Dog to English Translator

[mamselle]

Thanks! Obviously, I had to ask.

Back to your regularly-scheduled dog thread....

;--}

M.

[apl68]

My morning walk takes me within a few blocks of a grade school just when the school-day morning traffic is at its heaviest.  So I try to avoid the traffic by going up alleys as much as possible.  This brings me into contact with dogs in back yards.  Among the more colorful personalities I meet there:

Patch, so called because he's a light-colored dog with a darker patch around one ear and eye.  His appearance and demeanor would have a certain goofy charm, were it not for the fact that he's one of the loudest and most aggressive dogs around.  Since his yard is on a corner, I have to walk around two sides of it to approach and use the alley.  He barks from the time he sees me until the time I get past his turf, and he's so loud it just about gives me a headache.  Mornings when he happens not to be out are always nice.

Snorty, who lives on the alley near Patch.  Snorty's bark isn't loud enough to be too annoying.  He snorts with every breath he takes.  Over time this has gotten less pronounced.  Maybe he's had his sinuses worked on?

Down another stretch of alley we have Shorty, Pipsqueak, and Spot.  Shorty is the biggest, which isn't saying much.  He has stumpy legs, like he may have some corgi in him.  Pipsqueak has a cute little bark that is unfortunately often drowned out by Shorty.  Spot acts like he doesn't really care that much about barking as I pass.  There's also a cat in the yard that seems to coexist well with the three dogs.  It has been long enough since I saw them last that I'm beginning to suspect that they might have moved.  I kind of miss them.

Further down that alley we have two tiny dogs that dutifully yap at me whenever I pass.  Lately the more aggressive of the two has taken to snarling in a startlingly vicious manner.  Were he a human acting that loud and aggressive, I would suspect drug use.  At any rate, they're the kind of little dogs whose efforts to protect their turf you just can't take seriously.  They and Spot must have the most well-vented spleens in town.

Once in a while I see a Great Dane in one back yard.  He doesn't bark all that much, but a Great Dane is something that's just hard to ignore.  I once overheard him being called "Prince."  If he's a prince from Denmark, wouldn't it be more appropriate to name him Hamlet?

[apl68]

This morning I varied my walking routine and approached Patch's yard from the opposite direction.  I thought I'd take him by surprise.  Unfortunately this meant passing Snorty's yard first, and Snorty shares it with a Dalmatian that sounded the alarm as I passed.  This brought Patch running and barking.  Thanks, Dal!

Dal, by the way, seems to be the only Dalmatian in town.  There's a reason for that--Dal and Snorty live with our municipal fire chief.

[nebo113]

Dal, by the way, seems to be the only Dalmatian in town.  There's a reason for that--Dal and Snorty live with our municipal fire chief.

This will give me smiles throughout the day.  Thank you!

[apl68]

This morning I didn't encounter a single one of my canine regulars and semi-regulars.  Even though it was a bright morning out.  I was only barked at, briefly, by a couple of dogs that I don't usually encounter.  Nothing wrong with that, but I do wonder why.  Was it some combination of my being a few minutes earlier than usual, and it being slightly colder this morning?

It made it easier to hear the spring birds this morning.

[apl68]

This week I have repeatedly been followed part of the way to work by a new little dog in town.  I think his people are here visiting family.  He had been wearing a collar with a jangling tag.  This morning I was startled to see him running around the neighborhood stark naked.  His family must be so embarrassed!

He's friendly enough, but that's the problem.  The last part of my walk to work takes me across a stretch of highway where little wandering dogs have absolutely no business venturing.  It was unusually busy this morning.  I was forced to round on the dog and make him get back before we reached the highway crossing.  I hate having to do that.

[secundem_artem]

Upthread, I posted some discussion about a neighborhood dog attacking Artem Dog.  My dog required $600 in vet bills, stitches, pain meds and wound care.  As advised by some forumites, I contacted animal control, who identified the dog and owner.  I thought that was it.

Today, both Mrs Artem & myself have been subpoenaed to appear in a criminal misdemeanor case the city has filed against the woman with the dog that attacked Artem Dog.

Anybody ever been in this situation?  I'm not the plaintiff, the city is.  Last thing I want to have is a pi$$ed off neighbor with some out of control and aggressive dogs.  I would have been happy to (as they say) let sleeping dogs lie.  The city has other ideas.

[apl68]

Upthread, I posted some discussion about a neighborhood dog attacking Artem Dog.  My dog required $600 in vet bills, stitches, pain meds and wound care.  As advised by some forumites, I contacted animal control, who identified the dog and owner.  I thought that was it.

Today, both Mrs Artem & myself have been subpoenaed to appear in a criminal misdemeanor case the city has filed against the woman with the dog that attacked Artem Dog.

Anybody ever been in this situation?  I'm not the plaintiff, the city is.  Last thing I want to have is a pi$$ed off neighbor with some out of control and aggressive dogs.  I would have been happy to (as they say) let sleeping dogs lie.  The city has other ideas.

I'm inclined to suggest going ahead and seeing that justice is done.  The neighbor will be upset, all right, but it doesn't sound like this has been a good neighbor to start with.

Not too long after Artem Dog's assault, my parents' Chihuahua that I mentioned above sneaked away and went up the hill again to visit his would-be girlfriend.  She was in heat that day, and attracted other dogs as well.  A couple of them ganged up on the Chihuahua.  He may be very big for a Chihuahua, but he's still a small dog and not used to fighting.  A utility crew witnessed the attack.  Dad then came looking, and they told him about it.  The family dog then showed up.  He was not seriously hurt, but was now missing the jacket he was wearing on that cold morning.  That and the sweater he had on under it may have protected him from a mauling.

Dad went over to where the fight had taken place and found the jacket.  Then he took their dog home.  He has since been having to put up with a leash whenever he goes outside.  I'd like to think that the encounter with mean neighbors would have been a lesson to him.

[Thursday's_Child]

Upthread, I posted some discussion about a neighborhood dog attacking Artem Dog.  My dog required $600 in vet bills, stitches, pain meds and wound care.  As advised by some forumites, I contacted animal control, who identified the dog and owner.  I thought that was it.

Today, both Mrs Artem & myself have been subpoenaed to appear in a criminal misdemeanor case the city has filed against the woman with the dog that attacked Artem Dog.

Anybody ever been in this situation?  I'm not the plaintiff, the city is.  Last thing I want to have is a pi$$ed off neighbor with some out of control and aggressive dogs.  I would have been happy to (as they say) let sleeping dogs lie.  The city has other ideas.

If your neighbor is rational, they will be able to understand that you aren't the one bringing the suit against them.  Don't count on that, of course.

From the point of view of the city, this is probably a public safety issue that they feel obligated to address.  What you don't (yet) know is the history & back story.  There may be a long list of less serious complaints about this dog, & your problems were enough to trigger an attempt to correct matters before there was a serious attack - on a child, perhaps.

[apl68]

While walking down a section of alley this morning, I encountered a pair of dogs I've seldom seen before.  One is small and white, the other tiny and mostly black.  They ran over to the back fence as I passed.  The tiny one barked at me.  The other one got a good look at me, then silently turned and left for another part of their yard.  I thought that that one simply wasn't interested in a confrontation.  Then I saw that he was actually chasing a cat that had infiltrated the yard.  The cat squeezed under the fence and fled. 

While the one dog was seeing off the cat, the tiny, noisy dog kept watching me and barking as I went by.  That's admirable teamwork on the dogs' part.

[mamselle]

Zone defense in basketball, I believe?

;--》

M.

[secundem_artem]

Justice for Artem Dog!!

Upthread, I posted that back in March, Artem Dog was attacked by a much larger dog.  Stitches, antibiotics, wound care etc etc etc.  As advised by forumites, we contacted Animal Control who investigated the case.  We thought that was the end of it, but we later received subpoenas to come to court to testify in a court case brought by the city agains the owner of the attacking dog.

Today was the day.  We reported to court and just sat there for over an hour waiting for whatever happened next.  We saw the woman who owned the other dog.  She went into the courtroom and left the building 10 minutes later.  We continued to sit and wait.

After an hour and a half, the city attorney came over, informed us the other woman had pleaded guilty to all charges and was ordered to pay restitution for our vet costs.  No trial was needed and we were free to go.  We never had to testify.

So..... JUSTICE FOR ARTEM DOG!  And the city will pay Mrs Artem and myself $11.30 EACH for responding to a subpoena.

And that's my story of being in the bowels of the US judicial system!  JUSTICE FOR ARTEM DOG!!

[apl68]

Congratulations on getting justice done!  I hope this will lead to that vicious dog being kept under better control in the future.  I still feel sad whenever I think about ArtemDog's ordeal.

[mamselle]

Very good outcome, given all the givens.

Hope Artem Dog is continuing to recover and doing well.

M.

[apl68]

The little dog that sometimes follows me on my walk in to work is named Gus.  Whenever he happens to be outside, he greets me as I approach.  He then either goes back to his house, or starts following me.  Fortunately he seems no longer inclined to go very far.  I don't have to worry about him following me to the cross street, or to the highway that I have to cross. 

This morning Gus came over to say hello.  I said hi to him.  Then I saw his owner come down the driveway and start calling him.  I walked over toward her so that Gus wouldn't follow me up the street.  As she approached him, he had a babyish mood and lay down so that she had to pick him up and carry him back to the house.