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?

The world would fundamentally be a better place without dogs. Barring that ever happening, I do think dog ownership should only be allowed with training, an annually renewable and expensive license, and leads mandatory at all times, punishable by whopping fines.

@FateHasRedesignedMost

Re the fence, I think you should erect a secure one your side (even though neighbour should, your child’s safety is more important than money!)

If a dog growled and snarled at me for going in my own garden I’d yell ‘shut up’ at it every time in a fierce voice and get DH to do the same. Sound threatening, most dogs back down. If the owner was in earshot I’d add a bit like ‘don’t you dare growl and bark at me on my property. Cut it out, now!’

It’s really rude to let your dogs bark and snarl at neighbours.

As for relative’s huge dog, just don’t take your kid to their house and ban the dog from yours. Our house is dog-free and any visitors with dogs either come without them, leave them in the car or put them in the garden (tied or on a lead if we’re using the garden).

For random dogs approaching me and DC in public I find a sharp ‘leave it’ or ‘back to him’ or just ‘no, get back’ sends them scarpering back to the owner. I have a DC who is rightly scared of unknown dogs sniffing and pawing him.

Shouting at a dog that's barking is not likely to have the effective of calming it down! But you Carrie on with your fierce voice.

*carry

Environmentally they are not good. Breathe fart and poo. People go on about cattle but at least they are producing food.

@TheLightSideOfTheMoon

I quite like dogs and make an effort to stroke any who happen to be passing.

But most dogs are too big for your average three bed semi, probably aren’t getting enough exercise and most likely don’t even have a quiet corner to call their own.

Dog with proper owners aren’t an issue.

You shouldn't be stroking dogs you don't know, they may not like it and may bite you.

I adore dogs but don’t have one myself because our work patterns would not be fair on one, we can’t fit in training, entertaining and exercising another being in this house! Unfortunately so many people over the last couple of years haven’t taken this view. There are loads of badly trained dogs everywhere and bad owners who don’t care or pick up after them. Of course it isn’t the dog’s fault but there are a lot of bad owners around and if they hadn’t bought the dogs lots of other people wouldn’t have to be dealing with the annoying consequences. Our village pub has had to ban dogs because there were so many and they were fighting in the pub… So I get where you’re coming from OP.

Luckily I'm glad that the UK is known as a country of dog lovers and this thread isn't representative of the real world . Its so miserable, dogs are great.

My mother in law is grieving at the moment, my dog spent his visit resting his head on her lap and nestling into her every time she cried last night, sometimes whimpering with her. He literally knows nothing but love (and food). I'm very glad he exists and very glad he gets to enjoy the outdoors and enjoy plenty of off lead safe fun with his dog friends.

Don’t a know where you live, OP, but it sounds like the fecking Wild West!

@BoredZelda my dog is on a lead on all paths, doesn’t mean I think everyone’s should be.

Still waiting to hear why every single stranger has to meet your needs in public places, even though they can’t possibly know your child hates off lead dogs.

And as for your DDs fear. You’ll need to work with her on that, the world isn’t suddenly going to be dog free at any point.
Our DD went through a similar stage and it was a pain in the arse. Ironically the thing that hit her over it ( we had a dog when she was little but he passed when she was young) was getting a new puppy.

She started spending more time watching our puppy play with other dogs and realised they weren’t scary after all.

@stuntbubbles same could be said about people tbf

@BoredZelda

But nah, if your expectation is that my dog should never be able to run and chase a ball or run around with other dogs then you’re going to have to sod off I’m afraid.

Does it do that on a path? Which is what my post was referring to?

I think you’re confusing me with someone else, I never asked you that.

In which case, you might try reading what I actually wrote instead of wading in with your comment.

You literally told me my dog should be on a lead ‘anywhere there are people’. You did not limit it to paths.

@Mreggsworth

Luckily I'm glad that the UK is known as a country of dog lovers and this thread isn't representative of the real world . Its so miserable, dogs are great.

My mother in law is grieving at the moment, my dog spent his visit resting his head on her lap and nestling into her every time she cried last night, sometimes whimpering with her. He literally knows nothing but love (and food). I'm very glad he exists and very glad he gets to enjoy the outdoors and enjoy plenty of off lead safe fun with his dog friends.

This. I was actually thinking about this thread last night when I was out with my dog - walk number 2,357 without him bothering anyone, by the way!

I’ve never encountered a better way to put any worries or troubles in perspective than watching the sheer joy on my dogs face when he gets to the park and knows that his ball is about to be thrown. Watching this little guy who is, in human terms, in his forties, just be so focused on enjoyment is such a wonderful tonic.

I don’t mind that not everyone gets that for themselves. The people who cannot even understand that other people do get that from their dogs, or want to take it away, really are quite pathetic though.

@FedUpthenaBitmore

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 !

Was it not obvious it was a dog friendly cafe before you went in?

@teaklaxon

That's really heartwarming and all but it's not going to make me feel any better the 100th time I walk dog shit into my house by accident or have snagged tights from a unknown dog jumping up my legs. We don't all have to sacrifice so you can have your Big Love with your dog! And yeah your dog might not jump up and you probably do pick up it's shit but I'm with op, I'm really sick of the (commonplace) anti social behaviour of dog owners in my densely populated area.

I suppose in lockdown training groups weren’t running along with everything else so some new owners may have genuinely struggled to train their dogs (thinking generously here).

As I stated in the OP, I do know it’s the owners not the dogs but I’m afraid to say that all of this stuff has just turned me off dogs full stop. And I’ve never felt any anxiety or animosity towards them before.

We don’t visit the relative’s house any more (not NC just can’t trust that dog will be kept where relative says he will).

Relative is actually very proud of how well trained the dog is and has complained to me about other owners who don’t train their dogs as well. This is because he can do things like sit or roll over for a treat. Him jumping up or getting on your lap when you’re sitting on the sofa or pestering you for food at the table or playing chasing “games” with the children or dashing off and not coming back when he sees other dogs while out are just him being young and playful, apparently.

People definitely have blind spots when it comes to their own animals. You know your dog’s temperament so when he sniffs a child in what you know is just a friendly, interested way and the child panics, you think “how ridiculous”. But that child may have had bad experiences and has no idea about your dog’s personality or intentions.

Those who say their big problem is kids running up and petting their dog who doesn’t like it, you get it! It’s exactly the same unwanted invasion of personal boundaries, kids can often be loud and dirty and frightening for dogs that don’t like them. The big difference being that if anyone is going to be seriously hurt in that situation then it’s the child.

My daughter had a genuinely distressing experience which has led to her fear. We are trying to encourage her to get past it but are constantly set back by things like I’ve described above. Exposure is good but she’s not gong to learn that dogs are safe, friendly animals when they snarl every time she goes in her own garden, jump up and scratch, or come hurtling over uninvited and then chase her when she instinctively tries to get away.

Again, all owner issues but I’m just fed up of it all and the way (as someone said) you have to smile and minimise bad behaviour and pretend you love dogs and don’t mind them getting slobber, mud or worse all over you or you’re a bad, judgemental person.

Fence is currently being propped with extra wood our side and we are saving up to replace the particularly broken part of it, even though this is the one side of the garden we are not responsible for. Agree that safety trumps money but we are not a high-income household and don’t have cash for a new fence just lying around.

I’m loathe to get into awkward neighbour relations like last time due to the fence v dog issue so will probably sort it ourselves, which will no doubt set a precedent.

I don’t mind that not everyone gets that for themselves. The people who cannot even understand that other people do get that from their dogs, or want to take it away, really are quite pathetic though

ah another bout of name calling!

No one is saying don't enjoying your dog or allow him to enjoy himself but why not try to understand that there are millions of dog owners (9 million households have ay least one dog) out there that don't give a shiny shit that other people do not want to be stepping in poo, having dogs coming up to them barking or worse and as the poll shows, people are getting more and more pissed off by entitled owners that do as they please,

Even on here we have people telling others "well its you and your DD problem if she doesn't like dogs, get her treatment, dogs aren't going away"

FFS How about stopping "your" mutt terrorising people who for what ever reason don't like dogs?

Ah this miseryguts thread is stilll going. OP's fairly reasonable initial post, then eventually " The world would be a better place without dogs".

Personally I avoid all cafes and restaurants with children. They annoy me more than dogs with their crying and yelling and staring and slobbering. Plus the buggies and highchairs always getting in the way. And the loos full of toddlers getting their stinky nappies changed.... I wish their parents would train them better. Obviously on MN everyone's child shits glitter...

See how that sounds....I am only half in jest btw. I don't like other people's children but I recognise I am not boss of the world and I have to put up with things I don't like.

@CounsellorTroi not patronising anyone but they shouldn't be in cafes🤢
@CB1993 or people could just leave their mingy dogs at home🤷🏻‍♀️ Instead of making the rest of us put up with their dogs.

"Was it not obvious it was a dog friendly cafe before you went in?"

No.
And was the only one in the small west coast Scotland village.

I see more and more cafes allowing dogs in - and you only have to look at the voting on this thread to see how unpopular that it.

Ah this miseryguts thread is stilll going.
Ah this misery-inducing dog-focused society is still going, to the detriment of many.

@JanisMoplin when babies shit in the street en masse, hospitalise 10s of 1000s of people & killed 22 in the last 7 years then fair point.... plus of course we all used to be babies.

[quote Alexandra2001]@JanisMoplin when babies shit in the street en masse, hospitalise 10s of 1000s of people & killed 22 in the last 7 years then fair point.... plus of course we all used to be babies.[/quote]
But of course I was a wonderful baby and I brought up my own DC better than to go up to strangers in cafes working on laptops with my sticky chocolate covered fingers ...:)

I take the tube almost daily. Invariably there will be drunk swearing teenagers, occasionally racist aggressive football hooligans, and always a well behaved dog sitting quietly in a corner.

@Alexandra2001

Babies might not kill people, but Babies are far more likely to grow up and be responsible for harming and hospitalising way more people per year than dogs.

More people are killed by cars and complete freak accidents than they are by dogs.

The world is never going to be a completely safe place, but the positives dogs bring greatly outweigh the very very rare chance of being mauled to death by a dog. I probably have more chance of choking on my dinner tonight and dying that way than a dog killing me.