In re dogs, I get annoyed with the people who either won't put a leash on their dog (Fluffy needs to run free!) or use one of those retractable leashes in such a way that the dog is essentially unrestrained. My building allows dogs, the rules restricting them to one dog of limited size (40 pounds I think) per apartment. Which is largely ignored. One of my neighbors was set upon by three small dogs - whose person had the retractable leashes, only not retracting - and while they were chewing on his cuffs and nipping at his ankles the person kept saying "they don't bite! they don't bite!" ... ignoring the evidence that they did.

And a lot of people don't seem to understand that leashes are a Good Thing in the city where there's actual traffic. I once rescued a dog that ran out into rush hour traffic with his person screaming hysterically. He was quite happy to be retrieved and held until he could be returned to his person. (sorry for the rant - irresponsible dog owners make me cranky)

Thanks for the kind feedback. Although sometimes I still think it's odd how in touch I am with my inner ghetto dweller. Although it was supposed to be for a Dylan anthology so where else would a crime freak like me go? But it felt like a coming-out of a sort to share that side of myself with a disability mag; I'm not sure why.

Retractable leashes are of the devil. When I did my walk workshop, I *begged* people to trade them in and get static leads. I even convinced the shop owner to add a discount to the deal. Nobody bit. Sigh.

Todd, I'm with you. When I walk down the street and see an owner hauling their dog back. I'll ask, "Is your dog friendly?" In the time they take to hem and haw about 'sometimes yes, but you never can tell', their dog is on Bartleby. Dude, no is a perfectly acceptable answer.

Dogs on retractable leashes are without exception the least-trained dogs I see on the street. Dogs off-leash tend to obey verbal commands well enough to, say, not come over to my stroller and start sniffing my kid. Dogs on retractable leashes tend to come with owners on cell phones.

Kristin, tons of ~ma to your student, ex-student and their family.

We have a woman who brings her dog to our local dog park and yells at us all to keep our dogs away from her dog. @@

Also, parents shouldn't yell at me to control my dog (who is on a leash) when their children run up to Sass screaming, "DOGGIE!" with their arms waving and she barks at them.

Also, parents shouldn't yell at me to control my dog (who is on a leash) when their children run up to Sass screaming, "DOGGIE!" with their arms waving and she barks at them.

Right? We have a dalmatian. Thanks to those damned Disney movies, every kid in our neighborhood runs up and starts petting her before we can stop them. She's generally friendly, but she has been known to bite when she's had too much frenetic activity going on (like, oh, screaming kids running up to her and lunging at her neck).

She's not bitten a kid yet, but I need to perfect the quickly-step-between-the-dog-and-the-kid maneuver, so that she never bites a kid.

Kristin, healing and miracle~ma to your former student, and peace and Light~ma to her family, and to her graduating class.

All the dalmatians I've known have been EXTREMELY nervous creatures. Very friendly if they know you, but also prone to snapping if they get spooked, which is a LOT.

Between 101 Dalmatians and Finding Nemo, Disney has really done a number on pet-ownership issues.

Oh, Kristin, I'm so sorry. What a horrible situation. I hope it does not turn tragic. Much miracle~ma.

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I need Trader Joes help- what should I tell Tom to get there that will be pretty easy to prepare and that is yummy? I know that there is often some notes of numminess regarding one TJ's item or another but I can't recall them now!

ETA: this is for dinner, and we're looking for a rounded/full meal type thing.