Crabby Old Men

I wonder what the likelihood is of men's age and crabbiness to increase alongside one another. I don't know the exact percentage, but with the old man I bumped into today, that percentage is 1 for 1, or 100%.

Directly behind our house is a public horsetrail for people to ride their horses, walk their dogs, or jog. We have two Siberian Huskies and if anyone knows anything about these kind of dogs, they need their share of exercise. Because of that, I try to take them for 3-4 walks a day. I've been doing this for I don't know how long now. Today, I walked (literally) into a situation I never had before.

At around 1:00 PM central standard time, my mom and I took our two dogs for a walk. Every day, I take them eastbound and side-by-side, there are two houses with fences or gates that have dogs (go figure). The yard that's fenced in has an underground pool and a tan lab or retriever-looking dog. Regardless of how near or far I am with the dogs to the fence, that dogs barks like crazy. I heard the owners consistently telling him to calm down and get away from the fence. Whenever my dogs get near the house, they walk right past it like no dog was there, because he doesn't present himself as the kindest cat (dog, in this case) in the neighborhood. Next door is a gated in yard with a small white cockapoo-looking thing, reminiscent of our old dog who had to be put down a couple months ago. Whenever we walk by that house and the dog is out in the yard, one of our Huskies, Tara, makes this whimpering noise. Today was no different. The lab barked like crazy and as the white cockapoo made its presence known, Tara started to make that whimpering noise. At this, I looked down at her and smiled, because it's kind of cute, I think. Right then, this old man starts yelling at my mom and I.

"Oh, so you think it's funny, do you?" he asked.

"What?" I responded, in confusion.

"I've been watching you for the past 6 months and every day, you walk by and you tease that dog next door and think it's funny." he said, raising his voice with each and every word.

I kind of laughed (which couldn't have pleased him) and said, "Whatever buddy."

My mom then tried explaining why I had smiled (like there was something wrong with that), but he wouldn't let us get any words in and he kept ranting, "No, I know what he's doing! He's been doing this for 6 months now!"

My mom said, "He's just a crabby old man that has nothing better to do."

That didn't please him either. As she and I began to walk off, he didn't stop, "Yeah, well, we'll see how you like it when I bring my dog around by your house. You'll be sorry!"

I chimed in with, "Enjoy the rest of your period! Have a nice day!"

So, let me get this straight, dogs that make other dogs bark in one way or another are teasing that dog? If that's the case, then not I, nor anyone else can walk our dogs around in a public area, because there will be other dogs around and when these dogs see other dogs walking by, they're going to start barking. Even if there is no walking going on, dogs next door to one another can start barking and provoke another to bark. If all this is construed as is teasing, then what's the point of even having dogs?

I don't know what that guy's problem was today, but I suggest some prozac and a new brand of tampons.