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I love dogs, but......

(60 posts)

Started 2 weeks ago by DDF
Latest reply from Jules

DDF

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So, when did the Ballard Farmer's Market turn into a dog park? I love dogs, but my gosh, they are all over the place down there. It's craziness trying to manuver around all the people, the leashes and the animals!

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Edog

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I asked my dog her thoughs on your post, but before I could finish reading it to her, she interrupted and said you were a jerk, and your butt smells funny!

Posted 2 weeks ago #
DDF

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Wow! Mean.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
wildernessbarbie

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I love dogs, and have one of my own. People who don't short leash their dogs are annoying, as well as people who don't pay attention to the ankles they're running into with their baby strollers.

For the most part though, we love checking out all the dogs and their owners. Quite a funny combo sometimes! I wish that I could take my dog there, but it would totally overwhelm him smelling all those dogs and not knowing how to interact with them being blind and all. :-(

Anybody seen that one wired hair terrier, small, light red coat, severe underbite and smashed in face, owned by an older bearded man? Name is something like Bertram or Bernard I think. Dog totally looks like an Ewok, it's really funny.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Ernie

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I love people but......

DDF, the market is widely popular because it's probably the best in the city, don't try to drum up drama by bringing up dogs as a problem. The crowds you see down there are just your neighbors out having a good time and stocking up on supplies for the week. We are lucky to have this awesome market in our neighborhood, and personally, I love the fact that it is so crowded every week.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
dingogirl

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You can complain about the dogs and I'll complain about all the rug rats running amok and dodging them.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
wildernessbarbie

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You know, for all the dogs I've seen there, I don't think I've ever seen a pile of poo, either at the market, or walking to or from it. The vast majority of them are very well behaved. When the weather is nice, there sure are a lot of them, but I like it. It feels very European to me for some reason.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
cdpenne

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Guilty on both counts... one rug rat, and one dog. Only one is on a leash but I tell you, I think they both need to be. For you kid haters, I dare you to watch the kids dancing in front of the "Tall Boys" and tell me they aren't cute.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
DDF

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Ernie, I agree. It is the best market in the city. I love it. I love all the people and the music and the dancing kids. I was just saying how crazy it is with all the dogs now. And I'll say it again...I Love Dogs.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
jubbjubb

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DDF- I've got a dog and agree with you. We're regulars at Bark, but never Sundays; it's too hectic. A lot of dogs down there seem pretty controlled, but as good as she is, my dog would be one of those that just creates a nuisance, so I opt not to burden my neighbors. If only everyone else could be as wonderful as me -- uh, yeah, well, ok it's the closest I come to socially conscientious -- my one chance in a life time to be "holier than thou", I had to take it.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
TumTum

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Finally, a modest proposal to end the canine madness!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703574604574499880131341174.html

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Kat

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I wouldn't even say the dogs are not controlled (well except for the guy this weekend with his two dogs trying to stop in the small side of the market to train them), its more that the owners are in one spot, and the dogs, sitting or laying down are like 5 feet away and worse yet the owners give you bad looks when you try and step over them since you can't get around any other way. Many markets don't allow dogs for a reason.

I would say the same for parents and there HUGE strollers or the groups of 5 who just stop in the middle of the walking path and take up like 10 feet of area. We all have to share this place and I wish some people were more aware of their surroundings.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
TumTum

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This novelist is very incisive; he really points out the illogic and the force of culture in our food choices. It's a sensationalist title, but do the author a favor and read all the way through to the end. He may actually congratulate omniverous Farmers' Market goers with their dogs... as long as they are willing to recognize the illogic of taking offense at the idea of eating a pampered pup but gobbling up humanely raised & slaughtered pork.
Anyone else have a take on all this?

Posted 2 weeks ago #
nina

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They need to ban dogs from the market. done/done.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
marigold

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I have neither dogs nor kids, but I expect to see both when I go to a farmer's market on a weekend during the day. People with dogs and kids tend to spend time with them on Sunday's:)

I think folks who go are rather polite and aware of what their bi-peds and quad-peds are doing while there. This I know because everyone parts like the Red Sea when I bring my super-old mom, and guide her by linking her arm in mine. Seen us?

Posted 2 weeks ago #
datajunkie

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The quote in the WSJ article, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." from Animal Farm is rather funny. It's illegal to eat companion animals in California (http://law.onecle.com/california/penal/598b.html). Anyone know what other 5 states it's illegal to eat dogs? Inquiring minds would like to know. I couldn't find anything in Washington State laws, so I guess it's okay to eat dogs in Washington as long as you kill it 'humanely'. I don't mean to be crude, just curious.

The dogs I've seen at the Farmers Market have always been surprisingly well behaved. I don't see the problem.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Ernie

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Nina, I think it would be better to just ban jerks.

I mean it's really the people we're talking about here, right? Not the dogs or kids.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
BlackSheep

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For the most part, I enjoy seeing the dogs at the market, as I don't have my own. The time I saw one pee all over a stack of crates at a veggie stand, though, I was ready to call for a ban, too.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
IStream

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A ban on that owner, maybe...

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Te

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If only there was someplace you could shop without all that craziness, someplace where dogs weren't allowed and climate was controlled, like...a store! Maybe it's time to just go to Whole Foods if it bothers you that much. And I don't see why the dogs are being singled out for making it "crazy." For example, the street musicians totally interfere with the flow of traffic, especially when they draw a crowd. Should we ban them too? I agree with Marigold - it's a weekend, people are going to be there with their families (2- or 4-legged), as long as they are polite do you really want to be the one carping about how they've inconvenienced you?

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Jules

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I have been known to take The Nauaghtiest Dog in Ballard to the Market...I only wish that more owners would be a little more considerate when they KNOW that they have aggressive dogs. I have only very occasionally seen poo that an owner did not pick up. (much more likely to see that at Sunset Hill park any given day.) I do wish that when it is uber-hot (like when it was over 100 degrees this summer) people might consider their dogs needs; some of the dogs at SeafoodFest looked pretty miserable, BTW.

Hey, I took The NDIB to the costume constest at All the Best Petcare and THEN we went trick or treating at all of our favorite stores, where he got many treats. (and paid the penalty the next morning.) He even got to see all the kids on Market trick-or-treating, and he had a wonderful time! (he was the one wearing the Hot Dog costume.) Attetion from strangers comes second to food in his hierarchy of needs.

Simple solution: if you don't like dogs, or children (are you W.C. Fields, by any chance?) don't go to the Sunday Market.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Barney Rubble

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What I don't understand is why people with dogs feel the need to bring them to places with such diverse crowds. From my perspective it seems like the last place you would want to bring a dog. Seems fairly selfish to me.

And whats up with these morons using fake assistance dog equipment. You can spot it from a mile away. Just so they can bring their dog into the grocery store or other off limits places.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
wildernessbarbie

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Exposing your dog to diverse crowds makes for a better and more well mannered dog for the most part. I wish I had exposed my dog to more of that growing up.

What makes you think the dog assistance equipment is fake? Assistance dogs need to be trained out in public for a year or more before they're turned over to someone in need. Not to mention the service dogs for people with Autism, Diabetes, or Seizure disorders. Just because it's not obvious to you the owner's disability, doesn't mean the gear is fake.

I know a kid in some advanced 4H program that is training assistance dogs. It's a young kid with a Golden Retriever. Could easily be mistaken for "fake," but it's not.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Ernie

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Barney, my reasons for bringing my dog are pretty simple:

1) I like going to the market because I can walk there.
2) When I'm walking places on the weekend I like to bring my dog.
3) My dog likes walks and likes the market.
4) I'm selfish ;)

besides, wouldn't the crowds be less "diverse" if blog posters got to decide who was/wasn't welcome?

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Barney Rubble

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I understand the necessity for training... But there are definitely flagrant abuses of this.

My point is there are environments where its appropriate to bring your dog. Things like the Sunday Market, Bit of Seattle etc... are not those.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
SPG

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I wouldn't say I bring my dog to the market as much as I stop in at the market while out with the dog. I'd imagine a lot of the dog owners are in this same boat.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Jules

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You can't compare the Sunday Market to Bite of Seattle, which gets 100,000 people. I agree, that is inappropriate...and not really fair to the dog. (and I would rather be kicked repeatedly in the head than go to Bite of Seattle again.) I personally think that most dogs would be happier to not go to SeafoodFest in the heat, but your mileage may vary.
The Sunday market is all about community. And dog owners are part of this community, as are people with children in strollers. As it happens, MOST of the time when I go to the Sunday Market I am dog-free, but I love seeing all the adorable pooches there. I'd say that 99% of all dog owners there are responsible; pick up any poo, don't let their dogs annoy other people or other dogs, and are just part of our neighborhood. Deal with it.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
elle

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TumTum. Great article! now lets see if anyone pays attention to the message.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Ernie

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"I'd say that 99% of all dog owners there are responsible; pick up any poo, don't let their dogs annoy other people or other dogs, and are just part of our neighborhood. Deal with it."

Amen sister Jules!

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Barney Stinson

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I will say this, as an unmarried guy with no dog and no kids I wouldn't be caught dead in the Sunday Market. But that's just me.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
angelatini

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The problem is not the dogs or the kids. I love both, but have neither at the moment. It's the OWNERS who are either: oblivious, don't care, don't train, think they are the only person in the world, etc. And I agree with Jules. 99% of the dogs and kids aren't like that.

Deal with it and really are you looking for things to complain about? If this is your biggest problem, I think you're doing pretty dang well.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
angelatini

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While we're at it...since when did everyone lose their damn manners? I mean everywhere...at the Ballard Farmer's Market, grocery stores and more. How hard is it to say "Excuse me" or "Sorry" when you walk in front of someone or bump into them, etc? I mean, the lack of manners makes me friggin batty!

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Kat

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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010183212_dogcarbon02m.html

Thought it may be appropriate. :)

Posted 2 weeks ago #
gordy

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My passive dog was attacked without provocation by another dog at the Market. My dog was on a leash, by my side. The attacking dog's owners never said they were sorry or made an attempt to restrain their dog. Needless to say, I do not take my dog to the Market any more. Not worth the stress or danger.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Te

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Barney, have you ever had a dog? They are pack animals and for the most part love best to be with their people. It's more work to bring my dog to the market and make sure he is behaving but he's so happy to not be left behind and come along for the ride that it's worth the extra effort. I guess that makes me "selfish." (But I would never take my dog to a Seattle Center event.) From a dog's perspective I think the market would be awesome - lots of smells, dropped salmon samples, butts to sniff...

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Edog

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RE: "illogic of taking offense at the idea of eating a pampered pup but gobbling up humanely raised & slaughtered pork"

Your point is well taken, and worth further consideration, but its not so easy to say this is illogical.

As a matter of pure objectivity, one could make a list of animals with potential to be livestock and consider things like protein and how easy they are to farm, but I don't think you can take away the cultural aspect of why we eat, breed, and harvest what we do. Be it vegetable or animal, there are a complex set of factors as to why we grow what we do. I think the Omnivores Dilemma speaks to that, but I've not yet read it so I can't really say. Generally speaking, whether it be a pig, a horse or a dog, once it has a name and is taken in by the family, it does not get taken to slaughter. The dog was given a name, and was taken in by our society a long time ago. Historically a dog simply made a person, or family, more competitive and enhanced ones ability to survive in this world. In Ireland and England, what we often look on as pastoral land is actually poorly suited to herding, but with a fleet footed dog, it suddenly becomes viable. Take a look at the book little house on the Prairie. The dog Jack was not some fuzzy friend as seen on TV, but rather he was a suspicious, and capable guardian. Granted its a long way to get to our pets of today from their working dog parents of the past, but it not too hard to do the math as to how we grew together, and why we still count them as friends and family even if we don't have much need for what their instincts can do for us out in the field. With all that in mind, I consider it to be totally logical to view farm raised meat at market with a companion, that 9 times out of 10 was breed in order to put food on the table, as opposed to be it.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Jules

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Gordy, I am so sorry for your dog. I count this as the 1% of dog owners with dog-aggressive dogs who take them out in public. I personally heartily dislike pit bulls (flame on, I have the asbestos fire-retardant suit on) and think they should be hanned in Washington. I steer clear of them at all times. I have noticed in my travels at the Sunday market a few times owners of pit bulls who have (at least) lunged at other dogs, completely unprovoked. You didn't mention what kind of dog this was. (doesn't necessarily have to be a pit bull to be dog-aggressive; Sam was nipped at by an adorable pug the other day.) I also think that people who have their dogs on retractable leashes at the Sunday market are just asking for trouble....I have the dog on a short leather leash.

When people KNOW (and believe me, they do) that they have aggresive dogs, they should be muzzled, at least. Or just left home. The sort of people who go out in public with this kind of dog, when they know other dogs will be present, are not the kind of neighbors that are an asset to Ballard.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
eric

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i think both the kids and dogs are funny at farmers markets..."ooh little snuugles, lets check out the sweet potatoes.."

must say, i'd rather deal with dogs than the giant strollers that are so popular.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
MidWest

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The posted rules are simple at the Ballard Sunday Market:

[short leash]

if there's 5 feet or more, then people are ignoring the rules, and should be gently reminded that the rule is for everyone's benefit, including their dog.

Dogs lunging? Sounds like a lawyer's paradise-yikes.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
gordy

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The attacking dog was not a pit bull. It was a hunting dog type breed.

Posted 2 weeks ago #

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