Friday, January 9, 2009

Dogs are undeniably beautiful creatures, and given their disposition, it is no wonder why they are considered to be man's best friend. However, from a dog walker's point of view, dogs are much more than amiable animals, they are also a source of income, the same way flipping burgers or doing taxes is too other people. Because my job is really out in open, the safety of animals and the expediency at which I can do my job are always dependent on the people I encounter every day. Here are a few tips for the average person so that you can enjoy the entourage, and I can keep doing my job in a reasonably timed fashion.

1. Don't ask me if I know Cesar Milan. Yes, I have seen the Dog Whisperer... once a long time ago, a friend talked me into watching it, I didn't really care for it. Be the pack leader, yes yes, all that. No I cannot speak to the dogs or tell you whether they prefer chicken or beef. The only thing a dog would tell me if I could speak to it would be to run faster, throw the stick more often, or wonder why he is not walked by this unknown master of the walking experience.

2. If you want me to stop on the street so that you can say hello to a pack of dogs, which is totally awesome if you are into dogs, do not run at the pack making clicking and whistling noises, don't even do that in passing. This confuses the dogs, gets their proverbial dog panties in a twist, and generally creates so much disorder that wrangling the dogs actually becomes a job. If you want me to stop this traveling petting zoo, stop where you are, get my attention and wait where you are standing, Ill come to you if I think you are worth stopping for, and barring a outwardly friendly appearance or scandalously revealing attire, this mobile poop factory probably will not stop.

3. If I have to discipline a dog, which sometimes has to happen, do not get on my case or I will discipline you. You are not Mother Theresa, and this pack of domesticated wild animals is not your responsibility, so don't look at me like I am Jack the Ripper for giving a good tug on a choke chain for bad behavior. (PS. I do love the dogs, and no injury is sustained.)

4. I am dog walker, no I am not homeless, thanks for the tip though.

Well thats it, hopefully now the world can live in harmonious balance. If we all work together, and follow these simple maxims, mankind just be able to rise above his animal nature and adopt some reasonable standard of civility.
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  1. naltimarJanuary 11, 2009 at 7:51 PM

    I'd like to amend this by suggesting to all of the parents of children out there (i must differentiate between parents of children and parents of dogs) to PLEASE teach your children to NEVER approach an unfamiliar dog without asking the owner (or walker in our case) if it is okay to do so. I don't know how many times I have walked down the sidewalk with two or three dogs, passed by a mother and child and the child walks directly up to the dog in question without warning. Remember, most little kids'delicious heads are at dog-head height.

    Okay, I'm going to keep on ranting... :)

    I am personally bothered by the amount of unleashed dogs there are in our community. I am sure that your enormous Lab is completely sweet, and I'm impressed by how close he/she stays to you when walking, really I am. But if your super friendly Lab decides to closely investigate my cluster of equally large dogs, there is only so much I can do to restrain them. It's illegal, it's silly when you consider all of the unnecessary traffic related accidents that dogs get into in a big city like Boston, and it's just plain unsafe. So if you're out walking your dog and you see someone who is very confident in their own dog, remind them that it's just as much for their own dogs safety that they are on leash at all times. Need to be off-leash? - go to a dog park.

    I love you all.

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