Some of you probably know about the Rottie next door, but let me just take you through the morning I've had (mind you, I've only been up for two hours).
I got up around 7am at my dogs' request (haha). I took them outside to pee, then we went for a walk. Not bad, except there was a very large loose pit that seemed afraid of my dogs. I took Riley back home, put my running gear on, and headed out the door with Sadie. We were followed by a loose German Shepherd and a loose mix that I figured out lives in a vacant lot down the street. We were barked at non-stop by several pits and pit mixes that people have on tie-outs (very popular), a set of three little backyard dogs that one person has on the next street over, two other dogs on tie-outs that live diagonally behind me, two weiner dogs, and about 15 or so other dogs that people have in their yards on tie-outs (we're talking about maybe 8-10 feet of rope, chain, or sometimes an actual tie-out) or behind fences (no, I am not exaggerating, and this loop is all of maybe a mile long).
When I got home, I grabbed a paper plate and some of the slices of the food rolls I bought the rottie next door and headed back out with both of my dogs to feed the dog that lives in the vacant lot. I was leaving the food for her and the three (yes, three) dogs on tie-outs in the front yard of the house across the street were going nuts. A guy who owns one of them (it's a duplex) came out and was staring at me. I felt bad, since I was causing his dog to bark, so I waved and got moving. I turn back and he's hitting his dog on the face and telling him not to bark. GRRR!
I get back home, and the loose pit runs at me and my dogs. He's nice enough, but very intimidating to my dogs. They get protective of me, though, and I didn't want Sadie to get into something with this dog (who had some recent scabbing on his ears). An older neighbor of mine was trying to call the dog; he said it was his neighbor's. I managed to get my dogs and myself inside, and he put the dog in his yard.
I then go out and feed the rottie next door.
Oh, and last night, one of the two dogs on tie-outs diagonally behind my house was barking up a storm (as usual when I'm outside) to get attention. I can't reach him. He's kept on what looks like a tire chain or something with a big, heavy lock on it. His person comes out and gets mad at him for being up on this railroad tie right by the fence. He hits him on the face (what is with this?) for barking and for jumping on him-I bet he's never been taught not to do that-AND for getting up on the railroad tie (what does this matter?! Seriously, he's just trying to see what's going on in my yard, and it doesn't hurt anything).
My neighborhood is depressing me. I can't fix all of this, but it's hard to ignore. I want to see if I can get the dog living in the vacant lot to trust me enough to get it to follow me home. I don't know if she will, though. It's about 10 or so lots down, so it's not like she's next door. She'd have to put a lot of trust in me. As far as the dogs barking at me and then getting hit for it, I guess I'll keep walking on the main road to keep them from getting in trouble (avoid the neighborhood streets). I may need a 6' privacy fence in my backyard (half of it has one-there was a duplex here years ago), b/c the dogs around me get excited and in trouble and the funny mix next door flattens our chainlink fence everyday to get into my yard and run around with my dogs. I like him (he's skittish but seems sweet), but he's got an eye infection and who knows what else that I don't want my dogs to get.
Two hours. That's it. Animal control could have a field day here if they wanted. Austin isn't no-kill; there is a big initiative for it that's been going on for years, but we've got a long way to go. Still, it'd be better for many of these dogs to go to a shelter than stay around here, I think.
