Monday, December 1, 2008

weekend dog complaints

we asked r2r to keep us in the loop on dog complaints so that we can understand where we need to get better. here's what they got this weekend. this information has been forwarded to the fcac.

it's important to understand that although most of us don't encounter problems, some people do. and it isn't only one user group complaining. the reason for posting these is to inform dog owners of the types of complaints received by r2r. this is what becomes part of the record, regardless of what the other person involved in a situation thinks happened.


friday, the 28th, Lower Hull's Gulch- mt biker chased by 2 boxers approximately 300 feet up the trail, before stopping to confront the dogs and ask the owner to control them. The owner yelled at the rider and was apparently not at all concerned about the dogs chasing him.

saturday the 29th- Ranger reports being told by a mt biker who uses Polecat that he saw three dog owners with unleashed dogs up on Polecat Friday. (Polecat is an on leash only trail. It's one of the places that the woman below should be able to go and walk her dogs without worrying. We need to have trails like that for people who do not want to encounter off leash dogs, just like we have pedestrian only trails. It's just common courtesy to respect the rules.)

and on harrison hollow (which is not an r2r trail, but private property. there is a movement to get the area added to the trail system, and the owner is concerned about dog issues and has contacted r2r about same) this is the email as sent, eliminating names

Hello Again

Im following all the trail dog etiquette. it does not seem to work for me.

MY dogs are voice command and clicker trained. They may perhaps meet and greet other dogs, I love that. I want them to be social. SOCAIL AND SAFE. ME TOO.
But they do not want to be humped, jumped on and dominated. AND I DO NOT WANT TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF DOGS WITHOUT THERE OWNERS HUNDREDS OF FEET AWAY.....

....... I .....had yet another experience on Sun. November 23rd. From in fact a person who claims to be a pillar in the dog community. Walking the trails for her 50 years, as well as Stuffing bags for see spot walk, Volunteering, Scooping poop and more. thats great.. HOWEVER:

Her three dogs approached US and OUR dogs. Two of them Proceeded to JUMP ON, HUMP and DOMINATE our dogs, ....... When I asked her, after quite a while to contain the more dominant dog, PLEASE GET HIM OFFFFFF MY DOG, PLEASE....... as it was seriously agitating him i was affraid it could turn into a fight, she said AND I QUOTE "I WANT HIM TO DO THAT, IT WILL TEACH HIM TO KNOW BETTER".

THAT STATEMENT IS LUDICROUS.
THIS IS WHAT I RUN INTO ALL TOO OFTEN ON THE TRAILS.
MORE OFTEN I RUB IT OFF.
IT'S OBVIOUS THAT EDUCATION IS OUR BEST DEFENSE. MY PLEA IS TOO LET THE VERY PEOPLE WHO CLAIM TO BE ALL THAT, BEG FOR OUR RIGHTS, BUT INFACT BE THE PROBLEM ITSELF, "SAY WHAT THEY MEAN AND DO WHAT THEY SAY". MORE IMPORTANTLY, I WORRY, YOUR DOGS, MY DOGS, OUR DOGS WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENSES OF IGNORANCE...

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28TH.
At arround 2pm. I was walking my dogs on the Highlands Hollow Trail. Ran into lots of folks and there dogs off leash. GREAT. I luv it.
Way up ahead I see a person and 2 two dogs, walking very close to the person. I assume they are leashed and or very close. I see a leash.

Being curtious I leash my dogs AS WELL. Then all the sudden, one of them, FROM AT LEAST 200 FEET AWAY COME RUNNING TOWARDS US.

"I make the mistake, at this point, not being quick enough, NOT unleashing my dogs". The ON COMING dog turns out to be a GIANT GREAT DANE, WITH GREAT STRIDE, HE CAME AT US IN SECONDS.

My dogs being on leash of course are intimidated and start circleing me to avoid this giant dog, There fore wrapping me in there leashes so I am pretty much imobile. The Great Dane circles all 3 of us, jumps on .... and me. This went on for at least 30 seconds which seemed like eternity while the owner was trying to call the dog off from quite a distance. Now I cant be sure, but this dog was probably really sweet and just wanted to say hello. GREAT. However, he was HUGE and jumping on me and my dogs was very frightening. By tis time I am yelling "GET HIM OFF ME, GET HIM OFF ME. As she approached, She did try yelling at her dog with no luck, and she could not let go of the one dog she did have on leash. The Great Dane had no collar to grab on and she had no other leash to restrain him with. Eventually, I stood still, she managed to get the dog OFF ME. She had no leash and the dog was coming back at me, by this time, I jumped out of my dogs leashes and told her I would spray the dog if IT jumped on me again, SHE SAID, THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY, SHE CALLED ME EVERY NAME IN THE BOOK. SHE SAID "I DO NOT HAVE TO LEASH MY DOG". AGAIN, AS I TRYED TO TALK TO HER, SHE CALLED ME EVERY NAME IN THE BOOK AND THREATENED TO GO HER CAR, GET HER GUN, HUNT ME DOWN AND BLOW MY F --K-N- BRAINS OUT IF SHE SEES ME AGAIN... ALL I DID WAS ASK HER TO RESTRAIN HER DOG WHO HAD NO COLLAR, NO LEASH AND TOO GET OFF ME AND MY DOGS........

THATS HOW I SPENT MY THANKGIVING WEEKEND.

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