Am I being a 'Karen'

[babydogandi]

I'm part of a Facebook group to do with dogs. After the announcement yesterday someone posted that if they will still be taking their dog out 2-3 times a day because it's unfair not to. I said that this is wrong because this is deliberately flaunting the rules, I've been jumped on saying that they will get multiple people in the household if it becomes essential so their one except use a day is used for the additional walks. To me to keep people safe I said that I would've thought your hours exercise should be taken as a family unit to stop interacting with other people depending on what time you walked. I've been told by admins that until further notice there is nothing wrong with walking your dogs 2-3 times a day and that I need to stop being a 'Karen'. Am I understanding this thing wrong? I don't understand deny people are finding it so hard to stay at home. Dogs adapt and I'm sure they'd rather you be alive then dead because you didn't follow the rules 🤷🏼‍♀️

^ what’s weirder is that meme uses a famous person’s photo! (Who isn’t called Karen!!)

@babydogandi ah yes you did - sorry.

Well you’re right and they know it. People get aggressive when they know they’re in the wrong.

Personally I’d drop it because you can’t argue with stupid and you’ve said your piece. Most people would re-evaluate what they were doing after a spat but if they carry on then it’s up to the police to deal with if they deem it a problem.

@Cornettoninja think you're right. Especially annoying when people who have the virus have said they are still taking their dogs out and about!! That's just a massive no no

I'm continuing taking mine out twice a day, it's only for twenty minutes and it's very rural and I never bump into anyone during normal times, never mind out now.

@Alyic funnily enough I didn't hear the part of the announcement that said the rules were different for people living in the countryside...funny that.
Stop breaking the RULES and walk your dog once a day

Sorry OP but I'm becoming increasingly fed up with individual mumsnetters interpretations of what was actually said.

We are a household of 3, we are each taking the dog out separately for our one allowed outside exercise slot per day. I have not read anything to suggest that all family members should go at once. Going separately seems better for the dog so he gets his usual 3 walks - and yes if the government instructions change we will comply with whatever they are.

Oh sorry OP I didn't read your opening post correctly- ignore me.

I can just about see how someone might split their hour into 2 half hour walks if they've not got the same options to share dog walking and couldn't get wound up about that.

But OP you've missed the first rule on all things Coronavirus for some people: I am more unique and special than anyone else, so are my DH/DC/pets, and therefore whatever guidance is given applies to everyone else other than me and my family.

RAPCA advice

@rookiemere sorry, I didn't explain myself clearly. First post and been up with DS 😂 wish I could go back and edit 😂😂

From the way your OP reads, the poster said they'd walk their dog more than once a day, and you pointed out that's against the rules.

They seemed to accept that, and responded that they'd send different family members out individually instead, which is within the rules.

That wasn't good enough for you and you've come back to give them another serve with your own advice/opinion that goes beyond the rules. THAT would be annoying and while I dont like the way they did it, I can understand the group rounding on you, everyone is thoroughly sick of reading exaggerations and opinions on social media that don't line up with the facts.

So if your a single person with a dog and no garden your dog gets one chance to go out for a pee and has to hold on then until the next day! I don’t think that’s gonna work somehow.

@BinkyandBunty nope not what happened. I've already said I haven't explained myself very well the conversation was as follows
OP - I will be taking my dog out 2-3 times a day as no one can stop me and no one will know about it
Me - government guidelines state you should only be going out once a day
(This went back and fourth - first Karen is mentioned)
Me - for myself we are going out as a family as I'm hoping to limit our contact with different people. To me it would make sense if it was implemented this way but I understand at the moment it is not
OP- I will be taking my dog out myself 2-3 times a day off lead for normal walks otherwise it is cruel.

I apologise I didn't explain myself properly. First post and should've read it through a couple of times as I thought I could edit it 🙈

@iusedtoloveopalfruits1 it has been recommended you go to you nearest toilet spot (preferably as close to your house as possible) let your dog do it's business then return home

OP, you said the right thing.
Why can’t people understand how fast this virus is spreading? And we don’t know exactly 100% all the ways it does do but we know enough to be able to comprehend that we need to stay at home.
The dog will survive with minimal walk or even with no walk if it comes to that- which it might if people keep flaunting the rules.
If the updates pouring out from Italy over the last week don’t make it clear enough, I don’t know what will.
If there was a random new deadly dog virus going around and the advice was to keep dogs at home otherwise lots of dogs will die, would people still maintain the dog needs x walks a day? No, they’d keep the dog in the house to protect it.
I have always had dogs. I currently have a dog which needs to be active and gets consistent good quality exercise, average 2h/day. We are an active family, in good health always on the go. It stopped. It has to. Only 2 shorter walks today out with different family member. Tomorrow will be 1 walk as the others might go jogging in the woods or to the allotment or stay at home. I don’t see us leaving the house by Thursday unless absolutely necessary. The dog will go to the end if the road and back for the foreseeable future.
Please people, understand that even walking the dog and exercising outside contributes to the spread of this virus.

My daughter takes the dog out in the morning and my son takes him out in the evening. Nothing wrong with that.

I've only just got my head around the 'Wendy' thing. Please Mumsnet don't bamboozle me further ...

The once a day outdoor exercise per person is NOT compulsory. Use common sense. Open the windows when at home. Exercise at home. Use the garden or balcony if you are fortunate enough to have one however small.
At least we still have the choice of following the rules. Those who die don’t.

Complete tangent but I am thrilled to discover that Karen is now a shorthand for a bossy and overbearing woman.

My upstairs neighbour from hell who harassed me for months about everything and nothing and eventually had to be called off by environmental health for being a bitch from hell nosy parker is called Karen.

That's literally the best thing that's happened to me this week. Which says something about the times we live in.

@thepeopleversuswork I managed to get onto Ocado after waiting for 5 hours. Most exciting thing that happened 😂😢

babydogandi OK you've got me there. That would have made my year.

Coronaviruses transmit between humans and other animals.

I bet you don’t take your dogs out when they are the ones at risk.

It is a shame that you do not show similar concern towards other people.

By the way vets are people too.

Yes, the rules are the same in the countryside, because it would be pretty difficult to make specific laws depending on different levels of rurals. But in reality if you live somewhere where you can walk and you don't encounter anyone, what does it matter if you go out twice? If you don't encounter anyone, you are not spreading the virus, so why does it actually matter if someone breaks that rule? Rules are there for a reason, but if that reason isn't valid, why should somebody continue to blindly follow it? Some people don't have common sense, absolutely. Others do.

In terms of the 'walk as a family' thing I'd also suggest that that might be worse, since if you are walking alone and you encounter someone else, you can more easily keep 2m away from them. If you're walking three or four together, say on a pavement, you/the other person has to do a lot more to avoid each other. That's why the government is suggesting parents only take their children to the shops if they have no choice.

@Iamamoleinthegarden Covid-19 doesn't spread from dogs to humans though. Maybe some coronaviruses do but the WHO have said there is no evidence this one does.

The 'one rule for countryside and one rule for urban' areas annoys me.

Sure, you won't see anyone or get fined. But if people living in urban areas can get their dogs to survive on 1-2 walks a day then so can you. What is about STAY INDOORS that you think doesn't apply to you?