Irresponsible Dog owners (1 Viewer)

[Peewit]

Canda geese are invasive and harmful to native wildlife. But you can't use this as justification for letting your dog chasing them, which has next to no conservationary benefit. Cull them/wreck their eggs, for sure, but needlessly letting your dog chase them is just cruel.

Sorry to say this but even hurting birds in 'jest' does no justice at all Not funny at all.

All wild birds go through enough full blown 'hassle' without any 'offensive weapons', dogs or otherwise, being inflicted on their lives in any shape or form.

Just my own thoughts

 

[mike from ebbw]

Whenever I am out in the hills be it birding,photographing or just walking my Dog is at my side.I agree with the original poster about Dogs on Nature Reserves but there really are some plain daft responses here.As for Dogs on leads,my Dog is on a lead from the front door to the car and thats it.He is allowed to roam as he pleases but never far from my side.To keep any Dog on a lead whilst walking them is just plain cruel IMO.As for banning Dogs from the countryside altogether,I mean come on!Dogs were walking the countryside with their owners long before any birder with a pair of bins around their neck turned up so who really has the right to be there?I also know that my Dog will come back and do anything I wanted him to do when prompted.He has even helped me find certain Bird species like a pair of Ring Ouzels that turned up on my local patch last year.If they hadnt had scolded him I would never had seen them so yes they have some uses.Being a working Cocker Spaniel from working parents he also has a good nose which is constantly on the ground.Great for finding ground species like Snipe,gamebirds etc like a pair of Red Grouse in a patch of heather last year that I would have missed.
He also has an interest in Birds himself.He accompanied me on a photographic trip to
Ken1940golf`s feeding statiom along with Tom Melton.He had his paws up on the front of the hide watching the birds coming and going.
Sorry if this post sounds irate but it really gets my goat when non dog owners and clear dog haters have a go at us (dog owners).The world doesnt revolve around birders and the sooner some people on this thread realise that the better.

A pic of `Thomas` and no there wasnt any nesting waterbirds around before I get lynched!

 

[brianfm]

Whenever I am out in the hills be it birding,photographing or just walking my Dog is at my side.I agree with the original poster about Dogs on Nature Reserves but there really are some plain daft responses here.As for Dogs on leads,my Dog is on a lead from the front door to the car and thats it.He is allowed to roam as he pleases but never far from my side.To keep any Dog on a lead whilst walking them is just plain cruel IMO.As for banning Dogs from the countryside altogether,I mean come on!Dogs were walking the countryside with their owners long before any birder with a pair of bins around their neck turned up so who really has the right to be there?I also know that my Dog will come back and do anything I wanted him to do when prompted.He has even helped me find certain Bird species like a pair of Ring Ouzels that turned up on my local patch last year.If they hadnt had scolded him I would never had seen them so yes they have some uses.Being a working Cocker Spaniel from working parents he also has a good nose which is constantly on the ground.Great for finding ground species like Snipe,gamebirds etc like a pair of Red Grouse in a patch of heather last year that I would have missed.
He also has an interest in Birds himself.He accompanied me on a photographic trip to
Ken1940golf`s feeding statiom along with Tom Melton.He had his paws up on the front of the hide watching the birds coming and going.
Sorry if this post sounds irate but it really gets my goat when non dog owners and clear dog haters have a go at us (dog owners).The world doesnt revolve around birders and the sooner some people on this thread realise that the better.

A pic of `Thomas` and no there wasnt any nesting waterbirds around before I get lynched!

You don't sound irate to me Mike. In fact I think this a very balanced view. Unfortunately I've always found in this type of thread you will always find the odd daft post which I tend to find are winds ups and are best ignored.

I do have a dislike of irresponsible people, whether they be dog owners or not. I am sure members of this forum can decide for themselves what has been described in this thread is irresponsible behaviour. Sadly there are many irresponsible individuals in this world.

I led a bird watching/natural history walk just two or three weeks ago in one of the more picturesque areas of the city. Not a reserve, but an area with many nesting birds. A lady arrived with her young son who was around the age of 11. The lad had his dog with him. They asked polietly if they would be allowed on the walk and of course i said yes the dog was on a lead throughout the walk and it was no trouble at all. When we stopped for a lunch break it was let off the lead in an appropriate area and the lad and his dog played together and let off steam as is natural for lads and dogs. I remember doing exactly the same as a child with my own dog. It would be a sad day indeed if the stage was ever met when this behaviour was not seen as the norm. To suggest dogs must always be on leads in public places seems to me an absurd view. However if a dog is not trained correctly then on a lead it ought to be if it is going to cause problems to people or animals. I agree with Mike that the world does not revolve around birdwatchers. I do find though, that some dog owners feel that the world revolves around them and their pet/s and that everyone has a duty to accept whatever they do. This will always cause tension.

I'm not at all surprised that this thread branched out in several directions. Threads that involve decent discussion tend to, and having the title irresponsible dog owners suggested to me that discussion was going to take several directions. Otherwise we may have well just said yes or no and gone to sleep.

Edit btw the young lad I mention above seemed to leave the walk with at least a growing interest in birds and having spent a few hours showing a keen and growing interest. His dog left having done no harm to any living thing, either when on or off the lead, as far as I could tell!

 

[Jos Stratford]

Canda geese are invasive and harmful to native wildlife. Cull them/wreck their eggs, for sure, but needlessly letting your dog chase them is just cruel.

This thread is 'Irresponsible Dog Owners', yet here is an example of an irresponsible birdwatcher. Yet again Colonel Blimp, you are recommending an action against wild birds which is almost certainly illegal.


Schedule 2, on which Canada Goose resides, of the relevant Act specifies specifically...

Birds which may be killed or taken

Part 1 - Outside the close season
Part 2 – By authorised persons at all times

Nick encounters Canada Geese on his regular walk, suggestive he is not the land-owner or has any authorization to 'wreck' their eggs. Doing so, should he follow your advice, would not only constitute an offence, I believe, but also once again tar the image of birdwatchers.

Should a cull be deemed necessary by the responsible bodies, the random 'wrecking' of eggs by random individuals passing through a park or wherever is neither an effective or intelligent way to conduct it.

Just goes to show, yes there are irresponsible dog-walkers, but so too are their irresponsible persons in all walks of life.

 

[ColonelBlimp]

Should a cull be deemed necessary by the responsible bodies, the random 'wrecking' of eggs by random individuals passing through a park or wherever is neither an effective or intelligent way to conduct it.

Foir the record, I wasn't suggesting that he do this himself, just that culling them or destroying their eggs would have conservationary benefits as opposed to randomly letting your dog chase them.

If another meaning was construed through my clumsy, sleep-deprived writing, my apologies.

 

[DunnoKev]

Re: F+M proving limiting public access was good for the countryside:

No it didn't.

Sorry mate, we're going to have to disagree here. Just like most Conservation groups did internally after they found out that keeping Joe Public out of the reserves for a breeding season had many positive effects. Problem was, they'd then have a negative effect from Joe Public subscriptions, and there was the rub. But I think you'll find that quite a few are now ensuring there are larger 'no-go' areas incorporated into new reserves. Long may that continue. (Didn't one national charity just mislead JP with a big appeal for funds for a fantastic new reserve in SE England that you only now find out is going to have huge access restrictions? How I laffed.)

I've got a footpath outside my property. All the dog owners did all winter was wander along it to the first field and then let their dawgies run loose. Farmer's cattle are out again now after the winter break, and he's got a flippin' great (friendly) Bull in there. Said dawg owners have spent all week walking to the gate, staring, then turning round and beggaring off to the town playground instead to let their animals cak where the kiddies play footie. (How I laffed. Part two.)

Oh yeah. last week had one irriot taking his dog to a field full of lambs and ewes (off footpath may I point out) to supposedly train his dog not to react to sheep. (Didn't laff at that one.) No-one should be allowed to own an animal with an I.Q. higher than their own.

 

[Deb335077]

I personally am terrified of dogs even the little snappy ones. I find it so infuriating when people dont have thier dogs on leads and think because they like dogs everyone elso should. I recently had a dog jump up at me, apart from the mess its paw prints made on my clothes it's head was only an inch of me (I am 5ft 7) My heart was beating 10 to the dozen I c***ed myself and when I very upsetly told the owners they should have it on a lead they laughed and said "give over". What kind of attitude is that.
Question - Suppose I took my 18 year old son out with me and told him to go practise some boxing on a passerby and then said "he's only a lad".
Owners have to be resonable at all times, just like parents are expected to. They should not take thier dogs out in public places unless they are well behaved.

 

[Floyd Barnes]

I often take my dog birding with me. He walks to heel and when I stop, he sits/lays-down beside me. Even if I stop for an hour or two. I enjoy taking him and he's no trouble. But I wouldent take him to a "sensitive" site.
Often when out I come across noisy, out of control dogs. These are just a PITA.
So trained dogs are Ok in my book. But thats already been said.
Incidentally when I go into the garden at home, the birds at the feeders fly off. When the dog goes out, the birds dont fly until he gets to within 4' !
Two weeks ago I watched a farmer plough a field containing breeding Lapwing. Now THAT IS disturbance!

 

[silvercrest]

when i was birdwatching at Minsmere last year and sitting on a tucked away bench nby the reeds having my sandwiches, this bloke and some women came along with half a dozen black labradors. one of the dogs came over and started to help itself to my cheese and cucumber sandwiches (crusts cut off). so i jumped up and said "hoi!" the bloke just sneered and said hid dog must be hungry then. Flaming nerve. it totally ruined the rest of the birding trip. i spent the rest of the afternoon cursing and fuming and wondering why the hell i didnt drown the arrogant ********* in the swamp. im sure he just took that attitude because im a birdwatcher. me and dog owners dont mix when im birdwatching, im afraid, especially that kind of dog owner. damn, now ive upset myself again.

 

[deanlewis]

Well I will probably have to get my coat after this, i'm new to the forum but have a love for both wildlife and dogs. I have no problems sharing both so long as the dogs are trained and cleaned up after !! My passion is photographing wildlife and birds and I will confess to taking my black Lab with me on alot of my walks, I have often taken her to one of my local reserves where she is kept on the lead past the water but she is allowed to go off the lead at the main viewing point but it is fenced off and she knows to stay with me. I will let her swim in the local canal and rivers but not around breeding time and again if she feels the urge to chase a wildfowl she is well enough trained to stop in her tracks when called. I have had several occasions where she will walk past wild rabbits only a few feet away and off the lead and she stays by my side. Its all about educating people with pets, I would be in favour of compulsory dog training and vetting of owners, it is after all the owners who are usually at fault.
I find it somewhat embarrasing to read from a member that if they are greeted by a dog, they great it with a steel toe cap to the ribs, probably just idle talk because i'm sure by now he would have met someone with an equal response back to himself.
I think the more people that can enjoy wildlife the better,responsible dog owners included.

Dean

 

[Rockbirder]

It's not the dogs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey up folks, i'll try and be blunt but it's not been a good day. Some of me mates have got the boot at work(sign of the times).

Dogs can be trained! Irresponsible owners can't!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

cheers

Andy.

 

[birding maniac]

not the dogs fault

Hi, I have been reading this thread intrestedly.
Its not the Dogs fault that they disturb birds. Like there wild counterpart, the Fox, its only natural for them to hunt, and most breeds need of lead exersize. This doesn't mean in nature reseves, i can agree with that. Dogs need to be trained too. A sharp look should be enough to control a dog, as mine is beeing trained to respond too. As for the problem of dog poo in trees, thats disgrace full, but is the owners fault.
BM

 

[Mannix]

My view is controversial to say the least but here it is. Human beings on the whole are not responsible enough to have dogs as pets. So unfortunately for the 1% of owners who are, I think that they should be either illegal as pets or the owners should be forced to pay at least £100 for a licence to keep one and that policy policed stringently.

 

[PYRTLE]

Holme NWT yesterday....two waste bins outside the visitor centre, one clearly marked "Cans and Plastic bottles only" contained two shiny blue plastic bags with dog poo. No second thought from the human depositors of said cr*p and yes they could read English. I partly heard their conversation, "no-one will notice" What more can be done?

I like dogs, its the selfish lazy inconsiderate owners I don't like.

 

[blokewivascope]

My view is controversial to say the least but here it is. Human beings on the whole are not responsible enough to have dogs as pets. So unfortunately for the 1% of owners who are, I think that they should be either illegal as pets or the owners should be forced to pay at least £100 for a licence to keep one and that policy policed stringently.

It would certainly stop all those "Look at me im hard i got staffie" chavs its a good idea i would pay £100 to a dog if i felt the need to have another but at the mo i cant give a dog the time or commitment i have been able to give my old dogs in the past.

 

[nick scarle]

Canda geese are invasive and harmful to native wildlife. But you can't use this as justification for letting your dog chasing them, which has next to no conservationary benefit. Cull them/wreck their eggs, for sure, but needlessly letting your dog chase them is just cruel.

I don't do it for any conservationary benefit, I do it to get 100+ Canada Geese off the footpath where I want to walk, which is not in a nature reserve. My dog sets off running from about 50 yards away, the geese see her coming and calmly waddle down the bank and into the water. My dog will not go into the water so the geese are safe, no harm done and I certainly don't see that I've been cruel.
Sadly the local wardens who used to cull the geese and ***** their eggs have been replaced by contractors who just turn up once a month to cut the grass.

 

[nick scarle]

Oooh, that's interesting ... the post has automatically edited the word above. It should start with a 'p' and end with 'k' and have 'ric' in the middle. When talking about pricking birds eggs I don't think it's an inappropriate word to use but the auto-filter obviously does!

Nick

 

[dantheman]

I don't do it for any conservationary benefit, I do it to get 100+ Canada Geese off the footpath where I want to walk, which is not in a nature reserve. My dog sets off running from about 50 yards away, the geese see her coming and calmly waddle down the bank and into the water. My dog will not go into the water so the geese are safe, no harm done and I certainly don't see that I've been cruel.
Sadly the local wardens who used to cull the geese and ***** their eggs have been replaced by contractors who just turn up once a month to cut the grass.

So when your dog sees the geese, it'll ***** it's ears up, and run at the them full tilt? And the geese have to move out of the way and down to the water? And this doesn't ***** your conscience at all??

(Just checking, had to try it out ..... )

 

[nick scarle]

I feel sad to read that your post was only partly tongue in cheek! Why does your dog need to chase anything?

Because she's a dog

What else would you like your dog to chase?

Grey squirrels

Can you not exercise your dog by throwing a ball or suchlike?

Yes, and I frequently do.

In answer to the original question posed by Marcia, I do not think dogs should be allowed on reserves!

Me neither, but here's a spanner I'll throw into the works: in some places the Local Authority have designated as 'Local Nature Reserves' areas which have traditionally been open access, free for all to use, with no ban on dogs or anything else. This often is done so that the Local Authority can get a few brownie points for their 'greenness' and pretend they are doing something positive for the environment. It's no wonder that conflicts arise when dogs-walkers are suddenly banned or discouraged from using areas where they have always previously enjoyed the freedom to exercise their dogs and themselves.

Nick

 

[silvercrest]

It would certainly stop all those "Look at me im hard i got staffie" chavs its a good idea i would pay £100 to a dog if i felt the need to have another but at the mo i cant give a dog the time or commitment i have been able to give my old dogs in the past.

im gonna go even more controversial and suggest that humans ought to be banned form keeping cats as well. every day im snarling at cats out of my back window to keep out of my garden. ive founf a shredded frog (still alive that i had to give thecoup de grace, cats have swiped birds from the garden, they terrorize the birdtables etc. and they dig up the flowers and poo everywhere. ive seen 6cats together in my garden. would these same cat owners allow their dogs and rabbits and other pets to roam peoples gardens. i think not. but cats are hard to control like that, i hear someone say. rot!! if theyre that hard to control they ought to be banned or licensed most severely. sorry, its either wildlife or cats, and im on the side of wildlife, increasingly turning to gardens for sanctuary only to be slaughtered by the product of uncaring humans. oh ,oh, i think its time to put on my hard hat and wait for the flack