To dare to think that the Cult of Dog has gone too far?

[MariLlwyd]

There is now not a single public space in my home town that is dog-free - and that includes cafes, restaurants and even the library. Local beaches, once a quiet escape, have turned into asylums for the fur baby/pupper brigade to inflict their poorly trained animals on others with children getting chased, people jumped on and tripped over and all to the sound of hysterical barking and frequent dog fights.
80 year old woman knocked over by uncontrollable dog? 'You got in his way'.
Ask politely that you take your dog away from our lunch table? 'Go fuck yourself'.
Sit on the most remote bench you can find? Peri-menopausal wild eyed harridan lets loose 3 dogs from her 4x4 to jump all over you and laughs that it's 'their spot' and turns unhinged when you push them away.
Yes, this is a rant and yes I hate most dog owners.
This weird cult that values darling dogs over human beings is actually pretty worrying.
I shall await the inevitable and hilarious 'incoming' from the emotionally stunted Doggo Nutters.

It's created a real issue for us. Ds is non verbal and absolutely terrified of dogs. We are doing what we can to help him with therapy but it's not helped by dogs being absolutely everywhere and irresponsible owners who can't control their dogs.

Many of us feel the same about kids running loose in inappropriate places.

You ‘own’ a dog 🤷🏼‍♀️

Fucking dogs and their entitled owners drive me mental. Tried to have a little picnic with dd over Easter holidays at a local country park and a dog comes bounding over, ran straight through the food (paws all over it) and then started eating some while I was trying to push it away. Shouted at the owner who came wandering over and her response was “I’m sorry but you’re in the middle of a park”. 🤬

Now I’m jealous, regardless of how silly the dog situation has got.

Urgh! These people can seriously fuck off to Fuck Town and I hope while there they get their faces eaten off by their slobbering beasts.

I’m going to start being outspoken when interrupted by mutts henceforth.

It really doesn’t. But it might be because I’ve always had a dog.

Agree with you but not the way you describe other people.
I wonder when the Covid dogs die whether the owners will replace them. Hopefully not all will.

I take great delight in telling people like that that I can't remember if I made our cupcakes with xylitol or not.

Totally with you on this one!

I agree, I am quite afraid of dogs due to some experiences when I was younger and the number of people who let their dogs jump on you "He's only being friendly"; then there is the whole issue of the dog poo - went for a walk yesterday quite out in the countryside and there were plastic bags of it on the trees; our village has dog poo bins which I know cost about £1000 to install (out of my rates too) - I think dog owners should pay -I don't know why dogs can't be trained like cats, our cat both poos and wees in her tray. I do know that dogs can be trained from a talk by Guide Dogs for the Blind who train them to go in a particular spot in someone's back garden. Finally, wet dogs in eating establishments. I was somewhere a few weeks ago and there was a wet dog under the table next to us, whilst we ate a nice lunch. Just can't get away from them. I do find some dogs quite attractive to look at - labradoodles/labradoors; and friendly - however the XL bullies and the like I cannot understand.

Rant over....!

Aww sounds adorable, very annoying that she tried to get in to his face....some people have no sense or boundaries! Then they look offended that the dog doesn't like it!

An ironic further update to this, (I commented earlier in the thread), out earlier with dh and dds in a very quiet walking area, dds were walking ahead of dh and I. Suddenly out of nowhere, a dog appeared, barking at dds, and following them. As dh and I got closer, I could see the dog running back and forth it's owner and dds, and I called to her 'Please can you recall your dog?'. She replied 'oh yes sorry I was on the phone' then proceeded to tell us the dog was trying to protect her, and that it thinks we are strangers! I replied 'well we ARE strangers' - why that mattered I don't know as it was a public place not her personal property. She then tried not very successfully to grab the dog, all the while it was barking and snarling at me and dh. I was not happy, said nothing, but my face said it all!!
We passed two ladies with two very well behaved dogs further along, who enjoyed the story immensely 😆

And yet owning dogs and personifying them is contributing to the destruction of nature.

Studies estimate that pet food production contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. It's estimated that U.S. dogs and cats are responsible for up to 25-30% of the environmental impact from meat consumption in the U.S.

I love dogs, but my husband is very allergic to them. It's difficult for us to go on holiday because most places to stay are dog friendly. We stayed in one recently that was advertised as no pets allowed, and he couldn't breathe all weekend. He also can't be in places with dogs for long as he starts to wheeze. I didn't realise how many places allowed dogs in until I met him (though it has coincided with everyone getting one during covid).

Also sick of badly behaved dogs. As much as I adore them, I don't want a labrador leaping up me while the owner apologises - train your dog!!!

It's the smell which gets me. I was in a high st clothes shop recently which stank of wet dog. There is no way I was going to spend money there.

Well this took a turn

That's nice Sally. I can't have children and may be why I hate them but I draw the line at purposely trying to kill them if they run towards me.

Ps. Making criminal confessions on mumsnet isn't ideal

This just about sums up modern life. Even if one of these people had vacated their table, the person who sat there afterwards would be watching TikTok on speaker, or talking to their friend on FaceTime or holding a Zoom meeting or something.

There is no peace any more.

In 1972, down our street, there were loads of dogs. Kicked out of the house in the mornings, wandered the streets all day till their owners came back. Quite normal to see dogs alone on the footpaths, parks, fields. Strays or owned. Some vicious, some not. I remember desperately trying to convince my mum that a dog i'd enticed home was stray. Only for someone to ring and tell mum to kick him out to find his way home, it was his teatime.

Dogs are better off now, and more on leads than they used to be. And believe it or not, there's a great deal less dog poo around as well!

Thank god it got deleted, disgusting.

I agree with @MattCauthon. Although the choice to bring a dog to a public space and the need to control it falls on the dog owner, many kids are not brought up to behave appropriately around animals. I wouldn't tie my dog up outside a shop for fear of coming out to find kids taunting it as one toddler did to my golden retriever many years ago. I came out to find him cowering back on the lead with the toddler with her fingers actually up his nose. Parent oblivious. I grew up in a farming area and we were told from an early age to respect dogs and by and large leave them alone so it surprised the hell out of me.

If irresponsible owners have young kids with them and I am particularly irate I will tell them loudly to fuck off, and I’m calling the police to have their pet put down. I like to think that will get my perspective into the bone-headed idiots who call themselves dog owners yet let their dog bound over to strangers.

charming. thanks for taking an adult approach and traumatising a child in a fit of pique. 🙄

I've got two dogs and I totally agree with you
They don't need or want to be in cafes or restaurants or anything else
Most are happy with a walk ,and snoozing the day away at home .
I don't even think the dogs enjoy being dragged everywhere