Wednesday 31 May 2017

"No dogs allowed.."

the notice says outside the shopping centre. 
There are exceptions of course, guide dogs and other "assistance" dogs...and, it seems, the dogs belonging to everyone else as well.
I tripped over a dog yesterday. It was not a guide dog or an assistance dog or even a guide dog or assistance dog in training.
It was one of those "Heinz 57" varieties, a perfectly pleasant animal but not  fully under control. It was a very young dog, barely out of  early puppy hood.
Neither it, nor the young owner should have been inside the shopping centre. They most definitely should not have been coming out of the bakery.
I told them that. I said it politely as the young owner was being obedient to a parent. The parent should have known better. The young owner did know better.
Then the mother of the young owner started to tell both the young owner and the dog off.
At that point I didn't need to say anything. Someone else did. It was someone else with that unmistakable air of authority. 
I looked round. Oh yes, I recognised him. He walks three large, perfectly behaved dogs. They are the sort of dogs who sit at street corners and wait until they are told they can move off.  I have talked to them on occasion outside the library.
The young owner was gently reminded of the "no dogs in the shopping centre" rule "whatever your mother might say", the mother was reminded of the reasons for the rule, and then there was the offer,
         "Your dog will be happier and you will have a lot more fun playing with it and walking it if it is properly trained. I run obedience classes for dogs..."
And then this man offered to help train the dog free of charge.
I prowled off, unlocked the tricycle, went and did the next thing.
On the way home I saw the three dogs and their owner. I thanked him for his interference.
They have accepted the offer of help but, as he said to me, "What sort of adult gives a four year old charge of an untrained dog in a shopping centre?"
I just hope he can train the adults as well as the dog.

2 comments:

jeanfromcornwall said...

It has been rightly said by many people that know, that dog training classes are more about training the people than the dogs. After all, apart from the occasional nutcase, dogs are just longing to be their owner's faithful and loved companion. They just need a few hints about how to do it - same as small children!

catdownunder said...

How very true!