Frustrated dog walker

I love walking/running with my dogs. In our old neighborhood, I used to walk the dogs almost every single day. It was ritual. I loved walking in our neighborhood. We knew so many of our neighbors and would often stop and chat with people along the way. We rarely ever had dog issues. There were just a few places along our walk where I knew the dogs behind the wooden fences would bark and tear along the fence line, giving my dogs quite the neck pull as they tried hard to get to them.

Here, though, it is another story.

First of all, almost everyone has an outside dog or two or three.
And secondly, these outside dogs are behind chain link fences as opposed to the tall wood fences in our old neighborhood, so they can completely see us, and we--oh yes--we can see them.
Thirdly, there are millions (or it seems as if they come out in the millions) of cats roaming around.

So, with that being said...our walks are kinda a nightmare. And they are noisy. The dogs in the neighborhood go nuts. Crazy stinking nuts over us. You've never heard so much barking. People even come out of their houses or to their windows to see what all the fuss is about because every dog is going berserk! [what a weird looking word--berserk...]

And the jumping. Oh my, they jump like they are going to come out at us. Those of you who know me well know that I am terrified of other big dogs. I have made my way up on a car or two to get away from dogs that have scared me in the past. So, on these walks I live in fear that the dogs are going to come over the fences to get us. The whole time my dogs are pulling and acting all stupid and crazy over it. UGH!

Then we meet up with the cats all along the way. Braddock acts like a total spaz as he tries to run to them. Then he takes this weird cat-aggression out on poor Lambeau as he is the closest thing to him. Oh my goodness. It is nuts.

I keep thinking it will get better. But tonight was the worst night yet. I swear there were more dogs out in yards tonight than ever before.

I guess the good news is that my arm muscles are getting quite the workout on our walks.

Okay, I'm done venting now.