Irresponsible Owners

Tiddlypom said:
Two were found in a slurry pit. One dead, one barely alive. The second body turned out to be that of a fox but it is thought that the still missing dog, the younger one, is likely also dead in the slurry pit.

Very grim. Poor dogs (and poor fox), not a good end.

Two of the dogs were frail and elderly.
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☹️ and does the Hunting Act cover this?🧐
 
ponyparty said:
2 in one day yesterday!!

There’s a house near à field I walk my dogs across, they have two dogs and one keeps escaping. It hears dogs nearby and comes through the fence; it’s run up to my dogs before - it’s friendly thankfully, just excited. Owners fully aware yet continue to allow it to happen. It usually stays near the house and goes back… Until this weekend.

I wanted to go for a nice Mother’s Day walk with my mum, son and dogs. Got onto the canal towpath, walked a little bit, but dogs poo’d so I ran back to the dog poo bin to save carrying the poo all the way round with us. As I got to the bin, à woman with a black lab was approaching, talking on the phone, completely oblivious. Black lab rushed my dog (usual lab-with-no-social-skills thing), didn’t read the room, wouldn’t leave my MT alone, owner doing nothing to recall/retrieve her dog, he snapped at it, it retaliated, next thing I know they’re both in the canal. Lab supremely unbothered by water obvs; my 11 year old single-coated terrier in à heavy fleece winter coat who HATES water scrabbling at the edge desperately to try and get out. Fished him out, lab gets out, it’s STILL in my dog’s face, with woman not attempting to grab/restrain it, just saying “oh Ruby he doesn’t want to play!”. Then she asks me if mine likes water (!) I snapped back NO HES TERRIFIED OF IT! Then she says “oh look, how cute, he’s holding his paw up” YES BECAUSE HES NON WEIGHT BEARING ON IT AFTER YOUR DOG BOWLED HIM INTO THE CANAL. Rang my mom to tell her to come (she was still a bit further down the canal with my son and the lurcher). Funny, woman walked off at this point. My poor boy was so cold and sad, I bundled both of them straight back to the car, luckily I always have loads of towels in the boot - nice Mother’s Day walk cancelled.

So, while I sorted my hypothermic and injured terrier out (and had a massive cry because MY POOR OLD BOY 😭) my mum took the lurcher out so she at least got a decent walk still. She took her down by the river and across the field by the house with the escaping dog. Dog was out again, except this time had run off down along the river and out onto the main road through the village, where it was dodging cars, running excitedly between the various dog walkers that were out. My mum watched it nearly get run over several times, before she managed to grab it and lasso it with the lurcher’s training lead.

Returned it to the owner “oh he’s like Houdini, we keep thinking we’ve filled the gaps and he keeps getting out”. Well put it on a chain or something then! They have horses too, hope they’re not so lax about keeping their horses in!

Had enough of people!!
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I hope your Manchester is OK and has recovered.
 
ponyparty said:
2 in one day yesterday!!

There’s a house near à field I walk my dogs across, they have two dogs and one keeps escaping. It hears dogs nearby and comes through the fence; it’s run up to my dogs before - it’s friendly thankfully, just excited. Owners fully aware yet continue to allow it to happen. It usually stays near the house and goes back… Until this weekend.

I wanted to go for a nice Mother’s Day walk with my mum, son and dogs. Got onto the canal towpath, walked a little bit, but dogs poo’d so I ran back to the dog poo bin to save carrying the poo all the way round with us. As I got to the bin, à woman with a black lab was approaching, talking on the phone, completely oblivious. Black lab rushed my dog (usual lab-with-no-social-skills thing), didn’t read the room, wouldn’t leave my MT alone, owner doing nothing to recall/retrieve her dog, he snapped at it, it retaliated, next thing I know they’re both in the canal. Lab supremely unbothered by water obvs; my 11 year old single-coated terrier in à heavy fleece winter coat who HATES water scrabbling at the edge desperately to try and get out. Fished him out, lab gets out, it’s STILL in my dog’s face, with woman not attempting to grab/restrain it, just saying “oh Ruby he doesn’t want to play!”. Then she asks me if mine likes water (!) I snapped back NO HES TERRIFIED OF IT! Then she says “oh look, how cute, he’s holding his paw up” YES BECAUSE HES NON WEIGHT BEARING ON IT AFTER YOUR DOG BOWLED HIM INTO THE CANAL. Rang my mom to tell her to come (she was still a bit further down the canal with my son and the lurcher). Funny, woman walked off at this point. My poor boy was so cold and sad, I bundled both of them straight back to the car, luckily I always have loads of towels in the boot - nice Mother’s Day walk cancelled.

So, while I sorted my hypothermic and injured terrier out (and had a massive cry because MY POOR OLD BOY 😭) my mum took the lurcher out so she at least got a decent walk still. She took her down by the river and across the field by the house with the escaping dog. Dog was out again, except this time had run off down along the river and out onto the main road through the village, where it was dodging cars, running excitedly between the various dog walkers that were out. My mum watched it nearly get run over several times, before she managed to grab it and lasso it with the lurcher’s training lead.

Returned it to the owner “oh he’s like Houdini, we keep thinking we’ve filled the gaps and he keeps getting out”. Well put it on a chain or something then! They have horses too, hope they’re not so lax about keeping their horses in!

Had enough of people!!
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I would have been tempted ask the woman 'Do you like water?' as I pushed her in
 
MurphysMinder said:
Hope your little Manny is ok, horrible experience for you both. If you meet the escapee again I would be inclined to catch it and call the dog warden. Maybe a fine would focus the owners on improving their fencing.
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He’s fine now, thank goodness ❤️
Yes if it had been me I would have done, I’ve advised my mum to do the same now, she wasn’t aware. Maybe as it’s now nearly been killed the owners will take it more seriously… (but probably not, based on that tragic ending of the story TP posted 😢)

Fielder63 said:
I hope your Manchester is OK and has recovered.
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He has, thank you ❤️
I'm Dun said:
Honestly, as someone who lived on a boat on the canal, do not go there on a bank holiday or a sunny weekend day. Every idiot owner within 20miles will also be there and it will be hell on earth.
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Yes, I forget as I usually walk there at quiet times (midweek lunchtime or evenings now it’s lighter later). Lesson learned 😤😂
cauda equina said:
I would have been tempted ask the woman 'Do you like water?' as I pushed her in
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The thought did cross my mind! She’d better hope she’s not on the canal towpath when I see her again 🤭
 
Agree BC, Not only have they now decided they can walk their designer dogs but the bloomin things can’t be be let off lead so I have to keep on putting mine on lead as their little pooch is scared and aggressive !!! I’m almost wishing the rain back where I only meet proper dog people whose dogs are normal!!!!
 
Round here they don't do mud so I usually have anything not tarmaced over to myself 😂😂

In my street of 6 households with dogs, only myself and one other woman wear wellies. She takes her 2 lovely lurchers over to the playing fields across the road every single day, and always has in the 15 years I have lived here, 2 households don't walk theirs at all, 2 other households generally walk around the streets and I have been asked if I got lost when someone saw me walk out and return with my dog 2 hours later 😁
 
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Last week, Retriever ran up to me barking.
Yesterday, obese black lab ran up to me barking and had to be dragged away.
This was just me walking along minding my own business with no dog. Good job I'm not scared of dogs, isn't it.

Today, walking home, a staffy being walked by a young couple lunged at a bunch of kids playing on the street, baring teeth and growling, the man picked it up and held it like a baby. Yes they were loud and annoying, but it's a nice day and there are probably going to be lots of loud annoying kids about....
 
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Getting in 10mins gundog training between clients.

Parked in the carpark of a local country house/walled garden. They have a dog friendly walk around a fairy fort and a few paddocks.

From the carpark you go through a gap in the hedge and turn left to head off on this walk. Turning right takes you into a dead end with some rough grass and brambles at the end. I was down here working on stop/hunting - so dog off lead about 30 yards away from me hunting in the rough. Two large goldendoodles appear bounding up to her and proceed to jump on her. Owners no where to be seen. One continues to annoy her after I recall her and tell it to bugger off, the other runs off through the gap and runs around the carpark which opens on to a busy A road. Owners appear a minute or two behind and seem miffed when I ask them to get their dog on lead and under control, away from mine. Apparently they need more training and it's ages since they've been on a walk .... :rolleyes: I was driving a branded van so couldn't really tell them where to shove their unruly arsehole dogs.

Doodles were lucky it wasn't either of my other bitches who would have defended themselves, Mimi is too soppy to do anything
 
Irresponsible or just morons?

A couple with a dog on an extendable lead very kindly stepped off the trail to let me and horse past. However, they didn't lock the lead, and the dog was still running around, with the lead crossing the entire width of the trail like a trip wire. It didn't seem that interested in the horse, but I thought getting the lead tangled around the horse's legs would have been a poor life choice. I stopped horse and stared at them. They stared at me, not registering the problem. Finally, I said something like, "Well, I can't go if she's going to get her legs caught around the damned lead." They got the message and retracted the lead.
 
I know it's in the wrong place because there is nothing irresponsible here.

My youngest took quite a while to mature. We had to nip some reactivity around horses in the bud and he took some time to get neutral enough around other dogs that I felt I could trust him.

So yesterday was the day. He got to do his first ever hack out with the horse.

He absolutely nailed it.

We don't tend to walk where we see other people, but we saw another rider, other dog walkers, had to negotiate gates, saw a deer etc and he took it all in his stride.

 
Am vaguely thankful for the slightly clueless but not aggressive offlead dogs that I keep coming across whilst leading the baby horse out inhand. It’s giving me some nice opportunities to teach him that if he turns to face them, waits a minute to see if owner going to do anything and then walks calmly but confidently towards them they generally leg it. (Don’t think he’ll ever be quite as savvy as Fuzzball who spent a few years growing up playing daft chasing games with GSDs and spoke excellent “dog” / possibly thought he was one!)

Am of course also suggesting to the owners of said dogs that if they can’t be relied upon to give the horse a wide berth / are trying to approach from behind then they ought to be on a lead for their own safety so they don’t get kicked or stood on (I am totally happy for well trained, horse savvy dogs that have zero interest in bothering with the horse to be offlead near me and as long as not aggressive I actually prefer having offlead dogs in close proximity being daft vs on lead ones as no chance of getting tangled in anything!)
 
Boulty said:
Am vaguely thankful for the slightly clueless but not aggressive offlead dogs that I keep coming across whilst leading the baby horse out inhand. It’s giving me some nice opportunities to teach him that if he turns to face them, waits a minute to see if owner going to do anything and then walks calmly but confidently towards them they generally leg it. (Don’t think he’ll ever be quite as savvy as Fuzzball who spent a few years growing up playing daft chasing games with GSDs and spoke excellent “dog” / possibly thought he was one!)

Am of course also suggesting to the owners of said dogs that if they can’t be relied upon to give the horse a wide berth / are trying to approach from behind then they ought to be on a lead for their own safety so they don’t get kicked or stood on (I am totally happy for well trained, horse savvy dogs that have zero interest in bothering with the horse to be offlead near me and as long as not aggressive I actually prefer having offlead dogs in close proximity being daft vs on lead ones as no chance of getting tangled in anything!)
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You are far nicer than me.

I usually stop the horse and give the dog/owner my best impression of the icy Tom Baker bug-eyed stare of death. Quite effective for most dogs and owners. I can read dogs pretty well, so if I am 99.9999% sure that an off-lead dog isn't going to be a problem, I carry on doing my thing.

If I have a conversation, it's usually initiated by the dog owner. Like the one who said, "I'm sorry, but she's a rescue." I said, quite coldly, "Well, you should keep it on a lead then. Lots of horse riders use this park." That was after the dog in question made a good effort to chase the horse, had nothing resembling recall, and Hermosa and I chased it back to the owner. Even if I stood still and screamed at it, it still came at me, so the only way to keep it back was to ride at it.

And if one comes at me, well....

Had a big scary bulldog thing fly at me barking today, and I went into full raging lunatic alien monster. Screaming at it, waving my arms and my dressage whip, making it think that me and horse were a psychotic two-headed monster rather than prey. Freaks owners out too, so they quickly gather it up. And my horse is used to it, so she doesn't react to me acting like a maniac. I guess if you grow up around bears and mountain lions, the thing you're taught is to act bigger and scarier than they are, so that's what I do if I think a dog is a threat to me and my horse.

After they caught it, owners defensively muttered, "He's actually scared of horses." Then they got the icy stare of death as I continued on my way.
 
I particularly enjoy the ones where the owner is nowhere near the dog & paying zero attention to where their offlead dog is (cos clearly their phone is just too interesting!) & dog gets “chased” by horse (in the most slow motion way ever) and ends up a bit further away than it was when owner last vaguely paid attention to it. The moments of realisation / why is my dog suddenly all the way over there (& where did this horse come from?) can be quite amusing!

The barking ones find out exactly how scary I can be / why I could make 600kg of Highland stop dead / reconsider whatever act of bulldozing he was about to perform if I ran at him. (My rope has a lovely leather popper on the end and it makes a very good swooshing sound if you twirl it in circles fast enough)

Thankfully as a lot of where I go is pretty public actually aggressive dogs are quite rare as I assume their owners tend to take them places that are less peopoly
 
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‘Are they friendly?’ Asks man walking visibly grumpy chihuahua.

Answer is always the same, corgis aren’t fussed, the fluffy one is a bit wary of unknown dogs, leave him be.

Of course he would then make a be line for the one I said to leave alone because ‘he’s so cute’. Didn’t end well, and even when his dog was throwing itself into the spitz monkey face, and the latter was showing his teeth to politely encourage them to sod off, the chap still attempted to follow us chatting about corgis not being common.

As I’ve posted before, I gave up trying a long time ago. Our youngest in an anxious nightmare on walks, and that’ll partly be genetics, but largely is to having bad experiences on walks at least every other day. He’s the first pup we’ve had since moving ‘to the suburbs’ and don’t I know it.

Last week:
- he (onlead) was rolled by an offlead young malinois (who did not want to play despite his owners pleas)
- we acquired a beautiful working line golden retriever, who actually jumped in the car after following us for about ten minutes. A pair of owners eventually caught up ‘don’t worry, he does this a lot’ (I was tempted to steal him, he was nice)
- Sherman tank was bit by a very pissy bichon (offlead, no recall) who’s owner just carried on walking
- a pair of Weims hassled us relentlessly, owner did nothing to correct them.

I’m quite open that I don’t generally enjoy walking dogs anymore. We hire dog fields a lot now. We don’t take them to places like pubs etc anymore, there’s always one ass of a dog in one that won’t leave you alone if you’ve dogs with you.
 
P3LH said:
‘Are they friendly?’ Asks man walking visibly grumpy chihuahua.

Answer is always the same, corgis aren’t fussed, the fluffy one is a bit wary of unknown dogs, leave him be.

Of course he would then make a be line for the one I said to leave alone because ‘he’s so cute’. Didn’t end well, and even when his dog was throwing itself into the spitz monkey face, and the latter was showing his teeth to politely encourage them to sod off, the chap still attempted to follow us chatting about corgis not being common.

As I’ve posted before, I gave up trying a long time ago. Our youngest in an anxious nightmare on walks, and that’ll partly be genetics, but largely is to having bad experiences on walks at least every other day. He’s the first pup we’ve had since moving ‘to the suburbs’ and don’t I know it.

Last week:
- he (onlead) was rolled by an offlead young malinois (who did not want to play despite his owners pleas)
- we acquired a beautiful working line golden retriever, who actually jumped in the car after following us for about ten minutes. A pair of owners eventually caught up ‘don’t worry, he does this a lot’ (I was tempted to steal him, he was nice)
- Sherman tank was bit by a very pissy bichon (offlead, no recall) who’s owner just carried on walking
- a pair of Weims hassled us relentlessly, owner did nothing to correct them.

I’m quite open that I don’t generally enjoy walking dogs anymore. We hire dog fields a lot now. We don’t take them to places like pubs etc anymore, there’s always one ass of a dog in one that won’t leave you alone if you’ve dogs with you.
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Unbelievably ghastly and stupidly irresponsible
 
P3LH said:
‘Are they friendly?’ Asks man walking visibly grumpy chihuahua.

Answer is always the same, corgis aren’t fussed, the fluffy one is a bit wary of unknown dogs, leave him be.

Of course he would then make a be line for the one I said to leave alone because ‘he’s so cute’. Didn’t end well, and even when his dog was throwing itself into the spitz monkey face, and the latter was showing his teeth to politely encourage them to sod off, the chap still attempted to follow us chatting about corgis not being common.

As I’ve posted before, I gave up trying a long time ago. Our youngest in an anxious nightmare on walks, and that’ll partly be genetics, but largely is to having bad experiences on walks at least every other day. He’s the first pup we’ve had since moving ‘to the suburbs’ and don’t I know it.

Last week:
- he (onlead) was rolled by an offlead young malinois (who did not want to play despite his owners pleas)
- we acquired a beautiful working line golden retriever, who actually jumped in the car after following us for about ten minutes. A pair of owners eventually caught up ‘don’t worry, he does this a lot’ (I was tempted to steal him, he was nice)
- Sherman tank was bit by a very pissy bichon (offlead, no recall) who’s owner just carried on walking
- a pair of Weims hassled us relentlessly, owner did nothing to correct them.

I’m quite open that I don’t generally enjoy walking dogs anymore. We hire dog fields a lot now. We don’t take them to places like pubs etc anymore, there’s always one ass of a dog in one that won’t leave you alone if you’ve dogs with you.
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Reading this makes my blood boil... There is nothing I dislike more than badly behaved dogs (well their owners!). People treat them like babies and think it is amusing when they behave badly.

We had a saint of a lab who was a gundog who could walk anywhere without a lead. He was attacked on two different occasions by collies. IMO collies and other high maintenance dogs should only be owned by people who will actually treat them like the working dogs that they are. We had also had a whippet who was generally very good but could occasionally suffer from "whippet deafness", and he was also bitten by another collie.

People buy these designer/highly strung dogs for their own self satisfaction when in reality they should acquire a gerbil instead. And even then that probably wouldn't be cared for appropriately either. I mean really... who needs a Malinois other than the police K9 teams?
 
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