Sunday, March 11, 2012

Dogs don't ride the swings

We are dog people. We have a dog, we are getting another dog, we like dogs in our life and dogs in our house.

But I do not like dogs at the playground.

Im my view, it is the ultimate in self absorption to think that bringing a pair of adult rottweilers, (or any large dog, in fact) into a fenced children's park is an acceptable thing to do. Doubly so when they are brought in and let off the leash. TRIPLY when the lady bringing them in had no kids, so no other reason to come into the park. (It's a small, fenced park, with footpaths around the whole outside.)

There is plenty of space to walk dogs around our house. Lovely tree lined avenues with excellent footpaths. Open grassy parks where they can run off leash. A golf course flanked by a pine forest full of smells that send a dog into an ecstatic frenzy. So why did this lady bring her two large dogs into our tiny community playground? It's not like they can ride the swings.

I don't think I would be so worked up about this if, when approached about leashing her dogs, she hadn't replied "oh, it's ok, I'm not worried about the kids hurting them." Seriously?! I wasn't worry about the kids hurting them either. I was worried about me getting my mummy lion on and tossing them over the fence one at a time. Owner leading.

I think she must have seen my face. It's expressive. She left quickly.

Chalk up a win for people-who-like-dogs-in-dog-suitable-places-that-will-not-result-in-their-dogs-being-banned-by-the-local-authorities, i.e. "dog lovers"

*end rant*

3 comments:

  1. crazy....her, not you.......I know some dog people love their dogs like they are children, but thats taking it too far.

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  2. This really happened?

    We have a small border collie, and although she likes kids, she does make many other children scream just because she's over-friendly and moves erratically. I have to remember that kids are scared of dogs, particularly if they don't have a dog at home which is perfectly normal, really.

    That lady should really have had more sense. I am glad you have an expressive face! But if you didn't, I am sure that in the not-too-distant future, she would have let her dogs too close to a small child with a large fear, and she would have learned that Rottweilers OUTSIDE the fence would have been close enough.

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  3. Yup, really happened! She's known as a bit of a local dog loony though. Apparently she intended to use the park as an enclosed area to train her dogs in obedience. Never mind the three families already pretty much filling the park to capacity. And just as she left, another lady was walking her dog past and the rottys went it... was scary. At least she realizes the dogs need training, even if she tried to do it in a crazy place.

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