Irresponsible Owners

[CorvusCorax]

This week I am beset by

The person who lets their dog crap on our driveway has returned after a short reprieve over the holidays, 1-2 per week. Adds a nice frisson of danger to walking at night or unloading the dogs from the car in the dark.

People’s dogs toileting during training, not because of the odd adrenaline-fuelled accident but because they simply haven’t been taken out to go. We run a tight ship to fit three sessions in an evening and so much of it is being lost to watching distracted dogs run in circles finding the right spot for their dump, the sourcing of a bag etc. And this is an indoor venue.

Finally, there are two walking routes from town for which the first 100 yards each end are currently so littered with piles that it stinks as you approach. The footpath smells like a festering kennel. I often use a long line and have to remember to reel it in long before the gate.

We do loud boos and tutting if anyone's dog wees or poos on the training field. We say 'only joking' but we're not really. There's loads of places to clean the dog before you go in.

 

[Keith_Beef]

This week I am beset by

The person who lets their dog crap on our driveway has returned after a short reprieve over the holidays, 1-2 per week. Adds a nice frisson of danger to walking at night or unloading the dogs from the car in the dark.

I think you could do with a Furbinator 3000. But a version adapted to train a turret gun on the person accompanying the dog.

Deterring foxes and badgers with TensorFlow Lite, Python, Raspberry Pi, Ring cameras & ultrasonic…

A recent influx of foxes and badgers in my garden and the ensuing damage they caused gave me the perfect opportunity to consider how I…

medium.com

 

[blackcob]

If only I could work out what time they were doing it, and the driveway weren't so far from the house, I'd be preparing a hosepipe ambush.

On the toileting, I understand being caught out now and then by an unanticipated second or stress dump but when it's every week, and wees as well, it tells me the dogs are going from house to car to venue without any thought as to preparing them for the session. I've no idea how people with astroturf venues cope with it.

 

[Amymay Again]

On the toileting, I understand being caught out now and then by an unanticipated second or stress dump but when it's every week, and wees as well, it tells me the dogs are going from house to car to venue without any thought as to preparing them for the session. I've no idea how people with astroturf venues cope with it.

I think this is quite unfair (unless I've misunderstood your post).

My dog will always wee when we arrive somewhere, and often have a poo as well. Regardless of having gone prior to travel.

 

[blackcob]

Presumably you don't take her inside the training venue if you know that's going to happen - you'd give her a brief walk outside in the car park first?

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Mine (unneutered, a dog walker I know says she won’t have unneutered dogs because they pee everywhere) will pee everywhere outdoors. Bad owner me, I wasn’t quick enough just now to haul one out of the way, so I had to clean his neck where his brother peed on him. They will rarely defecate after their morning walk, but I wouldn’t want to guarantee it.

 

[CorvusCorax]

My dogs toilet at home before a journey. They toilet when they get a quick run around the car park when they arrive. They have an opportunity to go again before or after training. What they do not do is pee or poop on an indoor or outdoor training venue where people put a lot of work into maintenance, even the unneutered males. It's a 'work' place, not a dog toilet.

 

[Jenko109]

I always get to training early to get any wees done.

I am quite lucky that she just doesnt ever try to toilet during training anyway.

 

[blackcob]

Exactly that, even though mine usually toilet at home before leaving I try to arrive at a venue with enough time to get them out of the car, stretch their legs and go again if they need to before the session starts. I have also reached an age where I need time for a wee on arrival

Accidents are fine but not giving a dog an opportunity to go beforehand is not on. Also extra harsh booing and tutting for anyone who lets their dog cock their leg on equipment including ring fencing/netting - doesn't seem to occur to them that we have to touch that to roll it up and pack away.

 

[Annette4]

I am avoiding AstroTurf training venues at the moment as one of mine stress wees when she thinks she's getting something wrong despite my mitigation in terms of her going before we travel and when we get there so I'm not putting her in a situation where she might ruin someone's venue.

I've been honest with our trainer before we started and we're outdoors and 1:1. She's lots better than when we started but it's taking time to build her confidence. I'd be mortified if she was holding up a class or going on equipment though!

We get it every time we take new people at flyball, always letting their dogs pee on the netting or kit which we then have to clean before we can put away.

 

[MurphysMinder]

I think this is quite unfair (unless I've misunderstood your post).

My dog will always wee when we arrive somewhere, and often have a poo as well. Regardless of having gone prior to travel.

I think you have misunderstood. Bc is referring to dogs soiling an indoor training venue . Mine will always have a wee when we arrive somewhere but if it is training or similar then I take them for a leg stretch before we go in , be it an indoor or outdoor training area.

 

[Clodagh]

It’s the same out shooting. My dogs are quick walked first thing, then I stop on my way to the meet for a quick walk. The number of people whose dogs immediately poo when unboxed is disgusting. Where I was today there is a ‘no poo anywhere near the guns’ and people are much more focussed. But honestly 15 excited dogs having a dump is so gross and stinky.
Eta the culprits always feed whatever generates orange Mr Whippys as well

 

[Caol Ila]

I just wish there weren't giant dog turds in the middle of the trail. Had to yank on my horse's rein dead sharp to dodge a mega-shite the other day. You could have put a saddle on that thing. I did not want to be cleaning that out of a hoof boot. It was about 5m from the trailhead, where there is, wait for it.....a rubbish bin!!

My friend who rides Fin rode into one a couple months ago and only noticed when she was cleaning his hoof boot.... after she'd touched the bottom of it.

 

[cauda equina]

If in doubt I sniff boots before scrubbing them

 

[maisie06]

Today waiting at the traffic lights in town a guy coes ambling along with a big block headed XL bully thing, no muzzle BUT worse than that it had the bloated swinging teats of a bitch that has not long had pups...so the laws are really working eh??

 

[ycbm]

I saw an absolute pearler of an idiot with her dog this morning.

We come out of the house and see a young woman with a golden retriever on an extendable lead. Woman is on the pavement. Dog is out in the middle of the road, having a poo.

On ... a.....blind.....bend.




ETA when I say blind I mean blind. The corner is a right angle and the house on the corner is right up to the pavement. There is no way a driver coming around that corner could see a dog in the road before running over it.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

My friend had a nasty incident today at the vets. Her girl had gone in for her jabs, she is a rehome with quite a bit of baggage and she has put a lot of work into. Vaccinating went well and she had been relaxed in the waiting room when another dog came in. My friend was waiting to pay, Tess laying happily at her feet. A man came in with a GSD which Tess ignored until it barked at her then she responded, dog then slipped its collar which was far too loose and jumped on her. Tess was submitting and screaming, she never retaliates and my friend had a heck of a job to get it off her. Not sure what the owner did. Anyway she left without paying and Tess was reacting to everything she saw on the way back to their van, other dogs, traffic on the road, all stuff she had been ok with for a while. My friend has worked so hard getting her steady with most traffic, other dogs and life in general and this will have set her right back. She was furious and upset. After she left me she was going back to the vets to pay and take Tess back to hopefully have a better experience. Haven't heard yet how she got on.

 

[Smitty]

Today waiting at the traffic lights in town a guy coes ambling along with a big block headed XL bully thing, no muzzle BUT worse than that it had the bloated swinging teats of a bitch that has not long had pups...so the laws are really working eh??

You will have to imagine a FFS emoji !!

 

[Gloi]

Just having my peaceful lunch at the cafe disturbed by dogs on extendible leads barking at each other, getting wrapped around chair legs and one staffy in particular getting slapped and shouted at ineffectively for it.

 

[Escapade]

I had another run-in this week with Seamus, the golden retriever with no recall but he's super friendly and just loves saying hello to everyone. His owner actually went to the trouble of buying an extendable lead to carry as a decoration. In an on lead park

(And no, she wasn't able to catch him, he thinks it's a game of tag)

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I’ve been surprised by how many dog walkers comment whilst I’ve been training the latest with the mantra of ‘that’s what dogs do’ and/or ‘ah, but he’s just a baby!’.

Never had this before as prior to moving to this house we were further out and didn’t often see people on walks - and those we did were generally sane.

And that is why their dogs misbehave!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

My friend had a nasty incident today at the vets. Her girl had gone in for her jabs, she is a rehome with quite a bit of baggage and she has put a lot of work into. Vaccinating went well and she had been relaxed in the waiting room when another dog came in. My friend was waiting to pay, Tess laying happily at her feet. A man came in with a GSD which Tess ignored until it barked at her then she responded, dog then slipped its collar which was far too loose and jumped on her. Tess was submitting and screaming, she never retaliates and my friend had a heck of a job to get it off her. Not sure what the owner did. Anyway she left without paying and Tess was reacting to everything she saw on the way back to their van, other dogs, traffic on the road, all stuff she had been ok with for a while. My friend has worked so hard getting her steady with most traffic, other dogs and life in general and this will have set her right back. She was furious and upset. After she left me she was going back to the vets to pay and take Tess back to hopefully have a better experience. Haven't heard yet how she got on.

We had a similar experience with our brown Lab, we had taken her to the vet because she seems to have developed a grass allergy. She is lacking in confidence with other dogs when on her lead, because of a couple of incidents near home with idiot owners and their rude dogs. So we took her to sit out of the way in a quiet corner. Then someone brought a Golden Retriever in, spoke to the receptionist and then allowed the GR on its extendible lead come round the divider to bark at her. Poor girl was doing so well too, sitting quietly and focusing on us.

 

[Smitty]

I walked past a Costa today who have just started allowing dogs in. 2 Cavaliers were sitting on the fabric upholstered chairs next to their owner. I doubt they were filthy, but in my opinion in a public place the dog belongs on the floor on a short lead and absolutely NOT on any fabric covered furniture.

I feel so sorry for the staff and public who either don't like dogs or are allergic to them. These days they have to contend with dog poo, discarded poo bags, dog attacks and dogs being treated like children in food and drink outlets

 

[ycbm]

I walked past a Costa today who have just started allowing dogs in. 2 Cavaliers were sitting on the fabric upholstered chairs next to their owner. I doubt they were filthy, but in my opinion in a public place the dog belongs on the floor on a short lead and absolutely NOT on any fabric covered furniture.

I feel so sorry for the staff and public who either don't like dogs or are allergic to them. These days they have to contend with dog poo, discarded poo bags, dog attacks and dogs being treated like children in food and drink outlets

At that height they can dribble on the table. That isn't on at all. I also feel the same way about people who sit young children on the table surface. And agree with you about the soft furnishings.
.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Yesterday morning I was walking down the road to the office. I recognized a bloke walking his son to school, and his elderly chocolate Labrador... Dog a good 15 metres behind man and son.

The dog started to squat down so I stopped and looked uphill to man and son, looking for some sign of being spotted for allowing the dog to shit on the pavement. The poor dog was so scared of me that it started to shuffle backwards into the bus lane. So I took a step back to give it some space.

By this time the owner saw what I was doing and made a big show of taking a plastic bag out of his pocket. In the presence of his owner the dog was a bit less fearful... I held my hand out to him lower than his face but even though he stretched his neck out a little towards me he still couldn't muster to the courage to sniff at my hand.

I commented on his fearfulness to the owner who said "yeah, he's like that, scared of everybody".

But at least he picked up his dog's mess, and I'm fairly certain that if I'd not made a point of stopping to watch, he'd have just let the dog do it's business and would not have picked it up.

 

[ester]

Horse chased on to road by loose dog ‘shattered all four legs’: heartbroken owners speak out

The heartbroken owners of a horse who suffered horrific fatal injuries after he was chased by a loose dog and ran into the road said they will campaign for law changes to protect animals and people. Loki, an eight-year-old Welsh section C, suffered four “shattered” legs in a collision with a...

www.horseandhound.co.uk

 

[CorvusCorax]

Poor horse, poor girls and poor driver. What an arse. I hope he gets sued for everything.

 

[Caol Ila]

Yeah, that Yorkshire story is really scary. There but for the grace of god and all that.

I don't know what other riders do, but I go through a series of steps when I see an off-lead dog.

1. Just assess. I am pretty good at reading them, so I generally know how tuned in to their owner they are and are interested in me they are. If I am 99.99999% sure that the dog will just trot past without looking at the horse, I continue on my way. I have to be very sure. The park has its regulars, so there are a few dogs I recognise, and I know they're fine (haven't seen one in a while...always had a chat with his owner, but last time I saw them, owner said his dog was 14 ...a lovely collie with beautiful manners).

2. If the dog looks vaguely interested in me and/or not switched on to its handler, I just stop. My horses are good at this and will stand. I look less like prey if not moving, and there is something about a standing like a statue in the middle of the trail, doing your best 12th Doctor glare, that makes dog walkers scramble for their lead.

3. If dog is not put on lead and approaches horse, I turn dressage whip around so I'm holding it like a sword, and start growling. I will then escalate the psychotic arm/whip-waving two headed monster thing to eleven and spin horse around, if need be, so I am always facing the dog. Kind of like what we were taught to do as kids in Colorado if we encountered a mountain lion.

Obviously this would not save you if you ran into something really nasty and aggressive, but it puts off most dogs/owners.

The park has got a lot better for riders since they put in little signs everywhere with a graphic of a horse on them.

 

[Clodagh]

Yesterday morning I was walking down the road to the office. I recognized a bloke walking his son to school, and his elderly chocolate Labrador... Dog a good 15 metres behind man and son.

The dog started to squat down so I stopped and looked uphill to man and son, looking for some sign of being spotted for allowing the dog to shit on the pavement. The poor dog was so scared of me that it started to shuffle backwards into the bus lane. So I took a step back to give it some space.

By this time the owner saw what I was doing and made a big show of taking a plastic bag out of his pocket. In the presence of his owner the dog was a bit less fearful... I held my hand out to him lower than his face but even though he stretched his neck out a little towards me he still couldn't muster to the courage to sniff at my hand.

I commented on his fearfulness to the owner who said "yeah, he's like that, scared of everybody".

But at least he picked up his dog's mess, and I'm fairly certain that if I'd not made a point of stopping to watch, he'd have just let the dog do it's business and would not have picked it up.

Mine would be scared if a stranger got up close and watched them poo. It’s a vulnerable time for a dog and a couple of mine are not very keen on people they don’t know.

 

[CorvusCorax]

My first dog wouldn't poo if anyone was looking at her, you had to turn around and wait until she was finished.

I also try not to put my hand out to strange dogs. If they want to come and sniff me, that's fine.