My sister and I live opposite the park - I am upstairs and she is downstairs. I take her dog out walking every day because she can't. Was in park just about to take her off when this man comes in with a little staffie. He said don't put her on lead because of his dog. I said I was about to take her home but would his dog and her like to play? He said his dog was a bit of a nightmare but we would try it. So he let his dog off!
Big mistake...before I knew it he was striding away and his dog was trying desperately to mount mine. She not on heat so wasn't expecting it. I ended up trying to hold on to my dog who was growling and annoyed and trying to keep pushing the dog off. It was a losing battle. I called out to the man to come and get his dog at least twice but he just turned and looked then ignored me and carried on walking away.
I did the only thing I could think of: I grabbed my dogs collar and dragged her across the road with the other dog still trying to mount her. I ran down my path after the dogs calling to my sister to help. The 2 of us and her dog were in the conservatory when the man came running down our path to collect his dog. He then started swearing and cursing me saying - its your fault I let the dog off lady and how dare I take his dog across the road. He walked up and down our path four times still shouting at me. All the time he was gesturing at me and threatening me. I was shaking like a leaf. At last he went thank goodness!
I rang the police who took me very seriously. They said they would look into it but there wasn't a great deal they could do but If I saw him again to ring them straightaway. I am too worried to take her on the park again. My sister a bit worried he will come back as he knows where we live....The dog was fine thank goodness. Fortunately she still pure as driven snow and she is not at all timid.
Its put me off dog walking again. I used to enjoy it so much now its ruined. There are some horrible people in the world aren't there?
Makes you wonder if the bloke was a rapist himself, allowing his dog to do that.
Bev, what a horrible experience. The sad man was not paying attention to his dog then tried to blame you when he thought it had been placed at risk by crossing the road. He needs to start taking responsibility for his own actions. I shouldn't worry though, I think it unlikely he will return.
I have always said this. Some very thoughtful dog owners but there is the occasional one that thinks the dog can do no wrong. My niece age 4 was rushed by a large dog, and the owner just walked away.
I have a three years old German Shepherd, he is a massive bear of a dog but as soft as anything and I have had to stop taking him for walks on the park because of dogs running round him off the lead and snapping at his heels, I have never, ever let him off the lead in the park because I do not believe dogs should run free in public places.
The main culprits are women, they meet up in the morning and afternoon in groups of 4 each with a dog or dogs and get to the park gates and let them off their leads, these dogs are messing everywhere, the women are nattering away and never, ever pick up their dogs poo, children play on the park and the dogs are running up to them. I reported it to the dog wardens who say they cannot do anything about the park because it is public property, but if it was private land they could. Parks should be safe and clean and all dogs should be walked on a lead. The new law states dogs should be on a lead on the road, but there are always dog owners with the leads thrown over their shoulders and the dogs running up and down the pavement next to a main road.
This man will offend again and if I were you, I would still take your dog for a walk but try and have someone else go with you and make sure they have their 'phone with them so they can take a photo when the dog starts to run towards yours. This should be enough for the man to put his dog on the lead as he won't want the police involved.
Why don't the council do what they do in America, make a doggie park that is fenced off then dogs can run around freely and play with each other and get their exercise safely without messing up the rest of the park.
in reply to
Well I can't always take her further than the park so she has to get her excercise there. I don't have car to take her further. But my dog not a problem. If she runs up to people she always comes back when I call her. My sister and I have trained her not to be a nuisance to others. I don't let her get so far away from me that I can't be with her in 5 seconds. And I always (and the regular group of dog walkers there) pick up the mess so I think you must be unlucky. I think its the men who go out at night with the dogs that leave most of the mess. And this is certainly not the issue. You always get owners who don't pick up. Its irresponsible owners who don't bother training their dogs.
How awful Bev, I can understand you feeling nervous. All I can say is if you use the park every day and haven't seen this man before, he probably doesn't go there on a regular basis.
What a horrible experience! I wouldn't want to go there again either,but as sweetthing says, maybe you could go and take someone, possibly with a camera?
Sweetthing I have no idea where you live, but it sounds horrible. Everywhere I go with my dog I take a poo-bag and other people all seem to do the same. If I see a dog on a lead, I put my Cairn on his. Totally disagree about dogs being off lead in a park on on a walk away from traffic. Mine would go mad if he couldn't run and be free, he does 5 miles to my 3 running back and forth. If I see another dog off lead I leave mine off, they usually have a good sniff then we go on our way. Be a real pity if the law said he had to be on a lead all the time. PC gone mad again?
Agreed. When I had a dog, a lovely sheltie, she loved to race about, chasing butterflies or blowing leaves. She was never a nuisance to anyone as she was well trained but I think it would be cruel to take a dog to a big open space and then keep them on a leash. Just need good owners who can think of others.
Thanks auntymary, I think most dogs need exercise which cannot be done on a lead, my Cairn is 10 now and as much a puppy as ever! He loves walks, in fact he sulks if you don't take him out every day! He is actually my son's dog and is bound for New Zealand soon so I'll miss him!
Well like I said she is very good and doesn't run off park. Sometimes If I didn't take her there and let her off she wouldn't get good run. She is lab/collie cross so really needs excercise. Don't have big garden or a car. That would make like much easier!
The owner not the dog was the problem as has already been said. I carry pepper spray and a phone camera as I would not be able to escape by running away.
Bring back dog licences caring owners would not have the reputation damaged by an ignorant minority with all dogs micro-chipped the owners would be held responsible for their pets.
Sorry to hear about the dog walking incident, its not nice. However as others have said its the pesky dog owner not the dog. However the man may go to the park at set times every day ? It may be worth going to the park at different times? I know I tend to meet the same people as I walk my dog (even if it seems more like he is walking me at times) at the same time most days.
Please don't let one bad experience ruin what appears to be a nice time at the park. Good luck and keep us informed.
I know exactly what you mean, My wife and I were out walking our two dogs in the park about a fortnight ago. I walked of the path deep into the tree's as my dog likes to have a good sniff, anyway this lout about 25 years old came along with his Staff, my wife who had her westie on a lead said to the guy, would you mind putting your dog on a lead please or at least move him away from mine as she has just had an operation and is a little frail, and the staff was coming towards her looking quite menacing, . The yobbo started mouthing of telling her to sod of and she shouldn't bring her dog to the park if it couldn't look after itself, with that the staff attacked her westie, so I said to my 8.5 stone Rottweiler "see him off", with that he tore across the park and had the staff in its mouth shaking it like a rag doll, the yob tried to kick my dog, and at my command my dog turned on him and had him pinned on the floor snarling inches away from his face. The yob was terrified and crying, and his staff ran away nowhere to be seen.
I simply said "who's the daddy now little man"
We have been back to the park nealy every day but never saw the yob again.
Now if that lout had the decency to respect my wife's request, none of this would of happened, so in my view, he has only himself to blame.
Mind, my dog wouldn't of actually bit him, unless I told him to "kill"
I said to my dog "heel/sit" and he got of the lout and came and sat down beside me.lol.
Oh good for you. Mind you he might have had more respect for a man than a woman! Or been more careful. If I had been a man I would probably have decked this guy.
It would be a terrible loss giving up vital exercise for yourself and your sisters dog taking a mobile phone that can call for assistance with pesky dog owners can help regain some of the lost confidence at the same time as reducing anxiety caused by thoughtless behaviour.
I always take a mobile with me just in case. But I couldn't get to it. Had one hand on my dog and the other was pushing the other dog off her. Think I will keep mobline in pocket in future. And I might start carrying a big stick.
What a terrible experience for you and your poor dog Bev! You should be able to walk any dog without being set upon like that. What a disgusting individual! I hope you can go back to the park and feel confident but do phone the Police immediately if you see this nasty man again. He is a thug and a menace. Imagine a younger or much older person walking their dog and he turned up. It doesn't bear thinking about. Take care. xxxxx
Oh how true that is...I know several staffie owners and their dogs are lovely. It is always the owner isn't it?
Good advice sassy59. The police said if I see him again to ring them. I will. I am busy warning all the regular dog walkers on the park about him....
bev x
Thanks for your replies everyone. Its not just me had bad experience is it? I chickened out of taking her on park today and just played with her in garden. I was too nervous to go on there again. See how it goes in next few days. The only other places I can take her is a big local dogwalking area or the beach. But if its raining there is no cover. And it is further from home. At least in the park I am very close to home. Don't know what I would have done if hadn't been!
Bev xx
I must be unlucky, I went out yesterday and the same thing happened again, dogs pooing all over the place, dogs snapping at mine, so I thought, right, I took my phone out and took pictures of the dogs pooing and snapping at mine and said to the women, if you dont control your dogs I am leting mine off the lead, they didnt so I did, you should have seen those dogs run, yelping and do you know what I was told, your dog should be on a lead, it is too big to ber running loose. I told them that if they didnt control their dogs I was reporting them and told them I have photos of them letting their dogs run loose and doing their mess and then not picking it up and napping at mine.
I am going again today so we will see what happens.
Hope they did not take pics of your dog running loose!
i have had similar encounters int the park, its horrible. My dog wants to just trot around sniffing, hes quite old now, and hes not bothered about other dogs, i darent let him off the lead, i just put him on a longer one, there are so many selfish inconsiderate people who think they own the place. Yes best to phone the police, but its very difficult to get anything done about it, and these nasty people know that. i used to love walking my dog, and letting him play ball, but these days its not the same. Everything's gone mad.The worlds gone mad. No respect, no consideration for other park users, its just a 'me me me' world. Horrible.
I took dog to same park again today for first time. I was nervous and kept my eyes peeled for that man. It is only a small park and there aren't many people who use it. A lot of people keep their dogs on the lead and they say its usually because they would disappear! My dog doesn't do that. If any dog does bother her a bit she just growls at them and chases them off. Good girl...she's no softie. Any problem she can't sort I put her on lead and take her off.
I heard a worse story than mine today. A woman took her dog to the local graveyard. It did a pee (not a poo). This man told her to pick it up. When she pointed out you can't pick up wee he apparently hit her! When she told the police they said he was well known as a dog hater... (it wasn't same man). There certainly are some horrible people around aren't there?
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