I find myself getting so frustrated

It's getting colder here and especially the mornings are a little intimidating to me. I am always grateful I have a roof over my head, I almost didn't at one point. Anyway...Callie likes her morning walks. I like our morning walks too, but not so much in the cold. Try as I might, I haven't been successful in talking Callie out of walking in the morning after I get home from my meetings. So I layer myself up in my sheepskin everything: ski cap and all, and we hit the road. Then the frustration begins. I've got Callie on a leash, am carrying bags to pick up her big jobs and we're minding our own business. I know there are other dog owners out there like me, but I don't see them much on these cold days. What I do see is dogs running the neighborhood unattended by anyone, or attended by some asshole who stands in their yard and yells at their non-responsive dog who is charging my dog - who is on a leash. I'm not worried about my dog, most of these little yappers are about 1/4 her size. If I give them a slight shove with my hand, they bolt. What scares me is that this town is full of rednecks. Really stupid ones who have their F-250's and money because they've been in the oil fields. I live in a very residential area, but it doesn't stop them from barreling through the streets at 60 MPH at 8:30 in the morning. I said to one guy today who was yelling from his yard at his non-responsive dog who was in the middle of the street, that she was going to get hit. Lucky for her, the car that came along was not driven by a brainless redneck dickhead, and the driver stopped in time. I am afraid, however, that she will not always be so lucky. She is one of several examples I see on a daily basis.

Part of the reason I frequent places like Devil's Canyon and the Mesa is that there are many places that Callie can run off her leash legally and enjoy immense (albeit controlled) freedom. Sadly, I can't do that every day simply because of the time it takes to get there and back and my work schedule, but we go as often as possible on my days off. So, on days I work, I walk my dog in the neighborhood, each and every day - on a leash.

I think that a majority of dog owners around here try to be good to their pets. But I think they are ignorant when it comes to animal behavior. They treat their dogs like little people, which they are not. They are dogs, and behave as such. People need to learn to speak dog, not the other way around. They will tell you a lot if you pay attention to their behavior and body language. But most people are too busy inside their warm houses, with their hot coffee, and morning news to even know most of the time what their dogs are doing.

Obviously, I have some patience and tolerance issues to work through. :-)