One step forward yesterday, one step back today

[Chewbecca]

THANK YOU STUPID, IRRESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

JESUS CHRIST. This is why I'm SO GLAD I do NOT walk Ella far from home.
SONOFABITCH. I'm STILL shaking.

I always walk her in a harness and at least a collar. I carry Direct Stop in one hand and Ella's leash in the other.

We were walking in front of the church that is across the street, diagonally, from our house. I hear either tags or the running and panting of a dog coming up from behind us.
Now, this is my worst freakin' nightmare. Being rushed by an off leash dog.

So, I turn around and YELL "NO, GO HOME, GO HOME!"
The stupid dog runs up to us anyway.
Ella FREAKS.
I spray the dog with the Direct Stop. D@MN WORTHLESS SPRAY.
The dog goes up to Ella's face (stupid dog has a DEATH WISH), and Ella, OF COURSE, goes in for the attack.
I scream, "NO!!!!!!!!!!!!"
And that lab backs away JUST IN TIME to save its face. And then proceeds to sniff the bushes next to us like it didn't just get into my LEASHED dog's face.

I had to DRAG Ella across the street and back home. And as I was doing so, a neighbor who bikes with his black lab daily, bikes by and the off leash lab proceeds to chase them.

I get home, all but SHOVE Ella in the house, and I go back out to find this dog.
No luck.
And d@mn good thing because its owners would have gotten an EARFUL.
STUPID PEOPLE NEED TO KEEP THEIR DOGS ON A LEASH IF THEY VALUE THEIR DOG'S LIFE.

I'M SO P!SSED OFF.

 

[SisMorphine]

UGH! Stupid idiot people unable to keep their dogs contained. I'm so sorry Glad it didn't come to blows, though. Well glad it didn't come to blows between the dogs, I do with you'd been able to get your hands on the owner, though

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

I feel your pain, Chew. Off leash dogs are a sphincter tightener for me when I am out with my dogs, and I am always prepared to deal with them.

STUPID PEOPLE!!!!

 

[wcladymacbeth]

Wow, I'm sorry Maybe the dog escaped from the backyard?

 

[Jules]

I hate that. That's why I stopped walking T-Bone around the neighborhood, but more secluded spots. I am sorry that happened to you

 

[noludoru]

OMG... how horrible. What a dumb dog - at least he didn't react the way Middie would, I guess.

 

[Chewbecca]

thanks all. I really appreciate the support.
I have a BLARING headache now and I am going to go lay down.

I just want to say that I shouldn't have said the dog was stupid.
He/she was a BEAUTIFUL black lab who wasn't over weight. If Ella wasn't dog aggressive I would have GLADLY taken that dog home with me and tried to contact the owners.
He/she had a shiny coat and looked pretty well groomed.


It's the owners that are stupid, not the dog. But I NEVER want to encounter that dog off leash again!

THANK GOD as soon as our treadmill instructions get here, Ben will be building Ella's treadmill.

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

aww Becca--I feel your pain. It is so hard to figure out why people let their dogs run loose. Although, maybe he did get out of the yard or house. I know it's happened to me a few times where Baxter has gotten out by mistake. I am out the door right after him...but he is fast and I most definitely am NOT!
A treadmill sounds like a helpful tool.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

Having had one of my dogs just get out of my yard without my knowing, I sure would hate to be at the receiving end of your anger. We don't know the situation of the black lab, but we DO know that you are a responsible owner and that both you and Ella are okay, which we are thankful for. Hope your headache goes away quick. ((HUGS))

 

[noodlerubyallie]

That is the exact reason I can't walk in our neighborhood anymore. You just don't know what is around the corner. I don't have an Ella at home, I can't imagine the stress that you go through to get Ella her exercise. It takes a special person Becca.

Great idea, getting the treadmill. That should help you out a lot.

 

[Renee750il]

I feel your pain, Becca . . . almost as bad are the idiots who put up an invisible fence in their FRONT yard and run it right up to within a few feet of the sidewalk and then let their dogs run the fence line barking and snarling without anyone knowing they are [sort of] contained.

And then there is Tallulah, who, about once a month, makes a dash out the front door and runs joyful circles through the neighbors' yards at warp speed

 

[elegy]

i hear ya. i'm glad it came to nothing. hope your blood pressure returns to normal soon!

 

[ACooper]

Glad it all worked out well Becca. The dog spray stuff didn't do ANYTHING at all? That part of your story worries me. WTF?

I really hate walking our dogs around here anymore. New neighbors moved in on the corner and they have some intact mixed breed male that is ALWAYS escaping and harassing my friend's cats (she has two that she lets out the front door on leads) taunting the dogs behind their fences, and just doing whatever it can to reek havoc. Of course this isn't the only loose dog that I have seen..........I have had several experiences that encouraged me to buy mace, an air horn, and also walk with my stick

It's a d@mn shame that we have to go armed for a walk around the neighborhood

 

[Jules]

I can see that something might happen, as in BP's case. We know that she is a fairly responsible owner (j/k ) ... but on the other hand you have these people who do not care. It is hard to draw the line and not to get mad, especially when you don't know the owner's situation.

T-Bone is somewhat reactive with other dominant, especially bigger dogs when she is leashed. We got attacked on leash walks by loose dogs thrice in the past year. She is great with dogs off leash... when we meet a dog leashed...especially a loose one, different story.

I walk with my spray, air horne, extra slip collar... Oh, there's a somewhat funny moment every once in a while... there is this older guy who takes walks around here. I guess he encountered some loose dogs, because he carries a stick with him. When we first "met" on a walk, he gave me a very surprised look why I was walking all geared up, especially with a bully breed. We had a little chat, he was very weary of T-Bone at first (yeah, those wiggles can be scary!)... but pet her and gets excited to see her everytime we walk.

Anyway... people who make it a habit of letting their dogs run and say "hi" because they are "friendly" suck.

 

[smkie]

I would be heartbroken if i couldn't walk my dogs anywhere i chose. WE run into loose dogs on a regular basis but a firm GO HOME almost always sends them the other way. I am concerned about how you respond when you see the dog and how much of your energy is sensed by your dog. The vet that i listened to at the seminar targeting this very issue, how much they pick up from you and how you have to keep yourself very calm. Loose dogs are a part of life, they get out, it happens. We probably encounter 2 or 3 a week on our daily walks.

 

[samschic]

I TOTALLY hear you on that one. My dog can be aggressive towards other dogs too (especially when they're off the leash and he's not for whatever reason), and I hate that! There's a black lab in my neighborhood that has gotten loose and followed us several times when we're out running, thankfully my dog actually likes him for some reason. I think all of the neighbors in our area know me now because i've taken this puppy to their front doors at one point or another to call the owners. It's called a FENCE people. Seriously.

 

[Chewbecca]

I would be heartbroken if i couldn't walk my dogs anywhere i chose. WE run into loose dogs on a regular basis but a firm GO HOME almost always sends them the other way. I am concerned about how you respond when you see the dog and how much of your energy is sensed by your dog. The vet that i listened to at the seminar targeting this very issue, how much they pick up from you and how you have to keep yourself very calm. Loose dogs are a part of life, they get out, it happens. We probably encounter 2 or 3 a week on our daily walks.

wait.
I turned and told this dog firmly, to go home.
I didn't scream "NO" until the dog ran up INTO my dog's face.
I was calm up until the fact that the dog ran up into her face.
I hope it's ok that I got concerned at that point...

 

[Renee750il]

Some dogs just won't take "no" for an answer. Kind of like some people who keep on walking up to Kharma, assuring me that "all dogs love me." Uh-huh.

 

[Chewbecca]

Having had one of my dogs just get out of my yard without my knowing, I sure would hate to be at the receiving end of your anger. We don't know the situation of the black lab, but we DO know that you are a responsible owner and that both you and Ella are okay, which we are thankful for. Hope your headache goes away quick. ((HUGS))

I...I didn't snap on anyone. I never got a hold of the dog after I put Ella away.
I couldn't find it.

There was NO owner in sight.
I understand if a dog gets out of a house, my god, I know mistakes happen (I'm the LAST person to expect owners to be 100% perfect).

Part of me freaked out because of past experiences and I know what my dog can do, and I NEVER want to see that again. Another part of me freaked out because if Ella WOULD HAVE bitten this dog and hurt it, what the heck would I do? What do you do in a situation like that? I wouldn't even know what to do because there were no owners around.

I feel a little better, my headache went away but my shoulders hurt terribly.
hahaha, I'm just falling apart.

 

[Chewbecca]

Some dogs just won't take "no" for an answer. Kind of like some people who keep on walking up to Kharma, assuring me that "all dogs love me." Uh-huh.

Well, when it got close enough, that's when I spray the direct stop, but unfortunately, I think THAT didn't work because I think the lab was still too far away for it to reach. And it didn't spray out like I thought it would.