I’m not saying these dogs are out of control or unleashed, but this week I saw dogs at tables in a smoothie place and a bowl lunch place, and multiple dogs walking in the mall. Are people needing emotional support animals to meet friends at restaurants or at the Apple Store? I’ve had dogs jump up and paw my work pants while waiting in line at lunch places too. Yuck.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was also on a trail recently and noticed where dog owners had cleaned up after their animals and left the plastic bag full of feces on a log or somewhere near the trail. What possesses them to this? I mean thanks for picking up the dog turds I guess and preserving them in plastic for eternity in the woods. I hate you.

WaPo did a story on the trash problems at National Parks. One of the things they cited were the number of people who tied bags of dog feces to tree branches next to trails.

Truly bizarre behavior

Anonymous wrote:I was also on a trail recently and noticed where dog owners had cleaned up after their animals and left the plastic bag full of feces on a log or somewhere near the trail. What possesses them to this? I mean thanks for picking up the dog turds I guess and preserving them in plastic for eternity in the woods. I hate you.

WaPo did a story on the trash problems at National Parks. One of the things they cited were the number of people who tied bags of dog feces to tree branches next to trails.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you own a dog, OP?

No, I am smart enough to know I don't have the time or energy for a dog at this stage in my life. I might get a dog when I retire and have time walk it frequently and can devote hours of my life to training. I like dogs (and pets in general, I have a cat right now) and it is my love of animals that makes me thoughtful about whether or not I take on the responsibility of owning one.

This seems to be an increasingly rare position.

Okay, but then how and why are you spending so much time in dog parks that you can confidently opine about all the "People who take their dogs to dog parks and then ignore their anti-social, sometimes dangerous behavior while staring at their phones or talking to other people?" Before I had a dog I spent exactly zero time at dog parks, so I'm curious how people's behavior at dog parks is such a huge imposition to your life.

I was also on a trail recently and noticed where dog owners had cleaned up after their animals and left the plastic bag full of feces on a log or somewhere near the trail. What possesses them to this? I mean thanks for picking up the dog turds I guess and preserving them in plastic for eternity in the woods. I hate you.

I don't normally think in such black and white terms as good and bad people, but my recent experiences with people, including some very bad dog owners, are really testing that outlook.

It does feel like some people are just absolutely no good.

Bad people are bad dog owners, no respect for anyone.

Good people make responsible pet owners and responsible area residents. They train dogs well, keep them on leash,keep them groomed, clean after them and respect other people's right on public spaces.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A LEASHED dog recently growled and lunged at me walking on the sidewalk. The owner ignored me like I was invisible while they TALKED to the dog. Just because it is on a leash doesn’t mean the owner is in control of the animal.

First, it sounds like this particular dog was under control. Second, what do to think the owner should have done?

DP but a dog who is lunging at people who walk by on the sidewalk is not under control. I mean, better for that dog to be on a leash than not, but dogs who consistently pull at leashes and respond to bystanders by lunging, growling, or barking are not properly socialized.

And in a civilized society, if your dog lunges at and growls at someone, you should at least acknowledge that person and mumble an apology or something. It's fine to attend to your dog, but your dog is threatening a person. Imagine if a large child behaved in this way, lunging at or growling at a stranger on the street, and their parent just ignored that persona and just chatted with their kid like it had not happened. Would you feel reassured? Safe?

Pretend we live in a society and our well-being is interconnected and we all owe each other a basic duty of care.

Bingo. Plus the dog isn’t likely to have an opinion so no need to talk to it.

Anonymous wrote:Do you own a dog, OP?

No, I am smart enough to know I don't have the time or energy for a dog at this stage in my life. I might get a dog when I retire and have time walk it frequently and can devote hours of my life to training. I like dogs (and pets in general, I have a cat right now) and it is my love of animals that makes me thoughtful about whether or not I take on the responsibility of owning one.

This seems to be an increasingly rare position.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A LEASHED dog recently growled and lunged at me walking on the sidewalk. The owner ignored me like I was invisible while they TALKED to the dog. Just because it is on a leash doesn’t mean the owner is in control of the animal.

First, it sounds like this particular dog was under control. Second, what do to think the owner should have done?

DP but a dog who is lunging at people who walk by on the sidewalk is not under control. I mean, better for that dog to be on a leash than not, but dogs who consistently pull at leashes and respond to bystanders by lunging, growling, or barking are not properly socialized.

And in a civilized society, if your dog lunges at and growls at someone, you should at least acknowledge that person and mumble an apology or something. It's fine to attend to your dog, but your dog is threatening a person. Imagine if a large child behaved in this way, lunging at or growling at a stranger on the street, and their parent just ignored that persona and just chatted with their kid like it had not happened. Would you feel reassured? Safe?

Pretend we live in a society and our well-being is interconnected and we all owe each other a basic duty of care.

Do you own a dog, OP?

Anonymous wrote:A LEASHED dog recently growled and lunged at me walking on the sidewalk. The owner ignored me like I was invisible while they TALKED to the dog. Just because it is on a leash doesn’t mean the owner is in control of the animal.

First, it sounds like this particular dog was under control. Second, what do to think the owner should have done?

Anonymous wrote:A LEASHED dog recently growled and lunged at me walking on the sidewalk. The owner ignored me like I was invisible while they TALKED to the dog. Just because it is on a leash doesn’t mean the owner is in control of the animal.

Recently I was walking in old town Alexandria and an unleashed dog stopped in front of my daughter and I and started barking loudly at my daughter. The dog and my kid were about the same height, and I have no idea why the dog was barking at her -- she had not touched or interacted with him in anyway. I grabbed my daughter up into my arms and then turned to the dog's owner who I thought for sure would be apologetic.

Nope. She was talking to the dog, soothing him, and then snapped at me. I pointed out that maybe her dog should be leashed and maybe she shouldn't be taking him to busy pedestrian areas if he is so reactive, and she just shouted at me so I walked away with her just shouting abuse at me and my 4 year old.

You should need to past a test of basic human decency and intelligence to adopt a dog.

Anonymous wrote:People who are like this are like this in all aspects of life. It's just that through their dog, you the random outsider, get to witness their poor behavior firsthand. If you worked in a service industry you would see daily that these same people just always act rude and entitled.

These are the same people who don't care when their small children throw food all over the floor of a restaurant. Or the people who leave piles of unbroken down cardboard boxes next to their recycling bin. These people are simply selfish.

And I say this is a dog owner who's life revolves around my dog.

Truth. We have neighbors who are absolutely terrible dog owners and they are also rude and entitled in every other respect. Including the unbroken down boxes! Just truly the most unpleasant people I've ever had the displeasure of living near, and of course that extends to their behavior with their poor dog, who I don't blame for their awful behavior.

I've heard people express the notion that if someone has a dog, they must be "good people" but this is sadly very untrue. I love dogs but don't have one because I don't have the time or energy to properly care for one. I guarantee you I'm better people than my crappy neighbors who keep their dog cooped up in their little apartment all day and then let her poop in other people's yards and lunge and bark at people who walk by on the sidewalk. Anyone can get a dog, including the absolutely worst people.