How is this my fault?!

Just wanted a little moan cos I was a bit upset this morning.

There's an man (maybe in his 60s) lives on the corner of my street. He has a little 4 years old JRT, very cute little dog. He doesn't really walk her, just 10 minutes or so on a morning from what I've seen, but she sits out in the garden a lot of the time.

I usually (90% of the time) cross over the road to avoid walking directly past his house because I know she barks when we walk past (as my dogs do if they are in the garden and a dog walks past).

This morning I walked right past his garden because there was someone walking a dog on the other side of the street. The JRT was out in her garden (these are corner gardens so they go round the front of the house).

JRT sees my two and barks like crazy, running up and down the garden. My dogs start barking too so I'm keeping them under tight control and getting past as best as I can while trying to get them to stop barking (which is hard when the little dog is trying to get them through the fence ).

A woman standing at the bus stop said to me 'They're all the same aren't they?' and smiled so I smiled back.

Then the old man comes out and shouts 'Her dogs always torment my dog that's why she's barking'

I said to him 'Excuse me, it's your choice to put your dog in the garden, it's not my fault it barks.' To which he replies 'You're as daft as your bloody dogs woman'

So I said 'Keep your dog inside idiot'. Now I realise I maybe shouldn't have said that last one, but he was saying it was my dogs making his dogs bark - his dog barks at everyone who goes past

I really don't think I can be blamed for walking past on a public path with my dogs can I?

Thanks for reading guys.

awe hun, hes old, that makes him right! in his eyes anyway,

remember what I told you before, just stick with that, if he needs to blame others for his dogs problems, fine,

Im sure the woman standing at the bus stop thought he was a loony,

on the upside, at least no one screamed at you, those bloody devil dogs always ............yada yada...I get that now and then, lol

big hug,

good rant!! hope you feel better!

What an a-hole. You were quite restrained I think. If some moron confronted me in an aggressive manner for simply walking past I wouldn't bite my tongue.

You didn't do anything wrong and I hope you feel better after sharing it. He was blaming you for his shortcomings but he is too daft to realise this.

I enjoy a good debate but I hate confrontation when it is unreasonable and gets personal, I get really upset but they are always stupid people that are unreasonable anyway.

xx

He just sounds like a grumpy old man! I wouldn't worry about it

Thanks guys I do feel loads better.

Shona you're my rock when it comes to all things doggy. I always think of our telephone conversation and all the advice you gave me

as Shona says, he's over 60, he's got the grumpy badge!

YOU are allowed to walk where you like with your dogs, past whatever you like as long as you are on a public right of way! Did your dogs cause any problems or attack anything??? NO! If you don't feel up to confronting him about who is in the wrong here, then just ignore him!

I have the same problem when the lady walks past with that little black terrior (the one who Zena had a ruck with on the green the other week!). Both my dogs go absolutely NUTS when it goes by, and they KNOW when it's coming too, even with all the doors in the house shut and the fencing is a long way off my house! However, when I was out the back hanging out some washing the other day and I heard them coming, it was HER dog who started barking first coz mine were indoors, until they heard it and raced out and barked back at it!

I have apologised profusely to this woman about MY dogs barking at hers when she walks past, and she just said not to worry about it, it doesn't bother her and she laughed! Why can't this man be the same then and just accept that some dogs just don't like some dogs, and some dogs like to protect their own gardens! Oh yes, she's only about 40, so she isn't grumpy - yet!

Thanks Helena

I don't have any problem with people walking past my house with their dogs (there's lots of dogs around here). I see it like my dogs are protecting their territory and if I get fed up with them barking or they get overexcited, I put them back inside (they're never out in the garden alone because it's a front corner garden).

This man for some reason just doesn't like me and my OH. It was quite funny at the weekend, my mum was walking with me and he was standing on his doorstep. So being the friendly soul she is she smiled and said 'Morning!' He just scowled at her

When we got past she says to me 'What's wrong with him?' so I said 'We don't talk to him he's grumpy' lol

I'm totally over it now, I'll rise above it and ignore him. I do love it sometimes when I walk past on the other side of the street, my dogs walking lovely on loose leads and not even looking in that direction and his little dog is going wild in it's garden. I feel a bit sorry for it though because it doesn't get out much.

Can you be blamed for walking on a public street ? You surely can!
I had one old dear once open her door and tell me and another lady to move on - as we were spoiling her view! On a road in Dagenham
So see, grumpy oldies with the grumpy badge own the road.

Glad you're feeling better