Why do dog owners think it’s acceptable for their wet dogs to jump at people ?

I can remember years ago when we were in France being shocked to see dogs in restaurants. I thought it was incredibly unhygienic. Now we're doing it here.

Kate1949

I am terrified of them. All of them.

So am I. An Alsatian jumped up at me when I was small and unfortunately one did the same when I was pushing a pram with baby and toddler on a seat on the pram.
Dh walks a lot and sees them roving all over the hills people throwing balls for them even among cattle and sheep.
In our village, people walk their dogs pick up their p.. put it in a bag and hang it on trees why bother picking it up.
The best is two people let theirs use our gate posts and they squat and while the dog is busy they give me a wave if I am in front of the window.
I bought a cat and dog repellant spray. Next doors cats like my garden better than theirs as it is cultivated with loose soil.
My BIL all 6 foot+ of him was rounded up and could not move in a park while he was jogging.
My MIL had a dog and it was under control. Why do people think we will all love their pets. I even get cards and e-mails from people with the dog included in the best wishes. I thought someone had got a new grandchild until I realised it was a dog!
I don't want them where I am eating or sleeping for that matter the smell of them makes my stomach churn.
Each to their own in the appropriate place.

I find the notion of what constitutes a dog lover very odd. The poor creatures are confined in cars for long journeys, tethered under restaurant or pub tables smelling delicious food but receiving none themselves (dogs on laps eating off the owner’s plate is another issue), paraded down the street in silly dog clothes, yanked about on leads….. No wonder those with still a spark of life jump up at people, it’s probably their way of saying ‘Save me! Save me!’.

Folornhope - that’s not the life my dogs live

My friend, a devoted dog lover and owner, lives in a tiny little house, with a very tiny garden. She walks her dog at least twice a day, every day. Her next door neighbour lives in the same size house, with the same size garden. She has a greyhound and 2 Jack Russell terriers. She works long hours, often out of the house for 12 hours straight, and the digs are just let out into the garden to do their business and then straight back in. They are never taken out to exercise. But when they escape, which is often, they jump up at people, charge at other dogs and run into the roads causing traffic chaos. Every one blames "those damned dogs." It isn't the dogs fault. They're bored, they have no stimulation, no exercise and no human company for most of their lives. A badly behaved dog is a direct result of a bad owner. It's them you should be tackling.

I don’t know who said it; oh, I know it was Alexei Sayle in a podcast were he chats to people on a train. But he said that many people want to chat to people but having a dog means you can chat to other dog owners. The girl he was speaking to had a border collie with her and she said when he was little they couldn’t take him for a walk without lots of people stopping and asking about him. I know you don’t have to have a dog to speak to people but my favourite thing these days is having conversations with people about their dogs because I love seeing unusual breeds. And asking about different breeds characteristics etc. I do worry, however, that responsible dog owners seem to be in the minority these days.

Yammy. I have had some awful experiences with dogs, including one which nearly ended in me having to give evidence in court against the owner. In a previous thread about dogs when I mentioned some of my experiences, a dog lover on here implied that I couldn't possibly have had so many bad experiences, so I must have been lying. I wouldn't do that.

We have a dog who was attacked by two dogs on extended leads and I was knocked over by them. It has taken me over two years to have the courage to dog walk again. I go out about once a week and only go to wide open spaces so I can see anyone else with a dog.
Our dog is very gentle and always on a lead it’s other dogs I now fear. I don’t ever get close enough to other people let alone dogs.

Glad it is not just me Mayal. How on earth can an owner exercise proper control with using a traditional lead. I know of a couple with a lovely dog but they treat him like a child! Doggy clothes and has his own Instagram page - what's that all about!? Other people have responsibility too and not allow their child to run up and stroke a dog they do not know. Think everyone needs to remember a dog is a dog and not a person !

A few years ago on Christmas day my husband was wearing a new jumper I had bought him. He walked out of our house and a very excited dog next door jumped up and bit a hole in the jumper.
I was very angry and argued with the neighbour who tried to say claim on your insurance!! What a cheek. Fortunately I still had the receipt and I made her pay for it, it was £60 she tried to say she would only pay £30 due to wear and tear - he had only worn it for about an hour. She did eventually pay up and relations were very cool and fortunately she moved abroad soon after.

Skydancer

I just don’t get why anyone wants a dog at all. To have one in a house is disgusting. They descend from wolves, wild creatures. Germ-ridden and slobbering- I don’t even want to touch one.

Each to their own, but you have missed out on years of unconditional love. Dogs (and cats) are amazing creatures. As are most animals and birds. Just my thoughts on the subject.

PS. I fully agree that animals should be controlled by their owners. A well trained, well behaved dog is a joy.

Callistemon21

I think bringing back dog licences would be a good idea.

I think that would lead to a lot more dogs being abandoned

They let them jump up at you for the same reason they want them admitted to restaurants, allow them to bark at all hours of the day or night, let them off leads in the park and allow them to deposit waste anywhere. Selfish owners who think everyone should feel the same way about their pet as they do

Irresponsible owners wouldn’t get a licence. The cost of necessary checks woukd be prohibitive
Ban and close down puppy farms.
Greater oversight of breeding. Far too many people breeding any old spaniel to any poodle - result badly bred pups, poor health, poor temperament. All breeders should be inspected by their local council/ no more ‘hobby’ breeders wanting £10,000 for a litter from their ‘pet’. Many of these poor bitches being bred every season
Stop the importing of street dogs from parts of Europe. Many of these have survived on the streets and don’t cope with domestic lives. They run at any opportunity

Sorry will put hobby horse away

Aldom. With respect, people who don't like or are afraid of dogs don't feel that they are missing out at all.

There seems to be an increase in the number of badly trained dogs in the UK judging by the posts on here and media reports. It's very sad that this is happening. For those of us who are dog lovers we enjoy the love and companionship of our pets. I agree that it's very unpleasant to have an unknown dog jumping at you, owners should have to attend basic training and care classes when they acquire a dog.
I too dislike the current trend of taking your dog everywhere you go. I don’t want a strange dog wandering up to me whilst I am eating or shopping. By the same token I don't want others to be upset by my dogs.
Dogs will settle perfectly well at home for a few hours whilst owners are shopping etc then they can enjoy a walk and the full attention of their owners when they return.

It's irresponsible members of the public that have made it hard to train my dog. When she was a puppy I was teaching her not to jump up. Everyone, and I mean everyone, encouraged it because, "Oh, it's fine. You're so cute." She learned it was rewarded. It made me so mad and now I have a dog who tends to jump up.

Due to this sort of thing and not trusting other dogs, my dogs are always on lead in this kind of area. I use an extension lead I shorten if I see people or other dogs approaching, so I have control.

Thanks to members of the public who like to undermine training efforts, not!

Mandrake, I know just what you mean. We had her trained whilst not allowed off the lead, but now we have to reinforce training every time we go out because of people who do want to pat and caress.
Currently, what works is the ‘lie down’ whistle command with reward. That means that anyone who comes over to play knows what they’re getting. But it’s hard work.

My nan used to tell us off for making a fuss when her dog was just "mouthing" us.
It ruddy hurt!

Skydancer

I just don’t get why anyone wants a dog at all. To have one in a house is disgusting. They descend from wolves, wild creatures. Germ-ridden and slobbering- I don’t even want to touch one.

And this is exactly why I prefer dogs to people. Give me a 'germ-ridden, slobbering' dog over most humans any day of the week. Hand on heart, with the exception of my closest family, I would save a dog over a human every time.

Iam64

Folornhope - that’s not the life my dogs live

Nor mine. Threads like this just give the dog hating brigade (and it's always the same ones!) an excuse to go off on a rant. Imagine if they were speaking the same way about their precious children or grandchildren...

We have to pay an annual fee to own a dog and also a cat. I’ve has some lovely dogs over my lifetime but these days I wouldn’t want one because there are very few off-lead areas and they are not allowed to roam free at all. That is why so many misbehave - they are bored and frustrated and their owners just don’t get it.

To compare dogs to children and grandchildren is completely ridiculous.

Surely if your clothes are soiled by a dog jumping up at you, you are entitled to demand the owner pays your laundry or dry-cleaning bill?

The only way irresponsible dog-owners are going to learn to behave more responsibly is if you take the legal steps you can in the country you are in.

In Denmark, where I live, this entails asking the owner for his name, adddress and insurance company, as his dog insurance covers this kind of nuisance. And of course, I could report him to the police as well for having insufficient control of his animal, and being in a place where dogs are forbidden, or forbidden to run loose.

I have not yet managed to work out from all these threads whether there are no regulations of this type in the UK, or whether they just are ignored.

Please enlighten me, I would genuinely like to know.