doggie wars?
Sep. 23rd, 2006 09:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vernacular_lifeI was talking last week with a friend who was involved in what we've dubbed a "Mommy War Ambush" - you're minding your own business, playing with your kid, and a stranger walks up to you and says something like "Do you think its wise to let a 3 year old have SUGAR?!?" and you're so shocked that a total stranger would pelt you with such a loaded question that you end up stammering a bit and saying "well, um, we're okay with it..."
Today, I was a victim of a "Doggie War" ambush.
We took Sammy and Ben to the dog beach (and by beach I mean 3 foot strip of mud/sand on the river in Annapolis) . The fenced dog park area was closed early, so unfortunatly Sam couldn't burn off some energy beforehand, so we headed right to the beach where there were about 6 dogs playing. Judd played fetch with the dog for a little while as I stood on the overlook with Ben. We switched places after about 20 minutes, and as I went down to the beach, a woman was walking down with her daughter and springer spaniel. As I passed the spaniel, she/he barked at Sammy. Big deal, its a dog park, right?
I played fetch with Sam for about 5 minutes, when the springer spaniel ran in front of where I was. Sammy was exiting the water at about the same time, and the other dog tried to get his stick. Sam barked and started roughhousing with the other dog (normal play for him). He wasn't being overly aggressive, just trying to establish his dominance, and the other dog started cowering and wimpering. I apologize and pull Sam away, distracting him by throwing another ball in the water.
The owner of the other dog starts SCREAMING "control your dog!" and "Aggressive dog!" which just got Sam even more riled up. I notice that the woman's daughter was standing with her arms wrapped around herself shaking and screaming "black dog! Black DOG!!"
At this point, I grab Sam's collar (very difficult task indeed!) and hold onto him to calm him down. The woman says to me "I had a dog like that and I had to put him down. He bit my daughter. That is an AGGRESSIVE DOG." She they tells her kid that they need to leave and start walking off. I wasnt about to get into it with her, and just apologized again and said that he was usually fine, but the dogs probably just didnt get along well, and that he has never bitten anyone. She turned and said "well, you just wait!" As she passes Judd, she tells him that she handles rescue dogs, and if she ever came across a dog like Sam, he wouldn't have a hope (?!)
After I see her leave, I release Sam and we play fetch again for another 10 minutes or so, but he's alll wound up and not really focusing well. The other people on the beach were really mellow and one guy said something like "dude, i think that woman forgot that they're DOGS."
And he was right. Yeah. they're dogs. And some dogs need a little time to work out dominance. I've always stopped Sam when he starts to get too rough, but when he meets a dog who is REALLY meek, he'll pick on 'em for a little while until they stand up for themselves. Most dog owners I've encountered are okay with this, some even saying that it will be good for 'em.
This woman had an unfortunate incident and is so freaked out that its affecting others. I seriously hope she was joking with the 'I care for rescue dogs'.
Today, I was a victim of a "Doggie War" ambush.
We took Sammy and Ben to the dog beach (and by beach I mean 3 foot strip of mud/sand on the river in Annapolis) . The fenced dog park area was closed early, so unfortunatly Sam couldn't burn off some energy beforehand, so we headed right to the beach where there were about 6 dogs playing. Judd played fetch with the dog for a little while as I stood on the overlook with Ben. We switched places after about 20 minutes, and as I went down to the beach, a woman was walking down with her daughter and springer spaniel. As I passed the spaniel, she/he barked at Sammy. Big deal, its a dog park, right?
I played fetch with Sam for about 5 minutes, when the springer spaniel ran in front of where I was. Sammy was exiting the water at about the same time, and the other dog tried to get his stick. Sam barked and started roughhousing with the other dog (normal play for him). He wasn't being overly aggressive, just trying to establish his dominance, and the other dog started cowering and wimpering. I apologize and pull Sam away, distracting him by throwing another ball in the water.
The owner of the other dog starts SCREAMING "control your dog!" and "Aggressive dog!" which just got Sam even more riled up. I notice that the woman's daughter was standing with her arms wrapped around herself shaking and screaming "black dog! Black DOG!!"
At this point, I grab Sam's collar (very difficult task indeed!) and hold onto him to calm him down. The woman says to me "I had a dog like that and I had to put him down. He bit my daughter. That is an AGGRESSIVE DOG." She they tells her kid that they need to leave and start walking off. I wasnt about to get into it with her, and just apologized again and said that he was usually fine, but the dogs probably just didnt get along well, and that he has never bitten anyone. She turned and said "well, you just wait!" As she passes Judd, she tells him that she handles rescue dogs, and if she ever came across a dog like Sam, he wouldn't have a hope (?!)
After I see her leave, I release Sam and we play fetch again for another 10 minutes or so, but he's alll wound up and not really focusing well. The other people on the beach were really mellow and one guy said something like "dude, i think that woman forgot that they're DOGS."
And he was right. Yeah. they're dogs. And some dogs need a little time to work out dominance. I've always stopped Sam when he starts to get too rough, but when he meets a dog who is REALLY meek, he'll pick on 'em for a little while until they stand up for themselves. Most dog owners I've encountered are okay with this, some even saying that it will be good for 'em.
This woman had an unfortunate incident and is so freaked out that its affecting others. I seriously hope she was joking with the 'I care for rescue dogs'.
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no subject
Date: 2006-09-24 02:26 am (UTC)Once my (soon to be) FSIL had her dog at my IL's and kept the dog on her lap (it was a fru fru dog) because Beacon kept giving it looks. She was afraid that he would bite her. We kept telling her that that if the dogs were allowed to interact they'd work things out on their own but she didn't care.
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Date: 2006-09-24 02:46 pm (UTC)Still, it rattled me a bit -- no one wants to be accused of being a bad dog owner!
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Date: 2006-09-24 06:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-24 02:49 pm (UTC)if her kid wasn't with her, I know that Judd would have laid into her. I'm never quick enough to come up with snappy comebacks, or else I would have said something like "well, you've got a SUBMISSIVE DOG who needs to stand up for himself"
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Date: 2006-09-24 11:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-25 09:47 am (UTC)