I was at a very large, busy playground yesterday with my toddler. A couple who were there with their toddler had tied their dachshund to the buggy, which was on the rubber floor next to the equipment. The park has a sign up saying no dogs, as most parks do. The dog started to do a little squat like it was about to wee/poo, the woman said oops and quickly took the dog and tied it to the fence at the far side of the playground. But the dog got anxious when she walked away and started whimpering, so she brought the dog to stay with them as they went around the playground.
A few kids were really excited by the dog so I suppose the couple were emboldened by that, and when I saw them later, they were full-on allowing the dog to play on the equipment. I saw them taking the dog on the roundabout, over a bridge on a climbing frame, and challenging the dog to run up a slide and meet them at the top!
I was annoyed and I don't know whether I should have been or whether I'm just being miserable. I don't think that individual dog was doing any harm, really, assuming it didn't piss anywhere. There were some kids who were really happy to see it. But the couple were obviously pleased they'd found this hack of getting around the issue of dogs not being allowed in the playground, by simply keeping the dog with them at the playground. And I don't like the idea that people there could see that and think "I'll bring the dog with me next time because apparently it's fine". I have been to a playground where dogs were actually allowed (in a popular field for dog walking with no fence around the playground for some reason) and it was hell! Dogs cocking their legs against the equipment. Skid marks everywhere. More than one dog that became suddenly aggressive and had to be quickly caught and put back on the lead. And indeed people taking their dogs up the climbing frames and down the slides like they were children.