I am on a perfectly lovely pet sit with a 9 year old little white dog and cat. As I was walking the dog a block away, a huge doberman mix came charging towards us on the street and went right in to the little guy. I yelled “NO!” and put my leg between the two, tried to push the big dog away. Risking my own safety! I didn’t have time to pick the little guy up. The man came out and started screaming at me, repeatedly saying “don’t kick my F-ing dog (he did not abbreviate). He yelled the dogs will “work it out”. Right. I tried to respond, but he just said “Don’t kick my F-ing dog, that is all you need to know”. I have had similar experiences here in Florida, but the owners of the aggressive dogs have been very apologetic. This jerk lives just at the corner, so until I leave on Friday I will need to drive somewhere safer! I may also be done after my next commitment!
I’m so sorry to hear that @Hikergal - that sounds really stressful. 
I hope your little guy is ok - and you - hope you’re both able to settle down.
Fingers crossed you can find a better area nearby to walk. Let us know!
I would have had some choice words for that irresponsible owner.
If there was any injury whatsoever to you or the pet you’re sitting for, you could consider filing a police report.
Thankfully no injuries. As a small older woman, I felt it best not to respond-guns galore in the hands of angry jerks! Apparently there is no leash law in Florida, only that dogs should be kept in control. Thanks for the support-fortunately just a few days left! The beach is a 5 minute drive, at least there I can see what’s coming!
Ahhhh Florida, sounds about right.
This happened to me, but my little charge was actually injured by a crazy dog, which also bit me in the hand when I tried to help. Doggy needed the vet and I needed a tetanus jab. Thankfully we both were OK afterwards, but I was very traumatised, so I really feel for you!
I’m so sorry this happened! And you were right to be non-confrontational, given the location (US).
I would let the HOs know - I wonder if this is a known person in the neighborhood? The HO can’t change their neighbors, but it would be helpful for future sitters to know that walking in the neighborhood might not be safe.
Glad that it sounds like you and the dog you’re watching were not harmed
Thanks All! Your experience sounds awful Andrealovesanimals! My worst nightmare! Thanks for the empathy. I will let the owners know on the day they return. And I will add a subtle reference on the review, such as check with the owner about potential risks walking in the neighborhood. It’s possible this was a non aggressive young dog with poor social skills, but that is not something I was willing to find out about! I am about to move my car to the back driveway on a different street, where we will not be in eyesight of the jerk or his dog when we drive for walks. Thankfully there is a fenced yard too!
Hi @Hikergal
That would have shaken anyone. You did exactly what a responsible sitter should do — protected the little one in the moment and got them out of danger. Having the owner come out shouting on top of it just adds another layer you didn’t deserve.
Driving to a safer spot for walks sounds like the right call for the rest of the sit. And honestly, after something like that, it makes total sense to question whether you want to keep doing this. Give yourself some breathing room — this was a genuinely confronting situation, not “just a dog thing.”
Glad you and the little guy are okay.
I am so sorry that this happened to you. My husband and I spent 20 years there, but sold everything 5 years ago and now only return to see family. We house sit all over the world, but not in Florida. The reason we left is because of the incident you described here. When people ask, we honestly answer that we left because of the people and the politics. It is a very sunny place for shady people. They are heavily armed, irrational and unstable. I grew up there and wish never to return. Again, I am so sorry this happened to you.
We lived there too. Thought we’d never leave; now we rarely go back. It’s sad and depressing.
On the bright side, we’re now thinking of moving to Ireland. The people there are amazing and so very kind and lovely…it felt like being wrapped in a cocoon of soft cotton.
Thanks. Funny-a sunny place for shady people! I went to university here many years ago and have close family here, who want me to move here. But I wouldn’t move to Florida and leave my peaceful NC town for all the sunny weather in the world!
Thanks, well maybe I will continue my membership, as I am going to Ireland in May, and will consider pet sits there!
I had several wonderful petsits there during my recent visit – so much so that they’ve offered to plan vacations this spring during my return visit. So looking forward to getting back there!
That is awful! So sorry that happened to you! It’s bad enough to get attacked by an aggressive dog, but an a-hole owner on top of it makes it so much worse!
Don’t know how often you’re updating the owners – you will have to decide whether to let them know now, and then they might worry, or when they get back and then they might wonder why you waited. Depends on your dynamic with them.
I had a housesit dog get attacked by two off-leash monsters; they bit a hole in her leg, but at least there wasn’t a human confrontation (she packed them into the car and left without a word to me, leaving her mother and friend to deal with the aftermath). I reported it to the local dog constable and she was fined and got a “warning” about the dogs. If there is some equivalent where you are, I think it really should be reported – just as you’re ready to leave or after you depart, for your safety. Of course discuss that with the owners. But the dog may be aggressive to others as well, in which case “something should be done”… It could kill someone’s little dog.
I hope the rest of your sit goes better and you don’t encounter the jerk again.
Your experience sounds pretty awful! This was the third attack in Florida, the first two with my own larger but elderly dog, but no injuries. My next sit in FL is with another small and even older dog, and I will be extremely discerning in where I take him. Hopefully the posh retiree community will be lower risk!
The owner is the polar opposite of micromanaging, very trusting and confident with me. She didn’t even ask for updates, and I had to inquire how often she wanted them! I get the sense that she doesn’t want her holiday disturbed with non-emergent issues. I did call her good friend, who agreed to just tell her about it upon her return, and confirmed that there have been issues in this neighborhood with off leash dogs. So that will definitely go in my review, despite that otherwise this has been a fantastic 5 star sit.