What would you do?
 

We were at my oldest son's baseball practice the other night. Of course, there were many families around to watch the kids practice and some had dogs with them.

One family got my attention for the wrong reason. They had a young dog - not sure if it was a shepherd or Labrador or what - it was pretty much all black. The family had it on a lead and it seemed to be walking well with them. You could tell the dog was very young.

Later, as we were leaving the school's ball field, I noticed the "dad" of the family pulling the poor dog into the road area by his truck and he was yelling at it. I heard to dog "yip" - and thought "oh, nice... what a great thing to do to the pup and in front of other families..." He was obviously very mad at the dog for something. (I hate to think if he speaks to his kids like what I saw that night... it wasn't pretty...)

I wanted to tell him to pick on someone his own size - it was really upset to see this. Dogs are usually just being dogs - training is more a matter of psychology than it is "being tough" over a dog.

Would you ever say something to someone acting like this? Seriously?

Probably not, I tend to mind my own business. Oh, don't take that wrong I'm not calling you nosy. :D Just that I probably would not say anything.

I would like to think that I could go up to the guy doing my best Cesar Milan impersonation and, with calm, assertive energy, suggest there's a better way to train a dog, grab the leash from him, and show him how it's done. But knowing me, I'd just freak and a) go ballistic, and/or b) burst into tears.

Fall on Deaf Ears
 

If he was that wound up you would probably just make the situation worse. Unless you know the person you definetely need to pick your battles when confronting people you do not know that are already in a rage. The situation could get bad very quick. Some people should not own dogs, but telling someone that takes tact and if the are already hot it would be difficult. As much as it is terrible to see you would have to get the entire group to speak up with you in order to get your message across to an individual like that, otherwise you need to go about your business.

Yeah saying that to someone could really be taken the wrong way and explode into something very quickly. Like I said earlier, although I too would feel bad for the puppy I think I'd go my own way. Unless there was blatent abuse, beating the pup, etc. Even then not much you can do but very possibly make matters worse.

What would you do if this were a child? Why would the response be different for an animal?

Beating = call the cops

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” - Mahatma Gandhi

There's just not enough information here to make the assumption that he was beating the dog, although he might have been - I don't know. Pups can be pretty stubborn and can spontaneously refuse to walk on a leash, especially when they're spooked as they might be in a street with cars going by or with some huge angry guy yelling at them. It's no excuse to treat them with anything but love and patience, but some people do and dragging them along by the leash happens.

I don't believe you can teach anyone compassion by confronting them when they are in the heat of anger. Likely you'd only upset the guy more and who would he take it out on? The pup.

I didn't see him beating the dog - if I did, I would have taken his license plate number and called Alton's animal control office to report it. He was less than kind but I did not see him leaving any physical marks on the pet. I just don't "get it" - how can you treat a dog or anything like that and say "you love them"...

Truth be told, I wanted to open up a can of homemade whoop-@$$ on him... but bit my tongue and moved on. I probably did the "right thing" at the time but it just bothers me...

I was basing my response on the way the situation was presented and there was no mention of calling the cops (options A and B in your previous post did not express that this would be your first call), it was presented as a possible face to face confrontation.
Moral progress is one thing, but getting yourself seriously injured trying to get a point across in not a good judgement call.

Every situation is different and typically you have to make a call in a split second as to your reaction and in this situation with 20/20 vision, I believe the correct call was made based on the circumstances provided.

I guess I would try to engage him in a conversation about how tough pups could be etc.... and then say "Yeah, when mine acts like that I just pick her up and give up training for the night and try again in the AM." Validate his feelings(wrong as they might be) and then try to redirect I guess.

My last response was to dpg's following statement (which I should have quoted initially):

"Unless there was blatent abuse, beating the pup, etc. Even then not much you can do but very possibly make matters worse. "

If anyone sees anybody beating a living creature, you call the cops, no questions asked.

I agree but REALISTICALLY I wonder what the police would really do?? Anyone "beating" a puppy should be hit up-side the head with a shovel! :D

The Artemis Effect...
 

Regarding "The Law" and animals, the beating would have to be witnessed by "the cops" to make an arrest.

That charge is a misdemeanor. (It must be police-witnessed).

Agreed—and "yip" doesn't correspond to "beating".

You can get a "yip" just by accidentally stepping on a dog's toe. :rolleye2:

(Or mine—come to think of it!) :emb:

Don't count yourself out quite yet. :(

Have you owned a dog? A large dog? If you've ever owned a dog, you'd know that training a dog sometimes requires some stern and directed language. We won't even talk about horses!

Without some discipline, our population can end up with millions of Artemis running around!

(You wouldn't like that prospect, right?) ;)

You would respond the same way.When you see somebody yelling at their kids in the store do you do something about it?I bet you don't.Who said anything about beating the dog?That's quite a stretch from what AW posted.

I would hope they would arrest them under Title LXII, Criminal Code, Chapter 644 Breaches of the Peace and Related Offenses, Section 644:8 Cruelty to Animals.

I agree about the beating and calling the cops and I appologize for the call out, thought you were responding to me.

Thanks for the apology. The error was really mine...I should have quoted dpg in my response the first time around. But sometimes I just push the wrong button...probably why I'd never make a good Commander in Chief. ;)

They would never be arrested just on your word if it wasn't witnessed, sorry I just feel that's reality. I don't agree or disagree with you, just my opinion.

What would I do?
 

You know....I probably would have not done anything but say things under my breath. And they would not have been very nice things!

If I had seen him actually "hitting" the dog.....depending upon my mood....I may just speak up. Sometimes the things people do just really infuriate me. You just cannot believe how stupid people can be.

You really have to be careful about who you approach these days. Keep that in mind.

As far as calling cops and them having to see the the actual abuse....what if you could video it? Would that work? God knows, with our cell phones these days.....you can get anything on video.

They say some people should not have kids......but some people should not have pets!