He's been here since Tuesday and walks are a nightmare! I swear he is even scared of his own shadow! He is not happy around traffic at all so switched to country lanes and fields. He is petrified of the sheep and when some calves came steaming across a field to a gateway (we were safe on the other side of the gate) I got dragged across a road and into the opposite hedge :wah:. So we get out of 'farmland' and head down a lane skirting a housing estate, phew I thought won't be anything here to worry the scaredy cat! Pffft, cue a huge black ridgeback barking her head off, suddenly appearing out of a gateway. I was actually scared! Eventually the owner turned up and put her on the lead, poor Arthur is by now besides himself hiding behind me and desperately trying to drag me back the we came.
So today, I decide to stay closer to home. Big mistake, get up the lane behind us and encounter four dogs within a space of minutes. That's all ok though, the owners are with them and none are aggressive they just want to play, Arthur is happy to say hello calmly and quietly. Five mins later, two dogs appear, again from nowhere, and run at us barking their heads off, one of them was really quite aggressive and made a beeline snarling at the quivering wreck beside me. I stepped forward and quite bravely I thought yelled NOOOOO, GET BACK at the snarling horrible thing. It backed off too but stood staring us down, it was some time before three people appeared on horseback, assuring me it was Ok, their dogs aren't aggressive. I informed them that actually one was rather aggressive and as the dog I am looking after is extremely timid it's not helpful that the owner was nowhere in sight.
What is it about damn dog owners who all think their pets are perfect, who all think it's ok to let a dog off a lead and let it run on for miles. Why are they not making sure they have the dog under control at all times, lead or no damn lead.
Meanwhile I'm puzzled as to why this dog is so god-damn nervous about everything, I was told he's ok with cars now but not with lorries. Maybe the owners have never walked him in the country so therefore he has no idea about sheep or cows. I think this dog needs to get out more and gain his confidence as at the moment, he will generally heel and walk really well for such a young dog but other than that walks are a nightmare
Oh, and every time I move he follows me, I spend all day trying to use the bathroom alone (without a toddler!) now I have a dog that comes too :wah:
