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.