Dog walkers

[Kingoftheroad]

I was out for a walk today along a dedicated public walkway that runs along side a major river, near to where I live.

On turning a corner, I was surrounded by a pack of approx 12 dogs. Behind them followed, what I now know to be 3 dog walkers who meet up daily and walk together.

The dogs surrounded me, fortunately I am a dog lover and most of the dogs were smallish. They walkers could see that I was less than happy and attempted to tell me not to worry and that they were all friendly.

I ended up being quite abrupt with them, as none of the dogs were on leads, someone with a tiny dog on a lead was walking behind me, the wee thing was also surrounded and was cowering in fear.

The walkers got defensive when I told them that this was not on. I asked them what they would do if the pack ever turned on another dog, child or human as I have heard of pack attacks before.

This seems to be a regular occurrence. Does anyone else have any views on this.

[AJPTaylor]

Pack attack is neither here nor there. 12 dogs off lead in a public area all walking together is an issue. Many people feel uncomfortable around dogs.

[bodgeitandscarper]

I've witnessed a pack of dogs attacking another, it was a dog walker who often has about a dozen dogs,one of the dogs injured itself, screamed and the others all piled in. It took the dog walker quite a while to catch and control all the dogs.
I walk three and sometimes up to six dogs with another owner, they are well behaved and put on the lead if necessary. Professional dog walkers with large numbers of dogs rarely have them on the lead and I have yet to see them with a large number of poo bags!
I do know of a council that is proposing four dogs as the maximum number anyone can walk, which seems sensible.

[Stressedout10]

Being a dog owner and lover I would be livid no one can control 12 unleashed dogs and yes due to their nature if 1 of the pack attacked they would all join in. This is why in my area you are only allowed to have 3 dogs under your control at any time

[picklemepopcorn]

Our council has a maximum number of dogs that can be walked together. It may be five, but I'm not sure.

They are harder to control in a pack, more interested in each other than the human.

It's not right to control the space in this way, even if they are all 'being friendly'.

I love dogs. I don't expect dogs to behave like little robots. So you have to put boundaries in place for safety and consideration.

[SomewhereInbetween1]

What a goady post. OP, you know you weren't unreasonable. All this post will do is cause a bun fight between those who think it's just what dogs do, and those who think it was a dangerous situation.

[DriftingLeaves]

Some dog lovers have a logic bypass and a blind spot of enormous proportions. Ignore them. If it happens again take photos of the dogs and the walkers and show them to a dog warden.

[DuesToTheDirt]

As a horse rider I get pretty fed up of dog owners with dogs off the lead. I don't mind as long as they are within sight of the owner and return when called, but many come bounding up to my horse barking, with the owner nowhere to be seen. Some are apologetic, but some say, "Oh, she's not scary" or "She won't do anything." Well a barking predator rushing at you is pretty scary to a prey animal, and if my horse gets in a panic I'm the one at risk.

[leckford]

Were these dog walkers people who get paid to walk other people’s dogs? We have a dog and have encountered some dog walkers who just bundle a large number of dogs into a van and then let them all run off at the destination. Little control, no leads and no poo picking either.

Does your local council licence them?

[SlightlyStaleCocoPops]

Yes OP this a totally brand new and radical opinion that has never been expressed on MN ever.

A slightly different take on the usual dog threads, I suppose, though you forgot to mention a child being licked or picnics being ruined by packs of rabid, starving mutts.

[HauntedPinecone]

YANBU at all. I love dogs, more than people. The dogs aren't the problem, the walkers are. Unless it's an area where dogs are allowed to be running off lead (and then you can expect to bump into them) then they should be on lead and closely supervised. A lot of dog walkers, in my experience, just let the dogs go, hope for the best and are either chatting or on their phones. I don't want my nervous dog surrounded by a group of 12 when we are out walking. It's not on.

[CherryPavlova]

It’s unreasonable. Twelve dogs off lead can intimidate old people, people scared of dogs, other dogs, children.
Size is barely relevant as small dogs aggressive is often tolerated by owners far more than larger dogs. Our dog (big) would be very distressed by a pack surrounding him.

There is a beach/park area near where my mother lives that sets a maximum number of dogs being walked together as three, has a maximum of twelve dogs at anytime on the fields and regular enforcement officer visits. None of the usual beauty spot vans with six or eight dogs unleashed from the rear.

[Cardy24]

My dog would struggle to get past twelve dogs on a path. I stopped walking him at our local park because of instances like you've described - three dog walkers with a dozen or more dogs between them taking up the whole width of the path.

[havingtochangeusernameagain]

Our council is currently consulting on various issues related to dogs, and one of them was about reducing the number of dogs a dog-walker can have at one time. Currently I think it's 4 or 5, it may be reduced to 2 or 3. If they're not your own dogs they should be on short leads, you don't know them that well if you only walk them a couple of times a week.

I know a lady who is trying to set up a network of dog fields where people can take their dogs to exercise them away from annoying runners and kids on scooters/bikes. She has one in the Reading area which is always fully booked, and is looking for more land. So if any of you know of any...www.facebook.com/K9PPark/

[Majorcollywobble]

To allow a dozen dogs to run ahead around a blind corner is unreasonable - apart from the danger of frightening someone they meet there’s the issue of dog fouling to consider too . You were brave to call them out on it . In some areas there’s a limit on how many dogs can be even on lead at any one time - parks etc . It’s a matter of safe control . Unfortunately some dog owners put their little darlings playtime above all else . I say this as the owner of a well exercised and well loved dog .

[Booboostwo]

WatchingTheMoon I don’t think brevity is a virtue when you are trying to make yourself understood in a discussion. How did these dogs attack? How severely was your dog injured?

Wolf hunting is a very organized affair. The leader female will organize the hunt but will stay safely out of harm’s way because should she die the pack dissolves. The enforcer male will be the one doing most of the attacking while other members cut off escape routes and provide support. Is this the kind of thing that happened? Was your dog killed? This would be very very unusual and needs reporting.

[frostedviolets]

Although the dog's didn't technically do anything wrong, I think the walkers were in the wrong.

I like dogs, I have one, I'm getting a second soon.

But.

I have had enough dogs suddenly aggress at me/my DH/my dog that I avoid strange dogs and I actually feel really quite nervous if I have to walk at close range past a leashed dog. Especially if they happen to be the small, fluffy cockerpooey type as I find these the worst for aggression

[EasterBun91]

I agree with you OP. I have a rescue dog who is fine with other dogs on walks, but gets nervous/snappy if there are more than 3 or 4 all trying to 'say hello' to him at the same time.

For this reason I always walk a different way if I see these dog walker types. More often than not, the walkers let the pack of them come steaming over, yesterday we were at least 200m away and got surrounded, I had to pick my dog up and tell at them to call the dogs away! Not on IMO.
They always seem to be the type of middle aged women who think the world revolves around them. I doubt the pick up the poo either...

[ChileConCarne]

Chile that’s a vile stereotype to perpetuate, and untrue. Pack attacks can and do occur anywhere. That’s the nature of the species

^very true....on the streets of Bangladesh maybe!! 🤣🙄 This site cracks me up!

[Mothership4two]

YANBU being surrounded by 12 dogs is not on. Some people, and especially children, are very frightened of dogs and would be scared to be surrounded by a pack. I never let my dog run up to other people when we are out and about for this reason.

[frostedviolets]

They always seem to be the type of middle aged women who think the world revolves around them. I doubt the pick up the poo either.

OMG yes!
People bang on about status dogs, staffs etc but I used to live in a rough area where it was all staffs/pit bulls etc and never once saw any evidence of human or dog aggression whatsoever.
All the 'big scary chavs' had very well behaved dogs.

I moved to an affluent area and I have never seen and experienced so much dog aggression and general selfishness from dog owners!

The majority of the time, here at least, it's largely middle aged, professional looking women with vicious little poodle mixes and other cutesy breeds who yes, behave as if the world revolves around them.

[Mothership4two]

Didn't some of the Queen's corgis turn on another of her corgis as a pack and kill it?

[Enko]

@Vulpine

Sounds annoying. Weird how many people have dogs that need dog walkers

How is it weird? We have a dog I am not in for 5 hours on a Monday so dog Walker comes in so he is not left alone for hours at a time. It's called being a responsible dog owner. My friends mother has a lovely west highland terrier who gives her great amounts of joy. However as she struggles with walking they have dog walkers who comes twice a day to look after the dogs needs again a responsible dog owner. Thankfully they can afford to do this and friend mother loves the company of her dog.

OP I dont much care for lots of dogs surrounding me either so I do agree w you however I have never witnessed anything like that and walk our dog in an area with many dog walkers around. I actually find it's the private dog owners that the problem there. They take the dog off leash when dog has little or no recall and we have

Fenton Fenton Jesus Christ FENTON!

[Whitney168]

I am very much a dog lover, but I own 3 dogs and even at that number owners seem to say that other dogs react differently to them as a 'pack' (all very friendly and well controlled) than they would to one or two dogs together.

Lots of dogs are a bit apprehensive, although I just bring mine in and let the others say hello, at which point they either skirt round the side or realise that mine are fine and dive in!

Anyone walking 12 dogs together, no matter how many people with them, is just idiotic. Aside from the impact on people, which I have every sympathy with:

• It is entirely missing the fact that many other dogs would turn and run before they got the opportunity to find out if they were friendly or not, just at the sight of them coming.

• Even if they are all friendly, what if someone else's dog isn't? If something else starts on them, there's no way you're going to contain 12 who could all go in different directions.

I have a friend who walks her dogs as one pack, usually between 8 or 10 of them, and it really frustrates me that she is blind to the effect it could have on others.

[Mothership4two]

A friend of mine, who was a Councillor in London for a few years, told me that the only time in his life he ever received death threats was when he suggested that the children's play area in the park be fenced off and dogs not allowed in, to stop the problem of the kids constantly stepping/falling in dog poo. People get very defensive about dog issues and don't always show much common-sense.

[TheLovelyWoo]

I totally agree with you, OP. My terrier, born friendly and curious, was terrified by other dogs in similar situations several times when a puppy, and became a defensive fear barker. Unfortunately some dog owners will never 'get' this, no matter how clearly it's explained.