Responsible dogs.

[onesea]

As a dog owner of 40kg non pit bull type dog (he’s a hound) and another mutt Colley  ish type mixed breed (20kg). I have noticed people have become increasingly wary of the “big dog”.  “ You can never tell any dog can turn”, the big dog is the most soft mutt you will ever meet until 3 days ago he had never harmed any one or knocked anyone over.

 

Interestingly not the little dog which is always on a lead as her behaviour to other dogs and prey drive is massive, she also jumps up the one they need to be careful of.
 

Following recent incident when my big dog ran from the side across path of a jogger they collided, jogger fell over. It was not in anyway deliberate, by the dog ( the worst he has done in the past is barked at joggers past close by him unawares and scare him, on these occasions the jogger is normally as surprised as he didn’t see the dog either and there is no issue). This jogger was back on his feet so quick I don’t think my dog really knew what he had done.

 

Jogger was prompt in coming over to me rude, aggressive, evasive etc with me, to the point I was left shaking, demanding I give him my details. A third party noticed 5 minutes later when I got back got the Carpark.  

 

I have had subsequent phone call from police  and been told he must be on lead at all times jogger are likely - so basically all the time they creep up from all over often surprising me.  The police also commented he says he has frequent problems with dogs on his jogs. 
 

However the jogger agreed my dog was not in anyway aggressive, that was not a problem. It seems his attitude and approach to me was to be expected, my dog was in the wrong.

 

I cannot help but think that the only acceptable dogs now are near un achievable.

 

They can no longer approach people, have to stay 100% un reactive to people who run cycle past feet or even inches away.  Cannot expect people to think running dog maybe I should drop from a jog for a moment just incase? (Not seen he might chase etc) People throwing balls for dogs cannot expect other dogs to be interested?  Having pick-nicks should not expect dogs to even interested? Horse riders should drop from a gallop? Before this I had found myself increasingly putting him on lead just incase people don’t like a big dog. Now for a whilst atleast he just won’t be off the lead.
 

Approaching people or dogs, he learned to go 10 - 15 foot away and see what reaction he gets. Or drop to lied down and wait to be approached often this results in fuss or a play.

He is not always perfect (is any dog)and until recently his behaviour hardly ever got questioned. Now he either gets he’s a loverly dog, sometimes with compliments about his good behaviour, alternatively he’s a big dog and needs to be under control.

 

I should  add this is on open ground in the New Forest not small parks etc.  where people density is much greater.

 

Yet the small dog who is difficult (but very friendly with people) rarely gets a mention.  

 

For the last few days I have noticed instead of the dogs joining me in day to day errons they have stayed at home. I have minimised my time out of the house, I don’t need the abuse.  It’s a day off gone 11 and normally I have walked dogs and am doing my daily bits by now.

 

Am I the only one, feeling all large dogs are being branded as viscous. 

 

[S-Westerly]

The family now have two dogs - both crosses with poodle in the mix. The larger one which is still a puppy and really friendly (likes to jump up to greet hence lots of muddy coats but is being trained out of it). The smaller looks like a cuddly Teddy bear but hates being approached by strangers who frequently especially children need to be warned off as they want to cuddle him which he won't tolerate at all. Previously we had a Patterdale terrier who was a typical terrier but loved children. People were nervous of him but if a child approached all he'd do would be to lie down and roll over for a belly rub. Of course he'd do that in the filthiest path you can imagine but....

[manxie49]

Dog ownership is getting more and more frustrating.  We now have a Labrador, and have noticed that more places are becoming "anti-dog", cafe's, beaches and a lot of parks now having very restrictive rules in place.  My wife was approached by an extremely rude couple recently, in a local plantation, saying to her "I hope you pick up after that dog" (which we always do), then shouting the odds at her about people who go there and don't clear up dog mess ..... As if that's my wife's fault!  I was also shouted at by some tool who sped past me on a e-bike, on a greenlane, shouting at me to get my effin dog on a lead.  It feels like the world is becoming anti everything!  The more I see of this world, and some of the dick heads in it, the more I prefer the company off of dogs.  I also think people need to educate themselves and their little luvvies before approaching and trying to pet dogs down, some dogs don't like it.  But I guarantee, if the dog bites someone because of it, then it's always the dogs / dog owners fault. 

[Nick the wanderer]

Sounds like you had a bad experience with a jogger who has history with dogs. Too many people are offended by the simplest thing these days, a simple accident whilst out and about. Hopefully it won't affect you for long.

One thing I have noticed around this neck of the woods is the emergence of dog fields. You hire the field for around £10 an hour, all enclosed with all sorts of bits and bobs for training your dog. We tried one with our Jack Russell just for a look, he enjoyed it, surprising how quick they learn with a bag of treats. 

Would soon get expensive if you did that every day but it made a change, your collie could go wappy in a place like that.

[Tiggie]

My Wife is scared of strange dogs, she is fine when she has met them and spends time with them but always gets scared when we are going for a walk and dog walkers come towards us. 

 

I however am more on the lines of " Oh look at that German Shepherd, I'm going to see if the owner will let me say hello " 

 

Strangely enough she has never been bit by a dog or had a bad experience with one.

[onesea]

With my little dog if anyone said "I don't mind if she jumps up" my response for years has been "no but others might".  It's normally a well recieved response. The little dog doesn't jump at us, it brings no reward. The big dog doesn't jump,  he's learned there is no reward.

 

Infuture if someone asks (or just does) pet my dog my response may become "they would love it but sorry no they might approach someone that doesn't like dogs".

 

Dog poo yes I have had same experience (most have) bag in hand, I hope your picking that up taking that home.  No I am putting it in the dog waste bin over there.  Only to find the council have removed select poo and waste bin .

 

People where dumping poo bags and waste where the bins were.  This has been going on for years and the council normally repent, sorry replace the bin that was taken for repair .

 

@Nick the wanderer  dog parks £15 an hour and we use them atleast once a week (we have 3 (where once 4) within 5 miles off or house) so the little dog can have a run and they can have free play, with a little training thrown in.  Every day that would mount to over £5000 pounds a year.

They also generally don't have the distractions that are needed to teach reliable recall.  The one that did have small road with horses, cyclists cars etc  beside it got closed down due to dogs barking!

 

Today going to the boat another boat & dog owner, complimented me on my dogs behaviour, he also commented on dogs now requiring to be on a lead (mine were) on the harbour pontoons/ property, news to me. 

Explains why I hadn't seen his dog on the pontoon for a whilst.

 

However I have used the pontoons in the past to teach recall, they are great cars, people, dogs ducks and swans. Yet they cannot get to them.

 

If they pass that test they have a good enough recall IMHO

 

One once tried and failed low water, defeated by sea wall rolling back through thick estuary mud .

She climbed back on pontoon a little dirty , was taken to a nearby cold hose and washed (much to peoples amusement) walked back to the car mid winter and .

 

Boat owner that came to pontoon would accepted they would walk past (and be used as distraction eg fuss) a puppy dog, or give us chance to put them on a lead without complaint.

 

It does seem the world has become less tolerant, not just dogs. With people using social media egging each other on to become more and intolerant.

 

Motorbike exhausts, Pub music, amature boat yard noise, industrial noise, dogs barking, fire works, children playing football, the local skate park, train horns. Among things that people have complained about locally.

 

Net results skate park closed after 1800, more kids on the street, vandalism up,  train crossing that got closed (less dog walks), pubs closing down, less jobs.

Edited January 25 by onesea

[Fozzie]

I was thinking about this recently and speculated on it. Over covid, a lot of people got dogs, in addition to kids and all sorts. Outside activity was suddenly held in a very high regard. Now we are a few years down the line with the "new normal", which involves a lot of people working from home and can take on more responsibility like a dog. 

 

I think this has caused a surge in bad behaving owners, there's a lot more dog muck on the pavements and parks now. Unfortunately the impulsive types who went for the dogs often end up being the lazy ones too, which courts challenge from the "serious but sensitive" types. This jogger sounds like he has it in for dog walkers, to the point the police know it. Wouldn't be surprised if he outright tried to ensure it happened. It'll be bad eggs on either side causing trouble for all in the middle, and influencing others as well. 

I've also seen a large amount of dog walking and day care businesses open up around my area too. I imagine keeping track of 6 dogs at once is hard, and a lot of dog muck is missed. They are often lethal on the roads, I guess being distracted by the multiple over stimulated dogs in the back. It all leaves a bad impression on other people.

 

I don't think the police have enforced anything on you, it's just a polite request. So I suggest just carrying on as you were, especially if the dog is good on recall and doesn't fuss others. I'd have a big dog, but I'm very allergic. Doesn't stop me wrestling my friends Alsatian though   

[RideWithStyles]

Just to be clear i so much prefer dogs over cats but for medical reasons struggle badly with both ..though I Think cats should be treated with the same responsibility of proper ownership, walked on a lead  (like dogs) and have the owners pick up there shite and be accountable for their pets actions (shiting everywhere, attacking people and other pets) at least its fair, i will go no further on that matter.

 

Back to dogs- just outside cafes and so forth they have been very much hit and miss with staff and customers...

Wifes work place were thinking of trialling place allowing dogs in the cafe but really i saw it just a disaster waiting to happen as she said it..one thing is some of the staff  and other customers like dogs but are allergic to them so is it fair that they should have to deal with that, plus its the awkward situation of then having to ask the to leave or wait ages till an area is clear of all those effected, shouldn't be staff to clean up after the pooches either when they are busy enough as it is.

cos the problem isnt the we'll behaved ones but the ones you cant tell that are the problem.

it was bad enough when they on the outside perimeter bit:

the waitress was carrying food and stuff and was no where close enough to step on it by the way, it leaped out under the table, past the chair pulling on the lead that moved the chair that someone was sitting on while it attacked, bit and had to be pulled off the leg of the waitress (that alsmost dropped the hot coffes and so forth at a different customer to the side before it half mauling its own owner last year...this was apparently a good well behaved dog according to the owner.....
again those are instances but as like with animals (and people to be fair) they are very much unpredictable especially in outside environments....

 

If i was to see a DINK  in the armour of society are to my thinking down to poor decisions of some owners (there is a wide view on that note) but mostly lack of training (both owner and pet) that should be done and verified for the greater benefit and at least covers a good owner (of not instinctively being branded allsorts) while also keeping a track of the poor ones that let slip. its easy to buy a pet and that is that but no actual training enforced for the pet or owner to have a license by law to try and insure that that person or pet is correct for society. This would help with accountability, maybe help reduce attacks, noisy disturbances, fouling, negligence and discarding of animals and give the RSPCA and othwr shelters a bit less strain, it help covers all bases better and fair for all. How many hoops did you have to do just to get you license, job, house.....a lot generally that thats for yourself let alone a living thing. 

 

if your not a problem its not a problem at all.

Like wtf should someone who has no idea be able to go anywhere buy a living creature that didnt have a choice if it was you or not treat it as THEY deem correct (i refer to as poorly) just because it was cute for the first few months but now cant be arsed... is that right, no. 

 

With the runners, they need to be more considerate and think of "what if" to other users too like what WE do on bikes and horses... so for example what if this young child on the bike up ahead topples over cos i scare the shit out if it if i pass TOO fast and too close? Then the adult runner would be at fault for not thinking of others and being a f**kwad which case its the same as your dog and the up his own ar*ehole you encounted.
So i think that the copper should of educated the runner too in his poor decision and suggested a helpful way to avoid it but id doubt that.
sounds like even if your dog was on the lead, the runner would have come a cropper from the dog or the lead itself anyway so maybe the nobber needs to think beyond his own selfish interests. What he could of had done a cough or "on your six" or clicker about 18foot or something before closing in on you to make it blanetly aware of his presence.

 

So if i was in power i think runners should have full dayglow reflective clothes (lights boths sides at night) and bells on them if they run in public.

 

 

Edited January 26 by RideWithStyles
Auto correct decided to be racist.

[S-Westerly]

Lots of pubs and cafes in my area allow well-behaved dogs. Not witnessed any issues with them so far. Joggers and cyclists though are often a pain in the arse not all but a sizable number.

Edited January 25 by S-Westerly

[RideWithStyles]

Agree westy its not all or all the time but their are some rite nobbers (and pets) that need to be put back in check...until abit of balance is regained its easy to see why people do get fed up with it and just assume all or most are bad... once experienced never forgotten.

[Bender]

I've been bitten by a lovely German shepherd (3 times by same dog in one go) it apparently wouldn't harm anyone, had it not been running free it wouldn't have happened, I was running and i didn't surprise it, I didn't fall over it and attacked in an instant, I would have put the thing down myself if someone had handed me the bolt gun or syringe.

 

It could have been much worse.

 

It's not put me off dogs in the slightest and I'm certainly not nervous around them, I did  have another incident walking with a girlfriend round a lake when a large Heinz variety mutt off the lead again, started running towards us barking been here before, before I knew it I was running at the mutt full pelt screaming at it, dog nearly fell over backwards trying to Stop running, I chased it off up a path between houses then returned to where I had left girlfriend, on the way I passed the dog walker who had a few choice words for me and suggested I had some mental impairment should have had it on a lead is all I said, no idea if he ever found it.

[Tiggie]

We allow dogs to come into the chippy. Providing its not really busy so shop full and the dog is behaved it does not cause an issue. Apart from getting snotty looks off a woman once when I told her she was welcome to bring her dog in but not to sit the little handbag thing on the counter. Tried telling me her dog was much cleaner than our counter 

 

I once worked in a Jewellers and it was an open shop with display cabinets on both sides and an open entrance with no doors. People used to walk in with their dogs all the time (and smoking which was a pain in the arse to deal with all day) and same thing there, if the dog was quiet and not jumping up at anyone there was no issue.

 

[Pie man]

3 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

Lots of pubs and cafes in my area allow well-behaved dogs. Not witnessed any issues with them so far. Joggers and cyclists though are often a pain in the arse not all but a sizable number.

Its the same around our way, many cafes and pubs in the area allow dogs, our local cafe in the park provide water bowls for the dogs. Joggers and cyclists IMO are far worse than the dogs. We do keep the dogs on leads when in the park however, when we are walking over the fields, we let the dogs off their leads, but recall them when others come in the same area. We have a large dog owners community in our area, we often meet many of other dogs and their owners each evening on our walks.

I don't have to justify myself to anyone that I am a responsible dog owner.  As for someone shouting at me when the dog decides to take a will get told to f**k right off and mind their own business. I have very little patients for these imbecillus weak minded morons. 

 

Sorry: had a little rant there 

Edited January 25 by Pie man

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

I like dogs. No point having one with the hours I work. It's the owners who hang the poo bags on trees or fences, or just throw them into the undergrowth that annoys me. 

 

Why bother picking it up in the first place if you're just going to hang a plastic bag full of crap in plain sight? Better to just flick it in the hedge with a stick. At least it will decompose. 

 

The paths round here are lined with bags that stay there for weeks. 

[Pie man]

14 minutes ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

I like dogs. No point having one with the hours I work. It's the owners who hang the poo bags on trees or fences, or just throw them into the undergrowth that annoys me. 

 

Why bother picking it up in the first place if you're just going to hang a plastic bag full of crap in plain sight? Better to just flick it in the hedge with a stick. At least it will decompose. 

 

The paths round here are lined with bags that stay there for weeks. 

This reminds me of the Tree of Lost Soles (or, although in this instance ar*eholes). When I worked in Warrington, I used to pass through Woolston and the tree of Lost Soles, people would hang one shoe amongst the branches, it was quite nice to see, until the council cut it down. Tree Of Lost Soles: Council sorry for chopping artwork - BBC News

[S-Westerly]

8 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

I like dogs. No point having one with the hours I work. It's the owners who hang the poo bags on trees or fences, or just throw them into the undergrowth that annoys me. 

 

Why bother picking it up in the first place if you're just going to hang a plastic bag full of crap in plain sight? Better to just flick it in the hedge with a stick. At least it will decompose. 

 

The paths round here are lined with bags that stay there for weeks. 

Couldn't agree more, it really winds me up.

[Mawsley]

We’re lucky in that we are surrounded by walks in arable country. Can almost guarantee we’ll never see anyone when we’re out and about. 
 

But come bad weather, I usually take them up to the old WWII airfield. Springer is intelligent, probably more than the wife, and is excellent on command. Nine years we’ve been running out there without a lead. 
 

Till last month. 
 

Gamekeeper comes up aggressively to demand I put him in the lead because he isn’t under control and he has pheasants wandering aimlessly about the countryside. Lad was sitting at my feet, clearly waaay out of control!

 

Told him I’d pop him on a lead and go on other walks instead. He drove off. We carried on as usual. 
 

Once in a while we’ll go to the woods and quarry by the nearest town. Trees decorated with the bags of shit - I wish dog owners wouldn’t make life tougher for the rest of us. 
 

 

[Mawsley]

This one’ll grow up to scare folks - there’s something satanic about her

 

 

[Tinkicker]

We have noticed this more and more.  We have a flood control bank (sea bank as the locals call it) at the rear of the house that is about 3/4 mile long and is fully fenced in on both sides.  There are kissing gates at each end to allow access and of course, it is a great place for the village dog owners to let their pets off the lead and play.

The dogs have a wonderful time and all know each other.

 

Surrounding this area, there are 1000s of acres of open countryside with many pretty walking paths.

 

Recently we have seen quite a few strangers walking on the bank without dogs.  Either they have driven several miles to walk there or are new to the village.

  The local dogs have responsible owners who will call them to lead when they see someone approaching, but of course if the dogs have ranged some distance, this is not always possible.

The dogs can somehow sense if a person is not a dog lover and will keep their distance.  They never approach strangers unless they have a dog with them.

 

These people have become well known amongst the dog walkers for complaaining about dogs not being kept on a lead and frightening them.  The comment is invariably " this is a safe place for the dogs to be allowed to run free, and is acknowledged as the village dog playing area;  if you do not like dogs, there are plenty of other places to walk around here".

Yet these people continue to walk there and continue to complain....

 

I do not think they will find themselves compatible with village life.

 

Townies huh?

 

The sea bank can be seen under construction in this pic with the now buried reinforcement piles.  This pic is taken from a nearby footpath, yet these people still insist on walking through the dog playing area ( basically a bare railway embankment in appearance) and complaining....

 

 

Edited January 26 by Tinkicker

[onesea]

46 minutes ago, Tinkicker said:

We have noticed this more and more.  We have a flood control bank at the rear of the house that is about 3/4 mile long and is fully fenced in on both sides.  There are kissing gates at each end to allow access and of course, it is a great place for the village dog owners to let their pets off the lead and play.

The dogs have a wonderful time and all know each other.

 

Recently we have seen quite a few strangers walking on the bank without dogs.  Either they have driven several miles to walk there or are new to the village.

  The local dogs have responsible owners who will call them to lead when they see someone approaching, but of course if the dogs have ranged some distance, this is not always possible.

The dogs can somehow sense if a person is not a dog lover and will keep their distance.  They never approach strangers unless they have a dog with them.

 

These people have become well known amongst the dog walkers for complaaining about dogs not being kept on a lead and frightening them.  The comment is invariably " this is a safe place for the dogs to be allowed to run free, and is acknowledged as the village dog playing area;  if you do not like dogs, there are plenty of other places to walk around here".

Yet these people continue to walk there and continue to complain....

 

I do not think they will find themselves compatible with village life.

 

Townies huh?

The New Forest is same thing on grand scale, most dogs have (been trained to) grown up running free.  They soon learn to read each other and who are there friends.

 

My big dog is a hound nothing he loves to sprint a good distance to say hi to his friends. Meeting one head on the dogs play/ socialise whilst the owners catch up, owners say hi then walk on the dogs eventually catch up.

 

Sometimes you meet the dogs without the owner, the dogs have found each other and we are unseen on adjacent paths.  
 

I am pretty certain the Forest Ponies learn the dogs as well.

 

The only down side is allot of the dogs recall become a request. If a dog can think for themself they will, a mixed blessing.

 

That’s where School holidays and summer comes in the rules change you get the tourists, but there are places your normally ok.

 

EDDIT TO ADD:  COVID made dog walking really interesting, you never knew where you would find the socially distanced pick-nick.  That had travelled 100 miles to isolate.

 

Some would fuss and feed (I tried to discourage this) because others would demand you get your dog away.
On one occasion my response was  “well stop calling his name and waving a f**king sandwich at him”.

Edited January 26 by onesea

[RideWithStyles]

15 hours ago, Bender said:

it could have been much worse.

walking with a girlfriend round a lake when a large Heinz variety off the lead again,  suggested I had some mental impairment should have had it on a lead is all I said, no idea if he ever found it.

Sorry i just had the vision of you running at a large tin of beans....

Edited January 26 by RideWithStyles

[Bender]

2 hours ago, RideWithStyles said:

Sorry i just had the vision of you running at a large tin of beans....

Bet you would jump through hoops to see that, Heinze hoops

[Tinkicker]

2 hours ago, onesea said:

The New Forest is same thing on grand scale, most dogs have (been trained to) grown up running free.  They soon learn to read each other and who are there friends.

 

My big dog is a hound nothing he loves to sprint a good distance to say hi to his friends. Meeting one head on the dogs play/ socialise whilst the owners catch up, owners say hi then walk on the dogs eventually catch up.

 

Sometimes you meet the dogs without the owner, the dogs have found each other and we are unseen on adjacent paths.  
 

I am pretty certain the Forest Ponies learn the dogs as well.

 

The only down side is allot of the dogs recall become a request. If a dog can think for themself they will, a mixed blessing.

 

That’s where School holidays and summer comes in the rules change you get the tourists, but there are places your normally ok.

 

EDDIT TO ADD:  COVID made dog walking really interesting, you never knew where you would find the socially distanced pick-nick.  That had travelled 100 miles to isolate.

 

Some would fuss and feed (I tried to discourage this) because others would demand you get your dog away.
On one occasion my response was  “well stop calling his name and waving a f**king sandwich at him”.

 

 

This is one of our wolfhound pups.  7 months old when the pic was taken.  She is now 10 months and is starting to fill out.  She no longer needs to jump up to pinch stuff from the worktops.  Her head is above them now.  Everything has to be put away, or a large nose will start showing unhealthy interest in the ham for the sandwich you are making...

 

Edited January 26 by Tinkicker

[onesea]

Good old counter surfing, I lined the edge of the counter with pans etc on tea towels. any counter surfing would make a positive crash.

 

I don't think he does it any more, if he does we don't notice. We no longer find he's eaten the contents of the butter dish.

 

It was a 6 month old Irish wolfhound that taught mine to be gentle with little dogs.  He was about the age of yours, quite a bit taller than my 12 month old (he's about the size of a German Shepherd).

 

The owner was worried about them playing rough.  Eventually the inevitable happened.  They both ran into each other and mine went squeak, there's looked a little stunned.

 

The owner was apologetic I thanked them!

 

We have met since they play still gently. They had both also became much more gentle with little dogs.

[RideWithStyles]

i find most really bigs are the most plastid (depending on breed of course) while its full on "little man syndrome" in small dogs.