Aggressive off lead dogs - wwyd?

[Michen]

The beauty of HHO a thread going from aggressive dogs, to whether you should carry a lead if you never use it, to whether you should hack with your dog, to dog poo (with a bit of feeding thrown in there), to insurance. All in 6 pages ?

 

[AmyMay]

I think it needs picking up everywhere? I pick up on footpaths, bridleways, roads fields etc. It is a offence not to pick up. The only place you dont have to is on your own land. Even if not the law its a moral obligation surely? Nothing worse than owners who dont pick up.

That’s actually not the case. You are required to pick it up on pavements and public parks/spaces. However, forestry is exempt - where stick and flick is the expectation. As are many public footpaths - again where stick and flick is recommended.

 

[Sandstone1]

That’s actually not the case. You are required to pick it up on pavements and public parks/spaces. However, forestry is exempt - where stick and flick is the expectation. As are many public footpaths - again where stick and flick is recommended.

Stick and flick possibly quite difficult from a horse? I did say its a moral obligation if not legal.

 

[AmyMay]

Stick and flick possibly quite difficult from a horse? I did say its a moral obligation if not legal.

Yep, completely agree with you.

 

[Clodagh]

Stick and flick possibly quite difficult from a horse? I did say its a moral obligation if not legal.

Well it has absolutely never occurred to me to traipse over a bit of rough grass to pick up a dog poo. They don't go on tarmac and are on leads in livestock fields so as far as I'm concerned job done.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Well, if you're on your own land you can do what you like , but it is advised that dog poo is picked up from livestock fields.

https://www.nfus.org.uk/news/news/dog-walkers-urged-to-clean-up-faeces-on-farmland

Neosporosis can cause abortions in cattle and is thought to be responsible for the highest percentage of all cattle abortions reported in the UK. Neospora eggs are produced by infected dogs and excreted in their faeces. Cattle will then become infected if they eat food, i.e. grass, or drink water contaminated with the eggs.
Sarcocystosis is also caused by parasites, which can use dogs as intermediate hosts, and similarly the eggs are produced and excreted in faeces.

 

[Michen]

Well, if you're on your own land you can do what you like , but it is advised that dog poo is picked up from livestock fields.

https://www.nfus.org.uk/news/news/dog-walkers-urged-to-clean-up-faeces-on-farmland

Neosporosis can cause abortions in cattle and is thought to be responsible for the highest percentage of all cattle abortions reported in the UK. Neospora eggs are produced by infected dogs and excreted in their faeces. Cattle will then become infected if they eat food, i.e. grass, or drink water contaminated with the eggs.
Sarcocystosis is also caused by parasites, which can use dogs as intermediate hosts, and similarly the eggs are produced and excreted in faeces.

I think thats what Clodagh meant, they are on leads so don't poo in livestock fields.

Honestly though, do many people's dogs just poo in the middle of a path (well, I know some do, as they bloody leave it there) !? On the rare mine doesn't do her morning routine in the stable if I've not been up, mine has to take herself off into a hedge or somewhere very much off track and find the "exact" right spot which is where I suppose other people flick it too!

 

[palo1]

Well, if you're on your own land you can do what you like , but it is advised that dog poo is picked up from livestock fields.

https://www.nfus.org.uk/news/news/dog-walkers-urged-to-clean-up-faeces-on-farmland

Neosporosis can cause abortions in cattle and is thought to be responsible for the highest percentage of all cattle abortions reported in the UK. Neospora eggs are produced by infected dogs and excreted in their faeces. Cattle will then become infected if they eat food, i.e. grass, or drink water contaminated with the eggs.
Sarcocystosis is also caused by parasites, which can use dogs as intermediate hosts, and similarly the eggs are produced and excreted in faeces.

This is a horrible infection causing considerable damage when it strikes. Farmers, including my family, however, rarely pick up their dog's poo however and when questioned (my Brother in Law has 7 sheepdogs - all needed and all well looked after) he tells me that as his dogs are wormed and treated correctly HE doesn't need to pick up the dog mess. But walkers on the footpath must. This is confusing to both of us and I think we both know that in fact, my Brother in Law doesn't pick up his dog mess because that would be essentially really tricky (7 sheepdogs all out doing different stuff at different times would probably need him to be a professional poo-finder and picker-up) and actually his cattle have never had neosporosis so he doesn't feel that it is vital. Thankfully my dogs have always pooed incredibly predictably at home, and none have wanted to poo anywhere 'public' (other than a greyhound who always wanted to poo in the most incredibly public places years ago; I never went anywhere without poobags and apologies when he was alive lol!!) I do think that this assertion/assumption that 'other' dogs/visiting dogs carry disease can be rather tricky actually...

 

[Michen]

This is a horrible infection causing considerable damage when it strikes. Farmers, including my family, however, rarely pick up their dog's poo however and when questioned (my Brother in Law has 7 sheepdogs - all needed and all well looked after) he tells me that as his dogs are wormed and treated correctly HE doesn't need to pick up the dog mess. But walkers on the footpath must. This is confusing to both of us and I think we both know that in fact, my Brother in Law doesn't pick up his dog mess because that would be essentially really tricky (7 sheepdogs all out doing different stuff at different times would probably need him to be a professional poo-finder and picker-up) and actually his cattle have never had neosporosis so he doesn't feel that it is vital. Thankfully my dogs have always pooed incredibly predictably at home, and none have wanted to poo anywhere 'public' (other than a greyhound who always wanted to poo in the most incredibly public places years ago; I never went anywhere without poobags and apologies when he was alive lol!!) I do think that this assertion/assumption that 'other' dogs/visiting dogs carry disease can be rather tricky actually...

Predictable pooing is a godsend and I fully attribute that to raw feeding Pepper!

 

[Sandstone1]

If you have a dog pick up after it, its not just that it can spread disease and cause blindness in some cases its pretty anti social not to do it. Not nice to tread in or for little kids to stand it fall in etc or get on pram push chair wheels etc etc, people let dogs do it in crops, that might be in your food or your horses hay.....
Yes dogs do in in the middle of footpaths. some are also fed absolute crap from the size and looks of some of it

 

[palo1]

Predictable pooing is a godsend and I fully attribute that to raw feeding Pepper!

Yes, Red IT is also raw fed and incredibly predictable and sparing with the poo thankfully!!

 

[palo1]

If you have a dog pick up after it, its not just that it can spread disease and cause blindness in some cases its pretty anti social not to do it. Not nice to tread in or for little kids to stand it fall in etc or get on pram push chair wheels etc etc, people let dogs do it in crops, that might be in your food or your horses hay.....
Yes dogs do in in the middle of footpaths. some are also fed absolute crap from the size and looks of some of it

Yes, everyone with a dog needs to be responsible. I do sometimes wonder about the quantity that farm dogs produce as a great many of them are fed on really quite poor (but cheap) food. If you need many dogs though - as folk round here do if they are grazing the mountains there isn't a very handy or cost effective way round that sadly and farmers seem to have lost the knack of feeding raw as they did historically. Of course, at lambing time a lot of sheepdogs get fed dead lambs, afterbirth etc. But that doesn't generally make a difference to the poo they produce all year. Crap dog food is not great for any of us!!

ETA - I wasn't intending to suggest that everyone should necessarily feed their dogs raw - sorry if that is how it seems here. I was just musing that historically working dogs probably had more raw meat and bones in their diet as that was the cheapest way to feed them and that probably reduced the amount of poo being produced.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I'm just back from walking a mountain road (I'm visiting my mother) he's the less reliable of the adults but he sits and downs at distance on command so I can catch up with him, it is well fenced, no livestock out and I can see for miles, the dog went a couple of times on the verge, I bagged/lifted it, it went in my pocket and into back of van then in bin when I got home. I hate seeing old dog crap lying around and if everyone left it, well, urgh.

 

[blackcob]

This is impressive derailment even for us. ?

FWIW I didn't think the poo debate even existed, the default is that you pick it up, right? With the exception of your own land, although when I go visiting and am on 'my' patch I still pick it up, 'cos that's where the horses eat and there's never fewer than five dogs about so we'd be up to our eyeballs in turds quite rapidly, raw diet or no.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I do think that this assertion/assumption that 'other' dogs/visiting dogs carry disease can be rather tricky actually...

Which assertion/assumption that it is other/visiting dogs? I was referring to any dogs.

 

[palo1]

Which assertion/assumption that it is other/visiting dogs? I was referring to any dogs.

Sorry - didn't mean to suggest that you said that! I was just musing about the way that 'some' dog turds are ok and others are not...

 

[Clodagh]

Well I’m truly astounded! Every days a school day. In summer poo is gone in a day or so. We have 8 dogs on the farm and you rarely see a poo.
They go maybe 95% on our land which may up the ante but no I’m not picking it up.

 

[Michen]

Think we should do a poll on what’s more outrageous. Walking your dog without carrying a lead “just in case”, hacking with your dog, not picking up dog poo ?

2/3- I’m guilty!

 

[Clodagh]

Think we should do a poll on what’s more outrageous. Walking your dog without carrying a lead “just in case”, hacking with your dog, not picking up dog poo ?

2/3- I’m guilty!

I’ve done all three at times. I should be banned!

 

[palo1]

I’ve done all three at times. I should be banned!

Me too. But it's ok because where I live I am certainly not alone. There are other people like us out there! Technically we should be living in a state of terror at the loose dogs, wading knee deep in dog turds and causing horrible accidents due to hacking with dogs...or something like that. But we are lucky enough here that it is not like that. The farmers are friendly on the whole to the people living in the village with their pugs, poodlechoos etc who want to use the footpaths. Drivers and locals walking, running, driving and cycling are considerate to random horse riders with dogs. The dogs seem sensible generally and get told off or restrained by their owners when they are not. Dog turds probably discreetly biodegrade in the hedges - I dunno, I don't look for them and am not struck by how much dog poo is about generally. Children don't come home covered in any kind of animal faeces and old people are not regularly knocked over by naughty pets. I feel very lucky in this situation tbh!!

 

[Sandstone1]

I am just sad that people dont just pick up as a matter of course. Its easy to do, quick, and just part of being a responsible dog owner in my opinion anyway.

 

[CorvusCorax]

There'll soon be a market for infrequently defecating dogs/those who's poops disappear after just a day ? definitely doesn't happen round here, it can take weeks and weeks, I'd say it's more likely being eaten than biodegrading.
I expect the people who let their dogs crap on the verge outside my house think it will biodegrade, rather than it getting stuck on my shoes or my dog's feet any time we leave the house.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I expect the people who let their dogs crap on the verge outside my house think it will biodegrade,

But the dog crap on your verge probably magically vanishes, doesn't it, so the perpetrators feel vindicated?

Nothing to do with a cursing CorvusCorax picking the stuff up when she finds it outside her house ?‍.

If I forget to poo pick the turds in the garden for a few days they don't vanish, they stick around.

 

[Clodagh]

I promise my dogs don't poo on anyones verges. Or paths, pavements, roads or footpaths. I am sure that I'm not the only person on AAD who doesn't scoop every poop but I can see why the others are keeping their heads down.

 

[CorvusCorax]

But the dog crap on your verge probably magically vanishes, doesn't it, so the perpetrators feel vindicated?

Nothing to do with a cursing CorvusCorax picking the stuff up when she finds it outside her house ?‍.

If I forget to poo pick the turds in the garden for a few days they don't vanish, they stick around.

Did you hear me lol. I went through a phase of 'highlighting' them with powder spray a few months ago too ?

 

[Moobli]

If walking at home I never used to take leads as I live right on the moors and can walk for hours in most directions without ever crossing a road. The sheep are also my hubby’s (well he is farm manager on the Estate) so no worries about angering
an unknown sheep farmer with my off lead dogs (they are always under control around livestock, and always on a lead around other people’s).
Since lockdown I do carry leads at all times as you never know when and where you’ll bump into other people with dogs, cyclists, horse riders, joggers etc. Away from home I always carry leads.
I guiltily admit to not always picking up after my dogs. If we are out in the middle of nowhere and they go in the heather or undergrowth away from any paths or trails then I think it’s probably more environmentally friendly to leave it to naturally biodegrade. I do religiously pick up around the yard, garden, tracks, paths, beach etc etc .
More annoying to me is when I come across bags full of dog sh*t hung in trees, thrown in bushes or just thrown on the floor ?
I’ve never hacked out with dogs but if the dog is really well trained and not in danger of annoying or scaring other people, pestering strange dogs, getting into traffic and causing accidents etc then I imagine it’s a great way to exercise them and very enjoyable for all concerned.

 

[blackcob]

Oh goodness yes, I'd rather people left it than bag it and hang it in a tree like a shitty bauble.

 

[Michen]

What a sensible post!

If walking at home I never used to take leads as I live right on the moors and can walk for hours in most directions without ever crossing a road. The sheep are also my hubby’s (well he is farm manager on the Estate) so no worries about angering
an unknown sheep farmer with my off lead dogs (they are always under control around livestock, and always on a lead around other people’s).
Since lockdown I do carry leads at all times as you never know when and where you’ll bump into other people with dogs, cyclists, horse riders, joggers etc. Away from home I always carry leads.
I guiltily admit to not always picking up after my dogs. If we are out in the middle of nowhere and they go in the heather or undergrowth away from any paths or trails then I think it’s probably more environmentally friendly to leave it to naturally biodegrade. I do religiously pick up around the yard, garden, tracks, paths, beach etc etc .
More annoying to me is when I come across bags full of dog sh*t hung in trees, thrown in bushes or just thrown on the floor ?
I’ve never hacked out with dogs but if the dog is really well trained and not in danger of annoying or scaring other people, pestering strange dogs, getting into traffic and causing accidents etc then I imagine it’s a great way to exercise them and very enjoyable for all concerned.

Me too. But it's ok because where I live I am certainly not alone. There are other people like us out there! Technically we should be living in a state of terror at the loose dogs, wading knee deep in dog turds and causing horrible accidents due to hacking with dogs...or something like that. But we are lucky enough here that it is not like that. The farmers are friendly on the whole to the people living in the village with their pugs, poodlechoos etc who want to use the footpaths. Drivers and locals walking, running, driving and cycling are considerate to random horse riders with dogs. The dogs seem sensible generally and get told off or restrained by their owners when they are not. Dog turds probably discreetly biodegrade in the hedges - I dunno, I don't look for them and am not struck by how much dog poo is about generally. Children don't come home covered in any kind of animal faeces and old people are not regularly knocked over by naughty pets. I feel very lucky in this situation tbh!!

 

[TheresaW]

Bo always positions himself right into a bush/undergrowth when he has a poo, so I do leave it. Luna, being always on lead, I tend to flick hers into the bushes.

I have poo bags in most of my pockets, and always clear up after them when road waking.

 

[marmalade76]

Is this not something you should report to the police? Four large out of control dogs on a PROW behaving in a manner that is frightening other members of the public? Isn't there something in law about feeling threatened by dogs?