My dilemma about my dog

[Middleman]

I have a really nice Border Collie/Aussie mix. He's very smart, has great manners, and is extremely popular around here. He has several human friends in the neighborhood who love when he comes visiting. One is an older lady up the street who lives alone, another is a single, lonely aging hippy woman a couple of houses away, and there's the alcoholic retired gentleman who comes on weekends, plus my renter and her little boy next door.

I love to share him, it's good for these folks to have their canine visitor, they are lonely and comforted by him. He's a really cool, intuitive Lassie type dog who herds our chickens, and actually ran to another neighbor's door and barked and barked when their chained dog fell down the hill and was dangling by his chain, and probably saved his life.

Trouble is, the lonely ladies let the dog in and he's not around when I'm ready to go for a walk. They give him biscuits and treats, and my other dog, who's a homebody, also goes to get them, and she has a weight problem. I feel like things are getting a little out of hand. Yet, the dog does a lot of good in visiting these lonely people.

Should I start setting some limits by requesting they not keep my dog inside?

 

[Ravi]

Give it a cell phone and tell it to call you and ask permission before accepting a treat.



No, seriously, give the old ladies a bag of low calorie treats and tell them the vet asked you to watch the weight of the dogs. They'll probably love you for it.

 

[California Girl]

It's a tricky one.

Maybe you could give your neighbors some dog treats to give him when he comes a-callin'? That way he would at least be given stuff that's better for him than the human stuff.

Also, maybe they'd like to come along on the walks? That way they could all socialize with each other, get some exercise and enjoy the puppies together?

 

[ABikerSailor]

Give it a cell phone and tell it to call you and ask permission before accepting a treat.



No, seriously, give the old ladies a bag of low calorie treats and tell them the vet asked you to watch the weight of the dogs. They'll probably love you for it.

Pretty good solution Ravi.

You know.......not only would giving them a small bag of low cal treats be good for your pooch, but it would allow them to feel kinda responsible for the health and well being of your pooch.

That little thing of all of you uniting to take care of your dog would probably go a long way towards being more neighborly, because then all of you would be united by a common cause.

 

[Middleman]

I don't really want to take my neighbors on my walks. For one thing, they are very long walks, plus sometimes they are runs.

I've talked to my hippy neighbor. She also works at a small micro brewery serving the beer, and my dog goes down there 3 days a week hanging out, waiting for biscuits and greeting tourists and other customers. She basically does what she wants anyways, and feeds them tons of biscuits and believes in totally spoiling and catering to dogs.

I have a loud whistle, so he usually comes, even when a few blocks away. But this morning he didn't come, and I think he's at Eleanor's house, the older lady. I know she lets him in.

 

[Ravi]

It is your responsibility to keep your dog at home so it's kind of silly to blame people for playing with your dog.

 

[Big Black Dog]

I don't allow my dogs to accept treats from strangers, ride in a stranger's car, fetch a stick for a stranger or go into their house unless I am present. I don't allow them to surf the internet unsupervised nor do I allow them to watch R-rated movies. On top of all that, my dogs go to church every Sunday and one of them even sings in the choir. The oldest one, a beagle, is an Eagle Scout.

 

[Middleman]

As far as keeping the dog in, I tried that and it really upsets the neighbors. He does serve a mental health purpose by visiting people, plus he enjoys it so much. Also, he tends to find a way out of the fenced yard, no matter how hard I try. And in winter, with 3 feet of snow on the ground, it's virtually impossible.

I live in a very small town with less than 1000 residents, btw, so it's not exactly an urban area.

 

[Middleman]

I don't allow my dogs to accept treats from strangers, ride in a stranger's car, fetch a stick for a stranger or go into their house unless I am present. I don't allow them to surf the internet unsupervised nor do I allow them to watch R-rated movies. On top of all that, my dogs go to church every Sunday and one of them even sings in the choir. The oldest one, a beagle, is an Eagle Scout.

You are a model citizen and dog parent!

 

[strollingbones]

give them treats and ask they limit the feeding of biscuits...blame it on the vet...you may want to print a list of items dogs should not be fed...and give to the nice people....

do you have the ladies phone numbers? just call and ask that they let the dog out

i would rather have this problem ...than the neighbor....yea that one..him...who gets all out of sorts over the deposits my dogs leaves....he compared my dog to a small pony....personally i dont see the problem...who knew he was so neurotic that he trained his dog to use one small spot...way way way over there...

 

[Sarah G]

I have a really nice Border Collie/Aussie mix. He's very smart, has great manners, and is extremely popular around here. He has several human friends in the neighborhood who love when he comes visiting. One is an older lady up the street who lives alone, another is a single, lonely aging hippy woman a couple of houses away, and there's the alcoholic retired gentleman who comes on weekends, plus my renter and her little boy next door.

I love to share him, it's good for these folks to have their canine visitor, they are lonely and comforted by him. He's a really cool, intuitive Lassie type dog who herds our chickens, and actually ran to another neighbor's door and barked and barked when their chained dog fell down the hill and was dangling by his chain, and probably saved his life.

Trouble is, the lonely ladies let the dog in and he's not around when I'm ready to go for a walk. They give him biscuits and treats, and my other dog, who's a homebody, also goes to get them, and she has a weight problem. I feel like things are getting a little out of hand. Yet, the dog does a lot of good in visiting these lonely people.

Should I start setting some limits by requesting they not keep my dog inside?

I wouldn't let them go inside too much. Say it like you just did, you want to be able to find them when it's time for a walk. Talk about your dog's weight problem too, you want them around for a long time but the Vet says they're too fat.

They can still pet them but just leave them outside.

We used to have a big fat yellow Lab around our neighborhood and that is why he was so fat, he went to every house getting treats and food. They still come if you only pet them and tell them how cute they are.

 

[Big Black Dog]

I know this is going to sound like a big fat fib to you guys but I swear this is the truth. We have a donkey that roams around here from farm to farm at will. The story is that somebody for the Chicagoland area dumped him off in the country here to get rid of him. He's been around here for at least 8 or 9 years. We all sort of named him Bob. He jumps fences so its really hard to keep him fenced in. He just sort of goes where he likes. He'll stay for several hours or maybe a day and then move along to the next farm. When the weather is bad and you go out to your barn if the door had been left open sometime you will find Bob in there. Everybody in these parts love him. He's cool.

 

[Samson]

I have a really nice Border Collie/Aussie mix. He's very smart, has great manners, and is extremely popular around here. He has several human friends in the neighborhood who love when he comes visiting. One is an older lady up the street who lives alone, another is a single, lonely aging hippy woman a couple of houses away, and there's the alcoholic retired gentleman who comes on weekends, plus my renter and her little boy next door.

I love to share him, it's good for these folks to have their canine visitor, they are lonely and comforted by him. He's a really cool, intuitive Lassie type dog who herds our chickens, and actually ran to another neighbor's door and barked and barked when their chained dog fell down the hill and was dangling by his chain, and probably saved his life.

Trouble is, the lonely ladies let the dog in and he's not around when I'm ready to go for a walk. They give him biscuits and treats, and my other dog, who's a homebody, also goes to get them, and she has a weight problem. I feel like things are getting a little out of hand. Yet, the dog does a lot of good in visiting these lonely people.

Should I start setting some limits by requesting they not keep my dog inside?

Go down to the animal shelter and get them their own dog: Tell the shelter its for older people. They'll give you an older dog.

 

[boedicca]

Should I start setting some limits by requesting they not keep my dog inside?

I'd set some limits - let them know what healthy treats and the amounts they can give each dog (maybe even give them a supply) - and that if it's walkies time, you'll come and get the dogs. It's good karma to let your dogs spread some love to a few lonely people.

 

[Samson]

Buy them a couple of Rabbits.

 

[Middleman]

The dog came back this time when I whistled, he came from the direction of the Hippy lady's house. She's mentally unbalanced because of the vast amount of pot she's smoked in her life, so I handle her with kid gloves. I like to stay on good terms with the neighbors.

I'm going for my walk now.

The problem is, this dog is a talker and I'm sure he goes to their door and barks to be let in. He's really special and everyone loves him. Gotta go now.

 

[Ravi]

Have fun. When you can't decide which shoe to tie first please ask the experts at USMB.

 

[Middleman]

P.S... The Hippy lady's last dachshund died last winter, she totally devoted her life to her totally obnoxious doggies who would snap at anyone who came over, and were incontinent in their last years. So, she's still in mourning and loves my Border Collie, so I don't want to deny her her friend, but I get sick of her letting him in all the time.

 

[Middleman]

Have fun. When you can't decide which shoe to tie first please ask the experts at USMB.

I'll remember that you spent part of your day giving such valuable advise, thanks for joining in.

 

[strollingbones]

why you hatin on chronics and dachies?