to think that an "oh dear, sorry about that" is a piss poor apology from a dog owner......

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Whose sea-drenched dog bounded up to me and jumped up at me on the beach, and then bounded over to 3 yr old DS and jumped all over him and knocked him over?

Both of us were filthy (was a late afternoon stroll - no swimsuits etc) and although the owner asked if DS was okay (he wasnt hurt), when I replied that he wasnt hurt but he was now filthy dirty - he just said "oh, okay" and wandered off....

Top girl LEM!! Your dog sounds lovely .
The reason I wouldn't put my dog on the lead on the beach is that he's very rarely interested in greeting people, far more interested in squeaky toy I usually have with me!
On the beach with ball games though, he'd be on a lead.
I generally only take him on the beach in the mornings and evenings though when there are fewer people around.

He has once run off with a football belonging to a group of youngish boys. Luckily they thought it funny but I was VERY apologetic and he gave it straight back when I told him to!

(I meant top girl in that you obviously know when your dog can be off the lead and when it's best to put him on)

Most times our dog comes back when off lead and I am always hyper alert to little ons who may be afraid and so put her on lead. Also on the watch for white trousers if we are near water and again put her on lead.However,I must admit there have been some close shaves of which I have been mightily embarrassed- never knocked anyone down though or covered them in paw prints!

I don't know, dog ownership is not as fun if you can't let your dog have a run now and again so I do think it is essential to teach a good recall for everyone else's sake.

Your last comment made me think, objectivity, and if/when we return to the UK I don't think I'd ever have a dog again. There are too many people trying to share too small a space for it to be fun any more, for the dogs and the owners. Sad but true.

Yes, I almost posted about the too many people, too little space dilemma, because that's the crux of it oftentimes isn't it?

thanks wigparty - sadly he is no longer with us He was my best friend, i lost him about 6 years ago and have had two dogs since, but he was my first very own doggie all to myself and he was fab . I now have a mad JRT who is just about learning that the whole world is NOT his play ground and he has to come when called.

Wellies that's sad , it is a good point though. Perhaps we could all get a small rat dog that just sits in our handbags?

My rotties (both gone now ) were trained to sit whenever i told them too and wait for me. So if i saw another dog or children etc they would sit and stay and wait. I used to do this for two reasons. One so obviously they would be under control. Two because actually, it put people at ease to see that i could control them even at a distance. Oh and three, because dogs can often become defensive if approached or approaching another dog on a lead so if my dogs were just sat and the owners of the other dog weren't fussed to put their dogs on the lead, i could just let them go and play.

My JRT is jimmy no brains though and has virtually no recall so he is on the lead when people around.

lol i used to have a rat chihauhua too that lived at my parents house, i used to take him and the rottie out together - got some very strange looks

I'm really tired of the quite angry 'He won't hurt her!' response when I try to get my child away from a dog who has snatched something out of her hand or come up to her sniffing her. Well maybe your dog won't! But I'm not interested in how nice your personal dog is! I think she should be wary of dogs who run up to her and I will always try to separate them immediately. Do dog owners not understand this, do they have to get it straight that their dog has been slandered?

No offence to anyone who owns very very small dogs! I think I'd just get confused about whether they were dogs or not .

Sure I remember a story about one that got squashed underfoot and no one even realised ...may be an urban myth though.

lol - its ok wigparty, i call my JRT - "runty rat dog".

Starlight, I'm with you and would have been even ruder. But then I think people who insist on inflicting their pets on others are inadequate anyway. Dogs are a smelly, messy unnecessary nuisance, cats a threat to wildlife and most other animals that are kept in houses but not for food are fairly pointless.

Ah no, but a JRT is a small dog, not a very very small dog . We had scotties when we were growing up and I loved them.

Wow solidgold, you don't mince your words - how about guide dogs and hearing dogs? Not unnecessary, more of a lifeline.

Glad I don't live in your perfect world, it sounds bloody awful

yuck i hate strangers dogs

Don't most parks have dog free areas though? Our beach has a dog ban in the summer and dog allowed areas.

solidgold, I agree that owners shouldn't inflict their dogs on people. It works both ways, when I'm walking my dog on her lead that amount of children and adults who fuss over her is unbelievable. Luckily she is a calm and friendly dog, but what if she wasn't? I hate other children petting her.

Here's some more: Drugs dogs, mountain rescue dogs, police dogs, earthquake rescue dogs and the most unnecessary of all, pet dogs, perhaps providing vital company to an elderly or lonely person or similar.

A dog pissed on my rucksac on the beach a couple of years ago, and when I asked the owner if she was even going to aologise (she was watching from a distance, doing nothing) she said really sarcastically and nastily 'oh, what do you want me to do - pay for your dry cleaning?' and then was rude and abusive when I said the offere would have been a good start.

I would like to agree with Spidermama - have nothing against the dogs...but some owners just use them as an extension of thier own self-centred incosiderate ways.

I've been bitten, too, by a young German Shepherd (teeth bared, snarling, ran at me while i was running in park) whose owner assured me 'he doesn't mean it, he's just playing'.

Agree wigparty about solidgold.
It's such a cliche and so ignorant when people say about cats being a threat to wildflife. It's nature FFS!!
I pity anyone who hates animals. If the'r children are the same, they're really missing out.

Keep your hair on.
I wasn't referring to your post. See solidgold's post and you'll find out what I was referring to.

working dogs are generally kept under control and well-trained. pet dogs are just props for the inadequate. People who are witlessly sentimental about animals are generally self-obsessed as well: they always seem to think that their stupid shitting noisemaking creature is the exception so you get dogs running round no-dog zones barking and pissing and jumping about, people who turn up to your house with their revolting animal without having asked if you mind etc.