Don't Judge a Book by the Unruly Barking Dogs on Its Cover

You know that neighbor you have, the one with the dogs that bark insanely at every passing person, dog, or gust of wind?  Well, that's me.  While I love my dogs to bits, I am mindful that everyone else does not love the noise they are almost constantly making.

Today was one of those perfect early-spring days... warm, sunny, dog-walking weather.  So, we were out for our walk and apparently, so was everyone else.  I. Was. Mortified.  Every ten feet my dogs erupted into a cacophony of barks and growls while my neigbors looked down on me with unmasked disdain. 

After a blissful hundred feet of uninterrupted doggie-walking, a man passed me on rollerblades with his dog.  Dogs explode into barking fits.  Then, a little while later, he passed me again.  Dogs go insane.  It didn't take me too long to realize I was being followed.  Well, not followed exactly.  He was making laps around me.  I thought, how rude.  He can see how he is upsetting my dogs and the stress it is causing me, but he keeps doing it.  Then he stopped.  He was ten feet ahead of me, clearly waiting on me.  I started doing that thing in my head where I search the area for weapons of opportunity if he tries to attack me. 

I passed by him, keeping my eyes straight ahead, trying to act like he wasn't there even though the dogs were growling and pulling towards him.  He was walking up to me.  "Ummm, miss?"  Shit, ignore him. Ignore him.  "I couldn't help but notice that your dogs seem to be barking a lot and..."  Thanks, asshole.  I hadn't noticed.  "...well, I'm a dog trainer, and I could help you if you wanted."  Oh shit, I'M the asshole!

This man, this total stranger, went on my walk with me pointing out how to keep the dogs under control.  He walked with me for a half hour, a half hour he could have been doing something like spending time with his own well-behaved dog.  Where all the other people I had passed saw an incompetent girl with annoying dogs, he saw a overwhelmed girl trying her best to be both a good neighbor and a good dog owner.  He saw an opportunity to use his particular skill set to help someone.  And I saw a creepy stalker guy and desperately tried to avoid him.  I really am an asshole.

It is encouraging to know that this kind of person exists in the world, even in my own neighborhood.  I hope that, given the chance, I will help the person everyone is scoffing at, too. 

This blog entry is dedicated to the nicest guy on my block... you rock.