These photos were taken before the scaredy cat event that unfolded…
Ever since I got bit by a dog this past winter (he did not break my skin, but he did bruise it, and really scared the heck out of me) I have been kind of a scaredy cat about any dogs that come toward me. And being a scaredy cat only seems to make it worse. Today I went for a bike ride, and wasn’t up for much but simply moving my body, enjoying some sunshine, and the sights of springtime blooming. Wouldn’t you know, one of my first encounters was a little dachshund. It seemed to come out of nowhere and it was going to let me know (although what it was letting me know, I am still not sure). It wasn’t going to let up and was not going to listen to it’s person and decided it was going to chase me as fast as it could. In a near panic I finally screamed “GO AWAY!! STOP!!” It sort of backed off a little, surprised at my outburst, and then I got up enough speed, and that was the end of it. My limbs were rubbery in that adrenaline nervous kind of way and I stopped in a sunny spot with a peek of the lake to relax for a few before continuing further. In hindsight, it probably looked pretty silly – big ol’ me on a giant bicycle, and that tiny little thing (yes, it was a miniature dachshund).. and me being the one in fear… Some of these dogs are not so small though, like the one that bit me, which was actually rather huge and mean. What do you do about this kind of thing? Run away? Stand still and try to say calming things (that one got me bit)? Yell? Carry mace? I have had dogs, and known lots of dogs, and encountered lots of dogs that are strangers to me, all without incident. Maybe there are just more dogs in the world all the sudden, or maybe the dogs in our area are tweaked. I don’t want to be afraid to hit the streets on my bike. In all my previous years of cycling, even when it was my only means of transportation, I never encountered this sort of predicament. Have any of you dealt with this sort of thing?
I am chuckling a little at this point. That was nice to get off my chest : ) But really! Any dog wisdom would be welcome.
