Any advice??

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

I have only been living in my house for five months now and our neighbors have a dog.... it looks like a gold lab. Anyway the poor dog is chained in the backyard on a chain that is about five / six feet long and he has a doghouse. I feel so bad for that dog and I am always tellin Eric that I wish I could go play with him. I go running just about every day and I always want to take him with me. This weekend our neighbors were having company and some of them had kids and were out in the backyard on the swingset (I was outside cleaning our patio furniture, I wasn't spying) but the poor dog was barking and strangling hisself to get to them and they kept telling him to HUSH and SHUTUP . And while they were on the back patio at the grill he was barking and strangling hisself, he wanted to get over there and be with those people so bad, and they just would yell at him to hush. I have never seen these people play with this dog they do pay him attention every once in a while and he looks very healthy, It is just he is a big dog and I don't think it is fair to him to leave him on that chain all the time. Now I have never spoken to my neighbors, I'm kinda shy and i'm not really good at meeting new people, but I want to know would it be rude or even an option to ask them if I could take their dog running with me?

That is where i need yalls advice......... how do you think I could go about asking them if I could play with their dog or take him running with me / OR SHOULD I AT ALL?? I would just feel ackward because I've never really spoken to them before except exchanging hello's yard from yard.

Thanks in advance,
You guys are always a lot of help.

[LoudLou]

When I lived in an apt. that would not let me have a dog there was this BIG yellow lab running around the neighboorhood, His name was BO. Well, BO used to knock on my apt. door (He'd push on the door) and we'd go for walks and through the ball for hours then I'd take him back down the street to go home at night. If I wasn't home he'd STEAL my doormat!!! His owners weren't very good to him either but they appreciated me playing with their dog.

I am shy like you and it took some courage to go ask but I did. I tried not to be really judgemental about why they didn't treat their dog as well as I woulda if he was mine... I was really missing not being able to have my own dog so I adopted the neighbors..... Might be worth a try.

Good Luck!
Katie

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Try going to this site, www.doggiemom.com , I've never been to it, but it sounds good! You can report animal abuse there!

Poor doggy!!! I can't believe people would do such a thing, when all the animal wants to do, is play, and give love! Good luck!

Love,
Sarah & Sadie

[anna_66]

Girl, get over your shyness and ask them already! This poor pooch needs your help! I know it will be hard, but, like Nike's slogan "Just Do It"!

[Dixieland Dancer]

It can't be said any better than Anna has already! JUST DO IT! The dog needs your help!

[Albea]

If calling the Animal Control Officer or the ASPCA seems too drastic to you, could you use some believable excuse to give the poor dog some relief from being chained all day? To ask your neighbors if they would allow the pup to go running with you to keep you company seems like a good approach. Perhaps you could increase the time he's away from his yard little by little that way.
Of course,this would be only a temporary solution. The only humane thing to do would be to have the dog removed from those dreadful people. If the dog can be seen from the street, it would be possible for the ACO to take action without mentioning your name.
I do hope you'll find some way to help him.
Good luck with whatever you do.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

Girl, get over your shyness and ask them already! This poor pooch needs your help! I know it will be hard, but, like Nike's slogan "Just Do It"!

LOL
Nicely said, Well I trust you guys' opinions and if yall don't think it is too forward, i'm gonna "just do it" Thanks again everyone for your advice. Whenever it stops raining and I can get outside I'm gonna ask them!! **wish me luck that I don't faint**

[Karen]

I think asking them if you can take him running with you would be great. You can even say, "I've seen your dog, and I know I'd feel safer running with a dog beside me. I bet he'd have fun, too. Would it be okay with you?" Plead your honest shyness as a reason, and they'll have to believe you.

I think that would be more likely to work than "I feel sorry for that poor dog" so they don't need to get all defensive.

And if they have half a heart, they'll take pity on you, even if they don't pity their dog. How could they resist?

Personally, I would have called Animal Control, but it's a hard case to prove, if he LOOKS healthy. But know how much labs loooooove to be with people, and so even if they're housing and feeding him, it's still abuse from my point of view.

[Genia]

I think Karen has a wonderful idea. Hopefully they'll see how much you enjoy being with him and will treat him better. Poor baby, let us know how things work out.

[Stenograsaurus]

I think that Karen has a great way of asking without offending anyone. I also agree that it would be a hard case to prove if you would call animal control. If the dog has a doghouse, food, water and looks healthy, unfortunately that is usually all that is required by law. Under the circumstances, I think the best bet would be taking him for walks/runs with you. That way he gets attention and you get healthier. He will really appreciate it. Let us know how it goes.