What problems do you come across when walking dogs?

tbourner

I'm doing a degree module on design and innovation, and I've got to do a strategic review of a chosen topic, my chosen topic is dog walking, so as part of my research I'm asking dog owners what problems they face when out walking their dogs.

It may be you don't like poo-picking, it gets on your hands when the bag breaks or you don't like carrying the bag.

It may be you have a dog that always drags you through the muddiest puddles!

My wife's a behaviourist so I'll be chatting to her about solutions of that nature, but I really need to find a selection of issues which can have a product designed to 'solve' them. It doesn't matter if there are already products that do it as I can analyse them and say if they have any shortcomings.


So all you dog walkers, tell me your problems

olias

Extender leads - tape type ones twist and jam. Cord type ones, the spring always seem too weak and doesn't retract fully after a while.

Collar - always seem to have to spin it round and round trying to find the ring to clip the lead to.

Car cage - door opening system always jams and its a struggle to slide the bolts back to open

How about that for starters, lol.

Olias

jackomdj

Other dog owners! We no longer have our dog, he was pts 2 years ago, but...

He was attacked a couple of times, this resulted in him disliking certain breeds of dog, we would keep him on lead in certain areas as we knew there would be lots of dogs. The number of dogs off their lead that would run up and their owners would shout "it's ok he is friendly", ok but ours isn't!

nickcc

Other owners failing to keep their dog under control and not having their dog on a lead.

wierddumpling

Owners not picking up after their dogs (it costs about 13p for 100 nappy sacks)

And doggy bins why can't they be hands free so you don't have to touch the germy lid?

zaksmum

Drunks/druggies wanting to stroke the dogs and even kiss them on the mouth. Packs of kids descending on them hugging and kissing them, getting them so hyper it's hard to keep hold of their leads. Other dog owners bringing their dogs over to say hello even after I tell them mine don't like it. They'll be fine, they say...then give me dirty looks when they're not!

Lads with shaved heads walking round spitting everywhere with their off lead Staffies or American bulldogs, getting a buzz out of intimidating people.

Foreign mothers shrieking and gathering their kids to them when I approach with my dogs as if I've got two slavering wolves with me rather than two daft dogs. And the mums who threaten a kid throwing a tantrum "That dog will bite you if you don't behave yourself"!!

Cats strolling around without a care in the world while I'm keeping a death grip on the leads, and broken glass by bus shelters that the dogs walk through. And people who dump the remainders of their takeaways so the dogs scoff it before I notice it.

nickcc

Doggy bins being filled with litter instead of doggy poo. Dog owners picking up their doggies poo and throwing the bags into the bushes instead of either taking it home or using the doggie bins.

gemini12

ne of our dog occasionally runs up to people and nips them for no apparent reason. For this reason she is not alloed off lead but I would rather cure the problem especially as she has a limited life span due to illness and she is only 3years old.
We also have a JRT who goes deaf when she called. lol

Leven

Poo bins should be pedal bins so that we don't have to touch them.

Broken glass - my pup sliced his pad right across which meant he couldn't go for a walk for three weeks and had to have a boot on every time he needed to go into the garden. It also cost me £120 in vets fees.

My postman - who quite literally screamed when confronted with a friendly wriggly 10 week old pup (who was in my arms). He freezes every time he sees a dog, even when its on a lead and taking no notice of him whatsoever - he is clearly in the wrong job. (We do sometimes see him when we are out walking).

Terriers snapping and barking at my dogs (who are trying to ignore them), while their owners do nothing about it. (Sorry anyone who has a terriers, but it is always terrier that do this.

I'll come back if I think of anymore examples.

dottodot

Other dog owners who seem to think that its cute that their dogs pester mine, even when she's cowering and trying to hide from them. Also - related to that - the fact that my dog uses my DD's buggy to hide behind, with the result that the exuberant canine pestering her ends up on top of my toddler instead.
Oh - and my pet hate [no pun intended!] - dog owners who pick up their dog's poo and then leave it by the edge of the path tied up in the pooperscoop bag. Presumably intending to pick it up on their way back, but forgetting to do so. Grrr!!! Some product to remind people to collect the bag, or which solves the problem of how they carry it / take it with them, would be great!
Good luck with it!

jackomdj

Agreed with another poster about why people think its ok to put your dog poo in a plastic bag then hang it from a tree, where it will stay for years and years!

Reading the replies you have had so far it sounds as if the main problem is dog owners! Not all obviously but the minority ruin it for everyone else