06 June 2006

Angry, ugly, loud...me

Goldie and I took a walk tonight. It was uneventful until we were about 200 yards from leaving the park to come home when a big brown and white dog - pit and boxer mix, it looked like - rushed us.

Aggressive, tail up and still, off leash, it charged right up on Goldie, who was OF COURSE on her leash.

Goldie is not one to run from a fight - she is an Alpha girl through and through (I have no idea where she gets that from).

People at a house across the street began calling the dog, kind of feebly.

"Get your f***ing dog," I yelled helpfully and, oh, one might say a bit forcefully. Ok, I sounded like the drill sergeant in "Full Metal Jacket."

The dog kept charging. I did something I learned from my dear Dad, the WWII vet who has a way with animals.

I made The Big Noise. This is a noise that comes all the way up from your guts and is easily understood by animals, children and anyone else within a mile radius.

"HAH!" I yelled. "GIT! HAH!"

And the dog turned tail and ran. I was pleased with my work up to that point.

Then the dog came back. I proceeded to yell bigger and longer, but this time he would not be persuaded. He had seen through my yelling act.

Along came Miss Skinny Tattoo, apparently the dog's owner. "Quit yelling! You're freaking them out!"

Precisely what I was trying to do, I thought.

"Why are you yelling?" she whined. I am not making this up. She was whining. It was a kind of new-agey, "You're collecting bad karma" kind of thing.

I gave her the opposite explanation than the obvious ("Because you are a jerk with a big aggressive off leash dog") "She can be really mean," I said.

"Why do you have her in a public park, then," she asked.

Let us stop here. This is my favorite part. Don't you just LOVE Miss Skinny Tattoo? Her dog is off leash. Her dog is attacking my dog. And I somehow am the cause of this problem.

I am imagining her as a mother in the principal's office with her kindergardner: "Principal Skinner, I want you to tell me why all the other kids keep sticking their heads in the way of Johnny's wooden blocks."

I said "Why is your dog off leash?" and of course she did not answer. She grabbed her dog's collar and went off muttering and then I heard her whining again to her male friend "She was FREAKING out."

Yes, I was. And I will freak out again if I have to, to protect my lovely Goldie. Spiritual mastery will have to take a back seat to preventing another $1600 emergency vet bill.



I continue to pimp my new blog Linkateria. A perfect mixture of salty and sweet.

11 comments:

Lisa said...

I have had to do the screaming, loud angry noise at a rushing dog before too. Both times, the dogs were off leash and Abbey dog and I were on the OTHER side of the street.

I hate when people don't take responsibility for not watching their pets and blame it on everyone else. Grrr.

Anonymous said...

OMG that happened to us once and my husband ended up lifting our dog by the leash up (to save her) and kicking the crap out of the other dog as the dog bite him!!! It was so crazy!! And yes a skinny chic came out crying that my husband was kicking her DOG!!!

SUEB0B said...

That skinny chick get AROUND! LOL

Bamboo Lemur Boys Are Mean To Their Girls said...

This behavior makes my blood boil. I see it every day. I too have a savage instinct to protect my dog and my client dogs. I will kick and hit crazy off leash dogs with sticks when the need arises. Don't get me started..

super des said...

I hate when people can't take responsibility. Or when they say "he's only playing" when clearly he is out for blood.

Anonymous said...

you're a calm one. i would have been in a full fledged screaming match with the 'oblivious one'. and probably would have threatened her with physical danger had she not backed the f**k away from me.

Anonymous said...

I am a dog person, but to me, there is nothing scarier than a strange dog coming at you full tilt.

Chicky Chicky Baby said...

You have just hit upon one of my biggest pet peeves. My hackles are raised just thinking about Moonbeam and her off leash dog attack hound.

I love that you used the drill sargeant yell at the dog. Sorry it didn't work the second time because it was a brilliant idea.

Anonymous said...

Good for you and this is good advice. I usually respond this way to the grocery store bagger just before he proceeds to bag my groceries in plastic without even asking if I would prefer paper or plastic.....Thanks for stopping by my site the other day. Blogger has been down and this is the first time I could respond.

Debbie said...

Aaaa-men. Have done the dog park/off-leash assholes gig. It's beyond rude and annoying. Nevermind potentially life-threatening for any of the animals involved.

Ya done right, lady.

German Shepherd Mom said...

Yes, I'm late to the party....

I have two GSDs, and I'm ferocious about keeping loose dogs away from them (and me). Both dogs will fight to defend us if provoked, and since they're GSDs, they're automatically blamed. Just the other day, I had my girl in her SAR harness and we were very clearly training, when a woman walks by with three loose dogs. Two run right up to us and get in my girl's face. I'm trying to get them off and keep my girl calm, and the woman keeps saying, "Oh, when she snaps, they'll learn." Okay, but why do they have to learn on MY dog? Why don't YOU teach them basic manners? Sigh....

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