Charlie has been on lead walks only forever. And we've got a while to go yet.... Most of his walks are on suburban streets, even when he is not on rest he gets 2 street lead walks a day (dog walker breaks while I'm at work). He will walk "close" (to heel) if asked (I ask him to walk close passing people, dogs, and rubbish) but generally we swing along on a loose lead and on a loose lead he can do whatever he wants so long as the lead remains slack. No other rules. He can sniff, change sides, poo and of course pee. Charlie takes great pleasure in marking. He has made it his ambition to pee on every vertical structure in the world. He runs out of pee about half way through the walk, but keeps on trying to squeeze out a golden drop on every tree we pass. There are quite obviously some spots on our walk that are busy pee mail spots - certain gate posts, the post box, the lamppost at the junction of three roads. These absolutely have to be sniffed and peed on. But, I was thinking. It's a bit anti-social, isn't it? Well, I think lampposts are fine, no-one has any business scrambling around the base of a lamppost. But my gatepost isn't a peemail spot, and I'm not so sure I'd like it if it were. Might get a bit pongy in hot weather. And planters are definitely out of bounds though, even though Charlie is dying to pee on them that would be totally unreasonable, I think. Dustbins are in a grey area.....maybe. A quick google threw up a neighbourhood debate in the US that had some people claiming that dog pee kills the bark on trees....gosh. I have to say the trees Charlie pees on seem to be doing just fine. What do you think?
I think what feels right in one place can feel wrong in another .... I think public space inanimate objects are ok to pee on...like your lampposts in the park or in the street,but then if you were in private grounds and walking past the grand entrance of a house,it would feel,wrong to let my dog pee on a statue if you know what I mean,it feels bad mannered There's an area that we walk on lead where the houses are surrounded closely by the communal gardens of our estate .....the houses have windows that look out onto the border ,it's not their land but I move Dexter on if he looks like he's going to do any toileting.....imagining how I would feel looking out my lounge window and seeing someone standing poo bag at the ready!even a wee is too much! We have really efficient gardeners that take care of all the communal areas,when they are weeding and pruning they spread out large mesh sheets and all the gardening debris is put on them to be gathered up at the end of the day...folk let their dogs cock their legs on the piles and I really think that's not on,those poor guys have to scoop those piles up in their hands and throw them into the collection truck at the end of their shift. At the moment I'm boarding my friends retriever bitch...the other morning she stopped to squat and Dexter ran over and cocked his leg on her now that really isn't on! X
Most things in public don't bother me. I don't mind if a dog pees on my car tyres. Shadow hasn't done that (yet) - he's more of a lamppost or bush kinda guy. He has his particular spots where he just has to go, but doesn't mark a much compared to some dogs. I agree that letting them do it in a stately home or somesuch would be frowned upon, but it must be super confusing for the dog - "Hang on, why could I pee on that bush there, but not this one here?!"
Riley pees on the bus stop if I don't watch him as we pass. Very embarrassing!!!! He also pee'd on the highly polished wire wheels of a classic car when we were at a Beaulieu car event. I was mortified and rinsed it off with my water. We had been observed by another car chap who was sitting in a camping chair next to his highly polished exhibit chuckling quietly to himself. Luckily it wasn't a competition or anything. We're rarely in town thank goodness as Riley's a real marker but I would say lamp posts are ok, the corners of building too but I try and keep him away from entrances, street furniture that people use, bins because of the smell and boxes housing cabling for phones or electric or whatever because, as Angela says, people have to work there and they shouldn't have to kneel in my dogs old wee! Our apple trees have a definite tide line where Riley's pee gets up to and there's no moss or anything like that below it, it looks slightly bleached but the tree is definitely still alive....
Shadow frequently wees on Willow's head. Although, to be fair, that's generally her fault for putting her head there to sniff just as he starts to tinkle.... My sister's old Staffie used to wee on overweight people. And Americans. Eeeeek!!
ok.....so.... Anything in the grounds of a stately home or hotel - no BT boxes - no Benches or things people sit on - no Car tyres - no Doorsteps - no Flower pots - no Lamposts - yes Buildings and fences - yes Postboxes - ? Gateposts to private drives - ?
I figure that, in general, if people aren't going to be putting their hands (bums, etc...) there, it's fair game. So I wouldn't have a problem with gate posts or post boxes - unless the aim is so high as to hit the door. I suppose lampposts often have that panel on for workmen to reach the cables, too, so technically, you shouldn't be allowing them to pee on that, either. Living in London, you might also like to put the Cenotaph on your "no" list.
Oh no are we going to have to start carrying wee bags now when we all visit the city? I think I'm a yes on MY gatepost but I'm leaning towards a NO on others now you've said you wouldn't like it Julie. The post box?I can opt out of a final decision on that as we don't have them...but now that we are thinking about this I think I'd have to have a look at where the postman opened it?if the lock is high up,I think a little tinkle Dexter height would be ok?x
Don't have the wee problem with Juno but when we had our Spinone boy my rule if it's public i.e. lamp posts it was ok, trees and bushes in parks were fair game, post box only on the opposite side of the opening, not BT boxes and gates, gate posts to private houses were a no. I left car tyres as possible - but only on the roadside not the kerbside so we wouldn't be spotted
Hah - just been out for our mid morning, and sort of think gate posts are ok after all....but added to the "no" list are ladders and paint pots! I moved him on just in time.....
Most of our walks on our lead around our neighbourhood (sigh). I tend to allow peeing on the metallic things like lamp posts, fire hydrants, etc, and less so on people's bushes, etc and certainly not on flowers. Hadn't thought about the electrical boxes...eep, Simba LOVES to pee on those....
I am extremely lucky that my Charlie who is 4 1/2 years old NEVER, EVER pees on anything at all until he gets to a field, not sure why but there you have it I dislike seeing dogs peeing on post boxes, BT boxes, buildings, shops, private lawns, flowers ect. and I would be really mad if someones dog peed on my gate or gatepost.
Ha! Cenotaph a definite no! LOL Obi has a yellow head far too often for my liking but it's his own fault
I've never walked down Whitehall with Charlie, but given the chance there is no doubt whatsoever that he would pee on the cenotaph and consider himself paying his respects.
my friend has had people running out of their houses, shouting, when her Yorkie has peed on their gatepost! I don't let Scooby pee on car wheels or unfenced lawns or flowers. I don't mind dogs peeing on my front boundaries, I draw the line at poo - which I frequently find grrr..
Charlie is delighted to hear she read them. And he would like to know, is she more impressed the higher they are? Because he is not a very tall dog, and has been known to do a handstand to get his pee higher up a particularly important gatepost.....
