This is a rant. Beware as there is a real chance that smoke will come from this post shortly.
Today I went for a walk with a friend. We walk in the countryside where we meet very few cars or people. It’s an 8km loop which we do at least once a week and have been doing for about eight years. It’s our therapy so to speak.
Now I’m assuming you can imagine the peace as we walk our country path, cows munching in the fields and birds singing, the only sounds breaking the silence. So you may wonder, why do some of our friends refuse to join us?
It’s because each time we walk we are attacked by two dogs.
Maybe you think I’m exaggerating? Well let me paint you the picture. Each walk we bring with us my friends two, fairly large dogs, on a lead, one each. About fifteen minutes into the walk we thankfully near the top of heart attack hill. Lying on the road waiting for us are two dogs, a Springer Spaniel and a Labrador. As we approach we scour the ditches for sticks. Fairly large ones if we can find them. When we are about twenty feet from the dogs they charge. The spaniel is the worst offender. He flies past, barking his head off, snarling and en-route goes to attack whichever dog is nearest. Our dogs go mad on the lead and we do our best to pull them on up the hill. The labrador stays with us barking his head off. The spaniel launches himself at us another six or seven times until eventually we pass it’s house. The whole episode lasts about four minutes. Only once in the eight years have I seen its owners. On that occasion they were in their driveway and when the dogs attacked they went indoors, without a word and more importantly without their dogs!
So if we’ve been putting up with this for years why am I writing this post boiling, you may ask? Well today we walked as usual. For the 
first time ever another friend came bringing with her, her beautiful, king charles spaniel, aptly named ‘Lady’. As we approached the dogs we saw two neighbours chatting. We warned our friend that her dog might be in danger so she decided to carry her. We picked up our sticks and walked on. Predictably the dogs attacked, this time joined by one of the neighbours retrievers. We dragged our dogs along as the other dogs barked, snarled and tried to bite ours. When we were almost clear of their houses and they were still relentlessly attacking, I turned and raised my stick. They stopped and retreated. As I did so one of the observers of the attack said ‘Look at her brazenly lifting that stick to the dog.’
Now am I mad or what? Am I missing something here? Was I a crazy, dog hating, mad women, to dare raise a stick to a dog biting my dog who is on a lead?
This happened almost twelve hours ago. Since then I have two regrets,
- That I didn’t do more than just raise the stick.
- That I didn’t walk back up to Mr Gobshite and stand really, really, really close to him while the dogs were attacking, to ask him what he said?
Now I have written it down I can only say, ‘Feck I feel no less angry’
photo credit: bumper talk via photopin (license)
My thoughts on a page. 
You have every right to be upset. Pets are treasures, but just like all relationships, need to be respectful of others, something those owners were not teaching.
Yes I love dogs but this is so much more than a pair of dogs barking at you as you pass their house.
I better not pass them for a while as I could take some time to calm down.
I can’t believe the owners lack of respect. You shouldn’t have had this experience or had to be subjected to those snide comments. I can see why you’re irritated. I love dogs too, but your safety is impt.
I would definitely be upset. I don’t blame you for still being upset. It’s a weekly thing for you and it will happen again. It is really bothersome to me that their owners let them loose like that. Here, you can’t do that for any dog (legally) and most especially for vicious dogs like that. They would have been reported and fined and if there were a repeat offense, they might lose their pets.
It’s illegal here too, but they live in the country so no one is going to report them, including us!
It really annoyed me today though, that he witnessed what happened and thought me in the wrong.
I don’t feckin blame you Tric. I’ve been attacked by loose dogs while on my bike. Ended up in the hospital for 3 days with a broken hip. People just don’t care to take responsibility. I can feel your anger from here, and I don’t blame you.
Ah I love the way your Irish lingo kicked in here. We could let rip between us.
A broken hip! That’s dreadful. Did you confront the owners?
They sat on the porch watching…… yelled for the dog before it knocked me off of my bike. Then ignored us while the emergency squad was called. Or I would have.
Please be careful on your walks! We just had an incident where two young women were jogging and attacked by two dogs. If a lady in a car had not come by when she did they would have died. That bad! A lot of missing flesh from their legs, arms and head. The dogs were shot by authorities later. You just never know. Have you tried mase? A 38 special? (For the owners perhaps?) kidding..but they should be responsible pet owners.
I’m sorely tempted, maybe not the 38 though! I’ll keep you posted if I take action
tric, I agree with Deb (not the .38 lol) mace or bear spray or a spray water bottle with straight vinegar at the eyes. Bad dogs are the result of bad owners…take care…Dave.
I think we will have to change tactics. I like the idea of the vinegar. Thank you Dave.
You are welcome…maybe a little cayenne pepper in it too? Don’t wanna hurt them though…:\
that is incredibly horrible. the owners need to be accountable. is there anything legal you can do about it with the local coppers? the situation is rude and dangerous and i don’t blame you for being mad as hell.
I can’t believe we just put up with it, but I’m not sure if either of us want to confront the owners, nor do I think they will do anything at all about it and then what do we do.
I do think we will change tactics though as I’ve reached a ‘final straw’ moment.
Oh my gosh. Please call animal control. What if children become involved? Those people are a menace, along with their cujos.
I know what you mean, but they live in the country and no one really passes much. That’s probably why the dogs go so crazy. It’s the owners I’m beginning to fixate on now and I’m still annoyed. I’ll keep you posted if we do take action.
Those dogs need to be reined in by their owners – holy smokes!! ❤
Diana xo
That’s the issue really, it’s the owners who have allowed the dogs behave this way. I’m still thinking what to do. Thanks.
You don’t want to know what I would do…
This is how people ending up suing the dog owners when someone gets bit. What a jerk of an owner. When someone gets bit and he gets sued and has to pay maybe just maybe the snarling dogs will calm down
I think we’ve got so used to it over the years but it was seeing it through our friends eyes and also that eejit giving out to me and not the dogs that has tipped me over the edge. Something has to change that’s for sure.
It almost sounds as if the owners feel they have territorial rights over their patch of land and view you and your friends as trespassers, Tric. I would be tempted to go with the vinegar bottle idea but you’d likely be the one arrested for animal cruelty despite the fact that they could have the leg off you. I’m trying to imagine myself in your position and I can see and hear me roaring at the owners to wisen the feck up before you report them for letting dangerous dogs loose. My husband was attacked last year by an alsation while the owner stood by then claimed, ‘It’s never done that before.’ He had to get stitches in his arm, reported it to the police and turns out that, yup, the owner had already had a warning. It’s basically a form of bulying – my dogs bigger than yours. You shouldn’t have to run the gamut on every walk. Why is the world full of eejits? Thought for the day.
If they bit me I’d freak out at the owners I can tell you. I agree completely with your comment, the owners definitely believe they have a god given right to that patch of road as do their dogs. That is the issue. I think it’s a work in progress. I’ll keep you posted. 🙂
As an owner of two German Shepherd dogs this has made me extremely mad and angry. If it was me I’d report the dog to animal control so that the owners can be made accountable for their animals. We have a similar situation but the dog IS behind a gate. One Saturday we heard a scream in our estate and the dog had attacked a girl of about 8. We called animal control and didn’t see the dog for months.
Those owners are completely irresponsible and should be held accountabile for their dogs. I ensure ours are under control and on a lead at all times once they are outside our front door. It’s basic common sense and respect for the general public.
If I’m this mad I can only imagine how you feel!
Thank you. I do think calling animal control is an option. You are spot on they totally lack respect for the public. I’m actually still mad a few days later even though it’s been happening for years I think this was the last straw.
Sometimes a rant is really called for. It’s unbelievable how nasty people can be. Is it getting worse? Sometimes it seems so.
Ah yes a rant is really good for the soul. It helped somewhat but I think the advice helped even more. I like to think there are a lot of good people in the world and try to look for them more than those other crowd of less savoury characters, like the owners of these dogs.
I’m not sure what they expected you to do. Perhaps offer up your friend’s dog as lunch. Oh well, at least you didn’t get my most hated dog owner comment ever: “Haha, he’s a little high-spirited!” This is usually said, of course, while the dog is gnawing on your ankle.
Ah poor Lady would have been ripped to shreds. I’m not sure if they just hate our dogs or does anyone else ever get this treatment.
I think they might get a taste of my shoe the next day I pass. Nice thought. 🙂
There’s no two ways about it. People have to control their pets. If they can’t do that, they really shouldn’t have them. 🙂