For some reason, there were a bunch of runners on our street today (they had hand-printed signs so not an official marathon I think). Mr. N tends to be motion sensitive (runners, bikers etc.) if they are in close distance (on the same sidewalk, he doesn't care if they're on the street or across the street).
A couple of runners zoomed right past us and almost ran into Mr. N. He was a little agitated so I started treating him when we saw runners. After holding it together for the first couple, he lost it and started barking at every person we came across because he was worried that they were going to step on him. One person called him "vicious."
We were two blocks away from home when this first started and towards the end of the last block, I finally scooped him up and carried him the short distance home. And he was fine.
I feel horrible because I feel like I pushed Mr. N way past his threshold. And I should have picked him up earlier. I don't blame him for getting agitated, I would too if I felt like much bigger creatures were about to step on me constantly.
I get so frustrated whenever anyone calls the dogs "vicious," "yappy," "little ankle biters" or "they think they're pit bulls (I do realize some of these people think they're being funny)!" I try so hard to have the dogs be "good canine citizens" (neither of them have the official title) and people criticize them for barking. That they sometimes start! I've seen people bark and yell at them and then call them vicious.
It's almost like there's a higher bar for small dogs because there's so many bad stereotypes surrounding them.
I have to admit Onyxx loses his mind around food and gets barky. I'm working on trying to curb that habit. We were at the hardware store, and one of the store dogs followed us around and kept barking in hope of treats for at least ten minutes. Onyxx barks for about ten seconds when I pull a treat out and one of the employees says, "If you don't quit being so yappy, you're never going to get adopted." WTF?
As for Mr. N being vicious... He has never ever tried to bite a human or a dog. He has excellent bite inhibition and a soft mouth. Onyxx has stolen food from Mr. N's mouth and Mr. N didn't even snap at him. He stoically stands still for blood draws and his temperature taken and getting a microchip inserted (have you seen the size of those needles?). A groomer said he was the only dog that didn't try to bite her all day.
The boyfriend thinks I need to be more thick-skinned and maybe I do but it still upsets me.
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| My "vicious" wee beastie |
Small dogs get their fair share of so cute comments as well :)...I'm sure nobody is perfect and have never pushed their dog past threshold accidentally before, so don't feel too bad. I like to think that the good thing is we can always start on a clean slate tomorrow. Have a better day tomorrow :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a rough spot for Mr. N.
ReplyDeleteI think that you did the right thing in removing him from the chaos. I hope that you found a more quiet place to get your exercise in?
-Slimdoggy
We already had walked a couple of miles and we were on our way home.
DeletePeople are retarded, period. I have to deal with mall dog syndrome with Roxy sometimes. She never barks, and always friendly. But people still stay stupid stuff.
ReplyDeleteYou handled it well, nothing to feel guilty about. Sometimes some humans are just plain ignorant and all the rest of us can do is sigh. I suppose we could all stand to grow some "elephant skin" (as my brother calls it), especially when it comes to strangers' comments about our pets. Ducky is a reactive resource guarder when I'm around, so I have to manage her environment as best I can in between training sessions.
ReplyDeleteI totally get it. How frustrating. I think people get annoyed and make a lot of assumptions. You are a good dog owner. I would not let what people say influence that in your mind. Many dog owners would not have done what you did to try and distract Mr. N. I have the same issue with Jasper and he is not a little dog. He is medium to Large and will chase a runner if he sees one. I can only do so much to redirect him.
ReplyDeleteHard to believe anyone could call cute Mr N vicious. Best to just avoid those types where possible. X Talent Hounds
ReplyDeleteI think way too many people just don't understand dogs. Even sometimes well-meaning folk. I know plenty of seemingly nice and normal people who think it's funny to bark at a dog. Just ignore 'em and know that you're doing good by your dogs. And don't blame yourself. Dogs are resilient. He'll be fine.
ReplyDelete--Woofs (and purrs) from Life with Dogs and Cats.
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Sometimes people don't realize that saying nothing at all might be better than opening their mouths to say something stupid. I get sensitive about things too, we all probably need to have thicker skin but certain things just get to us. Just try to remember that they are the ignorant ones.
ReplyDeleteOn a happier note..... ohmigosh, that photo is so cute!!
I've found that most people hate small dogs, regardless of if they have cause for the feelings or not. For every pleasant comment I get with Nola, I'll get 20 rude ones. She is very well behaved, isn't aggressive, has good bite inhibition, has her CGC, and we're working towards our RN. But sometimes, someone or something will set her off and she'll bark a few times. She quiets as soon as I tell her to, but people think they can open their mouths and say whatever they like. These are usually the people who has a massive pit bull straining and salivating at the end of their leash, the dog wild eyed and out of control, and they have the balls to call my dog misbehaved.
ReplyDeletePeople can be so rude and so stupid. I'm so sorry. You're doing a wonderful job with Mr. N and Onyxx too. Some people are just stupid and don't know how to be anything else. That runner clearly does not understand the meaning of the word "vicious". Mr. N is not vicious. He's adorable and sweet and smart. <3
ReplyDeleteYou did the right thing by removing him. It is sad that many people just don't understand dogs. You know Mr N, is sweet and adorable ... Golden Woofs
ReplyDelete