Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Pet Peeves of a Dog Walker

This is a sort-of tag to my walking post last week. Our neighborhood has lots and lots and lots of dogs. I think it is a requirement to live here, actually. :) I love that the park on the corner turns into the (unofficial) dog park at 5 when everyone gets off work. But all these dogs does bring up some of my pet peeves.

1. Flexi leashes are an abomination and should be outlawed. For starters, they train your dog that they should always have tension on the leash. The dog is always as far away from the owner as they can be, and the owners rarely have them under any sort of control. (Yes, I'm talking to you, the girl on her phone while her yappy little creature that resembled a dog ran all the way up to us and wrapped around my stroller and three dogs--who were sitting as they had been told to do--twice before the girl even noticed.) If you know us in real life, you know my dogs aren't perfect. One likes to jump on visitors despite all we've tried to do to break him of that habit, one barks at everything that moves. But they do know how to walk on a loose-leash by my left side. And they are good at it. I can control all three of them (80 lbs, 55 lbs, and 22 lbs) with one hand and push the stroller with the other. Banish the flexi and pay attention to your dog!

2. Scoop. If you are grown up enough to have a dog, and in the city no less, pick up after your pet!!! If you don't, I've been known to say "Oh, you forgot your bag! Here, I have an extra." And I'll give you a fake smile and have that bag in your hand before you can blink. And yes, I will watch to make sure you finish the clean-up job.

3. If you do not have voice control over your dog, do not let them off-leash. Our city has a leash law, but it isn't really enforced. And I'm totally fine with that, IF your dog will mind you off-leash. But if you do not know 100% that your dog will obey, do not let them off their leash! My dogs are not allowed off-lead in our neighborhood parks for this very reason--if they see a squirrel every training command they know goes out the window. So we just don't do it.

Okay, through venting.

Next time I'll post some Annie pictures for you.

1 comment:

  1. Haha I'm the flexi leash girl...granted, I reel them in when we pass other walkers so they are by my side, and I only walk them on a trail or in a park, not on the urban streets! My one redeeming quality is that I do pick up their poo ;-)

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