Today on the way home whilst cutting through the back path by the apartments behind me, the neighbors had a dog out. looked like a small german shepard mix of some kind, he had beautiful eyes. I stopped by him, and he tucked his tail under him a little bit and sort of got real still.

I put out my hand to him, because obviously these people wouldnt tie him outside right near a school and with several people sharing the yard. He was very hesitant, and then sniffed, and then backed off, then sniffed again, all the while i noticed his ears were flattened a bit like he was scared or something.

Well i came ahead a littl while talking to him quietly and he let me pet his head. I scratched his ears and such and talked to him a bit, and then he got up off the stairs and came down by my feet, and his tail was completly between his legs, and ears back again like he was scared.

Well I just kept scratching and as i scratched he seemed to relax a bit, and suddenly he jumped up on his hind legs and I caught his front legs with my hands, and his tail was still tucked and ears back llike scared, and he just quietly tucked himself as close into my body as possible and just gazed up at me with this SAD look in his eyes. Well of course I spent some time like that. When I went to break away, he whined, and tried to chase me, and then got REALLY PLAYFUL like bounding around and jumping towards and then away.

I laughed but when I came towards him he flinched and fell completely sideways 0_0 like, right over.

So, I decided to scratch his belly, and guys when I did I could feel ribs. Hes got good thick fur, but he was so so skinny... my heart broke because i had a suspicion from the way he acted.

I got up, and he jumped up, and i told him sit and he did, told him stay as I was walking away, he did perfectly.

So while perfectly trained it seems and well behaved im asking myself if this warrants further investigation.

Do you think it would be kosher to introduce myself to them and ask if it would be ok to walk the dog, under the pretense that I miss my doggie in the country (not a total pretense, and if im mistaken then i get to walk a cool dog anyways) If i can take him for a walk, I can get a better chance to look him over too..

I am concerned for him.

They never clean up his poop, Ive almost stepped in it I dunno how many times and his leash is SHORT like maybe 4 or 5 feet - this seems cruel today. I watched him roll in a bunch of his own dried poop that had been left behind the steps too. He had no water dish out for him, and no food dish.

Am i right to be suspicious?