As many of you may know, I am a full time PE teacher and I am off for summer vacation. Well today, I took my dogs to a place down here in San Diego called Sea Port Village for a long walk.
On our walk we encountered some really off the wall people that think they can just act any old way around well behaved dogs. Thank goodness that my dogs did not freak out. I think that if I would have just had my Border Collie, he probably would have freaked out. However, Isabelle is so mellow that she can keep Bandit from reacting to things.
First this man came toward us as if he was going to hit my dogs with this crazy hose attachment. I said, "Please do not come at my dogs with that thing." and he proceeded to come right at us. I had enough room to get out of the way and avoid him, but what in the world was he thinking. Or not thinking, I should say.
Next, we were just hanging out on the grass settling and watching the surroundings and this woman and her two kids were walking past, when all of a sudden the toddler broke free and started running, running full speed toward my dogs. This would have normally sent Bandit into a rage, but before he could react, I was yelling at the woman, "Do not let your child run up to strange dogs, that is very dangerous!" A dog's space should be respected. I did not say that, but thought it. I think because a dog is cute and just hanging out that kids and people think they can do anything they want. Well, not to my dogs! I will stand up for my dogs!
Lastly, right before we left to come home a woman comes at my dogs with "crazy fingers" as if she was going to pinch and squeeze their cheeks. I said, "my dogs do not like it when people do that." and I walked away.
My Border Collie really did amazing and either my training with him is paying off or my other dog was a great buffer. Either way, it really made me worried about all the other dogs in this world that people do that crap to. My dogs are lucky that I protect them from crazy people, but some people just do not know how to deal with that and they do not want to be mean to others. I personally do not know those people and do not have a hard time standing up to them and speaking up for my dogs!
Well, thank you for listening to me rant about the crazy day I had. I am now off to agility with my little Buddy Love Bandit and look forward to spending time with him without CRAZY people around!
Maybe I will not be going back to Sea Port Village and find another walk. There are so many places to go! However, I have a feeling that people are like that all over this world!
Take care,
Pam, Isabelle, & Bandit
Good for you to watch out for your dogs! People can be so weird!
ReplyDelete"HE'S GOT MANGE!!!"
ReplyDeleteThat keeps people away most of the time...
Sorry about the bad day. I have a few dogs that would have been very freaked about that.
Yes Pam, I think people are like that all over this world!
ReplyDeletei had a "crazy fingers" episode with a couple of women recently - one woman was "shadow boxing" my pup (a very smart working lines Bouvier) The pup bunched up and i knew if the situation continued there would be grief - it only took a second for this woman to put us all in real danger - i turned both my dogs around fast and moved a few yards away - looked at the women and said "that is no way to approach a dog you don't know"
ReplyDeletebut now i just get up at 5am and walk in "safe places" - ie places with no fruit loop people who say they are "just trying to be friendly"
you are correct - idiots are everywhere
Helping out with a Golden Retriever Rescue, I see this a LOT. Goldens seem to draw out the weirdest people and as a whole most seem to tolerate anything, but it's amazing some of the stuff you have to ask people NOT to do with the dogs.
ReplyDeleteThen of course there are the people that make me want to scream. The ones that are obviously nutty are people I can at least reacte to BEFORE they approach. It's the ones that are all smiles and well-behaved, "Can I pet the dog?" and then do something stupid after they have their hands on a dog. I'll never forget having a mouth 8 month old golden rescue (8 month old golden, no previous training, mouthy is kind of a given...), he was polite and chatting away and then all of a sudden he had the dog by the bottom jaw and was squeezing down on the tongue. It just stuns me what people think they can get away with.
It is a shame that we have to "protect" our dogs from humans. My dog is small (about 27 lbs) and very cute so she attracts a lot of attention. People assume she is small and cute and therefore safe and just reach out and touch her without asking. Fortunately she loves people and all the attention but that isn't the point. I like when they ask permission and then I say "sure, but please ask her to sit as I'm training her not to jump on people". Half the people do and the other half say they don't mind her jumping and then I have to tell them, "I do", or "pretend she has muddy paws". The thing that worries me, though, is when toddlers and small children run up and pet or grab her without asking. I have to tell them that they need to ask before touching a dog. I tell them, even if you know my dog, you still need to ask every time because, who knows, she can have a bad day just like anyone else. It amazes me the number of children who are not taught this by their parents. I had a 2-year old literally run ACROSS THE STREET in front of a car to see my dog! I freaked and was yelling at her to stop and trying to signal the car at the same time. This little girl has done things like this so much that I now don't walk by her house.
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad my dog is ridiculously calm so I only have to worry about dealing with the people and not calming the dog, too, when people behave inappropriately around her! Luckily people in my area have been generally understanding when I stop them and explain that Zooey's in training to be a therapy dog and it's imperative that she behave correctly before receiving attention. I had a particularly bad encounter with a young girl who ran up and hugged my dog even though I tried to stop her. I had just rescued Zooey from the pound and had no idea how she was around children. Thank goodness Zooey took it well! Her mother gave me the dirtiest of looks when I told her daughter it wasn't safe to run up to strange dogs, and informed me that agressive dogs shouldn't be out on the streets where there are children......
ReplyDeleteI did recently have a very good experience with a young girl who was out walking with her dad. She asked me whether or not my dog liked to be petted, and, if so, could she pet her. I said sure and put Zooey into a sit while her dad told her she had to be really gentile. It was so refreshing to see that there are parents out there teaching their kids the correct way to behave around a dog!
hi I just came across your blog and just wanted to let you know that I love your work. I come from a family of Schutzhund and German Shepherd people. My parents retired from handling dogs but I keep the legacy going and look into alternative methods such as positive reinforcement and love your youtube videos.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your knowledge with all of us out there.