Time to pick on the dogs again or I guess it's the dog owners. Hands up if you've ever had this happen. A dog comes running at you barking ferociously and trailing behind it comes the owner saying, "Don't worry, he's friendly."
Now I could accept, "Don't worry, he's harmless," or "Don't worry, he won't bite," but you can't tell me that a dog that is running up to me and being threatening is friendly. Friendly? Yeah and Don Rickles is sensitive. Donald Trump lacks self-esteem. Some of my readers are big believers in positive reinforcement. I could go on, but I've got to take some bottles back to help pay for my next poker game.
Yes, Little Jackie Showers has been uninspired in 2011, but have no fear, there are still things out there annoying me.
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This is striking a chord with me. I had a traumatizing childhood experience involving three large, aggressive dogs barking ferociously and running after me. I wasn't hurt, but I was terrified, and it has (probably permanently) affected my enthusiasm toward dogs. On paper, I think they're great, but in reality, I don't really want much to do with them. And I sure don't want random barking dogs running up to me,m regardless of the situation.
ReplyDeleteI think it's pretty irresponsible--and at the very least, presumptuous--for dog owners to assume that it's okay for their dog to run amok if they "explain" that it is "friendly". Yeah, right. Until you have to get the tetanus shot.
I wish all dog owners had proper control of their dogs, and I wish they all picked up the poop, too. Avoiding eye contact and looking intently at something apparently fascinating in the sky, while the dog does its business, doesn't fool anyone.
Having had numerous encounters with negligent dog owners, often hiking well away from anywhere, I have a response to the,"don't worry he's friendly". I always ask the pooch owners, if they, or their dog know," I'm friendly?" I must admit this strategy is not always effective, especially once for me in Goldstream Park when I encountered a couple of pit bulls,off leash, and their lesbian owners!As for the picking up the poop? I remember toilet training my children, and pets, years ago, at times humorous, but also gross.Why would people want to walk around picking up some animal shit for all it's life? I've got better things to do. Also a whole aisle of pet food in Thrifty's, even a fridge section, and there's people hungry where we live?Time to remember why animals like dogs were originally domesticated. When things were good they ate our scraps and cleaned up our mess, when things were bad we ate them. Cheers, xelA.
ReplyDeleteI am not in any way what you would call a "dog person". But I'm not terrified of them, as you wussies seem to be. I used to, as an adult, deliver late newspapers and was met by all manner of barking canine. Maybe I'm a dog whisperer, but I always just spoke sweetly to it and let it sniff the back of my hand and all was good between us. If I see a dog bounding toward me with an owner nearby, I trust that it is just super friendly. You can tell if a dog is after you or just rollicking. That being said, I stay clear of pitt bulls. I hate those beasts.
ReplyDeletePaul F. Tompkins, incidentally, has a really funny track on one of his CDs about the "friendly dog" phenomenon you write about.
As for dog poop, Parkerama, if you don't say anything to the owner who's averting eye contact, you're partly to blame. I always just slow right down and pretend I'm looking for something until I see the owner start to pick it up. If they walk away, I speak up.
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