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Post by Merge on Oct 22, 2022 14:36:55 GMT
So I was out walking my elderly, arthritic dog this morning. She loves a stroll around the block, and it’s good for her joints to get out and move, but we go very slowly. She is obviously an older dog when you look at her.
One neighbor was out in her back yard with her dogs and they started flipping out at the sight of mine. We kept strolling. It’s a big corner lot and we were turning the corner there, so it took a while for us to pass.
Anyway, at about the halfway mark, the woman yelled at me, “Could you move her along?!?” presumably because her dogs were barking.
I kind of waved and called, “We’re trying,” but this dog will not be hurried. She’s over 50 lbs so not exactly easy to pick up and move.
The woman’s dogs continued to bark at us until we got two houses away from them.
So what would you have done?
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pantsonfire
Pearl Clutcher
Take a step back, evaluate what is important, and enjoy your life with those who you love.
Posts: 4,762 
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Post by pantsonfire on Oct 22, 2022 14:38:24 GMT
I would have said "going as fast as my dog allows."
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pantsonfire
Pearl Clutcher
Take a step back, evaluate what is important, and enjoy your life with those who you love.
Posts: 4,762
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Post by pantsonfire on Oct 22, 2022 14:38:46 GMT
Like if she doesnt like her dogs barking, work on changing that. ETA : her not you. She can train her dogs not to bark. But um hello, dogs!
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sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,574
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Oct 22, 2022 14:42:15 GMT
What would I have done? Could she even hear your reply over the barking lol?
Why would she think she has a right to ask you to move faster in a public space? Weird!!!
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Post by hop2 on Oct 22, 2022 14:42:18 GMT
I would have kept moseying along
My dog is 15 and moves mostly slowly & HATES to be picked up with a passion so it would be dangerous to pick him up as he will squirm and I might not be able to hold him.
I mean mine can run sometimes, if he wants to, but he might not want to. He is also 1/2 deaf & 1/2 blind so giving commands is iffy
If I were grouchy I’d be biting my tongue from saying fuck off
She should train her dogs…
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sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,574
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Oct 22, 2022 14:42:35 GMT
What would I have done? Could she even hear your reply over the barking lol?
Why would she think she has a right to ask you to move faster in a public space? Weird!!!
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Post by compeateropeator on Oct 22, 2022 14:44:53 GMT
I would have absolutely done nothing other than continue my journey with my dog.
I think it was extremely rude and uncalled for her to even ask you to hurry it up. I think your response was perfect and, truthfully, more than what you were obligated to give her.
Truthfully I am a bit shocked that someone would think that it was okay to say anything. They could have brought their dogs inside if they were annoyed enough.
Keep giving your wonderful dog the slow walk that they need.
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Post by ~summer~ on Oct 22, 2022 14:45:35 GMT
I would have been tempted to yell “no! Can you quiet your dogs down?”
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Post by hop2 on Oct 22, 2022 14:45:49 GMT
Oh, and btw, when neighbors walk their dogs by my yard & mine actually sees them & barks I bring him inside because he is my dog and he is the only thing I can control in that situation. And since commands are iffy now he comes inside.
My only issue with neighbors dogs was when they were in my yard attacking my dog. But walking by in public side walk? I can’t have an issue that’s what the sidewalk is there for.
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Post by ~summer~ on Oct 22, 2022 14:59:03 GMT
I will also admit I have my own experiences and biases - I pick a city and walk every street which means I walk by a ton of houses and I really hate when dogs start barking like crazy sometimes it scares the crap out of me. But often I’m in urban sketchy areas and that is part of their purpose…
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Post by 950nancy on Oct 22, 2022 15:00:41 GMT
I would have said that I would if I could. Shortest way to explain you'd like to but can't.
Does your pup take Rimadyl? My guy is almost 12 and he is like a much younger version of himself when he has his arthritis meds twice a day.
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Post by Merge on Oct 22, 2022 15:03:57 GMT
 Thanks all for the validation. Here’s my gimpy girl, Ellie - she sits like a people partly because of her breed but also because her right back leg has terrible arthritis from an ACL tear when she was younger. She gets all manner of supplements and an anti-inflammatory, and recently we added gabapentin because she’s really slowed down the past six months or so. (She is not overweight per the vet, though I know she looks chunky in the photo. Her top half is extremely muscular.) |
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Post by Merge on Oct 22, 2022 15:05:14 GMT
I would have said that I would if I could. Shortest way to explain you'd like to but can't. Does your pup take Rimadyl? My guy is almost 12 and he is like a much younger version of himself when he has his arthritis meds twice a day. She gets novox and recently the vet added gabapentin for pain. |
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luckyjune
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,685
Location: In the rainy, rainy WA
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Post by luckyjune on Oct 22, 2022 15:07:42 GMT
I would have been tempted to yell “no! Can you quiet your dogs down?” ^^^There it is! So, you are on a public sidewalk and she wants you to move faster so her dogs don't bark? Nah. |
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Post by chaosisapony on Oct 22, 2022 15:08:02 GMT
How rude. She needs to work on training her dogs if their barking bothers her. She cannot and should not expect to be able to control people walking along the sidewalk.
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momto4kiddos
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,151
Jun 26, 2014 11:45:15 GMT
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Post by momto4kiddos on Oct 22, 2022 15:14:51 GMT
I'd have continued doing what I was doing walking my dog at my dogs pace...says the dog owner whose dog barks at everyone going by also  The barking dogs need to be corrected by their owner if she doesn't like them barking at dogs going by! |
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Post by Merge on Oct 22, 2022 15:15:56 GMT
This same dog barks at everything and nothing in her own back yard. I just make her come inside when she starts up like that.
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Post by Skellinton on Oct 22, 2022 16:05:08 GMT
I would have been tempted to get to the end of her lot and turn right around and mosey on back.
In reality I would have replied similar to you. Then I would have apologized to my dog that the dogs in the yard were so cranky and told her that they obviously got the crankiness from their mother.
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Post by tentoes on Oct 22, 2022 16:21:23 GMT
I may have sat my dog down and let him rest a bit.
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Post by malibou on Oct 22, 2022 16:23:03 GMT
I would have put my hand up to my ear indicating I couldn't hear her, and when she repeated herself would have called out, I can't quite hear you, maybe if you put your dogs in, I could.
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Post by SockMonkey on Oct 22, 2022 16:26:42 GMT
You did what I would have done, but I would have added a lot of under the breath hexing. Ellie is so cute! I know what it's like to work with an elderly dog; you just go at their pace.
If I were the neighbor and it bugged me that much, I'd have brought my own dogs inside. That IS what I do when I don't want to listen to them wild out. 🤣
She sounds like a mean thing and I hope she gets a hemmorhoid.
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Post by scrapmaven on Oct 22, 2022 16:43:08 GMT
I would have either ignored her or told her that I couldn't hear her, because she needed to control her loud dogs. I don't like people who act like that. Your doggie is very cute. She looks like a big sweetie.
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J u l e e
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,531
Location: Cincinnati
Jun 28, 2014 2:50:47 GMT
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Post by J u l e e on Oct 22, 2022 17:09:32 GMT
Have people lost all sense of empathy and patience? What the hell?! Can people seriously not deal with a few moments of something outside their comfort zone for the good of a sweet old dog enjoying her walk?
Society has lost its damn mind.
We no longer have our Heeler. I got tears in my eyes when I saw your photo. That’s exactly how Bob used to sit as she had the same issue with her same back leg. And the same goofy smile!
Old dogs have my heart!
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Post by Sanibel on Oct 22, 2022 17:16:56 GMT
Awww. Merge, she looks like she has a smile. 🥰
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Dani-Mani
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,706
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Post by Dani-Mani on Oct 22, 2022 17:29:32 GMT
She’s sooooo cute!
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Post by melanell on Oct 22, 2022 18:04:28 GMT
I know that I would have kept walking at our current pace. What I would have said back, I'm not as sure about, since it may have depended on the volume of the dogs and my mood.  If I thought I could get away with pretending I didn't hear the neighbor, then I would probably have gone with that.  If I had to answer I would have probably said some variation of "This is as fast as she can go." And, like everyone else already said---if the neighbor's dogs are barking their fool heads off, that's the neighbor's issue to correct by adjusting the behavior and/or location of their dogs; not by adjusting the behavior and/or location of any and all members of the public who happen to walk by their yard. Also, your dog is so cute. I want to give her a hug--a gentle hug, that is. (But only with permission of course---I'm not one of those people who walks up to dogs they don't know and get into their faces. ) |
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Post by supersoda on Oct 22, 2022 18:06:59 GMT
Thanks all for the validation. Here’s my gimpy girl, Ellie - she sits like a people partly because of her breed but also because her right back leg has terrible arthritis from an ACL tear when she was younger. She gets all manner of supplements and an anti-inflammatory, and recently we added gabapentin because she’s really slowed down the past six months or so. (She is not overweight per the vet, though I know she looks chunky in the photo. Her top half is extremely muscular.) OMG, I love her! I would have tried very hard to restrain myself from flipping her the bird and probably would have made a very snotty "working on it" response. Sounds like her dogs' problem, not yours (from the lady with two idiots who bark at everything and everyone that rolls by my house.) |
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Post by auntkelly on Oct 22, 2022 18:25:21 GMT
I'm not sure what I would have said, but I think your response was very kind given the circumstances.
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Post by disneypal on Oct 22, 2022 18:40:18 GMT
I think you handled it exactly the right way.
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Post by bc2ca on Oct 22, 2022 18:40:33 GMT
I would have laughed and laughed and laughed.
Seriously, if she can't/doesn't want to control her dogs, it is on her not you or anyone else walking near her property. Sorry your peaceful morning stroll was interrupted by a barking human.
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If I thought I could get away with pretending I didn't hear the neighbor, then I would probably have gone with that. 
If I had to answer I would have probably said some variation of "This is as fast as she can go." 
