Yet Another Numpty Owner!!

Hi All,

I was about to take Zane out for a walk a couple of hours ago to the park. I haven't got Oscar with me this weekend so I was intending to let the dogs have individual time in the park, maybe a couple of hours each.

Anyway, Yiannis and Jenzi had already been out. Zane was the last to go.

As I was coming out of the front door with Zane there was a Yorkshire Terrier walking past my property frontage. He wasn't on lead. His owner was about 4-5 yards behind him; certainly too far away to grab hold of him should anything untoward happen.

Anyway, Zane was on lead but decided he wanted to play with this little dog. HIs tail was wagging furiously, his bum was wiggling. Zane doesn't usually do that unless it's doggy play time. Zane barked at him. ONCE. One bark was all it took!! The little dog must've been startled because he ran, full pelt straight into the road and across to the other side.

Anyone who knows Birmingham, will know that Brays Road is very busy during school run times, rush hour and Saturdays. This is because it runs almost parallel to the main A45/Coventry Road and people use it to avoid the traffic and red lights.

Thankfully the little dog wasn't hit by a car and waited on the other side of the road for his exasperated owner to catch up. I then started to walk along with Zane and the other dog owner called me back so I stopped. I was then subjected to a mouthful of verbal abuse which of course, included some very colourful language.

I am now, apparently a bad dog owner for allowing my dog to startle his dog. Furthermore, I must have known in advance that he would do this and I should have also waited until he had passed our house before coming out of the front door.

So it would seem that now we have some decent weather, the numpties are out already. My OH is coming down from Manchester and we're taking the dogs out later. We'll see how many other numpties we come across!

I hope you suggested he invest in a lead

I'm not surprised . Did you mention that having a dog loose on a pavement of a busy road is incredibly irresponsible? I'm sure you did There are plenty of 'idiots' out about here as well. A new neighbour who has a little dog also looks after his daughter's spaniel x sometimes. The neighbour never hesitates to tell anyone who'll listen that the spaniel doesn't like other dogs and has nipped his grandchild a few times. Understandably nobody goes out of their way to chat to him if he's out with that dog. However, I mentioned a to him a few weeks ago that there is a dog size hole in the fence and that he needs to fix it before he has his daughter's dog over again. Surprise, surprise ...... he hasn't bothered and this morning I could a dog fight going on so rushed out on the the road to see that spaniel was having a go at two chihuahuas who were on leads.

I went to help catch the spaniel (horrible dog) and got him on a lead and mentioned about the hole again. He looked at the hole with total surprise ...... I think maybe he has a spot of dementia! Anyway I've told him to get it fixed 'cos if that dog comes out and has a go at my two he'll not hear the end of it.

I think I would have pointed out that not only was I the responsible one because my dog was on lead, but that I was the legal one too because surely that road is covered by an on lead only by law

What a total plonker. Expects you to stay in your house until you can see there are no other dogs in your street? lol! And what an irresponsible dog owner too - having his dog off lead on a busy road when today's event PROVED it cannot be relied upon not to dart off.

What can you do about people like this? (Well apart from report dog off lead maybe if you know who they are - that's a long shot)

You can't do anything about them. It won't be the last idiot you meet. All you can do is try to change the way you react to them and not let it upset you when you've done nothing wrong and nor has your dog - barking at another dog is not an offence (unless it is non stop all night barking keeping the neighbourhood awake!)

Cannot believe there's another PLONKER out there
Have just had a lovely walk ruined by a ******
Returning from a walk watched a car drive inti the public car park ,guy opens up back of car n let's out.BC n a Staffie x gets back into his car the 2dogs are running all over the car park onto the grass picnic area ,
The car park is not fenced leading directly on to the main road (only road in and out of the village very very busy )
I'm on the opposite side on pavement the muppets on leads ,the 2 dogs going balistic barking and diving almost on the road
Guy gets out of the car and has a right go at me ,for not walking quickly enough ,as his dogs may cross the road ,
I was totally shocked at his aggressive attitude ,
Told him if he got of his b/side (polite term used here ) and watched his dogs or had them on leads there wasn't be a problem
Oh and was he going to pick up the poohs they had left in the picnic area
Lovely walk ruined
Do people never learn

Oh dear, i hope you told him that maybe next tine he should put a lead on it. If one bark was all it took for the dog to run across the road. I am sure that dog is going to be barked at again in it's life.

In future you should be more responsible and wait in your hall way peering out the letter box to ensure there are no poor unsuspecting off lead nervous dogs walking near your house without their owners paying full attention! Or maybe even get one of these...

I know how annoying it is to be expected to know when a dog is walking by but here I have to look before we open the front door as we can't take a chance on our two friendlies meeting the staffie cross on the ground floor as he most definately wants to kill them. So we wait until he is taken in or I will call down and ask them to just move away from the entrance so I can exit safely. A nuiscance but much safer for all concerned.