Highs and lows
In addition to how hard this year has already been, I already have a hard time with something bad happening right after something good. It can be anything; feeling excited for a party I'm planning, no one shows up. Bam, intense depression, wanting to be dead. Today, I was feeling good about a small accomplishment with training my dog and when a resident wanted me to "leave the area" because it was making her dog bark. I felt embarrassed. She further stated that she was going to stay until I was gone. Like, she thought I wouldn't leave if she didn't specifically watch me. I felt embarrassed, like I won't be able to accomplish my goal of becoming a professional dog trainer, like I was some POS for just being there. Now, I know that she has a right to request I love on keep things quieter and more peaceful (her dog and her neighbor dog were barking but I was working to control my dog so even when he did bark I was stopping him) but I felt like she could've been respectful and instead was treating me like a bad person for having the nerve to be there. I wasn't on her property of course but her back yard (fenced in) borders our school playground. My kid was playing and I was working on training. Now I feel like I can't use that (safe) space and just like I shouldn't even try to learn the trade anymore. I'm an adult but she treated me like a juvenile delinquent.
@SnappyTurtlegirl- Sounds like a complicated situation. Perhaps she was jealous that you were able to stop your dog barking- and she was not. Often what people say when they lash out to others is really a reflection on themselves. It is a lesson that comes back to bite me in the butt many times. It is easy to say, can you let how someone treats you roll off - but perhaps stop and possibly consider that this may have been the case. Best of luck to you in your dog training.
It's certainly possible. It just felt like she was treating me a certain way because I didn't snap to attention and run away or something. I had to quiet my dog before moving him but I certainly wasn't going to stay just to be rude or prove something. I had to finish settling him down before moving him away because it would have undone the progress we had made at that point. I'm also wondering if she thinks I'm not a respectable person because I have vivid purple and pink hair and she was a little older. Mostly I try to focus on balancing my perspective. Yes she was rude, but also, I was causing a disturbance that she didn't enjoy. Her treatment of me doesn't mean I should give up my dreams but, u could also try to find another location where I'll still have access to dogs to practice with but they may or may not be fenced in. I just don't feel ready for the unleashed dog park but maybe that would be the better route. I'm just not sure. Thanks for the good luck wish too!
@SnappyTurtlegirl- you sound like a very considerate person- being aware of her space and quiet. I had to chuckle about the purple pink hair - it is true we are judged on our appearance. First impressions are the fact. However I am a senior person- and lately have been complementing others on their great hair colors. I took my little senior dog to a dog park for the first time yesterday- worried because he was attacked once by a larger dog. Apparently every dog park has different users- and I was lucky to have well behaved yet energetic dogs and their handlers. Again I wish you the best with your dog training. It is crucial for dog owners to teach obedience and manners. Take care.
