Article in the Washington Post

[abker17]

Some of this article is good, and I can agree with, but when the guy starts going off about pit bulls.... :evil:

Hounded- I love dogs, it's the owners that drive me crazy

I was jogging on the Glover Archbold Trail in the District recently when a woman appeared on the path ahead, walking toward me with two large dogs, neither on a leash. One, a shaggy collie mix, lumbered lazily along and stuck close to it's owner. But the other dog, a Doberman Pinscher, bounded up the trail, all wiry energy, heading straight for me. It wasn't growling or barking- but it wasn't wagging it's tail either. The woman yelled, "Get back here!" but made no real attempt to restrain it.
When the Doberman was about three feet away from me, it jumped up toward my face. Startled, I raised my left arm, and the dog bit lightly on my wrist. Not enough to hurt or break the skin, but enough to make me with I'd picked a different route for my run. Then it let go and trotted on down the trail.
I jogged past the woman, glaring at her. She just shook her head a little and offered a not-very-sincere-sounding "Sorry." She was smiling slightly, apparently assuming that I found this incident as harmless and amusing as she did.
But I didn't. During the last couple of miles on my run, I grew angrier by the minute. Not at the dog, but at the woman. Was it really possible for her to be so dense about how threatening her animal could seem to a stranger?
I can't imagine that I was the first person her Doberman had menaced. Yet it seemed that she had concluded that granting her pets the joy of running free was more important than other people's right to use the park without feeling threatened. Maybe she had even deluded herself into thinking her dog's actions were quirky and cute, and that others would think so, too.
Well, dog lovers, brace yourselves for a little harsh reality: Your pooches aren't as lovable to everyone else as they to you. I know this is a crushing though, but there are lots of people who don't enjoy being licked, sniffed, nipped or other wise greeted by your four legged friends.
Those who do want to get to know your pets will make it obvious, I promise. They'll give a whistle and say "Here, boy!" I see it all the time- I even do it myself on occasion. But for the sake of harmony between the dog and non dog people of the world, can you please not assume that everybody's okay with having Fido up in thier faces? Keep in mind: When slobber and fur at close quarters are involved, it's important that all parties be consenting participants.
Don't dismiss this as a rant of a dog hater. You couldn't be more wrong. I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin. My family always had one or two dogs and a few cats around the house. We didn't pull up a chair at the dinner table for them, and I guarantee that none attended a day spa for pets. But they all lived comfortable lives and enjoyed plenty of affection.
My favorite was an adorable beagle who lived to 17 and often seemed my best friend in the world. Sometimes during those rough high school years, it felt as if that little dog was my only friend. In the afternoons after school we roamed the woods near my house, and on weekends we'd go camping. When my childhood companion died several years ago, I was crushed.
I'll have a dog again some day, when the time is right. For now, I enjoy taking my parents' Dalmation for a walk when I visit them back home. So I'm hardly anti-dog.
But let's be realistic: No pet, not even my beloved beagle, is more important than a person, and pets don't belong in certain places. I know lots of responsible pet owners who feel the same way. But too many people, particularly in urban areas, seem to have lost a piece of thier minds when it comes to thier pets.
Maybe it's a symptom of the loneliness many feel in a big, impersonal city. But it can cause problems, not just for people, but for the pets too. I'm stunned to see how many people insist on keeping dogs- sometimes large dogs, sometimes multiple dogs- in small urban spaces. I live alone in a one bedroom condo in Rosslyn, and as much as I'd love to have another beagle, I wouldn't want to lock a dog in my place for 8 or 10 hours every day. I think it would be cruel. Not to mention messy.
Which brings me to those who balk at the most basic responsibility of owning a pet. You know what I mean. Sure, picking up dog doo-doo is a demeaning task, but hey- if you insist on keeping a pair of greyhounds in the midst of 8 million people, there's a price to be paid. In densely populated areas, cleaning up after your pet isn't just polite, it's a public health matter (besides often being the law). And remember- every time a non-dog person soils a pair of shoes on what Fluffy left behind, you're just feeding the anti-dog fever out there.
Even more troubling are owners like the woman at the park, who are oblivious to how frightening thier pets can be. I wasn't afraid of her Doberman, because I grew up around dogs and could sense from it's body language that it probably wasn't vicious. But if the dog had gone after a 3 year old in the same way, the incident could have been down right ugly.
And what is the deal with the pit bull rescue crowd?
Perhaps pit bulls really are gentle by nature, as thier owners claim. Maybe it's true that only bad people make dogs do bad things. But even if only bad people would use explosives to hurt other people, for instance, we wouldn't start making dynamite available at the local hardware store assuming that only demolition experts would purchase it, would we?
Same with pit bulls. These dogs aren't suitable as domestic pets, so they shouldn't be promoted as such. Wouldn't the pit bull people do doggie-dom much more good if they spent thier free time helping people adopt less menacing, gentle breeds that fill local shelters, instead of defending pit bull "rights"?
All these problems and others seem to arise from the growing phenomenon of people viewing pets as mini humans. What gives here, folks? Do you really think a cocker spaniel needs a doggie sweater to go for a walk on a 40 degree evening? Or that dogs like having booties strapped on thier paws?
I've got some news for you: They don't.
Animals don't need the same things from life as humans, and thier rights fall somewhere below ours. Trust me- your dogs are cool with that, as long as you treat them with kindness and dignity. (Hint: Dignity does not equal doggie leg warmers.)
You and your pet will both be happier if you can come to terms with that. And if you use a little common sense when taking your pets for a stroll, the rest of us will be happier too.
But for those of you who insist that your pooches be allowed to stretch thier legs and enjoy the wonders of the world unfettered by pesky laws and courtesies that should apply when you share small spaces with lots of people, may I humbly suggest that you look into a house in the country with a 10-acre lot.
And a fence.

Author's e-mail:
[email][email protected][/email]

[courtnek]

[quote]Or that dogs like having booties strapped on thier paws?
I've got some news for you: They don't.
Animals don't need the same things from life as humans, and thier rights fall somewhere below ours. Trust me- your dogs are cool with that, as long as you treat them with kindness and dignity. (Hint: Dignity does not equal doggie leg warmers.)
[/quote]

I would say that depends on the dog and the area of the country. Chihuaua's in Chicago NEED sweaters and booties in the winter. maybe not to let them in the yard to go, but if you're going to walk them in -30 degree weather, you better cover them up. Frostbite is a real possibility for short haired dogs, like Chi's, and Chinese Cresteds....I know where Divine is coming from! We shared the same 3 weeks of -30 degrees this winter, and that's WITHOUT wind chill....even my Foxhound, an outside dog, needed boots because her feet were getting frozen on walks.
now, only for that 3 week period, but still, her feet dont have the fur padding the labs do, and her fur is even shorter then Freebee's.

As far as the Pit Bull snipe, while I didnt like it, it wasnt as bad as some I have read. and it wasnt a completely anti-Pit story at least. I agree that in cities like that, people need to be more responsible with their pets and leash and poop laws.

I did email him to point out what I think are flaws in the story.

[courtnek]

in response to your article - "I Love Dogs, it's the Owners that Drive Me Crazy...."

while for the most part, I agree. It is just plain rude, as well as usually illegal, to let your dogs run loose in a public park, or through the streets. You are fortunate you knew the correct response to the Dobie, someone else may have been bitten seriously if they showed fear or aggression towards the dog. And I agree it's not "cute", or "funny", and I think I would have had more to say about it to that woman then you did.
I agree that dog lovers should accept that there are non-dog lovers in the world, when in a public space.

However, I do have to disagree with a few things. Doggie warmers for one. I live near Chicago. If you look it up you will find that are winters often average between -10 and -30 degrees. It is just plain cruel to NOT cover up a small or short haired dog in that weather. Frostbite is a real possibility. 40 degrees? no, I cant see it. but in weather like ours, it is quite often necessary for the welfare of the dog. They still need exercise, even in inclement weather.

I am one of those people who believe that the Pit Bull has gotten a bad name, due to
bad breeding, stupid thugs and dog fighters, and general ignorance about the dog in general. Bad press hasnt helped any. They can be very excellent dogs, in the right hands and properly trained and socialized. The ones we keep hearing about, obviously, are not. This is not the dog for everyone. But banning them will not resolve the issue. Would you have Dobies, Rotties, Shepherds all banned? They also account for the majority of reported dog bites and fatalities....and sir, you are contributing to the problem. Yes, that Dobie only "nipped" you. You should have reported it and gotten this woman a ticket for having her dogs offleash. The only thing that will stop this sort of behavior, Pit Bull attacks included, is to MAKE the law clamp
down on the offenders. Every time you let people get away with this sort of thing, the better the chances are that the next "nip" will be a "bite", and as you mentioned, could be a child. A dog that size just being allowed by his stupid owner to jump on a child
could cause serious injury. Therefore, the owner needs to be taken in line. The dog is just a dog.

sincerely,

Katy Courtney
Elgin, IL.