Was cooking supper today and heard my dogs barking and yelping, rushed outside to see this stocky little scruff-bag mutt on top of my pitbull. My husky got his chain stuck on the step and couldn't get down to defend her, sadly. I went out and rushed at him and drove him off. She is thankfully no worse for wear and he didn't break any skin.
A few months ago the same dog was in the yard several times doing the same thing. Seemed to appear out of thin air the second I let the dogs out. No idea who owns him, he has a collar with tags so I know he isn't just some stray. I called the pound on him the last time and they told me that there was probably nothing they could do as he likely wasn't going to be in the area when they checked and without knowing his owners they couldn't enforce the leash law, but maybe I should keep closer watch on my dogs if I was so concerned.
Well my blood is boiling. I keep my dogs tied at all times, in my own yard. I clean up their messes when we are out on walks. They are very well socialized and the only time they show 'aggression' is when a strange dog comes into the yard, in which case my husky will posture, snarl and run it off. They both trained to bark to alert me if there is someone going past the house or what have you (which most dogs do anyways). I already had to move because I was getting chicken with rat poison rubbed onto it thrown into my yard, I have gotten threats about having my dog killed if she is ever found off leash, and there are dozens of places I can't take her, all because of what she is. As a promoter of breaking breed biases and all around *good* animal husbandry, I make sure my dogs are class citizens and shining examples of what the breeds should be. Meanwhile I can't even let her or my husky outside without supervision because of our neighbor's letting their vicious little mongrel loose all the freaking time. And I know that if my dog was to defend herself she'd be the one put down.
Well I have had it. It's bad enough that my dogs are getting attacked in my own yard. If this mutt will take on a pitbull and a husky (who is twice the size of it), I am going to go out on a limb and assume my three year old daughter is not safe with this dog around either. The last time he came into my yard I had the lunge whip by the door and when that little mutt came around I chased it down the road and laid into it with the whip until I put the fear of god into it. And here he is again, my lesson wore off apparently, I guess it is time for a new one.
I feel bad about the whole affair, too. I don't fully blame the dog. Clearly, it's owners are the ones being negligent and the dog is just being itself either because it was badly socialized or is naturally aggressive. Some people just shouldn't be allowed to have pet rocks, really. But right now since without actually getting a hold of the the dog (yeah right, I like my hands thanks!) I can't find out who the owner is, and I will be darned if I have something like that coming into my yard with my dogs and my child.
Anyways, that is my rant for the day!
Sun Jul 31, 2011 8:45 pm
