18 replies to this topic

[mbc1963]

::Sigh::

I'm just so irritated by having this happen again and again. I had to go all Craigslist on this guy's ass.

http://boston.craigs...1936133120.html

Mary

[MaggieDog]

I marked your post for best of craigslist. Been there myself too many times with Maggie!

[nancy]

I couldn't read it. Got a page that says it's flagged for removal.

[mbc1963]

Yup. Already flagged and removed. What's up with that? The friendly dog people got their hackles up because they want to keep letting the dogs charge at my dog?

Oy. I've amended it an changed the title from "You Make Me Want to Tase Your Friendly Dog, Bro." Perhaps people flagged it because the notion that I could be annoyed enough to hypothetically suggest I wanted to tase a dog upset them too much. Folks clearly have trouble with hyperbole. Title's not nearly as funny now. It's reposted here: http://boston.craigs...1936600271.html

I'll post it below, too - in case the locals remove it again from Boston, maybe it can be viral somewhere else. I'm actually thinking of putting it in a plastic sleeve protector and hanging it at a couple parks. Maybe then they'd get the message.



CONTROL YOUR FRIENDLY DOG, BRO

So, you’re the guy from Haverhill with the Doberman pinscher named Mischka. You walk him at Winnekenni Park. I’m sure you remember me – the Border collie owner who just had a meltdown because of you.

Here are the facts. Read them. Learn from them. Improve yourself. Oh, and the rest of you clueless owners of “friendly” dogs - learn from them too.

1. My dog is not friendly. When I first got him, he was two years old and had been living on the streets. He was terrified of humans and dogs, and would try to attack any dog we saw walking on the street. After years of work, he’s come a long way. He can peacefully deal with any humans and all dogs except when a dog gets in his face – then he snaps to drive the dog away. Usually, this is effective and accomplishes its task, except for that 1 in 100 times when the other dog begins fighting with my dog, and I’m then stuck in the middle of a dogfight because my dog is on leash, as the law stipulates he must be.

2. I have complete control of my dog. Did you see how he stopped in his tracks the minute I saw you coming? That’s because I’ve trained him to listen to me.

3. When I saw your dog off leash in the public park, I called out, “Can you please get your dog!? My dog isn’t friendly!” I didn’t call that out because I am neurotic or overprotective. I called it out because last year, when a “friendly” off-leash Pit Bull mix responded to my dog’s warning growl by lunging at him, I ended up with 3 hours in the emergency room, 3 shots of Novocain, 3 stitches, 1 tetanus shot and 7 days’ worth of antibiotics that made me very ill. It took weeks to recover from the bite, and months to recover from the medicine.

4. I’m sure you were thinking, “WTF? My dog is friendly! Why is she freaking out so bad?” You certainly didn’t seem in any great hurry to get your Mischka away from my dog as he came straight at my dog’s face, over and over again, as I held my dog’s collar and pulled him back out of your dog’s way, hoping to avoid his snapping and starting a fight with a dog twice his size. I’m sure you are even now thinking, “Mischka would never have done anything! He’s a sweetie!” The thing is… I don’t know Mischka. I have no idea if he’s a wimp or a terror. Maybe Cesar Milan can read your dog’s mind. I can’t.

5. It’s not my job to control your dog. I’m busy controlling mine. You put me in the position of controlling both my dog and your dog. That is not cool, man. Not cool. I had to keep my dog in a place where your dog’s face wouldn’t get near his – and your dog was pretty damned insistent that he wanted to get all up in my dog’s face. Not cool. And really – after your dog finally went back to you, and you had him under your control, you didn’t grab his collar or leash? You let him come back again and begin the process anew? What are you thinking? I mean, you obviously chose a Doberman for the macho, fierce looks and kick-ass reputation. Didn’t you get the owner’s manual about how you have to be a more responsible owner, because your dog looks fierce and has a kick-ass reputation?

So, there you have it. Your lesson for the day. It doesn’t matter whether your dog is friendly or not. No one should have to be approached by your dog – never mind your giant, 80-lb Doberman dog – if they don’t want to. If you can’t control your dog when he’s off leash, then keep him on leash!

And that goes for you, too – owner of the yapping Yorkie trio of terrors, who invariably charge at me and my dog every time we meet you at the park!


Mary

[MaggieDog]

The original link still works for me somehow...

[Maja]

The original link still works for me somehow...

if you hit "reload" it will stop.
maja

[njnovice]

This rant totally sounds like something I would write.

[G. Festerling]

Dead on girl!!! Good for posting that.
I have the same issues. Except, my dog just does not like other dogs. Period! So when others don't head my warning, after I tell them, they will kick it in much higher gear when she starts her display. It ain't pretty! After that, they usually get it why I said "keep your dog back - this is the reason why mine is on lead!"

[Laurae]

Bravo, Mary!!!

You are my hero.

[sixx]

You should post that around the park! Idiot dog owners are lurking everywhere.... it's sad really. My pup gets scared of charging, up in your face, rude dogs. Imagine if humans did that.... I walk Seek off leash, and she has 110% manners and ignores the other dogs unless I tell her it's okay to meet them. I've had other dogs who were not allowed off leash, unless in the dog park. My best friend lost Seek on the trail once from a huge lab chasing her, it took us 3 hours to find her, it was the scariest thing I have ever gone through.... I am so very thankful for all my friends and family who came out to look for her. We have seen this same dog many times, and it's always the same story from the owner... "it's okay, he's friendly" blah blah blah, as I put my dog on leash and hold on for dear life as she hides behind my legs. I keep telling the dog to go away and he keeps going in circles chasing Seek. The owner has no clue, doesn't care, probably even thinks her dog is being cute. Next time I see her I'm not going to be so nice about it. Even when I got Lightfeather, I had her at the trail and this dog was there and ran up into her face, same thing, taunting my pup... she was crying and screaming and I had to pick her up. The dog owner didn't care. Such a shame!

Maybe someday it will be mandatory to take a crash course in common sense before adopting a dog. Maybe the shelter sets you up in a room with a little tv and a note pad, plays a video, maybe with some pretty pictures or even a cartoon (to bring it down a level for the idiots) about how to properly own and manage a dog, then you take a test afterwards....

[powerfulgazelle]

Clapclapclapclapclapclapclap....

Thank you.

[Maralynn]

We have seen this same dog many times, and it's always the same story from the owner... "it's okay, he's friendly" blah blah blah, as I put my dog on leash and hold on for dear life as she hides behind my legs. I keep telling the dog to go away and he keeps going in circles chasing Seek. The owner has no clue, doesn't care, probably even thinks her dog is being cute. Next time I see her I'm not going to be so nice about it. Even when I got Lightfeather, I had her at the trail and this dog was there and ran up into her face, same thing, taunting my pup... she was crying and screaming and I had to pick her up. The dog owner didn't care. Such a shame!

JMO, but with a dog like that I would start getting another person to walk with me and when the dog came around have them pick mine up and proceed to really get in the annoying dog's space and walk it down back to it's owner. Or if necessary put it on a leash and unceremoniously walk it back to it's owner. At least if the dog has half a brain it will learn to leave you alone.

[Tuxedodog]

Mary - good for you! I would like to post it in my vet's office. Why do people let their dogs get in your dog's face at the vet's? Could it be possible that I am there because my dog is ill, or maybe your dog is? Took the new dog to the vet last week for her check up, had to take Buster too, didn't want to undo all that was going well by having to leave him home. I have each of them on about 1 foot of leash, Buster is sitting as he was asked to do, one person let their dog get right in their faces, another told me to keep ahold of my dogs as her's doesn't like big dogs, but she didn't shorten her leash.

The good news is our local township just enacted a $1,000.00 fine for dogs off leash in the park. Apparently there were a lot of complaints from the non-dog owning people who objected to having loose dogs run up to them and people whose dogs were leashed who were attacked by the loose ones. They encourage you to call the local police if you see violations. I had stopped going to the park because of the dog owners, perhaps we can start going back again.

[sea4th]

I agree that 1. this is well written and should be read by every clueless person who owns a dog, 2. that it should be posted in dog parks where many clueless people gather.

What you wrote packs a punch. Well done. Now if only it works.

[PSmitty]

Love it, Mary! Spot on.

[SecretBC]

Agree with every word you wrote!

The last time we went to the river, I had just gotten the dogs out of the car when a woman came around the corner with her off-leash German Shepherd. My dogs immediately got put back into the car (where they proceeded to go nuts and look like a bunch of savage beasts). My cousin let her dog stay out on leash. The woman couldn't seem to figure out why I was standing next to the car with my idiot dogs going loony inside. She kept saying, "It's okay, my dog is friendly." Well that's nice, but I don't know you from Adam and I don't tend to believe people when they say that. Besides that, my dogs AREN'T always friendly, especially my spastic little intact male.

I prefer to let my dogs interact with dogs whom I know are trained, vaccinated and under control of their owner. We don't "do" dog parks, and we don't "do" random dog meets with strangers in the park.

[Vickkers]

I also flagged it best of Craigslist... You said it more eloquently than I ever would but it's exactly how I feel.

I got so sick and tired of (mean or friendly) dogs trying to approach my very fear aggressive Border Collie that I take proactive measures when we're out and about and other dogs are off leash and try and approach and the owners don't do anything about it. Sometimes I'll take my herding stick with me and I can use that to keep other dogs away or other times I will put myself in front of my (scared) dog and try and intimidate the other dog away (again only if their owners don't get them under control in a decent amount of time).

The other day I was walking my dogs (4 on-leash and only the one is usually dog reactive) and my neighbor's two dogs (i don't know them) came bounding into my pack. I was in the middle of the street and no where near "their" space....and the owner was just standing there... I screamed/yelled at him, "get your dogs away or mine will kill them".... and started kicking his dogs away (what the hell else am I going to do...I had 4 upset dogs of my own, he was 50 feet away and his dogs were ignoring him!!) My dogs probably wouldn't have killed them.... probably wouldn't have even bit them (much)... but with a pack mentality fed by a scared dog who happens to be the alpha of the pack.... just not a great combination. I've found that scaring the bejeesus out of owners with telling them my dog will kill theirs usually gets them to move a bit quicker than they did when I just said "my dog is not dog friendly".

I understand that people want to play with their dogs off leash... I certainly do, but there is a time and a place for everything and ONLY if you have full voice control of your dog.

sorry...really wasn't trying to turn this into a rant... it was supposed to be a "I know how you feel" response...

[Malvie]

Damn, wish I had written that!

As it is, I'll just have to say, "Bravo, Mary!"

[lrayburn]

Mary, you are a woman after my own heart. I love it. Good for you!

Lisa