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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask certain dog owners to actually answer this honestly

259 replies

ElenaCouch · 14/01/2022 13:49

If you don't pick up your dogs shit in the street:

A.) What is your excuse/excuses

B.) Do you worry about stepping in dog shit in your neighborhood, or you don't care if it happened.

C.) Does the thought of someone getting your dogs shit on their shoes/pram/wheelchair/ a small child falling in it make you feel GUILTY/INDIFFERENT/HAPPY.

you are anonymous, AIBU to want you to actually admit it and explain yourself

OP posts:
cjpark · 14/01/2022 17:40

I think the majority of non-pick-uppers are the off-lead walkers. The only dogs i've ever seen poo and not be picked up are on their own because the owners are walking behind and dont have control of their dog.

Spidey66 · 14/01/2022 17:43

@romdowa

Only time I've failed to pick it up is when it was too runny to scoop up. I did come back after wards with water to Try and wash it away.
This, and walking the dog in the park after dark, she went in a pile of leaves by the perimeter fence of the park. I always carry a torch after dark for this reason but even with that and going to the area seconds after she went I was unable to find it. I figured that as it was so close to the fence, away from the path, it was unlikely to be trod in. I did try and find it!
Huntswomanonthemove · 14/01/2022 17:43

From my experience, it's older men that don't pick up.

CaMePlaitPas · 14/01/2022 17:47

It's selfishness and pig ignorance to be honest. These people are not responsible and shouldn't be allowed to keep animals, I can only imagine the stench of their houses.

People who say it biodegrades are completely wrong. It is toxic to plants, wildlife and the bacteria washes into the water system. It's considered a toxic pollutant that includes germs such as Campylobacter, Roundworm and Hookworm to name a few! By not picking up their pet's shit, they also put their dogs at risk of contracting whatever pathogen is in the poo when their dog inevitably goes sniffing around it.

I share your frustration OP.

GloriaSicTransitMundi · 14/01/2022 17:47

I feel sorry for many of the dogs I see now, their people are so busy on their phones the poor dog gets no attention. Never mind owners not noticing or picking up when it poos, I see several dogs carrying a ball in their mouths constantly looking at oblivious owner, hoping for a game of fetch but getting blanked instead.

gogohm · 14/01/2022 17:49

@BettyfromBristol

Because the irresponsible owners won't licence them. My ddog is chipped, insured and wears a gps tracker, I also pick up his poo

Nailsbythesea · 14/01/2022 17:50

Ok one when I had my boys on their leads -I could not pick up their shit as I had taken the poo bags -and they did a poo each -two poos fine -I had 5 bags -then the buggers did two more each so I was a bag short -I popped into the shop I was outside and asked and they didn't have any (pre plastic bags being sold etc) -so I used my foot and pushed it towards the gutter -but to be honest I didn't do a good job.

My dogs are regularly wormed etc and if on a long forest walk off the path -I will flick it into the middle of a large bush and put leaves on it. I often wonder what the people who object to this (the forest poo cover up) think about other animals shitting in the woods. Including people caught short.

I once observed a woman complaining in the woods about dog owners not picking up shit - I bent down and said you have two types of crap there one is rabbit and one is fox -neither have plastic bags.

I do take biodegradable bags -and count them off -the rolls don't tell you how many left -and chances are my 4 legged friends will aalways need one more bag then I put in my pocket.

If there are no bins -it's pretty shit to have it in the car on a summer days -plastic bag full of shit and tightly tied still stinks. We have a tupperware emergency box in the car after being caught one day and it was a two hour drive...........

Mamamia7962 · 14/01/2022 17:51

I too think it is off lead dogs which are the problem. I see many people walking their dogs whilst looking at their phone not aware of where their dog is or what it's up to. Also people who walk their dog when it's dark and don't bother to take a torch.

NameChangeCity123 · 14/01/2022 17:58

@romdowa

Only time I've failed to pick it up is when it was too runny to scoop up. I did come back after wards with water to Try and wash it away.
Omg 😱 this has put me off getting a dog 😂
Wheresmywoolyjumpers · 14/01/2022 18:02

I think with the fence/tree hanging poo bags that people put them there because they dont want to walk far carrying a poo bag, and think if the bag is more visible they will remember to collect it on the way back. I just carry mine with me because I know I wont remember later.

FMSucks · 14/01/2022 18:03

Haven’t RTFT but I would add children walking their dogs without adults with them.

While I also agree that off lead is a big problem my ddog was allowed off lead in certain areas but I could literally pin point where he was going to do his business. Dogs are creatures of habit.

alh26 · 14/01/2022 18:03

@RedCandyApple this actually is a thing and I do it often. We live in the countryside and sometimes do quite lengthy walks as we have spaniels who need the exercise. Sometimes our dogs decide they want to poo within the first half mile and we're still in the village so yes I bag it and leave it on a section (hidden ish) that we will end up walking past again at the end. I'm not carrying my dogs shit for 5 miles!

If my dog poos on a pavement or road yes we pick it up but if its in the middle of a field or wood then we use a stick to flick it into the hedgerow or bushes.

RestingMurderousFace · 14/01/2022 18:13

[quote CaptainCabinets]@RestingMurderousFace I cried Grin it was just so disgusting! A massive human dump surrounded by shitty tissues in a bushes near a children’s play area....AND A BLOCK OF TOILETS Angry[/quote]
OMFG! At least they had the decency to clean their own arse. So grim.

JenniferAlisonPhilippaSue · 14/01/2022 18:17

Well this wasn’t me, but I once asked a pal on a country walk why she wasn’t picking up the dog poo and she said it’s because we were in the countryside and it was full of horse/sheep/cow/rabbit poo already. I was a bit shocked and said that as herbivores that was completely different but no one else agreed with me? Not out loud anyway, could hear a few cogs turning.
These people were my exes friends so luckily I don’t have to see them anymore!

unlikelytobe · 14/01/2022 18:22

Of the locals I know of , one is an old man who isn't very stable on his feet and probably can't bend down to pick it up and in any case his dog is never on a lead and wanders all over the place so he clearly doesn't know/care where his dog is crapping. Hmmm...

Another bloke seemed nice to talk to but I witnessed him ignoring his dog having a pooh not far away, off lead the other day. I expect he'd say he'd didn't notice or his mind was miles away if challenged. I now think he's a knob.

Others are just not supervising their dogs properly - too busy on their phones or whatever and so their dog can be doing it anywhere. This is especially bad in the local fields and country walks.

The last group are those who know, don't care, feel it's beneath them to pick up, would probably say if it's left in a field "well, it's natural and there's other animal poo" and so on. This group are scum. I would like all the accumulated poo they leave to be collected and dumped on their doorstep.

3WildOnes · 14/01/2022 18:26

@LuckyAmy1986 I’m not saying it is OK but I think it is more understandable. I think it is pretty impossible to keep your eyes on your dog 100% of the time when you are walking with children too as they also need some supervision and appreciate eye contact .
It sounds like where you live is pretty scummy though with poo on the pavements, I never really see that here.

Blossomtoes · 14/01/2022 18:41

@cjpark

I think the majority of non-pick-uppers are the off-lead walkers. The only dogs i've ever seen poo and not be picked up are on their own because the owners are walking behind and dont have control of their dog.
A dog can be under control without being on lead. They just need good recall.
MagicKit · 14/01/2022 19:58

Beastly disgusting neighbours by me who walk their beastly disgusting dogs about five times a day and let them shit hither and yon do not pick up the shit because, as they say, "That's the councils job"

😐

liveforsummer · 14/01/2022 20:11

A dog can be under control without being on lead. They just need good recall.

They aren't under control if the owner cannot see or is not looking at them

Mollymopple · 14/01/2022 20:12

I'm guessing one reason is that they genuinely have run out of poo bags. This happened to me twice recently, on the pavement near my home and I walked back grabbed extra bags and returned to pick it up. The other time my partner took all of my bags ( he wanted to triple bag as it was loose), then inevitably the dog went for a second poo and we were miles from home, shop anywhere. Covered it as best as we could, it wasn't on a pavement. Really felt bad ( Lesson learnt as a novice dog owner that you need LOADS of poo bags!)

Schlerp · 14/01/2022 20:16

I took my dog for a long walk and she decided to shit in the street about 15 mins in. I reached in my pocket and discovered a hole where poo bags escaped (along with my inhaler & hankies too.) so I had to leave it … but I did return later and pick up what I could find.

CatsArePeople · 14/01/2022 20:33

No dogs atm, but in the past...

A.) What is your excuse/excuses
sometimes i ran out of bags. sometimes dog did it where it was impossible to find or get.

B.) Do you worry about stepping in dog shit in your neighborhood, or you don't care if it happened.
don't care really. there are worse things. like human vomit and general litttering/fly tipping is a bigger problem in my neigbourhood.

C.) Does the thought of someone getting your dogs shit on their shoes/pram/wheelchair/ a small child falling in it make you feel GUILTY/INDIFFERENT/HAPPY.
Happens to all of us.

Momicrone · 14/01/2022 20:57

'There are worse things'? I don't agree and I I very rarely see human vomit in the street anyway, fly tipping is horrible but I don't step in it

echt · 14/01/2022 20:58

I always pick up my dog's poo. Thinking of poo bags, where I am you can be fined for not carrying a supply when out with the dog. I've not heard of anyone actually having had this happen. You can also be fined for not having you dog on a lead outside an off-leash area. To be fair, dog shit on the street is very rare indeed.

RestingMurderousFace · 14/01/2022 21:08

@MagicKit

Beastly disgusting neighbours by me who walk their beastly disgusting dogs about five times a day and let them shit hither and yon do not pick up the shit because, as they say, "That's the councils job"

😐

Eugh, what filthy scum.