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<p>Medical bill might not be an issue now. But what if you become afraid of dogs, big or small, the rest of your life?</p>
<p>^There are a lot of therapy dogs that help with fear of dogs. I know it’s not ideal, but as common as dogs are (and, as stated above, how irresponsible people are), it’s better than living with that fear.</p>
<p>There are so many pluses to dog ownership. I feel so sad for people who are afraid or who dislike dogs. They are fabulous creatures who love you unconditionally, provide comfort, keep people healthy, and deserve good training, attention, exercise, and love.</p>
<p>My daughters have said they would never date anyone who didn’t like dogs. I wouldn’t have either. Right now I am massaging my old dog. And I have met some of the most amazing people thru their dogs. It’s a world that shouldn’t be missed.</p>
<p>I can’t stand parents who encourage fear of dogs in their children. caution is smart, fear is silly</p>
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<p>I couldn’t either. Dogs, LOTS of dogs, will ALWAYS be part of my life. If you don’t like dogs, you will not like living with me. Simple as that.</p>
<p>Besides, dogs know when you dislike them- and more often than not, they’ll bug the crap out of the people that dislike dogs by making sure that the person pets them lol. </p>
<p>There is actually reasonably good archaeological evidence that dogs are what helped us developed into modern-day humans. It’s why there is such a strong bond between humans and dogs. We literally caused each other to evolve.</p>
<p>I think it’s great when true dog-lovers bond with and include dogs in their life. But lately I’ve noticed how dogs have become “fashion” for some, which translates to everything from women walking around with little dogs in their tote bags to families purchasing very large dogs that end up staying in a cage all day while everyone is at work. In the past ten years I’ve noticed more and more poorly behaved dogs out in public along with owners who don’t seem to want to care for them. It’s a lot like adults who have children and don’t want to do the hard work of raising them, when I think about it.</p>
<p>^ I used to volunteer at a shelter and people would surrender their dogs and say things like “it’s not cute anymore.” I wanted to punch those people in the face. I am NOT a violent person, but it’s so sickening. It’s absolutely disgusting. “It” is a living, breathing, feeling, LOVING animal. That animal would do ANYTHING for you and you’re giving him/her a death sentence because they’re not “cute”. I hope you can live with yourself. </p>
<p>You’re right, it has become a fashion thing to many people. I will never understand that mindset. How can you look into the eyes of a dog and just abandon him/her. </p>
<p>/rant</p>
<p>We had a feisty male dog who was on leash sitting next to my husband in our front yard. A neighbor lady came over and, without asking, reached out to pet him on the head. He snapped at her without growling first. That was the first time he had ever done something like that. </p>
<p>He did not break the skin, but we offered to pay for a tetanus shot if she wanted, showed her his tags that he had had all his shots. We said that this was the first time he had ever done such thing, and that we intended to work with a trainer because we had a 5-yr-old and didn’t want a dog that would bite. </p>
<p>I don’t think she ever reported it or got the tetanus shot, but we did work with a trainer, and he never bit anyone again, but we never let him around children other than our own. </p>
<p>She was not a pleasant person, and afterward, H commented that if he had been a dog, he probably would have bitten her, too. </p>
<p>That said, our dogs have never been unrestrained, always on leash or in a fenced yard. Our golden retriever escaped from the back yard once. She went around to the front of the house and sat in front of the door. Another time, our front door blew open when we were not home and she was in the front yard, but never far from the door. The neighbors (different ones) tried to get her to go back in and she barked at them (probably protecting her home). They are not dog people and didn’t come any nearer but called us.</p>
<p>You did absolutely the right thing. I am always infuriated when we have our dog on leash and meet other people whose dogs are loose and NOT under control. Normal dogs do not bit unprovoked. It is a huge red flag for a dog to bite someone minding their own business, or even to chase that person (barking at them from a distance is another matter), esp. if you are walking away and not making eye contact. If could have been a child on a bike.</p>
<p>tango-ugh ugh ugh. She should know better than to reach out to pet an unknown dog–you don’t know if it’s friendly or not, or if it dislikes a certain type of person (I have a friend whose dog hates women other than her…dog is not allowed out of her bedroom when she has company. The dog is a rescue and we think has a history of abuse). Bottom line, you shouldn’t assume that just because the dog is a family pet, that it is friendly to people outside of the family.</p>
<p>I once had my black lab out at a friend’s house (on a leash, well controlled) and another girl came walking up the street with her golden retriever, not on a leash, just walking along. I asked her to put her dog on a leash because my dog was about 110 pounds and easily could have overpowered me if her dog ran off and he decided it would be fun to chase it. She laughed it off. A few minutes later, her dog attacked my dog and she had to pull him away. Of course, she was shocked.</p>
<p>Ugh.</p>
<p>I think there are more badly bred and overbred little dogs these days…and they can be snappy. I have a big dog and know how to handle a dog, but I’ve had a few friends whose little dogs have snarled and nipped at me. </p>
<p>There are 8 houses on our street and there are 3 Yorkies, 1 ****zu (spelling intentional), 1 cocker, 1 miniature something, 2 Goldens, 1 German Shepard, 1 medium size pound puppy and our dog. That is 11 dogs in 8 houses along with four small kids and that doesn’t even count the dogs on the primary street around the corner. You never, ever hear the dogs until a stranger comes through jogging or riding a bike…then the dogs go crazy. 11 dogs inside and outside can make a ton of noise and get other dogs other very excited. Our dogs all know each other and if one leaves for a walk you hear nary a bark. We have pulic walking and biking paths just a few blocks away but people like to look at other people’s houses I suspect. I’m fully sympathetic to people who get bit and people are fully within their right to call the cops, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes it’s a royal pain and I’ve often thought of asking for the street to be abandoned since it’s really nothing more than a driveway (and walking/jogging/biking path). There are numerous sides to all stories and I would be devastated if our dog did something he shouldn’t but by the end of summer I’m all too ready to say bye-bye to the bikers/joggers/walkers from other neighborhoods. I guess the “no entrance” sign that was put up to “help us” doesn’t mean anything either…afterall it is a “public” piece of tar. Sorry about the rant, but I just had to go shut the windows because the dogs are barking up and down the drive…oops I mean public road. I also would never jog down a public road with earphones plugged in…not a good idea - bike/jogging path, yes, but not where a car might be backing out or coming home. I turn off the radio on our drive, I mean public street, because I want to be able to hear the kids if they are out and around and the drive, oops public road, is only one car wide.</p>
<p>Really snarky, momofthree.</p>
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<p>No need to feel sorry for me. We never had pets in my family for a few reasons. 1) The expense was not something my parents would have justified. With 5 kids on 1.5 teachers’ salaries there’s no way we could have ever afforded a dog. 2) We all recognized that our family was too busy to have a dog. We were never home growing up so my parents didn’t want one that we would get neglected by sitting at home alone all the time.</p>
<p>My dad would like a dog, but he’d want to live out in the country and I think that’s the only way he’ll ever get one. He had one growing up and we actually have a statue sitting in the front yard that is supposed to look just like the one he had.</p>
<p>JustTryHarder … for what it’s worth. Many years ago I was jogging (down a public street) and a woman was walking her large dog. I don’t even remember the breed. I was about 100 pounds, the dog was the size of a lab. He was on a leash. She was walking toward me about 50 yards away when he broke loose and came running right at me. I didn’t really notice until the dog was about to me and frankly, I thought he was coming to say hi. I’ve always had dogs and been a dog lover. The dog jumped on me and proceeded to attack both arms. I had on a sweat top and bottom - the arms where shredded and my arms bit several times. The owner felt bad, apologized, gave me her info. I went to the doctor. It was automatically reported to animal control - dog home quarantined (for longer than 24 hours as I recall). All ended fine.</p>
<p>Moral to the story. You really never know what can happen when you are out walking or running. Be prepared for anything. And That when a dog bites - you should call animal control = for all the reasons stated above. </p>
<p>It left me a bit leery of large dogs for awhile - but got over it.</p>
<p>One thing that I have used and it has worked well for me is the word “NO!” We have 4 border collies down the road and every so often they come out in the road when I am walking my dog. I hollar “no” as loud and as deep as I can. They always stop and back away. One of dog walking friends says that I scare her too when I yell. It is certainly a good tool to have.</p>
<p>hops, do you dislike dogs or are you afraid of them? That’s much different than merely never having one.</p>
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<p>I dislike dogs. And I do get afraid of them sometimes especially when I am out running…</p>
<p>Have you ever got to know a great dog? They can be very healing. This is a group of war vets who are training rescue dogs as therapy and service dogs for disabled vets.</p>
<p>The whole process is healing and wonderful for everyone involved. I had a friend in the hospital and while my dogs aren’t therapy, they allowed them to visit in the room. My friend cried when he was petting the dogs. He said their energy was somwonderful. My dogs immeditely jumped on the bed, andhe said the warmth of the dogs body was so wonderful.</p>
<p>Another friend takes her dog to a kids home. She says it does wonders for the kids.</p>
<p>I can understand not liking dogs, but I hope you give your children the chance to see what a joy they can be</p>
<p>I don’t really like dogs. And I’m wary of them because I’ve been bitten. I understand how dogs can be good companions for people, that they are loyal and obedient, etc. I appreciate how helpful they are for hunting, herding, guarding, guiding. . .
What bugs me is when people put their pets above other people–acting like a dog is a “child” or has equal rights with people. (I have a right to walk down a public sidewalk without a leash. Why? There is no chance that I will bark or growl at, threaten, jump on, lick/slobber on, or stick my nose into other folks’ privates. I will not eliminate on their lawns or on the sidewalk. That’s why I can walk freely. But your dog must be kept on a leash and you must clean up after it. And keep it away from me because I don’t find any of those behaviors “cute” or appealing. And please yield to me and other humans–don’t act like I’m “getting in your dog’s way!”)
I don’t hate dogs. (I’ve even done dog sitting for friends.) Just can’t stand irresponsible owners. I’m sure I will never own a dog. Dogs smell really bad to me–even if they just had a bath, dogs still have that “doggy” smell–I’ve never understood how people can stand to have that smell in their houses.
OK. I’m a cat person. I love my cat.</p>
<p>atomom-I totally agree re: people putting their dogs on par with a child. There’s a commercial running for some type of dog food/treat where the woman proudly proclaims that her dog is the only truly thankful child she has. UGH. Do not put me on par with the dog, please.</p>
<p>Yes, our dogs are and always have been part of the family. But they’re not the same as myself and my siblings.</p>
<p>Dog owners should check with their insurance agents to make sure they have coverage for dog liability; today many standard homeowner insurance policies and umbrella liability policies do not cover dog bites. Citizens Liability Insurance, the state of Florida operated insurance company with almost 1.5 million policies in Florida, does not protect homeowners from liability on account of their pets. Check your liability policy.</p>
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<p>And</p>
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<p>The first quote is why dog bites should be taken seriously, and the second quote is why</p>
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<p>I sure would contact a lawyer!!!</p>