Did everyone buy a dog this weekend?

[fankino04]

As a dog walker I have a pretty regular routine of which dogs I'm walking where at what time and as such tend to meet the same dogs each day, occasionally there's a one I haven't seen before and I assume owner is later or earlier than normal or someone is visiting friends / family and brought their dog. The last few days though I'm seeing 2-3 new dogs on each 30 minute walk. Really hoping this isn't lots of people I've not seen before just coz the weather was bad and they didn't take their dog out.

 

[AmyMay]

It’s Easter. I’m currently surrounded by idiots, a walk at 7.00am solved one round of bumping into them

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I think people change where they walk according to the weather I know I do I tend to use woods in winter more, the open fields are too muddy and windy also they may go at different times now it's lighter.

 

[Hackback]

It was the same during COVID. I'd never seen so many people I didn't recognise out walking their dogs. I could only imagine they usually took their dogs further afield for a walk.

 

[dogatemysalad]

It's the same every spring. At the first sign of more sunlight, everyone with a dog or a horse likes to enjoy the promise of warmer, lighter days. Its a relief after the long, dark winter months.

 

[MurphysMinder]

A friend and I were just having a similar conversation. Dog walkers appearing everywhere who we've seen no sign of through the winter. In a lot of cases I suspect they just don't walk as far in inclement weather.

 

[Archangel]

I went to the beach this afternoon. The place was packed. The dog and I headed inland to the depths of the forest to escape them.

 

[ArklePig]

I feel like people think this of me! Me and Mr AP tend to go at slightly different times and we take a morning each, and I go random different directions and at differing times on my day. Some people don't have routine, we're just chaotic!

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Easter holidays will be changing people's routines, as well as the weather as previous mentioned.

 

[On the Hoof]

SChool holidays, we are seeing lots of people idiots that we dont know and are also changing our walking time to avoid them.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I feel like people think this of me! Me and Mr AP tend to go at slightly different times and we take a morning each, and I go random different directions and at differing times on my day. Some people don't have routine, we're just chaotic!

You're not alone! Sometimes our main walk is the morning, sometimes lunchtime & we try to go different places. As we don't have a routine, we don't see the same people.

We do sort of have winter routes & summer routes but we don't stick to them religiously either!

 

[SilverLinings]

I work with several people who think that having a job or the weather being 'bad' is a legitimate reason not to walk their dogs, even if that means they don't get walked for weeks, or they only get a quick walk at the weekend. After a nice weekend they will often come back to work and announce that they went for a dog walk at the weekend like they deserve congratulating. I have given up trying to explain to them that there is probably a strong link between the lack of exercise and stimulation and the dogs' destructive behaviours

 

[Archangel]

even if that means they don't get walked for weeks, or they only get a quick walk at the weekend.

That's really sad, poor dogs. What is the actual point of having a dog for people like that.

 

[SilverLinings]

That's really sad, poor dogs. What is the actual point of having a dog for people like that.

I've got quite cross with them (the owners) before about it, and a couple of other people have also spoken out. Some people really seem to see dogs as 'things' that you own, not sentient beings- or it just suits them to believe that.

As speaking to them has made no difference I now avoid any talk about dogs with them as I can't bear to hear it frankly. A lot of people don't deserve to own an animal (or have children in some cases IMO)

 

[Ample Prosecco]

We walk different places all the time. Doing the same walk every day sounds very boring to me! I like exploring new places.

 

[AmyMay]

I've got quite cross with them (the owners) before about it, and a couple of other people have also spoken out. Some people really seem to see dogs as 'things' that you own, not sentient beings- or it just suits them to believe that.

As speaking to them has made no difference I now avoid any talk about dogs with them as I can't bear to hear it frankly. A lot of people don't deserve to own an animal (or have children in some cases IMO)

My stepson used to announce with great pride that he’d taken the dog out. Used to make me furious. She had a sh!t life and a very sad end. Broke our hearts.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

I saw the pointer I haven’t seen for months yesterday as I was coming back from somewhere in the afternoon. She used to get walked mid morning, I guess they’ve changed their routine. We tend to go around 10.30/11, the pester power is strong by then!

 

[Jenko109]

Yesterday was so lovely that I just walked the dogs in a random direction and figured that we would see where we end up.

When the weather is crap, we have set walks.

When its lovely outside, I dont mind getting lost and being out longer than expected.

 

[P3LH]

For balance - the Easter break may mean work changes for others like me.

I’ve bumped into people on walks this week I haven’t seen in months due to timings of walks or locations, as I’ve been around at times and places I wouldn’t usually be in the week. I’m sure they probably think I vanish for months in end - despite stomping around in all weathers.


I would agree there has been a surge in fair weather walkers though. You can always tell by how the dogs look and act like they’re on day release.

 

[Hannahgb]

Now the clocks have changed there is time after work to go further afield than when I was chasing the light and having to stay more local

 

[CorvusCorax]

It's the weather/holidays around here for sure and as mentioned, you can tell by the behaviour/condition of the dogs that they don't go out that much.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I've been taking our pup, with the older dog , to the woods this week as I have some time off. They usually go round the fields twice a day but I'm taking the opportunity to get pup out and about. Monday and Tues were glorious days here, the woods were packed. Yesterday not as nice, woods were a lot quite. Today rain was forecast and it was virtually empty!!

 

[poiuytrewq]

I walk all different times of day, as above different places according to weather or which dogs I have.
If I have all 3 we go round the farm off leads. If I have just Cec and lots of time we go explore footpaths in the hope of meeting other dogs. We rarely do. He’s so badly socialised it makes me sad.
He does have some friends, in particular a pug called Martha

 

[skinnydipper]

Our early morning walk we usually do same place, same time. She has a good sniff, catching up on the p-mail and leaving her own messages and she meets her friends.

Afternoons we go somewhere different each day, for her benefit and mine, river, woods, countryside footpaths, parkland.

Things I don’t like to see and wonder why they bother having a dog:

Owner face in phone, ignoring dog
Ear buds in, ignoring dog
Attentive dog, oblivious owner
Dragging elderly dog along more quickly than it can comfortably manage
Marching along with dog on lead and not allowing sniffing or scent marking – dogs should have the freedom to express normal behaviour.

 

[Morwenna]

Things I don’t like to see and wonder why they bother having a dog:

Owner face in phone, ignoring dog
Ear buds in, ignoring dog
Attentive dog, oblivious owner
Dragging elderly dog along more quickly than it can comfortably manage
Marching along with dog on lead and not allowing sniffing or scent marking – dogs should have the freedom to express normal behaviour.

I hate this. There’s a gorgeous spaniel I often see being walked. Owner has those huge headphone on and is completely oblivious to her dog who is constantly checking in but getting nothing back. I love my walks with mine, we do some training, some playing, some letting her run around and just be a dog.
I also hate the stupid woman who comes into the park and stands right at the entrance with her ball chucker and spends 20 minutes endlessly throwing a ball for her dog making it really hard to get past her for anyone else wanting to come in or out.

 

[AmyMay]

I hate this. There’s a gorgeous spaniel I often see being walked. Owner has those huge headphone on and is completely oblivious to her dog who is constantly checking in but getting nothing back. I love my walks with mine, we do some training, some playing, some letting her run around and just be a dog.
I also hate the stupid woman who comes into the park and stands right at the entrance with her ball chucker and spends 20 minutes endlessly throwing a ball for her dog making it really hard to get past her for anyone else wanting to come in or out.

I’d be telling her to move.

 

[blackcob]

Well, I got the pup all the way to 16 weeks before meeting our first off lead with no recall numpty, but this weekend was absolutely going to do it. I hadn't seen any of today's dogs before.

 

[Morwenna]

I’d be telling her to move.

I do. Not always politely

 

[maisie06]

I would agree there has been a surge in fair weather walkers though. You can always tell by how the dogs look and act like they’re on day release.

My spaniels act like theyare on day release on EVERY walk!!!! - They go out and do something twice a day, sometimes 3 depending on work!

 

[fankino04]

See if I was meeting these new dogs in Nice scenic walking areas I'd be inclined to think it's just people enjoying the extra time in Easter holidays and going a little further afield, but I'm mostly meeting them as I'm walking out of a clients house or down the street. Just a little sad that it seems some people only want to walk their dogs when the weather suits them