I’m so tired of people with dangerous dogs ruining the park for everyone else.

[Purplehat123]

I’m so tired of people with dangerous dogs ruining the park for everyone else.

Every time I take my children and our small cavapoo to the park, there’s always someone with an intimidating dog off the lead. Yesterday it was a man with a huge German Shepherd (and I mean huge), a bully breed on a lead, and an Akita off the lead just wandering around.

This is a busy, very suburban park, full of families and young children. And there I am, trying to scoop up my two toddlers, push the pram with the baby, grab the dog, and move away as fast as possible because I am not taking the risk of one of those dogs attacking. And let’s be honest, if something did happen, I’d have to sacrifice my dog to protect my children.

Even the two dogs that were technically on a lead, if they decided to go for another dog or child, there’s no way he could have held them back. They were enormous, powerful breeds.

And don’t get me started on the Akita. It was off-lead, trotting around freely as if that’s totally normal. Akitas were originally bred to guard property and hunt large game, including bears. They are strong, territorial, and known for being aggressive toward other dogs. They can be incredibly unpredictable and are not the type of breed you let wander freely in a public park full of children and pets.

Today it was a woman with a giant Rottweiler off-lead, paying absolutely no attention while she scrolled on her phone. Again, no control, no awareness. Rottweilers were originally bred to drive cattle and guard livestock, and they are incredibly strong, protective dogs. They have a natural guarding instinct, which can easily turn dangerous when not properly controlled. It’s no coincidence that they feature in so many fatal dog attacks, especially involving children. The number of child deaths caused by Rottweilers is horrifying and well-documented. It doesn’t matter how sweet you think your dog is at home but when a dog like that turns, it’s too late to stop it.

Far too many times my own dog, who is a total wimp and literally gets bullied by a chihuahua, has been attacked by dogs whose owners claim, “Oh, they never normally do that.” It’s always after the fact, once the damage is done.

And honestly, it’s the complete lack of awareness that really gets me. You might think your dog is friendly, but when you’re letting it freely wander up to children and other dogs, especially massive, powerful breeds, it’s terrifying. It might not scare you, but to everyone else, it’s incredibly intimidating.

I love dogs. I grew up with them. But this constant anxiety when I take my children out is exhausting. I shouldn’t have to be on high alert every time we go to the park because someone refuses to take basic responsibility for an animal that could cause serious harm.

Retired ex racing greyhounds, dangerous and want to chase anything that moves. I nearly lost my dog in an attack.

They are not dangerous. They have been trained to chase, but that does not make them dangerous.
I know a few that are Pet as Therapy dogs.

My mum's own retired greyhound is an absolute gentleman. Has had yappy dogs get up in his face and he just ignores them.

How many people have been killed by a Pomeranian? Of course it’s more rationale to be wary of bigger more powerful breeds!

You are completely right. So many idiotic dog owners. All dogs should be on a lead in public places like parks imo.

and still the OP isn't back..

YANBU up to a point, but I'm surprised at some of the specific breeds you are concerned about. German Shepherds are not very scary (unless you're scared of all dogs, which you clearly aren't), and my understanding about Rottweilers is that one on its own is unlikely to hurt anybody - it's when two or more get together that they think as a pack and get the hunting instinct.

There are breeds I don't like being around off the lead - of the three times in my life I've been pretty sure a dog intended to bite me, two involved large poodles and one a boxer. I also avoid Staffies, not because I believe they all bite, but because I know that if they do bite, it's bloody hard to get them off.

My DH has actually been bitten by a Westie while running - until now I thought that was a freak occurrence and still couldn't take them seriously as a threat, but posts on here have made me think I'll l be more wary in future.

Not mine. She barely raced as she was too lazy to chase anything. This makes her a fantastic pet and we have two cats also. I'd have sighthounds anytime, they are wonderful, and I have always been a cat person at heart.

You do see mimsy daft nervous small dog owners picking their dogs up around her sometimes. Good as it's more likely to be their untrained pampered made up breed ankle biters that are so overbred you can barely identify it as a dog any more that cause a problem. Ridiculous humans.

The OP clearly didn't say everybody should have cavapoos! But there's been a lot more trend towards large powerful breeds and it's not good! When people love having fighting breeds that can reach 12st in weight it does make life more intimidating especially when people like you can't grasp that if you go for muscular breeds with locking jaws that fit around a child's head, the damage capacity sky rockets! Look at bully XLs! They are badly bred, are too strong to control and can hospitalise multiple people in one attack! Of course people are getting more nervous! And your belief that a massive fighting breed isn't dangerous is wild to me! The bigger the breed, the more damage they can do & the less they can be controlled.

I think you underestimate people's intelligence, if people go for huge muscular breeds, those breeds have vastly more damage capability and are simultaneously harder to control because of their strength.

There's too many laid back owners now whom don't do the right thing, I've seen XLs being walked still without muzzles, one without a lead and the owners always look terrified when they walk past someone like they know their mutant dog is volatile and not trustworthy. Look at all the people who swear that bully XLs have the same as chihuahua and are these the sort of people we are supposed to trust?

Do you live in a bunker?! Have you not heard of the bully XLs? You don't have to personally witness something to know which breeds are a risk! Not to mention that those dogs are easily controlled on a lead!

So you've no awareness of the issues that fighting breeds are causing? You people love to panic blame the wrong dogs don't you!

Sorry, if we don’t want to encounter large, powerful breeds such as Rottweilers, off lead while their owners wander a distance away scrolling on their phone and therefore not in control of the dog, we have to go to ‘private parks’? I am utterly amazed by this suggestion.

What is a private park? Am I likely to find one near where I live? Are they free to get into? And perhaps the most important question, why on earth should I have to go there to avoid irresponsible dog ownership? Because surely you’ve got to agree that the behaviour described above, as in the OP’s post, is irresponsible? Let’s leave aside the breed for a moment, the combination of off lead and not paying vigilant attention to the dog in itself is irresponsible.

It's you lot being nasty and goady, all of you that are piling blame on the littlest breeds you can come up with instead of acknowledging the death and carnage that's been happening at the hands of large fighting needs! It's desperate to try and use a dachshund as an argument!

This sounds like a you problem. It sounds like this dogs have done nothing wrong you appear to be judging based on your own misguided assumptions. Please can you reference your horrifying number of attacks by Rottweilers? As I can only find two.

I own one of the breeds with one of the highest incidents of biting a Labrador would he go down as one of your dangerous dogs?

All dogs are dangerous.

Which cafes don't allow dogs? They all do!

Just because you can, doesn't mean that you do.

I could have a BBQ when everything is tinder dry. But I don't, because I am not an entitled (and brainless) idiot.

Just because you can, doesn't mean that you do.

I could have a BBQ when everything is tinder dry. But I don't, because I am not an entitled (and brainless) idiot.

People on here are exactly the issue! They don't acknowledge how responsible they need to be and how dangerous their large breeds are! A dachshund will not kill anyone, it'll nip! People need to stop using the ridiculous little dog argument! It's not a little breed that's been killing and maiming for the last few years. Large muscular locking jaws that fit around a child's head are never going to be comparable to a tiny muzzle!

This arrogance adds to the nervousness already caused by so many people having dogs off leads now - there's been dog attacks where I live and unfortunately in one case the poor dog that was injured was off a lead and trotted towards an aggressive dog that was on a lead so yes all dogs ideally need to be on a lead for safety

That sadly sums up a generation of adults today, it's like the hosepipe bans, I've seen so many idiots saying they'll ignore it out of spite and they seem to stupid and selfish to care that they'll bring standpipes and rationing down on everyone!

Ok, spend your life thinking that people who take their dogs to places that welcome dogs are idiots and entitled. I will spend my life thinking people like you are exactly that.

This is rather hollow advice when you’ve got a large powerful dog running towards your child and the owner is scrolling on their phone. A bit like saying most sexual abuse of children happens in the home so don’t be too worried about that strange man who stares at the children’s playground.

Jesus you really have it in for little dogs! At least people can pick them up and control them!

Let's look at the fact that those that can't now legally buy Bully XLs are getting Cane Corsos! A large 50kg dog that's already banned in several countries and another several have strict breed specific legislation for them! Too many people have this desire to have danger breeds or any breed they can teach to be an aggressive status dog! That's why all dogs should be on leads because too many like their dogs to be aggressive and risky!