Nosy Neighbors

Aww...look at the face. Is that the face of a wild dog?

I had my dog trained to run and walk off leash.  I didn't do it myself, I had a professional do it, and the upshot is that Moose stays with me, he doesn't bother other dogs, and he doesn't bother people.  We have been doing this for eighteen months now.  I can count on one hand the times Moose got off course–once, when a man came out of his house and whistled and Moose took off.  Once, when a dog charged him–he barked madly and  then ran.  And once, when a cat in a bush startled him, and he shot off across the street.  But he didn't run from me any of those times and came when I called him.  He is a good dog.

So one day, I am out and a woman pulls up in her Suburban.  She informs me there is a leash law.  I tell her I know, but I had my dog trained and I show her the pager I have (he wears a pager collar).  She said she understood, but it was a city ordinance, and I could be fined.  I said, thanks, but I am going to take that chance.  And it's not much of a chance, really.  Morning patrols see me all the time and do you think they care?  Ha.  Nope.

About a week later, I was standing on the sidewalk in front of my house with Moose–who was standing next to me until he was commanded to go–and Animal Control pulled up.  She said she needed to tell me that it is against city ordinance to walk a dog off leash.  I said, I know, but I have had him trained.  She said, yes, and he's obviously well-trained, but you could be cited if a neighbor complains.  I said, I'll take that chance.  She said, okay, I have done what I needed to do, and she drove off.  I told my mom later and she was instantly indignant–she instantly suspected the other woman turned me  in!  Upon reflection, I think she did, too.  That woman turned me in and she wasn't even walking herself that day.

You guys have probably heard that Texas is in the midst of the worst drought in the state's history.  We are running out of water and we are all on water restrictions.  In today's paper, I read that the city was overwhelmed by calls from neighbors ratting on neighbors.  They said they know who the big water users are, so these are calls about people watering on the wrong day, or watering more than their allotted time.  Really?  Remember when your mom used to tell you to stop worrying what everyone else was doing and take care of yourself and your business?  What happened to that?

What's it like in your neck of the woods?  Do you have a neighborhood association that keeps an eye on you?  Do you notice what your neighbors are doing?  Would you call in a neighbor who was watering more than you or on the wrong day?  Have you ever had a neighbor interfere or put their nose where it didn't belong? Is there a time when a neighbor should rat on a neighbor?

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