No Free Range Dogs

[DuneAHH]

She has a boyfriend now, a little chocolate lab puppy. Aunt Tootsie is going to DIE when she meets him! Cute.

I am protective of my dog and I would like to have the freedom to take her on nice Saturday morning walks without having to deal with aggressive dogs.

Saint is SOOOO adorable!

 

[scooterbug44]

I've never met a large dog or puppy I didn't like (rat dogs are a different story), but I am frequently amazed at the behavior of some beach dogs and their owners. Can't imagine what it would be like for someone who is unused to or afraid of dogs or little kids who can easily get knocked down by them.

I think my favorite moment was when 2 huge dogs came barreling up to me and the owner actually got mad at ME for firmly telling their dogs to get down and not jump on me.

 

[DuneAHH]

I've never met a large dog or puppy I didn't like (rat dogs are a different story), but I am frequently amazed at the behavior of some beach dogs and their owners. Can't imagine what it would be like for someone who is unused to or afraid of dogs or little kids who can easily get knocked down by them.

I think my favorite moment was when 2 huge dogs came barreling up to me and the owner actually got mad at ME for firmly telling their dogs to get down and not jump on me.

What is WITH people like that???
must be some kind of mutant entitlement gene.

 

[Teresa]

Saint is SOOOO adorable!

I wanna know whyyyyyyyy in hail I have never laid eyes on Saint??? Uncle Timmy got some splainin' to do.

 

[Uncle Timmy]

I wanna know whyyyyyyyy in hail I have never laid eyes on Saint??? Uncle Timmy got some splainin' to do.

Oh trust me -when the 2 dogs are together no mere 'people' get any attention. They are obsessed with each other. They just roll by in some bizarre yellow-chocolate furry blur.

 

[Uncle Timmy]

It's not fair to the dogs either when an owner is lazy, entitled or whatever.

My Wife was attacked by a dog when she was young and now lives with nasty scars on her arm and an unusual fear of loose dogs that someone casually walking the beach or neighborhood wouldn't know about.

I pity the dog who I will hurt beyond repair should it attempt to attack my Wife. I've had to step between a dog and my Wife on more than one ocassion and it's just not fair because I love dogs, but I'll do what I have to do. Thank God I've never had to.

Sorry to hear that.

You might want to consider picking up some pepper spray. You will probably never use it but it might make your wife feel a bit more secure knowing it is an option.

I got one that clips to your pocket from BassPro. I bought it after the dog and I were cornered by 2 aggressive dogs while walking in a neighboring subdivision. We sat there in the middle of the street surrounded by these dogs who ran out from someone's yard. The homeowners never even bothered to come out and get their dogs under control.

I can't defend my dog against 2 mean dogs so if they had attacked we would have been in trouble.

Don't want to use it, and won't unless a dog actually nips at us, but I am afraid its only a matter of time. Maybe then, the owners will learn to keep their dogs under control.

 

[tsutcli]

I'm afraid pepper spray won't work on the beach. Much too windy and it would probably blow back on me. I now carry an bamboo pole and had to use it on the first beach walk I took it on. I really wanted to use it on the dog's owner. As his dog ran toward me and lunged showing all his pearly whites, he had the nerve to tell me I was the one scaring his dog!!! Between animal control and Beach Patrol I hope the guy learned his lesson. He was a problem last year too with his unleashed, aggressive dog!!!

 

[Douglas the Intrepid]

I'm afraid pepper spray won't work on the beach. Much too windy and it would probably blow back on me. I now carry an bamboo pole and had to use it on the first beach walk I took it on. I really wanted to use it on the dog's owner. As his dog ran toward me and lunged showing all his pearly whites, he had the nerve to tell me I was the one scaring his dog!!! Between animal control and Beach Patrol I hope the guy learned his lesson. He was a problem last year too with his unleashed, aggressive dog!!!

So what was the reaction of animal control and beach patrol? Good for you for getting something done!

 

[Gidget]

Care to hear about my peaceful beach walk today? I was chased and growled at by a very aggressive Pit Bull mix off the leash on the beach. As soon as he saw me coming he ran down the beach walkover in front of a beachfront home. I knew he was ready to jump on me so all I could do was yell at the top of my lungs because I wasn't turning my back on this dog. He was close enough that I saw no license and no beach permit. Why am I surprised at this? Some guy walked up to me and the dog definitely knew him so the dog backed off and ran toward this guy. He told me that it wasn't his dog but the owner was snorkeling somewhere out in the Gulf. Then he proceeded to tell me that his deed says that he owns the beach down to the Gulf (probably the neighbor of this dog's owner) and I only have easement rights. I was not going to engage in an argument with this fool so I just kept saying there is a leash law in Walton County and this dog needs to be leashed. I was scared beyond belief and had nothing with me except a bottle of water. I will NEVER leave the house to walk the beach unprotected again and I will have the Sheriff's number on speed dial! If I had a cell phone on me today I would not have bothered with the Beach Patrol I would have called 911.

Terrifying! He's incorrect about the easement rights and that he "owned" the beach to the gulf and therefore YOU had no right to be there - I mean that's nuts right?

SO sorry that happened - poor thing!!

G

 

[tsutcli]

When we lived on the beach our deed DID say we owned the property to the Gulf of Mexico. There has been no ruling on that by the court yet but the unleashed dog WAS against the law in this County and I did not respond to his remark that he owned the beach. I was not going to "chase that rabbit" so to speak but just got back to the unleashed dog every time he tried to divert the conversation away from the subject at hand. But you are right about the nuts part.