UKC

You've gone bouldering with friends and your dog on a lead at a busy crag, popular with walkers, families and climbers. Nearby there is a lone couple trad climbing with their dog off lead. It is very friendly, approaching everyone, and clearly young, but will not recall reliably. 

You move along so you're not so close, as you have a slightly dog phobic individual* in your group, and start bouldering. Your dog is on lead and chilling on a down jacket. 

The couple move along and start a climb nearby. Their dog comes over unsolicited. It starts trying to engage your dog, who is ignoring it. Their dog then proceeds to urinate on your dog and down jacket.  

What would you do? 

* Clarification: individual can deal with known dogs but not being approached by random dogs.

I don't know much about dog jackets but I would have thought that waterproof ones were available.

as politely as you can, tell them what's happened and suggest that they train their dog.

where the conversation goes from there is anyone's guess.

Was it Hydrophobic down?

It seems either stupid or very naive to leave a dog to wander by itself while you're climbing/belaying. I think I would have tried to say to them that the dog should be on lead and if there's only two of them then maybe bringing the dog isn't a good idea if there's no-one to look after it. I don't know where you'd stand regarding the dog pissing on your down jacket. Had it been my dog (and it wouldn't have been as she would have been under control) I would have been really embarrassed and would have offered to pay to have it cleaned.

OK I concede that if someone's dog pissed on my dog I would be annoyed but what the jacket is made of is immaterial.

Their dog then proceeds to urinate on your dog and down jacket.  

What would you do?

Shit happens or in this case piss happens, move on and learn from the experience.....

What would i do,Id think cheeky little ba@t@@d, and laugh it off,stick the jacket in the wash,dogs will be dogs,at least it didnt attack your dog.Now if the the dogs owner came and pissed on my dog and jacket, different story

I'm pro-dog (got three of the blighters!) but it's for this reason that none of mine would ever be left off the lead whilst climbing. I have trouble keeping focussed just bouldering in case whichever I've taken is trying to chew through it's lead. As the other owner in your situation I'd be very embarrassed and offer to pay for it to be cleaned. As yourself in that situation then I would have raised it with the other climbers and made me ire about their poorly behaved dog known. 

That's just taking the piss.

I'd be less than civil to the owners if their dog had pissed on my jacket!! Its clearly not under their control and I would say badly trained if it pisses on your jacket and on another dog!

See what you did there liked it a lot.

What did you do?

The dog pissing on your coat is just one of those things I'm afraid, dogs will be dogs. The dog off the lead seems to be your bigger issue if I've read the OP right.  

If it were me, I'd ask them to put it on it's lead if they didn't mind. I'd explain the situation. 

The pissing. Well I've owned a dog that pissed on two women enjoying a picnic on a beach, a motorcyclists helmet, a really big guy watching a country show and my mates leg. All of them saw the funny side, apart from the motorcyclist. But he was riding on private land and making a mess, so wasn't too bothered about him. 

The whole "dogs will be dogs" argument is exactly why the dog should have been on a lead. Not everyone loves dogs, and the majority of people in the UK don't own one.

I'd probably laugh it off, and suggest they keep it on a lead, but a lot of people wouldn't. After all, would you be happy if it's an expensive down jacket that won't be the simplest to clean?

My off the lead dog broke a woman’s arm. I just said it’s not mine it’s following me

The owners of piss soaked jackets kicking dogs into the next field is just one of those things. It best to look on it as a form of training.

Sure it wasn't a swan?

Last year we were followed on a walk for miles by a random farm collie that just bounced over a gate and stuck to us.  I felt progressively more akward as it jumped at other people and their dogs  although I did enjoy the moment it curled one out on an old nemesis’ lawn...

Positive. Collies don’t have wings and swans don’t chase kicked footballs on a beach.

I'd be more annoyed if it pissed on my gear.

Absolutely spot on.

If anyone takes their dog out then they should be responsible for it at ALL times.

Leaving it to climb where and when you cannot control it is completely irresponsible and the idea he/she might be a friendly dog is irrelevant.

That it pissed on on something makes it worst but the dog should never have been able to do so in the first place.

Dave

"The dog pissing on your coat is just one of those things I'm afraid, dogs will be dogs."

Perhaps dogs will be dogs but how about their human being human and stopping it?

Dave

It is now!

Pull a massive Moonie.

It's the only grown up response.

^ This

If my (sadly departed) hound had done this I'd have been mortified. Not that he would have done, I'd expect any competant dog owner to have sorted that sort of behaviour out.

Well done Dave 

I don't, particularly after the number of confrontations I've had with dogs and/or their owners over the last year of running. 

But when I go to the local NT estate or the large recreational woods nearby, you'd think everyone owns a dog. Practically every party I come across if I run at either of them has one or several. Unless it's only dog  walkers that like to go for a walk, doesn't this suggest that the majority are put off going to these places by the sheer number of dogs at them. I know I am.

Basically, there are just too many dogs.........in my opinion.

For a lot of people, the reason they go for a walk is to walk the dog. So it may not be that non dog owners are put off by the dogs, but that they are just less likely to go for a walk. And those who are inclined to walk for their own enjoyment rather than the dogs may be more inclined to head to mountains etc?

When the second is mid climb, wander over to their gear and piss on it

Edit: then have one of your mates wander over and apologise that you were off the lead.

Actually I'm at fault since I misread the post and took it that the victim dog was wearing a down jacket. 

You were bouldering but your dog was on lead? What a weird day.

Sounds entirely responsible

*whoosh*

Admittedly it was last year,  but  up on Scout Scar above Kendal, in spring, I jogged passed 2 folk with 4 dogs between them. All nice enough dogs but all hunting type dogs who just loved following scents. They were broadly allowed to go where they wanted into an area not that traveled by humans ie away from the footpaths. Where are the nesting birds supposed to go, where are the hares supposed to hang out? Etc.  I feel that along many rivers as well. Footpaths right along side, dogs all over the place. No chance for nesting wildlife.  Yes. I like dogs, but there are too many of them.

Anybody else get confused when they read about the doge ‘being on lead’ at the crag?

Anyway. A dog peed on my favorite hoodie on an Australian beach a couple of years back. I was not a dog owner at the time although I was fond of them. I laughed and put it in the wash when I got home. Worse shit happens (literally).

If it was my dog I'd offer to pay to clean whatever she peed on. Down jackets need specialist cleaning don't they? So I'd cough up for that. 

Fortunately (?) she seems to limit herself to peeing only on my stuff.

I'm also interested to know what your response was?

An all out bombardment of used dog poo bags?

What I'd probably do in the heat of the moment is go up to them and remonstrate with them and ask if they'd like to pay for it to be cleaned and tell them to look after their dog. Nice down jackets aren't cheap and it's the principle of things. 

Indeed it does - very recently indeed here.

https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/17441574.flock-of-up-to-70-sheep-worth-t...

I'd run home as fast as possible and post on UKC about how well trained my dog was, how it was super chill and how I kept it on a lead all day coz I'm great. And how the other people are not as good as me because they didn't do this.

Had I seen a young dog run over and piss all over your jacket, I'm sorry to say I'd probably have struggled to contain my laughter. And would certainly be laughing about it later on in the pub. 

But then I don't have a dog and find things funny like this. Probably coz i'm a tw*t..

I'm with you on this. It's unfortunate about the down jacket but there's something inherently amusing about a (male) dog taking a piss, whether it's against a lamp-post, someone's pride and joy alloy wheels, a bundle of firewood outside a shop or someone's back as they're sitting on the pavement edge, texting.

That's why you should be using Peemaloft and Paw-Tex. 

Bad form by the dog owner, but if you value the down jacket that much why was it on the ground being used as a dog bed? 

A cheap fleece blanket would have done just as well and would have washed a lot easier. 

This article appeared on the front page of the veneral local rag last week, and I was reminded of it when reading this thread:

https://www.cravenherald.co.uk/news/17443937.by-law-sought-to-keep-dogs-on-...

Given that the parish council concerned happens to cover a couple of places where there might be some climbing from time to time, it might be of interest to readers, i.e. if you're going climbing at Malham Cove or Goredale and taking your four-legged friend with you, best be extra vigilant as feelings are already running high, and probably best not give the parish council any more reasons to proceed with their course of action.

The council's plan sounds like a good one in theory, but of course the tw*ts who let their dogs run around out of control will just ignore the law anyway, while those dog owners who actually do have their dog well enough trained that it can be off lead and still under control will be penalised.

What can we do about the "dogs will be dogs" attitude, the assumption that everyone should just learn to deal with their dog and put up with being pissed on, jumped on, threatened etc? These owners clearly have no consideration for other people, so talk and persuasion isn't going to achieve anything. I'm​ sorry to say, a good boot of the dog (or owner) is the only way. If their precious mutt starts getting hurt they might keep a closer eye on it.

My client once took her Pekinese on a climb.

However small it caused a massive stonefall.

Oh dear: typo: for "veneral" read "venerable".  What a difference two letters can make.  Hope the CH will forgive me.  Surprised no-one picked up on the typo

Sadly it seems that competent dog owners are becoming ever thinner on the ground. More that half the dogs I encounter out and about with their owners seem to be under little or no control. It seems to be a thing these days to get a dog and then not bother to train it properly.

Hi Murfle, glad to see you are predictable - welcome to armchair warrior-dom.  Also hope you've put the tenner I gave you (which was all I had on me) towards cleaning the down jacket to good use (beer in the pub I hear?).

As pointed out by many people on this thread, it was unfortunate but not the end of the world (read the news once in a while, clearly you lead a very sheltered life).  I apologized and immediately put the pup on a lead.  He will be tied up from now on when I climb, as he had been most of the day (when I was climbing, not in between) - it was an oversight and the cam / sling was already set up for this purpose which is why it was so easy for my belayer to put him on the lead.

Think you've overreacted, including on the day when you felt the need to come and lecture me three times, including whilst I was lead climbing.

Maybe I should celebrate for being famous on UKC but it would be unfair of me to steal the limelight from the dog

You could offer to pay for cleaning and ask for his bank details?

Well it appears that I stand corrected. You have apparently managed to get a dog owner to improve their behaviour​ ( or at least claim they will ) without resorting to violence.

Very well done, and I don't think you were overreacting at all. 

See above, he already has cash for it.

I don't think the cash is the issue.

Although I appreciate you coming on the thread and putting your side of the story, you do have a responsibility to ensure your dog is under control in public.

As well as the impact on others at the crag, if your dog (pup?) is able to wander off unnoticed it's also liable to get into situations which could be very unpleasant for it and you.

Still likely to leave him out of pocket if he wants a thorough clean (and I would  if your dog pissed on my coat) eg

http://www.mountaineering-designs.co.uk/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action...

True enough if he wants it done professionally, but it covers the cost of a small bottle of specialist detergent and a couple of cycles with a tennis ball or two in the big tumble dryer at the launderette.  I don't think you'd really expect someone that precious about his down jacket to be using it as a bed for his own dog in the first place.

I would regard ten quid and an apology as ample compensation personally.  (TBH, I'd most likely refuse a proffered tenner if the apology seemed sincere, but I am in the fortunate position of not being skint.)

was this at Brimham ?

if so .....  https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/brimham-rocks/features/doggies-of-brimham-...

cash isn't exclusive for use.

The cheapest place I've found for cleaning down products is Scottish Mountain Gear, who do it for £35 for a jacket, not including postage.

 He will be tied up from now on when I climb, as he had been most of the day (when I was climbing, not in between) - it was an oversight and the cam / sling was already set up for this purpose which is why it was so easy for my belayer to put him on the lead.

So basically the two of you forgot to tie him up?

I’d have thought having it professionally cleaned was a minimum really, given that had the aforementioned dog been under control the jacket would have remained piss free. Onus of reponsibility for the trouble causer (in this case the dog’s owner) to return the property to the same state of was before the damage was done. If I was the OP, I’d be expecting professional cleaning as a minimum. If I owned a dog which had done this (nb, don’t and never will own one) I’d be offering a professional clean as a minimum, and expect to replace the jacket if that’s what the person wanted.

I'm setting off for bleaklow on another alpine start. Going to be on the watershed all day with 2 dogs and no leads. Keep your valuables off the deck as I won't have any money or inclination.😁

I will also be out today having fun with 9 crazy Alaskan Huskies off the lead, best keep out of my way

Given that it was apparently already being used as a dog bed it wouldn't take a full professional clean to return it to the state that it was in before the incident.

As for a replacement a tenner is more than enough to buy a dog bed

Regardless of its use, I presume it wasn't covered in piss prior to the incident?

I'd wash my jacket. Worse things happen at sea.

jk

It could be worse, I bent down to pat my neighbours new dog (rescue dog, mentally damaged, didn't last long) when it promptly turned over and spunked in my face. We've never spoken of this incident beyond and incredibly embarassed "sorry".

Equally someone else's damaged colllie took a bite out of my friend's arse ripping her best new climbing trous and merely got an embarrased "sorry" (apparently it was better with blokes and children).

It turns out a dog has pissed on your dog-aroma soaked dog blanket that you happen to wears as a down jacket, you've had words with the owner who has apologised and paid you £10 towards cleaning which you accepted, but, you've come back for some more, "moral high ground we're so much better than thou", bullshit as an extra bite of the cherry which I don't understand.  Time for a reality check.

I don't approve of dogs at the crag mainly because I don't like dogs and dogs at the crag are pretty much the same sort of anti-social nuisance as boomboxes insofar as "if I don't notice them I don't care but if I do then they are really f*cking annoying" and I don't approve of, "holier than thou", whingers much for the same reason.

So I'm sorry your jacket got pissed on -  that was a bit horrid.  I'm glad the owners apologised and said they'd keep fido under better control. Now leave it and stick the tenner in the MR box.

"It could be worse, I bent down to pat my neighbours new dog (rescue dog, mentally damaged, didn't last long) when it promptly turned over and spunked in my face. We've never spoken of this incident beyond and incredibly embarassed "sorry"."

That's what I call hair trigger! I am going to tell my wife she has nothing to complain about. Will have to find out what condition that dog had and use it in my defence in future as needed...

I'm amazed how many people here seem to think it's not a big deal given how vitriolic many can be on other dog related threads!

I don't think it's ever ok for a dog to approach people or dogs without being invited to do so. 

I think people can like to have a self image of being chilled and easy going, myself included of course, and that it occasionally gets projected onto other people's misfortune in this kind of 'What would you do?' thread.

There can be a gap between how we'd react and how we like to think we would do. I'm fairly chilled about a few things, but if it's about a principle happening in front of me I can end up squarking which isn't always for the best.

Whilst we are on a dog thread.......on Bristol Downs yesterday, a 'normal ' looking lady of about 50 walking a pram type thing with a dog following behind......as I passed closer it was an elderly version of the other dog who was in the pram. Then a bit further on a younger couple doing a photo shoot with their black spaniel sitting upright, smiling into the camera. I think we get them out of proportion sometimes. More wild creatures are needed at the crag and on the hill.  

Funny, I'm usually the opposite. I can be outraged about it later, but I'm rubbish at making a fuss at the time.

Personally I would have been more annoyed about the dog being pissed on than the jacket as he's more of a pain  to wash! (Not that he would have let the other dog get near enough to do it). 

Yes, no doubt there will some cachet attached to walking into the pub with your jacket stinking of lynx

(felis lynx as opposed to Unilever Lynx)

I was until my Mum passed away, which gave me a feeling of needing to speak/stand up for myself in the world a bit more, but it's mellowed a bit since. It's no bad thing in itself. 

There's some funny videos on youtube of dogs avoiding baths.

I bet they aren't as funny as the dog pissing up the guy's back.

Joking aside, the dog was behaving as a wild dog would and marking his territory, rather than indulging in a bout of wanton vandalism.

By extension it was the owner who was being a vandal....

Hardly. Vandalism usually involves a degree of intent, I would have thought.