Dog walking during lockdown

[Gruffalomom]

Is anyone else getting enraged by some dog walkers during lockdown?

Walking with my two small children and taking lots of care to keep our 2m distance and every 5 minutes we have a dog off the lead running up to us .

My littlest one freaks out with that at the best of times after a bad experience as a toddler but we have no idea if dogs can transmit the virus or not.

Even if they can't transmit the virus, the dog walker who comes running up to us to reign in their dog certainly can!!

Aibu to think dogs should be on the lead in the current circumstances if their is any chance of them running up to other people?!

I really don't care if your dog is friendly, we don't like them running up to us!!

And the increase in dog poo ..

Why would there be an increase in dog poo? There aren't suddenly more dogs being taken out for walks surely.

Regardless, you're not being unreasonable about dog walkers letting dogs off lead that they can't recall their dogs. Such owners should keep their dogs on lead. However I'm confused about the increase in numbers of dogs - presumably they were always being walked before coronavirus either way.

Quite frankly as a dog walker (also parent of young children) I’ve been feeling the opposite! Our places are now over run with the general public who aren’t usually there!!

I have no idea why the dog poo has increased, teenagers walking the dogs or people taking the dogs further afield for walks maybe?

The number of dogs we encounter in the day has definately increased but that's easy explained by the fact more people are around in the daytime currently.

I think dogs should be on leads in most public places anyway

But surely TFD that doesn't take away from the fact we have to be considerate of each other during this strange time? I don't let my kids run as free as they would otherwise and dog owners should have their dogs under control?

Most of the general public are lovely nice people who may be unused to dogs but seem friendly etc but there’s definitely some “never leave the house except to go to Next” types now trudging around our dog walking areas freaking out about dogs!

Trying to conceive I fully agree but under normal circumstances I grin and bear it and trust that most dogs are friendly. At the moment though I think it's very inconsiderate.

We walk our dog very early to avoid these issues.

Well I'm not one of those TFD. The kids and I spend a lot of time outdoors, the youngest isn't in full time school yet.

My point is that those who can't stop their dogs approaching people should have them under a lead, particularly in the current circumstances.

@thefuckingdogs - I’m with you. My local park is now overrun - my dog doesn’t know what’s going on. Screaming kids, bikes, joggers. Been walking there every day for 3yrs, through the mud, rain, all weathers. Now the fair weathers walkers are out, but even worse, the rest of the community complaining there’s dogs everywhere.

YANBU, OP.

I have a dog myself and I love taking him for walks , I Will admit that I am not sticking to the exercise limit of once per day but I keep my dog on his lead and keep my distance at all times.

People need to learn that if their dog won’t stay by their side whilst off the lead, then they need to keep it on the lead.

Definitely seen an increase in dog poo in last few days.

Local park is crying out for security to break up big groups of dog walkers, loose dogs and huge numbers of runners hogging paths.

Dogs need the proper exercise as well. They can only generally get this off the lead. I agree their recall should be better but everyone seems to be walking in the once deserted woods I usually take my dog to.

I think it would be beneficial to let your child spend some time around dogs when this is over or they will have a deep routed fear for life. No dogs shouldn’t be running up to people but bear in mind this is all new for the dogs too, their spaces have been overtaken by others so they probably feel overwhelmed or excited by it

Thank you Darbs76! I know in reality we have to be considerate that at the moment others must share “our” space but it does feel a tad annoying that we’re sharing it with them and then they’re moaning about our way of life!

Dogs should be kept on a lead AT ALL TIMES, not just in current times.

And I say that as a lifelong dog owner.

There really is no need for a dog to be off a lead in open public spaces.

That said, as the owner of a dog who is hyper reactive to anyone and everything (in a playful way!) it's a bloody nightmare at the minute the amount of people out walking

Darbs the issue is not my child, it's the dog owners that can't keep their dogs away from him.

We're going out super-early to avoid it being busy.

Our larger parks have closed and people are being shamed out of driving to their use usual dog walking spots so I suppose the same number of dogs are in a smaller area and it feels like an increase in dogs when it’s only an increase in density. I’ve seen a few overflowing poo bins in recent days.

YANBU, I got told I was rude when I asked a woman to recall her huge dog when it came bounding over and started licking my leg. I’d put mine on a short lead and was clearly trying to avoid them (having scrambled up the verge).

Apparently I ruined her lovely walk in the countryside .

Dogs should be kept on a lead AT ALL TIMES, not just in current times.
^ in normal times this isn’t the case at all. Or do you mean in urban areas?
Where I live there are signs up for parks need to be on leads. It’s not necessary everywhere.

Your issue will be your child if you don’t address his fear though. There’s lots of places to walk too, if he’s petrified of dogs probably better to avoid places with lots of dogs. Everyone is off so dogs that are barely walked are out too, so there’s a lot of dogs at the moment. Agree they shouldn’t let their dogs run up to you but sometimes people appear out of tree’s / in the woods etc and the dog owners get no warning. Same with joggers - it startles the dogs.

I’ve been going out very late to avoid people when I walk the dog.

Gutted though as I want to get out in the daylight and not doing so makes me feel much more aware of being cooped up.

I've get up at 6am to take the dogs for a 10k run before the rest of humanity is up and about. Been doing it for the last 10 years and over the last fortnight there are suddenly people everywhere at that time of day - I used to be able to run for an hour and see perhaps one or two people, now there are dozens.

Smaller areas of travel means people are more condensed in open spaces - ordinarily at the weekends we'd drive somewhere pretty to take the dogs and the DC out.

I'm walking my dog - so far we've been charged by two sets of kids waving sticks, and nearly run over by an out of control toddler doing about 10mph down a narrow cycle path on a sit and push along car with his dad at the top of the slope watching. Fucking terrifying.

I think the problem is inconsiderate arseholes not dogs