I was out for a walk today and the neighbour’s dog was on the loose, ran after me and was jumping on me. When it stopped jumping on me the owner came out after it. I told her that she should put her dog on a leash because some people are scared of dogs. I myself have been terrified of dogs since childhood. Just seeing one on the loose makes me shake and sends me into a panic. The owner didn’t seem to care much. She told me it is “ just a puppy” with an underlying condescending tone.
The dog wasn’t small and I doubt it was that young. It almost ran into traffic as she calmly walked towards it shouting it’s name. She finally got it on a leash.
About 15 minutes later I was walking back home past their house minding my own business. All of a sudden I hear the lady’s husband mocking me asking if I was ok and was I going to be alright hahaha. I told him to stop.
As I got in my car I was so nervous that I backed into a garbage can which got stuck under my bumper. I was struggling and couldn’t pull it out. All of a sudden I hear the man yelling at me saying “you know what that is?
That’s karma hahaha”. He kept watching me struggle and he kept laughing.
I told him to stop harassing me. I managed to get the garbage can out and drove away. I wanted to report the loose dog to the city but I’m honestly too scared of retaliation.
Also the neighbour’s husband wasn’t there when the incident happened so she obviously told her husband what happened. Apparently her dog not being on a leash is all my fault???
I didn’t start this. Does anyone think I should be afraid of this man?
Yes I do. Report it. Keep a log of further incidents. You shouldn’t have to be afraid to take a walk. Is this your first interaction with these people?
telling people how to train their dogs never goes over well, even when you’re right.
This.
It’s been my experience “Dog People” can’t be reasoned with. They are more protective of their dogs than their own children, and take offense at even the slightest hint their “babies” are not angels.
Carry a voice recorder with you for the time being. If you don’t have one, try the voice recorder app on your phone. (BTW, this assumes your state has a “one party consent law” when it comes to recording. What state are you in?)
I’m in Canada and I have never talked to these people before. What kind of a grown man talks about karma and finds pleasure watching someone struggle???
I don’t get it. How is me telling her to put her dog on a leash insulting?
I don’t think the police will get involved unless there are threats of personal harm made against me.
I would make recordings of their behavior if they break the law. Then you have leverage.
They sound like nasty, miserable people though, and the less time you spend with them the better because for people like that they love to spread their misery. I’d just avoid them as much as possible until they forget about you. They aren’t going to become better people anytime soon and you’re life will be worse if they are in it.
It is possible to purchase pepper spray specially formulated just for dogs. I found something on Amazon called Halt! Dog Repellent Spray. Get you a 1½ ounce spray bottle for USD$7.58 on Amazon. Shipping costs extra.
If you don’t do mail order, Walmart has the same thing in stock. You can go on http://www.walmart.com and see if your local store has any in stock. They might not, though; search their site before you go and save you some time.
Sure, you can find a different walking route, but why should you have to? I don’t let assholes dictate my life to me. You shouldn’t, either.
ETA: I see you’re in Canada. I don’t know if you can legally get the spray I mentioned up there. Maybe invest in a big walking stick or something. When the dog attacks you, hit him on the nose HARD. Oh, and you animal-rights types can please STFU on this - animals don’t have any more right to assault the innocent than we humans do.
I don’t feel I should let them win and go an alternate route. I was minding my own business walking back and there was no need to ridicule me because I was scared of their dog. Who does that? Basically a grown adult bully. It’s disgusting.
It is not insulting but people get defensive when you call them out for their mistakes. Try telling a parent their child is doing something potentially dangerous or destructive and you will get an earful of MYOB before they correct the child, if they do any parenting at all.
A quick google search suggests Canada has a “one party consent law,” which means you can record communication between you and someone else without their knowledge. But you cannot record communication taking place between two other people (e.g. him and his wife) when you’re not a part of the conversation.
I don’t recommend this AT ALL. If simply saying “your dog should be on a leash” is enough to warrant snide comments and laughter, I cannot imagine what the blowback would be if the OP uses this product on the dog.
Hopefully you can suggest an alternative solution for the OP to defend him/herself against dog attack. Pepper spray will be temporarily unpleasant for the dog, but a baseball bat (the one alternative that comes to my mind) is much more likely to do permanent harm.
A spray bottle of vinegar would work. But, you shoudn’t have to. Is there a leash law in your area? Again, report the incident to LE or any PTB.
Next time, take a walking stick with you and use it on the dog if it jumps on you again.
Your neighbors sound like Hoopies. Do not start feuds with Hoopies, as they love feuding. AIUI, you are already afraid of the dog and the husband when, at this point, all that has happened (as far as LE will be concerned) is that the husband said something shitty to you. I guess you could record any further verbal interactions with them, but to what end? Unless you get them packed off to the stoney lonesome, they are still going to be your neighbors. Only, now, they will be your Hoopie neighbors who are pissed off at you for recording them without their knowledge (legal or not) and running to the cops. I’ve had similar neighbors over the years and there are only two ways to handle them:
- Make them your friends. It may be too late for this in your case.
- Minimize your interactions with them to as close to nothing as you can get. Hoopies hold grudges, but feuding is an active process. If you don’t participate their interest in you will fade.
In any case, doing something physical to the dog will escalate this way past what you will want to endure.
Are you talking about generic dog attack or this particular dog? Because it seems like that would be protecting against an overly friendly greeting. I don’t condone owners allowing their dogs to roam freely but I certainly can’t condone causing pain to a dog for being friendly.
You can tell me sleeping on my face is a tarantula’s way of showing affection, but it’s still going to freak me the fuck out. But the phobia is mine so I owe you an explanation after the first time you let it give me a nose cuddle. Next time I’m going to take it personally.
OP: Some people lack empathy (our chest-thumping, bloviating president is an indication that this is not an uncommon phenomenon). It’s not your job to teach them empathy. It’s also not your job to assist them should they ever have a need. Just do you.
When a dog is running at you, it is not always possible to discern if they are coming to lick you or chew your neck off.
I walk a lot and dogs scare the shit out of me. I carry a flashlight taser thing. I’ve only had to hit the taser once so far and the sound alone was enough to warn the dog away from me, thankfully.
If you can’t control your animal (and clean up after it), you shouldn’t have one. I would not alter my route and if the dog is ever loose again, I’d call animal control.
This is more what I was getting at. I’m not an asshole like the OPs neighbors, and not an asshole dog owner (again, like OPs neighbors) but I would go outright insane if my dog accidentally got out and playfully bounded up to someone and was puppy-maced. What an asshole thing to do.
Again, that’s punishing the dog for not actually doing anything aggressive. If you tell me “I’m scared of dogs, keep it away from me” then I need to oblige by that, but it’s also not my (or my dog’s) fault that you’re scared of them and I should be treated with respect too.