Irresponsible Owners

Pippity

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I'm just back from a long weekend in the Lake District, and I think I saw ONE well-trained dog in the whole five days. (A working-lines Lab on a bus, sitting quietly with its head on its owners knee.) The rest of the owners seemed to feel that the dog being on a leash was enough, and they didn't have to actually train the thing. And mostly, of course, in harnesses. One was heartbreaking - a tiny Schnauzer puppy, so new to collars that it kept trying to shake it off, being walked through a heaving town on a sunny Bank Holiday, with the owner paying so little attention that she kept accidentally kicking it out of the way or pulling it off its legs.
 

Christmascinnamoncookie

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You are objecting to dogs that are shut inside their own house barking at your passing dog? Not even dogs running up to their fence or gate?

That’s a bit extreme, isn’t it? At least the dogs are inside. Ideally the indoor dogs wouldn’t bark at passers by, but in my view as a walker it is my job to reassure my dog that they are safe and to continue their walk.

There’s a few dogs that do that locally. We just deal with it, my dog is in no danger as the other dogs are shut in.
Our Keeshond was very keen on letting you know that there was someone closing their garage door 10 houses up, or walking past-keen heating and not used as guard dogs for nothing.
 

Goldenstar

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Years I was sitting on floor resting my back against the sofa watching TV my friend was sitting on the sofa his dog a Doberman who I had know for around two years was lying on the rug in front of us .
With out warning the dog met my eye got up walked over and opening its jaw put it around my face it happened so silently I assumed, we both assumed she was going to get on the sofa .
I got the most awful fright .
 

CanteringCarrot

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Any prizes for guessing which was was rumbling?

No, but go ahead and guess 🤣

I brought the mask back out, put it on and off, talked to the dogs, and whatever else. Then I went back into the room, did some work, came out with the mask on, and the dogs looked at me, but no further expression.

I swear I saw the cat roll his eyes at all of this at some point 😂
 

Splash2310

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Just got back from a walk around our local park, which has a fairly big, fenced off children’s playground which dogs aren’t allowed into. A woman was inside the play area, and had left her dog outside the fence, off lead! The dog was harassing every other dog it came across including a poor woman with a staffy who was muzzled and on lead.

The woman was getting progressively more stressed too screaming at the dog to come back. I mean really?!
 

limestonelil

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I went through the back garden entrance to the shop at lunchtime, walked on the path all the way as grass saturated. There was a couple sheltering under the awning which runs the length of the building, about 7 metres or more of shelter . They had placed themselves about 6 foot from the door. Yes, they had 2 dogs with them, and allowed their huge Rottie to launch at me and the mastiff to jump up and bark.
And I just said 'oh for heaven's sake' as I went through the door, but I locked it behind me so they couldn't bring them in that way. And no, I hadn't antagonised or provoked the behaviours at all, except by existing! I felt lucky the dogs were on leads, but still.
 

ArklePig

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Just got back from a walk around our local park, which has a fairly big, fenced off children’s playground which dogs aren’t allowed into. A woman was inside the play area, and had left her dog outside the fence, off lead! The dog was harassing every other dog it came across including a poor woman with a staffy who was muzzled and on lead.

The woman was getting progressively more stressed too screaming at the dog to come back. I mean really?!

Sorry to digress but you've just reminded me of an incident my old boss had. He was with his 5 and 2 year old in the park and there was a woman in the playground with an uncivilised Westie who kept jumping up at his children. He told her, dogs aren't supposed to be in here but could you at least put it on a lead. The woman responded by calling him a dog hating fascist 😁
 

splashgirl45

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Just watching the dog house and a breeder has left a 6 week old frenchie at the vets as they aren’t prepared to pay any vet bills for him, they say they don’t have the money… he was the smallest poor little chap.. when you think how much breeders are asking for frenchies it’s ridiculous that the breeder wasn’t prepared to look after this little one. I’m not keen on frenchies but it’s made me so angry😡
 

GSD Woman

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Just watching the dog house and a breeder has left a 6 week old frenchie at the vets as they aren’t prepared to pay any vet bills for him, they say they don’t have the money… he was the smallest poor little chap.. when you think how much breeders are asking for frenchies it’s ridiculous that the breeder wasn’t prepared to look after this little one. I’m not keen on frenchies but it’s made me so angry

These are the sort of things that make me want an angry emoji on the like bar. Yes, I know that money can be very tight but apply for credit, borrow money, or whatever. Be prepared for these things!

I hope the poor puppy was signed over to the clinic and one of the staff nurses it back to health and has a nice pet. I've seen it happen plenty of times.
 

splashgirl45

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These are the sort of things that make me want an angry emoji on the like bar. Yes, I know that money can be very tight but apply for credit, borrow money, or whatever. Be prepared for these things!

I hope the poor puppy was signed over to the clinic and one of the staff nurses it back to health and has a nice pet. I've seen it happen plenty of times.
He was adopted by a lovely couple and looks like he is doing well. I agree, makes me so mad when those of us who love our animals put ourselves in debt so they don’t do without
 

Tiddlypom

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The local country estate that I’m a member of with the ‘all dogs on leads’ rule is doing its best to enforce the on lead rule this year. Things had slipped slightly last year with the ‘rules don’t apply to me’ brigade.

One of the regular fishermen who has fishing rights on the lake has had the riot act read to him, and is darn lucky not have had his licence revoked. His two dogs were off lead (see rules don’t apply to me) and while one is friendly, the other is not and it approached some visitors barking aggressively, and one young visitor was left terrified and upset. It didn’t recall to the owner. A complaint was put in to the estate who have taken the complaint very seriously.
 
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GSD Woman

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You would think that dumping an animal on your vet would seriously mess up the client/vet relationship, possibly to the extent that the vet would tell you to take your business elsewhere

It usually doesn't, if the client signs over the dog willingly. I suppose if it happens too often it might. That isn't to say that clients don't get fired. Usually that's for being abusive to staff, too demanding, stuff like that. I've worked so short handed that I was the only person in the ICU and doing the best I could. I would start at one end of the ward, work towards the other and then start all over again for the next hour. I had bedded down a dam with a pup with nice thick bedding that covered the whole run. The breeder came back and raised hell because part of the run was no longer covered. The b1tch had obviously bunched it up. She was fired.
 

CrunchieBoi

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Not an irresponsible owner yesterday but an irresponsible parent.

Off visiting family in the central belt so had parked up at a service station to let daughter nip in to the toilet. I was in the passenger side and heard another car pull into the space behind us. Didn't think anything of it.

The owner of said car then allowed a primary school aged child out who immediately battered the back windscreen of our car, setting the three dogs off on a barking fit.

To top it all off I'm recovering from a chest infection, still have a very wet cough and was taking a drink of water at the time. I inhaled some of that, had a coughing fit and was sick all over myself.

A perfect storm as they say.
 

Christmascinnamoncookie

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Crossed the field to avoid a big barky brindle thing that the owner had issues controlling. I was longlining Mitch, didn’t get more than within 100feet. It reminded me of having to make a swift exit with puss cat. Dunno why people get big dogs they can’t control, although Mitch is strong and pulled me a couple of times today.
 

Caol Ila

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This week's winner goes to the guy with the two English sheepdogs who came charging at the horse, barking like mad. I turned my dressage whip around like a sword and did my two headed monster routine. The dog kept barking, but you could see that it wasn't sure if it was a four legged animal to herd, or a screamy, angry two-headed monster. My horse was eating from a hedgerow and giving no sh1ts either way. It took five to ten minutes for the guy to wrangle his dog. He gave the old, "I didn't see you around the corner" excuse. Well, no one has x-ray vision, but if your dog's recall is rubbish and you don't know who or what might be around the corner, then maybe don't have it off lead?

The park has put up signs everywhere saying all the trails are multi-use, with symbols for horses, bikes, people with kids, and dog walkers. Since those have gone up, overall park behaviour has been better, but there's always someone who's going to be a tw*t.
 

Caol Ila

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It's definitely not a common way of thinking. The park I ride in has lots of trees, wee crags, and bendy trails. I get the "Sorry, I didn't see you," or the "I didn't expect a horse" excuse quite a lot. I am decked out in lots of hi-viz, but not even that is visible through solid objects, you know, rocks and trees and little hillocks. Sometimes people sounds genuinely apologetic, but sometimes, they sound accusatory, like it's my fault for not defying the laws of physics and being visible through solid objects.
 

CorvusCorax

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I don't get when people let their dogs round a corner without them or go into a part of the trail where they can't see. If my dog(s) got a but ahead I told them to wait or called them back. I always have to see what's ahead. Apparently that's not a common way of thinking.

It's 'control' 101. When my older dog was in 'bootcamp mode', I was told never to let him go round corners in front of me, even ones I knew there was nothing on the other side of.
I either had to down him or recall him before we went around a corner together. It's also a mindset thing, for a certain type of dog, the lack of checking in, the old 'I'm just going to batter off without him/her' bleeds into all other areas of having...no control.

It goes back to that old 'I like my dog so much that I don't want him to go out of my sight and encounter unknown dangers' thing.
There's a weird juxtaposition of some people online of 'I hope I never meet an XL bully out on a walk/I take the leash off and let my dogs go off gallivanting without me'.
 

splashgirl45

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Not necessarily irresponsible but I saw a family today with a cocker spaniel who looked less than 6 months old , still very puppyish , he was bouncing around at the end of the lead but I was shocked to see he had a very thin slip lead similar to the ones used in showing and it was at the top of his neck which is very sensitive. He was being pulled around by a big man but I was tempted to say something was wasn’t brave enough. That sort of lead seemed very severe for a small young dog especially as the man wasn’t showing any sign of training him… perhaps I’m being too fluffy but it quite upset me
 

MurphysMinder

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Not necessarily irresponsible but I saw a family today with a cocker spaniel who looked less than 6 months old , still very puppyish , he was bouncing around at the end of the lead but I was shocked to see he had a very thin slip lead similar to the ones used in showing and it was at the top of his neck which is very sensitive. He was being pulled around by a big man but I was tempted to say something was wasn’t brave enough. That sort of lead seemed very severe for a small young dog especially as the man wasn’t showing any sign of training him… perhaps I’m being too fluffy but it quite upset me
I obviously can't comment on this dog, but I always use a slip or at least a half check when I take a young puppy out, it reduces the chance of them slipping the collar /harness if something spooks them.
 
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