The seven most annoying habits of dog owners

I’m a lifelong dog lover, passionate about the bond between dogs and their owners. But let’s be honest – while dogs are endlessly wonderful, the same can’t always be said for their humans’ behaviour and some dog owners can be entitled, lazy or just a little clueless about dog etiquette. 
So, here are my top seven most annoying habits of dog owners that I think need to be addressed – for the sake of our pets and our communities.
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1. Walking ahead of their dog so they don’t see it poo: I’m unsure if this is intentional to avoid picking it up (out of sight, out of mind), but this one drives me crazy!
2. Walking towards you, telling their dog to ‘be nice’: It usually goes like this: “Be nice, be nice, be niiiiiiiiiiiiiiice” and then their dog lunges or barks at your dog and then gets told off or shouted at for doing so. Please just cross the road if you know your dog is likely to react to a passing person or dog.
3. Letting their dogs run up to Guide Dogs or Assistance Dogs: When Guide Dogs are working, it is essential that they can focus. No matter how ‘friendly’ the other dog may be, it is still a distraction, which can be dangerous for the handler. 
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4. Playing on the phone while walking their dog: Please watch your dog, not your phone, especially when they are off-leash. My dog was recently attacked by an off-leash dog in my street while the owner dawdled some 30 metres away playing on his phone. He had no clue what his dog was doing.
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5. ‘He/she just wants to say hello’: I get told this all the time when someone lets their dog jump all over my dog at a cafe or when I am out walking him on the leash. It usually just means the owner has not trained the dog to have basic manners. Please always ask first.
6. Leaving dogs in the front garden when you know they bark or chase other dogs walking by: This can scare the whoop out of people and dogs who are casually passing by, and if a passing dog is reactive, it can escalate to a dangerous situation. Plus, the dog in the garden practises the behaviour over and over, and it can become tough to stop.
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7. Letting dogs off-leash dogs in on-leash areas: This seems to be getting worse. Leash laws exist for a reason – to protect both dogs and people. It doesn’t matter if your dog loves other dogs and people, other dogs and people may not want your dog in their space.
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