SaharaS
Well-Known Member
So..pointless but scary & just need to vent a little..so please bare with me! Been a bit of a stressful week with my mare and I've been doing 4 hourly checks round the clock..so am tired & feel like I must look like a troll..running on caffeine & suggestive biscuits(shop now out of custard creams
)
So.. I was all wrapped up to get in the car & drive to stables. About a quarter to midnight last night. I live in a cul de sac next to open fields & am the last house..so didn't put dog on lead to walk from the garden to the drive thru the gate..I don't normally in day time, but as its only street - lit up to my house & no cars were about i let him go loose to the front gate..I had his lead,hot supper for horse in bucket & my handbag, iphone, keys & coffee mug all in my hands..just as I shut the door & turned round, he went into THE most mega barking I've ever heard.
This was not like his usual reactive worried barking at new humans /his 'men' bark or his OMG 'its a miniature dachshund mummy quick save me' bark... this was deep and very very clearly different..tho still NOT agressive. my eyes adjusted and a man was just stood there facing us at the front gate about 3 meters from me.Still tall, dark clothes & hat and just stood staring.
My dog was now zebedee bouncing up & down 'shouting' at the man..and actually doing what he should do, protecting me and my property from a potentially unwelcome character.
Just to clarify he is not a guard dog & i do not encourage it in any way..he is simply acting on instinct...the man was still stood in the gateway, not moving or speaking. I mustered my breath back after the initial jump when I saw him its incredibly quiet here & I know the locals who dog walk & they all understand my boy so it wasn't any of them..oh ...and his lack of dog! I clearly & calmly but firmly said "What do you want!" (knees were feeling like runny icing at this point..heart & stomach had swapped places a bit too)
My dog was between us at all times and would usually bounce at the wall & peep over..but he kept back and close to me. The man bent down as if picking something up still keeping his eyes on us..I repeated it..twice more. I was holding onto my dogs harness at this point..the man reached forward and took his glove off & leaned towards my dog who was now actually going beserk.
Neighbour (nice old hockey stick weilding octogenarian whos wife weilds apple pies
) called out if I was ok..& some gruff words to the man Man was still silent but kept leaning in to try to reach to my dogs head.
I Shouted "LEAVE MY DOG ALONE" "move back" and"Do NOT touch my dog". He ignored me & carried on. My dog was now really warning him , hackles up bigger than Jedward (i think mine were too by this point scared had turned to angry and I wanted to get away, into my car & get to my mare) I then told him " LEAVE NOW or I will release the dog" neighbour shouted to him to go away & police were on the way came out & stared as the man cooly just walked off into the fields direction. Neighbour hadn't yet called the police & the man technically had not done anything..my God tho I am still shaking now. The what ifs do not bare to think, but I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to hold him back with arms still full -(most was now on the path) I do not know what he was doing, what he wanted or who he was ...but i really didn't like it. What worries me the most is he is a Dog in Need of Space and although he is never aggressive in the slightest, I don't know how he would have reacted with the unwelcome stranger had he tried harder to touch/grab him or what ever he was trying to do.
Are normal people really stupid enough to try and touch a dog who is clearly going bat-poop at them because they are invading his space & property and in the dark? How do you stand if an uninvited person puts your dog in a situation? I am very lucky I managed to get hold of him and kept hold of him-plus he stayed by me, protecting me, rather than lunging at him or worse still going after him - he could easily pop the flowerbed & wall..does not bare thinking about.
Had a strange man outside the house today pulled up across my 4 spaces, infront of two of my cars. He was in a range rover with funny plates on..I heard him on the phone "I'm here" between the blue 'insert type of car" and the black "insert other car" I opened the top window & looked straight at him. he looked up..dog went bat poop thru window again..man turned, got in range rover & bounced up two curbs before speeding off like he'd stollen it. Could be completely innocently different lost person...but he was the same build & tall..I really do NOT like this..I couldn't make out the plates and didn't get a very good look at his face tho he was clean clothed in dark colours and tanned.
I'm a bit on edge as well as over tired. There could be a very rational explanation for both..but I'm not overly comfortable about either.
has anyone been in a similar 'almost-intruder situation' and where do you stand with your dogs? I shouldn't have to keep him on the lead within my property although I usually check left & right incase anyone is coming before opening the gate..worryingly the security light didn't come on either so he must have been hiding behind the wall/bushes or stood there longer than I knew..
Sorry that was long but I needed to air! still very shakey..tho that could be my coffee based diet since friday.. I was going to make chocolate fudge cake..but the suggestive biscuits are diminishing rapidly..still...help your selves!
) So.. I was all wrapped up to get in the car & drive to stables. About a quarter to midnight last night. I live in a cul de sac next to open fields & am the last house..so didn't put dog on lead to walk from the garden to the drive thru the gate..I don't normally in day time, but as its only street - lit up to my house & no cars were about i let him go loose to the front gate..I had his lead,hot supper for horse in bucket & my handbag, iphone, keys & coffee mug all in my hands..just as I shut the door & turned round, he went into THE most mega barking I've ever heard.
This was not like his usual reactive worried barking at new humans /his 'men' bark or his OMG 'its a miniature dachshund mummy quick save me' bark... this was deep and very very clearly different..tho still NOT agressive. my eyes adjusted and a man was just stood there facing us at the front gate about 3 meters from me.Still tall, dark clothes & hat and just stood staring.
My dog was now zebedee bouncing up & down 'shouting' at the man..and actually doing what he should do, protecting me and my property from a potentially unwelcome character.
Just to clarify he is not a guard dog & i do not encourage it in any way..he is simply acting on instinct...the man was still stood in the gateway, not moving or speaking. I mustered my breath back after the initial jump when I saw him its incredibly quiet here & I know the locals who dog walk & they all understand my boy so it wasn't any of them..oh ...and his lack of dog! I clearly & calmly but firmly said "What do you want!" (knees were feeling like runny icing at this point..heart & stomach had swapped places a bit too)
My dog was between us at all times and would usually bounce at the wall & peep over..but he kept back and close to me. The man bent down as if picking something up still keeping his eyes on us..I repeated it..twice more. I was holding onto my dogs harness at this point..the man reached forward and took his glove off & leaned towards my dog who was now actually going beserk.
Neighbour (nice old hockey stick weilding octogenarian whos wife weilds apple pies
) called out if I was ok..& some gruff words to the man Man was still silent but kept leaning in to try to reach to my dogs head. I Shouted "LEAVE MY DOG ALONE" "move back" and"Do NOT touch my dog". He ignored me & carried on. My dog was now really warning him , hackles up bigger than Jedward (i think mine were too by this point scared had turned to angry and I wanted to get away, into my car & get to my mare) I then told him " LEAVE NOW or I will release the dog" neighbour shouted to him to go away & police were on the way came out & stared as the man cooly just walked off into the fields direction. Neighbour hadn't yet called the police & the man technically had not done anything..my God tho I am still shaking now. The what ifs do not bare to think, but I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to hold him back with arms still full -(most was now on the path) I do not know what he was doing, what he wanted or who he was ...but i really didn't like it. What worries me the most is he is a Dog in Need of Space and although he is never aggressive in the slightest, I don't know how he would have reacted with the unwelcome stranger had he tried harder to touch/grab him or what ever he was trying to do.
Are normal people really stupid enough to try and touch a dog who is clearly going bat-poop at them because they are invading his space & property and in the dark? How do you stand if an uninvited person puts your dog in a situation? I am very lucky I managed to get hold of him and kept hold of him-plus he stayed by me, protecting me, rather than lunging at him or worse still going after him - he could easily pop the flowerbed & wall..does not bare thinking about.
Had a strange man outside the house today pulled up across my 4 spaces, infront of two of my cars. He was in a range rover with funny plates on..I heard him on the phone "I'm here" between the blue 'insert type of car" and the black "insert other car" I opened the top window & looked straight at him. he looked up..dog went bat poop thru window again..man turned, got in range rover & bounced up two curbs before speeding off like he'd stollen it. Could be completely innocently different lost person...but he was the same build & tall..I really do NOT like this..I couldn't make out the plates and didn't get a very good look at his face tho he was clean clothed in dark colours and tanned.
I'm a bit on edge as well as over tired. There could be a very rational explanation for both..but I'm not overly comfortable about either.
has anyone been in a similar 'almost-intruder situation' and where do you stand with your dogs? I shouldn't have to keep him on the lead within my property although I usually check left & right incase anyone is coming before opening the gate..worryingly the security light didn't come on either so he must have been hiding behind the wall/bushes or stood there longer than I knew..
Sorry that was long but I needed to air!
still very shakey..tho that could be my coffee based diet since friday.. I was going to make chocolate fudge cake..but the suggestive biscuits are diminishing rapidly..still...help your selves!
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)might keep that inside the front door from now on
