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....