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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be totally fed up with dogs?

940 replies

dogtroubl · 14/04/2022 13:50

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?

OP posts:
pattish · 14/04/2022 16:25

@Favourodds

Spot on. I also live in an area that is very dog friendly. In a pub the other day we could hardly hear each other speak because someone’s dog kept barking.

TeaKlaxon · 14/04/2022 16:26

[quote CorsicaDreaming]@TeaKlaxon

"But the welfare of most dogs depends on being able to expend energy and play energetic games. They, and their owners, have as much right to enjoy that as you and your DC have to enjoy the park. There are vastly more areas in your world where dogs are not allowed, or not allowed off lead, so you're entirely free to stick to those areas if you don't want to be around dogs off lead."

I agree with the first part of your para, but am really baffled by the second?

Dogs are currently free to go on most public footpaths, canal paths. Pavements, etc. - how can you say there a "vastly more areas" they are not allowed?[/quote]
I meant that the world overall is not geared up to be inclusive of dogs and their owners. Most restaurants, cafes and shops, many pubs, most playgrounds and other facilities, many beaches do not allow dogs at all. Many other places only allow dogs on lead.

In reality there are very few places I can have my dog off lead and running and exercising properly. I can't and wouldn't do that on a footpath because it's not safe for him. In reality, it is only in public parks and commons, and some beaches, that he can get a proper run and chase his ball and play fully. And my dog is a small one who burns energy easily. Its much more important that bigger dogs have that access.

So when I see someone complaining about dogs being off lead in one of the few areas they are allowed to be, and practically able to be, off lead, it is totally unreasonable of them.

gogohm · 14/04/2022 16:26

Dogs aren't the problem, it's bad owners and insufficient training. My neighbours have a dog and you wouldn't know he lived there because he's trained and they don't allow him to annoy other people. I've never experienced an issue with dog poo in recent years (was terrible 40 years ago) but entitled owners taking their pets into the fenced kids play area yes ( and I say pets because there was a giant rabbit on a lead there yesterday and I've seen a goat on a lead as well as cats in the past despite no animals in that area of the park (90% of the park allows animals)

NorthSouthcatlady · 14/04/2022 16:27

YANBU l wish my neighbours dogs would STFU. They constantly whine and bark. They seem exceptionally highly strung, everything sets them off and lm sick of it

pattish · 14/04/2022 16:27

@Tulipblacksmith

I like dogs less and less now. Such a shame as I used to love them.

19Bears · 14/04/2022 16:27

YANBU. I try to be positive around dogs in terms of not wanting my kids to be scared of them, but nevertheless, they are. I don't project my fear onto them. It's the entitlement of dog owners that gets to me. Maybe the dogs are "only being friendly" and I go along with it to keep the peace for everyone, but I really dislike it. They seem to think everyone should be over the moon to see their dog, sorry but I'm not. As others have said, these dog friendly cafes - great if you've got a dog, but it entirely excludes people who don't want to be around dogs. My kids used to love the beach but over the past few years its the last place they want to go as you can't move for the things. Similar with parks, they're everywhere. Even the playing fields down the road where I used to take them to play football, we don't go anymore. Coming out of school even! Some of the parents come to pick their kids up with a big aggressive dog straining at the lead, and I can see my youngest son working his way through the crowd to get to me so we can get away. So now we mostly play in the garden.

Not to mention the pharmacy incident the other week! Me and the kids went to collect some medication and when we got there, there was a man with a massive and very excited boxer type dog, causing absolute havoc in the pharmacy, laughing and joking as people stood back to avoid it, but all smiling politely and humouring him. We stood outside in the freezing rain as the kids weren't going in there in a million years. When finally we did have to go in as he appeared to be leaving, he shouted across to someone that he'd paid £2000 for the dog. People seem to love doing this. Why??! And the lady on the checkout in Aldi who is lovely and always has a chat with me, she recently got a dog and now only ever talks about it, shows me photos on her phone, and videos, tells me about doggy day care, and how much she paid for the dog....argh.

LethargeMarg · 14/04/2022 16:28

Yes I also hate it when people have a cat then get a dog (must be so stressful for the cat) and then the cat is totally demoted in the pet hierarchy (lots of people I know have done this over lockdown and always say 'the cats the boss' but then turns out the cats shut up stairs with a stair gate to stop dog getting in cats terroritory

pattish · 14/04/2022 16:28

*Tell me how many children have been killed by dogs so far in 2022 then?

Three.

Again, not 'nearly every week' as was claimed.*

It’s only April. That’s three children too many, isn’t it?

BobbinHood · 14/04/2022 16:29

yanbu. There are far, far too many.

TeaKlaxon · 14/04/2022 16:29

[quote Tulipblacksmith]@TeaKlaxon

I live in a city I drive out to big fields, she has more than enough exercise. I'm just not one of those entitled dog owners who places the same value on them as kids and other members of the public.[/quote]
Right, so you have access to a car and 'big fields'.

That's great for you.

Dogs owned by people without that access should not be denied proper exercise.

CorsicaDreaming · 14/04/2022 16:31

@TeaKlaxon - ahhh yes I see what you mean.
It's true. I'd like a dog (partly to help my DS who is really scared of them, but mainly because I would just really like a dog for myself) but it is this element of all the indoors spaces etc you can't take them that puts me off...

...plus all the other clueless dog owners that seem to have proliferated recently. I agree many dog owners are really responsible, but it does seem there's an increasing percentage who are not.

MissChanandlerBong80 · 14/04/2022 16:32

I think YANBU and I’m a dog owner!

PoppyJ175 · 14/04/2022 16:33

I love dogs. Most dog owners are responsible, it's only the minority that you have experienced that are not, sadly they are ruin it for the responsible owners.

Tulipblacksmith · 14/04/2022 16:33

@TeaKlaxon

You do know that dog ownership is not a right and that people can exercise without a dog?

HailAdrian · 14/04/2022 16:33

I saw a really fat dog yesterday

TeaKlaxon · 14/04/2022 16:34

@pattish

*Tell me how many children have been killed by dogs so far in 2022 then?

Three.

Again, not 'nearly every week' as was claimed.*

It’s only April. That’s three children too many, isn’t it?

Not sure how any of that answers the point I made, which was that the poster was not correct to say dogs were killing children nearly every week.

That is simply a lie.

TurkeyRoastvBubbleandSqueek · 14/04/2022 16:35

@1forAll74

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.,

@1forAll74 Please don't blame the slugs or the frogs, it is their human owners to blame for not looking after and training them, properly...
CorsicaDreaming · 14/04/2022 16:35

@TeaKlaxon

Tell me how many children have been killed by dogs so far in 2022 then?

Three.

Again, not 'nearly every week' as was claimed.

That is shocking to me still.

One per month?

Do you have a link to that statistic please?

LethargeMarg · 14/04/2022 16:35

@gogohm

Dogs aren't the problem, it's bad owners and insufficient training. My neighbours have a dog and you wouldn't know he lived there because he's trained and they don't allow him to annoy other people. I've never experienced an issue with dog poo in recent years (was terrible 40 years ago) but entitled owners taking their pets into the fenced kids play area yes ( and I say pets because there was a giant rabbit on a lead there yesterday and I've seen a goat on a lead as well as cats in the past despite no animals in that area of the park (90% of the park allows animals)
Yes but if there wasn't a dog it wouldn't be an issue - the dog needs training etc if there weren't any dogs then there would be no dog attacks . A dog always has the ability to cause harm being a strong animal. You couldn't set a rabbit on someone like you can a dog
AncientofMuMu · 14/04/2022 16:35

I'm amazed at all these areas that are "covered in shit" I live in an area with high dog ownership and close to a park very popular with dog owners and rarely see any.

I reckon there's a lot of hyperbole on this thread Hmm

Questiontellme · 14/04/2022 16:35

YANBU, didn't take long for all the child haters to come out did it, say this all the time on these threads, but they perfectly highlight why children's lives are so cheap in this country and why chid neglect and abuse is so widely purpotrated and often accepted.

I don't think she's had bad luck at all @Barneysma2 this is pretty much my experience evey time we go anywhere. Off lead dogs terrorising children and dog shit everywhere. We have continuously barking dogs next doort but one its awful, we've just been away in an AirBnB - no dogs near by, it was so peaceful, I knew it was driving me potty but never realised how much.

Into my 5th year of having children and I've never seen them or any others shit all over, jump up at strangers, attack people scarring them for life or kill babies or other small children...weird that isn't it.

TeaKlaxon · 14/04/2022 16:36

[quote Tulipblacksmith]@TeaKlaxon

You do know that dog ownership is not a right and that people can exercise without a dog?[/quote]
Firstly, responsible dog ownership is a right, insofar as any lawful activity is a right.

Second, where did I suggest people can only exercise with a dog? I said that dogs have a right to get proper exercise, and not be confined to leads in public parks as some here have suggested.

Tulipblacksmith · 14/04/2022 16:38

@AncientofMuMu

Depends on what park. Some parks are notorious for it. My son plays for a grassroots football team and they’ve had to source another venue for training because of the sheer amount of shit on the pitch.

Legoninjago1 · 14/04/2022 16:38

Yanbu. I feel the same.
But it's the owners and breeders that are the problem.

OMG12 · 14/04/2022 16:39

I want to know where people are going that they’re hoping over dog poo at every step, being chased by giant drooling dogs etc. I travel around a lot and apart from the occasional incidence of dog poo, usually right at the side of the pavement, never come across any of this! Watching where my dog is walking because of broken glass or making sure she doesn’t eat something from yet another thrown away takeaway box is far more annoying.

Humans, on the other hand, murdering, raping both adults and children, going out of their way to hurt and destroy people, killing the very planet we rely on to Survive. Quite frankly give me a bit of dog poo on the side of the road any day.

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