Dogs and small children on scooters

[Molesworth]

I posted a rant about this in Chat, but - now that I've calmed down a bit - I'd love to have some opinions on this.

In my local park there is a designated dog exercise area, the only bit of the park where dogs are allowed off lead. It's not a large area (more of a long thin strip really) and probably comprises about 10% of the park's total area. In this bit of the park cycling, skateboarding and rollerskates/blades are prohibited. I don't know what the specific reasoning behind that prohibition is - probably as much to do with annoying pedestrians as dogs - but it's great, because a lot of dogs don't like fast-moving wheelie things. The problem is that there are always small children on scooters in this area of the park. Personally, I think the parents are mad to allow their small children to race about on scooters in an area where dogs are loose. My dog isn't aggressive but he is frightened of scooters and could easily snap at a child on a scooter if it were to whizz past him at close quarters (well, actually he has done this already once when I was caught unawares).

Should scooters be banned from this area? The children have the other 90% of the park to go about their business, unmolested by dogs! I'm thinking of writing to the council.

Any opinions? What is the situation in your local parks?

It sounds as though scooters are probably meant to come under the umbrella ban of bewheeled stuff, but people are ignoring it.

I would write to the council for clarification if I were you - maybe they could change the sign.

This happens here on the designated dog area - it has a lovely big hill, which obviously draws children who want to ride down on bikes/skateboards. It drives me bananas, because as soon as we see a child my dogs have to go straight back on their leads. They aren't scared of scooters/bikes, but are pretty keen on chasing things moving at speed, and in my experience parents tend not to be too keen on their children being chased by rottweilers, however friendly they are!

Thanks FF and good point about dogs chasing fast moving wheelie things - maybe I will drop them a line to ask for clarification. I feel a bit of a meanie doing that in that the long strip where dogs are allowed off lead is a great place for kids to go on their scooters, and - to be fair - the children's playground (fenced off) is right next to the dog area. Then again if parents won't or don't think of their child's safety around dogs, perhaps a ban on scooters in that area will prevent something nasty happening in future?

I often hold my dog by the harness until a bescootered child has gone past and sometimes the parent(s) give me a dirty look - WTF?

agree scooters should be banned

plus if they are playing in a doggy area, they are likely to fall in poo

BB thanks for your POV. Actually, when my dog did snap at a scooter he was on lead and we were walking along the pavement, not in the park.

Of course all dog owners should keep their dogs under control at all times. I am vigilant all the time (this is why I either put the lead on or hold my dog by the harness if I see any lairy kids running/scootering towards us). However, in a park where 10% of the space is specifically designated as a dog exercise area, and, within that small area, other wheeled things (bikes, skateboards, rollerskates) are prohibited, I think that scooters should also be banned. They have the other 90% of the park to enjoy, after all.

I didn't think you were being mealy-mouthed BB! Just to clarify, the incident when my dog snapped at a scooter happened partly because he was on his lead and therefore had no means of escape, and partly because I didn't notice the scooter coming. Now I'm super vigilant and will cross the road if I see a scooter coming towards us. If he had some sort of fixation about scooters I would certainly seek help from a trainer, but this isn't the case. He reacted that once because the damn thing was whizzing past within centimetres of him, he was frightened and he couldn't get away.

You're also right that a ban on scooters in the park would be difficult to enforce - our dog area is also en route to the children's playground. But I have emailed the council to ask for clarification [curmudgeon emoticon]

You make a good point about avoiding walking the dog at the peak hours of the day when children are most likely to be causing a nuisance on their bloody scooters playing in the dog area. I must admit that I do tend to walk him around the middle of the day, so perhaps a change of routine will help my blood pressure