To wonder when the excess of dogs will die down

[OptimismvsRealism]

There's so much shit everywhere

There are so many feral horrible dogs pissing on front doors or prams or shop displays and barking terrifyingly at kids

I am sick of them!!!!! Is this it or will people learn their post COVID lesson and only get pets they can actually handle in the future?

Our miniature poodle is a quiet, gentle little dog. I definitely think something goes horribly wrong when you cross them with cocker spaniels.

Just get a poodle then. There’s really no need whatsoever to cross a poodle with something else if you have allergies etc.

I love my dog and the vast majority of other dogs too. But I don't think places like John Lewis are right for them. I've seen poor little dogs being g dragged around the perfume section - it must be awful for them to be subjected to that onslaught of artificial smell. Overload!

Just leave your dog at home if you're doing that kind of shopping.

Oooo @Faith77 this happens near us.. in Cornwall, and blimmin camper vans park up at lovely view points and their occupants use hedges as toilets. Likewise runners.. I've come across human excrement on the stiles near us.
Must be convenient squatting height.
Humans can be vile.

And guess what? Dogs make a beeline for human poo. If it's there they'll flipping sniff it out urgh. Times I've had to haul my beautiful dog off a pile of poo with a square of toilet paper draped over it 😡

How did I know that someone lacking in basic comprehension would say this. We’re talking about comparison by association. Had the comparison been with murderers and killers, yes you’re right about dog attacks. But the comparison was re association with smoking. I repeat what I said, people die from smoking association, people do not die by being next to a dog. If you still don’t understand, I can’t help you I’m afraid….

I love dogs! Used to have one. And we took on late MIL dog. I dog sit for my friend’s daughter and take said dog for a walk -mountain walk as he is an extremely active patterdale.

but this is the very reason i don’t want one! Too much hard work, you have to be committed. And many lockdown dogs are now an inconvenience to many.

my young colleague got a dog last year (ex twat BF bought her a yappy little fluff ball) and he is extremely demanding. To the point she has started to WFH as the dog doesn’t like being alone. To the inconvenience of everyone else in the room as we dont know if she is in or not. Oh fuck off😤

not many dogs where I live even though im very rural. But town (visitors town) is overrun with cockerpoos on long leads pissing everywhere . Outside every cafe and drooling. Yuck

Some of those people who got a dog in 2020 or 2021 will become lifelong dog owners, especially those who now wfh most of the time and for whom that will not change.

So I don't think you'll ever get back to the levels pre 2020 of dog ownership, but the point about average dog age still stands, so in the 2030s.

I think that’s a really good point.

We actually got our dog in late 2019. First dog I had, had for a while. I couldn’t work from home then, but more often than not me or dp was at home.

I wfh 95% now and do it around Dp shifts. We have 2 dogs and a foster at the moment. We may keep this foster dog. He is only 14 weeks and absolutely brilliant.

We wouldn’t have had more than one if my employer expected me back in the office full time.

I agree OP! A local town holds a Saturday market and it feels like there are more dogs than people. The stalls are already crammed in so add into that dog leads and it’s a nightmare and puts me off going. Luckily for us our local parks don’t allow dogs in. My child is unsure of dogs and it allows him to play freely. We recently had a situation when a dog chased my son close to the beach, trying to grab his towel whilst the owner said “oh he’s just trying to play”. It wasn’t nice for my son. I wish dogs had to be kept on leads in public places. How are we supposed to know that a dog is ‘safe’ or not!

I don’t dislike dogs. I used to have one.

What I do not like in recent years is the increase of owners who seem to think that socialising their dog merely means being allowed to take their untrained dog everywhere they go.

My coffee shop is dog friendly though, We have strict rules. Excessive yapping or barking and we prefer it if you remove the noise for the comfort of other customers and staff. No sitting on furniture (I have to tell people weekly) No eating or drinking from the crockery. The rules also ask other dog-less customers to not approach dogs and wind them up. In ten years I’ve seen one pee accident, where I got completely laid into for making the woman feel bad by cleaning it up in front of her! And another very bad one where a child was bitten, which ended in the dog actually being put to sleep.

So I do think sometimes, just leave them at home, I’m sure they’ll be happy curled up on their sofa whilst you nip out for a few hours.

There’s a small dog friendly coffee shop chain in my area which is hugely successful. They are partnered with Guide Dogs and provide dog treats too. They are the busiest coffee shops in the area.

The more dogs the merrier.

People are arrogant, entitled bastards that ruin the planet far more than some dog poo does.

Again, proving that the majority of dog owners are rude for no reason. I wasn’t comparing anything, just pointing out that dogs do indeed cause people to die.

I live in the countryside where we're weird not to have a dog. I agree there are more dogs around than ever although I do think dogs are better trained than they used to be although poo is still a problem. I think high vet fees are going to discourage some people from getting a dog in future and I know a few people who are embracing the freedom of not having a dog after their much-loved pet has passed on.

How does that prove the majority of dogs owners are rude? 😂

The other issue with dogs is the environmental impact of the pesticides used on them to combat fleas. It's having a terrible impact on rivers and wildlife.

Pet flea treatments poisoning rivers across England, scientists find https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/17/pet-flea-treatments-poisoning-rivers-across-england-scientists-find?CMP=share_btn_url

If you look through the thread (or any similar thread on here) you’ll see how rude dog owners are when someone dares to admit they don’t like dogs. One of the first comments on this thread was from
someone swearing at op- it’s now been deleted, thankfully. If you want more proof, look at posts on Facebook about dog attacks, especially from pit bulls. You’ll see an embarrassment of idiots blaming the victims and generally behind dickheads. I saw someone blame a baby once. Mental!

This is it. A business like a cafe has to choose.

To allow dogs or make it dog friendly and attract dog owners but put off people who don’t like dogs. Or not be dog friendly and attract people who don’t like dogs or don’t have their dogs with them.

Many have decided the former and it’s good for business. We have one near me. It’s busy all the time with dog owners and non dog owners. Never see badly behaved dogs there.

Its clearly working for them

Dogs aren’t natural. In the absence of humans there would be no dogs in the way we recognise them now. They are yet another externality of human existence.

Lockdown puppies will be about 4 years old now.

A dog's typical lifespan ranges from about 8+ years (giant breeds) to 16+ years (tough little terriers).

The two most popular lockdown breed/types round here are cockerpoos who expect about 12 years and dachshunds about 15 years (assuming well bred so life not shortened by certain back issues).

So about a decade to go??

Well, they're obviously not very good for your humanity, if you think that.

There’ll be some attrition due to illness and accident I guess. But yeah, quite a long horizon.

The only way it will ever get under control is as another poster pointed out by bringing back restrictions and licenses on breeding and ownership. If it is too expensive then they shouldn’t have a dog. If it is too inconvenient or expensive for people it would hopefully weed out the idiot owners and leave the vast majority of responsible owners.

i also feel the same about cats. Anyone wanting a cat should have to have a catio or means of keeping the cat on their own property

I think ideally, this would be the right plan.

Unfortunately, there wouldn’t be the resources to support enforcing it. And there unlikely to be massive restrictions placed on all dog owners at once. Would cause massive amounts of surrenders for those that can’t afford the new restrictions.

Many cat owners wouldn’t be able to afford a catio.

But I think starting with breeders would be good. And anyone purchasing a new dog from a certain date.

@ShouldhavebeencalledAppollo yes it would be too difficult to bring in for current owners but anyone wanting to get a dog would have to go by the restrictions or rules around ownership. Same goes for new cat owners if they can’t afford to cat proof their garden or keep them on their own property then no cat