WARNING: I'm about to rant. If you'd rather not hear it, kindly click here for something more cheerful.
This morning, I took Cabana for our usual morning walk. She was her usual spunky self. But after we passed a quick succession of about 5-6 off-leash dogs (off-leash dogs make her WAY more excited because she knows she can lure them easier than leashed dogs), Cabana got a bit upset at me for not allowing her to meet-and-greet them all. She pirouetted and pulled, tried to bite on her leash, and even let out a single bark of frustration. I made Cabana sit so she would desist, and she did.
At that moment, a woman walker rounded the corner. Evidently having witnessed the tail-end of Cabana's tantrum, she chided me, "YOU have to be the leader." She didn't wag her finger at me, but she didn't need to--it was implied in her tone. I felt like handing her Cabana's leash and saying, "Here, show me how it's done."
But I said nothing and walked on.
Later in the morning, Cabana and I went to a grocery store. Another woman came up to us, and without even glancing at me, she immediately bent down and started petting Cabana. Quite irritating!! I thought about telling her politely, "It's best if you ask before you pet someone's dog." But Cabana was sitting nicely while the woman was petting her, and I wasn't really in the mood to engage, so I figured I'd let the lady get her kicks and move on.
But instead of moving on, the woman looked at me and said in a disapproving tone, "Don't you think it's time for this dog to stop wearing that Gentle Leader?" All kinds of thoughts went through my head. First of all, I didn't know there was any sort of age limit on wearing a head collar, and secondly, it was evident that this woman didn't really have a clue what she was talking about. I just said, "Oh no, she definitely needs to be wearing it," and I walked on, starting to seeth inside. After all, WHO was the one deserving a reprimand here? Grrrrr.....
Her comment didn't make much sense to me, but I knew what she was really saying: "Why do you make your sweet little dog wear that horrible thing, you horrible person, you." Unfortunately, I've fielded many similar accusations made regarding Cabana's head collar, comments made both overtly and "in disguise".
Most days, little incidents like this just roll off my back. They don't irk me in the least. But today, I'm all out of nice--I've had all the public scrutiny and free advice I can handle. Sure, I know it goes with the territory, since all puppy raisers get more than their fair share of it. Yes, people are generally well-meaning--but can't they go mean well somewhere else?!
No comments:
Post a Comment