When you and your pet are with other dogs, know the difference between play and aggression.
Dear Dog Lady,
My dog, Alfie, and I were minding our own business as we walked in a city park. Suddenly, we encountered two dogs on the trail. One dog seemed to be cowering while the other dog was running around barking and baring its teeth as the hair on its back stood up.
I know these signs of aggression and was scared. I worried about Alfie, who was sniffing along peaceably. I asked the woman accompanying the teeth-baring dog if it was friendly. "Oh, he's just playing a game called 'It,'" she said. Then she went into a long explanation of the game, which sounded as if I had to send my dog to university to learn to play.
"You have a dominant breed," she said as she pointed to Alfie. "That's why my dog ignores him — because they are both dominant."
My Alfie is a wimp. He rolls on his back submissively and exposes his belly like a two-bit tart if anybody approaches him. I couldn't tell that to this lecturing woman who seemed to be a know-it-all about dogs, like you. — Heather
A: The "Ask Dog Lady" brand is not snooty nor uppity. Dog Lady believes all dogs are perfect while people need help. Sometimes, dog people can be such kibitzers about all other dogs but their own pets. The important things you recognized are the warning sign of dog aggression – fang-baring and bristling fur – and immediately addressed these issues with the owner. You asked the right question to protect yourself and Alfie.
Your lecturer was probably defensive about her dog's aggressive posture. Also, she was negligent in her duty to keep her animal under control in canine-friendly parkland that thrives on the trust of dog walkers behaving responsibly. The woman should have put her animal on the leash to quell the dicey behavior and restore calm. She was not being responsible by explaining away the barking and teeth-baring as a game.
Dear Dog Lady,
One morning, I was outside with my dog group, where you'll find me most mornings weather permitting. I sip coffee and chat while my Bernese mountain dog romps with the pack. On this day, we were talking about shedding and how to deal with all that excess hair that comes off our dogs. I spoke of the bagfuls of fur that come off Gilda when I brush her. There's so much Berner fur, I feel I could spin it. Someone then suggested I do just that – spin yarn and make sweaters or shawls from Gilda's coat. What do you think? Could this be a viable home business? — Joyce
A: it is impressive you want to turn your dog's sloughed fur into a cash crop but it might be too much trouble for too little reward. Imagine the arduous tasks ahead of you: First, you must learn how to spin all those bagfuls of fur into yarn. Then, you must brush up on your knitting or weaving skills. Then, you must find a chic pattern for a fashionable garment.
Can you see yourself wearing a sweater made from your dog's fur? The whole notion of wearing the hair of the dog is just too strange – no matter how you spin it.
Write askdoglady@gmail.com and go to www.askdoglady.com to read "Shorty Knows" on the new blog.
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