Out Walking Shippo/Poor Loose Dog

[Cheetah]

Well, I was out walking Shippo this morning, in a completely different neighborhood because I've moved now, and I heard a commotion up one of the streets, heard some yelling, and saw a very nervous-looking dog running towards us (I swear, I must have a sign on my back that says "All dogs, come check me out!" lol). He was pretty far away when I spotted him, so I had time to bend down and carefully pick up Shippo (just in case lol and no yo-yo's this time!). He looked like some kind of pit/hound mix (brindle and very cute, and he looked like a young dog). The dog reached us, stood there frozen for a second, his hackles rose, he put his tail between his legs, and he started barking at us and kinda trotting in circles. So I determined that he was a nice dog but just scared... I heard somebody yelling up the street, and figured that was his owner trying to call him back...

So, I took a step toward him, and he let out another series of barks and trotted back up the street some, but came back to me... I just started walking toward the sound of his owner, and he followed me back, trotting around in circles and barking of course. Kept coming back to me, sniffed Shippo a few times, but eventually, I got him to kinda "follow" me back to the general area where I heard the person calling.

Just then, a woman came out of her open garage door, yelled "Caleb! Inside!" Grabbed his collar and led him into the garage, thanked me profusely, and closed her garage door... I started to walk back down the street, when I heard very clearly the sound of the poor dog receiving a very harsh spanking and being yelled at (It's gotta be pretty harsh if I can hear each impact 10 feet away behind a closed garage door). I felt awful after that. No wonder the dog wouldn't come back to her! I wouldn't want to return to my owner if it only meant I was going to get a spanking for coming back. I wish people could figure out that that's how the dog connects it. >-.-;<

[ZdogZ]

That poor dog! Some people should not have pets.

[Snowflake]

Aww, poor dog. I don't like it when the owners do that.

[Michael Romanos]

Sadly,there are far too many dog owners just like the one you mentioned despite all the messages dog owners receive in countries like the USA about how to properly raise and care for a dog. I think I would have attempted to tell the owner how she should be treating her poor dog. But most times you would only get a verbal abuse in response.

[Cheetah]

On another forum, somebody suggested that I buy a copy of a really good training book and drop it in their mail box. I am considering this... I already have a few in mind lol...

[darci]

Originally Posted by Cheetah

On another forum, somebody suggested that I buy a copy of a really good training book and drop it in their mail box. I am considering this... I already have a few in mind lol...

Great Idea !!!!

[Chip's Mom]

I am so sorry that you had this experience. I am sure you felt really bad. There are just some people that shouldn't be pet owners. We have a neighbor that has a dog and keeps him in a 8 ft square kennel all the time. The dog is thin and doesn't look like it is doing well. I would love to say something to him - if I can ever find him home. So Sad.

[lneill84]

I finally called the SPCA on my next door neighbor after she left her dogs in her house, over the summer, with not a window open and no A/C for 3 days. When the SPCA asked me how many dogs were there, I could only guess 3-4. I had only seen her walk 2 dogs once in the year that I have lived in this particular apartment complex. I've heard a lot more screaming and fighting though. When they asked if they had food or water, I had to tell them that all the windows were covered with cardboard and the shades drawn so I couldn't even look in. And I also had to tell them about the foul odor coming from the house. They came and removed the dogs, and she moved shortly after. Its really not that hard to walk your dog or treat it with respect.

[Jane Austen]

Linsay,
Thank you for calling the SPCA on your neighbors abuse of her animals. Hopefully they went to better homes. There must have been a lot of cleaning up to do in that house before it was sold? What kind of neighbors live there now?

[lneill84]

The scary thing was that she would bring bags and bags of garbage out at 3am. In the year that we lived next door to each other, I saw her maybe 10 times, with twice actually seeing her walk her dogs. I know she had a daushound and a daushound mix but definiatly had a basset hound or other "baying" type hound in there too. The worst was the smell coming from the house. It smelled like the heavy fragrance from a porti-potty, that heavy over-flower smell. With all the windows closed, you can imagine what the house must have smelled like if i smelled it outside her door. When she finally moved, they left all the windows and doors open for a week. All the floors were completely destroyed and replaced, and all the appliances, including the bathtub and the toilet. It probably took them a month to air it out and clean everything up and out. The final straw was when she took off for 3 days, and left them in the blazing heat of the summer. Right now, there is a chinese couple with two kids in there that I haven't seen out playing once in the 4 months or so they have lived there. The one time I saw the children out playing, they ran up to the dog run, and opened the gate while the puppies were in there playing. I was not a happy camper. I had been debating for awhile about calling the SPCA on my neighbor. I am very involved with animal rescue-all the ferrets and chinchillas are rescues, and have some pretty terrible stories attached to them. I really hope that my neighbor's dogs got a better home, I mean, really, how hard is it to walk your dog, and let them get some fresh air occasionally?