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 think you should have kept your dog on a lead or nearby until he'd done it's business

Why worry about it? The sea's massive. A dog shit isn't going to make a spec of difference. If it's a very busy beach and dog has shat where wee ones are paddling or something than yes, that's not good but if anything like I'm thinking its fine.

I let my dog run on the beach if its quiet - 2.5 miles long, no buildings, usually few other people. No place people could hide. Allow her to run about 50-100m ahead. She's not likely to poo on the beach (usually goes within 5 mins on the walk) but if she did I wouldn't exactly be panicking. I'd do as you did - my best.

Should you're the kind of people that give us dog owners a bad name 🙄

She will only focus on running and getting all of her energy out.

Except that wasn't all she was focused on getting out, was it?

Nothing you could have done in that instance but honestly it’s in people and animals nature’s to do a lot of things, and maybe your dog does want to run but if they are not nearby you then they could disturb/upset other beach users which I don’t really think is reasonable!

And that doesn't mean I wouldn't clean it up - but if it was 10m out in the ocean and not visible I'd not worry! I don't know anyone who would (and know very few people without dogs, horses that shit on the beach too) etc.

Probably why there’s talk of stopping people from walking their dogs on the beach.
Rank OP!. Imagine s toddler plodging coming out covered in shit!

Slutty and you're basing that judgement on what exactly? One post online? You've no idea what sort of dog owner I am based on that post. I said I wouldn't panic.

The sea's full of rotting plastic, tampons, sanitary pads, dead birds, marine rubbish, metal, wood with nails in it, tyres etc (I do beach clean ups). I worry far more about that to be honest!

Fucks sake - I'm more concerned about the mountain of plastic in the ocean than a dog shit...

Nothing you could have done OP. Just one of those very rare shitty situations where you were not able to clear up.

To the PPs saying that you just need to keep your dog on lead or close by until it has done it’s oh-so-regular poo - this particular dog myth is a bit of a wierd misconception I have heard before on Mumsnet.

Possibly this happens if you walk your dog on a very regular daily schedule but if you walk at different times of day, you have literally no idea when they may need to go. A bit like children.

My dog had been known to do three (normal) poos on a longish walk so I take loads of bags and keep a close eye on her at all times, am always aware if she is behind me and check constantly to maybe sure she hadn’t stopped to go to the loo.

The situation the OP described is unfortunate, unusual and rare and she was very obviously trying to do what she could to clear up after her dog. The man was completely unreasonable.

At least the poo will be gone relatively quickly, whereas all the humans plastic bottles and straws will be causing problems for a very long time.

It's clear the OP would have done the poo bag if she could have but it was too late. I'd still visit the beach but keep dog close until poo has passed.

you typify irresponsible dog owners

Grim

Unfortunately her bowel movements aren't regular, often I will take her out again in the evening to make sure she has done her business.

She needs plenty of exercise, I go to the beach at quiet times which is when most other dog walkers are also out. It's the first time in 4 years I've not been able to pick up her poo, I don't think that justifies me being called a skank.

She wasn't miles ahead of me, it takes seconds for a wave to come and wash something away, she was close enough for me to see clearly what she was doing.

**Yabvu. If your dog can take a shit in the sea and you can’t get there in the time to clean it then you are too far away. Grim, gross and irresponsible.
This!
Your update is a pathetic excuse. Organise your dog walks so you can always pick up it’s poo.

The op is clearly not an irresponsible dog owner. This has worried her enough to post on here. She didn't deserve to be shouted and sworn at. No need for that at all. We have plenty of VERY irresponsible dog owners around here, that purposely let their dogs poo everywhere.....I wouldn't shout and swear at them either though, because I'm a decent human being.

In future I'm sure the op will stay closer to her dog if she can, but nobody has the right to intimidate another person.

He was no doubt pissed off with you because dog owners who don't pick up taint all dogs / owners with their shitty behaviour.

I agree you should keep your dog on a leash until they have gone.

I walk my dog on the lead before I let him off lead on the beach. I know exactly when he's likely to poo and don't let him off until he's done. YABU

The sea is pretty self cleaning. A fish or plankton will have eaten it by now.
and this is why I don't eat fish 🤢

Yeah it's bit grim, but the sea is hardly sterile, is it? I think a bit of dog shit is the least of your worries to be honest. What about the bird shit, dog pee, human pee (and probably human shit too)?

I don't know anyone who would actually go and fish a turd out of the sea...

I don’t really care about the dog shit, but I do get really pissed off at dogs being allowed to run so far from their owners on beaches.

Last summer we were on a beach and two “excited” dogs run at my then 9 year old daughter and were barking and had their front paws up on her shoulders. The feckless bloody owners took ages to come and get them away and basically couldn’t give a shit. She was absolutely terrified and the effects of that incident are still ongoing every time she sees a dog a year later.

The owners treated us like we were unreasonable to think we could just be on a beach minding our own business, and should have gone to a no dogs beach. Unfortunately, due to people like them, we now have to.

Don't have a dog, so not au fair with their bowel habits, but I do know that guide dogs are trained to poo on command and wonder why pet dogs aren't also trained to do this?

Hate dogs in parks and on beaches, too many piles of stinking crap left for others to endure.

Au fait.