the trouble with owning a dog

Rosie chased after a cat last night. Technically not as bad as you'd think. Except that 1. She ran across the road to get it (I'll tell the story in a min), 2. The owner was there, and 3. I have no idea whether or not the cat survived or not.

I've started making a conscious effort to discipline the  dogs about pulling on the lead when walking. I usually stop if they pull, and don't start walking until they turn around and acknowledge me.

Last night she pulled. There was a car driving towards us (we were on the opposite footpath) so I figured that must've been why she'd wanted to go quicker. As I'm standing there holding the lead, Fred, who never pulls, got bored, and started walking around me, twisting the lead as he did so.

As I turn around to try to untangle, somehow the other lead slipped out of my hand. The minute the lead went lax, WHAM, Rosie's pelting across the street. Chasing down a cat. I couldn't believe it.

She must've sniffed it out across the street. I kept on yelling at her to come back but she didn't really listen. Meanwhile, luckily (or unluckily, depending on how you see things) the car that had been driving towards us had already turned into the driveway OF THE HOUSE THE CAT BELONGED TO.

So there's my dog chasing this cat through the brush (and I'm pretty sure she nipped it at one stage), me standing there with freddie still on the lead, screaming "Rosie! Rosie! Come! Rosie!" and the owner sitting in his car refusing to come out.

Eventually the cat pelts across the driveway, and Rosie runs across and I manage to get her attention and back on the lead. The whole time berating BAD DOG, BAD DOG.  *sigh*

I apologised profusely to the owner, and asked if the cat was alright. He didn't seem too worried. But then Freddie spots the cat and lunges. Luckily he's still on the lead. But of course the owner didn't spot Fred, and totally freaked about this big moving thing near him.

=S

This is one of those times when I wish I didn't have big dogs.

Anyway, so I walked them straight home and after feeding them left them outside (usually they get to come in after dinner).

Bf reckons they obviously knew they'd done something wrong.

I was rather ruffled.

I realised I should've left my address with the cat owner. Because last thing I want to know is that my precious Rosie has managed to kill a cat. Because the min that happens the owner is allowed to request I put my dog to sleep. People are very sensitive to dogs who kill other animals - particularly domestic ones.

And I've invested too much time, love and money to be putting my dog down.

At the same time I have to be a responsible dog owner.

Feeling a bit frustrated and upset about it all, really. Very unhappy with the dogs. I know it's in their nature to chase after prey, and cats are a nice start (although rabbits and other vermin would be better), still...

Being a responsible big dog owner can be a bit of a trial.