Did I mess up or did this guy overreact?

[sarava]

We live in an apartment and too many people use our courtyard to ever let my dog run around off leash. She’s reactive and has a bite history so it’s not a chance we’re willing to take. Not long after we adopted her we found a park about a half mile away that has a fenced in roller hockey area that no one ever uses. We take her early in the morning (dawn or just before) and let her run her butt off chasing tennis balls until she’s tired and waits by the gate for us to put her leash back on for the walk home (usually only a half hour or so, she’s not super high energy for a young pibble). The last few times I’ve taken her there’s been a guy in there skateboarding in the roller hockey area. NBD, that is what it’s for. Lucy gets upset and tries to drag me into the enclosure but we never go in, just start walking back but it’s a fight the whole way home. If we wait around too long for him to leave lots of families and kids show up and it gets dangerous. Today we got there just after he did and I said that I noticed he comes here early in the morning and was wondering what days he was usually here so I could plan around him. I explained that she doesn’t get to run around much but I didn’t want to disturb him or walk all the way there, get her all excited, and then walk home. He told me it was none of my business, the park was for people not “your f@cking dog”, and that I was being a K@ren. I didn’t ask him to leave, I understand that people get priority, I was just asking so I could take her on days he wasn’t planning to be there. Now I’m thinking maybe it was rude of me to ask? Thoughts?

 

[shannmisteri]

@sarava This is going to sound harsh but: I specifically won’t get another dog (although I want to) because my current yard/house isn’t big enough. It wouldn’t be fair to the pup. So it drives me mad when people adopt high energy breeds, bring them back to an apartment, and then act like they’re entitled to use playgrounds or other fenced in areas for humans like skateparks because poor lassy needs her exercise!!

Your dog is your own responsibility and honestly.. yeah it was pretty rude to make this guy feel like he’s a burden for simply using the rink for what it was designed. It’s not his problem and he shouldn’t have to plan around your dog.

 

[sarava]

@shannmisteri My dog is a couch hippo and not “high energy” at all. She gets about 30 min to an hour of exercise a day, but her favorite sports are napping and eating. She likes to go o the park but is usually done running around and ready to go home within 15-30 minutes. There is also a very large outdoor space that we could use if she wasn’t terrified of people and other dogs, since our apartment complex is full of pet parents who like to hang out downstairs with their animals. There is even a dog run attached to the building. My issue isn’t that I have a dog, it’s that I have a reactive dog and therefore need to be forever watchful, just like everyone else here (well except you, since you don’t have a dog and just came by to throw shade).

 

[tallulah]

@sarava Yeah sorry but you were a jerk. If your dog is not only dog reactive but has a human bite history, you NEED to muzzle her. You never know when a dog is going to slip a harness or lead, no matter how well fitting. Next, you shouldn't be letting her run off in an area that isn't dog friendly. It's your job as her owner to walk her responsibly, ESPECIALLY as an owner of a reactive, dangerous dog. You should be walking her on a lead rather than letting her walk off leash, she could jump a fence or a kid could walk in when you're not looking. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[sugarcookies]

@sarava That guy was in the right, not his fault your dog is a dangerous shitbull

 

[moveonupyup]

@sugarcookies Are you here browsing by all time controversial too, haha

 

[sarava]

@sugarcookies Aren’t you a ray of sunshine? You must be great at parties. Oh wait, no, because someone who felt the need to respond non-constructively to a 230 day old post probably doesn’t get invited to many.

 

[sugarcookies]

@sarava Don’t take your shitty uncontrollable dog to all those parties, it would probably maul someone

 

[sarava]

@sugarcookies You can even get one with holes big enough so you can still lick the hot Cheeto dust off your fingers before you jerk off to kiddie porn in your basement dungeon. Wouldn’t want any uncomfortable sensations.

 

[sugarcookies]

@sarava Seethe.

I Feel sorry for the poor victims of your dog. You should have it put down

 

[sarava]

@sugarcookies You mean my dad? He loves her. You though? No one loves you. Clearly. Maybe your mom should have swallowed.

 

[moveonupyup]

@sarava Your dog attacked your dad? Man if I had a dog that attacked a family member, I’d feel pretty bad and not boast about how much they love my dog. Honestly I likely wouldn’t have it anymore so there wouldn’t be anything to brag about.

 

[sarava]

@moveonupyup My dog didn’t attack my dad. She was trying to hide from him behind my husband and was clearly
In distress and my dad tried to grab her so she bit his hand. He was drunk. He loves dogs. He failed to read the very obvious signs that she was afraid of him. The next day he fed her a bunch of cheese and hotdogs and they became best friends. Please feel free to go blow greyorangeteal in his basement dungeon.

 

[moveonupyup]

@sarava Wow you are salty. Sorry you are struggling to handle your reactive dog. You may feel the description of the incident absolves you, but clearly there are other issues beyond that if you’re here, one of those being your entitlement.

I do hope you found a safe place to walk the thing without potentially harming others. The guy was right, the park is for people and not your dog. The fact that you thought it at all abnormal speaks volumes of the entitled lens with which you view the world.

I hope you have learned something from (all) the replies you got and are continuing to learn to contain your problem dog, and that no harm comes to anyone else or their dogs for that matter.

And yeah I still wouldn’t boast about how much my dad loves my dog if I were in that situation. Weird flex lady.

 

[sarava]

@moveonupyup 230 days since this post. Nearly a year. My reactive dog has been through several months of training and is doing quite well thanks. Am I salty? Someone told me my dog, who has already been through a lot, should be destroyed for the simple reason that she’s afraid of nearly everything. So I told him his mom should have swallowed if his little swimmer was the best his dad could produce. Then you piled on to throw your two cents in agreeing with said sh@tbird. So yeah. You’re goddamn right I’m salty. You can go f@ck yourself. You castigate me for seeking help early in my relationship with my fear reactive pet, but why are you here? Do you also have a dog with issues or are you just another f@cking concern troll with nothing better to do?

 

[sarava]

@sugarcookies Unlike you she wears a muzzle. You should try one, I can only imagine it would be an improvement on your less than stellar personality.

 

[misschelseapearl]

@sarava I absolutely understand where you're coming from. It's hard when we FINALLY find "the place" that's free from dogs or people and our dogs can finally be themselves in public, and then suddenly one day other people are there and you're back to square one.

I get trying to work out a schedule because yeah that's exactly what you do for your dog on a daily basis! But for this guy, who has absolutely no responsibility to you or your dog and who just wants to skate on his terms and is probably picking a time himself that is not busy, I can see why he wouldn't take that request the right way. He doesn't want to have to think "oh no I told her I don't skate Tuesdays because I usually work Tuesdays, but switched with Mark and have Wednesday off this week instead!"

Is it technically a reasonable request? Sure. Is it innocent enough from your perspective? Yeah, you just want what's best for your dog! But I don't blame that guy for being standoffish. Sure he could have handled that better, but really it is your dog that is the problem. It is your dog that can't handle the space, and it is your responsibility to accomodate, not his.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@sarava Dude sounds less than pleasant. He could've said the same thing politely. He was out of line for sure.

I don't think his sentiment is wrong. I don't know a single skater who hasn't had a run in with a dog. A lot of people just let their dogs run around off leash with terrible recall. It tends to make you overly cautious. I was at the skate park where someone had tied their very large reactive dog to a bench. It lunged and snarled at everyone. It was pretty scary. Most of our skateparks ban dogs because you get the occasional owner who just lets their dog run free. It's dangerous for dogs and people.

You weren't wrong or impolite. I'm really sorry that this spot is hit or miss. It's so frustrating having a reactive dog sometimes. I think we have to remember that our dogs are a profound responsibility that a happy go lucky dog isn't. Can you bring a special treat just in case the park is occupied? Maybe it'll help your dogs frustration.

 

[sarava]

@imagebeastmarkbeast I bring freeze dried liver (her fave) but when she’s frustrated she won’t take treats. She doesn’t really bark or lunge anymore unless she’s already at threshold and gets trigger stacked, but she definitely can’t be off leash around strangers. She just lays down and refuses to budge if she’s not getting her way. I end up carrying my 40lb pit bull like a suitcase by her harness handle until we’re far enough away that she’s willing to walk again.

 

[evanlooksuptothealmighty]

@sarava I think this is a "no assholes here" situation. The guy sounds like he reacted more rudely than he needed to (and totally unnecessary to call you names). He also might not have a typical schedule for skateboarding and doesn't want to feel obligated to make one.

Try checking out Sniffspot for safe, fenced in places for off leash fun.