Message For Some Dog Owners!!!!

[paco]

On three occasions I've had a dog run up to me.

On two occasions, including one last week, the dog was aggressive.

The third time it was a whippet who was being playful but did nip me on the leg.

On each occasion, the dog owners were completely ineffectual. 

The owner of the aggressive Staffordshire didn't call the dog off at all and the other two owner's attempts were pathetic and half hearted.

I have a friend who is a dog walker.

She says that you need to shout at the dog. You call its name and say 'come here.' loudly..

If you are a dog owner, you need to learn how to control your dog, or keep it on a lead.

 

Edited August 21 by paco
I wanted to click the follow thread button

[Sephiroth]

I think dog ownership has gotten out of control both in raw numbers and in behaviour

Seems to be waaaay more dogs and owners around compared with 10-20 years ago. And I've been bitten in the last 6 months with a completely clueless owner who saw no problem

[HeadNun]

I’m a dog owner and I agree with you.  I watched as a guy sat on a bench in Peckham Park the other day, headphones on, glued to his screen, while his dog took a massive shit on the lovely flowerbed by the entrance. 
 

I step in dog shit all the time and have to interact with idiots who talk to their dogs like this they’re toddlers and know nothing about canine behaviour, body language etc. They simply cannot read their own pets and have no authority over them. 
 

Then there’s the bin situation - FFS if it’s overflowing don’t add to the pile on a boiling hot day. It’s not fair on the poor people who have to walk past or the poor council people who have to empty the bins.

It’s completely out of control 
 

 

[peristalsis]

.

 

Edited August 21 by peristalsis

[Angelina]

As a dog owner, I completely agree. I’ve been chased through the park by a dog, whose owner was completely ignoring it, in spite of me calling her, dog walkers who cannot control the number of dogs they walk, owners who don’t understand dog behaviour (yes, small dogs can be aggressive).

It’s not all dog owners though, and it might be better to label them as socially inept people, because really the lack of respect for other people and self entitlement is the main characteristic.
 

[Sephiroth]

Yep, it's not all dog owners (and some of my best friends are.. etc etc)

 

But there is no way of knowing when you leave your front door - how are the good and who are the bad dog owners and how will that play out arbitrarily as I go about my day

[Angelina]

If having been bitten has left you fearful of dogs, I’m sorry to hear that. 
You can report an attack, the owner is held liable ( Animals Act). 
I’d take photos of them and call the police.

[Sue]

It seems to me that possibly some people got dogs during Covid but knew nothing about dogs (and still don't know much) and other people see them as some sort of fashion accessory and mostly just ignore them.

I love dogs, but knowing the time, expense and commitment that goes into having, exercising  and properly training one,  I don't have one myself. I just say hello to other people's.

Edited August 21 by Sue
Changing caps on Covid

[CPR Dave]

3 hours ago, Sephiroth said:

it's not all dog owners

It is most of them though.

Time to ban dogs altogether. Not just for the antisocial behavior, but also because they are an environmental disaster. They cause a huge amount of unnecessary C02 emissions and the amount of food they consume when we have humans suffering famine in places like Gaza, Sudan and Yemen is quite unethical.

[Sue]

2 minutes ago, CPR Dave said:

It is most of them though.

Time to ban dogs altogether. Not just for the antisocial behavior, but also because they are an environmental disaster. They cause a huge amount of unnecessary C02 emissions and the amount of food they consume when we have humans suffering famine in places like Gaza, Sudan and Yemen is quite unethical.

Ban dogs altogether?

Guide dogs? Dogs who can detect various illnesses? Sniffer dogs who can find missing people and things like explosives? Guard dogs? Sheep dogs? Dogs who  provide friendship and comfort to people who don't otherwise have it?

And how on earth is reducing the food consumed by dogs in, say, the UK going to provide food for starving people elsewhere?

[malumbu]

11 minutes ago, CPR Dave said:

It is most of them though.

Time to ban dogs altogether. Not just for the antisocial behavior, but also because they are an environmental disaster. They cause a huge amount of unnecessary C02 emissions and the amount of food they consume when we have humans suffering famine in places like Gaza, Sudan and Yemen is quite unethical.

In deed but we can also look at ourselves and reduce our meat consumption.  Dogs unlike other carnivorous pets can have a vegetarian diet.

[HeadNun]

CPR is right - I was shocked when I discovered how much of our CO2 emissions are down to cats and dogs, what with pet food manufacturing, them shitting everywhere, plastic poo bags etc they are not environmentally friendly at all. 

I don't know what we'd do without our dog - it would leave a massive hole in our lives and it's so valuable for children to grow up with pets - but at the same time, I feel bad about it every day. 

6 hours ago, paco said:

I have a friend who is a dog walker.

She says that you need to shout at the dog. You call its name and say 'come here.' loudly..

If you are a dog owner, you need to learn how to control your dog, or keep it on a lead.

 

If a dog is trained well, you should never have to shout at it, unless it's done something monumentally bad. And it will only come back to you when you say 'come here', if it's trained to in the first place. So I'm afraid your dog-walker friend is wrong. 

The best thing to do is to sound excited when you call it, so it feels like a positive command, instead of a punishment. 

Edited August 21 by HeadNun

[malumbu]

I expect a lot of dog owners are not aware/bothered about the carbon footprint.  But there again this applies to non-pet owners as humans are the main species responsible for global warming.

To have a clearer conscience offset by sustainable and active transport, eat less meat and look for sustainable dog food.

Ps I love dogs but never felt the need to own one in London 

https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/food-drink/shopping-guide/ethical-dog-food

[paco]

On 21/08/2025 at 10:30, Sephiroth said:

Yep, it's not all dog owners (and some of my best friends are.. etc etc)

 

But there is no way of knowing when you leave your front door - how are the good and who are the bad dog owners and how will that play out arbitrarily as I go about my day

I agree. That is why I said 'Some Dog Owners...'