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Taming the pit bull: Gandhi would've been proud
I had a really scary encounter last night while walking my dogs in the shifty part of the Oleander neighborhood.
Me and Otis and Mia were cruising along on our 20-minute walk when a large, nutty-looking, mangy pit bull trotted up to us all hard-man like. As he approached in this menacing manner I tried to give it the large one (there were three of us after all) and scare him off with cries of "Go on!" and "Away!" It made no difference to this brute. He came right up to us, stopped, stared, flexed and raised his hackles. Mia and Otis ain't small and scrapped a bit in their younger days, but I was mortified at what I thought was about to happen. I even looked around for a large stone or piece of wood, but there was nothing handy for the fight I was certain was about to begin. Then I took the peace initiative. I started talking to the dog in a friendly manner, telling him he was a good boy and a pretty boy and lots of other lies. He seemed bemused by my new tactic, but at least the snarl was gone. And then, magic! He began wagging his tail. I knew then that the situation had been diffused. I met aggression with kindness and in the end everyone went home happy. 11 comments from 8 users
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posted by
anonymous
on May 23, 2007 at 09:53 AM
That's not how you do it if your a Bush neo-conservative. What you should have done was gone over to the house next door to where the pit bull lives, and killed the poodle that lives there.
posted by
SoCaMuscle
on May 23, 2007 at 10:17 AM
Mia and Otis are a little 'mature' to be picking street fights Mox..
posted by
steveeswenson
on May 23, 2007 at 10:34 AM
Awwwwww, this heart-warming story makes journalists look like decent human beings, which everyone knows we are not.
posted by
AnonCon
on May 23, 2007 at 11:04 AM
A little kindness can go a long way - good for you. Curious though - I walk my dog on Dracena past the park to Holtby & Chester Lane. Where is the shifty part you walk in so I can avoid wandering pits?
posted by
dusty1215
on May 23, 2007 at 11:09 AM
I would of been shaking in my flip flops..but its a good story with a happy ending.
posted by
amox
on May 23, 2007 at 11:10 AM
Was heading south on Oleander about two blocks past Beale Park, made a right on Buena Vista Street and it happened by the intersection of BV and Holtby. It's not exactly South Central L.A. right there, but there's an edge! I run into strange wandering dogs quite often in the neighborhood, but this was the first time I thought it was going to go off!
posted by
sagefever
on May 23, 2007 at 11:38 AM
You need to get around the city more....this area is not scary..but one morning on my way to work ,about 5:15 ,I speed around a corner(Holtby and 4th) on my bike...almost slammed into a pack of Shepard size dogs,6 or 8 of them,I stooped and tried to look huge..then laughed as one of the dogs had been a roommate of mine a couple of years prior.I said her name,she looked very guilty and off they all went..creatures are very like us..friendly works better. posted by
AnonCon
on May 23, 2007 at 12:50 PM
Thanks for the info. I almost hit a couple of dogs on BV a few weeks ago - darted right in front my car. I really wish people would take better care of their animals. My dog is very brave but also very small and we have also been confronted by loose dogs. Nothing bad so far but I keep a careful watch when we're out. Sagefever - not usually scary but sometimes bad things happen - fights at the park, occasional gun shots heard, burglaries. Happens no matter where you live. I can just picture the guilty look on that dogs face - nobody can do guilty like a dog! posted by
sagefever
on May 23, 2007 at 12:56 PM
true ~my ex lived in Southgate,so I compare it to that..even there once everyone dropped their weapons nice worked wonders,I have lived here 30 plus,time was when A st scared me, police cleaned it up and several years back the side streets off off California (Cherry etc) were not to be travled after 5:30 ,again that did not last long.Other areas of this town are not quite so lucky..
posted by
Termite
on May 23, 2007 at 04:50 PM
I live in Oleander too, so I am glad to get the scoop on some of this. In my 'hood near Chester Lane and Oleander, tagging is the big thing, but there have been gunfights too. Somehow, though, I feel this could happen wherever I live in Bakersfield. I make a point of saying hello and smiling to everyone who passes by my house or when I am walking, there is an excellent neighborhood watch thing going on, and I know most of my neighbors.....still, I don't go walking by myself after dark.I would like to hear more about what other bloggers think are the "good" and "bad" parts of Oleander, or whether it's more or less block by block. posted by
AnonCon
on May 25, 2007 at 01:51 PM
Meant to get back to you on this but it's old by now (after 2 days!) so you probably won't see it. I'd stay off Calif. from H to Oleander, Orange & Blanche - A St. by all the apartments. Some parts south of the park aren't good. It's mostly block by block and sometimes one end of the block to another! I only go out after dark if I have my cell phone, flashlight and dog. And boy, would I like to have those taggers caught - a blight on our whole city.
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