To expect dog owners to keep their dogs under control?

[topher40]

My son and I were on the beach the other day when a dog came charging out of nowhere and almost knocked him flying .I asked the owner to be a little more considerate and she did apologise BUT 20 minutes later the same person was with another group who had 3 dogs which all came running over to where we were. Now I am not paranoid about dogs, I grew up with them, but I think it is a little off to allow your hound just to run around where there are small people especially when they are obviuosly not in the control of the owner. When I got a little testy with this person they gave me a look as if i was at fault. I have no problem with people walking their animals but is it unreasonable to expect them to keep them under control?

Agree with you Tethersend - of course dog owners can't tell whether their dog will ever attack someone. Take my nan's 'lassie' dog for example. He was lovely all his life - he slept on the same bed as me and my sister, would lie on the floor and have his tummy rubbed etc and never flinched when we played with him. Then when he got older and less tolerant, one day he bit a lady who reached over to stroke him and badly bit my grandfather on his hand. He was put down as he just wasn't the 'same' dog and couldn't be trusted. This is only one example and please don't think I base all of my knowledge of dog behaviour on that one dog but it's an example of how a dog can be one thing one minute and then competely change.

I always train my dogs to chase children round the park, then wait for the hoard of boden wearing flat bottomed mums to come and batter me with their rolled up daily mails.

Its my favourite past time.

I think the designated areas you describe blauer would be a good idea. And if they ended up covered in dog shit because some owners didn't pick it up, then at least it's not a problem for the general public.

I train mine to hide behind bushes and leap out on unsuspecting people. It's much more fun. My dogs are sooo playful.

Exactly BlauerEngel - makes complete sense to me. Why we couldn't have the exact same rules in the UK defies logic.

Tethersend, what a waste to put sweet little doggies on a boat trip. We could deal with them here.
wolf.ok.ac.kr/~annyg/english/e5.htm

Goblin

Although at the same time.

Is this just a recurrent thread?

Personally (and I'm a dog owner) I'd back a 'all dogs on leads at all times' policy as long as there was some provision for playing (dog parks as per the US)

Thereagain, I have a very large garden and I often host 'dog parties' for a few of my friend's dogs...

As BlauerEngel says - it is a compromise and, if you do have 'dog only' areas, it's very likely people will be less and less inclined to pick up poo.

I know there are areas I WILL NOT let my 20MO off freely to roam because I know there is a reasonable chance he'll step in something.

In fact, I bought an annual pass to whipsnade to avoid this.

But, (got to be a bit argumentative!) I KNOW my dog wouldn't ever bite / attack. I just know it. he told me and I trust him with my most treasured and precious things...

tethersend - The dog and the owner both signed the contract.

Dogs are animals ffs! They are by their very nature volitile, it's not as if humans are any different.

You can't know what anyone dog or human will be capable of in the future, it just happens less with humans as we are civilised. (Well in the main ) Trying to say otherwise is just stupid.

ROFL @ Slightlystressed

Yanbu topher. I absolutely hate it too.

Neither I nor members of my family leap at people slobbering on them and smearing them with mud etc. Nor do we all crap everywhere we fancy. If we did, we'd end up with a visit from the police I should think.

Why do some owners (quite a lot of owners it seems) think it's ok for something that they are responsible for to do it? Why are there not more stringent laws regarding dogs? I really wish there were.

I think that dogs that are not controlled should be kept on leads and that there are certain places where dogs should not be running free - children's play areas, places where there are lots of other people etc. I recently had an experience where a dog came up to see my guide dog - on a busy platform of reading station - I kid you not, and the dog was not on a lead.

There are certainly some dog owners who are completely blind to their dogs, and who even if they have a well behaved dog are just completely stupid - letting a dog off lead on a railway station has to be a prime example of that. However

There are also some people who are completely hysterical about dogs.

The reality is that dogs do not just turn from the beloved family pet into toddler-killing monsters. If a dog bites there is almost always a reason behind why the dog has bitten, and in the cases of children that have been killed by dogs recently, they were all either guard dogs, or illegal breeds known for their agression.

some dogs are agressive and should be kept controlled as a result. But contrary to the belief of some on here (and tbh I've only ever seen this attitude on mn and never in rl,) dogs are not all monsters just waiting for the chance to kill us all.

I HV A PTBLL AND HS SCRY BT I HV A BG LEAD AND A BG BF AND HE KEEPS IT UNDR CNTRL LoL

And Rainbowinthesky - I couldn't do that with my lab - he's too fidgetty!!!

That is slightly different to your 'no dogs off leads ever' Luciemule! I don't think anyone would object to BlauerEngel's suggestion, but I can think of many (myself included, vehemently) who would disagree with your's.

We have two dogs, one of whom needs copious amounts of exercise. We take them to the local rec, which I have never seen used by kids as it is a very boring area next to a nature reserve, no play equip etc. Our dogs have always returned to call (bar the littlest when he was teeny, but we trained him in remote fields and now he is 99% perfect), but I know not all do. Ours will sprint off, sniff a bottom then return...they never linger. However it is incredibly frustrating when we're trying to walk and other dogs come to do the same to ours, but then don't leave. We can't walk on as the dogs come with us away from their owners, so we have to linger. Sometimes the owner is frantically trying to get them back, other times they're just strolling along, completely unawares. V annoying, when we're walking the dogs our focus is on them.

To extend the Romanara's car analogy... can you be certain that your car will never hit a pedestrian?

Did this dog jump up at your child or knock him over?

No?

Just ran 'near' your child but didn't cause him any harm?

Then YANBU!

Dog owners need to train their dogs not to jump on people.

And if the dog is aggressive then it should be muzzled and on a lead.

Otherwise, what's the problem?

Dogs need to run and exercise.

Agree with Wannabe

And SpicedGerkin - I know my dog wouldn't bite as clearly as I know my son will never sprout wings and fly.

Ditto...anyone who has met my dogs can see very clearly that neither of the soppy gits are capable of anything resembling aggression!

I just think it's a business opportunity tethers, RSPCA and the like could set up a franchise so they have a profitable way of dealing with all those dogs that get dumped by their loving owners. They could be self-financing. A useful and tasty way to deal with the huge surplus, and even the most vicious child-eating mutt could be rendered tender and sweet with the right marinade.

UABU you shoudl have one of these - it stops all unwanted dogs

you know that there will be stupid owners that spoil it for all the sensible owners so get one and use it when you don't want a dog jumping up on you or charging towards you.

I have another idea that would work but it is illegal

Do you people who know their dog wont bite anyone ever, think that everyone whos dog did bite knew they would or is it possible that maybe they felt like you?

They are animals FFS!

Yes you can minimise the risks but that doesn't mean it will never ever happen, i am aware that for the vast majority they wont ever bite anyone but there is always a small even miniscule chance they might, to say otherwise is very deluded.

Big fat YAY for Standandeliver for putting this rather non-event in to perspective!

Of course dogs can be nice and then become grumpy in old age, in which case you then have a grumpy dog that might bite people, not a nice dog anymore. That is not the same as a lovely child-friendly dog that sleeps on the kids' bed suddenly attacking someone the same day. That is a load of bollox and I'm hiding this thread now because people just bash out the same old rubbish on this never-ending subject.

Many of the animals who have turned on people have been poorly bred and trained. Poor socialisaiton and treatment in the early months/year can leave an animal untrustworthy from then on. We've had ours from 8 wks, and know his breeding and heritage.