Just arrrgh! Is it too much to ask for a pleasant walk?

[HeatherAnn]

I'm just so sick of taking my dog for walks when there are so many idiots out!

We live in a town and it takes about 10 minutes of walking through the town to get to the park.
We were about 2 streets away from the park, close to a busy road, when a loose dog walked up to us. My mum had the dog in his halti and I was walking beside them. They crossed the road as we didn't want to be near the dog because if something happened there'd be no way of restraining the other dog. Our's started having a little hissy because he wanted to greet the other dog.
The dog started lunging and growling so my mum kept walking to the other side of the road and I stood in the way. He lost interest so I also crossed the road. Cue loose dog nearly being hit by car. There was a man stood outside a shop, smoking, I know he works there so I shouted if he knew who the owner was. He said it was a man in a nearby street who just lets his dog out. In a town. Close to a busy road. Where there are many dog walkers trying to get to the park. The dog trotted off then turned round and tried again. So I blocked him with my body and he was trying to lunge past me.

It seems like every time I take him out something happens. It's really wearing me down and making me dread walks, I've tried early walks, afternoon walks and late night walks. All the same, no matter where we go

 

[CorvusCorax]

I know you are probably only having a rant and you will tell me to bog off and mind my own, but the last par stuck out at me because I have been there myself where every walk was a stress session and I dreaded going out at certain times.

If you dread walks and tense up before them, he is going to end up dreading them too, the stress will come down the lead like a telephone line. The dog will be actively looking for something bad to happen, because Mum is so tense and then when something DOES happen because you are both so wound up, then it's the end of the world all over again for you and the dog.

People don't think they are sending their dogs these messages, but they do, every day, I do it myself, I don't even have to speak at my dog or look at him, he knows if I am in a certain mood and he will just tank off and not come back, and why would he, when I am no fun to be with.

Try and look at it this way - yes, the owner of the dog was a knobber, but nothing actually happened. It might have done, but it didn't. If I had wings, I could fly, but I don't, so I can't. The dog nearly got hit by a car, yes, but it's the owner's bad and it would be his vet bill, not yours.

Try to think - you're just taking the dog for a walk.

 

[HeatherAnn]

I know you are probably only having a rant and you will tell me to bog off and mind my own, but the last par stuck out at me because I have been there myself where every walk was a stress session and I dreaded going out at certain times.

If you dread walks and tense up before them, he is going to end up dreading them too, the stress will come down the lead like a telephone line. The dog will be actively looking for something bad to happen, because Mum is so tense and then when something DOES happen because you are both so wound up, then it's the end of the world all over again for you and the dog.

People don't think they are sending their dogs these messages, but they do, every day, I do it myself, I don't even have to speak at my dog or look at him, he knows if I am in a certain mood and he will just tank off and not come back, and why would he, when I am no fun to be with.

Try and look at it this way - yes, the owner of the dog was a knobber, but nothing actually happened. It might have done, but it didn't. If I had wings, I could fly, but I don't, so I can't. The dog nearly got hit by a car, yes, but it's the owner's bad and it would be his vet bill, not yours.

Try to think - you're just taking the dog for a walk.

This is such good advice, thank you. I'm just getting so stressed. Even though that wasn't my dog I felt responsible for it's safety. It's not just that, it's everyday when I take him out another dog starts getting aggressive and every time the owner says "Oh, he's never done that before". Just infuriates me.