Reader Mail: Dangerous Dogs
3/7/2008:
Here’s today’s reader mail about the etiquette you’re supposed to have when you own a deranged and dangerous dog:
Rude dog walker with dangerous dog
“This morning around 6:45 I took my dogs out for a walk and a trip to the dog park. While they were peeing on the curb in front of my apartment, I woman walking her dog walks up the sidewalk and appears clearly aggitated once she gets to me and my dogs (there was plenty of space to pass and I even pulled one over a little more so she’d have more room). She huffed out a rude ‘excuse me’, allowing her dog to tough noses with mine as she walked by.
Once my dogs were done, I started walking up my street towards the dog park, with this woman being in front of me when I started–I passed her as we were crossing a street, she sighed heavily, looked at my with a clearly annoyed expression, and muttered some words that I hope I heard incorrectly. She then muttered (again, low enough that it wasn’t easy to hear) that her dog would attack my dogs (now this dog wasn’t growling or showing any other threatening behavior that would clearly indicate his potential issue with other dogs, so it’s something she would have had to articulate to me in our previous encounter). Once I heard that, I told her she shouldn’t be walking them near me (she had every opportunity to say that her dog wasn’t friendly, and had the chance to cross the street rather than allowing her dog to walk within inches of mine when she first encountered me, even allowing her ‘dangerous’ dog to touch noses with mine).
People–if you have dogs that are possibly a danger to other dogs, PLEASE clearly let it be known to those you encounter. Dogs are all over the place in this town–people with dogs that don’t get along with others are generally good–pulling theirs to the side and announcing to me as I approach that their dog isn’t good with other dogs..allowing me to keep mine to the side and not let them enter the other dog’s personal space).
It is YOUR responsibility to protect others from your dogs potential problems. Don’t act annoyed with me when I happen to be using the sidewalk–it isn’t your personal property. Speak up CLEARLY so that I know your dog is a possible danger to mine and don’t be so rude. Keep YOUR dog away from others–this woman could have easily crossed the street once she saw my dogs exit my apartment building–she was a half block away!
Hoboken NJ
30 Responses to ** Reader Mail: Dangerous Dogs **
March 7th, 2008 |
Sounds like that person is just as unstable as her pets. I don’t let my dog go ANYWHERE near other dogs when we’re walking. Not because she’s dangerous, but because I don’t want to risk it. Kudos to you for keeping your cool.
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March 7th, 2008 |
Not quite sure I understand the point of this rant, but okay.
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March 7th, 2008 |
Being considerate? In HOBOKEN? You must be insane! Move to the suburbs immediately, we don’t tolerate any level of being considerate to others here!
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March 7th, 2008 |
Um, what?
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March 7th, 2008 |
was speaking as hard to understand as your writing?
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March 7th, 2008 |
Anyone ever see the pit-bull mix dog that lives between 6th and 7th on Willow – it is so vicious, it has a Hannibal Lector metal mask on its snout covering its mouth. I was walking by with my dogs when she walking up the steps to her place – Hannibal the Dog lunged and growled at my 2 little dogs – the owner was holding him back with all her might – thank God for that mask, and the strong owner!
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March 7th, 2008 |
Where did this take place?
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March 7th, 2008 |
Hey—I was the one who wrote in about this–apologies if the posting was a bit incoherent and long, but I wrote it quickly this morning. I was just furious that this woman acted like I was getting in her way–hello…communicate with other people so as not to put other people and their pets in danger and if you think your dog is going to act out then don’t bring them near other dogs.
I have seen that pit bull once before over on Willow–it’s quite frankly terrifying–when I saw him the owner didn’t have a muzzle on it and it nearly took the head off a maltese…at least it has a muzzle on it now I guess….
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March 7th, 2008 |
I had a terrible experience with a big black dog on Jefferson between 1st and 2nd. The dog was tied to a railing near the sidewalk, and his owner was unloading his SUV. My puppy (a corgi) and I gave the dog plenty of space as we walked by, but the dog just lunged at my puppy’s neck and would not let go. My puppy immediately began squealing with pain, but owner just looked on while the attack was in progress. Aftere I was finally able to separate them, the owner cracked a half smile and said, “Yeah, he doesn’t like other dogs.” I was LIVID (and let him know so). I wasn’t thinking clearly and should have demanded his contact info, especially in view of the vet bills that resulted from my puppy’s wounds. Be very careful if you EVER have the misfortune of encountering either of them in that part of town.
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March 7th, 2008 |
I lived with a dog who hated every other dog on the planet. When I walked her, I kept her away from other dogs and told other dog-owners she didn’t play well with others, period. It’s not that difficult. People are real numb nuts sometimes.
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March 7th, 2008 |
Melmo–that makes me so upset
It’s so easy to avoid these situations if people were responsible owners…but we all know a lot aren’t, unfortunately…
I remember a dog was attacked at a fenced dog park in a town I used to live in and the guy just ran off with his dog. Didn’t check to see if the other dog was ok or to offer assistance…such a scum. The dog had a pretty bad wound on his back/thigh area and the owner incurred hefty vet bills too.
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March 7th, 2008 |
sounds like some pet owners need to get the
“dog dazer” in order to protect yourself and your pets from vicious dogs. Google dog dazer, and you’ll find info…I believe it acts like a dog whistle but can’t be 100% sure.
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March 7th, 2008 |
I am still a little confused by your story BB, but some dogs can be intimidated by one owner walking 2 dogs. Mine isn’t particularly vicious, but he doesn’t like those odds and gets a little agitated when he sees 2 dogs coming at him (even moreso when they look a lot alike-even if they are really small. lol) It freaks him out, he’s a little bit of a prima donna.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I am sort of a bitch at 6:45AM too.
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March 7th, 2008 |
I’ll clarify if you have specific questions…if it’s worth your time, who knows? I wasn’t coming at her though–my dogs were stopped on the curb peeing and she was the one who was approaching me (hence her ability to change directions/cross the street/stop until my dogs had moved on/etc.)…which is why it annoyed me when she appeared annoyed at me. She had already passed me and then I was walking her direction to go to the park and passed her…that’s when she muttered that her dog would attack my dogs (couldn’t have mentioned that before, I guess?). That’s when I told her she should have said something to me before or simply keep her dog away from other dogs. I’m cranky in the morning too–no excuse to allow a situation where a dog attack can occur.
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March 7th, 2008 |
this is why I don’t take my monkey out in public! I don’t want it getting bit.
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March 7th, 2008 |
Calm down BB, I am with you…I get why you’d be upset, she should have just crossed the street before she reached you. I will admit though, I have a route in the morning, he goes in the same place EVERY morning.I absolutely refuse to change that route for anyone for any reason, of course my dog doesn’t eat other dogs!
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March 7th, 2008 |
sorry–wasn’t agitated when I wrote that Kooky Kat…just didn’t know if you’d care to hear more and trying to paint a clearer story of what happened since you asked
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March 7th, 2008 |
I’m hungover a little, it’s probably my fault! heh
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March 7th, 2008 |
Nah–my fault. Loooooong work week
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March 7th, 2008 |
In response to Melmo who said:
since i’ve moved to hoboken, i haven’t had my own dog, but i have had dogs my entire life. mostly, large dogs. i’m currently watching my in-laws west highland terrier and when i take her for a walk, if i see other dogs – i follow common sense and don’t let them get near each other. i also ask people if their dogs are friendly. maybe it’s just a habit of mine because i’ve always had larger dogs and know what a large dog can do even if it doesn’t have malicious intent.
bottom line is, everyone should be smart.
the lady spoken about in the original letter was rude, and the guy you speak about in your post was an ass also, but still, people have a responsibility to their own dogs too to not let them get into those situations to begin with.
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