About bloody dog toys in communal walking spaces

[alifromtheforest]

By which I mean playing fields, open land, beach, etc.

There are SO many people who have those ball throwing things for their dogs then get all huffy when another dog chases it and gets it! Mine do this and I always call them back immediately, but I think it's so bloody selfish to throw things that all dogs will chase and expect that all but their own will leave it alone. And then give dirty looks when another dog ends up with the ball!

It's such a pain to keep calling mine back when we're just trying to enjoy our walk!

AIBU to expect people to be more considerate when exercising their dogs??

I don’t know where you walk but around us everyone tends to laugh and commiserate with the dog-thief owner.

Lots of people can’t actually walk as far as their dogs would like and throwing the ball repeatedly gets the dog exercised and it’s win win.

Get some old tennis balls to carry around to replace the stolen ones if it’s that bad?

I would be utterly baffled by a dog owner who didn't realise that other dogs might chase the ball they were throwing for their dog!

I don't usually walk our dogs - dh does - but round here, dog walking is a communal thing, and most of the time, if you meet up with other dogs and their owners, the dogs all play together, and share toys/balls etc, whilst the owners get to walk together and chat.

Surely this is one of the benefits of having a dog - the social aspect? And how are you going to enjoy that, if you snarl or give dirty looks to other dogs and their owners?

And worse, the ones that chuck the ball straight in my direction as I am coming towards them with three large dogs ...

The worst mine will do is nick the ball and scarper, but they don't know that, and it is a sure recipe for all out war.

A friend of mine has one of those ball thrower stick thingies. She takes 3 tennis balls with them and they (usually) bring 3 back. Might not be the actual 3 they took out, but she considers that irrelevant and her dog doesn't care.

I think it's pretty unreasonable to expect dogs to not have the opportunity to play tbh, but also pretty unreasonable for dog owners to get huffy if another dog chases the ball.

Take your dogs their own toys to chase?

Mine isn’t allowed tennis balls as for a dog her size they’re a choking hazard. So of course if we meet anyone with one of these devices they’re the best thing ever. PITA.

Nope, all I get if my dogs dart in to grab the ball is a dirty look. My two wouldn't be interested in constantly chasing toys so there's no point.

I get that those stick things are great for giving dogs lots of exercise easily, but please don't expect that no other d

Posted too soon!

Dogs aren't going to join in too!