This isn't really enough of a subject for a full Cubbe report, but it
happened today; I'm in a rotten mood for other reasons and thought I'd
vent.


Brownie is the underexercised lab mix from 2 doors down. I've thought a
lot about Brownie. He's certainly not abused in the classic sense since
he lives inside, gets food and medical care, and has people around, but
I can't see that he ever gets walked or much attention, and he's a big
goofy dog who obviously needs more than most that I almost think it's
akin to mistreatment for him to go straight from inside to tie-out and
never get a chance to run.


On my usual walk with Cubbe, we were in front of Brownie's house when
the door opened and Brownie shot outside. Cubbe does not like other
dogs in her space, and she especially does not like dogs 3X her size in
her face. Brownie was both. The layout of the yard puts it 5 feet
above the sidewalk with a rock wall so Brownie was above, Cubbe below.
It was easy enough for me to hold Cubbe's leash with one hand and grab
Brownie's collar with the other while Mrs. L ran out of the house
screaming ineffectually at Brownie. She got him. I said something
about not being afraid of Brownie but worrying about Cubbe who gets so
snarly with other dogs. I hope it didn't sound like I was apologizing
for Cubbe because I was about to continue on the walk when Mrs. L let go
of Brownie's collar.


This time Brownie ran down the driveway so he was nose to nose with
Cubbe who continued the whole snarly let's start a fight business. Now
I was having a hard time controlling Cubbe with Brownie right there.
Mrs. L was able to run down and get Brownie and tell me to go on which I
did while not knowing if speeding off to get out of sight quicker would
make Brownie's desire to chase greater and therefore make Mrs. L let go
again or if going slowly would be worse.


I realize I'm not one to talk since Cubbe doesn't have perfect recall
and has gotten out of the house before, but suddenly I feel like I'm not
so bad. At least I can control my dog when I'm holding on to her. If
someone was kind enough to grab my dog's collar, I should think I'd say
thank you and get my dog back in the house.


It was a few years ago when the Ls first got Brownie that I looked out
the window and saw Mrs. L chasing and yelling at Brownie who was having
a grand time. Mrs. L had a baby in her arms. I don't know how she
expected him to convince him to come home or what she was going to do if
she caught him-- which wasn't likely anyway. I grabbed a leash and some
biscuits, ran outside in my robe, caught Brownie in short order and
handed Mrs. L the leash. She came by 20 minutes later to return the
leash. I'd sort of hoped she'd keep it and begin walking her dog, but
it didn't happen like that. When she thanked me, I brushed it aside
saying that I like dogs and was glad to help.


There was another time when Brownie came barreling down the street, and
I caught him and returned him. That time the Ls hadn't even realized
he'd gotten loose from his tie out. They were surprised when I rang the
front door and handed them their dog.


The neighborhood gossip is that Mrs. L isn't coping well. Her 3
children are lovely, well-behaved, somewhat lower energy than the rest
of the dervishes in the neighborhood. They get along well with the
other kids. It's just that I hear from the other parents that her kids
are always at neighbors' houses with the favor rarely, if ever, being
returned. The upshot is that her children are being babysat by everyone
else while she never has everyone at her house for the afternoon. I
suppose the business with Brownie is part of it. They got this big dog
and don't give him the sort of daily attention that he needs.


--Lia