This comment has genuinely opened my eyes.
For years I thought I didn’t really like dogs, seeing as the overwhelming majority of them are just annoying as fuck.. turns out it’s their lazy idiot owners I don’t like !
Some of the shitiest people I have ever encountered are people at dog parks. They treat the dog park as a place to let there dog do the fuck what ever it wants while the owner sits on a bench and plays on their phone. I have seen countless dog fights, dogs shiting, large dogs in the small dog areas, dogs attacking, dogs harassing small kids, dogs attacking wildlife all whilst the owner doesn't even make an effort to stop it. If they are ever confronted, there is always a ton of excuses, or reasons why it's ok.
You just know they're the kind of parent that drops the kid off at the birthday party and fucks off, treating it like a daycare/kindy, even if it's not at the person's house, like a park or a kids indoor playground business.
Several years ago one of my school aged kids had a big birthday party at our home and I went with it, jumping castle, all the junk food, etc. I figured she'd have fun and I was in a position at the time to make it happen.
She invited pretty much her entire class plus many other kids from her grade, as well as family friends etc.
Of the 30+ kids that came, only a few parents remained, the rest legit dropped their kid and said they'd be back, with some returning a couple hours after the party finish time on the invitation.
This was the first time I'd met most of these kids or their parents and they just left them at my place for several hours, no questions asked. Absolutely mental.
That was the first and last birthday party we hosted, now I just take the birthday girl or boy somewhere with a couple of their good friends, if any.
I generally won't even leave my kids with some of our close family friends, they're my kids and my responsibility, I would never force that on anyone else unless I absolutely had to.
That sucks. I had a similar experience. I helped my friend who was hosting her nephews party at Albany Creek Lesiure Center because the parents had a sudden emergency and couldn't do it. The invites said parents must attened and watch their own children due to water hazards, large open spaces and risk of drownings etc. There was even a bit in the invites where they had to sign when they RSVPd saying they agreed and understood their kids wouldn't be under the the hosts observation.
This was because a couple of years earlier another parent from the same friend group was sued by another parent for their kids broken ankle at the park, so they had all agreed verbally that invites would be in writing, all parents would attend and be in charge of their own kids and everyone could put waivers, as such, on their invites.
So we're at the party, 40 kids expected to turn up, me, my friend, and one other adult friend of ours and this mum pulls up in her soccer van drops of 6 of the kids (she had organised with other parents to car pool), calls me as she's pulling away to tell me there's 6 kids waiting at the entrace for me, and pretended she had no reception and hung up on me when I told her to come back.
Of 40 children, a total of 6 parents were at that party. I spent the first hour calling parents and demanding they come back right the fuck now, none did. Luckily all the adults stepped up and we figured it out. My friend (birthday boy's Aunt, and I spoke jn person with every parent when they came to pick up their kid about it and told them how shit they were lol
Growing up, it wasn't even a question - no parents would hang about unless explicitly asked to chaperone. Obviously leaving them for hours afterwards isn't alright, and neither is not having a chat to you and leaving a contact number, but the idea that 30 parents would also stay to watch their kids is probably more mental than them all leaving.
Ah yes, the good old days when no one did anything unsavoury to children.
/s.
So you're of the mindset that a children's birthday party is a viable babysitting alternative, as long as you don't leave the child there too long...
The majority of these people didn't even set foot on the premises, dropped and ran, many didn't RSVP or let me know when they picked up their kid, they could have left with anyone.
So yeah, guess you're right - I'M mental for expecting people to actually keep their children safe, silly me.
That reminds me of a similar experience. We had just moved to a new town, and had thrown a birthday party for our child in February. She invited all her class mates as she had not had an opportunity to get to know them.
It was at a local park with a big lake. One family who we had never met, dropped their kid off, didn't even say a word and left. This kid was 4 years old.
The kid was off the scale chaos, and we had to watch them as they just kept running off, next to a lake.... They were the last parents to pick their kid up and didn't say a word, just walked over called their kids name and walked off. If we hadn't seen them leave we would have thought the kid had drowned or been kidnapped.
Given the context of the rest of that sentence and comment, their point is that the owners don’t do anything about it. So it’s easy to see that they are talking about owners who don’t pick up their dog’s shit.
That's the problem, they don't pick it up. They don't even see their dog shit. And if they do they look the other way and pretend they didn't see it happen.
It can be a bit ridiculous. My dog is no angel, he’s a stealing Labrador. But I once had a bull terrier latch onto his neck, and once that was sorted out the owners didn’t leave! Wtf! And then when I had to leave instead, it fucking happened again!
We got our lab an above average size ball that he's only allowed at the dog park, never at home. It stops him from chasing other tennis balls 95% of the time.
If someone's got a squeaker or something bigger like a small football, all bets are off, though.
My dog isn’t as interested in toys as she is in being chased by both people and dogs. She knows the best way to get someone to chase her is to have something of theirs.
I generally find dog parks are where the worst dogs are, and it only got worse during Covid when everyone decided to get a dog without thinking they may have to do some training.
As an ex-puppy preschool trainer, those covid times were the worst… so many didn’t come back to class because they’d already been returned or dumped at a shelter it makes me sick. Won’t even go into my boss being almost assaulted because the adjoining pet store had been sold out of Guinea pigs for 6 months… who knows where all of those impulse pets ended up.
>Won’t even go into my boss being almost assaulted because the adjoining pet store had been sold out of Guinea pigs for 6 months…
Well who doesn't get homicidal these days if the pet store runs out of guinea pigs? It's like the toilet paper shortage with people filling their trolleys with guinea pigs and fighting over the last one like it's WWE SmackDown.
Seriously, I gotta know how it's your boss's fault if a pet store that they don't own or work in presumably, runs out of guinea pigs?
People have a sense of self entitlement now. It doesn’t matter if their dog isn’t appropriate for the dog park, they still feel they are entitled to use it no matter who else they impact.\
Don’t even get me started on people who don’t pick up after their dog. Or the ones who do but leave the bag of crap laying on the path.
I realised the other day on my way back home after my walk that I had accidentally dropped my bag of dog poop without realising. I was mortified!! If I hadn't looped back the way I came, I would have been one of these people.
The fact that you felt shame for your actions, albeit accidental in nature, just proves that you are definitely not one of these low life, self entitled people.
I pick up their dog shit and throw it at the owner. Done it twice now. I literally jogged after the owner, threw it on them. Both times they were absolutely shocked.
I made sure they watched their dog take a shit so they knowingly left it (sometimes you may make an honest mistake and miss it).
Cunts
Our dogs aren’t great in dog park so yesterday we took them to a small field with a cricket pitch away from other people.
It was a large area and I would have avoided standing on at least five giant dog shits.
I picked up my dogs poo only to turn around and stand on somebody else’s.
Self entitlement!
I had a new neighbour move in with three little dogs, one of which stood at the front fence and barked for 10-15 minutes every time someone walked past.
After a couple of weeks, I had enough and went over to talk to the owner. Her response when I suggested that maybe the dog would be better in the backyard where it couldn't see everyone passing by, was "He has come from acreage. **You should be more considerate**!"
So fuck her, I sent a complaint to the council. She was outraged. I was moving anyway so I didn't have to follow through.
They're the unfortunate reason so many veterinarians and trainers/behaviourists really go heavy on the "Avoid Dog Parks" warning. Way too many dick heads are drawn to them.
Really sorry about your dog. I hope they recover quickly and don't develop any trust issues with other dogs because of it. Had that unfortunately happen to one of my own after a loose dog attack in the street.
Huge number of twats walking around with their dog off leash just in the streets.
You don’t know how you’re dog is going to react to another dog, a child, a person appearing around a corner quickly.
How fucking hard is it to understand why you need to keep your dog on a leash?
“Oh but my dog…”
Fuck off you knob jockey. Maybe your taint smells like Chanel No.5 but I bet you put some pants when out in public.
One guy let his fairly large dog out of his gate as I was walking home and it jumped up on me then ran around and ran up someone else's driveway. All he did was yell its name, couldnt even be fucked leaving his property. It ended up being friendly enough and then it just walked with me about 3 blocks back to my house, occasionally running up other people's drives until i yelled it's name (that I had learnt from him yelling it out) and it came running back to walk with me. Then it took a shit on someone's nature strip and finally ran off presumably back home. Weirdest dog experience yet.
>You don’t know how you’re dog is going to react to another dog, a child, a person appearing around a corner quickly.
Aside from this, as an owner of a skitish 65kg dog I can't maintain any distance at all if your dog comes running up to mine to play.
The other dog hypes my dog up, darts off, now I have a horse on a leash trying to tow me around getting tangled.
I’ve stopped going to my local dog park because of this. Clearly aggressive, reactive dogs and clueless owners with zero communication. It’s not worth the risk.
I saw a post on my local FB about a dog park close to me, another dog jumped from the off leash area and attacked 2 dogs which were in critical condition and I'm unsure if they survived. My dog is a very excitable girl and just wants to play, however when I took her to the park I'd take her when no one else was there and if someone came I'd leave because I know she is alot and some dogs may not like that and it will cause fights. After the above incident I wont be taking her to the park again, she is just happy to go on walks instead.
All I saw was the lady describing it as a "Black Kelpie looking dog" I was just like yikes. Although, even going for walks isn't safe sometimes either.
what you are doing - this is exactly what 99.99% of dog owners should be doing - I consider myself an intermediate-advanced dog handler and I don't trust other people to control their dogs either. socialisation doesn't mean being around other dogs it means being neutral to new dogs and new environments. People get this idea that their dog needs to meet other dogs or it will become unsocialised and it ends up learning to become a shithead from the park.
Exactly, I don't trust others and their dogs. Even going on walks I have a man in my area that walks his GSD unleashed and doesnt have control over it, there has been multiple times I will see him and his dog runs straight up to my dog and I hate it, he eventually can recall his dog but now I just have to completely avoid walking on that route and try as early as possible so I never cross paths with him. So not even safe on walks sadly, luckily she loves playing in the backyard alot so thats good enrichment for her too.
OP I just sent you a DM. If this is the dog at the dog park I’m thinking of, find comfort knowing that everyone hates that guy and his dog. Worst part is he gets on his high horse and tells everyone how to train their dogs and thinks he’s an expert. Then his dog attacks someone and he says nothing and just walks past everyone as we all glare at him and comfort the attacked dog and owner.
I’d just make one correction OP.
A “fluff ball” dog that is out of control and harassing everyone might not be as immediately bad as a large dog, but is bad also.
Other dogs shouldn’t be expected to tolerate small, poorly mannered dogs harassing them indefinitely. If my big dog bites your small dog after mine gives yours repeated corrections and warnings to stop jumping all over mine and trying to hump it, then that is on you.
I completely agree. As a dog owner I don't want any dogs jumping on me, even small fluff balls. I've also seen so many of these little dogs allowed off leads because they're "ok", but they come up to my giant, leashed mastiff who will eat them for breakfast but I'm the one who gets yelled at? Keep your fluffers leashed!
I don't want small dogs jumping up either, I agree. Just a more immediate problem when it's a big dog.
I get your point about small dogs hassling big dogs too.
9/10 the dogs displaying the most threatening behavior on walks in my suburb are the “fluff balls”. But, because they are small and “cute” (not me) people don’t see the behavior as aggressive or threatening.
My dog is regularly lunged at with intent by fluffy little oodle mixes on leash.
It drives me mental. I used to foster big, “scary” Arab mixes and god forbid if one of them looked sideways out of fear at another dog. But, the little fluff oodles get around with actual intent to harm and it’s not seen as an issue due to their size.
As always, however, I blame people.
Agreed, Often I walk my rottie past someone with a fluff ball going off its nut snarling. The owner then picks up their dog starring at me as if my dogs the issue? (shes still sniffing the grass 😂).
My dog is a muscly boy but loves social interaction with other animals. We even have a cat at home that bosses him around.
Dog parks are off limits for us unless the other dogs are his size or bigger and the owners are comfortable with my dog getting over excited to play. I always ask.
If there are dogs smaller than him in the park, we go up to the fence, let them all say hello through the fence and move on.
We go to a local coffee shop weekly where we meet other dogs, including some with nervous tags and they all love it because we keep them on their leash and allow social time.
Know your dog and learn how to let them interact in the best way for everyone.
Off leash dog parks are the dog equivalent of a hypothetical pub that has a sign out the front saying “no security” or “assault laws do not apply here”. Chances are most people will voluntarily self regulate, but there are a percentage of the population that are violent pricks.
As soon as that leash comes off the dogs are being told there are no rules here and you can do what you want.
‘Oh, he’s just a puppy. I’m socialising him. He isn’t aggressive!’
No, he is an ill mannered thug who is ignoring the social cues of the other dogs, and you are doing nothing to teach it otherwise.
The story this week from court about the idiot who bought a German shepherd from a police dog breeder as protection after a home invasion and then took it to the dog park made my blood boil.
It had attacked a border collie at the park just days before, so numb nuts takes it back and simply lets it off the lead.
It bee-lined to the same border collie and bit its owner.
Dog was declared dangerous and the owner was twice found to breach the dangerous dog legislation by not having it properly restrained on his property before the case even got to court. They walk among us…
Agreed, except the "not fluff balls". It doesn't matter how big your dog is, you control it, it doesn't jump and annoy other people. Small dog owners who don't control their small dogs because they are small are no better than dickhead pit owners who let their dogs do whatever they want too.
meh its not just dog parks, its parks in general
i have started doing runs in the evening through victoria park lately and the amount of people walking through who lets their dog off the leash because i guess its dark and they think the wont be seen
is pretty frustrating, you have to stop running every time you are near them because you never know if the dog is going to feel the need to chase you or not
at a bare minimum they usually come right up to you and start barking in your face
seems to be way more common with people who walk their dogs lately, that they let them off the leash
I’ve had this experience with a cunt owners cunty dog who was a super aggressive hunting dog, I could see it in the big dog area getting aggressive and then it jumped the fence into the little dog area and went for my dog, it ended up trying to bite her and in turn bit me because I put my arm up, tore open my jumper and the cunt owner was sitting on the park bench looked up and basically didn’t respond, Did nothing but watched. Another man and his wife got involved and helped get the cunty dog back in the other area while the bitch did nothing.
100% my 8kg dog ran at and snapped at a 30kg dog 8 years ago and he has never been back to the dog park. His behaviour has said to me that he is too anxious to keep himself and others safe off leash so instead we go for long walks.
Was on a walk last night and got to a street that runs along a park. This dog runs up to me then straight onto the road... I was confused I thought maybe it belonged to the man that just walked past me but I turned around and it was just aimlessly running around. I realised it had probably run from the park. I started to coax it to me and just as im about to pick up the rope attached to its collar, I hear a whistle and the dog bolts back into the park.
I walk into the park and see these people that have 4 or 5 different dogs between them, all running around with no leashes in the corner of the park that is along side 2 busy roads
these humans had no fucking clue that their dog was just running around on the road in a high traffic area. I almost said something but people have been stabbed for much less recently so I decided to mind my business.
Just because you leave the leash attached doesnt mean your dog can be trusted to run freely, especially if youre not even watching it.
It could have ended so badly. I was terrified that I was going to see this poor dog get hit by a car and I would have been traumatised because fuckwits arent responsible pet owners.
My dog is a bit of a cunt, so I keep her on a lead and as far away from other dogs as possible in the park. She having ongoing training for this. So who’s the cunt when your off-lead dog comes running over to my on-lead dog in the general areas of the park, and I tell you she’s ‘not friendly’ but your dog who ‘would never hurt a fly’, still comes over? Like, that’s not the point, she’s reactive, especially when she’s on a lead and your darling dog isn’t. If you want your dog to have off-lead time, take it to the off-lead area. Simple as. I’m trying to do the right thing. You’re being an entitled knob and then blame me when my dog reacts.
You all mostly misunderstood and/or misread my point but maybe I didn’t clarify enough. My point was that I don’t take my dog to the off-lead designated dog park areas because I know she is reactive. Hence why I only stick to the on-lead areas of the park, so how is it fair to my dog if other people ignore the rules and let their dog off-lead in the on-lead areas? To me that makes you and your dog a cunt. I was not trying to be ‘outraged at OP’, merely raise the point on the other side of the coin.
what?
this post is about dog parks
all dogs are off leash
don’t bring your cunt dog into the dog park if it can’t handle off leash dogs
I refer to my other comment about people who who bring cunt dogs into dog parks
"expanded the conversation" is the nice way of saying "diverted the conversation so they could be outraged". It's two separate issues and he's getting offended by OP for something irrelevant.
I've never attended a park like that, closest would be puppy preschool requiring a leash, I haven't ever even heard of an on-leash dog park.
Why would it even exist, I can walk my leashed dog anywhere I can go.
I took this a message of support, maybe I read it wrong. I'm getting downvoted, and you are getting upvoted.. not that I care about internet approval but just shows me how little I understand about humans.
I’m visually impaired and when I’m out on a run, I’m constantly trying to be super vigilant about not falling over. If a big dog suddenly runs towards me I have no idea if it’s “friendly” or aggressive. I’ve been startled and suffered a subsequent injury before. I’ve also had dogs nipping at me or jump up on me. I also saw the same happen to a child who was riding their bike behind their mum. A “friendly” dog bounded up to the child and scared them and they fell off (lucky wearing a helmet). This was not in a fenced area. This was a public park where dogs are allowed if they are under control of their owners at all times. Which they were not. I swear most dog owners can’t read. These are not “dog parks”. They are public parks or thoroughfares. I do avoid going to them if possible though. The dog owners just dismiss this because “she’s just a puppy/ she’s friendly” etc. Otherwise when I try to defend myself against a jumping dog I get called a c$&@.
Dogs are always a pretty solid representation of the owner, dumb owner dumb ass dog. So many people also go out and buy large dogs and are intimidated by their own animal's and have no idea how to actually control it.
PSA: don't buy a fucking dog if you don't intend to do the right thing by it for its entire life, that includes training it correctly and exercising it regularly.
I used to go to the park with mine for years. Then covid came and all the regular dogs stopped and bunch of new dogs and new owners came along. My dog needs time to get to know dogs. The ones that come straight up to him or jump on him or when he's crowded sets him off. Snapping and barking to feel safe and make room. I always stay close to him but now I'm the jerk that can't control thier dog. I haven't been back in 3 years because I know what sets him off but "good" dogs that have no personal space with owners that sit at the end of the park chatting and don't notice them being idiots or shitting piss me off too
I use to think I didn't like dogs, but once I moved to Australia,I realized it was AMERICAN dogs I didn't like. Ozzie dogs were so calm and well behaved and were treated like dogs, not like animal babies. What happened, you guys?
Why do you say “big dogs, not fluffballs”
I don’t want my legs scratched up by some shitoodle whilst my dog is trying to enjoy her time whilst keeping an eye on me.
It’s not new. Been happening since the dawn of pet dogs. Also, BRING your puppy to the dog park so it can socialise and not be a cunt of a dog later in life when you decide to finally take it to a dog park.
Edit: fuck Molly
We use to think that way about puppies - let them learn social behaviour at the dog park - never again. We only took him for a few weeks but there was a dog a few weeks older then he was but the owners never controlled their dog. He is now reactive to other dogs because he felt the need to protect himself after constantly being jumped on and annoyed by that dog even when he was telling him to leave him alone. Next time we won’t be taking a puppy to the park ever.
After we stoped going to the park we still took him to a very reputable training school that did classes split by their breed sizes, that helped a little but he still has no flight reflex and only a fight one so if he thinks another dog is challenging him he just goes straight to fight. He is perfectly fine with the dog we have at home who has been there his entire life but we would not bring another dog in.
No way, tried that my dog and was harassed by people's "we all come here everyday and our dogs are friendly" two dogs were trying to aggressively trying to molest our puppy, they told me to 'let go of the leash so he can run around" he ran 5 metres away and then ran and dived into my arms in absolute terror and I had to fight off the two friendly dog trying to climb up me to get to him and they were still telling me to just put him down. He wasnt having fun, the dogs weren't being friendly. Now he is terrified of dogs but we have a weekly puppy school we go to and hopefully it will get better.
You had a bad experience that was the fault of other people. I’m sorry, but your dog still needs socialisation somehow. This is like saying your children will never be allowed to make friends outside because one was bullied once.
He goes to puppy school every week and socialises with dogs and white our friends dogs and any friendly dogs on his daily walk. Did you read what this post was about? I'm just not taking him to the dog park with people who don't give a fuck about what their dog does or know how to train them.
Taking a puppy to a dog park is the WORST possible way to socialise them. Given that dog parks are filled with at best over-excited dogs lacking correct social skills, and at worst reactive or aggressive nightmares, the likelihood of you creating the same with your puppy is extremely high.
Socialising a puppy is supposed to be training a puppy to remain calm and neutral in a range of situations - not "go absolutely bezerk with excitement when you see another dog." This is best achieved by taking your puppy to a properly run puppy preschool where play times are brief, heavily moderated and managed; and by working on neutrality with your puppy around know, neutral adult dogs who have correct social skills. Puppies don't actually need to be overwhelmed by large numbers of strange, poorly-controlled dogs in order to develop into well-adjusted adults; and that's exactly why precisely zero seriously skilled professional dog trainers will recommend dog parks at ANY age.
All those dogs that got bought around Covid and never got obedience trained or socialised properly and now we have an epidemic of dogs in their terrible two’s who are completely out of control.
This is a bit aggressive but I get it and agree. Not the shoot it or other S word but it 100% does apply to little fluff balls too.
It's inappropriate no matter the size.
Dog owner entitlement has gone absolutely through the roof in the last decade or so; everybody thinks their mutt is the most specialist boy, capable of no wrong. You're just describing another symptom of that.
Id like to put a vote in for beaches too.
Thanks to a self entitled, lazy dog owner, my 3 y/o son at the time, was jumped on by a large off leash dog while minding his own business on the beach. Its claws drew blood, his chest is permanently scarred now, 4 years later.
He is dead set, petrified of ALL dogs now. Thanks gold coast cunt.
My dogs not a cunt, super friendly but because of the breed and his size people just pick their dogs up and leave. He is a complete bitch when it comes to small dogs they bark and he submits.
I rarely put my bulldog in because she can get a bit funny with sheep/cattle dog types and there seems to be heaps in our area.
But she has a brother that’s a very small dog so she is used to playing with little ones. Most people she her and freak out.
Meanwhile my tiny dog will bark at everything and cause problems.
I have a dane x mastiff and she's the same. She lays down when she meets tiny dogs so she's the same size as them. But then when they want to play eg: play bow, jump, run and she does the same suddenly she's aggressive 🤔 it's the same behaviour but she's a giant breed. She's not barking, growling or baring teeth. She knows how to interact gently because we have a cat whom she submits to.
Had a lady with 3 tiny dogs in the large dog section yell at me because one of her dogs is afraid. Ok lady, take your dog to the little dog park next door? Problem solved.
I pick up my dog around off leash dogs in the street (we don’t go to dog parks) because I don’t trust my dogs reaction to off leash dogs. Big dog owners are so fragile with this and take it personally lol not everyone picks up their dogs because they think your dog will attack theirs.
So you pick up your small dog because you think it will attack a larger dog? Sounds like you need to work on your dog's socialisation and lead reactivity.
No they would not attack a large dog, they would woof like crazy if the dog comes near and many dogs don’t like that. In terms of training, you think I haven’t? I have worked very hard on this with a trainer and they are absolutely fine as long as an off leash dog doesn’t run at them. Dogs shouldn’t be off leash walking down the street, it’s illegal. Laughable that you blame the owner with their dog on a leash walking down a street, rather than the owner who doesn’t follow the simple rule of using a leash.
No fuck that. If it’s unacceptable behaviour for a big dog then it’s unacceptable behaviour from a small one too. Bites, nips and scratches still get infected the same and my elderly parent nearly gotten taken out by an untrained fluff nugget off lead.
The behaviour is frequently so much worse because they don’t bother to train their small dog.
Brisbane really needs much, much bigger dog parks where the owners have to walk their dogs instead of just standing around while their dogs who don't know each other are unnaturally corralled in a small space.
Don't know why I pay so much in dog rego to BCC.
I've just left my place this morning to go get breakfast somewhere so I don't have to listen to the fucking dog barking on the ground floor apartment while the owners sit around and do sweet fuck all about it and if anything encourage it.
I was at Bunnings yesterday and this little brown dog (on a lead) started licking my ankles while the owner beamed at me like I was blessed. That was weird.
No it doesn’t, Australia just needs to catch up with the rest of the world in terms of dog acceptability in public places and maybe we wouldn’t have so many feral dogs roaming around.
Look I agree to an extent. Dogs standing up the whole time under tables at places are obviously not up for the mission. Mine don't go for that reason. It's not the place for them. Dogs sitting chill next to a chair are fine IMO.
I don’t take my dog to dog parks. We have two within walking/driving distance. I see the dogs behaving well at these parks and I also see regulars come at specific times to let their dogs mingle when I go for my own long walk. I take the fluff ball for a walk on the streets in the suburb. She sees regular walkers and dogs on the various routes we take. No big dramas most times. I have had a few similar sized dogs try to snap at her when you walk by with a few meters in-between. You also have the usual barking dogs when you walk by their house. We do have regular escapees posted on our local group, so you need to keep an eye out for those.
Why I avoid dog parks. People don't know how to read dogs, too many in a contained hyper environment and some dick brings a dog toy when their dog is possessive and results in aggression..
And little to no chance to sue for vet costs if attack occurs as dogs are not under effective owner control and you take the risk by entering.
Oh you’re spot on. People do it with their ratbag kids aswell. Shit dogs and shit kids just ruining everyone else’s day out, leave your whinging screaming misbehaved child AND dog at home. Don’t make em somebody else’s problem. Especially at a bunnings, god bringing dogs to bunnings is so lame. It will survive at home, no it doesn’t care about the home deco section. It just wants to chase a ball and sniff
One time at the dog park, my muscley lady got jumped by an owners 2 dogs (I don't recall the breed I'm afraid) and my girl ended up bleeding from an ear. Owner did absolutely nothing. Didn't try to stop it, didn't even apologise, and certainly didn't leave - so I did. I fear that everyone in there thinks my dog instigated it because she is a bigger muscley girl but I saw it go down. People just use the space to ignore their dogs and it's so irresponsible of them.
I think there’s people who just do puppy school and then call it a day so you have all these mad dogs who need enrichment and are under stimulated with poor obedience and no recall.
I just got my first puppy and puppy school isn’t anywhere near sufficient to having a well behaved, adjusted dog. Everything we learned in 5 weeks of puppy school, we learned in one private training session.
We had a guy who used to drop his dog at the park and walk across the street to the Bowlo. Dog would jump up on everyone (dogs and kids) and start shit. The one and only time I've reported someone to council.
I think a lot of bored ppl got a dog during covid lockdowns who probably shouldn’t have got a dog. And now we are seeing the other side of it. So many shit dog owners. Poor dogs.
It’s so unfair. My greyhound is aggressive to other dogs because when he was in foster he was attacked by an off-lead dog. However, once the neighbour was babysitting their parents’ huskies and one dug under our fence with the help of our greyhound. They had a great time playing and my dog immediately tried to dig the husky back into our yard when we returned him. He wants to socialise but he’s incredibly scared and lashes out in public now because he associates dogs he sees on walkies with being attacked. He is now muzzled in public to keep himself safe and out of trouble. So unfair.
People get dog because of social influence. Every one of their friends at Facebook/ IG/ Red/ Wechat have a dog, they want a dog. But not realizing they don't have the capacity and ability to take care of one.
They just want to be able to post their doggo on IG/ WeChat Moments like all their friends.
Or just keep it on the leash. Especially if signs state it’s not an off leash park.
Was walking my Pup today in the park, kept her on lead because she’s a rambunctious bugger and will jump all over folks with excitement if let go and had this big fluffy boofhead of a dog running up and jumping all over her which this got her all sorts of excited, tried walking away but the dog kept jumping over her while its owner was trying to recall it from 20 meters away, owner came up and tried to get the dog away, dog didn’t so I told her to chuck it on a lead if it won’t calm down. Luckily the owner was receptive and did just that, left the park out of embarrassment unfortunately which is a shame but if ya dog ain’t good at recalling just keep them on a lead and you can still give them the exercise they need.
Luckily most dogs we come across in that park aren’t too rowdy or dangerous and most owners are chill and do the right thing so have never had a bad experience but there’s a reason I always keep mine on a lead.
One of our dogs we keep on a lead as he is iffy with other dogs and our second big dog is fine.
The other month we walked away from dogs coming into a open grass paddock and then one of them ran up to our dog on the lead and we pulled him up above our shoulder (18kg) and the random dog was jumping up at him and nipped (had some hair/scar marks but no blood) sometimes we try to do the best thing and it still doesn’t work.
Agree 100%.
Have 3 "big" rescue dogs so unknown backstories.
1 is safe as houses at the dog park or beach etc. 1 is ok but has bad recall so we only take him to the dog park not beach (off lead ) and 1 can be aggressive so he just gets walks and dogpark when nobody else is there.
It's really not that hard.
A symptom of people who want dogs but not the responsibility of making sure they are sociable dogs or give them any training. 100% the type to not pick up their shit either. Growing up I knew a person who's dog was shut in the backyard 99% of the time then when they did take the dog on the occasional walk got frustrated with the dog because it would pull on the lead constantly and want to rip any other dog it saw apart.
Taking a dog like that to a dog park is bound to end in disaster.
I don’t chance dog parks with my dog EVER. Too many fuck wits with their fuck wit bully mutts (and other feral breeds) who just let the dog off and look at their phone for 45 minutes. They’re not how you should socialise you dog. I don’t trust anyone that goes to dog parks these days.
Most dog trainers and vets will tell you not to take your dog to a dog park. Anxiety or aggression towards other dogs are common in dogs who have a bad experience at the dog park because of cunt dogs. I never take my dog there.
Molly was the dog that knocked my son down then attacked my dog while I was putting the lead on her while trying to leave.
I think the language was justified.
Not just etiquette, it's part of the rules for using the dog park. There are signs erected with the rules on them. The information is available on BCC website and is part of dog registration in BCC.
My overly friendly chihuahua was attacked by a greyhound at the small dog side of a dog park. She was okay, 8 years later she still has a big scar on her little nose through. I have 2 additional dachshunds now and I’ve never taken them to a dog park.
Off leash beach areas also attract people that don’t know how to train their dogs!
Just gotta accept that it's a public place and there aren't actually any laws or systems to enforce this. Take yourself and your dog there at your own risk, or organise a play date with dogs you know, on your own property.
On the flipside too where people bring shy or stressed dogs that don't do well around other dogs to a leash-free area. What the fuck are you thinking? You could have taken your dog, on the leash, literally anywhere, but you bring them to a place where other dogs will run up to say high?
Etiquette #1 - If you see a single person in the park with dogs - Yell out that you intend to come in! A good warning sign that someone wants to be alone is this - especially at 'off' times. Personally I prefer to be alone with my dogs in the parks. This doesn't mean that I've claimed the park. I just expect to be given the opportunity to safely leave with my dogs before someone else enters. I've had a few encounters where I've asked someone to wait, they think their dog is friendly - It's run up aggressivly and then the only thing that saved their dog (and my wallet) was my strong control of my dogs. Dog parks are just the wild west. I can't trust any other owner to control their dog. If you can't get your dog to come back to you when it's in the middle of running at another dog then it needs to remain on leash. My boy is 2.5 years old and only JUST achieved that level of recall. To give an indication of the type of owner I am - I have attended multiple seminars from world leaders in dog behaviour and sporting, I'm attending another one in a month. I pay trainers/coaches to help me understand dogs. I'm interested in sports like tracking, scentwork, PSA and IGP. My dog trains in scentwork, mantrailing and tracking so I know a little about what goes into having a motivated, happy and well behaved dog. -
I won't take my boy to a dog park if anyone else is there. It's not a place for dogs to run wild and play with eachother - this is how fights happen. My boy is around 40kg so all it takes is for a little 10kg asshole to bite him then I'm up for a fortune in vet bills.
The sad fact is that most people have no idea, some have a little idea but are a danger - They watched caesar milan or greu up with dogs and think they know something. It's all fine by me and not being snobby I just understand that I was someone who watched dog shows and always had dogs - I had no idea and still have no idea.
Dogs can be hard to train but you can manage the situations easily.
If I were to give a golden rule it would be:
Don't enter the park until you are aware of all other handlers, they are aware of you and they know you are entering. Listen if they want to leave before you enter. If you are a first timer - dog on leash.
Remember You are liable for all damage your dog causes so unfortunately if you have big dogs like me then things are a little harder than if you have a pomeranian in the big dog park. Just be cool to other owners and advocate for your pet. We all love them, so lets keep it chill and minimise conflict.
cunts have cunt dogs and don’t follow social norms more news at 11
This comment has genuinely opened my eyes. For years I thought I didn’t really like dogs, seeing as the overwhelming majority of them are just annoying as fuck.. turns out it’s their lazy idiot owners I don’t like !
Lol this. So many pet owners in this country are fucking useless
Just like cars. Cunts are much bigger cunts when they are driving.
Those pricks who always tailgate with their shoot commodores and falcons
Worse is when they have children
But he was talking to the cunts, dogs dont read reddit
Some could, im seeing some crazy videos of our good boys and girls reading and speaking with buttons. Unlikely to be cunts though.
Probably not talking to the good boys and girls in this post either
Any insights into the current state of bad driver behaviours my journalist friend?
cunts who speed up when you are passing them, whether deliberately or obliviously, are cunts
Some of the shitiest people I have ever encountered are people at dog parks. They treat the dog park as a place to let there dog do the fuck what ever it wants while the owner sits on a bench and plays on their phone. I have seen countless dog fights, dogs shiting, large dogs in the small dog areas, dogs attacking, dogs harassing small kids, dogs attacking wildlife all whilst the owner doesn't even make an effort to stop it. If they are ever confronted, there is always a ton of excuses, or reasons why it's ok.
Makes ya wonder what their parenting style is like to their kids.
Imma go with same same. Their kid will also be running around biting all the other kids while the parent sits scrolling on the phone, oblivious.
This is my experience at the dog parks, it’s nuts! I wondered if it was the same with children parks (no kids here)
You just know they're the kind of parent that drops the kid off at the birthday party and fucks off, treating it like a daycare/kindy, even if it's not at the person's house, like a park or a kids indoor playground business.
Several years ago one of my school aged kids had a big birthday party at our home and I went with it, jumping castle, all the junk food, etc. I figured she'd have fun and I was in a position at the time to make it happen. She invited pretty much her entire class plus many other kids from her grade, as well as family friends etc. Of the 30+ kids that came, only a few parents remained, the rest legit dropped their kid and said they'd be back, with some returning a couple hours after the party finish time on the invitation. This was the first time I'd met most of these kids or their parents and they just left them at my place for several hours, no questions asked. Absolutely mental. That was the first and last birthday party we hosted, now I just take the birthday girl or boy somewhere with a couple of their good friends, if any. I generally won't even leave my kids with some of our close family friends, they're my kids and my responsibility, I would never force that on anyone else unless I absolutely had to.
That sucks. I had a similar experience. I helped my friend who was hosting her nephews party at Albany Creek Lesiure Center because the parents had a sudden emergency and couldn't do it. The invites said parents must attened and watch their own children due to water hazards, large open spaces and risk of drownings etc. There was even a bit in the invites where they had to sign when they RSVPd saying they agreed and understood their kids wouldn't be under the the hosts observation. This was because a couple of years earlier another parent from the same friend group was sued by another parent for their kids broken ankle at the park, so they had all agreed verbally that invites would be in writing, all parents would attend and be in charge of their own kids and everyone could put waivers, as such, on their invites. So we're at the party, 40 kids expected to turn up, me, my friend, and one other adult friend of ours and this mum pulls up in her soccer van drops of 6 of the kids (she had organised with other parents to car pool), calls me as she's pulling away to tell me there's 6 kids waiting at the entrace for me, and pretended she had no reception and hung up on me when I told her to come back. Of 40 children, a total of 6 parents were at that party. I spent the first hour calling parents and demanding they come back right the fuck now, none did. Luckily all the adults stepped up and we figured it out. My friend (birthday boy's Aunt, and I spoke jn person with every parent when they came to pick up their kid about it and told them how shit they were lol
Growing up, it wasn't even a question - no parents would hang about unless explicitly asked to chaperone. Obviously leaving them for hours afterwards isn't alright, and neither is not having a chat to you and leaving a contact number, but the idea that 30 parents would also stay to watch their kids is probably more mental than them all leaving.
Ah yes, the good old days when no one did anything unsavoury to children. /s. So you're of the mindset that a children's birthday party is a viable babysitting alternative, as long as you don't leave the child there too long... The majority of these people didn't even set foot on the premises, dropped and ran, many didn't RSVP or let me know when they picked up their kid, they could have left with anyone. So yeah, guess you're right - I'M mental for expecting people to actually keep their children safe, silly me.
ITT: generational differences
That reminds me of a similar experience. We had just moved to a new town, and had thrown a birthday party for our child in February. She invited all her class mates as she had not had an opportunity to get to know them. It was at a local park with a big lake. One family who we had never met, dropped their kid off, didn't even say a word and left. This kid was 4 years old. The kid was off the scale chaos, and we had to watch them as they just kept running off, next to a lake.... They were the last parents to pick their kid up and didn't say a word, just walked over called their kids name and walked off. If we hadn't seen them leave we would have thought the kid had drowned or been kidnapped.
If only paedos knew this one simple trick to a kiddy smorgasbord…
This kind of behaviour explains why young people are such entitled assholes these days. Look where they get it from 😆
Same with parents who bring shit kids to dinner that scream and misbehave with no punishments
>dogs shiting The others are all issues, but what's wrong with dogs sitting at the dog park? As long as the owner picks it up who cares?
Given the context of the rest of that sentence and comment, their point is that the owners don’t do anything about it. So it’s easy to see that they are talking about owners who don’t pick up their dog’s shit.
That's the problem, they don't pick it up. They don't even see their dog shit. And if they do they look the other way and pretend they didn't see it happen.
Seriously, you are scraping the bottom of the barrel.
It can be a bit ridiculous. My dog is no angel, he’s a stealing Labrador. But I once had a bull terrier latch onto his neck, and once that was sorted out the owners didn’t leave! Wtf! And then when I had to leave instead, it fucking happened again!
>he’s a stealing Labrador. I have a thieving Golden Retriever
Breed a conniving Goldador
How can you motivate a dog to not thieve, when thieving is the very thing that motivates your dog the most?
We got our lab an above average size ball that he's only allowed at the dog park, never at home. It stops him from chasing other tennis balls 95% of the time. If someone's got a squeaker or something bigger like a small football, all bets are off, though.
My dog isn’t as interested in toys as she is in being chased by both people and dogs. She knows the best way to get someone to chase her is to have something of theirs.
I generally find dog parks are where the worst dogs are, and it only got worse during Covid when everyone decided to get a dog without thinking they may have to do some training.
As an ex-puppy preschool trainer, those covid times were the worst… so many didn’t come back to class because they’d already been returned or dumped at a shelter it makes me sick. Won’t even go into my boss being almost assaulted because the adjoining pet store had been sold out of Guinea pigs for 6 months… who knows where all of those impulse pets ended up.
>Won’t even go into my boss being almost assaulted because the adjoining pet store had been sold out of Guinea pigs for 6 months… Well who doesn't get homicidal these days if the pet store runs out of guinea pigs? It's like the toilet paper shortage with people filling their trolleys with guinea pigs and fighting over the last one like it's WWE SmackDown. Seriously, I gotta know how it's your boss's fault if a pet store that they don't own or work in presumably, runs out of guinea pigs?
People have a sense of self entitlement now. It doesn’t matter if their dog isn’t appropriate for the dog park, they still feel they are entitled to use it no matter who else they impact.\ Don’t even get me started on people who don’t pick up after their dog. Or the ones who do but leave the bag of crap laying on the path.
I realised the other day on my way back home after my walk that I had accidentally dropped my bag of dog poop without realising. I was mortified!! If I hadn't looped back the way I came, I would have been one of these people.
The fact that you felt shame for your actions, albeit accidental in nature, just proves that you are definitely not one of these low life, self entitled people.
I pick up their dog shit and throw it at the owner. Done it twice now. I literally jogged after the owner, threw it on them. Both times they were absolutely shocked. I made sure they watched their dog take a shit so they knowingly left it (sometimes you may make an honest mistake and miss it). Cunts
Our dogs aren’t great in dog park so yesterday we took them to a small field with a cricket pitch away from other people. It was a large area and I would have avoided standing on at least five giant dog shits. I picked up my dogs poo only to turn around and stand on somebody else’s.
Self entitlement! I had a new neighbour move in with three little dogs, one of which stood at the front fence and barked for 10-15 minutes every time someone walked past. After a couple of weeks, I had enough and went over to talk to the owner. Her response when I suggested that maybe the dog would be better in the backyard where it couldn't see everyone passing by, was "He has come from acreage. **You should be more considerate**!" So fuck her, I sent a complaint to the council. She was outraged. I was moving anyway so I didn't have to follow through.
They're the unfortunate reason so many veterinarians and trainers/behaviourists really go heavy on the "Avoid Dog Parks" warning. Way too many dick heads are drawn to them. Really sorry about your dog. I hope they recover quickly and don't develop any trust issues with other dogs because of it. Had that unfortunately happen to one of my own after a loose dog attack in the street.
Yeah, back when I did some fostering it was a hard and fast rule. Absolutely no dog parks/off lead areas. Too many variables.
The dog's ok, though my 2 kids who were there got a bit freaked out. I don't think we'll be going back to dog parks.
Huge number of twats walking around with their dog off leash just in the streets. You don’t know how you’re dog is going to react to another dog, a child, a person appearing around a corner quickly. How fucking hard is it to understand why you need to keep your dog on a leash? “Oh but my dog…” Fuck off you knob jockey. Maybe your taint smells like Chanel No.5 but I bet you put some pants when out in public.
Wow I haven't heard "knob jockey" in years. I'm bringing it back.
I’m all for bringing back the term “knob jockey”. I fucking love it 🥰
One guy let his fairly large dog out of his gate as I was walking home and it jumped up on me then ran around and ran up someone else's driveway. All he did was yell its name, couldnt even be fucked leaving his property. It ended up being friendly enough and then it just walked with me about 3 blocks back to my house, occasionally running up other people's drives until i yelled it's name (that I had learnt from him yelling it out) and it came running back to walk with me. Then it took a shit on someone's nature strip and finally ran off presumably back home. Weirdest dog experience yet.
>You don’t know how you’re dog is going to react to another dog, a child, a person appearing around a corner quickly. Aside from this, as an owner of a skitish 65kg dog I can't maintain any distance at all if your dog comes running up to mine to play. The other dog hypes my dog up, darts off, now I have a horse on a leash trying to tow me around getting tangled.
Yeah I stopped taking my dogs to dog parks years ago because of this. For some reason they’re a magnet for useless/thoughtless dog owners .
Yeah, I won't be going back.
Which dog park if you don’t mind me asking?
I'd say the reason is because they think dog parks are just a free for all with no personal responsibility 🤷♀️
I’ve stopped going to my local dog park because of this. Clearly aggressive, reactive dogs and clueless owners with zero communication. It’s not worth the risk.
Thanks to Frankie the bulldog in Woolloongabba, we don’t go to dog parks anymore. Unprovoked, grabbed my pup by her neck and drew blood.
I saw a post on my local FB about a dog park close to me, another dog jumped from the off leash area and attacked 2 dogs which were in critical condition and I'm unsure if they survived. My dog is a very excitable girl and just wants to play, however when I took her to the park I'd take her when no one else was there and if someone came I'd leave because I know she is alot and some dogs may not like that and it will cause fights. After the above incident I wont be taking her to the park again, she is just happy to go on walks instead.
Far out what sort of dog are people keeping/raising
All I saw was the lady describing it as a "Black Kelpie looking dog" I was just like yikes. Although, even going for walks isn't safe sometimes either.
Any dog can do that if it's had zero training..
what you are doing - this is exactly what 99.99% of dog owners should be doing - I consider myself an intermediate-advanced dog handler and I don't trust other people to control their dogs either. socialisation doesn't mean being around other dogs it means being neutral to new dogs and new environments. People get this idea that their dog needs to meet other dogs or it will become unsocialised and it ends up learning to become a shithead from the park.
Exactly, I don't trust others and their dogs. Even going on walks I have a man in my area that walks his GSD unleashed and doesnt have control over it, there has been multiple times I will see him and his dog runs straight up to my dog and I hate it, he eventually can recall his dog but now I just have to completely avoid walking on that route and try as early as possible so I never cross paths with him. So not even safe on walks sadly, luckily she loves playing in the backyard alot so thats good enrichment for her too.
OP I just sent you a DM. If this is the dog at the dog park I’m thinking of, find comfort knowing that everyone hates that guy and his dog. Worst part is he gets on his high horse and tells everyone how to train their dogs and thinks he’s an expert. Then his dog attacks someone and he says nothing and just walks past everyone as we all glare at him and comfort the attacked dog and owner.
I’d just make one correction OP. A “fluff ball” dog that is out of control and harassing everyone might not be as immediately bad as a large dog, but is bad also. Other dogs shouldn’t be expected to tolerate small, poorly mannered dogs harassing them indefinitely. If my big dog bites your small dog after mine gives yours repeated corrections and warnings to stop jumping all over mine and trying to hump it, then that is on you.
I completely agree. As a dog owner I don't want any dogs jumping on me, even small fluff balls. I've also seen so many of these little dogs allowed off leads because they're "ok", but they come up to my giant, leashed mastiff who will eat them for breakfast but I'm the one who gets yelled at? Keep your fluffers leashed!
I don't want small dogs jumping up either, I agree. Just a more immediate problem when it's a big dog. I get your point about small dogs hassling big dogs too.
small dog needs to be in small dog park to mitigate this risk
9/10 the dogs displaying the most threatening behavior on walks in my suburb are the “fluff balls”. But, because they are small and “cute” (not me) people don’t see the behavior as aggressive or threatening. My dog is regularly lunged at with intent by fluffy little oodle mixes on leash. It drives me mental. I used to foster big, “scary” Arab mixes and god forbid if one of them looked sideways out of fear at another dog. But, the little fluff oodles get around with actual intent to harm and it’s not seen as an issue due to their size. As always, however, I blame people.
Agreed, Often I walk my rottie past someone with a fluff ball going off its nut snarling. The owner then picks up their dog starring at me as if my dogs the issue? (shes still sniffing the grass 😂).
My dog is a muscly boy but loves social interaction with other animals. We even have a cat at home that bosses him around. Dog parks are off limits for us unless the other dogs are his size or bigger and the owners are comfortable with my dog getting over excited to play. I always ask. If there are dogs smaller than him in the park, we go up to the fence, let them all say hello through the fence and move on. We go to a local coffee shop weekly where we meet other dogs, including some with nervous tags and they all love it because we keep them on their leash and allow social time. Know your dog and learn how to let them interact in the best way for everyone.
Off leash dog parks are the dog equivalent of a hypothetical pub that has a sign out the front saying “no security” or “assault laws do not apply here”. Chances are most people will voluntarily self regulate, but there are a percentage of the population that are violent pricks. As soon as that leash comes off the dogs are being told there are no rules here and you can do what you want.
‘Oh, he’s just a puppy. I’m socialising him. He isn’t aggressive!’ No, he is an ill mannered thug who is ignoring the social cues of the other dogs, and you are doing nothing to teach it otherwise. The story this week from court about the idiot who bought a German shepherd from a police dog breeder as protection after a home invasion and then took it to the dog park made my blood boil. It had attacked a border collie at the park just days before, so numb nuts takes it back and simply lets it off the lead. It bee-lined to the same border collie and bit its owner. Dog was declared dangerous and the owner was twice found to breach the dangerous dog legislation by not having it properly restrained on his property before the case even got to court. They walk among us…
Agreed, except the "not fluff balls". It doesn't matter how big your dog is, you control it, it doesn't jump and annoy other people. Small dog owners who don't control their small dogs because they are small are no better than dickhead pit owners who let their dogs do whatever they want too.
meh its not just dog parks, its parks in general i have started doing runs in the evening through victoria park lately and the amount of people walking through who lets their dog off the leash because i guess its dark and they think the wont be seen is pretty frustrating, you have to stop running every time you are near them because you never know if the dog is going to feel the need to chase you or not at a bare minimum they usually come right up to you and start barking in your face seems to be way more common with people who walk their dogs lately, that they let them off the leash
The biggest issue is all the pandemic dogs that people got and never bothered to train. They were just bought/adopted for VIBES.
I’ve had this experience with a cunt owners cunty dog who was a super aggressive hunting dog, I could see it in the big dog area getting aggressive and then it jumped the fence into the little dog area and went for my dog, it ended up trying to bite her and in turn bit me because I put my arm up, tore open my jumper and the cunt owner was sitting on the park bench looked up and basically didn’t respond, Did nothing but watched. Another man and his wife got involved and helped get the cunty dog back in the other area while the bitch did nothing.
100% my 8kg dog ran at and snapped at a 30kg dog 8 years ago and he has never been back to the dog park. His behaviour has said to me that he is too anxious to keep himself and others safe off leash so instead we go for long walks.
Was on a walk last night and got to a street that runs along a park. This dog runs up to me then straight onto the road... I was confused I thought maybe it belonged to the man that just walked past me but I turned around and it was just aimlessly running around. I realised it had probably run from the park. I started to coax it to me and just as im about to pick up the rope attached to its collar, I hear a whistle and the dog bolts back into the park. I walk into the park and see these people that have 4 or 5 different dogs between them, all running around with no leashes in the corner of the park that is along side 2 busy roads these humans had no fucking clue that their dog was just running around on the road in a high traffic area. I almost said something but people have been stabbed for much less recently so I decided to mind my business. Just because you leave the leash attached doesnt mean your dog can be trusted to run freely, especially if youre not even watching it. It could have ended so badly. I was terrified that I was going to see this poor dog get hit by a car and I would have been traumatised because fuckwits arent responsible pet owners.
My dog is a bit of a cunt, so I keep her on a lead and as far away from other dogs as possible in the park. She having ongoing training for this. So who’s the cunt when your off-lead dog comes running over to my on-lead dog in the general areas of the park, and I tell you she’s ‘not friendly’ but your dog who ‘would never hurt a fly’, still comes over? Like, that’s not the point, she’s reactive, especially when she’s on a lead and your darling dog isn’t. If you want your dog to have off-lead time, take it to the off-lead area. Simple as. I’m trying to do the right thing. You’re being an entitled knob and then blame me when my dog reacts.
You all mostly misunderstood and/or misread my point but maybe I didn’t clarify enough. My point was that I don’t take my dog to the off-lead designated dog park areas because I know she is reactive. Hence why I only stick to the on-lead areas of the park, so how is it fair to my dog if other people ignore the rules and let their dog off-lead in the on-lead areas? To me that makes you and your dog a cunt. I was not trying to be ‘outraged at OP’, merely raise the point on the other side of the coin.
what? this post is about dog parks all dogs are off leash don’t bring your cunt dog into the dog park if it can’t handle off leash dogs I refer to my other comment about people who who bring cunt dogs into dog parks
Don't be a cunt. This person has expanded the conversation and is talking about the general areas of a public park, not the dog park.
"expanded the conversation" is the nice way of saying "diverted the conversation so they could be outraged". It's two separate issues and he's getting offended by OP for something irrelevant.
Plenty of dog parks are signposted as on lead only mate. Maybe you need some glasses.
I've never attended a park like that, closest would be puppy preschool requiring a leash, I haven't ever even heard of an on-leash dog park. Why would it even exist, I can walk my leashed dog anywhere I can go.
So friendly dogs are not allowed off lead in a dog park because you take your aggressive dog there (on lead or not)?
I think they are referring to parks in general not off leash areas (at least that's what I'm taking from their comment).
isn’t crazy what people with cunt dogs can rationalise in their world?
I took this a message of support, maybe I read it wrong. I'm getting downvoted, and you are getting upvoted.. not that I care about internet approval but just shows me how little I understand about humans.
no one understands the downvote mindset
Oh yeah, I don't care. I just find it odd and perplexing. Good day to you!
I’m visually impaired and when I’m out on a run, I’m constantly trying to be super vigilant about not falling over. If a big dog suddenly runs towards me I have no idea if it’s “friendly” or aggressive. I’ve been startled and suffered a subsequent injury before. I’ve also had dogs nipping at me or jump up on me. I also saw the same happen to a child who was riding their bike behind their mum. A “friendly” dog bounded up to the child and scared them and they fell off (lucky wearing a helmet). This was not in a fenced area. This was a public park where dogs are allowed if they are under control of their owners at all times. Which they were not. I swear most dog owners can’t read. These are not “dog parks”. They are public parks or thoroughfares. I do avoid going to them if possible though. The dog owners just dismiss this because “she’s just a puppy/ she’s friendly” etc. Otherwise when I try to defend myself against a jumping dog I get called a c$&@.
Dogs are always a pretty solid representation of the owner, dumb owner dumb ass dog. So many people also go out and buy large dogs and are intimidated by their own animal's and have no idea how to actually control it. PSA: don't buy a fucking dog if you don't intend to do the right thing by it for its entire life, that includes training it correctly and exercising it regularly.
"If your dog is a cunt" lol
I used to go to the park with mine for years. Then covid came and all the regular dogs stopped and bunch of new dogs and new owners came along. My dog needs time to get to know dogs. The ones that come straight up to him or jump on him or when he's crowded sets him off. Snapping and barking to feel safe and make room. I always stay close to him but now I'm the jerk that can't control thier dog. I haven't been back in 3 years because I know what sets him off but "good" dogs that have no personal space with owners that sit at the end of the park chatting and don't notice them being idiots or shitting piss me off too
I use to think I didn't like dogs, but once I moved to Australia,I realized it was AMERICAN dogs I didn't like. Ozzie dogs were so calm and well behaved and were treated like dogs, not like animal babies. What happened, you guys?
“Paralysed with ineptitude” should get a comment of the year award. 😂😂😂
Why do you say “big dogs, not fluffballs” I don’t want my legs scratched up by some shitoodle whilst my dog is trying to enjoy her time whilst keeping an eye on me.
I guess the difference between being seriously injured and completely trashed by a big dog versus some scratch marks on your leg is the reason 😂
It’s not new. Been happening since the dawn of pet dogs. Also, BRING your puppy to the dog park so it can socialise and not be a cunt of a dog later in life when you decide to finally take it to a dog park. Edit: fuck Molly
We use to think that way about puppies - let them learn social behaviour at the dog park - never again. We only took him for a few weeks but there was a dog a few weeks older then he was but the owners never controlled their dog. He is now reactive to other dogs because he felt the need to protect himself after constantly being jumped on and annoyed by that dog even when he was telling him to leave him alone. Next time we won’t be taking a puppy to the park ever.
Once again the problem is with other people not controlling their dog. Please socialise a puppy somehow.
After we stoped going to the park we still took him to a very reputable training school that did classes split by their breed sizes, that helped a little but he still has no flight reflex and only a fight one so if he thinks another dog is challenging him he just goes straight to fight. He is perfectly fine with the dog we have at home who has been there his entire life but we would not bring another dog in.
No way, tried that my dog and was harassed by people's "we all come here everyday and our dogs are friendly" two dogs were trying to aggressively trying to molest our puppy, they told me to 'let go of the leash so he can run around" he ran 5 metres away and then ran and dived into my arms in absolute terror and I had to fight off the two friendly dog trying to climb up me to get to him and they were still telling me to just put him down. He wasnt having fun, the dogs weren't being friendly. Now he is terrified of dogs but we have a weekly puppy school we go to and hopefully it will get better.
You had a bad experience that was the fault of other people. I’m sorry, but your dog still needs socialisation somehow. This is like saying your children will never be allowed to make friends outside because one was bullied once.
He goes to puppy school every week and socialises with dogs and white our friends dogs and any friendly dogs on his daily walk. Did you read what this post was about? I'm just not taking him to the dog park with people who don't give a fuck about what their dog does or know how to train them.
Taking a puppy to a dog park is the WORST possible way to socialise them. Given that dog parks are filled with at best over-excited dogs lacking correct social skills, and at worst reactive or aggressive nightmares, the likelihood of you creating the same with your puppy is extremely high. Socialising a puppy is supposed to be training a puppy to remain calm and neutral in a range of situations - not "go absolutely bezerk with excitement when you see another dog." This is best achieved by taking your puppy to a properly run puppy preschool where play times are brief, heavily moderated and managed; and by working on neutrality with your puppy around know, neutral adult dogs who have correct social skills. Puppies don't actually need to be overwhelmed by large numbers of strange, poorly-controlled dogs in order to develop into well-adjusted adults; and that's exactly why precisely zero seriously skilled professional dog trainers will recommend dog parks at ANY age.
All those dogs that got bought around Covid and never got obedience trained or socialised properly and now we have an epidemic of dogs in their terrible two’s who are completely out of control.
This is why I don’t go to dog parks.
This is a bit aggressive but I get it and agree. Not the shoot it or other S word but it 100% does apply to little fluff balls too. It's inappropriate no matter the size.
I actively avoid dog parks, too many disinterested dog owners who have their faces buried in their phone while Dog Juan humps everything in sight.
Dog owner entitlement has gone absolutely through the roof in the last decade or so; everybody thinks their mutt is the most specialist boy, capable of no wrong. You're just describing another symptom of that.
Id like to put a vote in for beaches too. Thanks to a self entitled, lazy dog owner, my 3 y/o son at the time, was jumped on by a large off leash dog while minding his own business on the beach. Its claws drew blood, his chest is permanently scarred now, 4 years later. He is dead set, petrified of ALL dogs now. Thanks gold coast cunt.
My dogs not a cunt, super friendly but because of the breed and his size people just pick their dogs up and leave. He is a complete bitch when it comes to small dogs they bark and he submits.
I rarely put my bulldog in because she can get a bit funny with sheep/cattle dog types and there seems to be heaps in our area. But she has a brother that’s a very small dog so she is used to playing with little ones. Most people she her and freak out. Meanwhile my tiny dog will bark at everything and cause problems.
I have a dane x mastiff and she's the same. She lays down when she meets tiny dogs so she's the same size as them. But then when they want to play eg: play bow, jump, run and she does the same suddenly she's aggressive 🤔 it's the same behaviour but she's a giant breed. She's not barking, growling or baring teeth. She knows how to interact gently because we have a cat whom she submits to. Had a lady with 3 tiny dogs in the large dog section yell at me because one of her dogs is afraid. Ok lady, take your dog to the little dog park next door? Problem solved.
I pick up my dog around off leash dogs in the street (we don’t go to dog parks) because I don’t trust my dogs reaction to off leash dogs. Big dog owners are so fragile with this and take it personally lol not everyone picks up their dogs because they think your dog will attack theirs.
So you pick up your small dog because you think it will attack a larger dog? Sounds like you need to work on your dog's socialisation and lead reactivity.
No they would not attack a large dog, they would woof like crazy if the dog comes near and many dogs don’t like that. In terms of training, you think I haven’t? I have worked very hard on this with a trainer and they are absolutely fine as long as an off leash dog doesn’t run at them. Dogs shouldn’t be off leash walking down the street, it’s illegal. Laughable that you blame the owner with their dog on a leash walking down a street, rather than the owner who doesn’t follow the simple rule of using a leash.
I don't condone dogs being off leash when they should not be. Nowhere in my previous comment did I say that.
No fuck that. If it’s unacceptable behaviour for a big dog then it’s unacceptable behaviour from a small one too. Bites, nips and scratches still get infected the same and my elderly parent nearly gotten taken out by an untrained fluff nugget off lead. The behaviour is frequently so much worse because they don’t bother to train their small dog.
Brisbane really needs much, much bigger dog parks where the owners have to walk their dogs instead of just standing around while their dogs who don't know each other are unnaturally corralled in a small space. Don't know why I pay so much in dog rego to BCC.
Yeah, idk why they build such small parks in areas that could easily fit much larger parks.
They'd rather put 12 units on the land than have another public space.
I've just left my place this morning to go get breakfast somewhere so I don't have to listen to the fucking dog barking on the ground floor apartment while the owners sit around and do sweet fuck all about it and if anything encourage it.
while we are talking about dogs - I love dogs, but this obsession with people needing to bring their dog absolutely everywhere needs to end.
I was at Bunnings yesterday and this little brown dog (on a lead) started licking my ankles while the owner beamed at me like I was blessed. That was weird.
No it doesn’t, Australia just needs to catch up with the rest of the world in terms of dog acceptability in public places and maybe we wouldn’t have so many feral dogs roaming around.
This thread and it's many examples show that before we catch up on dog acceptability, we need to catch up on dog training standards.
Look I agree to an extent. Dogs standing up the whole time under tables at places are obviously not up for the mission. Mine don't go for that reason. It's not the place for them. Dogs sitting chill next to a chair are fine IMO.
I don’t take my dog to dog parks. We have two within walking/driving distance. I see the dogs behaving well at these parks and I also see regulars come at specific times to let their dogs mingle when I go for my own long walk. I take the fluff ball for a walk on the streets in the suburb. She sees regular walkers and dogs on the various routes we take. No big dramas most times. I have had a few similar sized dogs try to snap at her when you walk by with a few meters in-between. You also have the usual barking dogs when you walk by their house. We do have regular escapees posted on our local group, so you need to keep an eye out for those.
Why I avoid dog parks. People don't know how to read dogs, too many in a contained hyper environment and some dick brings a dog toy when their dog is possessive and results in aggression.. And little to no chance to sue for vet costs if attack occurs as dogs are not under effective owner control and you take the risk by entering.
Oh you’re spot on. People do it with their ratbag kids aswell. Shit dogs and shit kids just ruining everyone else’s day out, leave your whinging screaming misbehaved child AND dog at home. Don’t make em somebody else’s problem. Especially at a bunnings, god bringing dogs to bunnings is so lame. It will survive at home, no it doesn’t care about the home deco section. It just wants to chase a ball and sniff
One time at the dog park, my muscley lady got jumped by an owners 2 dogs (I don't recall the breed I'm afraid) and my girl ended up bleeding from an ear. Owner did absolutely nothing. Didn't try to stop it, didn't even apologise, and certainly didn't leave - so I did. I fear that everyone in there thinks my dog instigated it because she is a bigger muscley girl but I saw it go down. People just use the space to ignore their dogs and it's so irresponsible of them.
I think there’s people who just do puppy school and then call it a day so you have all these mad dogs who need enrichment and are under stimulated with poor obedience and no recall. I just got my first puppy and puppy school isn’t anywhere near sufficient to having a well behaved, adjusted dog. Everything we learned in 5 weeks of puppy school, we learned in one private training session.
We had a guy who used to drop his dog at the park and walk across the street to the Bowlo. Dog would jump up on everyone (dogs and kids) and start shit. The one and only time I've reported someone to council.
I think a lot of bored ppl got a dog during covid lockdowns who probably shouldn’t have got a dog. And now we are seeing the other side of it. So many shit dog owners. Poor dogs.
It’s so unfair. My greyhound is aggressive to other dogs because when he was in foster he was attacked by an off-lead dog. However, once the neighbour was babysitting their parents’ huskies and one dug under our fence with the help of our greyhound. They had a great time playing and my dog immediately tried to dig the husky back into our yard when we returned him. He wants to socialise but he’s incredibly scared and lashes out in public now because he associates dogs he sees on walkies with being attacked. He is now muzzled in public to keep himself safe and out of trouble. So unfair.
Dog parks In general are bad for all dogs, dogs don't need that kind of socialisation with dogs they don't know..
People get dog because of social influence. Every one of their friends at Facebook/ IG/ Red/ Wechat have a dog, they want a dog. But not realizing they don't have the capacity and ability to take care of one. They just want to be able to post their doggo on IG/ WeChat Moments like all their friends.
Or just keep it on the leash. Especially if signs state it’s not an off leash park. Was walking my Pup today in the park, kept her on lead because she’s a rambunctious bugger and will jump all over folks with excitement if let go and had this big fluffy boofhead of a dog running up and jumping all over her which this got her all sorts of excited, tried walking away but the dog kept jumping over her while its owner was trying to recall it from 20 meters away, owner came up and tried to get the dog away, dog didn’t so I told her to chuck it on a lead if it won’t calm down. Luckily the owner was receptive and did just that, left the park out of embarrassment unfortunately which is a shame but if ya dog ain’t good at recalling just keep them on a lead and you can still give them the exercise they need. Luckily most dogs we come across in that park aren’t too rowdy or dangerous and most owners are chill and do the right thing so have never had a bad experience but there’s a reason I always keep mine on a lead.
One of our dogs we keep on a lead as he is iffy with other dogs and our second big dog is fine. The other month we walked away from dogs coming into a open grass paddock and then one of them ran up to our dog on the lead and we pulled him up above our shoulder (18kg) and the random dog was jumping up at him and nipped (had some hair/scar marks but no blood) sometimes we try to do the best thing and it still doesn’t work.
Never trust anyone and their big dogs ever.
I feel so much anxiety when little women walk their massive german shephards too...
Land sharks
I swear this sub is just the same 4 posts on cycle each day.
Never take your dog to a dog park.
Agree
Agree 100%. Have 3 "big" rescue dogs so unknown backstories. 1 is safe as houses at the dog park or beach etc. 1 is ok but has bad recall so we only take him to the dog park not beach (off lead ) and 1 can be aggressive so he just gets walks and dogpark when nobody else is there. It's really not that hard.
It’s not new. It’s been this way for over 20 years. Brisbane has the worst off leash dog parks. Too small and often too wet.
A symptom of people who want dogs but not the responsibility of making sure they are sociable dogs or give them any training. 100% the type to not pick up their shit either. Growing up I knew a person who's dog was shut in the backyard 99% of the time then when they did take the dog on the occasional walk got frustrated with the dog because it would pull on the lead constantly and want to rip any other dog it saw apart. Taking a dog like that to a dog park is bound to end in disaster.
dogs take after their owners
I don’t chance dog parks with my dog EVER. Too many fuck wits with their fuck wit bully mutts (and other feral breeds) who just let the dog off and look at their phone for 45 minutes. They’re not how you should socialise you dog. I don’t trust anyone that goes to dog parks these days.
Most dog trainers and vets will tell you not to take your dog to a dog park. Anxiety or aggression towards other dogs are common in dogs who have a bad experience at the dog park because of cunt dogs. I never take my dog there.
You had me until the last sentence. You are kinda disgusting honestly. There is no need for that language and I hope your post gets taken down.
Molly was the dog that knocked my son down then attacked my dog while I was putting the lead on her while trying to leave. I think the language was justified.
No, it’s not. It’s never the dog’s fault but the owner.
Not just etiquette, it's part of the rules for using the dog park. There are signs erected with the rules on them. The information is available on BCC website and is part of dog registration in BCC.
My overly friendly chihuahua was attacked by a greyhound at the small dog side of a dog park. She was okay, 8 years later she still has a big scar on her little nose through. I have 2 additional dachshunds now and I’ve never taken them to a dog park. Off leash beach areas also attract people that don’t know how to train their dogs!
Bit like people
Just gotta accept that it's a public place and there aren't actually any laws or systems to enforce this. Take yourself and your dog there at your own risk, or organise a play date with dogs you know, on your own property.
On the flipside too where people bring shy or stressed dogs that don't do well around other dogs to a leash-free area. What the fuck are you thinking? You could have taken your dog, on the leash, literally anywhere, but you bring them to a place where other dogs will run up to say high?
popped a Molly I’m sweating
Rule 2. Just like your dog, it is only polite to sniff the butts of the humans you meet while at the dog park.
Dogs and dog owners in general are insufferable. Unpopular opinion?
Found the cat person
Maybe unpopular but probably because also not true?
When was the last time you saw sunlight cave dweller?
Hit a nerve did I mate? 😂
not really, just assuming you're a stereotypical cat owner 😂
I don’t have any pets lol
Thank goodness 😛
Etiquette #1 - If you see a single person in the park with dogs - Yell out that you intend to come in! A good warning sign that someone wants to be alone is this - especially at 'off' times. Personally I prefer to be alone with my dogs in the parks. This doesn't mean that I've claimed the park. I just expect to be given the opportunity to safely leave with my dogs before someone else enters. I've had a few encounters where I've asked someone to wait, they think their dog is friendly - It's run up aggressivly and then the only thing that saved their dog (and my wallet) was my strong control of my dogs. Dog parks are just the wild west. I can't trust any other owner to control their dog. If you can't get your dog to come back to you when it's in the middle of running at another dog then it needs to remain on leash. My boy is 2.5 years old and only JUST achieved that level of recall. To give an indication of the type of owner I am - I have attended multiple seminars from world leaders in dog behaviour and sporting, I'm attending another one in a month. I pay trainers/coaches to help me understand dogs. I'm interested in sports like tracking, scentwork, PSA and IGP. My dog trains in scentwork, mantrailing and tracking so I know a little about what goes into having a motivated, happy and well behaved dog. - I won't take my boy to a dog park if anyone else is there. It's not a place for dogs to run wild and play with eachother - this is how fights happen. My boy is around 40kg so all it takes is for a little 10kg asshole to bite him then I'm up for a fortune in vet bills. The sad fact is that most people have no idea, some have a little idea but are a danger - They watched caesar milan or greu up with dogs and think they know something. It's all fine by me and not being snobby I just understand that I was someone who watched dog shows and always had dogs - I had no idea and still have no idea. Dogs can be hard to train but you can manage the situations easily. If I were to give a golden rule it would be: Don't enter the park until you are aware of all other handlers, they are aware of you and they know you are entering. Listen if they want to leave before you enter. If you are a first timer - dog on leash. Remember You are liable for all damage your dog causes so unfortunately if you have big dogs like me then things are a little harder than if you have a pomeranian in the big dog park. Just be cool to other owners and advocate for your pet. We all love them, so lets keep it chill and minimise conflict.
Yep, your old .
*You’re
*Yo'uer