To be totally fed up with dogs?

[dogtroubl]

When we moved in, neighbours had an old dog that used to wander into our garden and leave poo everywhere. Couldn’t use garden with young kids due to mess and large dog.

Complained (politely), after quite a bit of unpleasantness fence finally fixed, dog died and they got 2 new dogs that were loud but contained.

Neighbours moved, new neighbours also have 2 dogs and fence is in a bad state of repair again due to the constant barking, snarling and scratching that happens every time we go outside. I always make sure I’m out there with the kids in case it breaks because they don’t sound friendly at all.

Their neighbours also have 2 dogs so the 2 sets are always setting each other off barking.

Family members also have dogs. One very old who soils everywhere and one very large, young dog who is very playful and jumps up and licks and dribbles all over you.

My daughter is terrified (the dog is easily as tall as her) and the family member always says dog will be shut away when we go over, but dog is always let or gets out soon after. I can tell my daughter’s fear of this dog irritates the family member but she’s genuinely scared after an incident when she was a toddler, plus this dog is like a horse to her and could do serious damage even with just a nip.

We’ve been to a few kids’ playgrounds over the holidays, dogs off lead and running all over the place at each one. Chasing kids in a “playful” way that scares them.

Dog poo all over footpaths and verges everywhere. Kids tread in it, I tread in it, buggy goes in it because I don’t see it until it’s too late.

I know it’s bad owners not the dogs’ fault etc but AIBU to just be totally fed up with dogs?

I'm with you OP, absolutely can't stand dogs for all the reasons you state. I've got toddlers and there are LOADS of dogs where we live. I get really anxious taking my children out for a walk because there's always dogs running up to them, just hate it. Too many news stories of children being killed by dogs recently

@Barneysma2

Seems like you have had some bad luck around dogs but as others have said it is the owners fault. I have a dog who is a year old and my next door neighbours saw me walking him the other day and said they didnt even know I had a dog as they have never heard him! thats because I dont leave him to bark, I play with him so he doesnt have the need to scratch or destroy anything and I only let him outside in the back for toilet. When I take him on a walk he is on a lead unless we are in an empty field. Its bad owners that spoil it for other people im afraid as a well trained dog is just the best company to be around.

Agree 100%. Well trained dogs are great. Visited a farm the other day, the working dogs there said ''Hello'' in a gentle way, no jumping up, very polite. Lovely to have around.

YANBU. Dog shit everywhere - my 4 year old nearly fell on a huge pile left in a play park the other day also he is terrified of them now as various ones have jumped up him. Some random dog walker with a dog off lead decided it was fine for her dog to approach my screaming 4 year old recently. Then tutted at DH when he held the dog back from jumping up the DC

@hepaticanobilis

YANBU because I think something about the dog owning culture has really changed in the past 10 years or so. We always had a dog when I was growing up but owners seemed to be much more responsible in general. I think these days a lot of people who shouldn't have dogs, do, and that causes all sorts of problems from lack of training to lack of time to actually walk them and keep them active so the end result is lots of badly trained dogs living with clueless owners.

I agree with you.

I'd love to have a dog, and had them growing up, but when I gave it some serious thought, I much prefer not being committed to the responsibility of dog ownership. Being able to do things spontaneously is a lifestyle choice for me and I think a LOT of dog owners don't consider this and then end up being shocked at the cost of overnight care for their dogs if they want to go away for the weekend or on holiday.

The worst dog owners, aside from the ones who don't pick up their animals' doings, are the ones who think they can just turn up at your house with their animal(s) without asking first and just assume you'll be delighted.

Yes, the issue is too many people treat their dogs like spoilt children. I was at a restaurant recently and the table next to us had a poodle that kept jumping up next to its owner and rubbing its bottom pretty much on my sleeve. After it happened for the third time I had to complain. The owner looked personally offended that I wasn't enjoying getting dog hair from her beloved 'fur baby' on my food...

I have a dog (smallish size). I walk her in quite a large open area so we encounter a handful of other dogs on our walks, but each time I clip the lead on until we’ve walked past. I hate it when other owners let their huge muddy dog run up and nearly bowl you over before terrorising my dog. Usually followed up by a comment of ‘Oh they just want to play’ oh really is that why they’re snarling and snapping at us? I can’t go for a walk without my clothes being ruined

@hepaticanobilis

YANBU because I think something about the dog owning culture has really changed in the past 10 years or so. We always had a dog when I was growing up but owners seemed to be much more responsible in general. I think these days a lot of people who shouldn't have dogs, do, and that causes all sorts of problems from lack of training to lack of time to actually walk them and keep them active so the end result is lots of badly trained dogs living with clueless owners.

Definitely. There seems to be many more dogs around , and those ''Professional walkers'' have far too many to contain properly. How can one pick up after 5 large dogs and be in control of them all while collecting the poo??

Not really possible

If I see anyone ''Pretend'' not to see a poo their dog has done, I do point it out and offer a bag.

Poo bags left dangling or thrown in undergrowth is another bad thing.

We volunteered at a National woodland, and did some coppicing and was warned to look out for bagged poo that was thrown in the underbrush.

They weren't wrong.
Gross.

@passthebiscuitsthisway

YANBU.

I can't stand dogs since having children. We live on a beautiful new build estate (which was by no means cheap to buy in). The leafy areas surrounding our house has become a dog toilet. The pavements are laced with dog shit. It's rare I take the pram out without having to clean the wheels upon arriving back home.

We took DS to our local park in winter. He was rubbing up hills and having a ball. Slid down on to a big pile of dog shit.

The way they run around parks and at face level to DS infuriates me. DH is adamant that I don't make DS aware of my anxieties so as not to make him afraid of dogs but there's no way I'd happily let a dog I don't know come up to him - imagine it but him? He would have a permanent disfigurement all because I've to hide my anxieties. I'm sure there would be a bigger problem then.

Typing this, I actually think it's dog owners I can't stand. I know it's not every dog owner. But I've had very few pleasant experiences with dogs.

It does sound ghastly, apart from being a new build estate (which was by no means cheap to buy in), maybe you could have all the dogs rounded up and shot?

These threads always attract dog-haters and people who have had too many bad experiences with dogs and not enough good ones.

I have 2 dogs. There are 3 dogs over the road and other dogs in close range. I sometimes hear the ones over the road and never hear the others. I hear my own, who are allowed a quick bark at the doorbell and are then told to be quiet.

Most dogs I see when out and about with mine are friendly and cheerful. Lots of parents with dogs wait at pick-up time outside the local primary school and lots of happy children interact with happy dogs (and there is no poo along that stretch of path...).

Sure, there are arsehole owners, like the ones whose dog's crap I picked up on my way back to the car this morning with my own 2. They're the problem. Not the dogs, and not the vast majority of dog owners.

That sounds awful @dogtroubl

No you are not unreasonable at all.

We had several incidents of dogs off leads on country walks last week. One bounded up, jumped up at friends DD and LICKED her daughters' lips. The DD is terrified of dogs.

We had two similar incidents earlier that week of dogs off leads coming right up to my DS and really barking. He has been long term terrified of dogs since a scary incident when he was a toddler with a Staffie that was not on the lead.

we had been working so hard at getting him to realise many dogs are lovely, and it had worked well where we live as the majority of owners are really responsible and dogs are well trained or called back and put on leads.

But where we were staying last week just seemed to contain a huge number of really unaware and irresponsible owners. Loads of dog poo not cleared up. And incidents that has set my DS right back and made any country walk a really stressful experience.

I'm all for responsible dog ownership, but so many people seem to have jumped on a dog ownership trend over the pandemic, and just don't have the skill set or energy to look after them, train and control their pets properly.

And don't get me started on the comment that seems so extraordinarily unaware,
"Oh don't worry, he's very friendly really" that you get from an owner, standing there, flapping about with a lead, but doing absolutely nothing as a dog with its head at the same height as my son comes bouncing and yapping at him while he cowers, or literally tries to climb up my DH.

No you really are not being at all unreasonable OP.

YABU because dogs can be the most amazing companions and most just want to please.

It would be a good idea for you to try to meet lots of friendly mid-size dogs with your DD though as avoidance makes this sort of anxiety much worse and may lead to a phobia. You're totally justified to not want a large dog jumping up at her though and also to stay in the garden with them if the neighbouring dogs sound aggressive.

I have a teenage pup. He loves people. I have him on s long line so he doesn't jump up at people because he can have extremely selective hearing. We also clip back on and I make him sit and wait as people goes past on narrow pavements. It's just basic good manners really, isn't it? But so many people lack them.

The poo thing also drives me potty. I even carry tissues to make sure I get as much as possible if it's on grass. Before I had a dog it drove me mad how irresponsible some dog owners are and I am determined I will not be one of them.

And yes, training them is really hard work and a long term daily commitment.

Well, I have a lovely friendly well-behaved toy breed and I'm fed up with kids who start screaming at the sight of my dog who is just running around minding his own business. No wonder so many kids suffer from anxiety nowadays if parents teach them to be terrified of dogs.

What is the fence made of, to have needed to be replaced twice with quick succession and apparently is so flimsy that barking is breaking it somehow?!

Perhaps invest in something other than a paper fence

YANBU - and I say this as a professional dog walker.

I am so sick of people letting their unruly off-lead dogs come charging up to mine. I walk several reactive dogs who are always on-lead and under control around others - yet other people let their dogs run over to them, the dogs then bark and lunge, and the owners always say "Mine just wants to say hello!" - well, great, but mine doesn't, lol.

I live by the sea and as it's school holidays, we've had an influx of tourists and none of them seem to be able to control their dogs

Yanbu at all. I think they should do DNA testing on dog shit and prosecute dog owners who leave it. Between that, dogs ripping children to pieces, owners who don't know how to look after them etc I am also incredibly fed up.

I love dogs and we have 2, but regarding the behaviour you describe YANBU.

Our dogs are allowed in the garden, but if they bark then I bring them in. We keep ours on a lead in public spaces, we pay to rent a private field or take them to a local park which has an enclosed dog area. We also always pick up after them.

I live in a village, and lots of folks have dogs,, but never come across any that are barking snarly badly behaved types, there are little fancy dogs, and some big breeds of dogs, that all seem to be well trained, so guess this must be unusual.. although some of the owners do not always pick up dog poo on the village green or pavements,

I don't have any issues with cats or dogs, although i have three cats,, My issue is with slugs,, I have a very old terraced cottage, and its got a big damp problem, and needs some big attention, so have slugs in the kitchen all the time, and the other day, i went to my shed, came back in the back door, and there were two huge frogs, on top of each other, merrrily mating on my back door mat.,

YANBU. I like dogs but they're a collosal pain in the arse. The badly behaved dogs outnumber the ok ones out of the dog owners I know. I hate the way it dictates where you can go and what you can do. I hate them being in pubs and restaurants barking and fussing. Dog training is a long term commitment and hard work. A few outings with friends have been ruined by their dogs, no recall, aggressive to other dogs, not settling in restaurants etc. A close friend got a dog and it's really affected her quality of life, he's aggressive to other dogs and other animals generally so walks are hard work, he can't have fun running along a beach as it will result in an altercation. She's actually tried her best to train him but it's just his nature

Oh I can really do without dogs! All the reasons stated above. More people than ever round here seem to have a dog now and 'dog parent' is definitely a personality trait now, which I never really noticed growing up. Everything becomes about the dog and treating it like a human. There were several on the children's play park yesterday funny how treating dogs like humans doesn't quite stretch to taking it to the bloody toilet, though. Poo everywhere!

Totally agree, I hate having to put up with constant yapping from neighbours' dogs left on their own all day and shit all over the streets. Literally some every 30 or 40 metres here. Go to my local park and you can't sit on the grass because there is shit everywhere. Dog owners have let their dogs attack ducks in the park twice that I know of when the bird has had to be put down as a result. There was an old woman in my local shop at the weekend upset because her westie had just been attacked by a big dog, whose owner had then sworn at her.

Far too many selfish, lazy dog owners.

I don't like dogs

My friend has a dog that's not well controlled. We're out for a walk and the dog is a PITA, interrupting people's picnics etc. And my friend is pretty ineffectual. It's embarrassing

Recently went to a cafe , at another table there were a few women and 2 had little dogs with them . My ds is autistic and scared plus allergic and started screaming so I said to the person serving sorry I’ll have to go as he is scared of dogs and she said ‘well we are dog friendly so they have a right to be here’
I said actually with that tone I want to speak to the manager who was really understanding and asked them to move outside as it was causing distress to my ds. They were absolutely horrible so entitled and the manager who was amazing said to them the rights of a child come before the dog friendly status of his cafe
He was so kind gave us coffee and cake and juice and said he was going to change it to dogs in the outside seating area only !

I feel the same as posters upthread. I used to like dogs but since having a toddler, I’m totally over them! He’s been knocked over so many times in the park from nowhere.

People trump animals in my book and dogs are not children, no matter what some of their owners think!