I am a former dog owner. We had a German Shepherd when I was a kid, and I had Pepper, my dear Miniature Schnauzer, for nearly 15 years.
I know that dogs need to run. And I also know that they’re woman’s best friend, but…
I resent it when I’m on a walk and a big unfamiliar unleashed dog comes bounding up at me. The dog MIGHT be harmless and MIGHT be friendly, and invariably, the owner will say, “He won’t hurt you.”
I’m sure most are completely harmless. But when Pepper was just a pup, he was attacked by two large unleashed dogs just as the owner was saying, “They wouldn’t hurt a flea.”
Pepper nearly died. He had puncture wounds all around his neck and down his back. I literally had to beat the dogs off him. After that, I began to carry a stick as protection.
I don’t have a dog anymore, but I do take 10 kilometer brisk walks three or four times a week. There are beautiful walking trails all over Brant County and I have walked on many of them. Usually, when a person with a dog approaches, they’ll quickly leash the dog til I pass. In addition to this being the law, it is also common courtesy.
A few years ago, I was jogging down the street. An elderly neighbour was walking her dog on the other side of the street. I was quite a ways away, but the dog pulled the neighbour, got away from her grasp, and lunged at me. The dog bit me in the butt.
Now I’m not one to give up on my exercise easily, so I continued my run. When I got home, I realized that I had blood down my leg and a puncture wound in my butt. I called the neighbour and she told me I was a liar. She then said that if the dog did indeed bite me, then it was my fault for running past the dog. I further inconvenienced her by reporting the incident to the police and from then on, the dog had to be muzzled. I wasn’t so much worried for my butt as I was for the very small children in our neighbourhood.
Years passed with no more bad dog (or should I say bad dog OWNER) incidents.
Then a few weeks ago, a black lab bounded, unleashed, down one of my favourite rail trails. I stood stock still, holding my breath.
The dog bounded past me. The owner passed thirty feet later. I said to her, “I would appreciate it if you would leash your dog.”
She said to me, “He won’t f-ing hurt you.”
Hmmm. Very pleasant.
Since then, I have seen her a number of times, and she seems to take pleasure in having the dog bound right up to me while she lollies along, not even watching her dog. She has an extraordinary vocabulary of obscenities too, which she uses as she passes. Perhaps a muzzle is in order.
I got a photo of her and her unleashed dog last week. And I have reported her. HA!
Hi Marsha,
Good on ya for reporting that woman. How aggravating!
–Rose
Hi Rose,
It is a classic case of that woman only thinking of her own comfort. She’s not even thinking of her dog’s needs by letting it run loose like that. The SPCA told me to carry a stick and whack the dog on the nose if it approached me. But it’s not the dog who needs discipline……….
My youngest daughter, 3, is very allergic to dogs. She breaks out in hives if a dog licks her. I am forever having to leave parks, modifying our walking route and asking people to leash their dogs when they get too close.
The other day we were flying kites at the park and this woman unleashed her dog so he could run around the kids thinking it would be fun. Of course the dog runs around my girls jumping up on them since they are holding these enormously fun flying objects.
Arghh! So I tear a strip off the woman (discreetly of course with two young girls within hearing distance), rush home to give my daughter Benadryl and spend the rest of the evening dealing with an itchy, cranky 3 year old.
Grr…
Helene B
Oh and how many times have I heard:
He LOVES kids!
He’s very friendly!
He wouldn’t hurt a flea!
Sheesh,
HB
Yes, that’s what they all say. No understanding of what it feels like to be on the other side!
Hi Hélène,
Your poor daughter.
I am also allergic to dog dander, although it doesn’t make me itch like it used to.
With your daughter, is it the saliva that triggers it? I found that as long as I kept my hands away from my mouth, nose and eyes after touching a dog or a cat I would be okay. Just had to make sure to wash my hands thoroughly asap.
She’s still so small that everything about dogs affects her. Visiting a house with a dog, even if the dog is outside, aggravates her eczema. Direct contact causes hives.
Hopefully as she gets older things will improve. For now it’s Benadryl, cortisone cream and Epipen at the ready since she is also allergic to nuts and eggs.
It’s funny though, when I was pregnant with her and still to this day, I hate the smell of scrambled eggs. And the smell of a wet dog repulses me. Weird…
Helene B
Hi Hélène,
I wonder if that’s some sort of built-in repulsion to something that would harm your child? Interesting to speculate.
I hope she grows out of some of those allergies.
Hi Marsha,
Yeah. You can use the stick to whack the Banshee if she gets too riled up. Self-defense, eh?
Told ya I was evil.
–Rose
Hi Rose,
She is darned aggravating, that’s for sure. Must say that I feel sorry for her though. Anyone who is that hostile to strangers can’t have a very happy life.
I did tell her off a few days ago, but the woman is a banshee. I’m actually more afraid of her than the dog. And when she gets all upset, the dog gets really aggravated. I was worried that she’d grab the camera from my hand but she didn’t. Sheesh. She’s gonna end up in a book, that’s for sure!
Good on you for reporting her and her dangerous ‘habit’ of letting her dog run around. I rarely see that here, but of course, I live downtown and there’s fairly heavy traffic, so most people keep their dogs on a leash.
Hope she learns her lesson!!
Julie
Hi Julie,
Most of the dog owners here in the county are very responsible, but the few dummies ruin it for everyone.