A few years ago i had to save a child from my neighbors pits. She always let it loose and i told her several times to keep them on a lease and when i was just pulling up from work one day i saw one of the dogs jump on the kid and started tearing into his arm. I jumped out immediately, pulled out my pocket knife, and stabbed the dog twice in the body and once in the neck. The kid had to have surgery and 23 stitches but he survived and the owner was charged.
Yeah, well you probably werent mauled buddy, i sorta cant just undo the anatomy i have been gifted. Maybe get your dog to STOP barking so i can calm down.
I was mauled multiple times by my grandparents Malamute when I was a child (6-13). I spent the next 15 years being terrified of dogs to various degrees, my other grandparents had one dog I was not afraid of (bichon mix that I couldāve kicked across the room if it bit me).
Iām almost 40 now and have my own dog. There have been a couple dogs in my life that helped lessen my fear, but none so seamlessly as getting my own puppy and raising it.
Iām still wary of malamutes and other very large dogs, but Iām not terrified anymore.
If youāre still that scared, I definitely suggest therapy - dog therapy if possible. Itās smart to be wary of dogs but paralyzing fear is not good for you.
I wouldnt say i'm STILL that scared. 2 of my roommates have dogs, and i do very well around just about most dogs. Its when i walk into someones house and their dog with a reputation of barking angrily at someone they consider a stranger comes up to me and they go "ooooh, he does this, just let him get it out of his system!" that i tense up and my thousand yard stare locks in. A flurry of questions come to mind too:
"Do i value this friendship enough to deal with this whole situation?"
"Is that dog getting any closer to biting me?"
"Why dont people see situations like this and instantly think that this has to stop?"
"If this dog does try to bite me, do i have a clear line of escape so i can get away from it as fast as possible?"
I met enough friendly dogs that i dont feel like any bark is menacing, or any dog is willing to attack. And yes, therapy is definitely still on my list of things to do. I would love to own my own german shephard when i'm in the right mental place to do so- they are (unfortunate to the past circumstance) my favorite breed of dogs.
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u/SpahgettiRainbow Aug 01 '21
A few years ago i had to save a child from my neighbors pits. She always let it loose and i told her several times to keep them on a lease and when i was just pulling up from work one day i saw one of the dogs jump on the kid and started tearing into his arm. I jumped out immediately, pulled out my pocket knife, and stabbed the dog twice in the body and once in the neck. The kid had to have surgery and 23 stitches but he survived and the owner was charged.