and I thought silly season was over...

My Mum and I took the dogs on the beach this evening for a good run. We were the only people for miles and had the beach to ourselves. After about half an hour I could see a couple and Staffie (off lead) coming towards us. Dandy ran halfway over to investigate and the man grabbed the Staffie by it's collar, dragged it up into the air whilst he put it's lead on then started shouting aggressively at Dandy, who had stopped quite a distance away from him. Now, Dandy is quite shy and doesn't approach people BUT no one can beat him at a shouting match, so he started barking back, then ran back to us and continued playing. At this point I would have thought the couple would have gone the other way and enjoyed the expanse of dogless beach in the other direction but no. They carried on walking towards us and let their dog off lead again. The dog started running around and caught Dan's attention again so he ambled halfway over again and the people started screaming 'get your dog, get your dog!'. I called Dan and he came back. We decided to call it a night, got the dogs on leads and headed back to the car. By the time we reached the prom, the couple had their dog back on the lead and were heading off the beach. Did they only come on to try to make a scene or what? The staffie could have only had ten minutes walk, max, and there must have been several miles they could have walked dog free.
I just don't understand the mentality of some people!

don't worry has it gets colder and darker all the numpties and part time dog walkers will disapear, just feel sorry for the poor dogs

Poor staffie. I love winter walking because you only get the responsible owners out all weathers. Soon as Spring arrives all the poor dogs that have been kept in for the winter are supposed to come out and behave themselves with numpty owners.

Yes I noticed this evening on our walk as it was chucking it down with rain that we only saw 3 people out with their dogs - I thought don't dogs do rain, or is it the owners!!

i can beat that. whilst on our extremely wet walk tonight, we saw 1 other person out with their dog and a guy doing his football training. he was quite taken with lily's interest in his football bless him!

Hi,

i think the guy with the staffie has a screw loose somewhere. I certainly would've walked the other way; not necessarily to avoid you or your dogs but as you say, to have that much space for the dogs to run about in by themselves without any other dogs or people approaching.

I reckon some people just don't know when they've got good thing going and that guy clearly is one of those who give SBTs a bad name. Maybe he was trying to make you think his dog was aggressive or something would happen if Dan approached any further. If that were the case, why let him off lead?

I also feel sorry for the dogs. Having said that, I hate the cold and wet weather (plays havoc with my knee somtimes) but my lot always get their full walks regardless. It's their right as far as I'm concerned.

Zane though has on a few occasions tried to refuse to go out when it's absolutely pouring with rain. I did think of getting him a coat for the worst weather we get but a GSD in a coat isn't a good look. Also he enjoys the vigorous rub down with the towel after he gets wet.

Laura xx

Ohhhh don't they annoy you when they don't seem to have any sensiblities????? I would be going with the hope that winter will only bring out the hard core walkers and all the posers stay inside as their hair might get ruined

Not long now til' they disappear!

I actually had a nice walk with mine yesterday afternoon in the pouring rain. Only saw two other people that I know, both of whom are dog mad like me! not a numptie in sight for the first time in a good while. As much as I dislike awful weather, it certainly has it's advantages from a walking perspective.

I've seen a lady on our field twice recently walking with a SBT and the first thing she always asks is 'will you be letting them off the lead and which way are you walking, because when I let my dog off, she will run over and attack your dogs!' Erm, well don't let her off them is what I've said to her but I just get the same thing back 'when I let her off she will attack your dogs.'

Why don't some people have some common sense? If you walk in front of a car and it hits you, it will hurt so you don't do it, but why do some people not apply the same logic with dogs?

The thing is I like SBT, I see one out and about with her owner that I used walk with when we had Jack, and because she knew me when she was a pup, she still rolls over for me to tickle her belly, not very convenient when you are walking down the street without a dog and I bump into her and her owner, but with the attitude of the woman on the field, no wonder they get a bad name.

If I'm out early enough in the mornings, I see a bloke with three off lead and they are so good and well training that when he sees me with my two, he calls them over and puts them back on their leads until we've passed each other. Why can't all owners be like him?

The problem with Staffs and certain other breeds is not the dog but the owner of course. In my experience Staff owners are divided into three approximate groups.
1) shaven head, tattoos and large boots (and that is just the women)
2) Mr and/or Mrs Ordinary
3) Real Staff fans.

Group 3 is not, of course, an issue. Grp 2 are divided in to 2 sub classes i.e. those that know the breed and those that were attracted to the particular animal in the local rescue.

Grp 1. Also sub divisible into two groups although one sub group is distinctly smaller. Sub Grp A – looks like a thug but is an absolute pussycat and sub Grp B looks and is and shouldn’t be allowed near a dog of any sort.

Now, which group did our beach people fall into? Or, are they a yet undiscovered sub species of a major group?

More details clearly needed!