Re: RC: Dog gone...

[SandyDSA@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/25/00 2:37:40 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
sshaw@pacbell.net writes:

<<  have a pet peeve about dogs in Endurance.....
 
 Yes, we have to bring our responsibilities with us... Kids, dogs, wives,
 etc. But they should be kept tied up or on leases. And not at the vet
 checks, pre-ride meetings (Hear this Wendy M?)  At Castle Rock everyone
 was pretty responsible and kept their dogs confined.
 
 Bring them but don't show them off, as so many seem to want to.
  >>
Boy do I ditto THIS! I love my dogs enough to let them be dogs - they get to 
stay home when we travel, well cared for, lolling the days away as they like 
to do since they are, well, DOGS! It seems to me that having the horses to 
care for at a ride is plenty - why drag my dogs along?  So, having left MY 
dogs at home, I surely don't want someone's else's dog being a nuisance or a 
danger (i.e., the dogs running LOOSE at Malibu, EVEN THOUGH the rules of the 
PARK stated clearly that dogs amay NOT be off leash, and at the expense of 
being kicked off the premises and thereby out of the ride, you'd think people 
would have listened up a little - yet Karyne had to tell some people at the 
ride meeting "GO GET YOUR DOGS PEOPLE or you may be kicked out"! Well 
admittedly, they WERE on a leash - at least 2 of them - galloping all over 
the place dragging their leashes behind them. Of course, if these people WERE 
kicked out, they would belly ache until the second coming about their infair 
treatment. I relly liked the woman at Warner who (After hearing her dog yelp 
in her HORSE TRAILER for hours) told some people around her how her dog LOVED 
these rides!. Hmmm. Dumb dog.

I agree with Steve, and the bottom line is that no one is so dad-gum 
important taht you have the right to skirt or downright tramp on the rules - 
they apply to everyone - leave your dogs at home when the rules state "no 
dogs". Keep them confined if they are allowed and you feel somehow more 
secure or important with them. But for heaven's sake, DON'T impose your dogs 
on anyone else. I don't know of anyone with an active brain cell who likes a 
dog running between their horses' legs (we had this last year at two rides!). 
If I had to guess what OUR dogs prefer - they would stay home and sleep in 
the sun.
san