Yesterday afternoon I thought I'd take the girls to the dog park a couple of miles from my house. There was only one family there (on the small dog side, that is) with 3 bulldogs. I unleashed my dogs and immediately the 3 bulldogs came running from across the park to "greet" my babies. The greeting started to get a little out of hand and my dogs were getting really nervous. I started out kindly telling the owners that my dogs were rather skittish around other dogs. Things started getting intense, Bella and Stella started freaking out and soon I was screaming at the insensitive owners to get their dogs off mine! They took their sweet time doing so and I was throwing water from my bottle at their dogs. I managed to grab Bella, but then all 3 were on top of Stella and she was yelping. I kept yelling and throwing water. The owners FINALLY grabbed their dogs and I screamed at them to have better control of their beasts. They said that's never happened before but I don't believe it. My dogs weren't hurt, just very scared and upset, like me. It made me realize how fast things happen and how ugly things can get. I'm going to buy pepper spray this week and I won't hesitate to use it. I may just forgo dog parks in the future, but will carry pepper spray even when I walk them. What a nightmare that was! I was VERY upset. Sigh.
Tonight will be very boring. I'm not a big fan of New Year's Eve anyway. Really don't like being out when you know the majority of the people out for the night are drinking (then driving). I will stay home, watch a movie and sip some Pinot Grigio. How thrilling!
Wishing you all a safe, happy, healthy and prosperous 2008!
2 comments:
I just came across your blog.
I used to take my dog to the dog park and she used to get nervous around other dogs in the park.
There was a set of three dogs a lab, jack russel and a mut (with a muzzel on) they used to harass every dog and try to show dominance to mine.
It made my dog very agressive towards other dogs. I have stopped taking her to the dog park and would say worst decision I made. I am rehabilitating her for that.
I would say dog parks are really bad not because of the dogs because of the owners. Owners do not care where their dogs are, what they are doing.
I would advice dog parks are not the good for dogs.
Thanks for sharing. I agree, it's the owners' fault, not the dogs. I started taking them to the park to get better socialized with other dogs, but this is not what I had in mind!
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