Walking home from the Williamsburg Saturday Farmer's Market, through the park, I am almost out, and a Grey Great Dane lumbers toward a Collie Shepherd mix, the owner of the latter a woman in her 50's screams at the bald/sunglassed/wannabecool dude to get his dog on a leash--he is the owner of the former. He cooly ignores her and She gets hotter & louder, screaming at his dog 'Elsie' (she knew her name since Elsie had taken a bite out of her collie's ear before -- she has the Vet bill), Elsie is play pouncing on the other dog, but by virtue/vice of her size Elsie could do damage. Elsie lumbers off. Another woman with a smaller dog screams at Bald Man to put his dog on a leash. And first Lady, who was walking away, while speaking the same leash sentiment, and other venting, decides to turn around and go after this guy. The Bald Man yells, "Shut the F__k up!", he is also pushing a stroller occupied by a two year old, curly haired, girl with a mix of emotions passing across her face. I stand quietly at the apex of the this triangle of women, waiting to throw down my fresh veggies, eggs & butter, pears and peaches if the ladies need back up. Then a voice on a bull horn tells the man to Leash his dog. And then he does. I continue on my trek home thinking the leash is temporary, he will unleash, he will teach his daughter disrespect, he will not be the pack leader of his dog, and in this wimpy way he abuses both, as well as his fellow man.
I love to see dogs run free. In a yard, in a field, in the woods, if they have a good custodian. I hate that term master. My Dad and his family have bred dogs, hunting dogs, and trained them. I helped train, with a bunch of bound feathers on a fishing reel. I love animals, and I respect them, I think they have ways of interspecies/interkingdom communication human beings had once but forgot when we invented words. I don't blame an animal when they misbehave. I blame its human. Likewise, I don't blame a child, I blame the parent -- I am not talking about crying and whining children I know that a strong parent has to withstand that and stifle the urge to whack and are the stronger for withstanding a tantrum in public.
What a wonderful world it would be if everyone taught their children and dogs well.
