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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Bad dog owners

47 replies

Rollercoaster1920 · 09/04/2020 12:35

Yet another dog owners thread! IANBU for being annoyed, but AIBU for wishing that something changes to stop these things from happening?

Today I caught the neighbour from a few doors up retrieving their dog from my front garden. This week there have been two days when a dog poo has been left on my front lawn. Shouted at them, they claim that it wasn't them earlier in the week. Yeah, right. Scum (generally - not just this incident).

Also today an old lady's dog came up to my children and licked them on the hands and faces. Pretty grim at the best of times, but right now? Get a lead and use it if your dog isn't under control.

It's not the dogs, its the people. But how as a society do we change it? Dog licencing didn't really make any difference to this type of behaviour, even a bloody pandemic doesn't seem to to. So how on earth do we get these people to change their behaviour?

OP posts:
OpenWheelRace · 09/04/2020 12:36

IME there are far, far, far more badly behaved children out there causing wider reaching problems, than badly behaved dogs.

AwrightDoreenTakeAFuckinDayOff · 09/04/2020 12:40

And again.

ArtisanBreadBin · 09/04/2020 12:46

Have you got a gate?

Pickupapenguinnnn · 09/04/2020 12:52

Although a dog owner myself, the poo on your grass thing is understandably annoying. As they sound like idiots just pick up the poo and dump it back on their front garden/path/car bonnet/area of choice. Might make them rethink.

But YABU with the rest.

mencken · 09/04/2020 13:09

children don't generally shit in other people's gardens, rush up to people and lick them, bite them, knock them off bikes (or even off their feet) etc.

yes, it is of course the fault of the dickhead dog owner, not the dog, but the sacred pooch is a major menace at any time and especially now.

Flower1309 · 09/04/2020 13:11

Children don't tend to shit on other peoples gardens and bite strangers.

TheFuckingDogs · 09/04/2020 13:17

Children are scientifically much more likely to spread the virus though!
I have both and tbh I’d be much more worried about people’s random kids atm than random dogs

coldwarenigma · 09/04/2020 13:34

I agree that it is owners and I say that as a dog owner. Ddog is on lead permanently at the moment as her recall isn't secure. This includes my back garden that has a dodgy fence! although furlough means I might actually get it fixed Unless I can closely supervise her she stays on lead. She was having regular sessions with a trainer too, I am trying to continue her training notoriously strong willed breed

OP, is the garden fenced with a gate? DM had problems with kids running across her garden (on a corner plot) until she put up a 3ft fence.

Original poster
Rollercoaster1920 · 09/04/2020 13:54

Garden isn't fully fenced and gated (yet). I can control that though so all good.

How do we as a society change this type of behaviour though? I think we just can't, so will have to put up.

Maybe a dog repeller is the answer. I can control that.

OP posts:
Rosehip10 · 09/04/2020 13:57

Many dog owners think the world should resolve around them and their pet. See the constant threads on why dog owners should be exempt of further lock down restrictions and that long walks are "a right" Hmm

Alsohuman · 09/04/2020 14:01

My dog could do with a people repeller. She’s a very small, very pretty, very friendly Jack Russell and everyone in the world seems to want to pet and make a fuss of her. I wish they’d just leave her alone.

fluffyrice · 09/04/2020 14:10

I'm a dog owner but I agree with you on this. There seem to be a lot of people who assume that because they find their dog lovely we all will. Even before this I got sick of people allowing their dogs to wander around off lead in public places without any real control. Now it's an increased risk (I don't think from the dog itself, but definitely if the owner needs to come nearer than they should to retrieve their dog) people round here seem to have got worse.
My own dog is quite nervous of people and other dogs (he's a rescue) so is always on a lead and is muzzled when we are in public (he's never bitten anyone but I am fully aware that a nervous dog can be unpredictable). Whenever I've taken him out recently we have had to run the gauntlet of people staying 2m+ away but letting their dogs mill about as they please- including jumping up at me and pestering my dog when he makes it clear he's not enjoying it. The usual response from owners is 'it's OK, he's friendly'. I really don't care- I don't want him jumping at me or bothering my dog and I really really don't want you coming close to me when your dog refuses to come back to you.

AwrightDoreenTakeAFuckinDayOff · 09/04/2020 14:30

Here’s hoping you don’t feel the same way about catshit.

2020canfuckrightoff · 09/04/2020 14:35

How did the dog reach your children’s faces? Also - why is a dog licking a child’s face right now worse than usual?

Dog poo etc, Yanbu.
Dog coming up to your kids - unsure as I don’t think it was totally unprompted.

Macncheeseballs · 09/04/2020 14:38

Because any pet that has been petted us at risk of spreading the virus

missyB1 · 09/04/2020 14:42

I’m not sure you would have coped when I was a child in the 70s, when dogs often freely roamed the streets and parks by themselves. I fondly remember all the neighbourhood characters, including Mac the mad collie who used to go bonkers when the ice cream man stopped. He would appear from literally nowhere and you had to hold on tight to your ice cream because he would nick it out of your hand.

So when I read all these threads I think well at least these dogs are actually out with owners - not just taking themselves for a walk Grin

Smellbellina · 09/04/2020 14:48

I agree OP, people can be blind when it comes to their Ddogs. I love mine but I don’t expect anyone else to want to have anything to do with her. I let her off the lead but only on the dog walking field, and if another dog comes on whose kept on the lead I put her back on.
I do think fencing your garden off would be sensible though.

starrysimon · 09/04/2020 14:51

mencken your post has made my day! Couldn’t have said it better!Grin

Isithometimeyet0987 · 09/04/2020 14:54

I hate it when dog owners won’t respect that some people don’t like/are scared of their precious dogs. If your dog doesn’t have excellent recall or will run to other people get it on a lead when in public. My dd 4 is now terrified of dogs after a dog (quite a big Labrador) jumped up at her knocking her over about 6/7 months ago while she was in a kids play park, and the owner had the front to come over laughing saying “oh he just loves kids”.

PawPawNoodle · 09/04/2020 14:58

*Maybe a dog repeller is the answer. I can control that"

If you're talking about one of those ultrasonic things, they're pretty useless unless the dog is trained to avoid them. If not all you're going to do is annoy or distress the dog.

I don't think there will ever be any "changing of society" in terms of dog ownership. No matter what it is, there will always be a minority of people who abuse their rights. Having a driving licence doesn't stop poor driving, for example.

I'd also be taking a bit more responsibility for the dog licking your children if I were you, if you are that pissed off with dogs then I don't see why you'd allow one to get that close lead or not.

PumpkinP · 09/04/2020 15:04

I had a Tesco’s shop earlier and the lady told me to be careful when I go out as someone had let their dog poo all over the path directly outside my house. When I went out to put the bins out sure enough there is like a line of dog poo all along the street. I won’t be cleaning it, can’t stand dogs personally. And I’ve seen many times where a dog has pooed on the street and the owner has stood there waiting for me to pass because they don’t want anyone to see them leave the poo, so they pretend to look for a bag until you are out of sight.

Original poster
Rollercoaster1920 · 09/04/2020 15:07

I think we had a local dog warden in the 70s who caught the strays!

"Dog coming up to your kids - unsure as I don’t think it was totally unprompted." Haha! Yes the kids ran up to the dog and kidnapped it [joke].

How did the dog lick the childrens' hands and faces? A tallish dog, jumping up, children under 7 aren't very tall.....
They also aren't afraid of dogs (family have dogs, so used to being around them). The children didn't approach the dog but quite liked the dog when it was there.

Why is it worse now than normally?
Possible risk of transmission is one, (the owner is probably at more risk of catching it from us). But mainly because the council has been very clear that dogs that are not under control should be on leads.

Catshit? They bury it.
Foxes leave a bit sometimes, but they are wild animals so don't have humans who are supposed to be in control of them.

OP posts:
Alsohuman · 09/04/2020 15:30

so they pretend to look for a bag until you are out of sight

How do you know if you’re out of sight?

Buccanarab · 09/04/2020 16:16

Children don't tend to shit on other peoples gardens and bite strangers.

Missing the point here but I've been bitten by more children than dogs. Come to think of it I've been bitten by more adults than dogs too. Must be something about me I guess.

Flower1309 · 09/04/2020 16:18

@alsohuman it doesn't take a mastermind to work out when someone's pretending to look for a bag while having no intention of picking it up. It's so obvious.

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