August 23, 2024, 9:52 am | Read time: 5 minutes
PETBOOK wanted to know in a survey: What annoys you most about other dog owners? Dogs off the lead, unsolicited advice, or abusive owners? Over 27,000 readers voted and quickly agreed that one particular behavior was by far the most annoying.
When out for a walk with your four-legged friend, it’s inevitable to encounter other dog owners, some of whom can be quite a nuisance. Either because they don’t have their dog under control or because they let it run into other dogs without asking. In a survey, PETBOOK wanted to find out from its readers what behavior annoys them most about other dog owners.
In our initial research, we polled colleagues with dogs to identify what behaviors they found most irritating in other dog owners. Ten potential answers were gathered. One behavior came out on top after 27,118 readers participated in the survey.
3rd place: Dog runs everywhere
Ten percent of readers find it most annoying when other dog owners let their four-legged friends run everywhere (2832 votes). I still remember the moment on the dog beach when Wolfgang the Great Dane suddenly stood in front of us and helped himself to the sliced watermelon as a matter of course – much to the displeasure of our dog Yumi.
In the dog walking area, other owners may still have some understanding of this. But the fun stops when dogs stick their heads into baby carriages or steal food from other people’s tables in restaurants. Even when leashed, there’s often a lack of awareness or appropriate response from the person holding the leash.
2nd place: Not putting your dog on a lead even when asked
With 6122 votes, not putting dogs on leads came in second place. A full 23 percent of participants thought that this behavior was the most annoying thing about other dog owners. Many are familiar with the dismissive ‘He’s not doing anything’ excuse. However, every dog owner understands that there’s always a first time for unexpected behavior (“Oops, he’s never done that before”), and not all dogs appreciate unsolicited advances from their peers.
As the owner, you are then either under pressure to put your dog on a lead – which is not possible with every four-legged friend – or try to block the stranger, which usually causes great resentment from the owner (“He just wants to say hello, why so aggressive?”). Or you simply let your dog deal with it and run the risk of the other dog getting bit (“He won’t do anything? Mine will!”)
1st place: Leaving your dog’s poop lying around
The behavior that annoys dog owners the most about others is simply leaving their dog’s excrement lying around. With 11,578 votes (43 percent), this was by far the most unpopular behavior.
No wonder: in a PETBOOK survey in September last year, 13 percent of respondents said they would never pick up their four-legged friend’s poop. Not even half of the readers said they always do this. Surprisingly, the fact that this constitutes a violation of public order doesn’t seem to deter many from leaving their dog’s waste behind.
Understandably, this annoys other dog owners in particular. Indeed, the diligent act of cleaning up after your pet comes with the ever-present hazard of stepping into another dog’s left-behind mess. In some places, there are meadows that you can’t even walk on without a smelly souvenir on your shoe.
However, dog excrement is not only a problem because it stinks – it can also contain pathogens and bacteria, which can trigger dangerous gastrointestinal infections, especially in children. For instance, parasites like Giardia or worms can rapidly transmit among the canine population. As dog owners, we would, therefore, all do well to pick up the poop – even if it is annoying.
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What annoys you most about other dog owners? The results at a glance
Here is an overview of all the results of our PETBOOK survey:
- 1st place: Leaving their dog’s poop lying around (11,579 votes, 43 percent)
- 2nd place: Not putting their dog on a lead even though you ask them to (6,122 votes, 23 percent)
- 3rd place: Letting their dog run everywhere (2832 votes, 10 percent)
- 4th place: Not calling the dog back (1449 votes, 5 percent)
- 5th place: Clinging to their smartphone (1400 votes, 5 percent)
- 6th place: Giving unsolicited advice (891 votes, 3 percent)
- 7th place: Constantly dragging their dog (854 votes, 3 percent)
- 8th place: Touching other people’s dogs without asking (803 votes, 3 percent)
- 9th place: Carry dogs in bags (603 votes, 2 percent)
- 10th place: Letting dogs chase (585 votes, 2 percent)
During the voting period spanning May and June, a total of 27,118 votes were cast. Participation was possible once per end device.
Editor’s note: The voting was conducted among PETBOOK readers and is not representative.