to expect dog owners to keep their pets under control?

I always keep my GC well away from any dogs, coming across one in the street one never knows how it may react. My time working in A and E taught me that a small child and dogs do not sit well together.

Of course dogs should be under control. Sadly, there are far too many irresponsible owners. Dogs that do not come when called, are off the lead in city streets, attack other dogs, attack children or behave boisterously with children even when well-meaning are a menace and their owners should be heavily fined. They should be heavily fined for not clearing up dog poo as well. And I'm a dog lover. I hope your grandson has recovered from this encounter and has not developed a fear of all dogs.

I would love to see a law passed where all dogs have to be on a lead when outside! I know many dog lovers will be outraged at this, however not EVERYBODY likes dogs and it seems a shame that we are unable sometimes to walk in parks etc without the unwelcome attention of dogs.There are many responsible dog lovers who are care ful to keep their dogs under control and "pick up after them" however there seem to be an equal number who do not and that spoils things for everyone not least the respnsible owners.

If dogs have been well trained and respond to being called back then I have no problem with them being off their leads in parks and open spaces. The parkland we were walking in yesterday is a dog walkers paradise and almost all the local dog owners are responsible; which is why I have always been very happy to walk my GS there. Sadly, when I took him for his walk this morning my GS was scared every time we saw a dog. Lots of lovely dog owners, familiar with us from previous walks, were very patient as I explained what had happened yesterday and allowed GS and me to take time for GS to 'come round' and say hello and pat the dogs, but he really is scared now. Grrrr!

I would like to see cat owners keep their pets under control. At least dogs don't jump over people's fences and leave faeces all over neighbour's gardens.
And kill the birds.
(I do agree that there are too many out of control dogs. I would favour re-introduction of the dog licence and make it count. In NZ I think it is about £50 a a year and all dogs have a coloured tag to show they have paid. This roughly covers the costs of running the dog pound etc They also spay the males a lot more often than we do. )

JessM You can herd cats, contrary to popular opinion, but you can't control them. The walls around my backyard – it's too small to call a garden – are too high for my cats to jump up, but I appreciate that you dislike providing a neighbourhood feline lavatory. However, not all cats kill birds, although they probably all would if they could. I have six cats, all of them getting on a bit now, but only one when in his prime was a hunter. Mostly he killed rats and squirrels. Occasionally, he killed a bird. I don't think any of the others has ever caught anything bigger than a bluebottle.

Glad you keep yours under control absentgrana. If they come into my garden and lurk near the birdfeeders I rush out roaring, in the attempt to convince them there is a really scary cat-eating monster living here. They seem to understand. I hope I don't scare those in neighbouring gardens

Yes dogs should be undercontrol at all times - I have a dog and we go out and about all over the place so no one can say I am anti dog but I get very annoyed when other owners don't clean up after their animals or let them run loose. My dog was badly bitten by another dog last year and a couple of years ago both my dog and I were bitten. I came off worse that day and ended up having to have hospital treatment. The hospital staff told me I must contact the police as if this had been a child they would have been much more seriously hurt. Police didn't want to know, neither did the local council dog warden. My dog is used to children and knows to sit down and be quiet if a child comes to him. And don't start me on dogs allowed to mess on other people's gardens, or on cats. My neighbour has six cats - and they never seem to mess in their own garden. Again I have had cats in the past so I'm not anti cat.

My dog alas no longer with us – was on the lead on the way out of our little local park when the rottweiler who belonged to a local shopkeeper came hurtling across the park snarling and obviously heading for my Max who was on the lead. Not having any other idea what to do, I punched the rottweiller on the nose and he ran away back to his owner, who was full of apologies and who reckoned his dog had never done that before. Whenever I went into that shop asfterwards, I had only to say one word and the dog was up at the stair gate between shop and living accommodation barking his head off.

Hmmm - I'm sitting here imagining punching the dog's owner on the nose. Very satisfying thought, even if somewhat against my pacifist principles.

I have always been a dog owner ( my present dog being a westie who adores children ) and they have always been kept on a lead . Many children come running up to stroke him and I always make them stop before they touch him and ask first ,and then approach him from the front holding out their hand so that he knows they are not going to hurt him . That in my mind is the only fair way for owners , parents ( many have thanked me ) and the child . My dog was attacked 4 times by the same dog and in the end I resorted to kicking the dog very hard with heavy snow boots on !! We no longer have trouble with him . My pet ( excuse the pun )grouse is litter louts - Why should I as a responsible dog owner pay expensive vet bills when he is injured on the filthy litter that is left lying around , so please lets hound the litter louts as well as irresponsible dog owners .

Dogs, cats, children, litter.....it all comes down to the same thing really - acting responsibly. I have tried very hard to instil a sense of, for want of a better word, citizenship, into my own offspring. Acting with thought for others and for the common good of all costs nothing and contributes much to a pleasant society.

Very embarrassing as well as annoying and upsetting when my quite large border collie was savaged by a yorkie who was dressed as Santa - no I hadn't been drinking!
On the subject of litter I was talking to a chap in the park the other day (yes I talk to anybody, including strange men in parks) whose dog had been badly cut after jumping on a broken bottle - vet's bill was £150!!!!

janreb - that was so funny - of course not the poor dog that had been injured in the park - but the picture I have of the yorkie dressed as Santa...oh - wonderful!!

Imagine how I felt to see this sight hurtling towards us - it was pitch dark on New Year's Eve, I knew I hadn't had a drink but it still crossed my mind that I must be a bit tiddly!

Imagine how your dog felt!!

Oh granny activist you're so right!

I think you are most reasonable to expect dog owners to keep their dogs under control grannyactivist! What has always annoyed me are owners who get all affronted when you try to avoid an overenthusiastic dog saying Oh but he won't bite/hurt you! Well all well and good but how on earth am I to know that???

When our children were small we joined the National Trust so we could let the children walk and run knowing they wouldn't come home covered in dog poo.

It's such a shame because the vast majority of dog owners DO keep their animals under control, it's just a small minority who don't (as usual).

I would never allow barney to go near any children not because he would bite or go for them but because I respect the fact that not all children or adult's are fond of dog's.My DH as some GNers may remember was attacked by a dog back in June of this year and suffered badly from the bite's on his arm whilst lifting barneyoff the ground to save him from a vicious attack this was reported to Police and the owner (a neighbour) was told to call and apologise and no futher action would be taken by the authorities,we are still waiting and are now in the process of taking out a private prosecution.

grannyactivist How is your grandson now since his unhappy canine encounter? I really hope that he hasn't developed a long-term fear of all dogs.

absent I'm afraid that on first sight of a dog now he is very nervous. With a lot of encouragement he can be coaxed, thanks to patient dog owners, to pat a dog - but what was previously a very natural response is now obviously a cause for anxiety. His mummy is VERY cross and upset!

I so agree with this. I don't mind dogs but I don't like them when they come near me or even worse are "affectionate" to myself and my GC. On one occasion I had to ask a dog owner to stop his dog sliding down on a child's slide in a playpark! His answer was that the dog wasn't doing any harm, however he promptly removed the dog when I advised him that I would call the police. Don't mind people having dogs but why do I and the children have to put up with them? And we all know of dogs who have actually harmed children.