This technically should have been a Follow-Up Friday post, but it was pretty long and I felt it deserved its own space. 🙂
A little background, please.
Last Saturday I wrote ‘Expect The Unexpected.’ In that post I made mention of a woman named Brenda. I’ve mentioned Brenda before, she always walks with about six dogs. Many times she has other people and their dogs with her as well.
Brenda trains dogs. I have no idea what her qualifications are, but her methods are if you don’t pay attention to me, I’ll leave you. Brenda is friends with the woman who owns the dogs I wrote about on Saturday.
The stage is set.
Flash forward to this past Monday.
I pulled up at the field to walk the dogs and encountered…the LaCrosse team. Yes, it’s that time of year when the town LaCrosse team commandeer the field. This means both dogs walk in with me on leash and I keep them on the upper trails so they don’t bust up a LaCrosse practice/game.
I got Sampson and Delilah almost all the way up to the top of the hill and noticed someone walking in with a pack of dogs. The dogs saw mine and started running at us at which point I always drop the leash. Far better for Miss Delilah to meet and greet others on the playing field to keep her from reacting.
Sure enough as I got closer it was Brenda. Included in her pack was a small dog and her little puppy and he was a real cutie.
I said, “The LaCrosse team is down in the field, it’s that time of year when we need to check the schedule before coming out.”
Brenda said, “Like that will happen.”
Ok, whatever. I’m just sayin’ if you don’t want to worry about your dogs running off and jumping on some four-year-old you might want to do some planning. But who am I?
Brenda had entered the ‘loop’ which is fairly small but allows you pick up two different trails. Coincidently that was where I was headed and I didn’t see an issue, but apparently she did.
She said to one of the dogs, “We’re going to have to wait.”
Ok. Again. Whatever.
She decides to head down the wide path towards the field with her entire pack of dogs, except for…puppy. Who decided he liked my pack better.
Meanwhile I’m trying to get my dogs on the trail and puppy is right there, jumping at my dogs saying, “Come on let’s play.”
Brenda is still walking down the path.
I don’t know what to do. Do I stop and wait for her to come get the puppy or for the puppy to figure it out or do I keep going with the puppy following me?
I’m unsure.
All of a sudden from down the path I hear “F***!”
Here comes Brenda, “F***, I’ve got F***ing 20 f***ing minutes to take a f***ing walk.”
She gets to the top of the path and points in front of her and says, “Get your little a** over here” and then to me, “Excuse my language.”
Excuse your method of dog training is more like it I thought to myself.
The scary thing is, she calls herself a dog trainer and oh yes, she has the business cards to prove it.
OH MY!!!
Exactly my thought. 🙁
What a charmer!
Every spring, i start feeling indignant at all the non-dog-people invading *my* park. After all – where were you when there was freezing rain and bitter wind?! What gives you the right to take over my nice quiet trails with your running children and being loud and busy now that it’s nice out?! But I change my schedule anyways, make sure Gwynn is leashed up when we go up the section of trail right next to three baseball diamonds full of young kids in uniforms, and only let gwynn off when we’re in isolated areas that don’t have a lot of strangers and non-dog-people – it’s common sense! The same reasoning that had S&D on leash – kids playing ball are super exciting.
It’s scary the kind of people who can claim to be dog trainers… all you really need is the money to make up business cards. I’d like to make up a set that just says, “You’re an idiot” to hand out to people. That lady who purposely turns her back at the dog park when her dog does his business… “You’re an idiot.” + doggy baggy, because there’s no excuse. Creepy old man trying to hit on my baby sister… “You’re an idiot” + evil glare.
LOL it’s funny, I feel the same way. I told hubby, I use the park 365 days a year, they use it for 60, yet I’m the one making concessions. LOL
Thankfully so far the children have been confined to the field and none have ventured into the woods. If and when they do we will need to cross that bridge.
I like your idea of the business cards, there are so many bad and irresponsible dog owners. 🙁
Wow. This is kinda scary.
I know Big Al, it’s sad too.
No big surprise that puppy liked your pack better!
I understand that large crowds of rowdy youngsters need their place to run around and be kids, but I wish more people understood that our dogs need their places to run around and be dogs too!
I know Kirsten, and I agree. We don’t have any walking ‘dog’ parks in my area that I know of and by that I mean a place where it’s fenced in but with trails to walk them on. I’d like to figure out a way to change that. 🙂
I can’t believe people trust her with their dogs. I know as a groomer, I have to go through some very aggressive dogs and I still have to make sure I’m calm through the entire process. For dog and owner, other wise my image is completely ruined and they will go else where. No matter how frustrating a dog is, that is bad business and training methods and I would never leave little playful Aladdin in her hands!
To Lexi, I find your comment so true!! XD And you can make those business cards (moo.com) and they can be colorful too. I was actually thinking about making a t-shirt that says, thanks for clean up with a pile of dog poop because so many people in the city don’t clean up after their dog. I also feel you should read the book ‘Dog Walks Man.’ I think you would be able to relate to his dog walking adventures! ^_^
Neither one of my dogs require grooming but if they did I would be sure to go check a place out first and ask them all kinds of questions.
My sister has a puppy mill dog that is terrified of the crate, when she has him groomed she asks that he be done from start to finish and not crated with a dryer. Luckily she has someone who accomdates her request. 🙂
Did you move your site? First I had trouble commenting and then I could find it!!
no i bought a domain name that we are using for testing… for future purposes. For now, it sits on the blog until the business gets actual innovatory and approved paperwork for the state of IL 😛
I’m glad you friend asks questions. Whenever a new dog comes into grooming, I ask questions of behavior issues I should be worried about or health issues and try and accommodate to the pets needs as best as possible. If I can’t, I’m not afraid to lead them to another place that would accommodate better! I’m always looking out for the pets safety first! 😀
It doesn’t take more than cardboard and ink to set one up as some kind of expert. Let’s just hope people do research before hiring someone incompetent.
God you are so right Jan. I watched a video my cousin had of her dog being trained. They had him on a prong collar and he was panting. I told her I thought he was stressed and the pinch would only make him more aggressive but she said he was panting because it was hot. 🙁
I wonder what that guy’s credentials were?
Sigh … 🙁
Of course dog parks have their own problems. Honey loves it. But we’ve always been careful to visit early in the morning when there are few dogs and the most dedicated dog people.
Breathe deep. Count to ten. And be thankful not all dog people are like Brenda.
If she is a ‘trainer’ I pity the poor dogs 🙁
Yikes! It amazes me the people who calls themselves dog trainers. I wonder about people who entrust their pets with these people. I guess they never watch the actual training.
Poor puppy. How is he supposed to know where he is supposed to be?
Oh dear – I know I wouldn’t like to be sworn at…… 🙁
Wags to all,
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
WTF what an a* She is, not the puppy fer crizsakes!
it’s a seriously scary thought that this person is a dog trainer. goodness gracious.