My family and I haven't been able to get together for several years now, due to extremely immune comprised situations with multiple family members (cancer), so we were so excited to finally get together after 2 years!!
I arrived before my family so I could train my new service dog to be out on the water with me.
Training a service animal is a very intensive thing, that requires a calm non distracting environment.
The first day, I unloaded and went straight to the water with my paddleboard and service dog (Rin). We were met by an extremely overgrown hillside, barely accessible Tupperware dock, and the neighbors German Shephard.
The grassy areas all around the house had poison ivy and oak. The overgrowth around the dock area was a thriving home for wolf spiders, a family member was bit by one trying to get in the kayak!!
You can NOT fit a 12 ft paddleboard or kayak next to the Tupperware dock comfortably, due to extreme overgrowth. (The neighbor was nice enough to clear out some of the overgrowth on her side of the hill and dock for us)
When I was trying to drop my board and start training my service animal, I got to the deck before the stairs and immediately was greeted to a viscous German Shephard, I am an animal person so I thought if I talk nice to him and then ignore him, it would be alright...
No. The wooden 2x4 frame of the "fence" did NOT even come up to his chest!! In some places, there wasn't even a fence, just PLASTIC BIRD NETTING layered up!! This dog would growl, bark angrily, drool, and jump up on the fence to try and get to you and my service dog every time we were out, attempting to get on the dock was impossible for my service dog while he was out. At one point the dog went as far and coming out of his fence to his dock (which is directly next to the Tupperware dock) myself, Rin, and a family member ran into the house in fear.
Later that day the neighbor came out and spoke to us about her dog... She kindly let us know that her dog would EAT us ALIVE and we were lucky!! That I just needed to play with him, (throw the balls that he would drop over the fence) or it was going to be a dangerous vacation.
The owner had the police come to the door to try and remove us for having my service dogs with me!! The officer informed myself and owner through his door cam that this was illegal and I should contact a lawyer. The owner argued through the cam with the cop, finally Nancy & owner stopped yelling & threatening us.