Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a new dog owner, and hate the behaviors you listed too. Some people are so self-centered and have no clue.

If I see someone doing those things, I always speak out. A neighbor brought her two kids and puppy to the playground where a big sign says no pets. I said something and don't care how she feels about it. Follow the rules and understand that not everyone is going to want to tolerate your dog no matter how much you love them.

Puppies often cannot be left home alone easily and what is the big deal as long as they hang back with the dog?

Because puppies are pets (as the sign says) and small children should be able to crawl around without getting into dog poo or harmed by "supervised" dogs. Go somewhere else where dogs are allowed or don't buy a dog while having small children at home and going to playgrounds. I would love to have a dog but can't because I have small children.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a new dog owner, and hate the behaviors you listed too. Some people are so self-centered and have no clue.

If I see someone doing those things, I always speak out. A neighbor brought her two kids and puppy to the playground where a big sign says no pets. I said something and don't care how she feels about it. Follow the rules and understand that not everyone is going to want to tolerate your dog no matter how much you love them.

Puppies often cannot be left home alone easily and what is the big deal as long as they hang back with the dog?

Anonymous wrote:I'm a new dog owner, and hate the behaviors you listed too. Some people are so self-centered and have no clue.

If I see someone doing those things, I always speak out. A neighbor brought her two kids and puppy to the playground where a big sign says no pets. I said something and don't care how she feels about it. Follow the rules and understand that not everyone is going to want to tolerate your dog no matter how much you love them.

Thank you for doing this.

I sometimes don't feel comfortable speaking up when people bring their dogs to playgrounds or to the school specifically because I don't have a dog and I don't to get labeled a dog hater. I don't hate dogs, and I love animals -- I have a cat. I also like some specific dogs even if I'm not really a dog person.

But I really appreciate it when dog owners speak up about these behaviors towards other dog owners. Because no one can accuse them of hating dogs or animals or being selfish. It shouldn't be like this when it comes to following existing restrictions on dogs (like not taking them to places where small children are playing!) but sadly it is.

Anyway, thank you.

I'm a new dog owner, and hate the behaviors you listed too. Some people are so self-centered and have no clue.

If I see someone doing those things, I always speak out. A neighbor brought her two kids and puppy to the playground where a big sign says no pets. I said something and don't care how she feels about it. Follow the rules and understand that not everyone is going to want to tolerate your dog no matter how much you love them.

Anonymous wrote:And I hate posters that that generalize their hatred towards an entire group of people when it really only applies to some or even a small number of that group. People that think this way also tend to be racist in my experience. Same thought process. Try hating the inconsiderate dog owners and leave the rest of us out of your rant.

Nope. Owning a dog is not an immutable fact about a person like your race or gender. It's a choice. And the more dog owners people encounter who are lazy, entitled, and irresponsible, the more people are going to assume that any dog owner they encounter could be those things. Especially because the crap dog owners pose a genuine threat -- to other people, to other dogs, and to their own dogs.

If 20% of the dog owners I encounter don't adequately control their dogs in public spaces, then I'm going to be wary of any dog owner I encounter in these spaces because there's no way for me to know if this person is one of the 1 in 5.

To give you a concrete example, 15 years ago it was normal for me when meeting a neighbors dog to ask if I could pet the dog and then invite the dog to come say hello by crouching down and offering upturned hands for them to sniff. Now I never do this because so many people's dogs are ill behaved and the owners have no idea what to do about it that it's not worth the risk. I've also taught my child to steer clear of dogs unless they are known to us. So while she will pet and play with a friend's dog at their house, she will give any dog on the street a 4 foot radius and avoid contact.

If you don't like this, stop siding with crap dog owners over things like bringing dogs places they don't belong or letting them off leash. Self police the dog owning community and let fellow dog owners know that you don't agree with their choice to bring their dog into Whole Foods or let them off leash at the playground or urinate or poop in other people's yards. Be a responsible dog owner and encourage responsible dog ownership. Being a dog owner is not your race and you aren't a protected class.

Anonymous wrote:What is wrong with retractable leashes?

Many things. Here are a few:

1) They can break. So you may assume you have the ability to retract the leash when you don't actually. Since the moment when you want to retract the leash is usually the worst possible time for you to not be able to, this is a problem.

2) The encourage bad habits. People use retractable leashes because they want to let their dog on a long leash but know there are situations where they will be expected to keep them on a short leash. In practice what this means is that the dog becomes accustomed to a long leash. When what you should actually be doing is training your dog to behave appropriately on a short leash. Especially in cities, your dog should always be on a short leash in places that require leashes (short leash means control over your dog so they are required anywhere that you would need to control your dog) and then simply unleash your dog in places where a leash is not required (and train your dog for recall in these locations). Long leashes are pointless, it's a way for people who don't want to leash their dog to do so only technically.

3) Injuries are common with retractable leashes, including to the dog owner. Common injuries include rope burn when people instinctively grab the leash when the dog starts to extend it and it runs right through their grip, as well as thumb and finger issues due to the handle being ripped out of their hands or their fingers getting caught in the retracting mechanism. If the connection to the dog fails, there are the risks of bodily injuries from the metal parts coming flying at you or someone near you while it retracts.

4) There are also all the risks associated with any long leash -- risks of tripping, risks of the leash getting caught or wrapped around something, and risks of the dog running into traffic or other dangers before you are able to retract the leash.

Retractable leashes are the choice of lazy dog owners who have not taken the time to properly train their dogs. In DC, leashes are required to be 4 feet or shorter and should not be retractable. This is a good rule of thumb for leashes generally. Any longer than that and you simply no longer have a connection with the dog and you might as well not have a leash at all.

Anonymous wrote:What is wrong with retractable leashes?

A lot. And they are illegal in DC, but I have noticed that a lot of dog owners think the rules don't apply to them.

On my street there is constantly fresh crap on the hell strips and/or sidewalk, people let their dogs touch you when you walk past, many dogs have barked or lunged at my kids from close range, not to mention the ones who stand on one side of the sidewalk holding a leash to a dog on the other side so people have to walk in said crap laden hell strip around them.

The biggest problem is that dog owners think everyone loves their dog.

What is wrong with retractable leashes?

And I hate posters that that generalize their hatred towards an entire group of people when it really only applies to some or even a small number of that group. People that think this way also tend to be racist in my experience. Same thought process. Try hating the inconsiderate dog owners and leave the rest of us out of your rant.

I live near a walking trail and what drives me batty is the people who bag up the poop in plastic and then just chuck it next to trail. I'd much prefer they just leave the poop alone because then at least it could decompose or get washed away by the rain. It's just extra gross littering.

Anonymous wrote:Lol as normal, every narcissistic, entitled dog owner comes out of the wood work to pretend this post isn't 100 percent true. The world is fed up with dogs, and their owners. I am disabled, and these jerks with fake 'service dogs' are literally everywhere, in shops, pooping around food, attacking people, and pets, angrily challenging anyone who calls them out, lying, posing as 'disabled' people, like the ableist bigots they are. It's an epidemic. There are tons of articles about dog culture needing to end. Laws being changed because of it. A huge public backlash. Keep your mutts at home, and stop committing fraud. Get therapy.

I think the pendulum has to swing back soon. I think dog ownership was in a normal, reasonable place for a long time and it's only in the last few years since the pandemic that it has really gotten out of control.

I've already seen the shift happening among some businesses I frequent. There was a period of time when some of these businesses wanted to accommodate dog owners and be welcoming to dogs. Because the owners and a lot of the clientele like dogs. But then some of the owners who took advantage of these accommodations took it too far and now they are rolling them back. Thinking of three different retail businesses I frequent where I know the owners and they've all started limiting dogs on premises (or in one case banning them entirely) after being pretty liberal about it previously.

I’ve stopped going to my favorite restaurant because there’s a man who is there almost every time I go. He brings one of those little yappy dogs who jumps and barks at everybody the entire time.

The kicker is the man *puts in ear pods* so he doesn’t have to listen to the barking.

Restaurant won’t do anything because he’s a regular who goes almost daily.

Lol as normal, every narcissistic, entitled dog owner comes out of the wood work to pretend this post isn't 100 percent true. The world is fed up with dogs, and their owners. I am disabled, and these jerks with fake 'service dogs' are literally everywhere, in shops, pooping around food, attacking people, and pets, angrily challenging anyone who calls them out, lying, posing as 'disabled' people, like the ableist bigots they are. Its an epidemic. There are tons of articles about dog culture needing to end. Laws being changed because of it. A huge public backlash. Keep your mutts at home, and stop committing fraud. Get therapy.

Sometimes my dog poops and I’ve run out of bags, so I have to go home and get one

Anonymous wrote:
Hmm. I think someone doesn't like OP. And given the poor math skills and overgeneralization, probably with good reason!

It’s not just one person who thinks the massive generalizations and fake stats are OOT