Hey MAtt that is a walk in the park try having a PET SMART person tell you that you are being mean and have no clue on training!!! (they have all about 8 weeks of training to train a dog, I have eight years!!) Was doing tug work with a young bitch and had a guy stop and start yelling at me!!! I reacted the same way with duck this, duck you and duck your mother too. Let put it this way I was turned in the the Humans society and (thank God I knew some people on the board) so I went to the next meeting sitting there listing to all the BS then the floor was open AUHHHH this was my time so I asked what of the lady on ________st with her dogs? and they said quote " we are looking in to her case" I said "well that is great WHAT DO YOU WHAT TO KNOW!!!!? Cause I am that lady!!!!! they were surprised to say the least. Never did here anything else. ha ha hee hee it was too funny.

The problem with the public seeing somebody doing tug or bite work, etc. is they have become so paranoid because of the irresponsible gang bangers training their dogs and they don`t understand the difference.

I agree with people being ignorant and at times needing to mind their own business BUT why did you think cussing was going to improve the matter any? Just wondering since you did mention your wife was not happy either about that! I have rarely found that to help any.

A few months ago I parked the car with my dog in it in front of a store, windows cracked (it was overcast but warm outside) walked in, around the corner, got one item (dog food) and was in there just long enough for someone to have already called the cops (the dog was not even panting yet - car was still cool from the aircon). Anyway when I got to my car they where standing around waiting for the cops. So I told them "thank you" for looking out for idiots! Boy where they shocked! I guess they expected something else and where braced for a fight!
After all how often do kids die in hot cars because people are irresponsible.
These people had no idea how long I had been gone. I waited a minute for the police (fortunatly one of them was K9) and he took a look at her and was perfectly ok with it.
Anyway two things - I am glad some is looking out and secondly maybe those very nosy people will at least look at another situation twice before jumping to conlusions because they saw that things were not as bad as they first seemed. One can dream....
Just my two cents worth...

Swearing probalbly wasn't the best way to handle it but at the same time she had no right to come rushing out of her car on her high horse and accuse me of something I didn't do, which she could not have even seen.

I felt no need to justify myself to such a person and take it as insult.

Either way - I am sure it only made things worse.

As for giving out the address - I didn't feel I had anything to hide, but that probably wasn't a good idea - she didn't get a chance to write down anyhow.

I had club last night - and the general concesus was to simply ignore and stay away from people like that.

Thanks for all the support - I am little more relaxed today.

And yes my wife didn't like my response.

I agree cussing does not get you anywhere BUT when it happens to you in a split second you don't think you just react again we are only human.

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A few months ago I parked the car with my dog in it in front of a store, windows cracked (it was overcast but warm outside) walked in, around the corner, got one item (dog food) and was in there just long enough for someone to have already called the cops (the dog was not even panting yet - car was still cool from the aircon). Anyway when I got to my car they where standing around waiting for the cops. So I told them "thank you" for looking out for idiots! Boy where they shocked! I guess they expected something else and where braced for a fight!
After all how often do kids die in hot cars because people are irresponsible.
These people had no idea how long I had been gone. I waited a minute for the police (fortunatly one of them was K9) and he took a look at her and was perfectly ok with it.
Anyway two things - I am glad some is looking out and secondly maybe those very nosy people will at least look at another situation twice before jumping to conlusions because they saw that things were not as bad as they first seemed. One can dream....
Just my two cents worth...

OT, but... :
The potential problem of leaving your dog or children(or your ice-cream!) in the car for 'just a minute' on a warm day is that you can never foresee what may happen to delay your return.
(In UK such situations are governed by a rule called "Sod's Law" <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> )

Get yourself a Mercedes! I have a very convenient switch in my car which allows me to turn off my car completely, lock it up and yet the AC runs continually for a full 20 minutes and it will keep the car at whatever temperature I've set before turning off the car!

Problem w/that is that the concerned citizens who see my dog sealed up in the car in the summer will not know that it's a frosty 64 degrees inside the car!! I better be careful where I leave him in the future <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> !

The ac that continues to run is great idea, but I have seen on this forum a Police DOg who died in 20 minutes because the AC failed while he was away for just 20 minutes, and a pet owner who left his dog in the car with the car/AC running for 20 minutes and the dog died.

So, great idea, but you still have to be VERY careful.

I had parked my car in the shade w/the windows down enough for the breeze to get thru (it was 5pm ish & its the sf bay, its not that hot here) ran in to get a burrito from a tacqueria where there was no line came back and this guy was writing on a notepad. He said he was just going to leave me a note. I said "WHY" "About leaving my dog in the car." He said she has a choke (its the fur saver) on and she could hang herself. I said on what? shes in the back of my Rav4. He then said his friends dog fell out of the back of an SUV and hanged itself. I said well that's not possible here now is it? He kept blah blah blah and I said thank you for your concern and got in my car as he was still blah blah blah and I heard him say Hey don't shoot the messenger. When I called my smartass friend he said next time tell anyone, "That's nice you stay in your world and I'll return to mine". I like that answer and will use it. I really wanted to tell him to F Off and mind his own business, but I kept my tongue.

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..... I really wanted to tell him to F Off and mind his own business, but I kept my tongue.

Good for you that you didn't. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

It's upsetting to us when we know we would never be irresponsible, and it's hard to remember that these people are generally acting out of concern for the animal -- and having no way of knowing that we are not the morons who actually DO the sorts of things they're worried about.

I try to say "Good for you that you care; I wish everyone did. I'm not guilty, but I appreciate people who watch out for dogs in trouble." <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Total disarmament.