Embrace or Fear Your Inner Child

Several moons ago, my three German Short Haired Pointers and I went for our daily walk around the neighborhood. After years of walking the same route, we know where each sniffing point is, where the houses with dogs are and where to avoid if we do not want to get stopped by an overly chatty neighbor.

Chinese Jump Rope: The pointers are well behaved on leash and have been to obedience school. I can usually control the three dogs …except… when a stray dog (not on leash) comes shooting out from nowhere. And then all obedience seems to have been forgotten. Two of the dogs begin barking and try to lunge towards the loose dog. My third dog cowers beneath my legs. Eventually, the three leashes become twisted together and I resemble someone who is playing a very bad rendition of Chinese jump rope.

Well, anyway, a man rounds the bend on our usual path along with his two dogs. I notice that his dogs are not on leash and are running ahead of him. It is too late to avoid the impending leash dance so, I grip further down on the leash closer to my dogs’ collars and begin focusing on controlling my dogs. My dogs begin to ‘act out’ and I yank them back into heal position.

As we pass the man, he says, ‘look how well behaved my dogs are; they do not need to be on leashes!’ I smile at him and continue walking – not really thinking about it any further.

A Week Later: The pointers and I cross paths with the man and his two off leash dogs again. And I am not joking – he says once again, ‘look how behaved my dogs are; they do not need to be on leashes like yours!’ I think to myself…’what a jerk’ This man is obviously a little whacky.

Meanwhile, my dogs are performing Cirque du Soleil stunts trying to get at his dogs. I do not respond to the man. It takes me awhile to get myself and my dogs back in order.

Three Days Later: We cross paths again but at another stretch of road. My dogs go crazy because one of his well-behaved dogs leaves his side and runs over to our side of the road. I yell at his dog to get back while glaring at the man.

And he responds, ‘my dog won’t hurt you or your dogs – he is very well behaved.’ Is he kidding? Can’t he see my dogs are jumping and barking. At this point, I am getting really mad and am hoping my dog will bite his perfect dog.

I yell, ‘you know there are leash ordinances here in St. Peters; you should follow them.’ He says …my dogs do not need to be on leashes…they are well trained ….I am now really angry with this man….for all sorts of reasons… and here is my great, intellectual come back of all time…feel free to copy

‘Oh yeah, well, at least I am not wearing high water pants!’

I am 44 years-old and this is my response? I was more creative when I was 7! Where the heck did that remark come from? I was so embarrassed; we literally sprinted out of view. Is this what happens when we become extremely frustrated? Was it because this man hit a nerve? Heck, I don’t know. Well, I don’t know why it happened but let me tell you this I have not seen this man in two months. Was he planted to test my maturity? Or maybe he is in jail for violating the leash law?