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?

Businesses that allow dogs have done so, because the doggy £ bring them money.

Children are a pest. They scream at the top of their lungs in shops, and run around amok. They pick their noses in public and are generally disgusting.

I hate those hideous extending leads too. I have never known anyone retract the fucking thing before I (or someone else) trips over it. Then the owner has the temerity to look annoyed that you tripped over the lead (or stood on it!)

Totally agree. They are everywhere. I've noticed loads more near me. We had a dog when I was young. My dad would never have taken it to town shopping. It amazes me how joined at the hip some dog owners are now with their pets. Also sick of all the poodle crosses. Batshit yappy things.

I hate dogs and I appreciate that’s a me issue, but what I can’t stand are owners who let their dog come up to you, whether on the street or in a cafe, and then say “don’t worry, he’s friendly”.

I don’t give a fuck if your dog is friendly, I still don’t want it anywhere near me.

I love dogs but the obsession with taking your dog everywhere is annoying. Your dog wants a walk in the park and a snooze, not a mooch around Oliver Bonas and sitting under the table barking whilst you sip an oat latte in Hipster Beans.

Also I hate the fact that people don’t train their dogs - don’t let them bite/jump up people it’s not acceptable.

I love dogs. Had enough of screaming spoilt kids though

I find it so funny when people with kids complain about a dog's carbon footprint.

Dogs fucking everywhere can’t stand them. Saw a few in Selfridges this week, since when has it been acceptable to take dogs in department stores unless guide dogs? Absolutely loathe them.

Yep, same. I have no kid, no money so don't zip abroad on a plane. I don't even use a bus.
But I am awful for having a dog... a pet who helps my mental wellbeing. It is my fault for ice bergs melting...

What were the dogs in the posh upper market store that the vast majority of MN never goes in.... how did they affect you?

No way would Selfridges have let dogs in to their store. Unless they were Assistance Dogs.

I despise dogs with every fibre of my being, They are NOT good for my mental health. I am also allergic to them, and the proliferation of them over the last few years, being taken to restaurants and hotels and cinemas, and allowed on trains and buses and aeroplanes just causes so many problems for me and many others who are allergic, ot simply can't abide the smell. It was not so bad when I was growing up. Now, they are everywhere, and they are a menace, I hate the noise, I hate the smell, dodging dog shit, seeing them cock their legs and piss all over the pavements that we walk over. Repulsive. Why do we tolerate this?! Madness.
Imagine if there were no dogs, and someone said:
Fancy bringing a species into existence that bark and growl and yap, often into the night, that piss on your pavements, shit everywhere, cost a fortune, and make your house reek. How many people would sign up? Dog owners have been brainwashed and conditioned into their situation.

I think we are reaching peak mutt, and so many people I know can't stand them either, TIme used to be that people would be aghast if we stated we didn't like dogs, but now, so many more people agree, and are happy enough to be vocal about it.

I have a couple of colleagues who got dogs in lockdown, both have said they are far harder work than they ever imagined, and both have said they will be happy to be dog-free, and would never get a dog again. They admit that their homes smell, it is constant work cleaning up after them, the expense has meant forfeited holidays, the hassle of not being able to have a spontaneous night out because they have to get home to feed the dog, the list goes on.
I find dog-crazy people ALWAYS lacking in personality, without exception.

John Lewis are actively dog friendly. I now boycott their store, and have told them so. I do expect in due course the tide will turn and stores will ban dogs. Unsanitary and gross.

You'd have more money though, for nice trips, if you didn't have a dog. Freedom, too.

I agree it can be very unpleasant if an unknown dog comes up to you and their owner does nothing to stop them. Or if an owner thinks their dog is wonderful and you just don't feel the same way!
There are not horrible feral dogs around where I live. I certainly wouldn't like it if there were!

You don't get to say what I would or not would want.

Gosh, where do you live OP? We only have very well behaved dogs round here. Must be awful living somewhere where this happens - very dodgy place. I’d suggest moving tbh. Is that an option?

You sound horrid tbh. A lot of what you have said can be applied to kids.

Particularly unpleasant if a dog is wandering around in a cafe - I really wouldn't want to eat there.

I have been in cafes with dogs... they mostly stay led down under the table with their owner.
I have never seen any dog wander about and harass other people in a cafe.

YOU sound horrid, equating mutts to humans. What is wrong with you?

My kids have never pissed on the street, never shat on the street, never licked a random stranger, never made anyone ill because nobody is allergic to my children. And my home smells lovely.

Problem is, businesses get more custom by being dog friendly, so I honestly can’t see anyone reversing it. If you holiday in the Lake District or similar, it’s great. Dogs are allowed literally everywhere…..

I thought of mumsnet tonight when I was running in the park and a random dog jumped up on for the first time ever. He was a gorgeous airdale terrier. Personally where I live I don't see dogs in shops, dogs running wild or dogs behaving badly. I'm at the park multiple times a day and this was my first ever mauling experience and I was exhausted anyway so didn't mind a quick stop to stroke a handsome boy. I just don't see a dog problem here at all, owners keep their dogs on leads for the most part, there is the odd poo not picked up but probably not as much as there is litter. Dogs can add a lot of enrichment to people's lives, force them to get out and about, keep them company, I'm pro dog ownership overall.

Where have I equated "mutts" to humans?

Maybe you don't know your kids as well as you think.