Dumb animals, dumber people

[BoBettie]

I love dog owners who let their “well trained” dogs run free outside- I think it’s just great. I especially like it when I catch them outside ripping up my FUCKING GARBAGE BAGS on pickup day.

The last time it happened I was so irate that I called my inconsiderate neighbor and said “Hi- this is Zette, from across the street- how are you? Could you please tell Ruger to come inside until after garbage pickup time? Yeah, he’s into my garbage AGAIN. Oh, and he asked me to tell you that he left a mess for you to pick up in my driveway. I guess he thinks you should clean up his messes for him. Thanks!”

It has not happened since- I guess she got a clue. Point here is: I don’t care how “well trained” your pooch is- keep 'em fenced. No one wants your dog shitting in their yard, tearing up their garbage or digging up their flowers. If you think your dog doesn’t do those things while wandering the neighborhood, you’re wrong. Your neighbors are probably too nice to say anything. Good thing you don’t live near me. (Oops! I hope that wasn’t too “intimidating” Give me a break)

Zette

[Elenfair]

Hm…

Tubagirl:

I train dogs for a semi-living. Working dogs. Usually the best darned trained dogs in this world. They work as sniffing dogs, police K-9s, Search and Rescue dogs, assistance dogs for the disabled… couldn’t ask for better, more stable temperaments and training.

BUT…

A dog is a dog. Even the best trained dog is still a dog. I would NEVER, EVER trust a dog 100% around kids, unsupervised. Therefore, I don’t believe in letting dogs roam in the neighbourhood even if “everyone knows him and loves him…” IF something happens, YOU, the owner, is responsible. In this area of the world, if your dog bites a kid, you’re responsible (even if it’s on leash). If it’s loose when it does so, you’re in deep shit and liable to get a few months in jail for criminal negligence. If your dog causes a traffic accident where there is injury or damage - YOU the owner are responsible.

I don’t CARE how much you trust your dogs. Dogs that run loose usually develop pack behaviour when they’re running loose, even if they are the best darned little housepets otherwise…

Sure, you haven’t had any problems yet. But someday, I hope I won’t find your name in a dogbite newspaper article along with the line, “But he never did this before, and he’s been running loose for years!”

I trust my trainees and my own personal working K9s. Still, they are NEVER, EVER without supervision when playing outdoors. It’s for their own safety, and mine, and that of the people around me. Of course I trust these dogs. But dogs are dogs - you can tell them it’s dangerous not to cross the street. In fact, you can even contain them in your own yard with “invisible fencing”… But I also know that there have been a number of times when the lure of the neighbour’s cat, from accross the street, has been too much for a pooch handle and pow… dog chases and gets flattened by a car… or kills the cat… or snarls at a neighbour’s kid that wanted to pick up the stick to throw it for dog…

sigh… just use your brain. Ask yourself what can happen. Are you willing to live with it? Are you willing to live with potentially causing some serious damage to someone else’s life and/or property? Are you willing to deal with the legal consequences?

Before you answer, please don’t say, “Muffy wouldn’t do anything like that…”

Elenfair, who gets really ticked off at irresponsible people.

[Ruffian]

**

*Originally posted by tubagirl *
I thinl this is defintly a matter that depends on situations. I have two little lap dogs (a shih-tzu and lhaso apso) that have free run outside. I live on a street with 15 houses on it about an acre apart. I let my dogs out the front door and they go where they wish. They come back within 15 minutes. **

My parents’ neighbors had a similar policy. They have a chihuahua which they used to let run loose, because he was so little and smart that he posed no threat to anyone, and because there is very little traffic in that neighborhood…

The chihuahua needed fifteen stitches.
Its owners no longer let it run loose.

A point and an anecdote.
Point: Your dogs may be the sweetest and most harmless creatures out there, and you may thus have no concern for the pups causing damage. But, if your dog(s) is attacked by another who is leashed, YOU will be in violation of the leash law and completely responsible for your own dogs’ medical bills. If your dogs are mauled by another loose dog, you will still be 50% responsible for medical expenses as you’d share 50% of the responsibility. There is a reason a leash law exists, and no one’s going to look at the shredded corpse of your wandering dog and think it’s an exception.

Anecdote: While driving to work the other month, a wandering chihuahua decided to duck right in front of my car. I slammed the brakes, making tires squeal and smoke, all the contents of my briefcase to dump, and my coffee to baptize the interior. I missed by about a foot. The pup, somewhat startled, trotted back onto the curb. As I regained composure and drove away, I glanced in my rearview mirror to see the dog once again crossing the street, this time across all four lanes of busy morning traffic.

I am comforted knowing that he was certainly put out of his misery, should those dim-witted traffic-crossing habits continue. One less dog for one less owner to neglect.