And now I am scared of dogs...

[Little Retail Rabbit]

Couldn't really think of a place to put this, but I suppose it is a Sighting in a way because it definately involves sighting and experiencing Suck


I love animals. I really like dogs. Want one, but I can't afford one. I used to be timid of them but my fiance's dad's rottweiler was the sweetest dog you could ever meet and she made me confident around bigger dogs. I could put my arms around her and hug her like a BFF :P

We have a LOT of dogs in my area and my route to work takes me directly through a popular pedestrian/dog-walking area. I have encountered many dogs in the past...some awesome. Some not. On one hand you have the show-dog rottweiler who was beautiful and calm and nuzzled me for pets, and the wolf-dog (so the guy claims- he was bigger than any dog I'd ever seen and did have gold eyes) and nuzzled my hip gently. Then you have the other side. I've been stormed at by a vicious and bad-tempered Chinese Hairless Crested Dog who seems to be a cross between Napolean and Michael Myers- its small and can't jump very far, but it wants to attack people and its owners just tell everyone unfortunate enough to encounter it to ignore it (and don't leash it). I was nearly bitten by a pyscho spaniel who suddenly turned on me as I walked past, and I was actually bitten by a playful but undisciplined Alsatian (German Shepherd) who jumped on me in play and playfully bit my hand. It hurt a fair bit because she hit my thumb joint and she covered me in her own faeces- her teenage handler couldn't control her. And then there's Bella, a very friendly staffy who doesn't listen to anyone. She has gotten mud all over my work trousers on numerous occassions because her chav owner insists that she "only wants to play!" and never puts her on a leash. Its a shame because (other than the fact my winter coat is dry-clean only -_-) Bella is clearly a lovely dog, but poorly trained.

Oh the suck lies with the owners of course. I'm not one of these people who wants certain breeds put down or hates animals, I want animals more than I want children! But I am very nervous of strange dogs, more so now, due to the following story.

(Oh another note- I never touch a strange dog without permission. Just something I learned as a kid- if the owner says you can stroke the dog, then that's cool. I even stroked the wolfdog because he was very nice and his owner assured me it was safe and he had control of him. Anytime I've been glomped, bounced on, or even attacked, it was not when I attempted to touch the animal).


A few weeks back I was taking my usual route to work when, as I crossed the little green area, a huge black dog started bounding towards me. I would guess it was an overweight black labrador, possibly a mix with something heftier. It ran at me, barking at me aggressively, and NOT wagging its tail. As someone who is a little anxious at the best of times (I'm currently on a waiting list for anxiety therapy), this scared me. The old man walking the dog yelled at me not to worry, but made no other attempt to stop or call the dog off. As it got within 10 feet of me, I held out my hands flat and said "NO".

(This never works on Bella. She thinks this mean YAY HUGS )

Black lab stopped just shy of 6 feet from me, looked at me suspiciously and then resumed barking. I decided to just carry on walking. The owner and his wife (who was walking a Yorkie) caught up by this point (but only because their path took them that way, as I say, he made no real effort to ease the situation). I was very anxious. The dog was still barking at me as I walked away.

"Don't worry about him, he won't hurtcher."

He was not calming his dog, but I could see he held a leash in his hand. So I said "Would you please put your dog back on the leash, he's making me very nervous."

I actually think he heard me because when he said "WHAT, I CAN'T HEAR YOU?" he sounded aggressive even then. I repeated what I said.

Him: Why should I?
Me: Because he's barking at me and he's making me very uncomfortable.
Him: Oh come orf it, I just told you he won't hutcher.
Me: And I appreciate that but I don't know your dog-
Him: I know my dog
Me: Yes you do, but I don't trust strange dogs-
Him: I KNOW MY DOG!
Me: Yes, and I do appreciate that, but to me he is a strange dog and I can't be sure of how he's going to react and he's scaring me.

(By this point, the dog had now calmed down, but not for long...)

Him: And I just told you I know my dog, so you're just going to have to trust me, aren't you!
Me: (Now getting angry) Well I don't see how I can.

Maybe that was mean, but up until now I had been very polite and respectful, he was much older than me after all, and all he had done was snap at me and dismiss my anxieties.

Him: Well thats your problem.
Me: Its your problem, its your dog. You know in some places you have to be liscenced to even own a dog and its reasonable to ask you put him on a leash when he's scaring-
Him: OH SHUT UP YOU STUPID WOMAN, WHAT DO YOU KNOW.

Yes he was shouting.

Me: What!?
Him: YOU HEARD ME, YOU STUPID WOMAN, PISS OFF, YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, SHUT YOUR MOUTH.

Now the dog is barking at me again because his owner is riled up. Keep in mind that througout this exchange I had continued to walk my route as I was going to work. I was actively walking away even when the exchange became argumentative, a combination of not knowing if this dog was going to chase me or not and the fact this old c*nt was hurling abuse at me (PISS OFF YOU STUPID OLD WOMAN AND SHUT YER MOUTH!), I was very upset. I ended up crying and shaking and I had to phone my mum because I didn't know what else to do. My manager was nice to me and let me calm down when I got into work.

I'm now scared everytime I see a dog off a leash.

And today I saw the old man again. The hellhound was on a harness this time, but as we passed in an alley, I had to walk right by him. He didn't say anything, but I have never seen such a HATEFUL look on a man's face. You'd think I'd tried to attack his dog and not the other way round! I really wished I could say something witty to him, something scathing and black, but not just hurling swear words, but I was too scared. I was more shaken up by him than the dog but I'm now scared of dogs.

In all honesty? I hope he dies a painful death and is eaten by his wicked dog before they find his wretched corpse

[wagegoth]

In all honesty? I hope he dies a painful death and is eaten by his wicked dog before they find his wretched corpse

Awesome and deserved wish.

I've been around dogs most of my life, all sizes, and you can never guarantee that your dog won't bite. It's impossible. Dogs are individuals, just like people, and no matter how they're trained, at some point they will revert to instinct, which can include biting, even trying to kill. I have the scars to prove it.

[AyreBiskits]

i would have called the cops about a dangerous threatening animal

oh, and his dog too

[AccountingDrone]

Once a dog and owner are out of the house, and outside of their personal fenced area, the dog should be on a lead. There is no valid reason for any dog to be in public and off lead.

And hell hath no fury like me when I think of all the dog owners who refuse to fence their yards, or fence them adequately and still turn the dogs out to play or crap.

[and I am an inveterate pet owner]

[Pagan]

Awesome and deserved wish.

I've been around dogs most of my life, all sizes, and you can never guarantee that your dog won't bite. It's impossible. Dogs are individuals, just like people, and no matter how they're trained, at some point they will revert to instinct, which can include biting, even trying to kill. I have the scars to prove it.

Exactly. One of the local vets has a column in the paper and is constantly having to remind people that dogs are not people in furry suits.

Just because a dog hasn't bitten, doesn't mean it can't or won't.

Our second dog was the sweetest, goofiest little puppy-dog on the planet (cock-a-poo), but she nailed the vet pretty good the first time we took her. But what do you expect from a scared little puppy?

[PepperElf]

faeces

Thank you. You made me look a word up... That doesn't happen too often so I enjoy when it does.


As for prick and his dog... you have every right to request that.
just because he "claims" his dog won't hurt you doesn't mean jack shit. In fact you could have called the cops or aspca on him over it. especially since the dog was getting aggressive because of mr prick's behavior.


and yes "traditionally" aggressive dogs may be as mild as can be depending on the owner.

i knew a guy who had what looked to be the traditional rottie ... and that dog looked like he was just FULL of joy cos he was out with his "daddy".... still, his human took no chances with the dog... He had a special leash on him that allowed for extra control. and when i asked to pet the dog (I asked first) he made sure to pet the dog at the same time to let doggy know it was OK.


and big dogs vs small... yeah small dogs will bite your face off sometimes.
that's why sometimes a tiny Chihuahua is actually better for a guard dog than a big massive dog.... the lil doggy will bark its face off at "intruders" and warn you.

[jedimaster91]

the lil doggy will bark its face off at "intruders" and warn you. Jump straight for the jugular while the big dogs roll over for tummy rubs.

Fixed that.

My furchild doesn't go anywhere outside her back yard without a leash. She's very enthusiastic and she has knocked down a kid or two from being so excited. I try to give the shy or nervous looking kids a treat to give her (if she sits nicely for it first). That way, the dog learns to sit nicely for strangers instead of jumping all over them and the kids don't get so scared.

[AlmightyALT]

Fixed that.

My furchild doesn't go anywhere outside her back yard without a leash. She's very enthusiastic and she has knocked down a kid or two from being so excited. I try to give the shy or nervous looking kids a treat to give her (if she sits nicely for it first). That way, the dog learns to sit nicely for strangers instead of jumping all over them and the kids don't get so scared.

Mine too. Then again he's only 8 months old. But then he's a 60lb German Shepard/Coon Hound mix. The treat thing is a nifty idea. I may have to try it to teach him not to jump on new people. He's getting better at it though.

As for the .... cur and his dog, doesn't matter that you know your own dog, other people don't. Keep it on a lead.

Also you did a good job with stopping it with a good, firm command. Something which the cur probably doesn't do. He's obviously not the alpha in that family.

[Sapphire Silk]

All dogs can bite. All dogs. It's a shame so many dog owners don't get this.

it doesn't matter how "sweet" they think their dog is, if it bites the owner is liable for medical expenses and risks having his dog labeled a vicious animal, which means one more bite and it gets put down by the state.

My sucky neighbor's pit bull was trying to dig under the TWO fences that separated our properties to get at me anytime I went into my own back yard. When I complained, the owner shrugged and gave me a funny look. Only when I warned him that if his dog was successful in getting into my yard that the dog would either get shot (by me) or sent to the pound did the jerk take action to deal with his dog's behavior.

Rabbit, the best I can tell you is to try and find another way to work, even if it takes you longer. If you are in a dog park, dogs don't have to be on leash as long as they're well behaved (the old fart with the barking dog should have recognized his dogs aggressive behavior and leashed his dog even in the park).

I hope you'll try to get a therapist to help you with this fear, so you can cope with it. No one should go through life afraid of dogs, and quite frankly dogs can sense it, which just makes matters worse.

[Seshat]

Once a dog and owner are out of the house, and outside of their personal fenced area, the dog should be on a lead. There is no valid reason for any dog to be in public and off lead.

Well-signed 'off leash' dog parks are the exception. Obedience training, agility training, frisbee matches and a variety of other organised and disorganised (heh) dog/human games and sports occur in such places.
Ideally, such dog parks are well fenced. Unfortunately the one closest to us isn't.

Back to the main topic.

Rabbit,

First, you are absolutely in the right here.
Second, I strongly recommend you talk to a vet, vet tech, dog trainer, or dog catcher/animal policeman. Someone whose job involved animal behaviour, specifically dog behaviour.
Such a person can help you with dogs; and can help you learn to manage dogs and identify 'safe' and 'unsafe' dog behaviours.

Ooooh. If you're willing to work on the problem through desensitisation, how about this...
... volunteer at your local ASPCA or other shelter.

I know it sounds mad. But trust me. There's plenty - PLENTY - that needs to be done that only involves being in the same building as the animals. You'll know that they're in cages, and you'll hear and smell them, but you may not need to see them initially.
You may be running blankets through the wash, or doing filing, or any of a number of things like that.

The next step may involve you being company for the sweetest dogs. Sitting with them, or playing with them, or walking them if you're up to it. Giving them basic dog training, even!

Another step might be socialising frightened dogs. Which involves you sitting at the opposite end of a room or cage with them, and letting them gradually come to you at their own pace. (NOTE: the staff where I volunteered only let volunteers do this with the animals whose fear response was 'flight'. As long as we left the DOG in control of how close they were to us, we were safe. If you take this job, don't ever grab the dog or get in the way of them 'getting away'.)

Basically, at this stage, it probably sounds like a task you couldn't possibly do. But the only reason I'm not still doing it is that the boss of the shelter I was at left, and the new one didn't understand my limitations.

I left regretfully, and with a profound respect for dogs and cats - and a level of hatred for certain types of human ...

[Mr Hero]

I've been scared of dogs for as long as I can remember. Why does my fear have to be such a common animal?

[Joyius]

We own two dogs over here. Hemi and Batty, they're both more than likely want to play with an intruder. But they both like to bark at anyone coming near their back yard(fenced in), after all it's their home, and no one but the family and people the family is aware of being inside. We do let Batty outside in the front from time to time, but that's only because she's an old fart and knows not to go out of moms sight, Hemi runs after someone to LICK them, but even then, we keep them away from strangers because of how they might act. Even when the cable guy comes over they put them away in my moms room, or stick them outside, but that's because they'll want to investigate and love on.

[tofu]

ugh, i'm sorry to hear that unleashed dogs make me nervous, even more so since my little girl got knocked down by a hyper and out of control one in the street once. it's owners were just standing around doing *nothing* while this dog was streaking up and down the road, and when i clocked on what was happening and was considering doubling back and taking the longer route home: bam. it charged us, jumped on my then 5 year old before i could blink, knocked her down, gave her a bloody nose and then jumped away to resume its cavorting.

"is she okay?" they called. then proceeded to carry on with not controlling their dog.

*eyeroll*

most of my nerves come from the realization that i couldn't react quickly enough to get her out of the way, if the dog had been aggressive more than just out of control and "playful" there could have been some serious physical damage done in that brief moment.

i now wear my steel toe cap boots outside 24/7 .. just in case :/

[Anakah]

I'm sorry you had to go through that. That is really scary! I can't believe that old man! What an ass! If you have to walk that way everyday and may bump into him--can you call the cops? He was cussing you out in a sexual harassment way. Is there anybody that can walk with you?

You should not have to put up with that and I have no idea how to help but seriously that guy needs to learn that his behavior is unacceptable and doing that should have some consequence!

[PepperElf]

unleashed dogs make me nervous,

When I was growing up there were a number of neighbors who had unleashed dogs. Mom said that the dogs were forming a pack and to go inside when they came around.

I don't know if she was being over-protective but... well we know one neighbor found their cat ripped apart that summer. Ours thankfully was unharmed. (most likely cos Mom was at home and if kitty started screaming mom would come running and chase the dogs away)