Or are dog owners getting worse? The useless ones used to be a small minority, now they're everywhere

[Greensleeves]

I go for a long walk most days, so I see a lot of dogs and their owners. I'm noticing more and more feral dogs and ineffectual or wilfully ignorant owners. Three of my walks this week have been spoiled by them! The first was a large over friendly terrier type dog who bounded up, jumped up and got muddy paws all over my coat. Owner laughed and said "oh, she likes you!". Second was a little yappy thing that barked and wove around my ankles for about 20 yards, making me struggle not to step on it. Owner only called it when I shouted to her and gave me a filthy look. The third was the worst - some sort of bull breed, very large, not aggressive but ran up to us sniffing our hands and getting in our way, I was visibly nervous and froze to the spot. Owner called out "don't worry, he's friendly", I called back "I'm not, could you call him off please" to which he replied "I've tried, he ignores me...actually if you could grab his collar for me?"

FFS! And that's aside from the epic levels of fucking dog shit all over the parks, streets and local beauty spots. I'm not an animal hater at all, but it's really starting to get me down

When i was growing up in the 80s there used to be dogs in our area (W London) who were always out on the streets. Same few, you knew who they belonged to but were left out to roam everyday. These strays would always be determinedly on their way somewhere along one side of the pavement, head down, taking no notice of anyone and just a quick sniff of any dogs on a lead. (ours included)

You don't see that any more, and good thing too, i guess, BUT i'm just thinkg - weirdly they were less trouble than the all mutts these days which are being led around on a lead and allowed to shit in the middle of the pavement, by their owners wandering along staring at their phones. Or being let off the lead in the parks with no re-call ability and no attempt from the owner to even try.

There's a bit of grey area needed I think, for dogs and owners that are 95% ok but have mortifying moments.

On my street, 2 houses are experienced dog owners but 3 houses are on their first dog

That means the ratio of inexperienced owners and dogs is out of whack. There didn't used to be so many new dog owners.

That will settle down over time, there won't be another such burst of new owners again.

No dog should be walked off a leash

YANBU. There's more of them since 'let's get a dog!' syndrome in COVID, so statistically there are going to be more who are useless. And many COVID dog owners will have got them in haste without thinking or researching properly.

I do a group activity in a park and lost count of how many dogs are permitted to run up to where we keep our bags etc and sniff/lick at people's coffee cups and water bottles. Not even any attempt to call the dog back while it's on its way over, just a laugh and an 'Oh, sorry' once it's there and someone is snatching away a coffee cup.

And I know of someone who got a large, intelligent, active breed and, although they send it to agility training , they can't or won't socialise it so it doesn't do things like jumping up at people or snatching food.

People can be ignorant and thoughtless. It's very unfair on the dogs, who although they're often annoying you can't actually blame.

I see this every day.

I have owned dogs all my life and am far from the perfect dog owner but people these days are down right annoying.

My friend has a yappy little terrier. She gets filthy on her walks and has zero recall yet my friend allows her off the lead all the time then spends the whole walk shouting at her to come back, she often makes a beeline for someone and leaps up at them covering them in mud. My friend is always apologetic and the poor muddy recipient hardly every complains but you can see they are far from happy, it’s down right embarrassing tbh. But so many like this now.

I have a rescue, he is scared of many things and for that reason I keep him on a bright yellow harness and lead with an anxious sign on it but no one takes any notice and allow their dog(s) to bound right up to him.

I'm fairly tolerant of dogs and dog owners. And own a small dog that ignores people and most other dogs her size. But barks her head off like a loon at Alsatians or similar and snarls at cute playful puppies in a way that alarms their owners.

We try and manage this behaviour. Distract her if we see a dog she's likely to bark at and let puppy owners know that their cute puppy trying to play is about to get snarled it if they don't take it away.

Last week though someone with an alsation on a lead allowed theirs to come right up to ours, while the alsation was barking loudly, and our dog was just leaping up to the boot and tried to get it to 'say hello'. Our dog was backing into the road, clearly unhappy, and this feckless loon was grinning saying 'oh he just wants to say hello'.

he got short shrift but was completely clueless.

I am also a dog owner and now hate dog owning. Almost every time we go out something bad happens. I've had dogs charging over when we've been sat having a picnic. Some silly cow shouts out "watch your sandwiches' next thing some big smelly dog has it's heard in my cup of coffee as this ineffectual idiot stands waving arms around. I've been told to fuck off many times for trying to keep other people's dogs away from my on lead dog who gets scared when approached. I've been called a miserable bitch because I've asked a woman not to let her dog approach mine as he doesn't like being bounded up on. She soon realised why when my almost took her dog's head off. I've gone home in tears many times after having run ins with stupid down owners. In fact I now feel very anxious going out for a walk. Had a massive dog bound over a few weeks ago and the guy says "it's ok he's friendly". He soon realises what a knob he is when my dog took exception to it! Always funny how these idiots then blame ME who is out training my dog and keeping him under control.

Omg I was saying this to my mum the other day! There was always strays knocking about near me (Manchester early 2000’s) and they were the same, heads down, just cracked on and never went near anyone. Abit like cats weren’t they!

I think the issue is these bad owners are attributing human behaviour to dogs and quite literally anthropomorphising them

”he’s friendly” he’s a dog
”he wants to say hello” he’s a dog

Plus the whole looking at you as though you’ve offended them when you ask them to move their animal, your dog isn’t gonna give a shit whether I want to say hi to it or not

I’ve seen it all over social media with the recent bully ban. People showing their dogs muzzled, the owners crying and there’s a sad background track on. Whereas all the dog wants to do is go out for a run and a walk. It’s just bizarre to me

I think it should be made more difficult for the public to have any type of dog to be honest make it as inconvenient and prohibitively expensive with many many hoops to jump through and you would perhaps be left with just the responsible, dedicated dog owners and working dogs left

My landlord can say to any tenant but especially prospective tenants that they can't have a dog. All they have to do is to state within 28 days that the block of flats is unsuitable for dogs. Which it is. I estimated the width of the corridors at between 5 and 6 feet, now I have measured them I know they are between 4 and 5 feet.

Dogs are unpredictable, you never know what will set them off. My landlord is introducing an unnecessary risk to their tenants, which is strange considering what things I have been told I can't do over the years because of Health and Safety.

So you're saying that if I have a neighbour who leaves the dog to bark all day the landlord might listen to me but only if others complain too. Last year a neighbour and I complained about a tenant who shouted at the top of his voice for hours on end but we were ignored. So I don't believe that my landlord would solve the problem of a barking dog.

There is a government white paper that hasn't become law yet. It doesn't apply to social tenants: I am in sheltered accommodation. The white paper suggests the removal of a 'blanket ban' on pets, which is not the same as letting anyone have a dog who wants one.

In the House of Commons briefing paper (Renters (Reform) Bill 2022-23.pdf) it states this

The Committee recommended the proposal be abandoned, but if this was not accepted, it said the Government response should define in what
circumstances a refusal would amount to unreasonably withholding
consent.

So, with luck, it will never become law. That's not going to stop landlords thinking incorrectly that they have to let people have dogs.

Couldn't agree more. You cannot go for a stroll anywhere now it seems without it being spoilt. Dog owners and cyclists.
Some dog owners seem to make it a mission to cause nuisance and are so entitled that they will not take blame, don't listen, or accuse you of all sorts.
I am an animal lover. Does not mean that I like any kind of animal jumping, scratching and causing nuisance. Some dog owners seem to engineer situations, probably to assert dominance. I often make it clear that if I am walking, I, like everyone, needs space to move my legs, if a dog owner allows their pet to interfere in that space then it's their fault. Even sitting down we all need personal space.
However, some dog owners don't accept this and won't accept that not everyone likes dogs. It's like they have a God complex. The number of times I've been villainised and accused of kicking their dogs and this is absurdly based on me just being there. It's a double standard. Their dog can sniff, get in the way and jump at you but you aren't allowed your own basic liberties.
One young girl today who was behind me let her retractable lead out so her dog could make contact with me. The lead must have been out a good 5 metres, this was on a pavement in a town. I was then accused of, quote, 'turning round and kicking her dog.' I did turn round after I'd realised that her dog was at my ankles and she was looking at her phone. I did mention this and she told me to get a life.... some defensiveness there. This became a bit of an argument, which I hate, but people like this won't listen to reason. I also find that people like this don't have the capacity to listen, they will ignore what you're saying and talk over you at all costs. She said all her dog was doing was walking along.. with respect, so was I.
I've come across some people who just keep letting that retractable out more and more when you're clearly trying to avoid them... even to the extent of risking the dog being run over. JUST WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE???
Some of them will actually apologise, but still let their dog jump up etc, and others seem to get off on telling their dog off after allowing it to be a nuisance.
Unfortunately, there is no reasoning with people like this. They are amoebic in their mentalities... they don't allow for anything outside their own single mindedness.
At the end of the day the poor dogs will suffer for these idiots.

I too remember these strays! Didn’t cause a problem for anyone. West London too. Edit : in response to someone who said they caused zero trouble - but mainly collie types zero bully breeds back then.
small collie Mongrels.
lovely dogs!

The only problem with strays or latchkey dogs- very few were neutered so the unwanted puppy problem would have been immense.

But the strays definitely went about their business like they were on a mission.

I have a dog with zero recall out the house so I don't let her off the lead. She was 4 when she came to us, had not really been trained apart from "sit" and "paw" and has flatly refused to pay any attention to us outside the house or engage with our efforts to improve matters, unless there is a biscuit involved.

Indoors she is totally different.

I dislike random dogs appearing out of nowhere, she dislikes unwanted noses up her bum. She is actually quite friendly to humans and other dogs who give her a bit of space, but I always say she is not friendly, so please take your dog away.

I have a large breed puppy, she's 8 months old and 40 kilos atm.

Because she's a puppy she gets the zoomies near other dogs so I walk her off the path, away from others and am working hard on getting her to be still until other dogs pass, she's getting loads better. She's always on a lead.

The amount of dog owners that let their dog run up to mine, then tell me I have issues and laugh when she starts jumping about is ridiculous. They have no idea why I'm walking far away from the paths, and why we stop when they pass, she could well be nasty for all they know, but they go right ahead and allow their dogs to bound over anyway. I've noticed lots of smaller breed getting snappy with her as well and the owners just laughing about it too due to the size difference.

So annoying trying to do the right thing, and other people just not caring about it, yet if my pup snapped back she would be the one in the wrong.

I find myself torn. On the one hand there seem to be more idiots with dogs.

On the other, I think many people now have silly expectations of dogs, as if they are kind of clockwork.

I also think it's worth remembering that the current expectation that all dogs be on lead all of the time, and supervised, is a fairly new thing - a few generations ago many dogs were basically free range, and the life of a dog was much different. While that's clearly a problem, I do think that the life many dogs lead now makes them a bit mentally strange, and affects their behaviour more generally. I notice it especially with working dogs, people seem to think they should all behave like a placid family golden retriever, and have the same lifestyle.

Yes. Does anyone remember "Harry, the Dirty Dog"? It might not have been as popular in the UK but it is basically about a dog who goes out on the town one day, in the 1950s.

I think actually these dogs were properly socialized, in dog terms, which is something that almost never happens now.

Many dogs no longer spend enough time meeting other new dogs, so they are so excited when they do, and they don't know how to read the other dogs body language either.

Plus many of them have no goals or business of their own and so are basically bored out of their minds and just react to whatever appears before them.

Obviously there is not really any way to go back to that approach, but I do find it kind of sad that many dogs no longer seem to have their own doggy lives.

Yep, on our estate, small market town, there were dogs roaming, but they didn't tend to bother anyone. Lots of Heinz 57 dogs, no recognisable breeds.
As someone who has spent hours and a small fortune with a dog trainer today, running round woodlands playing essentially hide and seek, I know enrichment is essential for dogs today who otherwise would be bored without a 'job' or as in the past freedom to roam.

There were no ''recognisable'' breeds- they seemed to be smallish lots of sandy coloured ones with dark muzzles and eyes, and black ones {Probably dominant colours}
Most were probably 'Latchkey' dogs, they didn't seem hungry or look hungry, many had collars.

Any really hungry looking, untagged dog used to be taken to police Station by adults.

Re training...Hide and seek is great!
It makes the dog keep an eye on you.

If there are two of you, one can hold the dog/s, the other can run off and hide - then release the dog/s- they love it!.

Things had improved - many less latchkey dogs roaming about all day than years ago.

But, lockdown meant a lot of people, who should never own dogs, buy one, at inflated prices.🙄

And the problem goes on. 😗

@oakleaffy

yep, I remember a dog joining us on the school field while we were doing a science activity involving counting worms that came to the surface when soil was wetted. We gave the dog the water, and the teacher was mystified as why we kept running back in for water until he came outside to see what we were doing with it! 🤣
I do activities with a club every weekend with my dog.

I've had dogs all my life, I grew up with dogs, I've got a Jack Russell. I've started avoiding places and people who I know are useless owners/have a lot of useless owners, because it makes walks utterly unpleasant when someone's badly trained dog won't leave us alone or jumps all over my little deaf dog.
I was knocked down by a mastiff who chased us when I was pregnant.
There's so much poo, all over the place.
Although since the ban on XL bullies, there's been none of those, which is nice.
I hate dogs being treated like children. There's a woman who brings one into the library in a bloody pram.

Our seafront, which I walk daily, is dotted with piles of dog crap.... it had improved no end over summer/ autumn but now the weather is cold, it's the mad dash up to the front, turn your back whilst poor old dog does his shite, then off you go, leaving us to walk round: through it.... also the steps and corners are really stinky as it hasn't rained. I'm sure some people love the smell of dog peee but when it is the benches too I get really fed up. Love well behaved dogs and responsible owners so not an animal hater!

Completely agree. Dog license should be expensive to fund all the dog bins and dogs should have to be on a lead at an all time in public spaces and kept out of pubs and shops.

the issue is everyone seems to see their dogs as family, and they expect everyone else to think they’re lovely and adorable etc and seem to forget some of us just don’t like their dog 😅 i don’t even like my family members dogs who i see fairly frequently, i don’t want to stroke anyone’s pet or be pawed at. yanbu