Lisa
Moderator
- Location
- Alberta, Canada
I"ve been having a few run-ins over the last few months with Hank, an Australian Shepherd-type dog and his Boy, who looks to be about 10-11.
It first started towards the end of summer, with Hank suddenly appearing, off-leash, as Simba and I walked along the walking trails that are in our neighbourhood. If I were to guess, I would say that Hank was somewhere around one year at that point, as he came barrelling in with adolescent enthusiasm...a little too much for Simba's liking, who tolerated the rude shoving and sniffing with some grace but he was obviously not happy. While this was happening the boy is calling out "He's friendly!" as he runs towards us. They live in a house that backs on to the trails, and Hank, the boy and his sister (smaller), were all out front.
So, I'm trying to get Simba away but Hank is having none of if, he just won't leave us alone. Not in a bad way but he's now committed to going wherever Simba is going. So the boy asks if I will come back to his house so Hank will come back. So I go back, but of course if we try to leave, Hank comes with us and is ignoring any commands the boy is giving to come. The boy asks the sister to get Hank's collar and leash from inside, the sister ignores him and continues to wash her dad's truck with a hose.
So I suggest that perhaps he should get his mom. He goes running inside calling for her, and all I can hear is her voice muffled in the distance. He asks her to call Hank, which she eventually does, the dog goes inside, and all is well.
Next time we meet Boy is on a scooter, "walking" Hank with collar/leash. We are on a path that goes around a pond. Of course soon as Hank sees Simba he's pulling to get to us, and Boy is not strong enough to hold him. He basically pulls Boy over, who falls on the concrete path, and comes merrily over to Simba, doing the same rude shoving and sniffing, which Simba isn't happy with but tolerates. Boy is crying because he's hit the ground, and I'm trying to get away so Hank will leave us alone because I know Simba is pretty much over Hank.
I'm wondering why on earth the mother would allow this boy to walk the dog, who is too strong for him, especially seeing as he's on a scooter on a concrete path. I look back and see the mom (I presume) who has finally appeared and is talking to the boy. Which is good because I felt awful leaving the boy there crying but having Simba and Hank in close proximity for any length of time was not a great option, either.
A couple weeks after that they suddenly appear again, right around the same place. Boy is once again walking Hank, no adults in sight, and Hank tears the leash out of Boy's hands and comes up to Simba, with Boy yelling "He's friendly!" after his dog as he's running to catch up to us. Simba is getting a bit growly with Hank at this point and I'm just trying to get away so that Boy can get Hank back. But Hank is following us. So I turn back and meet up. I tell him, "Look. Your dog is too strong for you. You should not be walking him." In the meantime Hank is trying to sniff and shove Simba, and I'm trying to keep an eye on the doggy interactions and trying to walk away now that Boy has the leash back. But we don't get far when Hank again rips the leash out of Boy's hands and runs up to us, and the same thing ensues, this time Boy is pretty much tackling Hank and trying to put his hoody over Hank's head as we walk away so he can't see Simba, and of course Hank is not happy with this and is struggling.
But we are close to a corner and I get around it and out of sight, and we get away, finally.
So, we saw them again the other day. I had actually forgot about them as of course they haven't been out walking in the cold, but it was a nice day. I was walking along the path and saw someone with a dog up ahead. The person was kneeling beside the dog. But I didn't actually realize it was Hank until it was too late and Hank, of course, got away from Boy, who had been trying to hold him back and putting his hand over Hank's eyes. Hank seemed altogether less friendly at this encounter, and Simba gave a growl/snap at him to get him to back off, but Hank ignores it and moves in again, resulting in a tiff between the two. (Boy of course is saying "He's friendly!" as he is coming up to us).
I manage to get Simba away and Boy somehow manages to stop Hank from following us. I call back to him over my shoulder as we are leaving, "Are you ok?" and he says "Yeah.".
So. This whole situation is VERY frustrating. I desperately would love to have a longer chat with the boy and give him some pointers on dog management but I can't linger too long in Hank's company because the two dogs are just not getting along. I get the feeling that Hank has not been well socialized with other dogs and his manner is off-putting. Or maybe it's Simba that's rude? I dunno, but he just doesn't like Hank.
Why are the parents of this boy allowing him to take this dog for a walk? The boy cannot control him. Either the boy or the dog or both are going to get hurt. Even one of the times he was running after Simba he went on the road, with Boy running pell-mell behind him. A car came along and slowed, but still...
Honestly, it's so ridiculous. I don't know what to do except to make sure to turn around right away when I see them. But Hank sees us coming and just runs towards us before I can do anything, it seems. Ugh. I feel sorry for this boy but I'm mad at the parents that they are allowing this to happen. Besides the danger of Hank running free and Boy running after him, I'm afraid Hank will turn on the boy and bite him in the midst of this tackling maneuver that Boy resorts to in order to stop Hank from going after other dogs.
It first started towards the end of summer, with Hank suddenly appearing, off-leash, as Simba and I walked along the walking trails that are in our neighbourhood. If I were to guess, I would say that Hank was somewhere around one year at that point, as he came barrelling in with adolescent enthusiasm...a little too much for Simba's liking, who tolerated the rude shoving and sniffing with some grace but he was obviously not happy. While this was happening the boy is calling out "He's friendly!" as he runs towards us. They live in a house that backs on to the trails, and Hank, the boy and his sister (smaller), were all out front.
So, I'm trying to get Simba away but Hank is having none of if, he just won't leave us alone. Not in a bad way but he's now committed to going wherever Simba is going. So the boy asks if I will come back to his house so Hank will come back. So I go back, but of course if we try to leave, Hank comes with us and is ignoring any commands the boy is giving to come. The boy asks the sister to get Hank's collar and leash from inside, the sister ignores him and continues to wash her dad's truck with a hose.
So I suggest that perhaps he should get his mom. He goes running inside calling for her, and all I can hear is her voice muffled in the distance. He asks her to call Hank, which she eventually does, the dog goes inside, and all is well.
Next time we meet Boy is on a scooter, "walking" Hank with collar/leash. We are on a path that goes around a pond. Of course soon as Hank sees Simba he's pulling to get to us, and Boy is not strong enough to hold him. He basically pulls Boy over, who falls on the concrete path, and comes merrily over to Simba, doing the same rude shoving and sniffing, which Simba isn't happy with but tolerates. Boy is crying because he's hit the ground, and I'm trying to get away so Hank will leave us alone because I know Simba is pretty much over Hank.
I'm wondering why on earth the mother would allow this boy to walk the dog, who is too strong for him, especially seeing as he's on a scooter on a concrete path. I look back and see the mom (I presume) who has finally appeared and is talking to the boy. Which is good because I felt awful leaving the boy there crying but having Simba and Hank in close proximity for any length of time was not a great option, either.
A couple weeks after that they suddenly appear again, right around the same place. Boy is once again walking Hank, no adults in sight, and Hank tears the leash out of Boy's hands and comes up to Simba, with Boy yelling "He's friendly!" after his dog as he's running to catch up to us. Simba is getting a bit growly with Hank at this point and I'm just trying to get away so that Boy can get Hank back. But Hank is following us. So I turn back and meet up. I tell him, "Look. Your dog is too strong for you. You should not be walking him." In the meantime Hank is trying to sniff and shove Simba, and I'm trying to keep an eye on the doggy interactions and trying to walk away now that Boy has the leash back. But we don't get far when Hank again rips the leash out of Boy's hands and runs up to us, and the same thing ensues, this time Boy is pretty much tackling Hank and trying to put his hoody over Hank's head as we walk away so he can't see Simba, and of course Hank is not happy with this and is struggling.
But we are close to a corner and I get around it and out of sight, and we get away, finally.
So, we saw them again the other day. I had actually forgot about them as of course they haven't been out walking in the cold, but it was a nice day. I was walking along the path and saw someone with a dog up ahead. The person was kneeling beside the dog. But I didn't actually realize it was Hank until it was too late and Hank, of course, got away from Boy, who had been trying to hold him back and putting his hand over Hank's eyes. Hank seemed altogether less friendly at this encounter, and Simba gave a growl/snap at him to get him to back off, but Hank ignores it and moves in again, resulting in a tiff between the two. (Boy of course is saying "He's friendly!" as he is coming up to us).
I manage to get Simba away and Boy somehow manages to stop Hank from following us. I call back to him over my shoulder as we are leaving, "Are you ok?" and he says "Yeah.".
So. This whole situation is VERY frustrating. I desperately would love to have a longer chat with the boy and give him some pointers on dog management but I can't linger too long in Hank's company because the two dogs are just not getting along. I get the feeling that Hank has not been well socialized with other dogs and his manner is off-putting. Or maybe it's Simba that's rude? I dunno, but he just doesn't like Hank.
Why are the parents of this boy allowing him to take this dog for a walk? The boy cannot control him. Either the boy or the dog or both are going to get hurt. Even one of the times he was running after Simba he went on the road, with Boy running pell-mell behind him. A car came along and slowed, but still...
Honestly, it's so ridiculous. I don't know what to do except to make sure to turn around right away when I see them. But Hank sees us coming and just runs towards us before I can do anything, it seems. Ugh. I feel sorry for this boy but I'm mad at the parents that they are allowing this to happen. Besides the danger of Hank running free and Boy running after him, I'm afraid Hank will turn on the boy and bite him in the midst of this tackling maneuver that Boy resorts to in order to stop Hank from going after other dogs.
