it is.

Bloody hell, don't worry about it. He's patently a bellend with a need to bully.
As for asking the question at dog haters HQ? You'll always get the hysterical bollocks about dogs here, that's despite the fact humans roger the environment way more than any other species.
This bloke is a turd who berated you. Move on and slag him off to every dog walker around, he's probably well known for it.

One non-picked up poo in 4 years!!! Give the OP a break! She is obviously a responsible dog owner and clearly after getting a telling off from the man on the beach doesn't need the vitriol from some of the judgey-pants on here.

Exactly!!

And that's why dogs should be banned from beaches. Dog poo is not the same as human or bird. It can carry a disease that can cause blindness and if its in the sea very easily swallowed especially by children. If your dog won't stay close enough, keep it on a lead so you can clean up the mess. Don't agree with the man in the way he spoke to you but it is a serious issue and if my child was affected by your dog, I may speak to you like that.

SCUMBAGS let their dogs shit on the beach!! You should have gone in and got it!!!!

Dog on lead until they have finished their toileting and then let off, simple.

Yes! you are being unreasonable. In future make sure your pooch deposits where you can clean up after it. Perhaps your reply to the man with three dogs should have started with "I'm sorry, etc........" It is every dog owners responsibility to ensure ALL of its poo is disposed of responsibly. NO EXCEPTIONS

I've had a similar thing happen, only without the shouting.

I will myself challenge people who don't pick up and always take a spare bag with me to pick up things that others have failed to clear - it may not be done by my dog but if I leave it and a child gets covered I have to accept some % of responsibility.

Anyhow, in a situation like this it is clearly ridiculous to go wading for something, so I'd grab a small amount of sand or pebbles in my bag, knot the bag and put it in the appropriate bin.

It's good that people care to question those who take no responsibility, but this guy sounds like a right bully!

Enjoy the beach. Bullies are everywhere, but you sound like a good dog owner to me.

Idril - dog poo on a beach or in the sea IS disgusting, but this person seems to have done all they can. Stop being so judgemental.
For the record: until the Thames Tideway Tunnel is completed Thames Water is forced to put 39 MILLION TONNES of untreated sewage straight into the Thames each year when rainwater fills the Victorian sewers and leaves no capacity for 'effluent'.
So if you're walking on any part of the Thames foreshore or any beach in the south east or wading in the water, chances are you're knee deep in the brown stuff.
One tiny dog turd is the tip of the shitberg I'm afraid!

@MotherofDinosaurs If dogs are revolting creatures for having bowel movements that we have to clean up for them, then so are your kids!

Whoever asked who thinks animals are more important than children, I prefer my dogs to your children 😂

biscuitbrown

Ummm yes Yabu to assume that I'm being liberal with the truth. If I had seen it I would have got it as I have every other poo my dog has done.

mousecar

You'd have to have some to train your dog to find the smell first, it would be worth it

The man shouldn't have been shouting at you if you had done all you could but I can see why he was annoyed if he mistook something else for your dog's poo. A simple mistake on his part, just as you made a mistake by letting your dog off the lead before it had been to the toilet. please learn from this one OP but again, I appreciate your efforts to clean up as lots of other dog owners don't.

I've seen many lovely beaches spoilt by dog poo and irresponsible dog owners...what should be a fun relaxing day out turns into a nightmare if you are trying to avoid walking or swimming in poo, esp being barefoot, it's just disgusting and depressing.

The thing that really pisses me off is that our beach has 3 separate bits - dogs allowed on either side but not in the middle stretch (which is quite extensive). Fair enough; but then why take your children to the bit where dogs are legally allowed and have a hissy fit when a dog wanders along happily? A couple of years ago I got called a cunt for having 2 dogs off lead - both behaving perfectly, not bothering anyone, not shitting etc - on the dogs allowed bit, the 2 women were clearly in the wrong as confirmed by all the signs etc (not to mention the fact I live here year round and therefore fully understand the bylaws). And give me strength, but if your kid is scared of dogs and you dont want to address/deal with that, DONT take him/her to the bit where dogs are allowed to be!

Animals would survive without humans, humans couldn't survive without animals.

Only a fraction of current numbers would survive without humans. Some species would not have a millionth of the numbers they have now. Dogs are one such species. There are many breeds of dog that would simply not exist without people. Hens/chickens, pigs, cows, and other farm animals are another example.

It doesn't have to be 'either/or'.
Pet owners can be considerate. The majority are. But it only takes one turd to cast a damper on a day out or a trip to the park or to the shops. Believe it or not, many people do not like to spend time wiping buggy wheels upon return from the shops or trying to wash dog poo out of a child's swimming togs at the beach.

This is why many beaches don't allow dogs on them any more.

Do people's dogs poop on the lead? My dog had to run ahead and hide behind a bush because he didn't like being watched.

@changeroorooroo's shy dog.
Yes they do.

If you moved to some place where dogs must be kept on lead at all times you would see it daily because people train their dogs to do it.

Mine won't poo on the lead unless he is desperate. He likes to disappear into the bushes.

*@urkidding

My friend's child has toxocariasis. This means that he has the mental age of a 4 year old child, he is now in his 20s. He is blind and will need care for the rest of his life. Her family life has revolved around this child's needs. This disease is caused by dog faeces. Recently, I have noticed in Brighton people put their dogs on bus seats.*

You might want to check your facts.

From Tommy's website ....*
*
** The parasite can be found in meat, cat faeces, the soil where cats defecate and unpasteurised goats’ milk. The toxoplasma parasite can infect most birds and warm-blooded animals, including humans. Cats are the only animals that can have infected faeces. After it catches the infection through eating birds, mice or other raw meat, a cat can shed infectious faeces for about 14 days.
Toxoplasmosis cannot be caught by stroking a cat or having a cat as a pet. The infection comes from coming into contact with the infected faeces of a cat.

I have just read Wikipedia on Toxocariasis. Alarming.

It’s not restricted to cats - www.nhs.uk/conditions/toxocariasis/

You should keep your dog under control, you clearly didn't.

You should expect to be spoken to harshly as people like you mess up the places that others have a right to enjoy.

Keep your dog close or on a lead.

Dog on lead until they have finished their toileting and then let off, simple.

Err... it's actual not that simple. My dog will poo within the first five minutes of leaving the house, albeit only on natural surfaces (tarmac is unsuitable, apparently).

However, he will also poo an additional 2-3 times on a long (2-3 hour) walk. Those times are unpredictable, though I do watch closely for them. What you are actually trying to say is that I should never let my dog off the lead, not because he does anything wrong, but because of his lack of defined toileting schedule

OP, YANBU, you did what you could.