Strangers who think we all love their dog

[MaisieMouse87]

I'm a bit pissed off and need a rant. Sitting on the park with my kids, we had a large bottle of water nearly full, next to us on the grass. The top was off as one of the kids had just had some. The park is a large field and we were not near anyone else. We were minding our business.
These two women walked past with a dog on a lead. I didn't expect them to get as close as they did. They came literally right up to us. The dog (on the lead) came between me and the kids and licked the rim of the water bottle. One of the women did a tinkly laugh and I said " oh no" in an annoyed tone and told one of my kids that the water would have to go in the bin now. They just walked off grinning and I heard them say something like " imagine being like that over a dog."
I did not say anything but got up and threw it in the bin. If they'd said sorry it would have been alright or if the dog was off the lead I would have been annoyed still. But the way they actively led it over to us and allowed it to do that, then laughed about it. Aibu for being annoyed? It's not even really about the water. It's about having personal space invaded needlessly when I'm minding my own business by people who are nosy and need to see what I'm doing. And partly people with dogs who think it's acceptable because the dog likes people making a fuss of it. By the way I actually like dogs and have 2 but I have never allowed them to do this and actively keep them away from people in public.

But there are some big differences between parents and dog owners, aren't there?

Has anyone come across a parent who puts their child's shit in a plastic bag and hangs it from the branch of a tree, for instance? No. But dog owners do that with dog shit, don't they?

I've already got the children; yes I love and nurture them. Would I be happier if I also bought a dog and hung its shit from a tree in a little black plastic bag?

How do I make sure a dog is nurtured enough by it's owner that it's owner stops letting it shit at the school gates? Tell me where to direct that energy. It strikes me that congratulating the owner isn't going to have the desired effect.

Or maybe, we hold them accountable for their entitlement and disregard of society.

The owner’s are the entitled ones. Not the dog. Hence my previous point.

So, we should accept bad dog behaviour because there are so many bad owners?
What's the solution?

But you want us who are annoyed to focus on getting owners to care for their dogs properly. Which pointing out when they're being dicks should do quite well if they were of a mind to be bothered about how their entitled attitude towards their own dogs comes over.

This is typical - can you not just acknowledge there are many more dogs than a few years ago and many more bad owners with dogs out of control. Many people do not want a dog “, however friendly, to run up to them. Keep them under control or keep them on a lead. It’s not unreasonable or that hard to grasp.

Is this a dog-hating thread? I didn't take it as one - in fact the OP said she had 2 of her own?!

It's just an attempt to shut down discussion.

Maybe you've been lucky, who knows - but the difference is, it's your choice to let your dog do this. It was OP's choice to sit away from others and not want a dog licking their water bottle.

How are 'we' supposed to ensure that other people love and care for their children or dogs? If this desirable state of affairs could be achieved by social pressure, there would not need to be any foster parents, dog wardens or Children's Services departments.

Precious you

It has to be a form of mental illness surely to feel such a need, even 'accidently', to inflict your fur baby on strangers?
Or believe your dog is better than/has more rights than human beings.
Or descend into hysteria when asked to reign in/call off your dog or pick up its shit.
No? Just the post-covid world of the entitled and emotionally stunted dog owner then.

These are adult problems.
Nothing actually to do with dogs, in the exact same way that feral screeching kids pissing everybody else off is an adult problem. Its an absolute failure to manage/discipline.

If you cant control your dog, keep it out of public space. Ditto children.

Like dogs. Dislike many of the owners.

You sometimes need to take children to public spaces though, as they are humans, not pets.

You also sometimes need to take pets to public spaces, and if you cant control either your pets or your children, you are the problem.

However, they are not equivalent, and it is troubling that people would rank the development of the next generation, a biological and sociological imperative, with indulging a pet.

Why would you NEED to take your pet to public spaces? Why on earth should members of the public have to deal with your dog being around them? They didn’t choose to get a dog, you did. If you want a dog, get a garden big enough to entertain your dog in. Dogs in shops are utterly, utterly gross.

There is nowhere whatsoever to go where there are no dogs these days. Nowhere. We used to go feed the ducks with my kids at the university campus where my other half works. Now it’s chocka with dog walkers who drive up, past the sign which asks for dogs to be kept on a lead, and let them off to run around the campus harassing the ducks. A university campus fgs! How thick are these entitled little idiots.

I saw someone walking their dog around a business park the other day. Where is there left for kids to have a kick around without being harassed by people’s dogs?

I don't hear the same angst outside MN. There may be more dogs, but honestly I have too much going on in my life to notice or give it much head space. Most dog owners, like anyone else, just get on with their day without drama, with or without dog in tow.

How do you propose taking an animal to a vet without crossing or entering public space.

It's not "angst", and believe me, those of us who are not dog owners would like to go about our day with no drama. Not bothered by dogs.

I couldn't think of another way to explain it small enough to fit in the title, sorry about that. I just thought people would get the gist.

Most of us did.

What sort of 'dog drama' do you come across on a daily basis?

It is troubling to me that you cannot equate adults taking due care and responsibility over their childrens behaviour because they are not "pets".

I believe that an adult should be able to control whatever animal it is they have responsibility for, canine or primate. Troubles me that you dont.