It seems now that I often go around with dogs that complete strangers find it is okay to go ahead and yell at me, tell me what to do, etc.
I don't really understand it, as I would never do that myself.
Last weekend I was hiking in Fruita at a place I have been hiking since the 1980s. Over the years it has now transformed into a national designated place and is much more popular. It is a great place to hike dogs. Over the years, people have walked their dogs without leashes.
Now as the place has become more popular, there are signs to keep your leash handy just in case and baggies to pick up the dog poo.
I had just started on the trail and was walking 4 dogs. I saw a man and his dog running towards us. He saw us, stopped and put his dog on a leash. I just kept walking towards him.
When dogs see other dogs, they want to say hi, so my dogs ran up to say hi to this man and his dog. Most people with dogs are cool with this, and the dogs usually all say hi and then everyone goes their own way. However, some people with dogs are anxious, angry, or afraid and the dogs can sense this (smell it) and so they respond in kind.
This day, Chubs ran up to say hi and sometimes Chubs will bark a little to show he is manly. This man got in Chubs face and Chubs backed off. I was there by then and I used my hands to herd my dogs and we all got going in the right direction, all my dogs on a mental leash. My back was towards this man and I was walking away from him. He started yelling at me, "don't you know you are supposed to have your dogs on a leash!?" I just kept walking, ignoring him, as my dogs were under my control. He yelled at me some more, "do you hear me?" I just kept walking.
He then ran up to me, grabbed my backpack strap and pushed me. I was incredulous. I couldn't believe he did that. I was in shock. What are you doing? He just yelled at me some more. He didn't hurt me physically but I was quite mentally hurt. I couldn't believe he put his hands on me.
It was really nothing, I had my dogs in control but for 2 seconds when Chubs barked.
I told him that if people are cool, dogs are cool. I also yelled at him as he was retreating, "you're not from around here are you."
It seems the local populace is much more laid back about these kinds of things and that it is the "city folk" who get bent about the rules and the signs.
Then yesterday, I was walking Sabrina by the river. This time I had her on a leash, so I was doing everything right. I saw a lady up ahead with kids and I could hear she was yelling. I kept walking towards her. I was about 30 feet away from her, and I realized she was yelling at me. She was yelling, can you just stop and give me some time here? I responded in kind, are you yelling at me?
I then saw she had a big dog that she was trying to control and get out of there before I reached them because I guess she didn't want an encounter with my dog.
But again, it was the yelling at me, and I responded in kind, and then I felt terrible.
After both incidents, I felt terrible because of my reaction. When one dog gets aggressive with another dog, the other dog will usually get aggressive back. In both cases, I got aggressive or retreated back, I was just like an animal.
All this yoga I do daily, sometimes doesn't kick in when I need it. I hope someday when I am encountering yelling strangers or trail rage that I will be able to respond with love and kindness instead of crazily animalistically. I am able to take some deep breaths after the encounter and calm down, I just need it beforehand and during too.
