Walking the Dog
I understand how intimidating my dog can be, being the size of a real dog instead of a loaf of bread or a bun. I try to keep this is mind while walking the dog, so that people are not unduly frightened and intimidated. It doesn't help that she has a head harness, which many people mistake for some kind of muzzle but is actually a device so she doesn't rip my arm out of my socket (she is a pulling breed, like my dog would seen dead actually doing something like that, and I don't blame her). This is not because she really pulls, but because I have a weak shoulder, due to the seatbelt in my car accident (if I keep blaming everything on the car accident I don't have to take any blame for poor health on myself).
My dog walks well on the leash. She walks on my left side and will heel if I tell her to. When I walk her, I walk on the left side of the sidewalk, and she walks beside me on the grass beside the path. What I do not understand is why people try to pass me on my left side instead of going by on the open sidewalk on the right side of me. I mean, sure, it is 3/4 open with no one walking on it but walking on the grass and people's lawns looks like a more certain path. And sure, even though I have walked on that side for the whole block I may swerve and erratically go to the right side of the block.
Another reason I walk her like this is to keep between her and people. She is a very friendly dog, but they don't know that. People are frightened of her and people with children (and she particularly loves children) grab them and whisk them up over there heads to avoid the dog. When I walk I understand that people don't generally want to be approached by my dog and I worry about the reaction from people who don't want to be approached but do. I want to keep her unkicked. This makes is harder for me to understand why they pass me on the left side and get between me and the dog. Do they think the leash is an optical illusion? And then they get annoyed. Hello? You just walked directly into the only crowded space on the sidewalk between the only two other beings there that have a rope-like device connecting them. Maybe, you should have stayed on my right side.
My dog walks well on the leash. She walks on my left side and will heel if I tell her to. When I walk her, I walk on the left side of the sidewalk, and she walks beside me on the grass beside the path. What I do not understand is why people try to pass me on my left side instead of going by on the open sidewalk on the right side of me. I mean, sure, it is 3/4 open with no one walking on it but walking on the grass and people's lawns looks like a more certain path. And sure, even though I have walked on that side for the whole block I may swerve and erratically go to the right side of the block.
Another reason I walk her like this is to keep between her and people. She is a very friendly dog, but they don't know that. People are frightened of her and people with children (and she particularly loves children) grab them and whisk them up over there heads to avoid the dog. When I walk I understand that people don't generally want to be approached by my dog and I worry about the reaction from people who don't want to be approached but do. I want to keep her unkicked. This makes is harder for me to understand why they pass me on the left side and get between me and the dog. Do they think the leash is an optical illusion? And then they get annoyed. Hello? You just walked directly into the only crowded space on the sidewalk between the only two other beings there that have a rope-like device connecting them. Maybe, you should have stayed on my right side.
posted by Muss at 9:42 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home