Afraid of dogs

[clusswoman]

Just got back from walking my dog and have a question. Why are thousands of people afraid of dogs? Not all of them could have had a bad incident in their childhood. EVERY TIME I walk my dog at night, people run the other way. She's so friendly and my arm ends up being pulled out of the socket as they retreat. Tonight, some lady was about to go to the mailbox and saw me coming. She waited on the other side of her car. Corina (dog) was sniffing her favorite spot and didn't want to move. I told her she didn't bite but she just looked angrier. (sigh) I admit, Corina's a greyhound (big), but come on.

I love animals!! If someone was walking a giant spider (my biggest fear) on a leash, even I wouldn't be scared!! How can you not like dogs?

[FalafelsRule]

Greyhounds are so sweet too. :confused:

[Christy]

I don't get it, either. I had a supposedly mean looking pit bull for years, and my neighbor was afraid of him. He never left the yard, wasn't aggressive (unless another dog provoked him, and sometimes not even then), and was the biggest baby. I remember growing up and being afraid of smaller dogs. Our neighbors bred chihuahuas, and I hated going into their yard. I just knew they'd chew my feet off. And we had family friends with a German Shepherd that was taller than me as a kid, but such a sweetie. Of course, I guess it's better to be safe than sorry, if you don't know someone else's dog.

[Stephanie]

Well I don't quite understand it either. I love dogs! The only thing I can think of is that so many dogs bite these days, people are getting scared. So they just like to be safe.

[kirkjobsluder]

I love animals!! If someone was walking a giant spider (my biggest fear) on a leash, even I wouldn't be scared!! How can you not like dogs?

Good question. I don't run away when I see a dog on a leash, but I certainly don't feel comfortable with a strange dog. Every dog that has gone psycho was "such a nice wonderful family pet" or "a big baby" until something set them off from "happy happy, play play" to "bad human *snap*." The fact of the matter is that I don't know what might or might not trigger your dog's defense mechanisms, what might make him or her uncomfortable, or how to convince your dog that I'm not another dog that likes it's arse sniffed and face licked. Give me a few hours, I'm fine, but until then, don't expect me to give unconditional trust to your companion.

But perhaps it's not fear. There are some doggish behaviors that people find highly annoying (like being stiffed, licked or pawed.) Dogs that are not well leash trained are the worst because it's a good sign that the human is not the leader of the pack, and if the dog is not taking its cues off you you, it certainly is not going to listen to me.

[Gracie]

We have the opposite problem with my gf's dog. He's a cute little terrier, and people (especially children) always come up to try & pet him when we're walking him on his leash. Yeah, he's cute and he's wagging his tail at you, but he'll bite your fingers off! Why do parents let their kids run up to strange dogs?

[missleigh]

I don't understand why someone would be afraid of a leashed dog, either. A dog that I don't reconize just roaming the street I might steer clear of, since I don't know it's temperment. I was bitten in the face by a dog while walking to school in fourth grade. My friend reconized the dog, and it came up to her and let her pet him. I let him smell my hand, reached to pet him, and he bit me. So you never know about a dog that just walking around with no owner in sight.

ETA: and of course even when a dog is leashed, you shouldn't just help yourself to petting a dog without the owner's permission. For reasons that Gracie mentioned.

[bethann]

You have a greyhound--how wonderful! I have one too, Patrick. I find people often mistake him for dobermin, or even ocasionally a pit bull (he's a brindle.) I try to be patient, and if they want to approach him, to let them do so on their timetable. Patrick's gotten a number of scared children in our neighborhood to realize the joy that can come from dogs as companion animals.

[clusswoman]

You have a greyhound--how wonderful! I have one too, Patrick. I find people often mistake him for dobermin, or even ocasionally a pit bull (he's a brindle.) I try to be patient, and if they want to approach him, to let them do so on their timetable. Patrick's gotten a number of scared children in our neighborhood to realize the joy that can come from dogs as companion animals.


Yeah for you! I love greyhound owners and consider them cooler than the rest. :yes: I've had people ask if Corina was a great dane before--that's funny, but a pit bull? They're short dogs?? I love my grey so much and am always posting on this board to convince others to adopt one. I used to foster them from the Corpus Christi, Tx track before I moved to California.

[ynaffit]

i often avoid people out walking their dogs because when the dog takes tries to sniff you, or walk toward you, people always get annoyed, so i avoid them to try not to bother them. most of the time i'm really wishing i could stop and pet the dog.

[clusswoman]

i often avoid people out walking their dogs because when the dog takes tries to sniff you, or walk toward you, people always get annoyed, so i avoid them to try not to bother them. most of the time i'm really wishing i could stop and pet the dog.


Me too

[sky73]

I like dogs, but I have had some bad experiences. A friend of mine had a German Shepard that bit me (even though my friend said that she was friendly). When I used to walk the family dog around the block, there was this one really aggressive dog that would come racing out of its yard and viciously attack my dog. It was really frightening. I would scream at the dog, and the owner that stood by doing nothing, but still my dog would be attacked everytime.

For the most part, when I see someone walking a dog, I walk right up to them and say "Oh, what a nice dog. Can I pet him/her?". I'm surprised at how many times people just want to keep on walking and don't want to be bothered. :(

So, as you can see, I have mixed feelings. :)

[Christy]

I don't know what it is, but I've had several instances of aggressive dogs not being aggressive toward me. Once when I was probably 12 or 13, a friend's smallish dog was being attacked by a larger dog on their carport right in front of the door. I went around back to get in the house and see if I could snatch their dog in the house. When I got back there I hear my friend yell, "Christy, he's coming back there!" He walks up to me, sniffs me, and walks off calmly. It was very strange. Could it be a certain demeanor, or a look, or what? I know there are lots of variables.

[sky73]

I don't know what it is, but I've had several instances of aggressive dogs not being aggressive toward me. Once when I was probably 12 or 13, a friend's smallish dog was being attacked by a larger dog on their carport right in front of the door. I went around back to get in the house and see if I could snatch their dog in the house. When I got back there I hear my friend yell, "Christy, he's coming back there!" He walks up to me, sniffs me, and walks off calmly. It was very strange. Could it be a certain demeanor, or a look, or what? I know there are lots of variables.


Hmmm, I think I heard it said that dogs can sense fear. Maybe your calm behavior paid off. I've also heard that you shouldn't stare into an angry dog's eyes. :sheep:

[Christy]

...but I did, and have in other incidences. Maybe I'm just scary! :p

[Scorpius]

We have the opposite problem with my gf's dog. He's a cute little terrier, and people (especially children) always come up to try & pet him when we're walking him on his leash. Yeah, he's cute and he's wagging his tail at you, but he'll bite your fingers off! Why do parents let their kids run up to strange dogs?

My mom always told me to never go up to strange dogs.
However, now that it's my job to do it, I pet all the strange dogs I want!! (I'm a bit better than most at reading their body language, though)

[bethann]

Yeah for you! I love greyhound owners and consider them cooler than the rest. :yes: I've had people ask if Corina was a great dane before--that's funny, but a pit bull? They're short dogs?? I love my grey so much and am always posting on this board to convince others to adopt one. I used to foster them from the Corpus Christi, Tx track before I moved to California.

Off topic, sorry guys. Aren't greys greyt--if you haven't been over to greytalk.com you should pop over, not always understanding of veg*ns, but a good bunch overall. I'm in Philly, so Patrick came from a Kansas track, they kicked him out of Florida when he sucked at racing--didn't do any better in Kansas so he came home to me. They are such loving, wonderful dogs :)

[The Rev]

Dogs are excellent judges of character, so I tend to think that those who fear them are inherently evil, and don't want anyone to find out.

:D

The Rev

[sky73]

Dogs are excellent judges of character, so I tend to think that those who fear them are inherently evil, and don't want anyone to find out.

:D

The Rev

:D :whip: I guess so :shifty:

[kpickell]

Hmmm, I think I heard it said that dogs can sense fear. Maybe your calm behavior paid off. I've also heard that you shouldn't stare into an angry dog's eyes. :sheep:...but I did, and have in other incidences. Maybe I'm just scary

I'm not so sure about the eye contact thing, but I think there is some truth to it. If you stare down a dog it's a sign of agression, but if you make eye contact with a dog and then look away (kinda like you would do if you were flirting with someone) then it's a sign of submission. You don't want to totally ignore the dog though, so just look at him, smile and then look down as if you're just shy. It's important to show that you're not afraid and also that you're not a threat. It helps if you're not towering over the dog too. If I'm trying to catch a stray I'll sit down on the ground and hold my hand out and try and get them to come to me.