West Seattle Blog...

WSB Forum » West Seattle Rants & Raves

(14 posts)

Get Out of YOUR Neighborhood?!?!?

Started 5 months ago by ProudWSFamily
Latest reply from JanS

ProudWSFamily
Member Profile

I just got back from walking my dogs on their daily morning walk. I always walk my 14 year old first because he tires easily and then go for a mile or more with my 6 year old terrier rescue. My older dog is as mellow as they come, but my younger dog gets aggressive if approached while on leash by another dog off leash.

Part way through this walk this morning I saw you across the street with your very large dog off leash. I hoped beyond hope that yours was one of those amazing dogs that can be off leash and minds you perfectly. Unfortunately I was wrong. Your dog began to cross the street. I said, "Please get your dog" and began to walk in the other dog direction. The dog followed. You began to command, "Buddha come!" But Buddha did not come and your dog continued to approach and follow. Finally I said, "Get your dog!" very loudly. When you finally got your dog I said, "Please keep your dog on a leash. My dog gets aggressive when approached by other dogs off leash."

So far normal leashed dog/not on leash dog interaction. However what happened next floored me. Instead of mumbling "sorry" and moving away as usually happens, you stood there and had the nerve to tell me "If your dog is aggressive you should get out of this neighborhood. We don't want you walking your dog here." I think my jaw may have scraped the pavement! I said, "Your dog is supposed to be on leash and lots of dogs get aggressive when approached by off leash dogs." You then continued your diatribe saying "Go walk in your own neighborhood, Lady! I am going to tell the neighbors to watch out for you and your awful dog. You are rude!"

What!????!!!!! My dog is ON LEASH! Your dog is OFF leash. LOTS of dogs are aggressive when approached by an off leash dog. I walk this route every day and live only four blocks away. I consider it my neighborhood too and don't particularly appreciate your dog roaming the neighborhood when you clearly don't have control over it. I can almost bet had my dog growled or bit your dog, you would have been screaming about how you were going to sue me!

I am just floored at the egocentric, self justification of some people! So lady if you are reading this, please educate yourself on not only the laws of this city, but try to have some level of critical self-reflection about your defensive and inappropriate response.

Posted 5 months ago #
JoB
Member Profile

I am tired of pet owners who think it is my responsibility to make it work for them to ignore the laws.

if you are breaking the law..
it's your responsibility to make that work for people who aren't.

Posted 5 months ago #
Semele
Member Profile

I have to agree. My 70lb ball of fur is one of the sweetest dogs around (some on the blog can attest to that). However, and that's a big however, when she is on leash and approached by another dog (off leash or on) she can become agressive. It's a well known fact about leash aggression. At least when the other dog is on leash it's pretty easy to pull them apart if the introduction isn't going as planned, but when the other dog is off leash it is a nightmare.

Inevitably I (or my dog) is the one that ends up taking the blame because someone else cannot control their dog. I am sorry to hear this happened to you. And get out of the neighborhood? What the heck kind of attitude is that?

Posted 5 months ago #
luckymom30
Member Profile

Bump

Posted 5 months ago #
abstract
Member Profile

What a jerk! Which neighborhood was this? My dogs can get aggressive if approached by off-leash dogs while they are on a leash. You could report them to animal control.

Posted 5 months ago #
Anonymous
Member Profile

ProudWSFamily ... I am so very sorry you had to endure this person's ignorant and toxic banter. Here's the thing ... you know you are in the right, and that person is so clearly wrong, legally and personally. "Go walk in your own neighborhood." Yikes! It saddens me that people live in their own little entitled world unwilling to look beyond their own needs.

Posted 5 months ago #
anonyme
Member Profile

What a jackass. That level of irrational self-absorption is mind-boggling. Reason will never prevail in these cases. If you can find out where they live, please submit a report to animal control. You can do it easily online.

The other excuse that just slays me is when someone's off-leash dog becomes aggressive toward your leashed one, and the owner pronounces that YOUR dog is responsible because it must have been giving off a VIBE that agitated their friendly beast. No shortage of idiots out there.

Posted 5 months ago #
babalou
Member Profile

people who run their dogs off leash in parks are making a statement. The rules are clear and they know the rules.Unlike alot of passive rule breaking, it is an aggressive statement because of the implicit possibility that the dog is aggressive. As a result most people will not confront them about breaking the rules and they get used to being able to run their dogs off leash--in parks, at play fields, on the beach. Why do we put up with this?

Posted 5 months ago #
datamuse
Member Profile

Well, babalou, what exactly do we do about it? I'm not trying to be snarky or a jerk, it's a serious question. Because I do confront people who let their dogs run loose (in several instances, those dogs have chased, growled, or even snapped at me, though I haven't been bitten--YET) and, without exception, their reactions are pretty much in line with what ProudWSFamily describes here.

It's not like they don't KNOW they're breaking the rules. They do, and have already decided to be jerks about it. So when you point that out to them, you're not telling them something they don't already know.

And yeah, I've called animal control. But as we probably all know by now, animal control is understaffed and unless you can give them a name and address (which, for SOME reason, people letting their dogs run loose are reluctant to give), there's not a lot they can do.

It's frustrating. I get that there aren't a lot of places to run your dogs around. I support creating more off leash parks and options for dog owners to have fun with their pets.

But some of those dog owners are making it really, really hard for me to keep doing that. (Especially the ones who take their dogs to WestCrest, and then run them around in the woods, or in the play area near the parking lot. For god's sake, the off-leash area is RIGHT THERE! WTF, people.)

Posted 5 months ago #
CeeBee
Member Profile

Don't yell at me, because I honestly don't know, but is it legal to pepper spray an approaching dog like in this situation?

Posted 5 months ago #
JoB
Member Profile

CeeBee..
i would have a hard time pepper spraying the dogs...

but i sure wonder if it would work on the owners?

Posted 5 months ago #
hopey
Member Profile

Actually, what you want is citronella spray. Humane, effective, and won't bother you if the wind blows it back at you. Like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Premier-DIRECT-STOP-RETAIL-SprayShield/dp/B0002XKIV6/

Posted 5 months ago #
SJoy
Member Profile

Geeze... another "special" person at the park this evening. My husband and son were walking our three dogs and of course there needed to be another "special" person at the park with their unleashed dog. And to top it off, this UNLEASHED dog decided to charge my husband, son, two yorkies and our pitbull (all leashed). The husband had to pull out a chain and wave it at the dog yelling.
.
Now you would think that the owner would say he was sorry but instead told my husband he was an alcoholic LOL... this of course is hilarious on so many levels, especially since my husband hasn't been drunk in over 20 years and very occasionally has a shot of scotch...
.
I think we will go and get stickers made that say "I'm a Special Person" just for these jackasses that think they don't have to follow the rules.
.
I am getting so frustrated with people and their "special" attitude. And of course, if that UNLEASHED dog would have instigated a fight with my LEASHED pitbull, the guys dog would have gotten the worse end and we would have had to confine our dog for 10 days if we were even able to keep him. FRUSTRATED.
.
People - use a leash - really it's not that freaking difficult. You are NOT the center of the world and YOUR dog will get hurt. I think I'm going to get that citronella pray (along with the stickers).

Posted 5 months ago #
JanS
Member Profile

If nothing else, SJoy, I think I would get along well with your hubby....I, too, like an occasional bit of scotch - lol. That special attitude of some dog owners is all around. Recently was driving past Me-Kwa-Mooks Park on Beach Drive, and there were at least 5 or 6 unleashed dogs running around, their owners all standing around like it was a sanctioned off leash park. Gall..

Posted 5 months ago #