Bowled Over By Rude Dog Owners

[Mum to Emma]

Let's start by getting one thing straight. I don't hate dogs - it's just the current breed of dog owners I can't stand. The other day we were enjoying a morning stroll down a busy shopping strip. Suddenly, like a crazed bat out of hell, a border collie came hurtling down the footpath, seemingly unaccompanied by any sane or responsible owner.

Credit where credit's due, the dog did stop at the pedestrian lights, drawing a look of surprise from some people and a smug smile of adoration from its owners who were cycling down the street. That's right, riding their bikes on a parallel, but completely separate, path some three or four metres away.

The lights eventually changed, the owners gave those around them a self-satisfied smile and, with a whistle, they were off again. The dog had to run pretty fast to keep up with its masters, zig-zagging along the busy pavement, brushing past prams containing sleeping babies, pushing its way around the odd wheelchair, its desperation to keep up with its owners paramount in its mind.

Having your dog off its lead seems to be an emerging trend around our neighbourhood. Oh no, the owners are saying to us, you can't oppress my dog with all your rules and your leads.

It would seem that letting your dog run free is secret code for ''look at how special I am - my dog totally idolises me''. It is as if, by way of extension, we, too, should realise these people's amazing leadership qualities and general greatness, as if they had been democratically voted into this position of power by a vast audience of intelligent people, rather than exalted to this spot by one, flea-infested and, let's face it, smelly canine.

What I don't get about having your dog off-lead is why, if you love your dog as much as you purport to do, you would put it at increased risk of being hit by a car or getting lost.

Research last year from the University of British Columbia put the intelligence of dogs on par with the average two-year-old child. This is in itself pretty impressive, but I don't let my two-year-old wander the streets, trusting that they have a full grasp of the complexities of our road rules. As I love and want to protect my children, I tend to hold their hand as we cross roads or confine them to the safety of a pram. Letting them have free rein amid unpredictable traffic would probably have people questioning my capacity as a parent, not marvelling at how relaxed and casual I am.

Our little brush with the canine running of the Stawell Gift was just one of many occasions recently when we have been bothered by rogue dogs.

Lately, it seems that every time we are picnicking in the park or playing in the playground some exuberant mutt comes to spoil the party, trampling over the food and pushing over the children. Invariably, rather than apologise to us or chastise the animal, the owner will look at the cowering children and answer my glare with a ''Don't worry, she's very friendly'', the subtext of which is ''Stop being an uptight cow and foisting your fears on to your children''. The thing is, though, I actually want my children to have a mistrust of dogs. A bit of healthy apprehension is well founded.

Earlier this week, a report from the Dog Attack Register revealed an average of eight reported dog attacks each day in NSW alone. In Victoria, it is estimated that there are about nine attacks a day. And that's the reported attacks, not the odd nip here or there. And guess what? Almost all the owners of those dogs said that their dogs were friendly too.

Yes, I know. The dogs are not to blame and not all dog owners are selfish. But some are and I'm sick of being made to feel like it's my problem if I'm not overjoyed by the overly affectionate attention of your dog. ''Oh he likes you,'' the owner will say as their dog jumps up, licks your face and makes the occasional dive for your crotch.

As an experiment, let's try replacing the word ''dog'' with the word ''uncle'' in that last sentence and see how you'd feel about it if I just shrugged my shoulders and said, ''Oh Uncle Chester, you rascal''.

So to all you dog owners I say, enough of the crap - and I'm not talking about what you leave on the footpath. Letting your dog roam the streets unrestrained isn't a mark of how brilliantly obedient they are or how great you must be. Instead, it is a threat to public safety, your dog's wellbeing and my personal space. As Ann Landers implored: "Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful."

Sarah McKenzie is a freelance writer.

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-a...00130-n4fz.html

[The readers comments - accessible at above link - illustrate typical 'me generation' selfishness from both sides of the argument.]

[spottychick]

Bit of a whinger really. She must have been desperate for material.

[sandgrubber]

If that's the best she can do, she'll starve as a freelancer.

I agree that dogs shouldn't roam free . . . they don't often where I live . . . but it's hardly news. Would be interested to know if she keeps her two year old on a leash.

[BittyMooPeeb]

Having your dog off its lead seems to be an emerging trend around our neighbourhood. Oh no, the owners are saying to us, you can't oppress my dog with all your rules and your leads.

It would seem that letting your dog run free is secret code for ''look at how special I am - my dog totally idolises me''. It is as if, by way of extension, we, too, should realise these people's amazing leadership qualities and general greatness, as if they had been democratically voted into this position of power by a vast audience of intelligent people, rather than exalted to this spot by one, flea-infested and, let's face it, smelly canine.

(except for the flea infested, smelly part)

[frufru]

Actually, there are a couple of border collie owning idiots in my village who do exactly what the writer described. They have been pinged by the ranger several times but continue the same behaviour. They, and their dogs, are too special for the rest of us!!!!

Edited February 4, 2010 by frufru

[Mum to Emma]

Actually, there are a couple of border collie owning idiots in my village who do exactly what the writer described. They have been pinged by the ranger several times but continue the same behaviour. They, and their dogs, are too special for the rest of us!!!!

Yes, I think that's what the writer is saying - that there is a current generation of dog owners who think they're special and above the law. That leash laws and 'dogs must be on leash' signs don't apply to them. Sundays I sit overlooking one of Stonnington's most well known, manicured gardens and despite being a on-leash area, only 1 in 10 dogs is actually walked on a leash. And this is in a park that has been the scene of a number of dog attacks (one where a small dog was literally torn limb-from-limb by a big black OFF LEASH dog) AND is within 500 metres of the home of a local city councillor.

I have a dog who is nearly blind and who freaks out if charged by another dog. I think I have a right to have a safe place to walk her (such as an on-leash park) where we are both safe from being charged at by another dog. Stonnington is very generous with off leash parks - why do dog owners think they have a right to run riot in ON leash parks as well??

As for the writer's comment about owners keeping their dogs safe ... often I see a man running ahead of his two jack russells - in peak hour - along a very busy feeder road in Melbourne which has a very narrow footpath and very narrow naturestrip. Does he seriously believe that a driver backing from one of the houses would even be aware that these dogs were there? Or that the dogs would be alert that a car was about to cross their path? Sheer lunacy.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I agree with what she said and this attitude seems to prevail amongst border collie and staffy owners in my experience (workmen on building sites seem to like staffies off leash, wandering around).

I was out the other week in my car and I saw a woman (this wasn't a quiet street I was driving on) walking down the road with her off leash BC. What she couldn't see ahead of her, coming round the corner was a responsible owner with an obviously DA dog. As her BC approached this dog to say hello, the owner was in a lather trying to stop his huge staffy from taking the BC's head off. Stupid female owner was oblivious as the man was trying to get her to control her dog, she didn't appear to have a lead with her.

My own dogs were attacked by a neighbour's offleash BC (who she knew was DA) and a kelpie out with a jogger. Sick of these morons. We've been rushed at by staffies owned by various workmen over the years.

Edited February 6, 2010 by dogmad

[Diva]

I mostly agree with her.

[megan_]

I agree with her. I was at a training workshop and someone just let their dog off lead. I know if my dog had reacted they would have thought I had the problem.

[frufru]

Maybe we need to wear Tshirts that say "it's NOT all about YOU! Moron"