Childless dog owners at kids park

[Canisaysomething]

My DCs school has a children’s park right outside. There is no fence around it and nowhere does it say “dogs not allowed”. Dog owners with children at the school let their dogs walk about the play area and this isn’t normally a problem at all.

Here is my AIBU. There’s become an increasing number of childless dog owners going to the park before and after school to let their dogs “socialise” with the children using the park. I had to ask a dog owner the other day to call their dog away from my child trying to use the swing and was shouted at by the owner who said “she’s just excited and trying to play”. The dog at one point chased after my child who got scared and upset.

Here’s my AIBU. Who was right? Me or the dog owner?

There were no signs saying “no dogs” but aren’t dogs meant to be trained NOT to bother strangers? Especially children in parks.

Dogs should be kept under control and not bothering others. However they are allowed in parks - green spaces belong to everyone.

Did ypu read the thread?

It’s either OK for all dogs (that aren’t aggressive) to be running around the park or none. It can’t just be OK for people with children to let their dogs run around the park. If it was my dog, I would let him round around on the green because he has good recall but nowhere near the park because there’s no need for him to be there and also because the equipment would make a great place for him to pee against and obviously I wouldn’t want that!

Duplicate

Wowser. A dog that is able to navigate tax self-assessment deserves their own show on the tellly.

I've got a dog and I am sick to death of the word "dog". There seems to be nothing but trouble and arguing these days and entitled dog owners being knob heads

Yes?

Dogs shouldn't be running up to children out of control in the park. But every member of the public should be allowed to use green spaces

He has an accountant for that ;)

This is pure irresponsible dog ownership by both dog owners with and without children. It puts the dog in a position where they can be at risk of harming a child. It only takes a child to pull a tail/ ears, misread warning signals, accidently hurt or kick a dog and the dog could react. Even a well trained dog used to children will snap if kicked or provoked.

Play parks are for children, they should also be fenced.Play parks are not free enclosed dog training spaces. If people want places to socialise their dog they need to bloody pay for it. There are loads of enclosed fields to rent, dog classes and trainers around. Just letting dogs roam in a play park is not socialising them. There is a woman local to us who uses our local park in school hours to give her dog off lead exercise. The park has lots of toddler equipment so us popular with toddlers during the day. Her dog constantly chases and approaches children and never comes when called. The woman has been approached and shamed on our local Facebook page and admits freely the dog has poor recall and she cba to take the dog for long leaded walks.

There really needs to be some proper comprehensive mandatory owner education programs that all owners must go to. There are far far too many irresponsible owners (most think they are been responsible but are hugely misinformed) about. Far too many people with dogs are following IG / tiktok influencers who quite frankly are giving out dangerous advice or encouraging dangerous behaviour under "how cute/funny is this". There is a mass aray of tiktok and IG posts showing children teasing dogs, taking food off dogs, encouraging begging, encouraging dogs to jump up thier children because lol, laughing at resource guarding behaviour, letting large toddlers ride their dogs etc. Anyone can claim to be a trainer on IG / tiktok they don't need to show any qualifications.

Sadly due to the mass amount of irresponsible owner behaviour I would support mandatory muzzling and short leads for all dogs in all public places until owner education improves.

Absolutely, anyone who lets their dog run up to people of any age and doesn't stop them is an arse. None of my dogs ever did it. But I'm not a fan of unfenced play areas, tbh, I've seen too many kids run towards a road in pursuit of a ball to feel comfortable with them.

But the park isn't just for children, it's for everyone.

I have a rescue dog - I didn't create the demand for that dog to be born, or eat.

The children being born today are currently contributing to global boiling - extra food, the school run if done by car, extra seats on airplanes for the summer holidays, plastic tat from toy shops etc etc - and they will go on to do so throughout their lives.

I never said other people's choices give me a free pass - but I do try and be conscious with my own choices, and I wish others were more conscious with their own.

I've never actually seen an official sign saying something is for children
There's a park by us where the only restriction is the fenced off bit where dogs aren't allowed. There's another which clearly says dogs in lead except for in the dog bit which is fenced off but I've never seen a whole park as being described as for children. OP what does the sign actually say?

YANBU at all. Ideally, dogs shouldn't be in children's playgrounds, which are there for the benefit of children. If a dog 'needs' to be there, because its owner is supervising a child, then the dog should be kept on a lead.

You can't berate people for their choices while taking no responsibility for your own. Your dog will never be anything more than a consumer of resources and a contributor to the destruction of the planet. Your choices are no less selfish than anyone else's.

In my LA dogs are banned from play areas and i once mistakenly walked through a playground with a puppy, i was asked politley to leave by a LA worker very swiftly when i entered it in the early hours with no one else around, it was the binmen :)

There's a park not too far from me that has one!

It's a lovely little green space. Tennis courts, bowls club. Really good playground no dogs!), dog agility area. Small allotment area for community use, a field/sports area and a community run café.

More councils could do this

And because so many people got dogs during lockdown and the above didn't happen is why there are so many nervous, excitable dogs about.

But roads are designed for cars. Pedestrians have pavements

Playgrounds are designed and meant for children!

No way???? People do that??

Way to misunderstand what she meant.

Read the rest of her posts (which most of us didn't need to do to get her point)

Dog owners with children at the school let their dogs walk about the play area and this isn’t normally a problem at all.

This would annoy me just as much as childless owners doing it.

The dogs do not need to be anywhere near the play area.

Most play areas are fenced off and have a no dog sign.

I would write to the council and ask that a fence be put up to stop dogs being near the play area.

You are lucky! My dogs love the ramp style climbing wall and aren't impartial to a slide either! And don't get me started on the little bridges and balancing logs!

But they don't like Swings & Roundabouts - for obvious reasons.

Fuck me. Please tell me you’re taking the piss? 🤦🏻‍♀️

Children’s play equipment is for human children to use without having to worry about stepping in something unpleasant.

Will you be enrolling your dog in the local school, or taking them to the library or maybe going for a swim in the council pool because they’re also funded by taxpayers money?

I take my dogs for walks in the local woods or on the beach during school hours, but I’d never take them to a playground and try to use the equipment. That’s beyond entitled and utterly selfish.

Grapes, raisins, dark chocolate and things sweetened with Xylitol are all potential after school snacks for humans but poisonous for dogs. And children do drop food...

Just saying😉

These are more likely to give the dog diarrhoea.
Not the best idea for a dog in a child’s park.