Dogs behaving badly

Posted on 27/08/2018 18:22 by SteveM

We have been members for over 10 years and have seen various discussions and letters about dogs that cause upset and or offence. Until now its been easier to turn a blind eye to owners who don't follow the site rules but now we feel minded to speak out about selfish and inconsiderate dog owners who spoil things for others. Why oh why do owners bring dogs that yap and yap whenever another dog/person/car/bike goes by them? Presumably said pet does it at home and annoys their neighbours so why do they think it's ok to impose the dog's behavior on the rest of us? A couple turned up at a site recently and put their 3 small terriers in a cage on their pitch and then left them whilst they sorted their caravan. The dogs yapped and yapped and yapped for ages - not minutes but over half an hour.I walked over to ask the owners to do something only to find one of the couple was sat in his chair with his cup of tea just looking at his dogs and laughing along, as if it was ok for us all to listen to the unacceptable noise they were creating. I spoke to the man and pointed out the noise and the duration and I was made to feel as though i had the problem! This weekend we had a camper van turn up next to us and opposite a caravan. Just along there was another caravan and all 3 were together. They had 6 yapping dogs between them that set each other off and the two in the camper van just yapped at everything and everyone that went by. Again, the owners just seemed to think that everyone around them loves yappy dogs and seemed oblivious to the rest of us wanting some peace and quiet. Worse than all of that, the owner of the camper van would let his dogs out onto the space between his vehicle and ours first thing around 0630 and they BOTH defecated right outside my window. On the third occasion I took pictures on my phone so I can share the disgusting sight with the club management. The lazy owner could have walled less than 50 yards to the acres of dog exercise area provided but no, he had to share his dog's mess with all of us. And of course they weren't on leads or under control as the club rules require. More sites seem to be providing additional areas for dog owners to let their pets defecate outside of the designated areas and this is something that should be reviewed. It just encourages lazy owners who can't be bothered to use the proper walks. On two sites we have been to recently these new areas have been positioned just where people who don't have dogs walk by to use the shower blocks or the washing up facilities. As usual, dog owners will rally together and say it's just the minority etc etc but that's simply not true. Wardens do their best to enforce the rules but they cannot be 'on patrol' 24 hours a day, of course they can't. The club rules recognise that accidents do happen but what we saw were not accidents. So dog owners, if you have a yappy hound that no-one but you likes to hear causing a nuisance then do the decent thing, leave it with someone else when you come away, or maybe spend some money on kennel fees? And if you are like the owner who let his dogs use the grass next to us for a lavatory when all the facilities have been put in place to help you better manage your dog's waste, then cancel your membership and go elsewhere. Just think about the people who may walk or play on the grass you allowed to be fouled after you left. The club should be seriously thinking about the whole question of dogs and introduce measures to limit the number that are on site, the number than any one person can bring with them and to be completely radical, introduce dog free sites or areas within sites that are dog free. This might go some way to helping us non-dog owners to feel that we belong to a caravan club, NOT a dog owner's club.

Posted on 27/08/2018 19:21 by Dave L S

I have full empathy with what you say Pathfinder, as during the 20 years that we caravanned, we experienced it many times.

I'm sure its not going to be any better, now we have returned to camping after a break of some 10 years, now with a motor home.

Not anti dog, we had one for many years, but never got another when he died (old age).

I do however dislike dogs that yap, yap, yap, for no good reason, and even more the owners that let them.

In general, find it's the small dogs that are the worst offenders.

If I see a dog allowed to crap on site, other than in the dog walk area,  I would inclined to photograph it, and name and shame them.

Even if the owner bags it, it has still been on the grass, where children are likely to play.