Here goes.
The dogs get about three walks each… for the whole week.
I’m wracked with guilt, but I’ve essentially stopped walking them unless some very specific conditions are met. I feel awful about it, but I’m torn because I’m fairly sure it’s in their best interest.
Let me back up…
There are many loose dogs in our town. They’re everywhere. We see them when we drive around, and we try to catch the ones that are in the road, but the real issue is when we’re out with our dogs.
Both John and I have had run-ins when we’ve been out. One dog was on top of Emmett before I even realized he was coming down the street. Thankfully that happened in front of our driveway. John heard the commotion and ran out to help me.
Another – a chihuahua – charges us every time we pass his house. One morning a guy ran after a little dog baring down on Cooper with an, “I saw you coming and knew this would happen.” Again, John and I were walking together, so he kept going with Coop while I intercepted the oncoming dog. Another (remember Ozzie?) appears in our yard every few days. One morning we were running all three. John was up ahead, and he stopped and turned suddenly. There were two dogs running loose down the middle of the road. It took us ages to get home because we kept having to about-face and try another street to avoid the dogs.
And then there was this weekend. I was out with Lucas when a spaniel a block up the street tore out of his front door past his bathrobe-clad person collecting the newspaper. A loose dog running up to Lucas is my biggest fear with him. We’ve worked so hard on reactivity, but this exact scenario causes him to flip out (and, quite honestly, I can’t blame him).
So, I about-faced, stuck the can of cheese in Lukey’s mouth, and hauled away.
I glanced back to see if the dog was hot on our tails or if we were safe.
What I saw?
The man smacking the crap out of the dog in the middle of the road, then throwing him by the collar through their front door.
I turned home – I could feel the tears about to break through and I didn’t want to lose focus. We started down the next block to come face-to-face with a loose hound dog. I turned again and we dashed home. By the time we got inside, I was shaking and crying.
We’ve tested different times of day and keep hitting roadblocks. There are few dogs out at 5 am, but it’s also dark (there are zero streetlights) and John’s been going to work at 4:30 anyway. Same thing at night: It’s pitch black by 5 pm, and John isn’t usually home yet. I don’t want to walk in the dark because I want to have a full visual field to plot an escape in the case of an oncoming dog. Plus, there are no sidewalks anywhere, so we’re already walking in the street, which I hate.
Also, I feel wimpy, but at this point I don’t feel comfortable walking them unless I know John is a phone call/few block sprint away in case of emergency or, better yet, if we go together. So that further limits the hours of the day.
So, to walk the dogs, I’m aiming for: Daylight + John home or walking with me. Hence, the dogs are only getting about three walks a week.
I looked into parks. There are none. Literally. None. The only “public spaces” are softball fields, a Veteran’s memorial (a strip of sidewalk with a statue), and a walking track where they don’t allow dogs. There are two wildlife preserves within driving distance, but they don’t allow dogs either. The town formed a committee to address this issue, and they approved funding… for a skateboard park. I’m still looking into some sort of idea here. Maybe there’s a remote bayou we could take them to run on weekends or something? Or, like, walk laps around the mall parking lot? I have no idea.
Regardless, that’s where we are. I feel horrible that they’re not getting walks. We exercise them at home, play in the yard, run the stairs, train, do puzzles, and so on, but they’re not getting out of the house. They’re not getting that real-world experience that Lucas and Cooper, in particular, need.
So there you have it. My sin. I don’t walk my dogs.
Sigh.
I’m so sad to read your blog this morning because I know so well that feeling of guilt. My pups don’t get as many walks as they need/want because of my schedule and the darkness. (and right now the cold!) so I fully understand your guilt. The backyard just doesn’t cut it. Good for taking care of business, but they ache for a walk. As a small token of activity (it is not a replacement for a walk, I know!) when I have to go run a quick errand in the evening I take them with me in the car. I love how happy they are when I say “lets go to the car!” They dance and dance. Hang in there. They are a loved and happy herd!
Ooh, that’s a good idea. I think I’ll start taking them on short little errands with me, too. Thanks so much for the suggestion!
I feel very sad about your guilt and your boys not getting walks – but to be honest I feel worse for the dog that got thrown into the house 🙁
You love you boys and you work hard to keep them happy. That seems to be much more than some get…..they are very lucky.
I know. I’m heartbroken and sick. I’ve been debating what to do, and I”m considering printing up a flyer for a free hour of dog training, sticking it in his mailbox, and hoping he gives me a call…
That is an absolutely great idea!
I feel so bad that your neighbors are so irresponsible that you can’t even walk your dogs in peace. Is there anything the local authorities can do – no leash laws to enforce? Your idea about the mall parking lot may be the solution – at least ehy are getting the exercise and stimulation they need.
There isn’t a real animal control here. The shelter takes messages during business hours, but apparently the sheriffs offices is dispatched to pick up strays… and, of course, they have more pressing issues, I’m sure. Plus, their policy is to respond in one day, so dogs are long gone by then. I’m going to give the mall a whirl! Fingers crossed!
Oh my, I’m so sorry Maggie. That truly sucks. Can you call animal control on these loose dogs? I mean, this is really horrible that you can’t safely walk your own babies! I had this issue in my hood. Either way I would walk, I knew there may be loose dogs. I started walking with a break stick and still do. However, this makes the walk less enjoyable cause Titan feeds on my emotions. Thankfully, I haven’t seen any loose lately and the one that did come into our yard to attack, is always on a leash. It took me screaming at the guy to keep his f’ing dog on the leash. I called AC about it but not sure if they ever followed through.
I would start at AC and see what they say. Secondly, get a break stick or some kind of pet safe spray to walk with. Just merely suggestions, I know how frustrating it must be for you. Poor babies. This is so sad 🙁
You’re totally right… Lucas feeds off my emotions, too. When I’m tense/stressed/angry/whatever, he totally feels it and reacts accordingly. Part of our reactive dog training has been to train ME to stay calm (or, at least, pretend) to spread that calm to him! Easier said than done some days, that’s for sure!
Your post made me so sad, not for your dogs but for you and for the neglected dogs in your neighbourhood. I was sad you felt guilty, you are really an exceptional doggie parent, you really are. Your boys are so loved and well taken care of. They get playtime in the yard, in the house running the stairs, they gets stimulation through training and lots and lots of love! I know you feel guilty about only taking the boys on a few walks a week but you are keeping your boys safe, that takes presidence over everything else. I gasped when I read how the little chinaware was treated, how horrible. I don’t understand how people can treat their pets like that, not just the physical abuse but neglecting to keep their pets safe by not keeping them leashed or contained in a fenced yard. I understand dogs break free but that should be an exceptional circumstance, not an everyday occurrence.
I have some suggestions, the mall parking lot is a good idea but our malls are open 7 days a week, and with the winter daylight hours, you’d be walking at night again. What about a government building parking lot. My daughters running club runs at the courthouse on weekends, closed for the weekend but it always seems to be plowed.
Another suggestion is a baseball diamond/field. My friend has 2 rescued retired greyhounds. They can not be trusted to ever be off leash ever,unless they are in a fenced area so she takes them to the ball diamond. It’s fully fenced and there are gates, where the dugouts are, that came be closed. She goes whenever there isn’t a game.
Last suggestion, (I may have read this on one of your links, so please don’t laugh that I’m suggesting your suggestion) what if you made the backyard more fun. Put some dirt in a doggy/kiddie pool and bury some of the boys toys or sticks. They get to smell around and dig to uncover the special treat.
I’m doing that with Cash as soon as the snow melts, until then I’m burying toys/sticks/treats in the snow.
I’m going to look into baseball diamonds and the court house. That’s a great idea. The kiddie pool with the dirt thing?!?! I definitely can’t take credit for that BRILLIANT idea, but I love it!!! Seriously, fantastic. I’m definitely going to try to put something like that together. How fun!
Don’t feel guilty! We all have enough on our plates without inflicting guilt on ourselves. Your rationale also seems very sound. After witnessing dog fights, I’m extremely wary about loose dogs. Pyrrha has hardly gotten ANY walks this month, in between moving and bitter temperatures at night. We try to make up for it with play-dates, but that’s all we can manage now. Don’t feel guilty; we’re all there with you.
Thanks, Abby! I really, sincerely appreciate the kind words! I totally agree… dog fights make me insane. Lucas has been in a few (mostly his fault) and so I’m super cautious. I’d rather them be bored than in danger!
It’s hard for me to imagine that the town would let dogs run loose like that. Our animal control is available over 12 hours a day, more in an emergency, to track down dogs running loose. Strays are rounded up and owners are fined progressive amounts for letting dogs run loose and it just doesn’t happen.
Your dogs should not have to be penalized and you shouldn’t be made to feel guilty because leash laws are not made and enforced. I would talk to the police department to find out why dogs are allowed to run loose.
It’s a small, pretty geographically isolated area, and the fines are so minimal. I looked it up, and here’s what I found: “… leash law requires owners to control their animals at all times. Controlling may be accomplished via physical barriers, leashes, fences or commands that the animal obeys. Violators pay fees based on the number of times the owner has broken the law: $10 for a first offense, $20 for the second, $30 for the third and up to $100 or 30 days imprisonment for the fourth offense.”
Lots of wiggle room there….
Maggie, I’m guilty of much the same though more out of laziness and exhaustion than the genuine safety concerns you have. A nice warm living room and comfy couches are just too seductive at the end of the day.
Is your community big enough for a Meet Up group for dogs and their people? I’m imagining a group the could meet at different houses/back yards, like a rotating dog park.
Is there a friendly farmer with a large plot of land where your boys could roam off leash or you could walk them without being bothered by poorly trained pooches?
Is that skate park fenced in? That might be a fun place for them to explore!
If there are fenced in places you could walk them but aren’t supposed to (schools, parks, missle bases) it sounds like enforcement is pretty lax and you could get away with an “oh, I didn’t see the sign!” If anyone confronts you at all.
Oh, and maybe this is a stereotype from someone who’s never set foot in Louisiana but the first word that pops into my head after reading the word ‘bayou’ is ‘alligator.’
Nope, not a stereotype! There are alligators… Supposedly, they avoid commotion, but I’d want to pick a salt water area just to play it super safe (they’re in the fresh water areas). I LOVE your “I didn’t see the sign” idea. I think that might be a winner. I’m going to give it a try anyway!
Reading your post was so sad. What a shame that you and your dogs should have to suffer because some people refuse to be responsible dog owners.
I have no answers, but I don’t think you should be feeling guilty either. You are essentially stuck. I am so sorry.
Thank you, Mel. That’s so nice of you to say! I think it’s a sad reality that animals are valued quite differently around here.
That just royally stinks. But you can’t feel bad about it as it’s hardly your fault. Your resources are just so limited and you are doing the best you can. I have no doubt the dogs are actually doing better than you imagine as you are a terrific owner and trainer and it sounds like their lives are supplemented all sorts of ways with our without daily walks.
One day maybe you will be able to get into a better outdoor routine but for now I think your dogs will be just fine.
Thanks for the reassurance, Kristine! I think my guilt is mostly because I know how much Lucas and Cooper NEED the exercise and practice, but… it is what it is. I just keep telling myself it’s only temporary, so I’m trying to keep my focus on that!
Not a sin. You are keeping your dogs and yourself safe. That’s actually love. But I would consider calling the authorities on the guy who was smacking his dog… I’ve done it before. They might not do anything, but you’ll feel better for making the call. I’d love to get these folks educated about responsible pet ownership. Makes me crazy too. Sorry you have such a dilemma.
YES. Absolutely! And I was thinking about making up a fake flyer offering an hour of free dog training and sticking it in his mailbox. Not sure if he’d be the type of person to take up an offer like that, but it’s worth a shot…
You have nothing to feel guilty about! You are doing the best you can under the circumstances…..when the circumstances suck. You still keep the dogs busy and exercised and that’s important, and keeping them safe is important too. I hope you can find a place where you can take them. You have some good ideas to try, and some others have also commented with some good ideas. But really, you should not feel guilty at all, we don’t walk our dogs every day….they play in the yard some days for their exercise, and in poor weather they might not get any at all (I’m trying to get better about doing the indoor exercise/games but I have a long way to go). Good luck, I feel pretty sure you’ll find something that works!
Thanks, Jan! I think I’m feeling so guilty because I know how badly Lucas and Cooper need the daily reinforcement of all our training… Lucas slips into his reactive habits SO quickly that I just feel anxious and panicky. We’ll figure something out!
I read this and actually started crying. It read to me like the scene of a horror movie or a video game where everywhere you turn zombies or loose dogs are after you. I fell so badly for the mistreated pooch you saw and for you to have had to witness that.
My sin? Ray and Julius don’t even get walked weekly. We are lucky that they can run and romp in our fenced yard, but I know working on leash skills has fallen by the wayside. Our neighborhood is full of people who walk their dogs on leash so I need to commit to taking the boys out. The night that I took Ray, we saw in the distance some boys playing hoops in their driveway and their small dog was with them. I immediately did an about face, not knowing if it was secured or not.
What you said above, though, is all the reason in the world to not feel guilty: have them be bored rather than be in danger.
That would make me nervous, too. I’d have avoided that situation as well. I think mostly I’m just frustrated and angry, which makes me feel guilty… if that makes sense? It just saddens me that there’s such a disregard for animals around here.
OMD – I thought I was the only one. We have so many problems walking the dogs that I turn into a nervous wreck – even on the rare day nothing happens. I keep anticipating loose dogs running out from where we had problems before. Our pups don’t get out much.
Monty and Harlow
YES!! Thank you so much for commiserating! Walks have been miserable lately because I’m so nervous the whole time, constantly scanning ahead of us and behind us. It’s stressful and no fun for anyone. It’s better when it’s the two of us at once because then we can at least tag-team if need be, but… whooo. It’s tough. Sorry you’re in a similar situation. 🙁
Sorry & sad about the situation, but I was thinking this one over a bit. One of the issues that we had to solve with our walks was my confidence problem. Every time we went for a walk, I had to train myself to be super confident with my dogs, else something was sure to happen – and it always did. We’ve had strays come into the yard as well as encountering them on the streets, but I decided to turn these into opportunities rather than be afraid of what might happen. This was my Zen moment.
I decided that in an encounter with a stray, we would immediately halt and a training session of sorts would begin with an immediate sit with me squatting right next to my dogs and actively observing. If necessary, I would have to hold them firmly. Food helps, of course, but it may also distract from what I want to achieve. At times I would have to be rather firm, but it all depended on my being totally one-hundred-percent-void-of-fear and brimming-with-confidence-in-my-dogs. That’s very hard, but I have had a lot of success in this. Not to sidetrack, but if you’re into movies it’s something like that character Kitai in that movie ‘After Earth’ in the scene where Kitai is able to control his fear and ‘ghost’ himself from the Ursa (a nasty creature) long enough to fight back. No fear, rather complete calm, focus and most importantly: nothing less than 100% confidence-in-my-dogs not doing anything in the situation. It’s like visualizing the outcome that I wanted to have happen. It took a couple of years, but things have changed dramatically and my dogs love it.
As for the walks, themselves, I’ve had to rethink what I was trying to achieve with them. In my mind, I originally thought of these walks as ‘exercise walks’. But then I started to think about what the dogs wanted from the walks themselves. It was their walk, not mine. So, I started to re-purpose these walks. My dogs wanted to smell everything they could and of course they would relieve themselves at some point. The smelling of other dogs’ markings was very important to them. So, I let them do just that. We would slow completely down and have a walk smelling everything possible along the way. As such, a walk around the block became a major adventure and stimulated them as they wished. Of course, I never gave up on the exercise part, so I made it a thing to get onto a trail and have a hike at least once a week. That, or throwing a kong at the park. The former for both dogs and the latter for the one that likes to retrieve. So in a way, the original ‘exercise walks’ I wanted mutated into these two alternative walks to serve their needs more intimately. The ‘marking’ (communication with other dogs) walks were so important to them and the distance didn’t matter at all. It made it possible to have a local walk at a slow pace, but keep the frequency up. So we do walk twice a day but hardly go far at all. I would even say, we could have made an adventure about walking around the house and sniffing everything we could.
Well that’s my story and it works better than before, for my dogs. I hope it helps perhaps find a way to deal with your situation which is unique, in and of itself.
Wish you the best as always & good luck!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. You’re absolutely right; I do lack confidence! To be perfectly honest, it’s because if a fight starts with a loose dog, it’ll be because Lucas starts it, not the other dog. The other dogs are used to wandering and encountering each other. He’s still super reactive, and we have it well managed IF the other dog is on leash/under the control of another owner. I’m hoping to be able to follow your suggestion and find somewhere to take them hiking, but I haven’t had luck there either! I’ll keep you posted for sure! Thanks for taking the time to share!
I have the same problem Maggie. Now I take Abby with me whenever I can on errands-she gets so excited & I will walk her in a park at odd hrs when there are fewer people and dogs around, around businesses on weekends when their lots are empty, at the pet store up and down aisles. It is just too stressful to walk down the street and take a chance on meeting a stray dog. I used to walk early in the morning around 430 before I went to work but I slipped & fell & broke my elbow doing that so never again.
I even had some neighbor in a car try to place themselves between me and an aggressive loose dog once. I put myself in front of my dog and kept yelling NO NO GO GO to the loose dog while I backed away and headed home. That was scary!
Oh, my gosh. What a scary situation. And the broken elbow? Whoo, boy. I think businesses is a GREAT idea. There is an office area a couple miles from here that I think I’ll try. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences and insights.
Sugar, this isn’t about your guilt. It’s about an archaic community failing you miserably. On behalf of coon asses all over south Louisiana, my most heartfelt apologies. I hope you find a solution soon. Can you carry a squirt bottle full of water set to stream?
Can I just say that I LOVE that you used coon asses?!?! Obviously, it was a new term to me, and it cracks me up when I hear people say it. I think I’m trading the squirt bottle for citronella spray…
Damn soil science!
HAHAHAA!!!!
I spent years Maggie working in a town with no lease laws and so many stray dogs you couldn’t shake them with a stick. There was constant heartbreak everywhere (serious heartbreaking stories). That was when my real rescue days began. You can do all you can, but I learned it is so hard to change some peoples attitudes. It breaks my heart what so many of our four legged friends must endure. The only suggestion I have is to possibly set up an agility course in your yard. The exercise would be great both mentally and physically for your crew. I know the emotions that you feel and I am so sorry that those of us that care so much just can’t make the world perfect for all furry friends.
Phyllis, THANK YOU! That is an excellent idea! Off to research buying/making the equipment…. Seriously, genius!
This seems to be a universal problem these days: loose dogs with or without an irresponsible owner in sight!
I live in a college town, in a neighborhood where I am one of only a few home owners in a 4-block radius, with all the rest being college students who apparently have lost all their common sense when they moved away from home. These students not only do not maintain control of their dogs, many of them do not bother to vaccinate their dogs, either, creating trouble TWICE OVER for the few of us who would never let our dogs off-lease on a busy public street, nor leave our dogs running loose to frighten or menace other dogs and their people.
Sadly, it’s not even the same dogs we see almost every day. The scary ones, we have come to expect. But the ones we remember are the ones who have tried, and sometimes succeeded, to follow us home, where it seems they would rather live than where they came from.
“Biggie”, an underweight, un-neutered Harlequin Great Dane of 8-months old, was found running loose by my Brother last summer when he was walking our dogs. He was a huge, goofy, playful, puppy who did not even know his own name. Apparently, he was tired of being tied up to a clothesline without food, water or shade and just wanted someone to play with. Biggie stayed in our yard for most of an afternoon while we tried to find his owner.He had a wonderful time playing with my dog, Maddie, who hoped that we had gotten her a permanent, new playmate that she could run UNDER, like she did with our dog, Cole (who looked exactly like Emmett!) when she was a puppy.
Over that summer Biggie ‘escaped’ over 5 times from his home, a block away. Several times we came home to find Biggie waiting outside our gate, and it became increasingly difficult to have to return him to people who did not even notice that he was missing from their backyard for 3 hours— while they were home.
If only I could have afforded another dog…. 🙁
But I digress.
I wanted to tell you about a citronella, animal repellant spray called “DIRECT STOP” or “SPRAY SHIELD”, depending on where you buy it. It is 100% safe for humans and animals, while still being extremely effective as a deterrent against loose dogs, with no permanent damage. This is carried by PetSmart, in store and on their website, as well as on Amazon.com. This product saved us several times by distracting loose dogs while we ran for safety.
My second suggestion, which I have also used with OK results, is a spray bottle filled with CIDER VINEGAR. Go for the eyes, in both cases, and don’t wait around to see how they react! Neither of these is fool-proof, but they will buy you time to get out of Dodge.
Also, I have found that if you yell: ” BAD DOG! GO HOME!” as loud as you can,
several times, sometimes a fellow dog-lover will come to your aid; sometimes the dog will run away, and sometimes the dog’s owner will suddenly appear and you can have the satisfaction of telling HIM off! 😉
Best of luck!
Yeesh. What a sad story. I’m so sorry that you experienced that, and I feel horrible for that poor dog. I don’t know if it’s lack of common sense or just total uncaring. Sigh. Thanks for the suggestions! I really appreciate it, and I’m grateful that you took the time to share your experience. Best of luck to YOU!
I am so sorry. This blog post made me so sad, because I could feel your frustration. (Great writing, by the way). I wish I had an answer for you that made all of this better.
I commend you for doing what you can to protect your dogs. This time of year, I would be experiencing the same thing. With the shorter days, we’re limited during the week about where we can walk our dogs. If we had to deal with roaming dogs, that would mean walks would become a luxury.
So I’ll be thinking about you and hoping for a resolution soon.
Thanks, Kimberly. That’s an excellent way of putting it… walks have become a luxury!