Meeting the neighbors...

Not a great way for the dogs and I to start our walk this morning.  We had gone about a block away from the house, about to go into the greenspace we always head to for a good run, when I noticed something untoward.  I saw two little old ladies emerge from the house across the road with something very large on the end of a leash.  I think they were intending to take their pet behemoth for a car ride as one of them opened the door to the vehicle parked in the drive.  Unfortunately, just as they were intending for 'Snookums' or 'Dragonslayer' to jump into the backseat, he or she noticed me and my two targets and locked on.  This thing immediately charged in our direction.  It was one of those moments that was both terribly frightening and darkly hilarious at the same time.  A bulging eyed dog the size of a Garbage truck dashing across a busy street, dragging a panicked, screaming senior with it.  The lady didn't have a hope of controlling this thing.  She may as well have had a Brahma Bull on the end of the leash.  

Anyway, this thing comes crashing into me and my two and all of a sudden I'm in the middle of a snarl of hair, teeth and little old lady.  I'm trying, somewhat successfully, to keep my dogs near or behind me but it's not making much of a difference as the four-legged Kraken is tossing around it's by now, defibrillating owner, like a rag doll.

Finally the other lady arrived and the two of them, gasping and shrieking, managed to drag the beast off to it's lair with promises of fresh cuts of flesh and all the small children it could eat.  I and my dogs were left panting and exasperated.  I can only imagine the other parties were close to stroking out.

The weird thing was that not once did either of them look at me or apologize or even speak to me.  Throughout the whole ordeal I was asking them if they were okay.  I even tried speaking gently to their hound of hell, in a pathetic effort to calm it.  But nothing ever came back my way.  I suspect they were in a state of mild shock with a dash of embarrassment and chagrin thrown in.  No one likes to be a party to manslaughter after all.

 

 

 

Comments

[Ron D]

I agree whole-heartedly with Cher! People should have to take a course and get a (renewable) licence beforethey can get a pet larger than a glow-worm!
I've also noticed that some of our senior folks seem to think that whatever they do the other person is always at fault anyway.... don't you disrespect your elders now!!
Not controlling their dog ?!?! "P'shaw..you young whippersnappingfool Neil!!!" How dare you be in the street when they should consider it an appropriate time to take their explosive canine to the car...why don't you show a little more respect to your elders boy!
Or maybe they were a little stunned at the shock of it all...who knows.
I'm sure you'll find out at your next encounter! :)

[Deb Weyrich-Cody]

Amen to that Cher. (And why is it that people seem to think that it's only the animal that needs training?)

[Cher]

I have been working with animals for years. I haven't any patience for the dolts who can't control their pets. Dogs in particular. A canine of any size or breed can be like a loaded gun ready to fire if it hasn't been trained properly. When a pet is threat and not social,it is imperative that the owner invest some time and money training their pet. Keeping it penned in away from social settings will only exacerbate the problem.