HORRIBLE day at work!!

[heeler's rock!]

As most of you know, I am working as a dog walker in Calgary. well, there is one set of dogs I walk every day, twice a day for 30mins each visit. All 3 are Irish Setters, and 2 are male so they are kinda big. Well, yesterday on our last walk, the 2 males saw a bird and pulled me so hard, I fell to my knees and they dragged me like 2 feet! I fell on top of the female! Poor girl! Well, I was obviously kinda upset, but overall, no damage done.

Well, this afternoon's walk started well, but at the end, a mom and her littrle boy were walking by us on a pathway that is closed in on two sides. The boy was on a scooter, and he just stopped and stared at the dogs. I had them in a sit, waiting for them to pass. Well, the dogs started barking at the boy when he decided to just sit there and stare at them! The woman started yelling at me!!! She said, "WOULD YOU JUST GO?!? YOU'RE TERRIFYING MY BOY!!!!!", and the boy is still just standing there SCREAMING and crying!!! I was soooo upset! I've never been yelled at like that before, and I had the dogs under control so they could pass!! Why didn't she tell her son to stop stareing at them, and just go by?? The dogs didn't even have enough room to get near them because I was holding their leashes so close to me!!!

These are 3 really good dogs, and it upsets me that people don't train their kids, but expect every dog to be perfectly well behaved!! I know the poor kid was scared, they are bigger dogs and sound scary when they bark, but I'll guarentee you that if they were chi's barking at him, she wouldn't have yelled like that!!! It just bothers me that if the dogs got away and went up to him, she'd probably sue the owners for trauma or something! They wouldn't have hurt him, but even if they just knocked him over, they'd have been put down for sure!!

Sorry for the long post, but I had to vent. That boy had his mom to speak for him and defend him, but who is gonna protect the dogs??

[Cflat]

I can see myself in your shoes. I never have the right thing to say when it is happening.
Maybe now you can be prepared with something to say, maybe:
"Hi there, these dogs are Irish Setters- aren't they pretty? They may bark at you but its because they get excited. You're o.k. to go past. I'm going to put them in a sit". (or something like that).
When I'm in an awkward position once I tend to come up with things to say the next time lol. Doesn't always happen again, but makes me feel better.
You did fine.

[chico2]

Heeler's rock,I think you should sit down and write a poem about all the dogs you are walking,about their names and personalities forget about stupid jerks,tomorrow will be a better day

[melanie]

i agree with chico, and perhaps if that happens again tell that woman her child is a freak and she really needs to do a little training. also mention to ppl like that that vrebal abuse is illeagle and they are not permitted to treat you like that in society, also ask what exactly they are trying to teach their kids?

funnily enough i met a boy on the weekend who becomes hysterical at the site of any animal, a dog walked past about 100m away and he started screaming and trying to throw things at the dog, what a little freak. his mother said he is getting better, gosh i would hate to have seen him before, and during the discussion his mother assured me he had never had a bad experience with an animal, but she is afraid of dogs so you can just guess where that fear came from.

i just stared open mouthed at the kid, i have never seen a child like that before (yeah i have seen scared kids but he was over the top) and not to mention he tried to throw things at the dog, that makes you wonder what he will do to a friends pet etc if he is near them, i told his mother to start desensitising him to animals or else he will have some serious probs in the future, she just pandered to his hysteria, what a bunch of freaks i tell ya.*shaking my head in a rather old man fashion*

some ppl huh.....

[wAggie]

mel said it best:

"some people huh"




take a few deep breathes, go drink some water, call the dogs to the couch and have a cuddle fest!!


works for me!


and just remember how WONDERFUL it is to have great dogs like urs, and u'd feel sorry for the lousy fam., but u havent got the time.

ur dogs are calling! (and ur hubby )

[heeler's rock!]

I love you guys! I was feeling like **** all night during my puppies training class with my dog teacher, and I came home to read all of your comforting words....It makes me feel better to know that I can vent and you will all be there to listen, not judge! The owners of these 3 setters aren't doing them any justice. The guy that lives a few houses down from them, said that I have beautiful dogs! he didn't even know they weren't mine! Just goes to show how little they are out....If the owners can't handle the three of them alone, why should I be expected to??? Some people....

[CarlaD]

Hopefully you will have a better day today. Some people just don't understand and they have no respect for animals or for other humans.

When walking my two beagles and someone passes, I will always make them sit and wait for them to pass. If someone wants to pet them I will make them sit. Since Charlie is still a pup (4 months) I always explain to the parents and the child that he is still a baby and sometimes he forgets his manners and jumps up, but he won't hurt you he will just lick you!

The other day, I was saying this to the dad and the little girl while the mom was just coming out of the house and Charlie stood up and kissed the little girl. The mom freaked and started screaming, she scared the crap out of me, because it was out of no where and then the dogs started to panic and the little girl started to cry. By no means what the little girl going to get hurt, I was there with them on a tight leash and Charlie was just licking her and I had already warned her and the father. The mom yelled at me to control my dogs and to get out of the neighbourhood. I was stunned, so I stood up and said "Excuse me, but I have lived in this neighbourhood far longer than you have (I know this, because they are in a new house and I am not!) and my dogs were under control and I explained to your husband that my dog is a puppy and might jump up and lick your daughter, and he was fully aware of this. He then made the decision that it was okay for your daughter to pet the dogs. Maybe you should be talking to your husband if you don't want your children near animals and walked away.

I was schoked that I acutally said this, because usually I would have taken the dogs and ran away. But I was so mad that she was accusing me of having dogs that weren't under control.

[mastifflover]

Well that sucks heelers rock and why do people that have kids think that everybodies life should surround around their kids. I am a little sick of it and my dog is my kid So I have decided in the last 6-8 months that if people are going to be ignorant than they have picked the wrong person to start with. I will go toe to toe with someone if they start making insulting comment to myself or my dog. There is a mother and 2 kids (we in the park call them the supersize family) you can guess why. Anyhow the kids are the biggest sucks I have ever seen and start to scream if they see a dog across the street and their mother then start to yell at the dog owner for no reason other than the fact her kids are terrified of everything. Even the kids in the park call them big sucks and wont play with them. The other night I was walking Buddy with a friend and his Mastiff (210 pounds)who makes my guy look small and these dogs are well behaved, and on leads. The family is at the park and the kid goes ballistic screaming crying and so on. So the mother starts getting mouthy I have had it with this woman and I grab my friend and said we are going to sit on the park the bench which is 20 feet from where they are. She walk over to near where we are and starts insulting us and telling us to leave. I said that we are sitting here minding our own business and if you dont like it you can leave. She says I am calling the police you should get this not have these vicious pit bulls around children. My friend said here is my cell phone give them a call. I couldnt believe it she called the police, they came asked what the problem was and she started ranting and raving about our pit bulls we sat there calmly while they listened and after she finished her tirade the cop turned looked at the dogs and then turned to her and said do you have any idea what a pit bull looks like? She said like those two (English Mastiffs). He walked to his cruiser and pulled out a paper and flipped to a picture of one and showed it to her and said this is what a pit bull looks like. Then he proceeded to tell her our dogs had not moved the whole time she was yelling and could see no threat from them at all and that besides the fact they were on leashes and are allowed in the park and if she was not happy about it she could leave nobody was making her stay. He also gave her a little talk on teaching her kids safety around dogs and that by screaming and running they were prime candidates to get bitten by any dog. He walked away shaking his head and the supersize family left. I have seen them in the park since and she has not made one comment to me since.

[lezzpezz]

That is right on! I love it! She asked for what she got. And you were brilliant to stand your ground for what was right. All of this pit bull pandemonium is going to be quite taxing on the police and animal control folks, and it does not sound like any enforcement is going to go too smoothly. I think that the officer in your case has already likely had about as much crap and false calls on the subject as he/she is happy to take. Hey, maybe the enforcers will start to hand out tickets to those who make false claims!

[CarlaD]

I can't believe that she would actually call the cops. Does she not think that they have better things to do? I also can't believe that she would call the two dogs pit pulls. How ignorant is that.

[sammiec]

Keep your head up heeler's!! Some people just suck.

Nice work Mastifflover! That's a funny and sad story. That lady musta left like a complete idiot.
The thing that worries me is that the office has a picture of what a pit bull looks like in his cruiser... he doesn't even know... that's why every dog attack is labelled as a pit bull.

[mastifflover]

The cop and his partner they came to the call were very nice and said they have been getting an unbelievable amount of calls from hysterical people about pit bulls. They agree the media is creating this panic in people and the reason they have kept the paper is for the picture to show people what they look like. They also feel a breed ban will do more damage than good and the owners need to be charged and in some cases the dogs will need to be PTS if they have been made that people and dog aggressive that they could not be trusted. They were very level headed about the whole subject and agree that the public needs education more than anything

[sammiec]

oh, that's good mastifflover. It's frustrating to know that the city's finest are wasting their time on these calls about pit bulls when there is gun violence and murders happening...
Glad to see that the Toronto police are a little open minded. Peel police come to our building once and a while. The one day I came in and ended up in the middle of a converstation of a tenant and a police officer. As Briggs and I walked through the door the officer smiled at me and looked down at Briggs, he then took a giant step backwards and proceeded to tell me "move along" - which I was doing. Then says "oh, that's a pit" I said yes, and had Briggs sit, and asked the officer if he would like to pet her. He looked at me as if I had just stolen a car!!! "Yeah, I'm not going near that thing." was his response...

[heeler's rock!]

Mastiff, that is awesome!! I'm so glad the lady ended up looking like a fool!!

Carla, I wish I could be more like you. I tense up when people scream at me and I can't think of anything to say. I HATE confrontation!!!

The whole thing about these setters I walk, is that they're not mine, so I'm not 100% sure of what they're capable of. They seem sweet with me, but most dogs that haven't been around kids, don't respect them. The male owner says he's never had a problem, but they've only had the 3rd dog for a month, so maybe he hasn't had an issue yet. My boss and I have agreed that the other dog walker should be walking them from now on as she is physically stronger than my boss or me, and she plays sports and keeps in shape. She will hopefully have more control over them and not get dragged around as much as me.

If anyone ever said anything about my dogs, I would kick them. I swear I would. My dogs are my life and insulting them is as bad as insulting me!! I am a responsible owner and work my a$$ off to train them.

Once at the off leash park, Kia went up to a little girl walking with her dad and brother. They didn't have a dog so I have no clue why they were there, but Kia was still just learning and she jumped on the girl to kiss her, and the girl started crying!!!! Why bring your kid that's affraid of dogs, to an off leash park?!? Another time at the same park, a woman and her kids were there with their dog, and she was letting them sled down the little hill!!! The kids were screaming because they were having fun, and all the dogs were going nuts!!! It makes me so mad to think that some people are so stupid!! The best saying I've heard in a while is that common sense is not so common.......

[iRONKNiGHT]

Originally Posted by mastifflover

Well that sucks heelers rock and why do people that have kids think that everybodies life should surround around their kids. I am a little sick of it and my dog is my kid So I have decided in the last 6-8 months that if people are going to be ignorant than they have picked the wrong person to start with. I will go toe to toe with someone if they start making insulting comment to myself or my dog. There is a mother and 2 kids (we in the park call them the supersize family) you can guess why. Anyhow the kids are the biggest sucks I have ever seen and start to scream if they see a dog across the street and their mother then start to yell at the dog owner for no reason other than the fact her kids are terrified of everything. Even the kids in the park call them big sucks and wont play with them. The other night I was walking Buddy with a friend and his Mastiff (210 pounds)who makes my guy look small and these dogs are well behaved, and on leads. The family is at the park and the kid goes ballistic screaming crying and so on. So the mother starts getting mouthy I have had it with this woman and I grab my friend and said we are going to sit on the park the bench which is 20 feet from where they are. She walk over to near where we are and starts insulting us and telling us to leave. I said that we are sitting here minding our own business and if you dont like it you can leave. She says I am calling the police you should get this not have these vicious pit bulls around children. My friend said here is my cell phone give them a call. I couldnt believe it she called the police, they came asked what the problem was and she started ranting and raving about our pit bulls we sat there calmly while they listened and after she finished her tirade the cop turned looked at the dogs and then turned to her and said do you have any idea what a pit bull looks like? She said like those two (English Mastiffs). He walked to his cruiser and pulled out a paper and flipped to a picture of one and showed it to her and said this is what a pit bull looks like. Then he proceeded to tell her our dogs had not moved the whole time she was yelling and could see no threat from them at all and that besides the fact they were on leashes and are allowed in the park and if she was not happy about it she could leave nobody was making her stay. He also gave her a little talk on teaching her kids safety around dogs and that by screaming and running they were prime candidates to get bitten by any dog. He walked away shaking his head and the supersize family left. I have seen them in the park since and she has not made one comment to me since.

Mastifflover i've been in that position many times and have been on numerous
calls concerning your situation.. the officers delt with the matter the same way i would have delt with it.....
Ignorant people think we are unconscious and can easly be manipulated.
Law Enforcement Personals do make Good Judgement calls!

[poohbear123]

Not every parent is ignorant! We don't have a dog of our own and my little ones love animals, but I would never let them approach a dog with out the owners consent. However, you must understand that if this child was terrified of these 3 large dogs then maybe you should have said something to console this child ie: its ok they won't hurt...ect then maybe move your dogs out of the way so they could pass. Not every one has been around animals and as responsible pet owners or walkers you should realize this. You want people to respect your dogs then you should respect their children and the fact that large animals can be overwhelming to little ones and obviously these parents over reacted, but I think if you make an effort to let them know your dogs will not harm them and you have control over them this might not happen.

[heeler's rock!]

I agree with you poohbear, but the lady didn't give me a chance to talk to her son. As soon as they barked, he screamed and cried and she yelled at me. I'm not gonna sit and argue with an upset mother about how her boy didn't have to be scared!! She was obviously not gonna listen to me, and I had to get the dogs outta there. I have better control over them if I'm not moving them. If I moved and they were still pulling the other way, thay might have gotten a bit more leash and gotten to him, or gotten under my feet and tripped me. I wasn't even in the way! He had more than enough room to pass, he just got scared and wouldn't move, and she told me to leave! Where does her responsibility lie? Should I bend over backwards because she has a kid??? No. She could have moved him back the way they came, which wasn't far, maybe a few steps, and waited for me to pass. It's not like I was standing in his way. The dogs couldn't get near him and she could see that. Sure you may not let your kids pet a dog without consent, but staring a dog in the eyes is a direct challenge. Dogs also see kids as weaker pack members! Believe me, I know. I was bit by a rottie when I was 10 because I stared it down. I knew even at that age that it was my fault.

[heeler's rock!]

I don't want this thread to turn into a debate between parents and dog owners. I do know that there are some very responsible parents out there and I am thankful for that, but there are some parents who hate dogs and think they're all bad, no matter what you say. I am sorry if I made anyone think that I think all parents are irresponsible, because that is definitely not true.

[mastifflover]

Poohbear I am glad your kids are pet smart. I have tried with these people but this kid is just a little psycho he screams and cries about everything and the mother does nothing to help the situation. People who live by the park have actually gone to the park to see is some kid was seriously hurt and it is always the same kid being a big fat suck. The kid has no friends none of the other kids will play with him or his sister, do you think there might be a problem with them. I usually cross the street because my dog can be intimidating if you dont know him. Most parents not all but most seem to have some control over their children but you know what my dog is on a leash and if a parent has not taught their kids anything at all about strange animals it is not my duty to teach their kids, since most tend to take the attitude that who do you think you are telling my children how to act. I will with people that are open to it but I run in to a lot who happen to think the world revolves around their kids and everybody should follow their rules. Well in my world that is not going to happen. I normally avoid that park until after dark or in the early morning when there are not kids there. But this woman and her brats pi$$ me off. She yells at you if your dog does his business, before he is finished she is yelling at you to pick it up and that children play here. This is a woman who's elevator does not go all the way to the top floor.

[poohbear123]

It's too bad these parents behave this way. My children would never act that way! I guess maybe these parents never had animals either and don't know how to act around them and big dogs can be overwhelming if you are not used to them. But there is no excuse for their behaviour....I can't believe people act this way...she must be a few bricks short I wouldn't let her keep you from walking your dog though.