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When I was a kid some dogs still roamed and on our estate there were two Nikki who belonged to a friend of mine he was a corgi cross and was ball crazy.
Most of the time this was a pain because if Nikki was about he would steal any ball and ruin your game of tennis cricket or canon .. But in summer time we would sometimes walk with Nikki to a patch of waste ground that bordered the golf course, sometimes golfers would chip a ball too far and it would come through the big iron railings onto the waste ground. So we would sit with a pile of pebbles and a couple of dog bisuits and throw a pebble into the undergrowth, with luck Nikki would emerge with a golf ball we would take the ball and throw another pebble, this continued until Nikki got bored with the game or we had enough balls then Nikki would get his biscuit and we would trudge round to the golf masters hut and exchange the balls for small change, enough to buy us an ice cream each. No one ever moaned about him.
The other dog wasnt so nice, his name was Chipper and he was a BC x Lab he had some really bad habits like biting the tyres of passing mopeds and bikes if they got too close and nipping kids if they interfered with his business. He peed in peoples gardens and stole food if he saw the chance. Every now and then someone would complain and my dad who was the caretaker would have to go round to his owner Bob and have a word.. Bob mate Chipper is being a pain in the bum again keep him in for a few days will you?
Never talk of dog wardens or putting him down just a bit of a word and it was sorted. Once or twice an angry mum went round and shouted at Bob about his dog and Bob yelled back, then agreed it was his fault offered to buy the kid a sweet or bun and the mum would go home and the kid involved got a clip round the ear for touching the dog because 'you should know better , leave the dog alone' It was accepted that dogs were dogs and we had to respect them.
How things have changed. Of course theres good reason why dogs are not allowed to roam, the roads are much busier these days and they would be a danger.
But there seems to be this attitude that all dogs should be perfect. They should love every tom dick or harry that comes up to them in the street especially screaming kids who 'wanna pet the doggy', they should never bark, never pee up a hedge, never chase anything , have perfect recall and love every other dog that happens to come racing over.
Murphy isnt used to children so he gets jumpy when they come running up and what can I do apart from drag random kids in off the streets and say 'hey play with my dog but do it nicley without waving your arms or screaming'.
Hes not sure about strange dogs he likes to sit back and watch before getting involved.
Same goes for the strange people,like the one last night walking along with that exagerrated caribbean bounce (even when the nearest theyve been to Jamaica is seeing a travel brochure) hoodie down over his face hands stuffed in pockets.. They are the kind that have us as humans worried its just that our social rules make it unacceptable for us to voice our unease and shout 'go away'.. Murphy knows no such bounderies,so odd people, threatening people, ones with sticks or crutches, ones who flap for no reason or wave objects in his face get barked at ie; they get told to 'go away' but then they get offended.
The dog should be under control they say, the dog should be taught manners, go to classes , be muzzled, be PTS ...Is this the acceptable way to react if a dog is not perfect these days?
Im not social, I cant stand screaming kids or people who get in my face admittedly I dont pee on hedges but Ive been know to wee behind a bush in the woods. No one has ever suggested I need to be PTS.
So Im not perfect , my dog isnt perfect. Im coming to terms with it, slowly. I cant please all these people , I cant make him something he isnt.
Since when was not being perfect a crime?
Most of the time this was a pain because if Nikki was about he would steal any ball and ruin your game of tennis cricket or canon .. But in summer time we would sometimes walk with Nikki to a patch of waste ground that bordered the golf course, sometimes golfers would chip a ball too far and it would come through the big iron railings onto the waste ground. So we would sit with a pile of pebbles and a couple of dog bisuits and throw a pebble into the undergrowth, with luck Nikki would emerge with a golf ball we would take the ball and throw another pebble, this continued until Nikki got bored with the game or we had enough balls then Nikki would get his biscuit and we would trudge round to the golf masters hut and exchange the balls for small change, enough to buy us an ice cream each. No one ever moaned about him.
The other dog wasnt so nice, his name was Chipper and he was a BC x Lab he had some really bad habits like biting the tyres of passing mopeds and bikes if they got too close and nipping kids if they interfered with his business. He peed in peoples gardens and stole food if he saw the chance. Every now and then someone would complain and my dad who was the caretaker would have to go round to his owner Bob and have a word.. Bob mate Chipper is being a pain in the bum again keep him in for a few days will you?
Never talk of dog wardens or putting him down just a bit of a word and it was sorted. Once or twice an angry mum went round and shouted at Bob about his dog and Bob yelled back, then agreed it was his fault offered to buy the kid a sweet or bun and the mum would go home and the kid involved got a clip round the ear for touching the dog because 'you should know better , leave the dog alone' It was accepted that dogs were dogs and we had to respect them.
How things have changed. Of course theres good reason why dogs are not allowed to roam, the roads are much busier these days and they would be a danger.
But there seems to be this attitude that all dogs should be perfect. They should love every tom dick or harry that comes up to them in the street especially screaming kids who 'wanna pet the doggy', they should never bark, never pee up a hedge, never chase anything , have perfect recall and love every other dog that happens to come racing over.
Murphy isnt used to children so he gets jumpy when they come running up and what can I do apart from drag random kids in off the streets and say 'hey play with my dog but do it nicley without waving your arms or screaming'.
Hes not sure about strange dogs he likes to sit back and watch before getting involved.
Same goes for the strange people,like the one last night walking along with that exagerrated caribbean bounce (even when the nearest theyve been to Jamaica is seeing a travel brochure) hoodie down over his face hands stuffed in pockets.. They are the kind that have us as humans worried its just that our social rules make it unacceptable for us to voice our unease and shout 'go away'.. Murphy knows no such bounderies,so odd people, threatening people, ones with sticks or crutches, ones who flap for no reason or wave objects in his face get barked at ie; they get told to 'go away' but then they get offended.
The dog should be under control they say, the dog should be taught manners, go to classes , be muzzled, be PTS ...Is this the acceptable way to react if a dog is not perfect these days?
Im not social, I cant stand screaming kids or people who get in my face admittedly I dont pee on hedges but Ive been know to wee behind a bush in the woods. No one has ever suggested I need to be PTS.
So Im not perfect , my dog isnt perfect. Im coming to terms with it, slowly. I cant please all these people , I cant make him something he isnt.
Since when was not being perfect a crime?
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