Re: RC: FOLLOW-UP ON THE MAGGIE-EATING DOGS

["Patricia E. Peters" <patpeters1@juno.com>]

Holy Cow!  You have your hands full with this one.  It is never desirable
to start a Hatfield-McCoy thing with your neighbors if there is any
reasonable way to prevent it.  

You are as right as rain in this situation, but you know what they say, A
MAN (or woman) CONVINCED AGAINST HIS WILL IS OF THE SAME OPINION STILL.  

You've clearly communicated your point with this woman.  Maybe you can
find a way to neutralize the situation, express sympathy for their loss,
and let everyone save face for now, with the hopes that she will respond
in kind to your well-justified concerns for everyone else's future
safety. 

I had a similar experience in my own arena at home.  I was with 3 loose
fillies at the far end of the arena when the neighbor's doberman leaped
over the fence and charged us.  All 4 of us spooked and ran like h***,
with the fillies leaving me well behind in their dust.  I realized that I
would be dropped like common prey if I kept running, so I stopped, spun
about, and charged back at the dobie, waving my arms, stomping, and
screaming like a blood-thirsty tooth-bearing vampire.  Unbelievably, the
dobie retreated back over the fence.  

My fillies were very impressed.  My neighbor got rid of the dog the next
day.

Pat


On Wed, 19 Jul 2000 08:48:00 +0200 "Tracey" <tracey@tbt.co.za> writes:
> Hi, all.  You'll remember the thread I started a while ago about dogs 
> attacking other dogs while I was on a ride.  Well, things have 
> started to deteriorate around here.  Despite numerous friendly 
> requests, and some less-than-friendly ones, the owners of those dogs 
> still leave them outside the gate.  The other day, I watched as Mrs 
> UndisciplinedDogs drove off, closing the gate behind her - WITH THE 
> DOGS OUTSIDE.
> 
> 
> Needless to say, they have now started chasing cars, and are going 
> for the horses' legs.  More worrying is that the Doberman no longer 
> backs off if you charge her with the horse (I have even hit her with 
> my crop, but she will stand her ground).
> 
> 
> Yesterday, I came up through the veld and lo and behold, all three 
> (Ridgeback, Boerbul and Doberman) were out.  Saxon, my German 
> Shepherd, who has developed an active dislike for the beasts, went 
> between the horse and the dogs, holding them "at bay".  I went to 
> ring the bell on the gate when the Boerbul went underneath Toc's 
> stomach, causing him to spin and me to fall off.  Next thing, the 
> Boerbul went for me.  Saxon dived in and the Boerbul backed off.  
> 
> 
> The owner's excuse?  "We run a business from home and can't be 
> responsible for people who let our dogs out.  You should ride 
> somewhere else".  When I told her that I have actually witnessed her 
> letting the dogs out, she lost it and screamed "I have just lost my 
> eighteen month old baby, don't you care?"
> 
> 
> Now, I'm sorry her child died.  I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but 
> that is not relevant to the point at hand, which I told her.  
> Moreover, the dogs were a menace before the child died.  Now I am 
> being branded heartless because I am not sympathetic to her loss, 
> and am trying to take her dogs away from her (I told her that it 
> they were in the road again, I'd call the authorities and have them 
> shot).  And I told her that trying to use emotional blackmail to get 
> me to back off was out of line.  If she couldn't deal with me, I 
> invited her to call her husband to speak to me.  She just walked off 
> screaming, telling me I was an "awful, awful woman"
> 
> 
> So call me heartless.  There are kids who use that road, they could 
> be next.  My dogs and horses are my kids, they could be next.
> 
> 
> All I can say is, thank God for Saxon.
> 
> 
> Tracey