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.

IME the dog owners you’re talking about wouldn’t be stopped by a sign. Some would be stopped by a fence by I see plenty of arseholes allowing their dogs into the fenced off area at my local park.

It’s common sense as to why you shouldn’t place a dog in a children’s play area. Petition the council for a fence, don’t appeal to the common sense of dog owners, lots don’t have any.

Indeed. The name of the thread is "childless dog owners at kids play park'. The OP doesn't mind the dogs who are with people who have kids. Just the childless dog owners are a problem apparently

Not zero chance. What about all those puppies who are in training to be service dogs? They need to be taken out and socialised.

Presumably because the dogs who are accompanying people with children have a reason to be there, are under control and not climbing on / peeing on the play equipment.

I don’t get why anyone without a child in tow would want to go to a playground anyway. Leave it to the kids and those accompanying them.

Do you know who owns the play park (it might be the local parish council?). If so, it might be worth contacting them and asking how they are mitigating the risk from dogs not on leads. Rospa has some information about dogs and children's play areas here:

I don’t expect anyone to care about my kids but I expect society in general to care about kids in general because we need future generations. There is no need for the vast majority of dogs to exist. The sole reason that they do is a lifestyle choice of the owner. We shouldn’t be expected to fund a dog agility park anymore than we should be expected to fund a 4x4 driving area in Fulham.

No service dog trainer of any sort would allow their dog to roam around a playground. Socialisation isn’t “go and play with the kids Fido”. Is it any wonder dog attacks are increase if this is the mentality of dog owners??

Haven’t read all the replies but I’d be raising this with the Parish Council - dogs shouldn’t be allowed in children’s play parks in my view.

The comment I was replying to stated zero chance of a dog being a useful member of society. I was simply pointing out that wasn’t true. You’re reading things into my statement that weren’t there

A service dog in training isn't likely to cause issues, though. There was a guide dog in training playing at the park this morning. Unlike almost every other dog, it was impeccably behaved, had perfect recall, and was adequately restrained when necessary. If all dogs and their owners were held to those standards, no one would have any problem with dogs.

Have you ever been to Fulham? The entire place is a 4x4 driving area. Chelsea tractors abound.

There's a great many things which exist for no reason than our enjoyment. Stripping all that away would be a rather joyless existence.

Let's be honest - when you chose to have kids, were you thinking about the future of society, or were you thinking about how much you'd enjoy having children?

Children are a lifestyle choice and - given the world's rapidly growing population and finite resources - a choice that not everyone needs to make.

These are the shit owners getting all of them a bad name.

My dog has no interest in strangers - he just walks straight past them and minds his own business.

We’ve had two dogs and dogsit for friends and family - and none of the six dogs concerned has ever shown any interest in strangers or children, including runners and cyclists, either on or off lead - they are too busy sniffing trees and exploring scents.

Give me a thousand dogs over one child any day!

And dogs are good for their owners’ physical and mental health and can alleviate loneliness. In that sense they are useful to society. “Useful to society” goes wider than paying taxes.

A dog isn't exactly an environmentally neutral choice either. All that meat they eat...

Presumably because the dogs who are accompanying people with children have a reason to be there, are under control and not climbing on / peeing on the play equipment.

If it is a children's playground then the dogs ddo not have a reason to be there at all.

I also find it hard to believe that somehow only the dogs of people with children are well-behaved!

But they are bad for the mental health of people who don’t like / don’t want to be around dogs.

@Alstroemeria123 same can be said for children!

They have more of a reason than if their owners aren’t accompanying / supervising kids! Ideally I agree, dogs shouldn’t be allowed in at all.

But children are necessary. Dogs are not.

(I have neither)

Really - what are they necessary for? There's plenty of them in this over populated world, people are not having children to make sure there are future doctors and nurses, lawyers and bin men, they're having them because they want them to enhance their life why I know not!

Seeing as I'm childfree, haven't eaten meat for over 20 years, haven't been on a plane on 5 years, and only drive about 4000 miles a year, I thought I'd allow myself the luxury of a dog that eats 1kg of meat based kibble per week.

Only amongst the pedantic it seems.