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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think dogs should be banned from parks?

374 replies

Allthebiscuits · 26/08/2019 23:03

They're everywhere, crapping, barking, smelling one another's arses and fighting. Then there are those jumpy ones trying to get a lick of a child's face before bounding off to piss up the nearest tree. Not everyone likes dogs and they spoil the park for kids. I'd love to see them allocated their own area away from the rest of the park where like minded dog owners can all hangout together picking up their pet's turds and convincing each other that "he's usually so gentle". AIBU??

OP posts:
whattodowith · 27/08/2019 15:26

My local NT site has a dog walking area, dogs aren’t allowed in the rest of the grounds and it’s brilliant. I dislike crappy owners rather than dogs. Not picking shit up is despicable and giddy dogs need keeping on a lead.

StoneofDestiny · 27/08/2019 15:26

I think dogs should be on short leads in public places. The stretchy leads don't seem enough to control some jumpy pets. I say that as someone who has just been pounded on by a dog while I was sitting reading a book on a park bench! Scared me to death and lead holding dog owner was about 6 feet away looking elsewhere and when I screamed said 'oh sorry, he's a one isn't he?

MagicKingdomDizzy · 27/08/2019 15:27

FudgeBrownie2019

I work for the main vets in our area, and there is not a day goes by that I don't deal with:

Cats attacked by a dog
Dogs attacked by another dog (including a chihuahua whose eye fell out)
Putting a dangerous dog to sleep
Behaviour referrals or castration for an aggressive dog
Some sort of staff injury or inability to treat a dog due to it's aggressive nature.

For the half an hour twice a day that you walk your dog, you may not see this, but I do.

Alsohuman · 27/08/2019 15:28

On a lead on a deserted beach? On a lead in a field when there’s no other living thing in sight. Only someone who’s never done more than glance at a dog would come up with that suggestion.

Ihaventgottimeforthis · 27/08/2019 15:30

I agree - I'm fed up of picking up other peoples' dogs' shit from the playing fields over the road.
I think a dedicated area for dog walking would be preferable in many parks - aside from anything else I'd be able to relax a bit more when walking my big dogs, knowing that anyone they encounter in that area is prepared to see dogs.

StarShapedWindow · 27/08/2019 15:30

I prefer the sound of kids playing to dogs barking

I prefer the sound of dogs barking to toddlers screaming!

I don’t mind family dogs but I do hate large or dangerous dogs off lead and without a muzzle.

gedsxppl · 27/08/2019 15:36

@Whosorrynow you see dogs as "living toys"? Yikes. That's awful. Glad you seem to hate dogs so much you'll never own one, because you'd be completely incompetent at it. Feel sorry for your kids if you have any.

GibbonLover · 27/08/2019 15:36

I prefer the sound of dogs barking to toddlers screaming!

Me too. Unless it's one of those yappy little things whose barks are very much like the ear splitting, high-pitched screaming of children.

gedsxppl · 27/08/2019 15:40

@QualCheckBot they do 😊 screaming, crying, making a mess, in everyone's way. Parents sitting on their phones oblivious. Awful. Dogs potter, chase balls, have a smell around, maybe play with another dog, do their business which is cleaned up (but at least biodegradable if their owner is a lazy sod), and off home. Kids run up to dogs, torment them and then the parents get angry if a dog warns a child it's had enough. Teach your kids to respect others (including animals) and there's no problem. But until then, kids are worse.

SophiaLarsen · 27/08/2019 15:54

I see as many unreasonable parents of children and I see owners of dogs in parks. Hmm. Why don't we ban adults in parks? I bet they would be marvellous places to be then!

SummerInTheVillage · 27/08/2019 16:00

I can't understand all the daft comparisons between children and dogs.

Dogs are just dogs and should be kept out of parks unless on a lead. Children matter dogs not so much.

missbattenburg · 27/08/2019 16:14

Ban dogs from parks.

Less people use parks.

Less people = less voters using parks

Less voters mean councils can just get rid when looking at areas to save money

No more parks = problem solved.

Ultimately, if you want people to fight for or defend anything you must give them a personal connection to it, otherwise it's nothing to them if it vanishes.

notmuchmoretogive · 27/08/2019 16:17

Some people don't like kids and think they spoil the parks

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 27/08/2019 16:19

My dogs have never been anything but well behaved and lovely. I don't think why they should be banned from the parks.

We need more parks, the population density is rising and the green spaces we have are getting overcrowded.

We need to demand more parks and green spaces instead of squabbling over the existing ones.

spanglydangly · 27/08/2019 16:20

Dogs are just dogs and should be kept out of parks unless on a lead. Children matter dogs not so much.

Dogs are very important family members to lots of people and matter.

Empty parks all winter would be a really great idea wouldn't it...... all the parks, especially in London be used for housing. Dog walkers are great for using parks and my dog is just five off the lead.

I tell you what, I use the park to walk my dog, van me and refuse my council tax and people with children pay extra, not that's a greet idea....

FAIL2PREPARE · 27/08/2019 16:23

I agree with you, it never made sense to me why the kids play area is a tiny fenced bit and the dogs have the rest. Wish it was the other way round!

missbattenburg · 27/08/2019 16:23

Always the obsessive ranking of dogs and children. I always imagine a little notice board in the house with the latest rankings on them and wonder if people go up or down depnding on what they've done?

Little Johnny failed to tidy his room? He is now ranked below his sister who got an A on her last test. Both obviously rank higher than the dog, who used to rank higher than the cat. However, the cat recently helped out with a mice problem so has been promoted.

The hamster is yet to be ranked.

All rank higher than missbattenburg... Grin

Collaborate · 27/08/2019 16:26

I’d like to ban miserable gits from the park as well.

Then me and my fun loving dog might be able to enjoy the park.

MagicKingdomDizzy · 27/08/2019 16:27

There's a bizarrely high number of people on this thread who seem to actively dislike children Confused

Especially when the OP wasn't even about that.

Seeing more and more threads like this, especially in AIBU.

It's a parenting site, am I missing something?

Newkitchen123 · 27/08/2019 16:27

Dogs need to run.
Children need to play.
If we all used a bit of common sense life would be so much easier.
I own two big dogs. One day, in the park, my dogs were minding their own business having a mooch with another, also big dog. Park is massive. Lots of space. This day the park was almost empty yet a family with little kids chose to come and play next to us. The male adult was swinging one child round and said child was screeching at the top of her voice.
Given that there was absolutely tonnes of space could he not have chosen somewhere else?
People need to teach their dogs how to behave around children
People need to teach their children how to behave around dogs.
As it was, my dogs were not bothered by this but I thought he was irresponsible

greenlynx · 27/08/2019 16:30

I agree with PPs that dogs should be on short leads in public places. They can’t run around free, apart from designated places.
Also of course, it’s easier for owners to take their dog to a shopping centre and count this as a walk. But I don’t think dogs are born to enjoy shopping or sitting and chatting at coffee shops.

spanglydangly · 27/08/2019 16:34

@MagicKingdomDizzy the OP said that dogs ruined the park for children, so it was about children.

Cherrysoup · 27/08/2019 16:42

Dog owners will argue that their pets needs time off lead in order to have happy fulfilling and flourishing lives
those of us who prefer not to be inconvenienced by dogs will argue that the needs and desires of dogs are incompatible with the needs and desires of humans

I rarely see an off lead dog run up to other park users. My dogs focus on me, the dummy or ball because that’s what we’ve trained them to do. They do need to be off lead. An on lead walk would frustrate them, regardless of length. At no point do my dogs inconvenience other park users.

Aussi, all 3 of my local parks have enclosed children’s areas where dogs are banned.

Ilovewillow · 27/08/2019 16:44

As a dog owner I agree with you. I also have young children. Our village park is non-dog and it's lovely - it also has a cricket green, tennis and bowls which I suspect is part of the reason. Having said that we are lucky enough to have a common and woodland which are dog friendly so something for all!

gottaprettypup · 27/08/2019 16:52

Just remembered something that occurred to me the other morning...1976..long hot summer holidays off school...all the kids were day in, day out playing outside, not an adult in sight..our local playing fields were full of groups of kids...some playing football, others on bikes, playing on the slides/swings(all open, no fenced off areas...local woods, kids building dens, makeshift swings...

The local dogs, turned out in the mornings, running round, playing, chasing each other, mooching round....

Both kids and dogs all ignoring each other..no hysterical kids..no aggressive barking, lunging dogs

All returning home for tea...

That morning...not one child in sight, even though it was a lovely morning.....dogs and adult owners walking round the fields...odd dog off lead, more on...