Should dogs be allowed in more places?

[Patchworkknitter]

I'm a bit hurt today but I don't know if I'm being completely unreasonable.

A friend and I were trying to arrange to meet up. We had sorted what we were doing and then she changed her mind and wanted to change where we did something which would have added another 90 minutes onto the day.

I couldn't do that as my dog would already have been left all day (with 2 dog walks from a dog walker). Even with the dog walker, he couldn't do another 90 minutes. My friend got a bit cross and said I should just get my parents to look after him but they're already looking after him the day before so it wouldn't be fair. I don't like to ask them too often, a bit like people don't like to look after their children too often.

It just seems we always do child friendly places (I'm not a Mum but I try my best to be understanding of her childcare needs). She says she can't afford any additional childcare to that which she already needs for work but I can't afford additional dog care either (I pay £400 a month and don't have a partner to share any costs).

It got me thinking how restrictive it can be having a dog as a single person. I wouldn't change him for the world but it's incredibly difficult. If it was childcare I feel people would be much more understanding.

If I was a mum I could take my children pretty much everywhere.
As a dog owner, I can no longer go to the cinema, to most pubs, to restaurants, to the theatre, shopping, etc without paying out for extra dog care.

I feel dogs should be allowed in more places, more shops, more cafes, more pubs etc. Aibu?

**can't take the approach

it's unreasonable of you to suggest that dogs should be trained not to approach other dogs. It's one of the reasons we take our dogs out; so that they can socialise with other dogs

All dogs should be trained not to approach other dogs, unless both owners give their dogs permission to socialise. Letting your dog socialise with dogs you don’t know puts your dog at such a risk.

Maybe you need more friends with dogs of a similar size and temperament, so you can meet on private land and let them play together?

[quote TheFoundations]@StrangeToSee

People need to realise dogs are pets and nothing like children

Why do they? People can think what they like, can't they? As long as they're not throwing bricks through your windows with 'Dogs are the same as children' written on them, it's not your business to be telling people what they need to realise.

Or is it? Have I missed something, and you're the Boss of Thinking, now?[/quote]
This! I spat my coffee out at the brick comment

Equally, if a dog is liable to nip and bite then being on a shorter lead doesn't cut it. Anything could startle a dog that's particularly nippy and reactive. The owner can't take the appropriate of my dog was on a short lead so it being snappy isn't my responsibility

If it has a tendency to nip or snap at humans (especially children) I agree a short lead isn’t enough and a muzzle or PTS or keep it on private land are the only options. You can’t stop toddlers bumping into your dog or children rushing to pet them so any dog in public needs to be tolerant of this.

But dogs reacting aggressively to dogs who get into their face when on a short lead, that’s not a reason to muzzle. Every dog has a right to defend itself. Not all dogs can tell the difference between a friendly approach and an aggressive one. If you’re holding your dog-reactive dog on a short lead and another dog won’t leave him alone, the owner can’t or won’t recall in time and your on-lead dog attacks... that’s entirely the fault of the owner who let their dog approach yours!

This! I spat my coffee out at the brick comment

I spat my coffee out the other day at the image of bricks flying through windows with that message written on it 😂

No, I'm terrified of dogs after being badly bitten as a child. I hate them and believe their place is outside on a farm or working in the countryside.

@Mxflamingnoravera

No, I'm terrified of dogs after being badly bitten as a child. I hate them and believe their place is outside on a farm or working in the countryside.

Lol, ok 😂 it’s ok to be fearful of them, and I’m sorry for what happened to you. But dogs will continue to be kept as pets for the foreseeable future, so it would probably do you good to accept that?

Dog owners who are completely oblivious to the fact that other people dont want their uncontrolled creature around their ankles sniffing them or nosing them.

Keeping them under control means just that - not harassing other people. Especially when you have a small child.

But dogs will continue to be kept as pets for the foreseeable future

Hopefully stricter laws will come in soon about dog ownership and training, as the dog population seems to have exploded (along with the number of untrained dogs running free). As a dog owner I’d be delighted if they passed a law that said all dogs must be on leads in public places!

I feel really sorry for people who have a fear of dogs. It restricts people’s use of parks, woodland walks, nature trails. Cyclists and runners frequently get chased and nipped by out of control dogs. The amount of dog poo (even in bags dumped near the bin) is disgusting.

We often go for a family day out and leave the dog at home. It would be great if more places were dog-free zones so people could picnic or play sports in peace.

Having had my dog attacked and killed whilst on the lead by two dogs not only off the lead but with no collars on either, I strongly believe there are too many out of control dogs and they should be in LESS areas. My dog struggled with recall and I was young and a bit silly and I did try to train her but she would just run and run because of this she was chased a lot by other dogs which made it worse. These people never ever tried to call their dogs off mine and I was young and didn't confront them over it. These days I am much braver. In hindsight I think it was only a matter of time before my dog was attacked. However, the time she was attacked and killed she was on the lead and I was trying to be responsible keeping her under control but I think this was worse as she couldn't outrun these dogs. Other dogs should never be allowed to approach a dog on the lead who are off the lead. The dog is on the lead for a reason. I hate out of control dogs and they seem to be everywhere.

I would like much more restriction on dogs abs dog only areas. My dcs are scared of dogs after this incident. I get dogs getting in my way, jumping up on me all the time when I am out for a run. Why shouldn't I be able to go for a peaceful walk with my dcs without being hassled by a dog and having them hiding behind me? The situation is a disaster waiting to happen. There should be lots more no dogs places where people can go who don't want dogs hassling them. Those people who want to socialise their dogs can do so elsewhere.

However, the time she was attacked and killed she was on the lead and I was trying to be responsible keeping her under control but I think this was worse as she couldn't outrun these dogs

I’m so sorry, that must have been dreadful and so traumatic.

It’s cases like these make me think all dogs need to be on lead in public places, with stricter rules and punishments for people who let them off. And a legal requirement for all dogs to be chipped, registered to an owner, vaccinated and insured. Higher penalties for owners who let their dogs bound up to people and cause alarm, chase, bite, scratch, knock people over or generally invade their space.

More parks that are dog free!

When my dog was attacked on lead by two staffie types I had to drop his lead to allow him to defend himself. Which he did but only because he’s large and agile with an aggressive streak towards dogs who get in his face. As soon as they approached he went rigid and got ready to fight, if he didn’t have quick reflexes he’d probably be dead. Because there were two of them I worried he might not get the upper hand so I got one by the collar and twisted while he took care of the other. When the owner finally came he just whistled to call them off and said something about dogs being dogs 😡 As if they’d all been playing off lead together and had a scrap, not his 2 attacking an on lead dog out of sight! Mine injured both of them but he was also injured and had to have a lot of stitches.

A smaller or timid dog wouldn’t have stood a chance against those two. I reported it but without the owners identity they couldn’t do much.

Yes, dogs should be allowed in less places if anything or at least be under stricter control.

This is interesting as I've just come back from a country where dogs are allowed in most cafes and just seem to be everywhere. I personally don't have an issue with a dog on a lead in a public place.