Things that bother me about dog owners.

R

RobinWren

Member
Location
BC
This is what I was thinking about on my walk this morning. Dog owners who do not pick up after their dog, very irresponsible and it happens so often even in the dog park. Dog owners who pick up their dogs when they see another one coming, why do they do that? Most often it is small dogs, do they not want to socialize their dog? Owners who take their puppies to the dog park then I have to put my dog on a leash because he can be very reactive towards puppies, and I can be told off . Some owners will be just fine but others can be nasty, I wish vets would tell puppy owners what they might expect. My dog was a street dog for 3 years before he found his forever home, he is a wonderful companion but puppies just set him off.
 

I doubt anyone likes it when a dog owner does not clean up after his/her dog.

Owners pick up their dogs when they see another one coming in order to protect their dogs. It does not mean they don't socialize their dogs.

If your dog is reactive to puppies, you should put it on a leash, and I'm glad you do. The problem is not that you can be told off if you don't leash your dog. The problem is that your dog could injure or kill someone's puppy. Your dog's reactivity should not prevent other dogs from being able to use the park. I wouldn't take a puppy to a dog park, but not everyone thinks the way I do.

I don't take my dog to dog parks. The main reason is that there may be people-aggressive or dog-aggressive dogs there. Another concern is that there are dogs at parks who are not trained well, and thus their owners have little control over their off-leash dogs.
 
During my walks I sometimes run into a man with a lovely little dog. The dog barks and jumps up a lot. I thought it was a poorly trained puppy until the man said he’s ten. It’s time for the man to teach his dog some social skills. It really wouldn’t take much; I can tell the dog is much smarter than the man.
 

WheatenLover said:
I doubt anyone likes it when a dog owner does not clean up after his/her dog.

Owners pick up their dogs when they see another one coming in order to protect their dogs. It does not mean they don't socialize their dogs.

If your dog is reactive to puppies, you should put it on a leash, and I'm glad you do. The problem is not that you can be told off if you don't leash your dog. The problem is that your dog could injure or kill someone's puppy. Your dog's reactivity should not prevent other dogs from being able to use the park. I wouldn't take a puppy to a dog park, but not everyone thinks the way I do.

I don't take my dog to dog parks. The main reason is that there may be people-aggressive or dog-aggressive dogs there. Another concern is that there are dogs at parks who are not trained well, and thus their owners have little control over their off-leash dogs.
Click to expand...
I don't know if you're aware of it, but after hearing about this, I witnessed it myself at a dog park.
A dog owner (usually a Pit Bull that the owner wants to train to fight) will bring his dog to a dog park to allow him to attack another dog. The owner will pretend to be surprised & will leave the park & praise his dog.
 
I choose not to expose my dogs to other dogs. I have 3 dogs, all different. The largest is the best behaved and has never been agressive but because of his size and breed he can be scary to other dogs. Humans are just as nervous. He would never hurt another dog or person unless he knocks them down when playing.

The second is the trouble maker, he will tend to try to prove to others he is in charge. He does not like strangers in the house so he has to be put behind a baby gate. He will nip at the plumbers ankle if he gets the chance, so, no, he does not get get the chance. Oddly enough, he seems to accept and understand a normal visitor. He may bark at first, then this person is a friend he settles right down.

The third, the smallest, will throw a fit if a stranger comes in. She likes to think she is tough, can put on quite the show but wil lrun off, hide under the bed. She has no desire to bite or fight. She just reacts with barking as a defense to a preceivd danger even if it does not exist

The first dog came to me after his owner passed. I knew the dog well and he had stayed with me before, knew the dogs in my home. The trouble maker was from a rescue so I did not know his background. The third, I got from the local city shelter, she was born there, had no trauma but once she came home she was rarely left alone. Even now, when she sees me getting dressed and putting on my shoes, she knows I am going out, runs to the bedroom and puts herself safely under the covers. When I return, it maybe 15 minutes or 2 hours but I am treated like a movie star, she is so happy I have returned. She has been here 11 years, she knows I will come back so I do not know why she worries when I leave.

It is the responsiblity of the owner to know their animals, to take proper care and to limit or avoid any situation that could get them hurt or put anyone in danger.
 
Nathan said:
Our 2-1/2 acre property is fenced, and I've cleared a path inside the perimeter for walking the dogs. I would love to take them to the county park, but my dogs are small, and there's always some jerk that doesn't keep their large dogs leashed.:cautious:
Click to expand...
Same here. We have 1 acre fenced. When we do walk on trails I always pick up my senior Jack Russell when a strange dog approaches. He's grown very timid with age and doesn't see well. I'm also worried that he will bite another dog that frightens him and start a ruckus.
 
There are walking trails in my city and I took my previous dog (RIP); a miniature poodle, there several times a week. Most people did pick up after their dogs. I always carried sandwich sized plastic bags and put my hand inside it, picked up the poop and turned the bag inside out trapping the poop inside the bag and then trashed it in one of the many trash cans along the trail. There seemed to always be those jerks that allowed their dog off lease and their animal would come charging when seeing my dog. I would pick up my smaller dog not knowing what the unleased dog was about to do and hear the jerk off in the distance yell that their dog was “friendly”. Sure it is until it’s not.
 
I slept on my boat one night at the marina. In the morning it was a long walk down a maze of docks to a marina restaurant for breakfast. Someone's dog had pooped on the dock, which happens because it's a long walk to the shore and dogs are often on the boat for long periods of time. I figured/hoped the owner would come back and bag it. An hour later I returned to my boat. The poop was still there, a big one like some kind of German sausage. Someone had taken one of those long thin bamboo shish kabob skewers and stuck it into the poop with a neatly printed sign at the top:

The owner of this dog
is an asshole!
​
I wish I had my camera at the time.
 
I love dogs but I haven't owned one in 44 years. I just enjoy other people's dogs, at least most of them. I can "borrow" a dog any time I want. In fact, I used to make really good money dog-sitting.

When I go to someone's house, I certainly don't expect them to shut the dog away. After all, it's the dog's house, not mine. But I also don't enjoy getting walked all over when I'm sitting on the couch and wearing nice clothing. I have an acquaintance whose large dog is "ball-obsessed". He has a ball that's really just a huge orb of spit-slime and he insists on dropping it in my lap in case I have an overpowering urge to throw it for him. If I flick it off my lap (which is now covered with flecks of slime), he'll just keep trying to drop it in my lap again. I try gently pushing him away, but he never gives up. By then I'm covered with hair and slime. His owner thinks it's "so cute........he really likes you!" No, it's not cute. It's annoying.

If you notice your guest is uncomfortable around the dog, then make an attempt to keep the dog away from them. Not shutting then away, but perhaps calling the dog to you and keeping them by your side.
 
There’s a bylaw here that dog waste must be picked up. Most people do. At the head of trails, there’s a garbage can and compostable bags are provided. I would guess they have the same at city dog parks.

When I walk through one subdivision, I now see signs in front of homes indicating to not let your pet pee on the plants.
 
Dogs that keep their mouth shut and mind their own business are fine with me. Most unfortunately don't, and their dumb-ass owners don't give a damn. If you complain, you are the problem.
 
My experience with "friendly" dogs. I love to pet strange dogs. I always ask first, though. Several years ago, I was walking in my old neighborhood when I met up with a young couple walking an elderly Golden and a mixed-breed younger dog (it was part Rhodesian Ridgeback and part lab). We chatted and I asked if I could pet the dogs. They said yes, they were friendly dogs and I petted the mixed-breed dog first, then the old Golden, then the mixed dog again and was turning to pet the old Golden when the mixed dog with no warning bit my wrist.

The bite drew a little blood, nothing but a couple of tiny punctures but I was gobsmacked. The young couple were horrified and rushed into the house to get bandages and antiseptic. They assured me that the dog was completely up on shots. We exchanged names, addresses and phone numbers and I said all I needed was proof of the dog's shots and an assurance that if complications arose, they would be responsible. I got that in writing and they had the vet's office fax me the shot records.

I healed just fine, so all was well. I was, however, more careful after that about petting strange dogs.

When we were spending months in RV parks and national parks, I'd always carry a pocket full of small dog treats whenever I went out on walks. I'd ask for permission to pet and to give a treat. It didn't take long for every dog in the park to know who I was and they'd strain on the leash to get to me. It was fun to meet all the dogs.

One of the funniest experiences was when I was walking around a RV park near Portland, Oregon. I came to an RV site that had a fence around it and a very old Golden in the yard. The dog hobbled over and offered me a bedraggled stuffed animal that the owners said was her favorite toy. They said, in return, she'd like to hold your watch for a few moments as she had an obsession with watches. So I took off my watch (a Walmart $12 model, so I wasn't worried about it) and handed it to the dog. She took it, went over and laid down in the grass and stared at it for a couple of minutes. Then she picked it back up and brought it back where I exchanged it for her stuffed animal. Every day of the week we were there, I walked by and let her admire my watch while I got to hold her stuffie.
 
My gripe with pet owners will probably make some folks upset and defensive. So I am going to try to take care in making my point so I offend as little as possible. I hate that breeds such as the pit bull and others bred for aggression have become so common as family pets. I hear all the time that someones dog is “so friendly” or “good with the kids”. That is simply not the point. Anyone who has owned a bird dog such as a pointer or setter knows that the point is no longer taught….it is now part of the dog’s behavior. Some dogs were bred for herding…border collies are an example. And some dogs have been bred to fight…prized for their strength and aggression. It is one thing to own these dogs if you have such a purpose…but in my humble opinion to take breeds that were developed over the years and expect them to change in your home is perhaps a bit egotistical. There is a rather terrible website for those who want to research death by dog….dogsbite.org. Sorry…i am going to pet my old schnauzer/poodle cross.
 
Muskrat said:
My gripe with pet owners will probably make some folks upset and defensive. So I am going to try to take care in making my point so I offend as little as possible. I hate that breeds such as the pit bull and others bred for aggression have become so common as family pets. I hear all the time that someones dog is “so friendly” or “good with the kids”. That is simply not the point. Anyone who has owned a bird dog such as a pointer or setter knows that the point is no longer taught….it is now part of the dog’s behavior. Some dogs were bred for herding…border collies are an example. And some dogs have been bred to fight…prized for their strength and aggression. It is one thing to own these dogs if you have such a purpose…but in my humble opinion to take breeds that were developed over the years and expect them to change in your home is perhaps a bit egotistical. There is a rather terrible website for those who want to research death by dog….dogsbite.org. Sorry…i am going to pet my old schnauzer/poodle cross.
Click to expand...
I might be one of those people that have a breed some would fear. I have a 90lb pure bred chow. He was not a dog I chose, he was the companion of a dear family friend. My friend died of a sudden heart attack. The dog had stayed at my home many times when the friend traveled or was in the hospital. The dog was brought to me the night his owner passed.

He is too big a dog for me but no others stepped up to the responsibilty of taking care of this animal. He is a good sweet loving dog, I have two little dogs that are more likely to snap and bite. This great big dog bows down to my 12 lb. chiweenie. He never causes a fuss, it is the little dogs that do that. I feel bad, he needs someone that can walk him, play chase in the backyard.

I will say I feel safer with him here. He goes to the door with me, I hold onto his harness, he does not bark, but makes his presence known. He will bark day or night if he hears something. I think anyone will think twice about being on my property if they see or hear him. I also recognize, I am responsible for the actions of this dog. I do not walk him because if he chose to take off I could not control him. He is gentle with me and my two little dogs but realize he could really hurt people or other animals. I am very careful to make sure he is contained, not to be put in a situation that could make him react. That is the nature of animals, if they are backed into a corner, feel unsafe, they can hurt others. Every dog owner must realize there is a possibility their animal might bite or attack. It is just the nature of things, not always in our control.
 
I love dogs. Some people don't take the time to properly train and socialize their dogs. That makes it difficult for the dog and the people it encounters. I don't like being jumped on. When I object, I'm told that the dog is jumping on me because he likes me. If I don't tolerate it, then I don't like dogs. What I don't like are owners who don't control their dogs' behavior. You can't blame the dog. It needs to be trained.

If a dog can't behave properly in a social situation, it needs to be promptly removed before something unpleasant or dangerous occurs. If the dog can't handle social situations then the owner shouldn't expose it to people or other dogs in the first place. I've made sure that my dogs are well trained and socially acceptable.

People also need to be trained to clean up after their dogs. It's beyond unacceptable not to do so, it's rude and disgusting.

Bella ✌️
 
Jace said:
How 'bout leaving the dog in the backyard who keeps barking and barking in that low, annoying..Woof, Woof,, Woof
to get back inside 😠😡😠
Click to expand...
As far as dogs being left outside and barking uncontrollably, it shouldn't be allowed. It's abuse to leave a dog chained up outside alone all day. There are laws where I live that prohibit barking for more than ten straight minutes.

Several years ago, I had a neighbor who left their dog outside for hours on end, day and night, in all kinds of weather with not even a dog house for protection, and it continually barked. It never shut up! I complained to them numerous times to no avail. One early morning while it was snowing, about 1:00 am the dog was still outside barking its head off at mega decibels. I'd had enough and put on my coat and boots and trudge over to their house. I saw a candle burning through the window, so I know they were home. I banged on the door. No answer. I banged again, no answer. I started yelling at the top of my lungs, "If you don't stop the barking, I'm calling the police!" (Up to that point, I'd never called the police on anyone.) I yelled it again and again, then I walked back home. I didn't have to call the police because, about five minutes later, the barking stopped. What a miserable life that poor dog had. As far as I'm concerned, those people should have been arrested for neglect and abuse. Thank God they moved away.

Bella ✌️
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top