'Don't worry, he's friendly'

[PraiseBee]

Too flippin friendly. Yet again, another dog running up to my four year old DC with a chunk of a branch in its mouth, firmly ignoring it's owners recall whilst they yell at me 'don't worry, Fluffyballs is friendly'. My DC loves dogs but hates dogs rushing up to him and is obviously scared. Large dogs are the same height as him and can easily knock him over. Imagine as an adult being rushed up to by a horse with a bit of tree trunk in its mouth trying to lick your face. I think most adults would be perturbed by this. It seems to be happening more often. Are dogs getting less well trained? I think the thing that makes my blood boil over is that the dog owners seem to think their dog is the most amazing thing ever so of course me and my DC want to bowled over by Fluffyballs. No we really don't and no, I give a shit what your dog is called. AIBU to be so annoyed by this happening every time we go to a children's park?!

YANBU! This is one of my biggest pet peeves... i dont understand why people feel it is okay to let their dogs do whatever they want....
We have a very well trained dog when he's calm, however we know he can get overexcited and for that reason he is never off the lead anywhere around things that can distract him, possibly resulting in him not listening to us.
These days its highly unlikely that dogs are well trained enough to be let off the lead even at dog parks as so many people bought dogs on a whim over the lockdowns .. but the amount of people who think everyone wants random dogs to go up and slobber all over them or get all up in other dogs faces is beyond me.
Even if someone comes over to say hello to my dog while he's on the lead, I warn them in advance that he will lick you to death and will try and jump up when you go to leave... that's up to them then :)

My children have never petted or approached a dog without the owner's and my permission (except perhaps eg a close relative's dog they know well), yet I have lost count of the times they're been terrified by dogs:

Jumping on them and knocking them down
Nipping them
Scratching them
Stealing their food
Stealing their toys eg balls (and quite often destroying them)
Wrestling sticks out of their hands

Not to mention the countless times they've trod in their shit.

And not ONCE have they had anything close to a proper apology.

If my child ran up to another child, jumped on them and knocked them over, or as happened the other day stole their food out of their bag and ran off with it, I would be utterly mortified and full of apologies.
In fact I'VE actually been blamed by owners for things like this happening to my own children!

Apparently I should have trained my 2yo not to be scared of dogs as then they wouldn't have been knocked over , I shouldn't let my children pick up sticks and not expect a dog to try to get it and my child should have immediately given the dog the stick, I shouldn't have a picnic in a public space and I should always have made sure my bag was securely shut if I put it down on the ground.

Based on my experience, the country is heaving with entitled lazy twats with fur babies.

I find it astonishing that people can suggest children and not the dogs are to be kept under control in parks. Some people are weird.

@nanbread

My children have never petted or approached a dog without the owner's and my permission (except perhaps eg a close relative's dog they know well), yet I have lost count of the times they're been terrified by dogs:

Jumping on them and knocking them down
Nipping them
Scratching them
Stealing their food
Stealing their toys eg balls (and quite often destroying them)
Wrestling sticks out of their hands

Not to mention the countless times they've trod in their shit.

And not ONCE have they had anything close to a proper apology.

If my child ran up to another child, jumped on them and knocked them over, or as happened the other day stole their food out of their bag and ran off with it, I would be utterly mortified and full of apologies.
In fact I'VE actually been blamed by owners for things like this happening to my own children!

Apparently I should have trained my 2yo not to be scared of dogs as then they wouldn't have been knocked over , I shouldn't let my children pick up sticks and not expect a dog to try to get it and my child should have immediately given the dog the stick, I shouldn't have a picnic in a public space and I should always have made sure my bag was securely shut if I put it down on the ground.

Based on my experience, the country is heaving with entitled lazy twats with fur babies.

Lol, exactly!

@moovinon

Totally agree.

Some dog owners seem to think that everyone else gives a flying fuck about their dog. Also when the dog owners are laughing like it's all cute that their dog is pelting towards another human.

Don't care if it's friendly, I don't want it near me!!

This. Then the owners get really huffy when your dc is terrified and you're trying to manage the situation instead of fawning over their dog

A dog should have the most amazing recall in the world to be allowed off the lead. If not, stick a lead on it, now!
I used to make my toddler wear reigns as he couldn’t be trusted outside, same with dogs.
And the thing is your child could be deathly allergic to dogs, so why should the owners not train them properly.
No recall=EVERY SINGLE WALK ON A LEAD.
No boundaries = EVERY SINGLE WALK ON A LEAD.
No matter what.

I HATE this !!! I don’t really like dogs much since I’ve had a child 🤷🏻‍♀️ Weird but anyway I don’t want your stinky animal running upto my child, just because your telling me it’s friendly doesn’t sit well with me. People get so offended when I don’t let my son stroke there dog after it runs upto us, I’ve had some really snotty comments !

YANBU, but the hound-loving brigade will be here in a minute to tell you their dog is different

Well yes, some people's dogs are different. Because some dogs are well-trained. And some (like mine) are quite wary of strangers and would never approach or jump up at one. He completely ignores and avoids people when he's out.

There is no excuse for letting your dog run at or jump up at people, especially somewhere busy like a park where small children are playing and there isn't room for dogs to keep away from them. They should be on a lead.

@PinkPetalPrimula

We have dogs, and hate the selfish buggers without their dogs on leads.

They come up to our dogs, who get upset, then he’ll starts.

I hate them.

One of mine came out of his collar trying to protect our other dog, when a stupid elderly couple took their 50 year old sons dog for a walk, with no lead at all, because he told them it didn’t need one, idiot man

And don’t get me started on dog poop. They all bitterly complain about it, but with their loose dogs, it’s most probably them.

My dog goes of lead but never approaches other dogs or people. He wouldn't be allowed off if he did. He never goes far enough away from me or out of my sight either so I never miss a poo. People who have no control over their dog or let them shit everywhere piss me off too as they give everyone a bad name

The Kennel Club are now lobbying for pubs, bars, restaurants, workplaces etc to allow dogs into these places. Especially now because of so many lockdown dogs. Because according to them 'we are a nation of dog lovers'

Soon there will be no escape at all from these unhygienic creatures, not even where we go out to eat and drink. They will be sniffing at our dinner, wiping and dragging their arses allover pub and restaurant furniture. Staring at us while we eat and barking

This powerful dog lobby is already happening in the USA and increasing here too

The Kennel Club are now lobbying for pubs, bars, restaurants, workplaces etc to allow dogs into these places.

What, they are lobbying for those places to have to allow dogs? That's ridiculous! Most of the pubs and cafés in my area allow dogs already, which is fine by me. But they shouldn't be forced to! It's good to have some non-dog-friendly establishments so that people who don't like dogs can avoid them.

I own 2 dogs. Always had dogs. Adore my dogs.

I don't want them in bars, pubs and restaurants. I accept that while I love dogs, not everybody does.

Did the kennel club actually ask dog owners?

But why are dogs being allowed into places where people eat and drink in the first place? It's just so unhygienic. I don't understand it

Countries that have separate dog parks have the right idea.
In the UK, all parks are dog parks because there are no dedicated dog or human parks and so humans are secondary to the dogs in the mixed parks. Even just different demarcated areas would be nice.
All the football pitches now have to be checked for dog mess before practice sessions and matches.
Pupils walking to the local school have been bitten by out-of-control dogs in our local park.
I know a couple of towns in the UK tried dedicated dog parks and all the dog owners complained noisily and won and it stopped.
There are also private fields where you can let your dog with poor recall off the lead without them bothering humans.
The UK is perverse in prioritising dogs over humans, no matter how much we love our pets.

I am also fed up of taking my dog out and dodging others' dog poo. I will often do an hour and a half walk carrying a bag of poo. It's my dog and my responsibility and I would not dream of foisting my dog's presence on anyone. Same for the wildlife.

I doubt the majority of owners treat their animals as entitled fur-babies - sadly a problematic and vocal subsection. I may be out of touch through! I'm lucky enough to meet mostly responsible owners and well behaved/good-natured dogs. I avoid the hotspots though!

Totally agree OP!

Sloaneslone

They're lobbying for it. It's in the Mail today. Pretty much emotionally blackmailing about it

One in FIVE 'pandemic pup' owners say they're considering rehoming dog www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9756605/Almost-one-FIVE-pandemic-pup-owners-admit-considering-rehoming-dog-post-lockdown.html?ito=native_share_article-masthead

I thought you meant lobbying as in trying to change the law. And to be fair, nothing in that article says owners, as whole want this.

The survey results show alot of people should not have bought dogs as their normals lives aren't suitable. They are leaving them too long and the dogs have separation anxiety. It doesn't say the majority of owners want to take them everywhere.

The link to the kennel club website, in that article, is asking company's to consider it and if they choose to become pet friendly, they will list them on their website. So people who do want to go places to allow dogs, can easily find places.

It seems to be the KC opinion that more places should allow dogs, but they have done this scheme for quite a while. This isn't new. They have just given it a revamp using a recent situation.

There's not going to be any change in the law.

This is from the link, a representative of the Kennel Clùb. This is the madness of the, increasingly powerful, dog lobby. What he's saying in the article is that we must ALL take responsibility for dogs, even other peoples dogs, even if we dont want anything to do with dogs, and if we don't then it's our fault that a dog might end up in rescue centre. He wants dogs to be part of all our lives, our social lives, work, everything

Part of link, he rambles on more than this in the article. Bonkers
While there may have been some short-sighted puppy buying decisions made during the pandemic, as a dog-loving nation we must look at the bigger picture and encourage more places to welcome dogs, capitalise on the benefits and "paw it back", easing our four-legged friends out of lockdown, opening up more widely for their re-entry to 'normal' life, and celebrating their positive place within our society.

'Dogs should be a part of our lives and daily routines as much as possible, and we hope to see the UK being as faithful to dogs as they are, and have been, to us.'

I thought you meant lobbying as in trying to change the law. And to be fair, nothing in that article says owners, as whole want this.

I wouldn't put it past them to try change the law. The dog lobby already represents dogs in court that have bitten people, sometimes multiple times, many of them children. These dangerous dogs are then put back into our communities. It happens all the time

@burritofan

occasionally runs and once he does that you've lost him. I will say "he's friendly" because I don't want people to worry BUT I chase after him, put him on a lead and make clear it's not acceptable. FFS. You’re exactly the problem! If he does this, he needs to be on a lead at all times. Chasing him and putting it on afterwards is bloody pointless.

A dog trainer friend told me that chasing your dog is the worst thing you can do, because the dog thinks it's a game and will carry on running.

Her advice was to call the dog and walk in the opposite direction. This worked with both my lakelands, they would run back to me whenever I walked away.

I'm allergic to dogs so having them in a workplace/restaurant etc could have a big detrimental effect on me.

But why are dogs being allowed into places where people eat and drink in the first place? It's just so unhygienic. I don't understand it.

If the dogs were on the table, or trying to help the chef, maybe. I don't see why there is anything unhygienic about a dog being on the floor in the same room as people while they are eating or drinking. People with dogs eat in the same room as their dogs all the time. I'm pretty sure I've read about evidence that people with pets tend to be healthier than those without. And we aren't all sealing ourselves into a pet-free room every time we have a cup of tea.

@Flaxmeadow

But why are dogs being allowed into places where people eat and drink in the first place? It's just so unhygienic. I don't understand it

Because around 30% of households in the UK have a dog. Dog owners are more likely to holiday in the UK than non-dog owners and many will want to eat out while away. As they can't leave their dogs unattended in holiday cottages or on campsites, there would be a significant loss of trade in holiday areas if dogs weren't allowed.

I can't think of a single pub in my (small) town that doesn't allow dogs, and all the rural pubs we use allow them.

I can't see how a dog lying on the floor beside its owner is unhygienic, tbh. People walk all over those floors and who knows what they've walked in, especially in rural areas. As long as they're not on the furniture or licking the plates, I can't really see a hygiene issue. Hair might be a problem (which is why I had dogs from a non-moulting breed), but my thick mane seems to shed all over the place and get everywhere! Even slobber from a breed prone to drooling would normally only get on the floor.

We have a sweet dog who's big but so gentle and who really wouldn't hurt a fly, but has almost been bitten a few times by dogs whose owners let their dogs off lead in a park.

We are very cautious now and don't let our dog off lead in parks, and in fact, we rarely go to parks since the near misses we experienced with especially a vicious husky.

It surprises me how many people stroke our dog without checking with us what he's like, including letting little children stroke him. our dog is a bit scared of children under about 4, and hides behind us! he loves being stroked though.