The Dog Problem

Mardi running from the neighbor's dog

I live in an often delightful rural area. I moved here because I love dogs and cats and at the time owned llamas and a horse. I fenced my property responsibly and sectioned it off between hooved animals and pawed ones. I believe in obedience training and every dog I have ever owned is a responsible citizen. They do not chase, they obey without leashes (voice control) and are only out of my yard when on a walk.

Let me say that is not true of all my neighbors like the dog in the background chasing Mardi, my 14 year old standard poodle. Nor is it true of Augustine's dogs that every morning are out beyond my fence killing prairie dogs or getting into the hooved animal fence area and chasing my cats. Nor does Butch keep up with his Great Pyrenees, Isis, or aging hound, Suzie. Those two have been kept from starving and freezing by my immediate neighbor opening her covered porch for them.

I have little by little stopped walking my dogs on all our once familiar country roads. I cannot even walk to the end of the road I live on with out the dogs chasing me and my dogs. So I do not go down the road. And I do not go up the hill. And lately I do not go to my neighbor's so our dogs can play in their yard because Isis and Suzie have decided it is her property.

This morning however I was in a mood. A mood to photograph the frost on the aspens down the road. I watched at my studio window for several minutes before deciding to risk it. The dog from hell was not in evidence. So I donned coat and hat and gloves and picked up my camera and called to Magique and Mardi. I was intent on the photo opportunities when Isis, who has a personal space problem, ran up behind me and knocked me down. I was taking inventory after getting to my feet when the Dog from Hell rushed out of the door and starting barking at my heels and chasing Mardi, Magique, and Isis.

I yelled at the owner and told him to rein in his dog. That I had every right to walk on this road with my dogs. His dog has even camped out in my driveway and keep visitors and clients from getting out of their cars. He goes to work and leaves the bitch out. He threatened me because my dog was always at his house. He meant Isis. Evidently Butch has called the sheriff's department because the dog has followed Isis home. I informed him that Isis was not mine. So the dogs are barking. Magique and Mardi are hiding behind my bruised bum. The humans are shouting at each other and Augustine's dogs show up because it sounds like fun.

A hasty retreat was by no means possible as the roads were icy. And all the dogs are around my feet.

And the local newspaper says we do not have a dog problem in our county.

Comments

  1. This is funny although I know it would not have been funny at the actual scene.

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  2. That would peeve me off no end and I would let the owner of the dog from hell have it. "Both barrels so to speak."

    The dog behaves in the way it has been brought up.

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  3. I do not find this funny at all. I have a hard time motivating myself to go on walks to begin with, but I might go more often if the most popular round walk in the neighborhood, a perfect distance, were not occupied by several dogs that don't seem to understand the concept public road. Is there any way you could just shoot the dog from hell?

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    Replies
    1. I am getting to that point, Ien. However, I think I would probably shoot the owner if he behaved like he did this morning. Dad always said show me a neurotic dog and I will show you a neurotic owner.

      Our county has a "control" law that says dogs have to be in control as in a leash or a fence or voice control. But they do not have anyone to enforce that and all they do is issue tickets.

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  4. *sigh*
    I know of what you speak Jacqui...this isn't a fun situation made even worse by the fact that you live in rural area but are surrounded by neighbors who aren't acting very neighborly. I do hope you are okay and not hurt by this incident?
    Like yourself I am a "responsible " pet owner who always makes sure my dogs are good citizens when out in the public domain. I have a fenced in backyard and am a city dweller. We have a leash law here...and anyone with half a bit of responsibility would never let their pets run due to the high traffic areas we live near. Despite all this effort to assure my animals are safe the neighbors have a cat that has 1) sprayed all over my front door while hollaring at 6am on a weekend which upsets my indoor cat 2)uses my pine needles as a bathroom which in turn has caused my dog (who think cat droppings are yummy)to have pancreatitis which resulted in a very hefty vet bill. Then there was the incident of one of the dogs being attacked by a large dog...that dog is out of the neighborhood my my insistence.
    People who can't own animals responsibly have no business with them as property (and let's admit it..animals are just property to folks who let them run will nilly)

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  5. Don't even get me started. Apart from "I hope your bum is much better", I will only say that I am a great believer in shooting the owner to put the dog out of his/her misery.

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    Replies
    1. And there are three owners involved in this. And I am with you for sure.

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    2. Bless them at every opportunity (the owners)- they'll hate it!

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