I know I haven't always been the best dog owner but I am learning, each and every day. Sometimes I get a little high and mighty about what is right and best and I know I don't really don't have the cred to do so. This is mostly when we're out walking and I see dogs walking people instead of the other way around or when the dog is not on the left, or worse not on lead, and so on.
Anyhow ever since we have been on the walking/exercise crusade I have noticed that the only dogs really interested in bothering us are the little ones. They really want a piece of Penny. We've only had smaller dogs for the last three years or so but I quickly learned, the smaller the dog, the bigger the trouble. That size of the fight in the dog business is for real.
It seems the owners of these small dogs, at least the ones in my neighborhood don't know or don't care about this. What's the cute little dog (cld) going to do? Nine times out of ten it is going to charge at the cute big dog (cbd), and if the cbd's owner is as lax as the cld's owner, watch out.We were almost out of the park when I saw a man sitting on the bench and his cld running around. I can see him, so I assume he can see me, and my cbd. I'm on alert just in case. We get about 15 feet away and his dog comes running at us. I start to hasten our exit, but the little one will not let up and is looping us. I'm yelling at the guy and he just kind of looks over like, who me? A few moments later I actually yell something like "come get your dog", to which he just stands up and half-assedly calls it over, again, to no avail. Finally I just start walking out with a firm hold on Penny since this all this jerking around isn't fair to her. We're almost out of the park and I see the little dog is still following us, wtf right?
This guy obviously doesn't care about what happens to this dog, whether it gets beat up, lost, or ran over (it was running in the parking lot). So everyone else who does care about their own dog can just work around them I guess. I have to be hyper-careful because if something does happen, who is going to get the blame and the bills? I don't want to have to give up or destroy my dog because some other moron isn't being responsible for his own. I'm no expert, but unless your dog has amazing recall, I really think s/he should be on lead anytime you are not in a secure environment.
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4 comments:
Actually, it's the law in just about every urban area that dogs are on a leash, so if a cld does get hurt, it's on the owner, and it's also their liability if your dog gets hurt in the process. I've found that getting down low and yelling "NO!" or "GO HOME!" in your deepest voice at the cld is pretty effective.
I'm plagued by mini dachshunds and pomeranians around here and hate the damned things, but at least the owners are neighbors and all but one is really good about restraining them.
Thanks. In my frustration I wasn't thinking too straight. I know there are leash laws but I've never read up on them, definitely will now.
Agreeance on the mini dachshunds. My mom's is ridiculous. We have a bunch of aggro terriers (terrier-ists!) and chihuahuas.
Also, I know you don't drive, but if you can con someone on a weekend, Betsy knows of an amazing off-leash dog park in Hollywood. I just took Charybdis to my local version for 45 minutes and I suspect that I won't need to walk her for 45 minutes, she's so wiped out, and I got to witness a dog rescue that made me gooshy inside and talk to tons of people about rescue puppies and dealing with them.
That would be so fun for her, we'll have to check it out. I think I have to work with her more before we're both comfortable in a setting like that. I'm probably more afraid of it than she is, so I have to relax and let her run around.
Rescues are totally goosh-worthy, that's awesome.
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