I'm considering screaming...

[Inthebathagain]

...in the faces of some dog owners.

This morning's run had a lot of dogs on the route.

50% of dogs on/off the lead were under the control of their owners. Their owners called the dogs close when they saw me, or someone else, approaching.

The other 50%. Grrrr.

Dogs running up to me, extendable lead across the entire path, getting under my feet. I could continue.

One dog on a retractable lead came bounding up to me...I held my hands in the air to indicate I didn't welcome the attention. Instead of pulling the dog back, the owner let it continue scurrying round my feet. I scowled at the owner and she had the gall to say "What's your problem? It's just a dog"

So I'm thinking of I scream in the faces of that type of owner, they'll get the hint that not everyone loves their dog like they do.

AIBU?

YANBU.
Ill never have another dog after mine have passed as I no longer have the patience for the amount of moronic dog owners out there now.

I asked a woman why she wasn't paying attention to what was going on around her when she was walking a clearly reactive dog on a long line (it went for me when I went out into the road to get around them taking up the whole pavement).

And her response was "why should I have to look around me". Ummmmm, because your dog is your responsibility.

I'm a dog owner, don't use an extendable lead and unimpressed by most owners who do, as have got caught up many times. They seem to think a long extension classes as control, while busy chatting to people and totally ignoring what their dog is getting up to. It teaches their dog that there are no boundaries and when it comes to a short lead near roads, they are the dogs yanking their owners arm off. My dog is fantastic walking on a lead, never pulls. Not a Saint by any means, can be overenthusiastic with saying hello - so gets pulled back.

I have a dog and I use a retractable lead but I 100% back you up and agree OP.

I was suggested to get a dog,
"It'll get you out the house and you'll meet people..."

So I buckled under the suggestion and got a dog.

Things seems so different these days to when I had dogs 20+ years ago.
The old 'rules' have just gone out the window.

You approach someone you don't know - dog goes on lead.
A runner / bicycle - dog goes in lead
You approach someone with a dog on a lead - your dog goes on lead.
You approach someone who puts their dog on a lead - you put your dog on a lead.
Clean up your dogs mess..

So now I've a dog I walk and 😭, unsurprisingly, a lot of the people I meet are complete cunts.
This has not helped my misanthropic slant. 🤣

But, OP, rest assured, if you ever run towards me, my dog would go in lead. 😁

Extending leads are a fucking menace

What's the point of keeping a dog on a lead if it's still going wherever it wants?

Completely agree. If I hear "he'll not harm you / is just being friendy" once more i'll scream.

If I went up and licked complete strangers and jumped on them I can't imagine people being very happy and saying oh she's being friendly

I live in a Village and I'm sick to death of every time I go for a walk I'm accosted by people's dogs that are not in control.

Other dog owners are the reason I won’t get another when my current girl pops her clogs. We walk out in the middle of nowhere to get away from them. The calibre of dog ownership has dipped especially within the last 10 years; full of entitled, selfish morons, that think their diddums that they’ve never bothered to train is perfect and the sun shines out of their backsides. I DONT blame the dogs; it’s 100% their knobby owners who shouldn’t own a stuffed dog never mind a living one.

'Extending leads are a fucking menace'

Was just about to post this EXACT sentence!

I love a walk but I'm planning on not going out tomorrow because everywhere will be heaving with people and their annoying, antisocial shit including failing to control their dogs

They were the rules my dog had too @NunyaBeeswax .

I had dogs growing up. Then had a beautiful girl for 16 years.

Some owners these days are so feckless.

Hence my desire to scream in the owners faces.

I'm really lucky in that I moved house 3yrs ago to a new bit on the outskirts of my town which is a mecca for dog walks, luckily it's a bit of a well kept secret as I never knew about the walks near here, and you tend to get sensible owners who all abide by the social rules of dog walking. Lots of runners and mountain bikers around here too.

There are definitely some (ex)favourite walking spots that I now don't use due to the idiots with (often large) dogs and no control over them.

Extendable leads are the work of the devil. And anyone who says what’s your problem, it’s just a dog, is a fucking idiot! And I’m a dog owner.

Ah, A Christmas Dog Thread...😂

Actually, as a responsible dog owner, I agree..drives me nuts as it also labels us all as idiots.
A woman chatted over a gate yesterday and complimented me on my dogs' behaviour. She was sat by my side whilst we spoke.

Mine had an extending lead as he had no recall despite years of training (rescue dog). I would wind it in if others were around, but mainly walked alone as I lived in the country and he was reactive. It's not hard to do and I don't understand why others can't seem to.

YANBU I once took my young DC to the park for a picnic. I did buttered bread slices, with the idea the DC make their own sandwiches.

I'd laid everything out, when this big dog came bounding up and dived straight into the tupperware box with the bread slices. It ate some and spread the rest everywhere. I started yelling at it to get off.

The owners came up and called the dog off. Did they apologise? Did they fuck, they just sort of shrugged a 'oh he shouldn't have done that'.
Picnic ruined, we had to go home.

We’ve just got a puppy. Luckily live in the middle of nowhere to walk him, I really don’t want to have to venture in to town parks!

I had to physically haul a Labrador out of the bottom of my pushchair a while ago. Owner “oh, he must have smelled food”, well yes he smelled my child’s snacks, but why am I the one grabbing his collar and not you?!

My husband wholeheartedly agrees! He always says he'd go up to dog owners and bark in their faces whiles he's running!

In fairness, you're not as appealing as a Beagle.

My dogs stayed close because although they all loved people, they loved the snacks in my pocket more and I had more issues with randoms making a beeline for them - not due to any concerns, just because we had places to go that didn't involve making a twenty minute walk into over an hour.

Never been fond of runners charging through me, though, especially as I can't hear that well so only realise as they're thundering right up behind.

Yes interesting point, I'm quite uncomfortable around dogs so never go near them, but must be very frustrating when people think they have a right to fuss your pet.

My personal favourites are the idiots who stand helplessly by while their zero-recall little darlings run around barking and snapping at my horses legs. I’m sure they’d be sad and angry and no doubt blame me if the dog they failed to train gets its head kicked off its shoulders.

As a dog walker and owner, it drives me nuts.

But it's not always like that - we took our dog to the beach this morning and every single dog was under control, both the off and on-lead ones.

I don't get these people and until recently had two (we put our old boy down a couple months ago - he was 15). I do use a retractable lead but have it short when walking on the pavement or near other people. It's common sense.

Was standing on the platform with shopping bag in hand waiting for a train when I suddenly noticed the bag had got a lot heavier. Looked down to see a dog* on a *short lead with its head buried in my bag! Pulled bag away and dog’s owner laughed and said “you must have food in there!” - well yes, I did, but I didn’t fancy eating it after that. So sick of dogs and their stupid owners.