And dog encounters can be so memorable. I was at an air faire once where the local police department had a display, including a K-9 officer and partner. The dog was a beautiful Malinois, a breed I'd never really heard of before. He was standing there putting up with the attentions of a ring of children patting him, taking their enthusiastic attention with good grace, when suddenly he walked forward, breaking through the child-barrier--and came straight to me, leaning his head against my legs as if to say "Save me!" His human partner started laughing, and of course I took the invitation and gave the dog a good scratching. None of us could figure out why that dog came to ME out of all the people crowded around. All I can figure it there was something in my body language that the dog recognized as being dog-friendly.
Another time I was in an off-leash dog park, standing in the middle of the field chatting with some of the other doggie-parents there. I happened to notice someone coming into the park with a big Rottweiler bitch that he immediately released from her leash. That dog took off at a dead run, charging right toward ME from at least thirty yards away. Being as running it pretty useless even if I could run, I braced myself, and at the last moment I put my arm out to my side as the dog leaped up and draped her front legs and chest over my arm, then proceeded to look up at me adoringly like she was meeting a long lost friend. The owner was hot-footing it over to me, but I just laughed and told him that it was too bad that his dog was so shy and reserved. I'm sure he had visions of lawsuits dancing in his head until I said that...::grin:: Again, I have no idea why that dog picked me out of the crowd. Maybe because I didn't move back like the rest of the owners I was chatting with did.
I make a habit of speaking to dogs and cats when I see them anyway. It's harder now that I have the trach, but on the other hand, they seem to read body language, too. Works for me.
LOL! Yep, dogs recognize those that are doggie-lovers. The only time I've had a truly negative encounter was with a stray in our neighborhood. Our neighbor's dog (Annabelle) was in heat, and the stray (an Akita mix, from the looks of him) came calling. He hung out with Annabelle for about a week. He was very aggressive and charged a neighbor lady, and also challenged me several times. I think he was just protecting his female, but it was unsettling anyway.
Akitas can be aggressively territorial anyway. It's what they were bred to do. They are guard dogs and tend to be suspicious of anyone not in their "pack." Add to that a bitch in heat--that can make any male dog a whole different critter even if they're normally well behaved.
My dog is gentle as a lamb with the family, his "pack," but he barks at strangers and will snap if he feels a stranger is any kind of threat to his territory or family. And he's 90 pounds of muscle and bone, with a booming bark that would give any would-be intruder second thoughts about getting any closer even if they couldn't see him. Sometimes, especially in the summer, I'm here alone with the back door that leads into my room unlocked or open, but with Kodie around I'm never worried about it. He's a guardian.
He even patrols the house to check up on things. He'll poke his head in here in the middle of the night to check up on me, then leave. Of course I often find one or three of his toys in bed with me in the morning, so I figure he was looking to see if I was awake to play with him, too...::grin:: He's still my puppy.
Another time I was in an off-leash dog park, standing in the middle of the field chatting with some of the other doggie-parents there. I happened to notice someone coming into the park with a big Rottweiler bitch that he immediately released from her leash. That dog took off at a dead run, charging right toward ME from at least thirty yards away. Being as running it pretty useless even if I could run, I braced myself, and at the last moment I put my arm out to my side as the dog leaped up and draped her front legs and chest over my arm, then proceeded to look up at me adoringly like she was meeting a long lost friend. The owner was hot-footing it over to me, but I just laughed and told him that it was too bad that his dog was so shy and reserved. I'm sure he had visions of lawsuits dancing in his head until I said that...::grin:: Again, I have no idea why that dog picked me out of the crowd. Maybe because I didn't move back like the rest of the owners I was chatting with did.
I make a habit of speaking to dogs and cats when I see them anyway. It's harder now that I have the trach, but on the other hand, they seem to read body language, too. Works for me.
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My dog is gentle as a lamb with the family, his "pack," but he barks at strangers and will snap if he feels a stranger is any kind of threat to his territory or family. And he's 90 pounds of muscle and bone, with a booming bark that would give any would-be intruder second thoughts about getting any closer even if they couldn't see him. Sometimes, especially in the summer, I'm here alone with the back door that leads into my room unlocked or open, but with Kodie around I'm never worried about it. He's a guardian.
He even patrols the house to check up on things. He'll poke his head in here in the middle of the night to check up on me, then leave. Of course I often find one or three of his toys in bed with me in the morning, so I figure he was looking to see if I was awake to play with him, too...::grin:: He's still my puppy.
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