OFF LEASH!

Marty and I took Scout to the off leash park (one of my favorite places) tonight, after supper. We usually walk down to the park and then, once inside the legal, "off leash" area, we let her off leash, give her a treat and tell her to "go play!" Scout normally takes off, down the well worn path like a shot, before turning back to see if we are still with her. Today, just after we let her off her leash, a young man came jogging by. Scout started to kind of chase him. I say "kinda" because she wasn't sure if she wanted to play with him, or if she wanted to run with him. The jogger looked intimidated and unsure of what Scout was doing, stopped jogging, looked at Marty and I nervously and started jogging again. Scout continued to run towards him, always stopping just short of his heels, but this time she started barking a playful bark. She figured this guy had come by to play with her. The jogger, worried, stopped again, looked annoyingly at Marty and I, who were just standing there, watching things unfold, and tried to run again. The jogger and Scout continued their awkward dance, him running a couple of steps, her nervously chasing, barking a little, him stopping, staring at us. After a while, Marty and I started calling to Scout, but she was mesmerized by the runner. Eventually, out of fear and frustration, he says, "Hey, get your dog on a leash!" Instantly annoyed, I answer with "we're in an OFF LEASH PARK!!!" The jogger's response took me off guard and I wish I would have come up with a good response before he ran off, but I didn't, figures. He actually comes back to my "we're in an off leash park" comment with, " Well your dog is attacking me!!" All I managed to muster before he was out of ear shot was: "Ummmm, what????" Brilliant, I know!



How could anyone be scared of a face like this????