Dogs on Wandsworth Common

[SVinLondon]

I posted a message on Nextdoor about this situation:
We had a picnic on Wandsworth Common last Saturday. I go to the common regularly during the week, but I’m usually at the playgrounds, which are dog-free. This time we just found a space towards the middle of the park, under a tree for shade.
During the picnic there were two separate incidents with dogs. The first dog ran up to us, grabbed some bread, but made no attempt to run away. Instead, it continued to lunge at food on our blanket, where my 4 year old, my 2 year old, and my 7 month old were sitting. My husband was very upset. My two older children were screaming. The dog had time to run over to another picnic, where there was a

I think if it are that sensitive to dogs then you should indeed have gone to the dog free area. It's not great that the dogs came over and took some food, but it's fairly expected somewhere like that.

They're just being cheeky dogs!

Not sure why they made your children scream? Quite often people find it quite funny.

Both dog owners should have apologised, absolutely. But we a nation of pet owners and animals are seen as a an extension of the family.

Posting on Nextdoor about it was probably a bit much - it's a public space and they weren't breaking any rules.

I think it's fine for dogs to be off leash in a park, but the owners should try to keep them under control though and should never be far behind them. I'm sorry that your picnic was ruined though I did have a giggle over the dogs that came on your blanket. That alone would be enough to ruin anyone's picnic.

(I know what the OP meant. I'm just juvenile)

I don't think it's acceptable at all. I'd have been furious and made the owners more than aware of that. They should be on leads if they can't be trusted or recalled.

Dogs should be as under control as possible but they are still animals. The whole point of taking dog to the common is to let them run around and there are no rules against this. You're being a bit precious about your children - the dogs have as much right to be in the park as your 'vulnerable children' do, and it sounds like you're going to raise them with a fear of dogs.

While I largely agree we don’t actually have many dog parks here in The UK

It's not great that the dogs came over and took some food, but it's fairly expected somewhere like that

Funny, I’ve never expected to have food snatched by dogs while having a picnic in a park

I expect dog owners - including me! - to have their animals under control. I’d be mortified it it were me. But then I don’t think my dog’s desire to roam free is more important than someone’s else’s right to enjoy their picnic in peace.

I would never walk my two dogs in a park where I knew that there would be people having picnics.
They are put on leads if we see people at our country park having picnics.
I avoid these areas in the summer.
People should put their dogs on leads near people eating, unless the dogs recall is sound.

Halloumimuffin. "the dogs have as much right to be in the park as your 'vulnerable children' do"

I don't think the OP said they didn't have a right to be there did she? Why twist what she said?

I'm a dog lover and former dog owner and I wouldn't want my picnic invaded by badly behaved dogs!

YANBU OP - it is vital that dogs get off-lead exercise (I believe it's one of their welfare 'freedoms' enshrined in the Animal Welfare Act) but it's every owners' responsibility to ensure that their dog has an effective recall and if not they should only let it off-lead where it isn't going to make a nuisance of itself.

On another point, we don't actually have that many dog parks in the UK and they aren't suitable for every dog anyway - my old dog was a fear-aggressive rescue and would lunge and bark at other dogs who got too close, which is why I used to get up at 5.00am every morning to walk him while the place was pretty much deserted.

Thanks-I appreciate people who disagree, and the responses here have been a lot more civil than Nextdoor, where the discussion of those who disagreed & even some who agreed dissolved into people talking about raising children (not relevant), times of day of posting (not relevant), and alcohol units drunk while posting (not relevant). Also someone accused me of not owning a dog-my dog actually died in 2012, and I thought, thanks for reminding me!

I do want my kids to like dogs, but unfortunately in a city like London I'm not sure if that's assured. We do have relatives with dogs (unfortunately one of them nipped at my daughter, who has been terrified of dogs ever since) & some friends with dogs, so maybe that's enough.

In regards to a dogs' behaviour at home, I'd have no issue with them snatching food. I've just been surprised by dogs' behaviour out in public-there is a clear difference here from what I grew up with & it is just one of those things I'll have to deal with/work around.

I think as a nation, we expect to have dogs approach if we're picnicking in a popular dog-walking spot. Especially if you're on the floor. The second owner sounds fairly standard, but the first dog encounter is less great - though if your children were screaming that would have exacerbated any issues.

There are lots of dog-free picnic spots that may help until your little ones are comfortable with them.

Week not have leash laws in the same way as most of the states. All parks tend to be dog friendly unless dogs are specially excluded.

Welcome to the entitled dog owners of South West London. I think it is unacceptable.

Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common suffer these people too, plus the Thames Path, Bushy Park and even the kids sand area in Bishop's Park. I think it isn't fair to have a dog in London because there isn't really the space to let them run. Our green spaces are quite crowded and have lots of distractions so it is hard to recall a dog.

I wouldn't be surprised to see off-lead dogs being banned in parks. Sad for the good owners with behaved dogs.

"Fenton!"

Dogs are becoming a problem in Britain, selfish owners who treat their dogs like children and think it is acceptable for their dogs to frighten and annoy people who are with or without dogs. Dog wardens should be more prominent in these areas. You are correct for feeling aggrieved. I live in Scotland in a rural area and have kept dogs in the past.

Failed with the Fenton link.

Try again:

I don't think that sort of thing is exclusive to dog owners - I think it's an 'other people problem'. If I go to Tooting common I'll be harassed by other people's 'adorable' kids (including one last weekend who thought it hilarious to continuously grab my bottom), unfortunately it's all part and parcel of fitting so many people into so little green space.

I think I've watched that Fenton video like 1,000x! I love it-nice to have that trip down memory lane :)

YANBU and comments like "oh, it's funny - relax!" gives dog owners a bad name.

I have a beagle - they're notorious food thieves! However that doesn't mean he has free pass to run over to people's picnics and steal their food. I would be so embarrassed if I had that little control over my pet.

Of course accidents happen - dogs slip their collars or owners lose grip on leads, but the owners normally apologise profusely when that happens!

It's totally not acceptable. Mine goes off-lead in dog-friendly places - the local beach and the woods, or enclosed areas of the local park. Dogs should be on leads if they don't have good recall.

Thanks-I think the solution is to picnic in dog-free areas (although convincing OH of that may be tough, he's quite upset about the incidents & believes we are in the right). However, I'd rather have a relaxed experience if we do want to eat outside.

I've seen dogs in playgrounds, though, on the common. In the past I've never reported-I will now.

YANBU - Dogs in public should always be under control. If a dog cannot be trusted to not run off and steal food or hassle people, then it should be kept on a lead. Just because dogs aren't banned from somewhere, it doesn't mean that they can run around out of control there. Its a shared space and dogs (and children for that matter) need to behave appropriately towards other park users. Stealing food and unwanted approaches are not appropriate behaviour.

Of course dog owners should be minding their dogs properly, but like small children sometimes dogs do things they know they shouldn't, or do something when the owner's back is turned, or similar. My dog is pretty good but he did once steal a packet of ham from two (surprisingly nice) picnickers on Hampstead Heath - I was mortified. They were sat in long grass in an area that is always very busy with dogs, and I genuinely couldn't see that they had food due to the long grass. We haven't had a serious incident since, but while I do make every effort to keep my dog away from picnics I do think that anyone choosing to place food on the floor in the middle of the park has to accept an element of risk.

Dog free picnic areas do exist. However, I was baffled when I took DDog to Finsbury Park during last summer's heatwave, successfully navigated him around all the picnics in the main part of the park, and then discovered that there was not one family in the fenced off dog free picnic area

Meh! Not great but not really a disaster. Plenty of things happen at picnics. Dogs, kids kicking balls, bloody wasps, ants, people playing loud music. No dogs shouldn’t take stuff off your picnic. I we recently waved goodbye to a cake that disappeared when An Alsatian decided to join our picnic. Luckily it was homemade with nothing bad in it. The first dog owner was slow and should have reacted quicker, the second one fine.

You need to teach your kids dog awareness though and stop them screaming at dogs. No excuse there and could lead to issues.

Dogs are perfectly fine to be running round parks. Suggest you picnic in a dog free area next time though.

Despite how mumsnet seems we’re a nation of dog lovers a quarter of households have one.

YANBU

You need to teach your kids dog awareness though and stop them screaming at dogs. No excuse there and could lead to issues.

Of course screaming isn't ideal BUT it must be scary to be a small child sat down (and therefore unable to move quickly) and to experience a large, strange dog bounding over and eating your food - especially if you're not used to being around dogs.

Dogs should be under close control in public - that's the law. They should only be free to run about off-lead if they have solid recall - if not, put your dog on a lead or use a long-line if they need to have more freedom.

Dogs no longer have to bite to be deemed aggressive. If your dog behaves in a way that scares other people and you don't have it under control (ie. on a lead that you're holding) then it can still be deemed out of control and you could be fined.

And I speak as a dog-owner whose dog has shoddy recall. As a result he's only allowed off-lead in certain areas - I would never trust him off-lead in a park because there are just too many temptations - picnics, other dogs, people, bins, toys, sandpits...it's not fair to put him in that situation and expect him to demonstrate 100% obedience!