Ignoring "No Dogs" sign

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Our small local park has a top area with a playground that displays "No Dogs" signs. There is a grassy area for ball games, picnics etc where dogs are not allowed, although they can be walked through the path next to it on a lead to the large dog-friendly bit of the park.

I constantly see people letting their dogs run round there.

Every now and again I politely point out the sign and about 50% of the time they will push back with "oh, I didn't think it mattered" "No kids here at the moment are there?" "He/she is no trouble" "it's not for people like me who pick up after their dogs" or something much ruder. Sometimes I will be interrogated about why I care, as if the Council sign is irrelevant.

AIBU to wonder what goes on in these people's minds? These are middle class people with labradors etc, not louts with devil dogs on strings.

(And for what it's worth, I care because grass is not wiped clean of poo when it's picked up, dog pee burns the grass and my son is scared of dogs).

It's not dog owners but entitled people in general. Admittedly there is a quite a big crossover. In our local park there is a pond with ducks, geese and other types of water birds, and signs saying please keep dogs on leads around the water fowl. The other day I saw a family let their dog repeatedly run at groups of birds chilling on the ground and force them to scatter into the air. The owners were just stood there gawping. I honestly don't really understand how these people manage all the tasks that are essential for existing from day to day.

What goes on in their minds is that they literally don't care. They know that rules and laws are not enforced and that there will be absolutely no repucussions for breaking them. See also: pavement parkers, fly tippers, litterbugs, speeders, disposable BBQ arsonists, illegal escooter riders etc.

People often say about such people "they don't think the rules apply to them." This is incorrect. They know full well that the rules apply to them, they just choose to ignore them in the full knowledge that they can do so.

Our

Sorry, pressed post too soon. Our local park is ruined by out of control dogs. And unfortunately they are not all cuddly Labrador types. They are the type that look like they will maul you and the owners are not the type you want a confrontation with either. It's a pity but we rarely go now.

Everytime you see this take a photo of the dog in the play area and post it on local Facebook page with a comment about it. Usually other people will add comments below, sometimes gets the message across that it's not acceptable.

You have to much time on your hands . Or are you one of those weirdos that hates dogs

I dislike dogs, so I’m one of your weirdos. But you don’t have to have “too much time on your hands” to feel pissed off at not being able to enjoy local open spaces due to dogs being where they shouldn’t. The shit is right there in front of me on my commute. The dogs “being friendly” are right there in the fenced off playgrounds when I’m there with my child.

We have a park near us that has a fenced off courts. The signs clearly say no dogs to be allowed in the courts, but people go in and shut the gates so the dogs can run around in a confined space -they don't always clear up after themselves either. The playground area is also fenced off with signs that no dogs are allowed - that is ignored too, but not as much.

I’d say a better equivalent would be if the dog section had a “no children sign” - would you let your kid run around in it whilst telling all the dog owners not to worry because he’s friendly and cute…

Bonus points for “he’s only playing” when he starts chasing the dogs.

I completely agree with you my son picked up a very bad bacteria from dog poo on grass in the park.
I am not sure it would help but I would complain to the council.

Complain to the council. Or better, show up at a meeting and raise it. So few people bother they listen to the ones who show up. I imagine you’ll be speaking for 100s of people who agree with you but can’t be bothered to pursue it.

3 words
Entitled Pig Ignorance

Those no dogs signs are not worth the plastic they are printed on unless you have a PSPO to enforce it, some councils are now using the PSPO rules to enforce this

We are getting this in our local park. It is a fenced off play area for children with a sign that says no dogs and a few years ago you would have never seen a dog in there but now people bring them in all the time and are rude to you when you tell them. I don't actually mind is a dog is on a lead and sitting next to its owner while the children play but many are just roaming free. Suddenly people are becoming more entitled and thinking rules don't apply to them. I know it's a civil matter but some children are very uncomfortable around dogs and the play area is supposed to be a dog free area.

I have relatives who are quite antisocial with their dogs (which is partially why I’ve gone off them) and they simply don’t care about signs like this unless someone confronts them. To them dog wee is just like water and they don’t care about dog dirt either. They only pick up after their dog if someone is looking at them ready to tell them off if they don’t.

if you stop keeping dogs for a few years you realise how nice it is to have an area people don’t bring their dogs to but some owners are desensitised.

Sometimes, if owners do come into the 'no dogs' area when I'm with my children I will gladly pull out small boxes of easily recognisable Sunmaid raisins for the kids to eat, or Cadbury chocolate bars. The owners soon clear off scared that the kids will drop the raisins and their dogs will hoover them up.

Park near me has clear signs ‘dogs must be kept on a lead’, every single dog owner ignores them, dogs loose everywhere, everything time I go! 😡

You see I raised our local park with the local parish council as it had a do not use sign and was not used and was huge and we have a great deal of elderly people who wanted to walk their dog we then found out - actually the signs were not legal and anyone could walk their dog. Signs were removed, dog bins placed - everyone was and is happy with it.

Self entitled dog owners, just like self entitled parents. Both sets are equally guilty of not controlling their darlings around other people unfortunately.

I give up. Where are you supposed to go if you don’t want dogs running off the lead and peeing and shitting everywhere?

This is what I want to know too. You get told if you don't like dogs, don't go anywhere where they are - what everywhere? I can't go to the beach, park, woodland, cafe, shops, high street or hairdressers then? Ever?

I'm not scared of dogs but I do think they are revolting, unhygienic, antisocial creatures with more often than not these days, knobs for owners. And I'm so cross that I'm supposed to stay at home so they can rule the land or I'm supposed to put up with being jumped at, barked at or slobbered on and suck it up.

One woman said “well my children wouldn’t be able to come in if the dog didn’t come in too” - maybe leave the fucking dog at home for once then?

With no thought for the other children who didn't feel able to go in because her dog was in there. So selfish.

I work at Battersea and currently have 3 dogs, 2 cats, fish, chicken and a bearded dragon with one leg missing! I love animals but that doesn’t mean everyone else must share my enthusiasm. I’m a responsible pet owner. 2 of my dogs I will let run free and the other I keep on the lead because he’s a rescue and doesn’t have 100% recall. I stick to walking them in dog friendly parks. My local park has a no-dog picnic area and I wouldn’t dream of going in there with the dogs. I would definitely speak up if I saw someone doing it.

I know it’s controversial, and I realise we’re a nation of animal lovers, but at the end of the day, they are animals and human rights must come first.

I'm dog lover (lost my old boy last year at 16yr old) and it always annoys me that some dog owners like to think they are better than everybody else and ignore the rules.

Across the road from my old house, the park had a fenced off area for the kids play equipment. My kids were at the park playing and we saw a woman with a dog off lead, she just let it foul right outside the play area and went to walk away. I called over to her to ask if it was her dog and if she was going to clean up after it. She said she was going to get it on the way back?!?! Nah, love. Here's a poo bag, you can go pick it up now. She wasn't happy about being called out for it but did eventually pick it up after i gave her poo bags.

It is time to introduce dog licenses. Owning a pet is a privilege not a right.

Dog licences absolutely won’t work.
The responsible already get their dog chipped and registered-
The feckless won’t bother.

It can’t be policed ( Which is why it was abolished decades ago)
I pay for insurance for my dog- including third party- but you can bet the feckless won’t-

I have no idea how dogs can be adequately controlled.

Especially importing from overseas and indiscriminate breeding of unstable dogs.

Banning sales online and social media would help- It’s too easy to breed and sell dogs to unsuitable owners.

Any old idiot can do it.

Tax free.