About dogs on beach

[benten54]

We live in a beachy holiday area in Australia. It's local to a big city and it's the kind of place where people come with their family for a long extended break in the summer holidays from the city. They either come to their family beach house or rent places.

I live here all year. In the summer there are rules about when dogs can be on the beach which is until 10am in the morning and then after 5pm. The rules are there so holidaymakers can enjoy the beach without dogs. That's all fine. All of us who live here respect that and the beach is dog free for 7 hours in the day. We all have to rearrange our day so we and our dogs are off the beach at 10am.

Over the past month virtually every day there has been several holidaying families who have arrived with tiny children or toddlers and set down their beach blanket well before 10am. For context the beach is 2k long and there would probably be 40 dogs and their owners getting their morning walk in. Running after balls and playing with each other

These dogs walk that beach every morning, winter, rain, storms yet everyday in the sunny weather there has been an altercation because dogs have been running around and 'scaring' their kids. Most of them go nowhere near or just have a sniff and wander off but today a mother kicked one of the dogs because she got close to her wandering toddler.

Every day some parent has had an issue with dogs running around near their kids and made a massive fuss about it. Today I threw a ball for my dog and a toddler suddenly threw himself into the path of her running. There was no contact, and my dog has no interest in other humans but both parents came flying up and screamed at me about 'too many fucking dogs on this beach, keep your dog on a lead when there's kids around'.

AIBU for shouting back 'dogs allowed before 10am, kids allowed after that, keep your children under control'? Surely if you don't want dogs around your kids, come after 10am!!

Sorry, I HAVE owned 3 dogs. Only 1 now.

It’s that classic ‘I have a kid so I’m entitled thing’ that dim people like to do. YANbU - it’s clearly dogs before 10am, kids after!

Sorry but give me a dog over a human any day.

Kids are equal beach users to anyone else and don’t get priority - and often behave far worse than the dogs!

Yeah I agree with this. And it seems sensible to take children to the beach outside the middle of the day to avoid sun damage. Dogs do always have to have lesser priority to children because dogs are not human.

No, it’s children at any times, dogs limited to specific times. Unless you can point to a sign saying children are banned before 10, but I highly doubt it.

Even if you are speciesist - humans are no better than any other mammal - the dog’s owners are human, so that logic fails!

Not really, because the dogs’ owners can also go on the beach at any time. Just not with their dog.

@Fleabigg sorry, I should clarify that as *’kids who can’t be around dogs’ after 10am.

Could you and other dog owners approach the council and suggest that 1 end/area is for human AND dog use whereas the other end is dog free all day long? That would be much easier than having timed limits!

@Fleabigg not if you can’t leave your dog, you can only go if your dog goes!

It's a beach. It gets used by and is a habitat for many, many species, not just humans and dogs. Humans don't take priority over other species just because.

Well indeed. Other people's small children are irritating.

I suspect this is actually not a problem anyway. OP had a v particular sent of circumstances occur to her - her well-trained dog was approached by a toddler and she did not have time to stop her dog sniffing the child. I'd say on 2km long, quite wide beach that must be an unusual occurrence.

Her collie with great recall probably attracts very few shouty, aggressive comments.

She's just upset over this incident and turning it into a wider issue. Which, for her and her well-behaved dog, it probably isn't.

Humans have priority for 7 hours of the day!!

Choose those hours that dogs aren't on the beach if dogs bother you that much is my point. It's a simple give and take surely. I wouldn't dream of having my well behaved under control dog on the beach after permitted hours. Equally if I had kids that I didn't want near a dog minding their own business or just passing by then I'd avoid dog times.

Most times there's been an altercation a dog has had a wee sniff at a free ranging child and moved on while the parents go apeshit.

Well no, or that's what it would say.

Never assume that people are fine to be approached by random dogs. That's how so many dog phobias are created.

There should be enough space to exercise the dog without getting near enough to other families.

The rules mean families are free to access the beach at any time. It does not infer that they wish to be approached by dogs. You can't even assume that another dog owner wishes to be approached. I've seen incidents where a sensitive/reactive dogs on a lead with harness has been approached by free-range dogs who obviously can't read that the dog needs space and were beyond the owner's ability to control the situation.

If it’s clearly stated then it’s obvious that dogs will be off the lead and on the beach then you are right to say keep your kids out of the way.

You can't even assume that another dog owner wishes to be approached. I've seen incidents where a sensitive/reactive dogs on a lead with harness has been approached by free-range dogs who obviously can't read that the dog needs space and were beyond the owner's ability to control the situation

Yep!

Humans always have priority over dogs. Dogs should be under control.

Regardless of the rules of the beach (which you seem to be wilfully misinterpreting), you were within metres of a family with a toddler. It doesn't matter how safe you think your dog is, basic common sense and etiquette would be to put it on its lead until you're a reasonable distance away. My dog loves a good run and I like to let him off lead as much as I can but as soon as any humans or other dogs come within range he gets his lead on, even though he is not remotely aggressive. You have 2 km of beach, find some space and then let him off.

A beach near me is a good couple of miles plus long. Around 10% of it is dog friendly 24/7 complete with signs.
The other approx 90% is dog free, complete with signs.
So guess where some dog free families choose to sit!

If they want to come to the beach that early they have to accept there will be dogs there. Entitled twats.

Of course YANBU but loads of people on MN hate dogs. Nothing you’ve described is a dog being out of control. If the sign clearly states dogs can be on the beach until 10am then don’t go before 10 if you don’t like dogs. It’s not hard.

No dog should be going and sniffing anyone without that person (or their parent) giving the ok.

no human should be interacting with a dog without their owner saying it’s ok.

the issue here seems to be that some of the dog owners think everyone on the beach wants to be friends with their dog.

I live close to several beaches - some are dog free all/most of the year, others are dog friendly all year round. There are large signs at each beach making it very clear if/when dogs are welcome.

I only walk my dogs on beaches where they are allowed year round. They are routinely off lead to chase after balls and yes, they have excellent recall. They never bother any humans, they completely ignore anyone who’s not me. And yet fuck me, the number of parents who choose to give me grief about my dogs existing.

It’s not about who takes priority (and I do not agree that children should take priority but that’s by the by). The beaches I walk the dogs on are equally for humans and dogs. Within a 5 minute drive in each direction there are beaches where dogs are not allowed so parents with children who want to avoid dogs can easily do so. But no, the preference to act in an entitled, twattish manner on a dog friendly beach is clearly preferable to many parents sadly.