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I'm beginning to think we and the people across the street are the only responsible dog families in this whole neighborhood.
Today I walked George by himself, planning to come back for Gigi and take her by herself (Hubby's gone today and you do NOT want to walk a basset and a Lab together by yourself). So off we go and halfway we approach this house with a dog in the front yard, no tether, no fence, no nothing and a yard full of people just sitting there gabbing. I couldn't get their attention and didn't want to go too close with the dog untethered. Finally one of them looked my way. I said, far more politely than I wanted to, "Would one of you hold your dog until we get by?" They all turned then and looked at me and George as if we'd each grown unicorn horns. Then one man said, "Oh, don't worry about it. He won't come out there. I guarantee it."
Sigh. You "guarantee" it. Right. I heard that before, when the man with the untethered pit bull assured me, a heartbeat before his dog ATTACKED mine that "I guarantee he won't bother you." So I told the man, still polite but a bit less so, "I'm sorry, but the last time someone told me that we had a dog fight on our hands. PLEASE hold your dog." He insisted his dog would NOT come out in the street that "he's a big chicken." I had no choice but to go on or turn back and George is stubborn as hell about turning back so we went on. AND of course, that dog took one look at George and here he came at full speed. Granted, he was a smallish Springer Spaniel or some such breed, and I don't think he wanted to fight. His tail was up and wagging. However, George, after having been attacked once already, is on the defensive and would have fought. So I scooped him up to carry him and one of the women finally grabbed Charlie (who had not come when they said "come back here, Charlie") and held onto him and I finally got George down the street but I had a terrible time convincing him to keep going. I complained to George for two blocks afterward about irresponsible, stupid, stubborn idiots who make me and my leashed, licensed and much-loved dog suffer for their moronic behavior. I ought to be able to walk my dog around the neighborhood on his leash without worrying about loose, uncontrolled, uncared-for other dogs jumping on him, chasing us, or otherwise bothering us. I was still fuming when we got home.
Then I took Gigi out, and at her size and strength, I figured the chances of somebody not bothering to contain their dog were probably a lot less. However, we didn't go down that street again and we didn't encounter any problem but a dog chained in a front yard to a chain that I doubted would hold him, but it did. And there's another thing -- most of the dogs who are contained around here are chained to short chains with inadequate food, shelter and attention, but that's a whole different rant. :angry:
Today I walked George by himself, planning to come back for Gigi and take her by herself (Hubby's gone today and you do NOT want to walk a basset and a Lab together by yourself). So off we go and halfway we approach this house with a dog in the front yard, no tether, no fence, no nothing and a yard full of people just sitting there gabbing. I couldn't get their attention and didn't want to go too close with the dog untethered. Finally one of them looked my way. I said, far more politely than I wanted to, "Would one of you hold your dog until we get by?" They all turned then and looked at me and George as if we'd each grown unicorn horns. Then one man said, "Oh, don't worry about it. He won't come out there. I guarantee it."
Sigh. You "guarantee" it. Right. I heard that before, when the man with the untethered pit bull assured me, a heartbeat before his dog ATTACKED mine that "I guarantee he won't bother you." So I told the man, still polite but a bit less so, "I'm sorry, but the last time someone told me that we had a dog fight on our hands. PLEASE hold your dog." He insisted his dog would NOT come out in the street that "he's a big chicken." I had no choice but to go on or turn back and George is stubborn as hell about turning back so we went on. AND of course, that dog took one look at George and here he came at full speed. Granted, he was a smallish Springer Spaniel or some such breed, and I don't think he wanted to fight. His tail was up and wagging. However, George, after having been attacked once already, is on the defensive and would have fought. So I scooped him up to carry him and one of the women finally grabbed Charlie (who had not come when they said "come back here, Charlie") and held onto him and I finally got George down the street but I had a terrible time convincing him to keep going. I complained to George for two blocks afterward about irresponsible, stupid, stubborn idiots who make me and my leashed, licensed and much-loved dog suffer for their moronic behavior. I ought to be able to walk my dog around the neighborhood on his leash without worrying about loose, uncontrolled, uncared-for other dogs jumping on him, chasing us, or otherwise bothering us. I was still fuming when we got home.
Then I took Gigi out, and at her size and strength, I figured the chances of somebody not bothering to contain their dog were probably a lot less. However, we didn't go down that street again and we didn't encounter any problem but a dog chained in a front yard to a chain that I doubted would hold him, but it did. And there's another thing -- most of the dogs who are contained around here are chained to short chains with inadequate food, shelter and attention, but that's a whole different rant. :angry: