Why are some dog owners so bloody selfish

[goldenmarshmallow]

Sorry- rant incoming.

I am sick to the back TEETH of some dog owners who think it’s acceptable to put their dog with no recall or training off the lead and to let it run up to anyone and everyone.

I have a golden who is generally good with dogs but gets very boisterous and excitable with some, which comes out as her being reactive. She doesn’t bite or show any aggression but she bounces and growls and tries to rough play. We’re doing training atm to work on her reactiveness and recall. She gets off lead time with other dogs that we know she gets on with (friends/family) but only in our family’s land/hired dog fields etc so she’s not off lead around the public as her recall isn’t reliable. I don’t let her meet other dogs on walks as she is too unpredictable. So, I keep her on the lead away from dogs we don’t know. But I am so sick of dogs off the lead approaching her, usually with the owner making a half hearted attempt to call the dog back but it just completely ignores them. I shout over ‘can you get your dog away from my dog because she isn’t always friendly!’ to which they usually say, oh he just wants to say hello! Or, don’t worry he’s good with all dogs! I don’t give a shit if your dog wants to say hello, move it away from mine before she barks/growls/lunges and frightens your dog and you start having a go at me

there’s nothing wrong with off lead dogs with good recall, and some dogs come back as soon as they are called which is fantastic, but WHY on earth are some people so bloody selfish? If your dog won’t respond when you call it back, put it on a lead FGS! She’s also scared of some dogs and responds by trying to hide behind me- again, I’ll shout over to the owners that my dog is scared and can they collect their dogs but nope, it’s always just oh don’t worry he’s friendly!

bloody sick of it.

Yanbu, fed up of dogs not being trained properly and lunge/bark and jump at me when I'm running. Like a pp I've now got to go very late in the evening to avoid any.

But the dark is even worse. People think they can slap a lit up dog collar on their dog and let them off the lead in the dark. Other park / wood users haven’t a clue what sort of dog is pounding towards you. It’s terrifying.

I used to have a cavalier king Charles spaniel, one of the sweetest, most placid dogs.
I was walking her on the lead when two rottweilers shot out of nowhere and absolutely savaged her, and badly bit me too.
My poor dog died of her injuries and the sound of her screams will stay with me forever.
The dogs owner was shouting them, but they took absolutely no notice whatsoever.
Then he had the audacity to say they were only playing. Playing? They tore my poor dog apart!!
My god, I can't even begin to think if that had been a child.
I've alway had dogs and when we're out and about, they're on the lead unless I go to either a designated dog park or to the woods nearby early in the morning, in which I've never seen anyone else in all the years of going.

I live near a nature reserve. Dogs are supposed to be on the lead and keep on the path to protect ground nesting birds and other wildlife. There's a large minority of entitled dog owners who think that they're "dog walking woods" as one specatularly entitled knobber phrased it while he had a go at me because my 8yo became distressed because his puppy jumped up while DS was standing still, and winded him by its paws landing in his abdomen.

In recent months I've seen a black dog darting out of the entrance at twighlight, straight into the middle of the road. The owner was presumably clueless as there was no calling out for it. They're lucky it wasn't struck by a car, and fortunately it turned and darted back in before I could react and shout.

In another incident around there, a dog bounded off out of a field into the nature reserve and there was then an awful cacophany. The owners took a couple of minutes to catch up with their dog. They'd moved on by the time I walked there, but there was an owner still seething with their on-lead dog complete with yellow harness advising that it's reactive and needs space- a notice only useful to owners within sight of their controlled dog. Free-range dogs out of sight of their owners don't find signs very informative.

Most dogs are fine, but there is a significant minority of inept and entitled dog owners that spoil public places for anyone else in the vincinity and the reputation of other dogs and their owners.

As someone who uses a walking stick, here's a few of the reasons given by dog owners..

It's your stick.
You frightened him.
She didn't know you was there.
It's your sunglasses.
He won't bite
It's the colours you're wearing.
She only wants to have a little nip.
You confused him.
She's gets anxious.

Walking across the local country park:

Why are you walking over here, without a dog.

My response is usually "well mine aren't". (They usually are btw but are nearly always on leads as both are very prey focused and are likely to take off after a squirrel and be totally deaf to any recall)

That usually gets them running towards me to reclaim their precious pet.

On wooded areas, I once took my Labrador to a wood, whilst visiting relatives. I saw several, off lead and assumed it was OK. She just trundles along, sniffing everything and we stayed on the path.

A guy in a hi vis vest came up and said that he was a volunteer warden and that dogs should be on the lead. I apologised and told him that I'd thought it was OK. He realised that I wasn't local and I queried the lack of signage, he said that the locals know the rules.

All very polite from both of us. I asked my uncle later and he said, "Oops! I should have mentioned that."

Where I live, they have to be on leads on the promenades, so she is. The beaches have seasonal restrictions, so I keep her off them, when she's banned. I also tell people where it's allowed, if they stray; they're usually people who aren't local and fancied a day at the beach.

Why some people have to get shirty, or tell people they're wrong is just arrogance.

I am inclined to agree

I know what you mean. Mine was also harmless and actually never paid attention to other dogs - he was totally focused on people. But he was only a little dog and I could tell he was intimidated by giant dogs rushing up to him. He was caught up in some rough play at the park as a puppy and it obviously stuck in his memory. I think that if you're the owner of a large or giant breed of dog, it needs to be kept on leash at least until it has been introduced to other dogs in the area and 'all is well'. And this bastard of a labrador need to stay the fuck out of people's gardens - it's just rude neighbour behaviour!

It's the law in Australia. Not always followed, but the vast majority do.

😢. I have two small dogs and have always had a fear like this in the back of my mind.

Completely agree. I've 2 spaniels, both well trained (gundogs) with excellent recall. Youngest is just under a year and still at happy bouncy stage so we sit/stay and focus out if the way until other dogs have gone by. In theory anyway... it is beyond infuriating the amount of people who just go 'oh he wants to say hello!' And let their dog bound up. Mine are too polite and good to react but we did have a nasty incident last week when a massive hound flew up and went for the older one. Luckily he is very very good and wouldn't dream of reacting but I had to bellow at it and I did tap its arse, at which point it ran. The people appeared 5 mins behind and didn't even apologise even when established that yes, it did go for mine. Luckily the pup was well too heel and I managed to keep him there but the other one was 10 feet in front of me and obviously a target for him.

Bloody hate owners with no control. The amount of time I hear 'ohh your dogs are so good! Why aren't you like that Fido?!'. Answer is take time and bloody train it!!!

Oh god, I have so many similar stories from my local country park. Some idiots (and it appears there's at least one on this thread) seem to think their choice to own a dog, not bother training it, and then inflict it off lead on the general public trumps everyone else's right to enjoy nature and green spaces.

Oh I think thinking about it the winner of dick owner ever was the man I encountered a month or so ago with a cocker bitch.... who was that in season she was stalking my boys and shoving herself on their noses!! Off lead with no training, in a busy dog friendly woods at the weekend! The man said, 'oh, she's in season' and which point I told him that he'd better grab her bloody quick and take her home as both mine have their balls 😂
Seriously what the fuck?!

We had a shit walk today.

AwkwardPup was a star; he's just turned 2, totally lost his recall for a bit as an adolescent (typical cocker spaniel, decided to follow his nose rather than listen to us) so was on a longline again for a few months, & we've worked really hard on his recall this year. He's been reliably recalling for a couple of months now from other dogs, people, etc but today a few deer bounded across the field we were walking in, he'd just turned to chase and he bloody well stopped in his tracks & came back when I called. So proud.

It was ruined by some idiots with two out of control young labs who jumped all over him, repeatedly trying to pin him down and hump him. Owners had zero recall and I had baby in a sling so DH was trying to keep both these dogs away himself. Our dog squealed in pain when they jumped on his back & growled - he has never growled at another dog before. Owners couldn't catch their dogs, DH got one and they let it go again before we were out of sight so the dogs chased us as we were returning to the car.
DH ended up picking up our 16kg dog and carrying him to the car while the labs kept leaping up. Owner just strolled over calling their names, like they'd suddenly develop recall.

This with bells on!
Give me a big dog over a little dog any day.
We were out last week at a busy place and we walked past a little dog. Both my dog and their dog on lead. Their dog just snapped at my dog for no reason and the owner just said feisty isn't he! As if it was amusing!

Do what the teens do. Film and post to sm.
Nothing like a bit of public shaming to sort them out.

dogs off leads should be illegal except when in officially designated dog park

agree

THIS!!

I'm gundog training mine. For both our benefits. It's costing me money and time X lots but I want a well trained dog, and I am responsible for that.

@GuyFawkesDay it is so frustrating. The amount of times I have to say 'actually we're training, could you possibly keep your dog away' is ridiculous and people look at you like you are a complete bitch. I want mine to learn we don't react to dogs passing, I don't want him expecting rover to bound up!

I hear you - I have a staffie with a heart of gold, but guess whose fault it is if another dog kicks off.... (Btw, when I see another dog on lead I always ask the owner if they want my chap on a lead too, and am guided by them.)

Having occasionally fostered dogs who've had to be kept on the lead while having my own dog off-lead, I don't quite agree with this, although you have a point.... The thing I often wonder is why, on my local common which is always full of dogs and their walkers, people who are genuinely terrified of dogs* choose to walk there.... Of course they have every right to - of course - and owners should always be prepared to put their dog on a lead if someone is looking uncomfortable, but I don't understand why people put themselves in that position. (We are fortunate to live in an area where there are loads of alternative, pretty much dog-free walks.)

*Children are an entirely different category; I always put my dog on a lead when children are around.

Some people just like walking in the countryside though? The reality is that unless a field or common is specifically a dog field, then it’s open to everyone. My grandparents enjoy walking in the countryside and in fields and so on. They love seeing dogs having fun off the lead- but only if those dogs are obedient and have a recall and comes back when the owner shouts. It’s the ones that are off the lead a mile away from the owner and are jumping up at other people and hassling other dogs. It doesn’t matter where it is, that’s never acceptable in a public place

Fair enough, but a bit different to my point - as you state, your grandparents love seeing dogs, which is great. I just wonder about the thinking of those who are genuinely scared of dogs choosing to walk in places where lots of dogs will be present.

I'm scared of dogs, but if I stopped going places where I might meet them I'd be a recluse. Also, my fear is not a phobia, I rationally know that a dog near me on a lead or minding its own business is no threat. A dog approaching me or my kids with no owner in sight, or not responding to voice commands from its owner, is legitimately frightening - but that should never happen, because it is a LEGAL REQUIREMENT for people to keep their dogs under control. Under control means not approaching people who have not invited them (and not jumping up, barking, stealing food etc, all of which happen all the bloody time).

So why do I keep on going to the park? Well I guess for the same reason that when I was younger and better looking I didn't let the relentless street harassment I endured from men drive me indoors or into women-only areas, didn't let gropy fuckwits stop me going to gigs, never avoided public transport after the London bombings. Because I don't want to let the arseholes win.