Issue with dog owners / dogs (kitchen, sick, spray)
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As a city-dwelling dog owner, there are few things that **** me off more than disrespectful entitled neglectful or irresponsible dog owners that give us all a bad name.
But I disagree strongly with any blanket statement about dogs not working well in urban settings, and working better in rural/suburban settings. Depends a lot on the dogs, the owners, and the specific situation, whether it's in a city or not.
I am also a dog owner and think that the problem of not picking up poop is disgusting!!
Fortunately we don't seem to have such an issue with it in my neighborhood, but whenever I see a pile I think how revolting it is. I can only imagine how these people keep their homes!
Of course I feel the same ways about the people who carelessly fling their litter into the street instead of putting it in a trash can. Disgusting!
I do occasionally walk our dog off leash. I guess I don't really see the issue with this. She's tiny and slightly shy so she doesn't go up to anyone. She's also extremely obedient. I guess I just don't see how she could possibly effect anyone else. When I am out with her literally 4 out of every 5 people has a big grin on their faces when they see her. She brings a lot of happiness.
I have not seen a dog off leash in the city that I thought would be any sort of a problem. In a city you have to have an extraordinarily well trained dog to walk them off leash, so the only dogs I ever see off leash are unbelievably obedient dogs.
I am also a city living dog owner. In my neighborhood in Pittsburgh, a local group started a "doggi-pot" program:
"South Pittsburgh Development Corp. researched finding a suitable dispenser for dog waste bags that could be mounted on light poles in the business district. Initially, the City of Pittsburgh did not embrace our idea, but through persistence we were able to convince them let us do a one-year pilot program. The dispensers are mounted at adult height and are maintained by SPDC. Almost immediately the dog waste problem got better. In fact, the idea of picking up after one's dog seemed to catch on in a larger way, as it is common to see residents taking bags with them for dog walks on other streets. While we haven’t eliminated the problem 100%, there has been a drastic reduction in dog waste. Because of our success, the City of Pittsburgh is now considering using the doggi-pot in other high dog traffic areas. Initial funding for the purchase of the doggi-pots was provided by the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Mainstreet program."
Projects | Brookline PA. South Pittsburgh Development Corporation (http://www.brookline-pgh.org/projects.html#7 - broken link)
Might be something someone could try in the Philly neighborhoods that are an issue.
I am also a dog owner and think that the problem of not picking up poop is disgusting!!
Fortunately we don't seem to have such an issue with it in my neighborhood, but whenever I see a pile I think how revolting it is. I can only imagine how these people keep their homes!
Of course I feel the same ways about the people who carelessly fling their litter into the street instead of putting it in a trash can. Disgusting!
I do occasionally walk our dog off leash. I guess I don't really see the issue with this. She's tiny and slightly shy so she doesn't go up to anyone. She's also extremely obedient. I guess I just don't see how she could possibly effect anyone else. When I am out with her literally 4 out of every 5 people has a big grin on their faces when they see her. She brings a lot of happiness.
I have not seen a dog off leash in the city that I thought would be any sort of a problem. In a city you have to have an extraordinarily well trained dog to walk them off leash, so the only dogs I ever see off leash are unbelievably obedient dogs.
In my experience living for 10 years in Center City, and 6 years in Brooklyn all with a dog, I've seen LOTS of not-so-obedient dogs walking off-leash. And I've many times seen off-leash dogs pooping while their owners weren't even looking (They do, however, give me dirty looks for bringing said pooping to their attention).
I'm not saying this is necessarily you, but there's this mentality with too many people who seem to think that if they walk their dog off-leash, it's somehow showing off how "well-trained", and "good" their dog is. It's very annoying entitled behavior, and they are completely missing the point of leash laws. I don't think any dog should be off-leash on busy city streets or sidewalks, ever. Those rules are there for a reason.
I've never been killed in a car accident, but I still do wear a seatbelt every time I drive, and it's for the same reason. Even a "calm well trained dog" is not completely predictable in an unpredictable chaotic environment where there are cars, traffic, people, kids, and other dogs all out of your control. And it doesn't matter if the dog is small or large, or how obedient you think they are - it's about their safety as much as anyone else's.
I always hold my dog back and don't let her go up and say hi to other dogs until AFTER I've asked that dog's owner if their dog is friendly - because a lot of dogs are NOT friendly to other dogs when they're out walking.
But it seems that there's always got to be some guy walking his dog off-leash who will sort-of smugly say "Ohh, he's ok!", as their dog is just walking up to my on-leash dog and getting all up in my dog's business. It's usually fine. But if my smallish dog were to snap (which she probably wouldn't, but some dogs would) and a fight started, and one of the dogs got hurt, you KNOW this guy would try to blame my dog...but it is 100% the fault of the owner of the off-leash dog in that situation. Off-leash-walking dogs have walked across streets to say hi to my dog - what if they got hit by a car? What if the dog somehow scared a kid and the owner couldn't immediately pull it away? Or if the dog saw a squirrel and chased it into traffic? What if they started eating something that they shouldn't? There are too many things that could happen. It's just irresponsible dog ownership. And....it's illegal.
Random anecdote: I recall walking my dog (on leash) on a busy street in Brooklyn and seeing a big pitbull (nothing necessarily against pitbulls, but think about this in context) sprinting a block down the street, off-leash, no owner in sight, full-speed, directly towards me and my dog. My first instinctive thought was to protect myself and my dog, and so I grabbed the nearest thing I could find - a brick - and was preparing to clobber that dog if it attacked. Thankfully it was fine, and the dog was friendly and just wanted to say hi to my (then nervous) dog. So then the pitbull's owner comes out of her house and yells.... "Ohh, he's ok!!". As if I was silly to be upset by the fact that her huge dog, that she apparently just lets out to walk around on the city streets, had just run up on me. That dog was a flinch away from a brick to the head- and it would have been the owner's fault, not mine, or the dog's.
This is a huge problem in Passyunk square, especially around Capitolo. the problem that I see is from people owning dogs in apartments and not having anywhere to put the dog's droppings even if they did pick it up.
In center city and old city there are public garbage cans everywhere, so it's easy to dispose of, but in psquare the only public cans are along the avenue. the public cans that were around were abused by renters, they would put their house hold trash in them. Again, for the same reason, they have no where to put it. Nothing against renters, it's really the city's fault.
If a row house is going to be turned into aparntments then the landlord should have to have a dumpster on the property (not in the street) for the tenants to put trash in during the week in between trash pick ups.
And I've many times seen off-leash dogs pooping while their owners weren't even looking (They do, however, give me dirty looks for bringing said pooping to their attention).
I'm not saying this is necessarily you,
Random anecdote: I recall walking my dog (on leash) on a busy street in Brooklyn and seeing a big pitbull (nothing necessarily against pitbulls, but think about this in context) sprinting a block down the street, off-leash, no owner in sight, full-speed, directly towards me and my dog. My first instinctive thought was to protect myself and my dog, and so I grabbed the nearest thing I could find - a brick - and was preparing to clobber that dog if it attacked. Thankfully it was fine, and the dog was friendly and just wanted to say hi to my (then nervous) dog. So then the pitbull's owner comes out of her house and yells.... "Ohh, he's ok!!". As if I was silly to be upset by the fact that her huge dog, that she apparently just lets out to walk around on the city streets, had just run up on me. That dog was a flinch away from a brick to the head- and it would have been the owner's fault, not mine, or the dog's.
OK - rant over!
I only know a few people who walk their dogs off leash, and all are impeccably trained. A couple of guys in business suits asked me whether I could train their kids & their staff in the street the other day.
Of course everyone thinks their own dog is different, I get that, BUT my dog is different!
For a start she's tiny (5lbs) and has no interest at all in other dogs, so never approaches them. I sound a lot of time apologizing to other dog owners as my dog just ignores theirs when they try and engage her. She's just not at all interested.
I would have absolutely wet myself if a pit bull had come racing up off leash. It is unfair, but I DO think that the breed/ size of dog makes a big difference as well as the attitude/ training of the dog.
Ya know, I have NEVER had someone say a single cross word to me about my dog. Normally it's squeals of joy, huge smiles and comments about how good she is. I agree that my behavior us entitled. I also think it's a shame that some people would get their knickers in a knot over such a small and insignificant issue.
A pit bull of leash is just not the same as a 5lb dog that wouldn't say boo to a goose and literally has never (in 6 years) done anything to bother anyone.
Still I concede that you are right and I am wrong. I can only hope that if you ever see us on the street, you would end up with a big smile on your face just as everyone else seems to!
My main problems with dog owners are those who don't seem to understand how disturbing their dogs' incessant barking is. When I spoke with an otherwise respectful neighbor whose dogs sat outside my bedroom window and began barking at 7 a.m. every morning, his puzzled response was "That's what dogs do." Is this really any different that if I were to blast my stereo in their direction at the same decibels? After all, that's what music sounds like.
My main problems with dog owners are those who don't seem to understand how disturbing their dogs' incessant barking is. When I spoke with an otherwise respectful neighbor whose dogs sat outside my bedroom window and began barking at 7 a.m. every morning, his puzzled response was "That's what dogs do." Is this really any different that if I were to blast my stereo in their direction at the same decibels? After all, that's what music sounds like.
Rant over. Boy, I feel better.
No it's no different to blaring music and just as annoying.
We've only experienced barking from a neighbor's condo once when they were babysitting a dog. I was so relieved when it went home.
I do think it can be difficult to shut a barking dog up, but if you have an incessant barker then perhaps living in close proximity to others is a bad idea?
People just don't seemto bother training their dogs? We trained ours not to bark so I know it can be done!
I guess it becomes more of a problem with a dog with separation anxiety or some other behavioral issue.
A responsible dog owner picks up after they're dogs, trains they're dogs not to bark, and will never allow they're dogs off leash...
my pet peeve, including the above, is when you go to the vets, and someone has a dog on one of those long extractable leashes....and allows they're dogs to come over to yours...I tell them now...and the people who work at the vets, roll they're eyes? They told me they dislike it, but won't say anything to these people...well, I've had enough, and now I speak up...they want you to keep cats contained...it should be the same with dogs on a leash...
There, lol, I feel better....
It's not the dogs fault, it's they're owners....
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my dog is different! 
We trained ours not to bark so I know it can be done!
