Today I am joining in with the Dumb Ass Dog Owner Blog Hop, hosted by Tales from the Backroad and Heart Like a Dog. As it is the perfect chance for me to complain about my newest erk in life, namely Straight Line Dog Walkers (SLDW). You may have seen them, you may know them…. hell you may even be one (in which case congrats, grab the award!)
Its the dog owner who comes onto a field, with a clearly defined route and come hell or high water they will walk that path – usually with a very board looking dog following!
They do not interact with their dog. They just appear to want to get the miles done so that they can get home and onto more enjoyable past times. The reason I hate them so, is because not being content with ruining the walk for their dog they also manage to ruin the walk for BD and I.
On a morning, we take a ball and go and spend an hour wandering the fields near my house, playing fetch, sniffing sniffs and generally enjoying some time the two of us. However, mid fun a SLDW will appear and so I have to move my focus from my dog, to figure out what the hell they are doing and try to make sure their board dog doesn’t decide that it would be much more fun to come and play with us. So I stop chucking BDs ball, not a popular or fair move for my ball obsessed collie, and instead we just wander aimlessly trying to ensure that we keep as much distance between the idiot and us.
BD and I go from chilled, relaxed and in the moment to me being on high alert watching and waiting all because these other people are selfish. I’m not saying having a route is wrong. I am not saying that heading out to cover a set distance is wrong, but could you be a bit more observant and realise that if a chilled out happy dog walker, suddenly starts watching your every move perhaps met that person half way by making a slight detour to help keep maximum distance between the two of you and don’t..oh I don’t know… make a beeline for the couple while walking down the middle of the field. Especially if they were there first!!!
25castleson25clouds.wordpress.com 
Yep people can be so annoying specially the ones who chat on their mobiles phones and pay no attention to their dogs. Those are the ones I really hate. Have a marvellous Monday.
Best wishes Molly
Tell me about it. “Get off your stupid phone and pay attention to your dog” I have been very close to shouting that at many many dog walkers – do you think you can have dog walking Tourette’s?!
Yeah, we see them around our neighborhood too. I can’t imagine anything more boring.
Why have a dog if you’re not going to interact with them at what should be the most fun part of their day.
No idea, when I am out walking my two I never stop chatting away to them – I am officially the crazy dog lady!!
Thanks for joining the blog hop, by the way your comment on the badge about grabbing the award almost made me spit food. Congratulations. 🙂
Yes, those people annoy me too! As you know my chronicles with the DADO’s is well documented. there is one woman near me who seems to always spend her walk on her cell phone. GRRR
In general I’m not so sure if people are just unaware or totally self-absorbed. It seems back in the day when we interacted in person, people in general had a sense of community and neighborliness. I don’t see that anymore. We are too social in other ways. I sometimes feel like the more social media connected we become, the less connected we become.
I’m sorry these people ruin your walks for you. And by the way, some pictures of your dogs would be nice. 🙂 I had no idea BD was a collie!
Ha ha I feel I have achieved something if you have spat out your food. I have put pictures of both dogs on here before, however I only used them occasionally they are both very unique and I don’t want someone identifying them, then identifying me and so identifying people who I am talking about – make sense??
Now when I read that title I thought it was going to be about MY gripe: people with reactive dogs who walk them down canal paths and other straight line paths where the poor dog can’t get out of your way and then THEY have a go at YOU for having a nice off lead dog who wants to sniff bums as dogs do.
Maybe I should be in the blog hop too 🙂
Join it, it’s not too late at all. Having BDs whose reactive and Mity who isn’t I can see both side of the straight tow path argument especially as I have had to walk MD down such paths. However, my thought would be take advice from the owner. For example if BD and I were walking towards you and shadow on spotty you I would call BD back to me, put on his muzzle and attempt to jump into the nearest bush, making sure we were as much off the path as possible. I would like to think in that instance whoever was coming the other way would take hold of their dog, just till its past mine.
I find it sad when people ignore their dog on a walk.
So I do, especially as they are the entire reason you are there!!
I stopped taking Doggy to the dog park, dog owners in general tend to be a bit crazy.
I love Doggy but I don’t forget he’s an animal and the way they play and interact with each other is different. Doggy plays rough, you have no idea how many times people tried to get into arguments with me with the “You should tell your dog not to play that way!” my answer is always the same, I call Doggy, ask him to sit and look into his eyes and say “Doggy this nice lady wants you to stop playing that way, you are too rough, now run along and do it again.”
I’d slap that people but they’s press charges lol
Please start slapping them, then come over here, I’ve got a list of one or two you could “educate”
That’s really sad for the dog. Dogs need to be mentally stimulated, and that would not be the way to do it.
The whole thing about it is just SO maddening!!