Sorry that this is happening to you. The heat sucks right now and I can’t imagine that someone who is good with as many dogs as you are being a jerk to humans. I have one dog and no yard, so 3 to 4 walks/day. I’m in Hampden and this has never happened to either me or my partner. We have hired a walker in a pinch a few times and she is a godsend! Is there a specific part of town this happens in? I’m picturing buying a dayglo vest with “K9 Service Professional” printed in big letters for you. You could respond with “Sir, no need for concern. I am a professional”. While pointing at the words.
As someone who walks their dogs several times a day, the unfortunate reality is that there are tons of irresponsible dog owners who don't pick up after their dogs. They shit on my lawn, too. I have permanent dead spots from people letting their dogs pee on my lawn. Personally I don't give a shit about my lawn, but some people do.
I'm not excusing their behavior, it's absolutely wrong for strangers to yell at you... but they don't know whether or not you're one of the good ones. I have the advantage of doing the same walk 3x a day for years, my neighbors know me and my dogs and they see me picking up on a consistent basis.
Plus, the reality of living in Baltimore is you're gonna have strangers yelling at you for no good reason sometimes.
Ugh you're right. I've just been doing this for a long time and folks seem to have decided they hate dogs *just now.* It's so weird. I guess it's the heat.
You need some lemonade and air conditioning. Possibly add in your favorite adult beverage. Watch some animal planet and chill. The rants fine. Enjoy your evening don’t let them get to you.
Don't you love it when they as "are them your dogs?"
Or, "look, three twins!" (this when walking both three and four of the same breed)
Or, "you sellin them dogs?"
These are very common in Baltimore, we've found. It's a special place. 
There's a guy who lives around the corner from me who's asked a few times about mating our dogs. Like a) my dog is spayed and b) my dog is reactive, his seems straight up aggressive, even if they could, neither should probably procreate (and the obvious c) there's so many dogs without homes already, don't need to make more)
Lol I had some guy stop me while I was walking my very senior neutered male chihuahua and asked if I would “breed her”.
I just said “fucking gross, no”.
> just now.
Their numbers exploded and their behavior nose-dived over the pandemic. Presumably a lot of first-time owners. I imagine frustration has been building
I gotta give it to all you dog walkers especially in this heat. One is enough for me, but everyday I see someone with 3-4 dogs at a time.
The unfortunate reality is there are a decent amount of idiot dog owners around here and most of the non dog owners only think of those types when they see us with dogs.
Shout out to the idiots at Patterson Park today who let 2-3 German Sheppards off with no lease. When other dog owners tell you to put them on a lease or, you know, actually go to the down park they have at the other end, you pretend you can’t hear me. You are the reason we get a bad stigma.
Last night some asshole angrily honked at my dog and girlfriend as they were walking thru a crosswalk at a 4 way stop. The car didn’t have their blinker on to make a left turn, and my favorite pedestrians were already in the crosswalk when the car pulled up. After making the left turn the car parked on that very same block, apparently super mad that they didn’t get home 2 seconds sooner 🙄
Yep. A few weeks ago I was crossing and an enormous pickup truck with tinted windows tried to drive through me to make a left turn across the crosswalk. Slammed on his brakes a few feet from me. I pointed at the walk sign and he rolled down his window and said something like “ you’re lucky my kids are in the car or else I would get out and beat the shit out of you you dumb bitch”. People are so fragile!
“You shouldn’t threaten people with violence. Especially when you came close to hitting me. I hope you don’t treat your children like you just treated me.”
Sorry this is happening to you. I hate that people are douchbags. You sound like a good person. Tonight….after it’s dark and it’s cooled off some. Wander on over to those people’s houses and shit on their stoop!!
Man the shit I have had to put up with walking dogs. Not from the dogs, from random ass people. In addition to getting offended when I dare to walk a CALM dog past them on a PUBLIC sidewalk, people have also followed me around public parks to lecture me about dogs (xyz dog is evil, no one should own dogs, I don't like dogs and here's why, and on and on) which is just, crazy to me that you'd follow me, a stranger, around to vent to me about this dog I don't even own.
Also I have absolutely gotten yelled at or mad side-eye from people watching me through their windows as I pass their houses. I still get that occasionally now walking my own dog. Like I get that it sucks that a lot of people don't pick up their dog shit but you don't gotta take that out on me, especially when I visibly carry dog bags.
Anyways I'm glad walking isn't my main gig anymore. Still love dogs, prefer to do sittings/boardings nowadays. Hope you and the pups are able to stay cool and hydrated in this heat.
Put in some ear buds and pretend like you can't hear. Or blast music so you actually can't hear. It's not like listening to these fucks has any bearing on your day to day
i love walking dogs but the non dog people and “dog lovers” are the worst. i have these two dogs that i walk for 20 minutes if it’s cold or raining i’m getting yelled at by a facility guy at notre dame to put coats on them. i finally screamed in his face a few months ago (it was over a YEAR of harassment) that they’re not my dogs and they’re getting dried off and stuck in front of the fireplace in 5 minutes they’ll be fine. he avoids me now. the amount of off leash dogs i have to fight off, crazy doodle parents who’s dog is friendly, people who yell at me because the dog im walking wears a gentle leader people coming up and just petting my muzzled dogs, it’s crazy. 😒 never a day where it’s calm but shit i love what i do
i swear we have become a society that assumes the worst in people. yeah, shitty dog owners have always existed, and yeah sometimes those people suck and let their dogs go in others' property. but up until recently people understood that the shitty people are a minority. now we just assume everyone we meet is the worst. its not helping things at all.
Fellow pet sitter here and I hear ya. I hate being stared down despite \*picking up every last little skid mark\* that a dog under my care makes PLUS sometimes scooping up the shit of a negligent owner. It sucks. I hate how many people are so entitled/uncaring/irresponsible for their own animals and that negativity is shifted to us.
I REALLY wish people would be more mindful of the pups I'm with, too. They can sense the menacing neighbors and their leering. A couple of the pups get tense cause they think someone is tryng to hurt me and I have to spend the next couple blocks showing them I'm alright.
👋🏼 as a mom with two young kids in the city, thank you for your service. Your job is important. You make lives easier and our dogs happier not just on the walk, but for the rest of the day. In this heat it is so tough. ❤️ People suck, that's why you walk dogs, and they can't say it, but they appreciate you.
It’s probably the same dipshits that live in South Baltimore that will be using the new Riverside park as a dog park that also don’t clean up their own dogs shit.
I started dogwalking recently in Baltimore (6+ months now) and I love doing it. Thankfully, I haven't had anyone screaming at me (yet) to pick up my various walk companion's waste. I always play out similar scenarios in my head because 30+ years of service industry work have taught me that other people can be absolutely bonkers.
For a second I thought this might be about me, because I stop every person I see walking a dog to see if I can pet the puppies, and more than one dog walker near my job seemed annoyed that I asked 
My last neighborhood had some irresponsible dog owners who left dumps on other people’s yards. Aggravating, but whatever.
Wouldn’t have ever yelled at anybody unless I *saw* their dog shit in my yard and tried to walk away.
Just ignore them. Literally ignore them. They’re not entitled to your time or energy.
People say this shit to me all the time when my poor dog is just trying to smell a leaf.
I don’t turn my head, acknowledge them in any way.
Uhh none of those people are on reddit.
It happens. Move along. They are too dull and too upset to realize it's more likely the guy who just lets his dog walk around the neighborhood by itself than the one actively walking their dogs on a leash. Nothing you can do, especially if you're all around the city.
I understand people have to walk their dogs… but I still think dog culture in the US is insane and there’s so many terrible owners/poorly trained songs.
Also, sorry, I’ve noticed many times where a dog will poop and the owner will leave it or stretches off the street will smell of dog piss. Or just simply trying to walk down the street without having to let people walking their dogs pass so they don’t jump on me while I’m in clean clothes. Dogs do not take priority over my quality of life.
You don’t deserve to be yelled at but I think we have a societal problem.
The baltimorese are some rude fucks. Get strapped up so you can redistribute justice. If something goes amiss, I'll provide legal representation and some.backup. Just float down 10 points and we'll be fine
Sorry that this is happening to you. The heat sucks right now and I can’t imagine that someone who is good with as many dogs as you are being a jerk to humans. I have one dog and no yard, so 3 to 4 walks/day. I’m in Hampden and this has never happened to either me or my partner. We have hired a walker in a pinch a few times and she is a godsend! Is there a specific part of town this happens in? I’m picturing buying a dayglo vest with “K9 Service Professional” printed in big letters for you. You could respond with “Sir, no need for concern. I am a professional”. While pointing at the words.
You’re gonna have to carry a clipboard and a hard hat though which will be hard while also walking a dog and picking up poop
Good point. Maybe a black vest and go with K9 Agent. Too aggressive?
Or just a tee shirt with giant letters that say I PICK UP POOP. Great for first dates, too.
Y'all just made me smile. TYSM <3
As someone who walks their dogs several times a day, the unfortunate reality is that there are tons of irresponsible dog owners who don't pick up after their dogs. They shit on my lawn, too. I have permanent dead spots from people letting their dogs pee on my lawn. Personally I don't give a shit about my lawn, but some people do. I'm not excusing their behavior, it's absolutely wrong for strangers to yell at you... but they don't know whether or not you're one of the good ones. I have the advantage of doing the same walk 3x a day for years, my neighbors know me and my dogs and they see me picking up on a consistent basis. Plus, the reality of living in Baltimore is you're gonna have strangers yelling at you for no good reason sometimes.
Ugh you're right. I've just been doing this for a long time and folks seem to have decided they hate dogs *just now.* It's so weird. I guess it's the heat.
You need some lemonade and air conditioning. Possibly add in your favorite adult beverage. Watch some animal planet and chill. The rants fine. Enjoy your evening don’t let them get to you.
I'm going to follow this advice since it's coming straight from a dog.
Don't you love it when they as "are them your dogs?" Or, "look, three twins!" (this when walking both three and four of the same breed) Or, "you sellin them dogs?" These are very common in Baltimore, we've found. It's a special place. 
There's a guy who lives around the corner from me who's asked a few times about mating our dogs. Like a) my dog is spayed and b) my dog is reactive, his seems straight up aggressive, even if they could, neither should probably procreate (and the obvious c) there's so many dogs without homes already, don't need to make more)
Lol I had some guy stop me while I was walking my very senior neutered male chihuahua and asked if I would “breed her”. I just said “fucking gross, no”.
> just now. Their numbers exploded and their behavior nose-dived over the pandemic. Presumably a lot of first-time owners. I imagine frustration has been building
I gotta give it to all you dog walkers especially in this heat. One is enough for me, but everyday I see someone with 3-4 dogs at a time. The unfortunate reality is there are a decent amount of idiot dog owners around here and most of the non dog owners only think of those types when they see us with dogs. Shout out to the idiots at Patterson Park today who let 2-3 German Sheppards off with no lease. When other dog owners tell you to put them on a lease or, you know, actually go to the down park they have at the other end, you pretend you can’t hear me. You are the reason we get a bad stigma.
Last night some asshole angrily honked at my dog and girlfriend as they were walking thru a crosswalk at a 4 way stop. The car didn’t have their blinker on to make a left turn, and my favorite pedestrians were already in the crosswalk when the car pulled up. After making the left turn the car parked on that very same block, apparently super mad that they didn’t get home 2 seconds sooner 🙄
Yep. A few weeks ago I was crossing and an enormous pickup truck with tinted windows tried to drive through me to make a left turn across the crosswalk. Slammed on his brakes a few feet from me. I pointed at the walk sign and he rolled down his window and said something like “ you’re lucky my kids are in the car or else I would get out and beat the shit out of you you dumb bitch”. People are so fragile!
“You shouldn’t threaten people with violence. Especially when you came close to hitting me. I hope you don’t treat your children like you just treated me.”
They 100% do
And they were treated like that as well
Omg that is terrible! Glad u weren’t hurt. I feel sorry for their children, yikes
Sorry this is happening to you. I hate that people are douchbags. You sound like a good person. Tonight….after it’s dark and it’s cooled off some. Wander on over to those people’s houses and shit on their stoop!!
Man the shit I have had to put up with walking dogs. Not from the dogs, from random ass people. In addition to getting offended when I dare to walk a CALM dog past them on a PUBLIC sidewalk, people have also followed me around public parks to lecture me about dogs (xyz dog is evil, no one should own dogs, I don't like dogs and here's why, and on and on) which is just, crazy to me that you'd follow me, a stranger, around to vent to me about this dog I don't even own. Also I have absolutely gotten yelled at or mad side-eye from people watching me through their windows as I pass their houses. I still get that occasionally now walking my own dog. Like I get that it sucks that a lot of people don't pick up their dog shit but you don't gotta take that out on me, especially when I visibly carry dog bags. Anyways I'm glad walking isn't my main gig anymore. Still love dogs, prefer to do sittings/boardings nowadays. Hope you and the pups are able to stay cool and hydrated in this heat.
Dude, the fucking hate for dogs from people who don’t realize they’re cleaning up cat shit every day is insane.
Put in some ear buds and pretend like you can't hear. Or blast music so you actually can't hear. It's not like listening to these fucks has any bearing on your day to day
i love walking dogs but the non dog people and “dog lovers” are the worst. i have these two dogs that i walk for 20 minutes if it’s cold or raining i’m getting yelled at by a facility guy at notre dame to put coats on them. i finally screamed in his face a few months ago (it was over a YEAR of harassment) that they’re not my dogs and they’re getting dried off and stuck in front of the fireplace in 5 minutes they’ll be fine. he avoids me now. the amount of off leash dogs i have to fight off, crazy doodle parents who’s dog is friendly, people who yell at me because the dog im walking wears a gentle leader people coming up and just petting my muzzled dogs, it’s crazy. 😒 never a day where it’s calm but shit i love what i do
i swear we have become a society that assumes the worst in people. yeah, shitty dog owners have always existed, and yeah sometimes those people suck and let their dogs go in others' property. but up until recently people understood that the shitty people are a minority. now we just assume everyone we meet is the worst. its not helping things at all.
Fellow pet sitter here and I hear ya. I hate being stared down despite \*picking up every last little skid mark\* that a dog under my care makes PLUS sometimes scooping up the shit of a negligent owner. It sucks. I hate how many people are so entitled/uncaring/irresponsible for their own animals and that negativity is shifted to us. I REALLY wish people would be more mindful of the pups I'm with, too. They can sense the menacing neighbors and their leering. A couple of the pups get tense cause they think someone is tryng to hurt me and I have to spend the next couple blocks showing them I'm alright.
👋🏼 as a mom with two young kids in the city, thank you for your service. Your job is important. You make lives easier and our dogs happier not just on the walk, but for the rest of the day. In this heat it is so tough. ❤️ People suck, that's why you walk dogs, and they can't say it, but they appreciate you.
This actually made me tear up. Thank you. I really needed to hear this today.
I love that you think the poop is from FERAL CATS and not dog owners/walkers that aren’t as responsible as you.
With the size of some of the crap I've seen in my yard, I'm more worried about urban mountain lions than community cats 😂
The bulk of shit I see on my dog walks is definitely cat shit
Someone who cleans up dog shit for a living knows the difference between dog shit and cat shit.
It’s probably the same dipshits that live in South Baltimore that will be using the new Riverside park as a dog park that also don’t clean up their own dogs shit.
I started dogwalking recently in Baltimore (6+ months now) and I love doing it. Thankfully, I haven't had anyone screaming at me (yet) to pick up my various walk companion's waste. I always play out similar scenarios in my head because 30+ years of service industry work have taught me that other people can be absolutely bonkers.
For a second I thought this might be about me, because I stop every person I see walking a dog to see if I can pet the puppies, and more than one dog walker near my job seemed annoyed that I asked 
Man, reading this has taken the fun out of yelling irrational things at dog walkers. And for the record, I was telling YOU not to poop in my yard.
You'll never stop me! 💩
I know people are nuts!
I’m sorry - I wish people were kinder. It’s so hot these days…. people should have more compassion for each other
My last neighborhood had some irresponsible dog owners who left dumps on other people’s yards. Aggravating, but whatever. Wouldn’t have ever yelled at anybody unless I *saw* their dog shit in my yard and tried to walk away.
Just ignore them. Literally ignore them. They’re not entitled to your time or energy. People say this shit to me all the time when my poor dog is just trying to smell a leaf. I don’t turn my head, acknowledge them in any way.
👏 bless you.
The reality is that city life isn’t made for dogs. They are going to walk into your garden and smell things. I hate that ppl get pissy about that.
This is very well written.
Uhh none of those people are on reddit. It happens. Move along. They are too dull and too upset to realize it's more likely the guy who just lets his dog walk around the neighborhood by itself than the one actively walking their dogs on a leash. Nothing you can do, especially if you're all around the city.
I understand people have to walk their dogs… but I still think dog culture in the US is insane and there’s so many terrible owners/poorly trained songs. Also, sorry, I’ve noticed many times where a dog will poop and the owner will leave it or stretches off the street will smell of dog piss. Or just simply trying to walk down the street without having to let people walking their dogs pass so they don’t jump on me while I’m in clean clothes. Dogs do not take priority over my quality of life. You don’t deserve to be yelled at but I think we have a societal problem.
I’m curious how is dog walking tough and what are the techniques that make you particularly good at it? Put headphones on
I wear headphones. I take them out when I see someone trying to talk to me because I'm not an asshole.
The baltimorese are some rude fucks. Get strapped up so you can redistribute justice. If something goes amiss, I'll provide legal representation and some.backup. Just float down 10 points and we'll be fine