It is time to send a little vent out into cyberspace..
I had a really busy day today. I have construction people here doing some reno's to my home. I have a business at home so between clients the reno's were going on. I had booked the gas company a while ago to come and do a furnace inspection but when I booked it didn't know my house would be under construction at the same time. When the guy from the gas company came to the front door he knocked and of course my dog barked. I have a window beside my front door which soon will be replaced with a new front door that will have glass you cannot see through. That cannot come soon enough! Obviously my reason for telling you that is; he saw my dog barking at him.
I went to the front door and instead of opening it I waved to the guy and motioned that I was going to come around to let him know I had construction people working so this wasn't such a good day after all. When I came around outside to open the gate he was escalating into a full irrational moment. The first thing he said to me was "are you going to lock up that 'pitbull'?" I just stood looking at him. It isn't like this hasn't happened before but every time it does I am stunned.
I told the guy he was here to clean my furnace, not socialize with my dog. He then said, his "buddy" was put in the hospital with a dog bite and that he himself hates "pitbulls" and "shepherds". So now it becomes my fault there are some irresponsible dog owners out there? I don't get the relationship between his buddy and my dog..
So now my hackles come up. It is beyond me why one would have a job that you constantly enter people's houses when you have an irrational fear of dogs. I had an experience with the meter reader from the gas company too. They knocked on my front door, which I expect them to do, then said "oh I see you have 'pitbulls'." I replied "pardon me?" to which they told me that it is entered into the database so that they are informed when coming to my property. Bet you didn't know that? The utility companies record the breed of dog without your knowledge in their database to "warn" employees. Or rather they record the breed if it is on their list of breeds worthy of recording. I called the company after the meter reader left. Discrimination? Why they aren't afraid of stupid owners and record simply whether there is a dog or not. That would make more sense? I guess they don't care if the employees get ripped up by a breed not on the list?
The sooner readings and such can be done remotely, the better. I don't want these people on my property. I feel as though I must protect my dog from them! Since our rights have been stripped away I don't feel I can have anyone I don't know on my property without a witness for fear they accuse my dogs of "barking/menacing" or some such thing. Not sure what response they expect when you knock at the door? Lick the window perhaps?
Anyway, I am sick of this shit. I am sick of feeling paranoid in every day occurrences because McGuinty and the Ontario Liberals took all my rights away. We are unprotected from stupidity and irrational fear.
What a sick province we live in! This law must be repealed.
October 2001 can't come soon enough!
Bang on. Where does this guy get off telling you how to deal with your dog? He should get a new job.
ReplyDeleteOMG people are idiots. Shame on the company for recording the breeds of dogs. Recording that there is a DOG is forgivable. Recording only certain breeds? Uh uh, no way.
ReplyDeleteI guess breed bans have given companies free reign to discriminate based on breed or slang term 'pitbull' etc. Insurance companies and the like discriminate by breed so I guess they feel it is in their "right" to do so in the name of so called "public safety". All fun and games until an unsuspecting "breed" puts someone in the hospital. I get that people who enter people's homes and yards for a living run into some nasty dogs but I sure wish people would understand there is NO SUCH THING as a dangerous breed!
ReplyDeleteI've personally never had a problem with a dog or any animal. I have had big dogs attack a smaller dog with me too, but I knew how to stop the situation from becoming deadly at the time.
ReplyDeleteI also know many people and children have been bit, attacked, or even killed by dog(s). One of my friends had part of her face ripped off by a dog when she was a little girl.
I believe it is in our best interest to keep a dog completely away from a person that is obviously terrified - has been bit / attacked in the past - or just simply states they are afraid of dogs - or anything in our home for that matter.
It will not help our dogs nor the person that fears dogs, if we ignore the fear or respond with anger and harsh judgment.
I put my dog on a short leash and keep my dog right at my side when a new person shows any signs of fear of dogs or just states they are afraid. My dog helps me through my issues with having strangers at our home :)
Respecting those that are fearful of dogs will help them to gain better experiences with dogs.
A dog will protect it's territory from strangers ( repairmen ).
It's easy to keep our dogs on a leash, put them in another room or kennel, while the repairman focuses on his work.
Repairmen have been attacked and even killed. It is asking too much to demand repairmen ignore their phobia - just because we told them to stop being afraid of a dog and owner that they have no prior experience with.