To think bad dog owners don't realise that they are bad dog owners?

[WayTooSoon]

Kind of a thread about lots of threads...

Every so often, threads appear on here saying someone's dog ran up to them/their child/their dog and how the owners respond with "it's ok, he's friendly" or similar. What usually follows is a load of posters saying "bad owners give us good owners a bad name". So is mumsnet entirely populated by "good owners" or are people oblivious to their own shortcomings as pet owners? Aibu to think that if someone is a bad owner, it seems likely that they have no idea that other people see them as a bad owner?

Are you now or have you ever been a "bad owner"?

I can't stand those who say "oh we've always had dogs" or "yeah I grew up with dogs"
As if this somehow automatically makes them a good dog owner.
When dog after dog hasn't been trained.
Yeah, ok.

The dog threads really are crazy central

I walk my dog off the lead everywhere....on pavements, never mind in parks. He literally never bothers anyone, ever. He's not interested in anything other than me, just trots along by by side.

He's a small wee 'shit' dog though and couldn't be described as dangerous in any context

@VinylDetective I don't see how it has there have been 3 serious dog attacks in this country since Saturday, where one person has been killed in her bed and 3 babies are in hospital - let me say that again babies. It is utterly disturbing that people especially @dontdisturbmenow want to gloss over this.

This was in 3 days.......and only what has made the headlines, and then you've outrageous behaviour of dontdisturb bringing people with mental health issues into it, absolutely shameful, trying to excuse dogs attacking babies in public by trying to bring in something which is thankfully a very isolated and tragic incidence this country to try and defend why dogs should be allowed off lead leaving them free to attack people. Defra say there are 250,000 dog attacks a year. 250,000 this is not dramatic or bonkers. It's a serious commonplace issue.

And could all be solved by keeping your dog on a lead and under control.

It's not irrational to be scared of anything. It doesn't mean that anything should be restricted of their freedom to suit your fears
I think there's different levels of being scared though. I used to be terrified of dogs and would freeze on the spot. It was irrational. I didn't sit online the way some people on here do arguing that nobody should exercise their dogs in a perfectly legal way just to appease my hangups.

The problem is that some people think their preferences, especially when dressed up in highly emotive language as we see on here (where even a trip to the supermarket warrants quaking with fear, being challenged by someone equals them yelling in your face, seeing an off lead dog is actually being forced in the vicinity of a dangerous predator who is 1 second away from viciously attacking etc) mean other people should limit their own perfectly legal activity.

@hamstersarse

The dog threads really are crazy central

I walk my dog off the lead everywhere....on pavements, never mind in parks. He literally never bothers anyone, ever. He's not interested in anything other than me, just trots along by by side.

He's a small wee 'shit' dog though and couldn't be described as dangerous in any context

Forgot to ask - am I an ignorant bad dog owner because of this?

@MarleyTheDog you’re an idiot, a massive fucking idiot, how the hell do cats inconvenience you

Cats inconvenience everyone except the person who decided to get it and throw it out to torment the neighbours 🙄

The only idiot around here is the lunatic who equates on off lead dog, minding its own business to All dogs savage babies! Get a grip FFS!

@hamstersarse literally the worst. You may as well let him shit everywhere and jump up at young terrified children.

@MarleyTheDog again 3 toddlers were attacked in the space of three days this week, by off lead dogs, just going along minding their own business, one was on the swings in the playground for heavens sake. Why do you want to ignore that these attacks are happening?

I doubt very much their owners set out that day with that intention.....nor the 250,000 owners whose dogs attacked people last year. They were probably very much like you and thought their dog could be trusted and was fine to be off lead, well are incredibly large number of dogs clearly aren't so let's make it safe for everyone and keep dogs on a lead and under control. It really is very simple.

@LadyMayGoosway I am not keeping my dog on a lead. It is not against the law and it is unfair on him because some idiots allow their dogs to pester others. You may think he is a killing machine that will sniff out a baby and kill them at the first chance he gets but he isn't. HTH.

@LST

Good to know - thanks

There must be lots of silently seething people on my dog walks. Oh well.

@LST just so, so ignorant. Again bad owners who don't realise it. You can never ever trust an animal 100% and I may have asked you this before, how would you feel and how would you explain it it did attack someone?

@LadyMayoGoodway

Would you answer whether I am a bad ignorant owner please?

I am genuinely interested, I'd like not to be ideally.

even some of the nicest people round here don't have their dogs on a lead on roads, because the roads are low traffic.

I don't care - it is still illegal. Dogs must be on leads on roads.

I've been threatened by more than one dog, which is also an offence. Trouble is there is a 'four strikes' policy so even if you can get the cops round, madam with her furbaby still gets away with it.

and never mind the dogshit everywhere because these people are too precious to clean up. you bought a dog, you signed up for a decade or more of carrying a bag of warm shit. Suck it up, buttercup.

@LadyMayoGoodway I am responsible. My dog doesn't go near and isnt off lead near others. He plays with his ball and his attention is on me at all times and has been for the past 9 years. Don't you dare call me a bad owner or ignorant. You know nothing of me or my dog. He is trained and I put in months of training with him when he was a puppy to properly socialise him and make sure his recall is spot on. I agree people who do not have dog thats have good recall need to keep their dogs leashed, that goes without saying. But people who have well behaved reliable dogs should not be told they are ignorant and are bad owners because of the ones that are. I am doing nothing wrong exercising my dog as I do. And it would be cruel to keep him leashed now after 9 years of him being off lead.

[quote LadyMayoGoodway]**@VinylDetective* I don't see how it has there have been 3 serious dog attacks in this country since Saturday, where one person has been killed in her bed and 3 babies are in hospital - let me say that again babies. It is utterly disturbing that people especially @dontdisturbmenow* want to gloss over this.

This was in 3 days.......and only what has made the headlines, and then you've outrageous behaviour of dontdisturb bringing people with mental health issues into it, absolutely shameful, trying to excuse dogs attacking babies in public by trying to bring in something which is thankfully a very isolated and tragic incidence this country to try and defend why dogs should be allowed off lead leaving them free to attack people. Defra say there are 250,000 dog attacks a year. 250,000 this is not dramatic or bonkers. It's a serious commonplace issue.

And could all be solved by keeping your dog on a lead and under control.[/quote]
I’m not entirely sure why I’ve been picked out for this tirade when I mildly pointed out that picnic stealing is so rare I’ve never seen it and that dogs are hardwired to chase things, including humans, that run.

And yes completely bonkers.

It's not that they're bad dog owners. It's that everyone who claims this is the case is a 'dog-hater'.

You know they say that we project our own feelings onto our dogs.....there seem to be a lot of angry dog owners on this thread.

Maybe I actually should be more afraid of random dogs if this is the psyche of their owners!

@hamstersarse keep your dog on a lead especially in multi use public spaces, like parks, village greens, country parks and NT properties. We live in a relatively urban area but there are absolutely loads of places where people could happily exercise a dog off lead and not come into contact with anyone, well maybe not at the moment, but they certainly aren't full of families and young children. I really can't see why that wouldn't be the same for everywhere else. No one needs to walk a dog off lead near a children's playground. But they do.

We had an incidence last year at Lotherton Hall, lovely spot near Leeds. Dogs are allowed on lead everywhere but the cildren's play area and picnic area, this is fenced and clearly signposted - sensible and fair to everyone. Yet we had some mentalist offlead shitzsu dive into a picnic thus rendering inedible. After telling the silly cow walking it to put it on lead we then saw it 10 minutes later jumping up at some poor kids on the monkey bars....I mean for Pete's sake this park with 20 odd acres, why does your dog need to be off lead in the children's play and picnic area (woman did not have a child with her) - just a good example of a terrible owner there for you.

Also something very similar with an out of control valmarana at Temple Newsham in Leeds, that was actually really frightening.

Pick up your dogs shit. Every time.

It's really not difficult but some people do seem to struggle with it.

*I’m not entirely sure why I’ve been picked out for this tirade when I mildly pointed out that picnic stealing is so rare I’ve never seen it and that dogs are hardwired to chase things, including humans, that run.

And yes completely bonkers.*

Agreed. I've never seen that happen either, yet that urban myth keeps doing the rounds on here. I only ever get bothered by wasps when outdoors for a picnic.

Okay, I can imagine the tirade that will be thrown at me if I don't specify that just because I haven't seen that it doesn't mean it never happens. It probably does happen. But I don't believe it happens all the time like some dog haters would have us believe. Just no.

@LadyMayoGoodway, so three accidents in 3 days, one definitely by its owner in their home, not sure about the others, but I don't expect they were in public areas.

Still three attacks in three days when there will have been hundred of thousands of dogs if not millions that will have been out in public places during these 3 days, so a very very tiny percentage. And you want all dogs to be penalised?

You are so aggressive yet can't see that you are yourself proving your point of your dramatisation of the situation!

The last time I had a picnic in a parc, I had a toddler coming over and helping himself out of my packet of crisps.

Maybe I should have told his cow of a mother to keep on reins if she can't control it. Instead I thought it was funny and smiled at his mum.

And to add, our local park is divided into too large areas. One requires dogs to be on leads, the other dogs are free to roam. The playground is in the latter although right on the edge of the dog on lead area.

Yet the off lead area is the one popular with young families and picnic. Amazing how the two are managing to share the space so well!

@MarleyTheDog again 3 toddlers were attacked in the space of three days this week, by off lead dogs, just going along minding their own business, one was on the swings in the playground for heavens sake. Why do you want to ignore that these attacks are happening

I don’t deny some dogs have attacked. That doesn’t mean ALL dogs are sitting there waiting to attack.

I have said, many times throughout these constant MN dog threads, that people who cannot control their dogs should leash their dogs in public. What else do you want? I’m sure that as a dog owner I should be shot! 😂😂😂

A young girl in my village was mown down and killed by a car driver a few weeks ago. Let’s just pretend that all motorists are murderers eh?

The trouble is, I think, that many dog owners simply don't realise that there are plenty of people who don't like dogs, are scared of dogs (even supposedly "friendly" ones) or who don't want to be approached by or interact with dogs.

If your dog is off the lead and you see someone else approaching, you should put the dog on its lead without question. Don't chance to luck and hope that the approaching walker is a dog lover. If they're scared of dogs, your off-lead dog will ruin their walk and could cause a panic attack.

@dontdisturbmenow one was a 17 month old in a park in Liverpool, one was two toddlers attacked walking down the street....are those not public enough spaces for you? You really are glossing over this aren't you.

And as if that happened, lol. So I should be ok with a dog marauding through our picnic in an area where in a park where it should have been on a lead and an area where it shouldn't have been. Again such, such ignorance and again an example of why you're a bad dog owner because you think this is ok. Why would anyone think that was ok??