*BITCH FEST ALERT* I am a dog walker and this is why I hate you

I know, I know, it looks so easy. And honestly, it is... until you start adding more than four dogs. One to four? If you can walk upright and attach a leash to a collar, you've pretty much got it nailed. Four or more can get a little tricky. I personally keep my large dog total no higher than 10. I can walk as many little dogs as you want at a time. My current largest group is around 8 - 9 and that's a mix so we do pretty great... until we meet certain situations that throw us off and can honestly make me a little wild inside the brain package.

Untrimmed bushes. A hearty fuck you to all the people who let their bushes become so overgrown that they are blocking the sidewalk. A fuck you die to the people who let their thorn bushes grow out onto the sidewalk. Seriously, get out the trimmers and handle that shit. If you don't want to deal with it, hire someone else who does or move out to the country where no one cares about your overgrown weeds.

Cars parked at the very end of the driveway, blocking the sidewalk, forcing me onto the edge of a very busy road. Again, I need the sidewalk pretty badly. I have patience with the people who are parking 19 cars in a 3 car driveway. I get it. But when you are just to lazy to pull up a little because if you do you are not exiting your car to walk right into your front door, I can't stand you. This is not a pick a different route scenario because you never know when someone might do it. Makes me want to hear the glorious sound of smashed windshield.

Speaking of cars... Suddenly revving your engine next to a large group of dogs means frightened animals and a walker who now not only has to calm everyone but has to brace for the impact of some of those dogs slamming off the end of the leash when they bolt. Oh yeah, and it scares the hell out of me as well.

Something else I have noticed is how many people when passing by (usually moving in the opposite direction) will abruptly decide they want to interact with the dogs. Now I know how much I wouldn't like it if someone I didn't know got all spastic and started touching me out in public. Dogs are no different. The person will be half way past us when they will out of nowhere lean over the group and shoot their hand out towards the nearest dogs head. That particular dog more often than not will spook, causing the group to scatter and very often, I end up either tripping over a dog, kicking a dog or at the very least stepping on the foot of one who is running in front of me to get away. What the hell people? Why does that seem like a good idea? Just because dogs enjoy being petted does not mean they accept every stranger who swoops in without warning.

There are the people who see us coming, look pissy and just stay the course in the middle of the sidewalk. I'm not talking about me and the dogs owning the sidewalk while expecting everyone to walk around. I expect my dogs to be polite and whenever possible, I cross the street so we're not in the way. I'm talking about normal, everyday walking. I'm on the right, they are approaching on my left. Normal. Everyday. Until that moment where the person just stays in the middle, glares at us and decides to play a game of chicken. Bad news for them is I love chicken and I have about 5 to 6 dogs with me. Who's going to win that war? Seriously.

Ah yes, the meet and greet. Because there is nothing I would rather do than let my six dogs meet your one just to see how it goes. I especially love this when I am walking one or two large dog aggressive dogs and the person doesn't believe me when I say they won't get along with their dog and just keeps coming.

Then there is the distance meet and greet. The people who stand a distance away and call the dogs or make noises (clicking, clapping, whistling, etc.) to attract the attention of the dogs. Wow. How helpful.

And lastly we have the meet and greet involving small children which shocks me the most. People literally telling their kids to "go say hi to the doggies!". Now luckily most of the dogs involved have lived or do live with children, but there are a few that I have no idea how they would handle a small child and not only that, show discomfort when they approach.

These are just a few of every day occurrences. I try to be patient because I know most people see me coming and simply don't grasp what I am doing. But gee wiz people, come on.