In support of Man’s Best Friend

Thanks Anya for starting this thread. I was beginning to think that GN had become a centre for dog-haters. I love dogs and don't mind in the least if they approach me in a friendly manner when I'm out.
Of course, I completely understand, and sympathise with, people who have a genuine fear of dogs. I can only imagine how terrifying a walk can become when off lead dogs run up to them, waggy-tailed or not.
What really makes me angry sad, though, are the people who clearly have a hatred of dogs, a hatred sometimes bordering on the obsessive, demanding all dogs to be kept on leads and muzzled. Even worse, suggesting that dogs should be confined to the owner's garden, and if they don't have a garden then they shouldn't have a dog . This attitude is, as you so rightly say, hysterical.
I do agree, though, that there should be more control of dogs in this country, perhaps an obligatory dog training scheme for all new dog owners. There should be designated areas for dogs to run free with their (responsible) owners, and there really should be some sort of restriction on the number of dogs one person can legally exercise off lead. I just can't imagine there will ever be sufficient resources for any of this to be properly enforced, though

Bathsheba, yes all dog owners ought to go to an approved dog training group and not just to the six week puppy class. Each council has a bye law on how many Dogs one handler can walk off lead. It’s six in my area, my view is three or four max and only then if all the dogs are regularly walked together and hav3 100% reliable recall. Also, we increasingly see two people from the same dog walking enterprise so there are twelve Off lead Dogs. Dreadful to negotiate your way through them on woodland footpaths.

Apologies Anya, I should probably have posted that on the other dog thread ?

Dogs have been our companions throughout history, back to the first homo sapians. I can’t see them going away very soon. Neither would i want them to they provide friendship, love and protection besides so much else.

Bathsheba - you talk of GN "dog-haters" - the posts I've read are criticising the owners for not controlling their dogs - this doesn't make anyone a dog- hater.
And as for the "obsessives ... who think that if you don't have a garden you shouldn't have a dog" - well that's actually the RSPCA who won't rehome a dog to someone without a properly fenced garden.

We don’t have a dog now, not since our last spaniel died 8 years ago. I would like one, DH is not so keen, mostly because of the huge sense of loss when they die. In all my years of dog walking in this area, 23, I never came across any problem dogs. We live in a rural area so as well as woodland walks there is a large area of common land nearby, that is very popular for the dog walkers. There are a few cases of owners not clearing up after their dogs but mostly it is like a doggie haven there. The only thing that has affected us is that one day a friendly Dalmatian pinched DGS’s cake right out of his hand.
We love watching dogs playing, especially on the coast. A few months ago we were watching what we thought was a doodle-type dog having a whale of a time. Turns out he was an Italian Truffle Hound, his name was Uhu, beautiful dog.

dbDB77 I agree that most of the posts are criticising dog owners. However, I do feel that at least for some people their criticism is a thinly veiled hatred of dogs per se. And yes, I know (and actually agree with) the RSPCA rehoming policy, but I was really referring to suggestions that dogs should be kept within the confines of their owner's garden, which I inferred to mean they never go anywhere else.
However, this is in danger of becoming (if it hasn't already become) a thread about a thread...

Heck, I am guilty of feeling the need to pat dogs and say hello when I see them out. Most have such appealing faces and cute expressions and they always seem to wag their tails if I talk to them. I will heed the 'ask the owners first' bit. Didn't even think about it tbh.

I don't have a dog because I think they need people more and you have to be there for them to walk them and keep them company. I am a cat woman but love all animals and abhor animal cruelty.

I adore dogs, mine have supported me through dark times, brought love and laughter into the home , they accept me as I am , wonderful to be loved just because you are you and secrets can be shared with them , even training a puppy is a joy, perhaps not when it's raining and have to go into the garden with them ?

You are quite right Bathsheba - on the topic in support of man's best friend I know someone who takes her dog to a home for dementia & Alzheimer sufferers - they love to stroke & touch the dog - it's apparently very therapeutic for the patients.
We always had a dog when I was a youngster but in those days family dogs were all mongrels - or maybe it was our working class neighbourhood- the posher ones amongst us would have cross-breeds ?
As a broody gawky teenager it was lovely to take the dog for a long walk & clear my mood - and even if teenage angst meant that "everybody hates me" the dog always loved me - just pick up the lead and she'd go wild with joy. Happy days.

Oh yes, we can always rely on the dog always loving us. I recall a joke which went something like this:

If you really want to know who loves you the most out of your wife and your dog, try locking each one in the boot of your car on their own for a couple of hours and see which one is pleased to see you when you let them out

I've seen a couple of programmes where dogs have been used to help severely autistic children; they seem to sense when the child is going to have a meltdown and calm him/her down straight away. It's also been mentioned on a couple of whippet forums I go on; whippets seem to be particularly good with children that might be alarmed by other breeds as they're very gentle dogs. They tried to ban dogs from the beach at Bamburgh a few years ago but thankfully there was such a protest that it never happened. We did point out that there was a problem with people leaving disposable nappies around and also glass bottles that sometimes broke; not to mention the plastic left on the beach. Also, hearing dogs for the deaf are truly amazing, as are, obviously dogs for the blind.

I'm NOT a dog hater ,I had dogs of my own in the past and had no problems with them BUT they were kept on a lead when out because I know how frightened some people are of strange dogs ...I am .I dont know what the problem with walking your dog on a lead is.If you can take them somewhere to run free ,thats fine but it shouldn't be in a public park .I've always hidden my fear from my own kids and my GC,but a few months ago I was out with my 8 year old GD and two big husky type dogs bounded towards us and I was absolutely terrified .So we turned and came back home and I made an excuse that I'd left the cooker on so she wouldn't pick up on my fear .Some thought for others would be welcome from selfish owners

Anya.....this might be for another thread altogether BUT was speaking to friends about dogs roaming in our 'young' days (as I mentioned above)

They all agreed that they never remembered ANY dog ever becoming aggressive or attacking anyone walking past. We used to walk to school through a 'common' which was an open space of green. We were recounting just how may dogs were there....big, small, white, black, brown, some were even shagging, (which probably produced the younger ones)........ We ALL agreed not ONE of these dogs ever approached passers by NOBODY was ever attacked as far as we knew.

So my question is: Do you feel the nasty dogs come from inter breeding, specialist breeding or isolation?

I would never want to go back to days where dogs roam free constantly BUT I think we have to look at WHY dogs get aggressive and I firmly believe its because they aren't socialised enough nowadays. " Keep them on leads, stop them running, stop them approaching others" etc etc...

Maybe a whole new 'thought' thread but Anya....think it needs exploring..... "Are Restrictions on Dogs Causing Problems"?

Bluegal, I went on a two day residential course with a well known trainer with fifty years experience of working with Dogs. He said he sees more Dogs with behavioural problems like aggression, separation activity, reactivity etc than ever.
Some of the contributory factors he thought were Dogs left alone for long periods, multi dog households, Dogs being treated like children, that is having an elevated position in the family.
There’s a good book called In Defence of Dogs which addresses your questions.
You are right about the dogs that wandered during our childhoods. We did have one nasty terrier living near us, he’d run at children barking and snarling, particularly if we were on bikes. It was just part of running the gauntlet past his house. He never bit any of us, but we had we’re always anxious hi might. People weren’t as afraid of Dogs, or as irritated by them. Dogs had less stressful lives than many do now. We can’t retyrn to Dogs (or children) having the freedoms of our childhood because the traffic makes it impossible. Dogs need boundaries, they need a job, which can be walking nicely to heel whilst carrying a ball or favourite toy. The need mental stimulation, it tires them more than galloping around.

Thanks for that Iam64. Couldn’t agree more.