I haven’t received any hate mail yet about being a dog hater. I got a big ol’ 115 pound Four-Legged myself, and as I am parodying some odd people I’ve met while walking my dog through the frankly wonderful local park, I thought somebody might decide I hate dogs. I don’t. But that’s not to say that the occasional owner doesn’t need dog training lessons.
I’m also not saying that I’m the epitome of good dog owner. I’ve got my dog trained the way I like him, but that doesn’t mean a lot to people who see me out walking him, if they don’t like dogs, don’t trust dogs, or find it offensive that I often have my dog off the leash.
That being said, I’ve never taken my dog into any retail establishment except a pet store we have here locally. I got compliments on his behavior, and one lady thought it was pretty cool that I stood there while Roscoe (my dog’s name is Roscoe) looked over a bunch of bins holding pig ears and cow bones and other gory whatnot. I told Roscoe. “Pick one.” He looked at me, looked back at the bins, and chose a hunk of cow femur that’d been marinated in something brownish. “Okay. Come on.” He carried it to the counter where we paid for it and a bunch of other junk I’d gotten for him.
Good dog.
I’ve heard the old chestnut about there being “no bad dogs, just bad owners”, and some of the worst dog owners I’ve met are the ones that cuddle and coddle their dogs and would be astounded to think that anyone could consider them bag dog owners. Not ever teaching your dog anything? Bad owner. Your dog would probably really enjoy knowing what you’re saying to him or her. “Sit.” “Lie Down.” “Speak.” “No.” “Come here.” “Good Dog!” Those are your half of the conversation, and the dog seems genuinely happy to know what’s going on. Their reply is usually to carry out what you’ve asked of them, and occasionally to reply “Not until I’ve gone back for the stick I left back on the trail” but if you and your dog learn each other’s give-and-take, it’s pretty cool. Not nearly as upsetting as this one old guy I’ve met, whose dog is named ‘Kay-kay’. He shouts and hollers at ol’ Kay-kay, and she ignores him because, as near as I can tell, he’s never taken the time to teach her what any of his words mean. She runs up and down along the fence at the dog park barking at people on the other side of the fence. That’s the only game she knows, apparently. And she probably thinks her owner is darned impressed, otherwise why would he cheer her name at the top of his lungs the whole time she plays it?
Just wait until Bluto runs into my dog, Popeye.
However, there is a river out there called Denial and it usually involves the bodily functions of a dog. I have had dogs and our last one was well behaved enough to go into home centers and places that would let her in. WE carried supplies for oopsies ourselves.
That said, the guy that walked into my bank branch with his toy poodle, and the security guard goes ‘Who’s Dog Is THAT?’ and I backed up. Nope, his. His dog NEVER does anything and he takes it EVERYWHERE. As it signs some of the planter pots and the velvet rope stands. I left, he was still cleaning up what he never seen his dog promptly do everywhere it went…
I’m still waiting for Bluto to smell where Chase R Ambule pounded on that office door for awhile.
I love the facial expressions. Paste is going to make that credit card BURN!!
Pets are always allowed in the store where I work…we always ask if they’re well behaved etc. and the answer is always “yes”. We’ve never had any problems. Humans, on the other hand…
I shop at Rural King more often than anywhere else, and it’s an odd day when there isn’t someone with their dog. our dogs have all passed on, and the only pets we have now are chickens. We never take them for walks. We’d be constantly cleaning up behind them.
Good Dog Owners are hard to find.
I find that owners train their dog up to where they want them from stuffed animal level to work dog. Me? I don’t take my dog into stores, because a lot of people fear pit bulls, sweet though he is.
However if you get into his territory (my back yard), he will not be well behaved.
sorry the evidence doesn’t lie bluto is a bad doggie. which means paste will have to add the clean up cost if she buys anything.
I’m thinking that the owner is a bad doggie.
Bluto is Bluto. I think they old saying refers more to the people that let their dogs have alpha control over them in one respect or another. I saw a post on Facebook not too long ago (I think it was just one of those click-farm articles, of course) that was a list of Top Ten Things Your Dog Hates That You Do. The list was awful- Don’t stare your dog straight in the eye, don’t pat your dog on the top of his head… it was all standard dominance stuff you HAVE to do with your dog to make sure your dog knows that he or she has to obey you. Stupid list, bad dog owners… giving their dogs control over them. Bad! Bad!
Yes, but some owners aren’t dominant and are easily outsmarted by their dog.
Every dog we kept I had to teach it where it lived in the pack (our family) and keep it there. It’s not a difficult concept but. If you don’t assert dominance the dog assumes it’s alpha and that is where a lot of issues happen. And the pounds and shelters are full of dogs that their people didn’t understand that simple bit…
As a rescue there, Ol Bluto needs to know stuff like that…
At least you can take your dog off the leash and he won’t run away. Better than my dog