[nagdu] a couple questions

[Dan Weiner]

People are interesting, a aren't they?

I'm wondering if they'd  say  the same thing if they saw you discipline your
kids or whatever?
I've often wondered,  whether these people think the dog is more important
than we are.
And this is someone, yours truly, who loves dogs and would hate to see
abuse.
I also really enjoy having a dog and have been in situations where I've had
to be firm with my dog based on the situation.   .

I suppose the only thing to remember is that these folks aren't blind and
don't have to depend on the dog's work for the team to be a success,
obviously.

When their safety depends on whether a dog is distracted or not, then I'll
worry about their opinion.  Having said that though, it still isn't easy to
deal with. You don't know when someone's watching and plus you may be in a
situation where the ignoramus might be a colleague, friend, family member,
or someone you have to deal with.
My only solution is this: I've found that if I don't let myself get upset,
don't overreact, just act calmly when dealing with these bozos, it usually
goes away.
Now, should we have to be saintly and patient all the time? No, absolutely
not.
Let's see, when I had my first dog I had to be very strict about
distractions...actually this is happening with my present pup.
With my first dog I did get people saying "Why are you beating that dog".
I would:

1. just ignore them
2. Explain calmly
3. If they didn't get it go on my way or say something like "I'm sorry you
feel that way, have a wonderful day". In Dan's parlance, when I say that in
a certain tone it really means "Go fornicate with yourself".--smile


 
Dan