“Thanks for the warning!” The woman called after me as Delilah and I negotiated away from her dog who was following us across the road.

I wanted to shout back, “Pull your head out of your ass where your dog is concerned,” but I wisely (unwisely?) kept my mouth shut.

I’ve written about this before and so have many others, and yet here I am again incensed that I have to intimate my dog is ‘un’friendly because another dog owner is totally clueless.

It began innocuously enough, Delilah and I were taking a nice stroll on a beautiful spring Saturday. Delilah was casing the houses in our neighborhood for possible future forages leading the walk, while I was helplessly being dragged along, wandering aimlessly behind her, following along leisurely enjoying the lovely weather and keeping my eyes ever alert for other dogs.

Yup, sure enough.  Dead ahead, I saw a group of people at the edge of a lawn chatting and standing there with them, a dog.  I crossed to the other side of the street and kept walking.  As we approached, the dog, Bella took a few tentative steps into the street.

“Bella, Bella” her male owner called, then walked over and gently led her back to the yard.

“She never leaves the yard” I heard the woman tell her visiting neighbors, “That’s the farthest I’ve ever seen her go.”

I reached into my treat bag and Delilah who was focused on the grass on the side of the road, lifted her head and focused on me.

“Bella, Bella!” The male called again.  I looked back to see Bella stealthily creeping up on Delilah’s right flank.  Delilah, darling dog was sniffing the grass and not paying a lick of attention to the approaching Bella.

I felt the familiar panic rising up, like a cobra ready to strike.  What do I do? Do I stop and try to initiate a greeting?   Do I keep on hustling and pray Bella doesn’t reach Delilah’s rear end?  I looked down at the sweet face, intent on me, and unaware of anything transpiring behind her.  I can’t take a chance of setting her up to fail.

“She’s not always friendly to other dogs” I tossed over my shoulder, resisting the urge to pull out my pepper blaster and give the owner a taste of my wrath.

“Who, your dog?”  The woman called after me.

Yes my dog you dipshit, I would hope you’d know if your dog wasn’t friendly to other dogs.

“Yes, she doesn’t like being surprised.”

Like when your dog comes up behind her and shoves her face in her ass, she’s likely to get  a face full of Chocolate the likes of which will put your dog running for cover and brand my dog as ‘aggressive.’  All because you can’t be bothered to keep your dog in her yard.  

 

“Thanks for the warning,” I heard follow me as I stomped my way seethed my way up the street thinking of all the other things I could have/should have said.