h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was talking about children, not pregnant women. Toxocara canis.

http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~parasite/vlm.html

I'm not against dogs. We've had seven. We've also had ten cats. Doesn't that suggest neutrality?

It's this attitude that bothers me:

>> There are places that dogs are allowed to run free - there are places - like in the woods in country parks - where we don't even have to pick mess up. If there's nothing to say I have to keep my dog on a lead, I let him off. <<

The countryside is not just a playground for urbanites to abuse in their leisure time. Country-dwellers' homes deserve as much respect as yours do, but they seldom get it.
I'm not suggesting anyone in this thread is likely to be the sort of irresponsible, selfish person I'm talking about but there ARE thousands of them out there.

There is nothing to say they have to keep their dogs on leads, so they let them off. Their dogs then enter people's gardens and defecate wherever they like, in addition to chasing the livestock and damaging the plants. The male dogs also mark front doors and cars.

Far from bothering to control their dogs or pick up after them the owners also throw their litter over the walls.





There are also many dogs that are allowed to roam free in the cities (or at least there are in Outer London - I can't speak for other cities). They roam where they like and have the potetial to cause more harm than cats because they are bigger.

That film was marvellous. It was my Christmas prezzie from the kids. I recommend you all get hold of a copy and watch it asap.

i assume linda meant woodland area..where there are no houses & no live stock..As wild animals..ie..foxes, badgers use this as their toilet..it makes no difference if the odd dog does too..of course dogs neeed a run off the lead..providing the owner clears up after the dog..&..the dog does not annoy anyone..this is not a problem..

Toxocaraa canis..(& the cat version)..is carried via worms..If dogs..(& cats)..are regularly wormed..with a reputable wormer..they are no danger to children or pregnent women..i could never understand why pregnant women used to phone the animal charity i used to work for..saying they needed to get rid of their cat..because they were pregnant..all was needed was..make sure the cat was wormed & use basic hygene..they were not in any danger..

I don't see why dogs should be penalised for the attitudes of some owners. When I let my dog off the lead, it's because dogs are allowed off the lead. So nowhere near gardens, roads, and if he does answer a call of nature, I pick it up. Unless of course, it's in the woods and then walkers are also avoiding horse mess, fox mess, cat mess, bird mess,rabbit poo and badger dung.
It's not a case of letting him roam into other peoples gardens. The dogs doing that are the ones that are kicked out by owners to roam the streets. And that, I'm afraid, is what millions of cat owners do, so I've no sympathy.



The film was great, proper stoopid dogs and cunning cats. But the good guys won. I thought that there was a lot of gratuitous violence for a kids film, but there you go.

As for that germ, I still don't think that it's spread as badly as cat poo. All the pregnant women I know were warned not to change the cat litter, but have never been warned not to clear up dog mess.

Frankie - it may be because your area is nearer to London, but although we get mess in the street here too, at least it's visible, and can be avoided. Cat crap is a charming hidden present to find in the garden.

But I think we have got better things to argue about than dog poo.

Mina. (Too lazy to change accounts.)

I don't see why dogs should be penalised for the attitudes of some owners. When I let my dog off the lead, it's because dogs are allowed off the lead. So nowhere near gardens, roads, and if he does answer a call of nature, I pick it up. Unless of course, it's in the woods and then walkers are also avoiding horse mess, fox mess, cat mess, bird mess,rabbit poo and badger dung.
It's not a case of letting him roam into other peoples gardens. The dogs doing that are the ones that are kicked out by owners to roam the streets. And that, I'm afraid, is what millions of cat owners do, so I've no sympathy.



The film was great, proper stoopid dogs and cunning cats. But the good guys won. I thought that there was a lot of gratuitous violence for a kids film, but there you go.

As for that germ, I still don't think that it's spread as badly as cat poo. All the pregnant women I know were warned not to change the cat litter, but have never been warned not to clear up dog mess.

Frankie - it may be because your area is nearer to London, but although we get mess in the street here too, at least it's visible, and can be avoided. Cat crap is a charming hidden present to find in the garden.

But I think we have got better things to argue about than dog poo.

Mina. (Too lazy to change accounts.)

Mina posting as Blues Shark - now that's a confusing sight...

Disregarding the poo argument (I agree it should be dropped), cats are nice, friendly, fluffy animals. Dogs are mean, agressive, miserable animals. So there.

Frankie (hoping Mina's dog isn't taking too much offense)

Well I saw the film and it was just a piece of fun that just happened to it in with my h2g2 view of animal life ..... in RL I like both cats and dogs but you can't escape from the fact that cats are born killers and far closer to their original nature than dogs are.

Frankie I have to say that I see a lot of blind prejudice towards dogs in some of the things you have said and for your own piece of mind you might consider directing your thoughts at their owners not at the animals themselves.

Me a prejudice against dogs? You gotta be kidding...

Well actually, now that you mention it Frankie, I've had 6 nice, friendly, fluffy s and several mean, agressive, miserable s. Methinks you have it arsey-versey there.

What I was trying to say, Mina, was that many dog owners take their pets on holiday into the countryside and allow them to do owt they like, presumably on the basis that rural folk are sub-human or summat.

One guy near here was so annoyed recently when he watched yet another townie leave his rubbish in his (the old guy's)garden and let his (the townie's) dog use it as a toilet that he picked it all up, jumped in his Land Rover and followed the offender 20 miles home, whereupon he dumped it all on his front path. The townie came out and started shouting and his little pedigree darling also came out - at which point the old guy's mongrel promptly mounted her .
Boy, that was one unhappy townie.

Dogs are such pathetic fawning creatures. Cats give no quarter and expect none. Say what you will, you can't keep a cat down for long.

Actually, Frankie, when I lived in an area where cats running around loose was common, I would get cat crap on my shoe on a regular basis--and Man, did it stink!

But I do agree that not cleaning up after your dog is shameful. I carry around extra bags with me when I walk my dog and offer them to other dogs walkers who walk away from their dogs poo without cleaning it up. Aside from all of the reasons to clean up listed in this thread, dog waste (and cat waste for that matter) attracts rats. Tame rats may make nice pets, but wild ones in urban settings are a real menace.

okay, I just realized that I meant to post that last message on another thread...

I'd like to point out...strangely enough...that I don't mind dogs. They can be quite happy things that are no problem at all.

Basically, this isn't a question of which is better, it's one of which is better to suit someone's personality. Just like music. Anyway, who has the right to decide which animal is more morally correct for following the instinct it was born with? And, for heaven's sake, you can hardly tell a cat off for getting 'poor mice' when you're feeding your dog bits of chopped up animal out of a tin- at least the animal the cat's eating has had some of a life to start with

I'm sorry it just bugs me. Why on earth does everyone think it's only alright for animals to eat meat if it's meat that we give it? Do you think mice have more of a right to live than say pig or chicken? And how many wild cats or dogs do you know that eat leftover offal from human meat waste?

My son really enjoyed "Cats & Dogs" and we had to buy the video for him as a Crimbo pressie.

I'm an atheist and never preach to anyone. I also share my home with three dogs, six cats (one of them a feral tom that I have had neutered and am nursing back to health), two children and a long-suffering husband. I have also fostered baby hedgehogs over winter months, have nursed injured birds/stray homing pigeons back to health and had a free-range domestic rabbit in my garden that used to play tag with the cats and dogs.

I have never gone out "looking" for a pet/animal and am convinced that I have a "Get it here!" neon sign over my house that waifs and strays can read.

I'm also feeding two stray toms in my garden shed that I am hoping to catch and have neutered in the next few weeks.

As for dogs behaving badly, well that is down to irresponsible owners. When my dogs are running off the lead (in an area where it is safe to do so) and other people/dogs/horses approach, I call them back to me and they sit to heel until said people/dogs/horses have walked past. Around the house, you wouldn't know we had dogs unless someone knocks at the door or tries to break into our yard/garage, which they have done on several occasions. The dogs have even prevented neighbours cars from being stolen by their barking.

All the animals that I share my home with have been neutered. There are enough unwanted pets/animals around and it is irresponsible people allowing their pets to breed that really irritates me.

Our neighbours aren't lucky enough to have gardens and the cats tend to wander into our garden or the nearby fields. I do clear up the dog poop and have also trained my dogs not to relieve themselves whilst they are on the lead.

Hawenercook, if dog and cat waste attracts rats do septic tanks as well?

I don't know...but my home brew does.

Of the male human kind?

Oh human of course! I wouldn't poison poor defenceless wee beasties with my concoctions.

Cats and dogs are both evil, but I don't see why anyone can like dogs. Here's my view:
DOGS: They bark, they're ugly, they can't survive along (Dogs are pack animals), they are far too much like those women you find on street corners... Anyway. Dogs = bad.
CATS: They're pretty, they're quiet, they hide their waste... normally... they keep down mice, they're survivors (they live alone). Ergo, Cats = Good... until they claw your eyes out...
I own seven (or is that seven own me? ), so I know what I'm talking about.

Okay, I have a question here.

Just what is the purpose of owning a pet anyway?