It’s been very quiet on the hill. But I saw my first “Other Person” of the month on my walk up to The Bench on Beinn Ghuilean today. Well, truth be told, I saw his dog first.
”He’s Only A Pup” was in fact very large and boisterous, and a little bit nippy. The man who appeared was apologetic and embarrassed. He’d clearly taken him on the hill because of the likelihood of not seeing anyone. But, hey, people get everywhere.
Dogs are great companions for some folk. But I do think, I have long thunk, that dog owners should be required (by law)to train their dogs to the point of obedience. I’ve been a reluctant dog owner in the past (kids and foster kids are very persuasive) and spent countless hours reading up about and training the two dogs in order to try to install basic obedience into them. It didn’t work perfectly, but it did work.
”Only A Pup” would undoubtedly have knocked over, certainly scared, and quite possibly hurt, one of my grand weans. I’ve got an adult son who still has a dog phobia by virtue of being attacked by a small dog when he was little. A foster son, who loves dogs, not along ago got bitten on the arse by somebody’s, and needed a precautionary injection.
So yes, dogs are great, man’s best pal and all that, but they are also a serious responsibility.
I got hold of “only a pup” at the owners request. He told me he’d need to keep him there for a while or he’d follow me up the hill.
And on my return there was a lovely Big Turd by the stile entrance.
Now there is a chip on my shoulder. (Sorry Chris ;).
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