And stray dogs

I wrote that last post yesterday during my office hours.

I had a dog-incident when I got home that afternoon, which reminds me of why I don't walk to work.

Now, I don't mind dogs that I know. Friends of mine have some very nice dogs. But dogs I don't know, I'm extremely leery of. There was a dog (behind a chain link fence) in the neighborhood where I grew up that barked and slavered viciously when you walked past, and you got the sense it would bite you if it could. And I've had a few dogs jump on me, sometimes when the dog was as big as I was, and that's not fun.

And I've probably seen the "Atticus proves his shooting skills" bit from the movie of "To Kill a Mockingbird" a few too many times.

So I always worry when I dog I don't know comes into my yard - will it be a bitey one? Will it try to pursue me? Could it possibly be carrying some disease? (Rabies is fairly rare in dogs these days but I still think of it).

So anyway, when I got home (after 5 pm, I kind of hate the summer schedule - I was on my feet for over 6 hours yesterday), I had to put up the trash rollcart. As I was pulling it up the drive, a dog walked out from behind my house. A big old hound-type dog, not unlike the Bumpas dogs in "A Christmas Story." He was kind of ....listing....as he walked, which immediately worried me a little. (I've never seen a mad dog but I know they don't behave quite right). I got the can between me and him, and kept calmly eyeing him. "Go home." I said (As much as dogs can be made to recognize the meaning of words, I think that's a phrase dogs should be taught. Probably equally useful to "stay.")

Of course, the dog did not recognize "go home" and kept staring at me and edging toward me.

Finally, I just gave up - abandoned the can in the middle of the drive and hightailed it into the house (luckily I had already unlocked the door; I had gone in to drop off the few things I picked up on an errand before trying to retrieve the can).

I doubt the dog was a threat; any dog really bent on attacking someone would have done it more quickly than how that dog moved. But still, there seemed to be something slightly off about the dog, and I didn't want to be out around it. (And this is why I need to get my fence fixed; I presume the dog climbed in over the downed fence, because I keep the gates to my backyard closed up).

I wish people wouldn't let their dogs roam. There are a couple of feral dogs in the neighborhood too, but at least they run away from people.