I'm SO absolutely NOT Impressed.

[DogGoneGood]

That freakin no good wanker of a Meter Reading guy tried to hit Coal!!!

I was in the bathroom (and Linkin was inside as he can't be trusted off leash outside) and I heard Coal give his "INTRUDER ALERT" bark. I quickly finished my business and went to the front window to see who was here. I saw it was the guy who reads the meter was here so I went to put on my shoes and go retrieve and settle down Coal. When I looked back out the window as I was opening the door i saw him raise his arm and lunge at Coal. I opened the door and screamed 'HEY! WTF?" and he turned to me, obviously embarassed and stammered "I wasn't really going to".

I was SO flabergasted I didn't know what to say or do. I grumbled and groaned then reached out to Coal and said "come here Coal, NOW" and when I grabbed his collar he gave a low growl and looked at the guy then turned back to me with a look of confusion. I told him "It's okay, come inside" He snorted in the guys direction (Which I'm sure in doggy language was equivalent to some kind of curse) and followed me inside.

I'm SOOOO not impressed in the least. This guys job is to invade peoples properties without even coming to the door. I'm sure he visits enough houses to know a dog is GOING to bark at him. It's my dogs JOB to alert me of "intruders", and it is greatly appreciated on my part especially when I'm home alone like today. Coal wasn't being aggressive at all. He always stands barks. He may LOOK threatening to someone who knows dittly squat about dogs but the fact that he stands back and barks, and when you come near him he backs away should tell the guy he's NOT going to hurt him. Besides, I was there within a minute of the guy's arrival to contain the dog. He had absolutely NO reason to try and hit him like that. This was NOT the first time this guy has come to our house. I've seen him here to read the meter before so he should know by now Coal won't hurt him. It only makes me wonder if he's done that before. I have noticed in the past 6 months or so Coal has become much more deffensive about people coming to our house, so it seriously makes me wonder.

I have half a mind and more to call the company and report that sorry excuse of a human.

[nattiej1976]

I wouldnt just consider ringing and complaining, I would.

That is not on. I work at our local electricity company, and work in the area that our meter readers operate from, there are very strict codes for their behaviour and attitude around dogs and other domestic animals on the properties they visit.

If we got a complaint of this nature about one of our guys they would be run through the ringer something severe.

[DogGoneGood]

Thanks for the advice Nat, I'm more and more seriously considering it and even moreso now. I didn't think it would make much of a difference, everyone I've talked to about it said that the guy would probably say that the dog was threatening him and therefore justified

I just learned from my neighbor today that the she caught the same guy doing the same thing to her dog before too! This REALLY makes me want to report him now.

[rexandbaby]

We happen to know our meter reader. He used to play on the baseball team that we coached.
He says that if they get 2 complaints about this problem, they are fired. No excuses.
He has a big box of dog cookies in his truck, and throws them to any dog that acts like he could have trouble with. And if he is too afraid to check the read, he just does an estimate, and the company gets a hold of the owners and asks that the dog be contained on meter days.

[nattiej1976]

admin said:

Thanks for the advice Nat, I'm more and more seriously considering it and even moreso now. I didn't think it would make much of a difference, everyone I've talked to about it said that the guy would probably say that the dog was threatening him and therefore justified

I just learned from my neighbor today that the she caught the same guy doing the same thing to her dog before too! This REALLY makes me want to report him now.

This is why we now have the rule that if our meter readers are going to come within any physical contact with a dog, they estimate the account instead. We have now applied the rules that they are not to go near any dog, regardless of it being friendly or not, because there were one or two complaints about our guys for the same sorts of things, it protects them also from dogs that may bite them as they enter,so they now have the right to refuse to.

[lilredridinghood]

Do you need me to come up and lay the smack down. I've got the whole "crazed pregnant lady" thing going for me. I'm glad he didn't actually hit him. It's those type of idiots who are asking to get bitten.

[DogGoneGood]

LOL thanks for the offer, but I think we'll be okay

I know... some people are just not dog savvy... sometimes I feel like I live amongst all the other villages village idiots... it's like one big giant Idiot Town