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An essay on anxiety ...

Started by Baruch, February 28, 2018, 08:13:23 PM

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Cavebear

Quote from: SGOS on March 12, 2018, 09:56:54 AM
Generally, I love dogs, but I have a natural fear of certain breeds and appearances.  I won't approach those types, which make up a percentage of dogs somewhere in the low single digits.  I've had serious conflict with Dobermans and German Shepherds.  If I know them I will touch them, but with a high degree of trepidation.  But I'm fine with their close cousins, the Siberian Huskies.  I'm much more fearful of an unchained Doberman than I am of meeting a bear on a wilderness trail.  I've experienced both, and the fear factor for the bear experience is much less than half that of the Doberman.

When I first moved to my present location, I was taking a walk down the road serving my driveway, and I was a quarter mile from my house approaching my nearest neighbor, when some large fanged slavering cross between a Shepherd and a wolf started barking at me from the yard, I spun around and headed home, while some old lady called out, "He won't bite," which carries about as much weight as a parent that says, "My kid never does anything wrong."

Later, I did make friends with that dog, which turned out to be a total marshmallow starved for human affection.  During thunderstorms when his owners weren't home, he would travel the quarter mile to my house looking for protection from the thunder, and I would let him.  When the storm passed he would beg to go out, and he would head home.  So you can't judge a book by its cover.

Edit:  that dog looked exactly like my avatar.

I quite understand about the "don't worry, it won't bite" claim.  It isn't true.

That is true maybe for the owners and family.  They forget that the dogs are bonded to THEM.  Barking dogs do bite.  Owners dogs do bite strangers.  It's almost what they do! 

When I was a young teen, I tried to make friends with a kid nearby whose family had 8 Chihuahuas.  He walked among them with no problem.  But they snarled at me and tore and me pantslegs and stuff and I had to quit him after a week. 

Dogowners just don't recognize that dogs protect family and hate intruders.  The Chihuahuas tried to bite me everytime I moved. 
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

SGOS

Quote from: Cavebear on March 12, 2018, 10:22:10 AM
I quite understand about the "don't worry, it won't bite" claim.  It isn't true.

That is true maybe for the owners and family.  They forget that the dogs are bonded to THEM.  Barking dogs do bite.  Owners dogs do bite strangers.  It's almost what they do! 

When I was a young teen, I tried to make friends with a kid nearby whose family had 8 Chihuahuas.  He walked among them with no problem.  But they snarled at me and tore and me pantslegs and stuff and I had to quit him after a week. 

Dogowners just don't recognize that dogs protect family and hate intruders.  The Chihuahuas tried to bite me everytime I moved. 
The last dog that bit me was a Chihuahua.  It was 10 years ago in Hawaii.  He spotted me from across a parking lot, bolted from his owner and leaped up and bit my stomach.  It wasn't a very bloody bite, but he did break the skin.  The owner thought it was funny.

Cavebear

Quote from: SGOS on March 12, 2018, 10:31:10 AM
The last dog that bit me was a Chihuahua.  It was 10 years ago in Hawaii.  He spotted me from across a parking lot, bolted from his owner and leaped up and bit my stomach.  It wasn't a very bloody bite, but he did break the skin.  The owner thought it was funny.

The owner would.  They think that way.  I would have considered dogicide entirely legitimate.  Imagine his reaction if you had just killed it in self-defense...

Bonker-city...
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

SGOS

Quote from: Cavebear on March 12, 2018, 10:35:06 AM
The owner would.  They think that way.  I would have considered dogicide entirely legitimate.  Imagine his reaction if you had just killed it in self-defense...

Bonker-city...
Or even kicked it and sent it flying.

Cavebear

Quote from: SGOS on March 12, 2018, 10:51:33 AM
Or even kicked it and sent it flying.

Oh I was SO TEMPTED!  But it wasn't my house and not my pets.  Easier to just never go to that neighbor kids house!

But a situation occurred many years later.  I used to run a mile around the apartment complex.  One time, the neighbor kids told their dog to "sic him".  The dog came at me, and in stride, I kicked him 10 yards onto some cars.   And apparently the dad was right there.  Big Guy. 

"WHY DID YOU KICK MY DOG"?  And he grabbed me and I didn't like that.  And this was before you would fear getting shot for that...  I put my face in his and told him the kids sicced the dog on me.  And he apologized and said it wouldn't happen again.

The old days of reason...

Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

SGOS

Here's an opposite experience:  Years ago, a friend had dropped me off in the woods during hunting season, so I could do a walk home hunting with my 30-30.  I was on a dirt road that found it's way through an isolated community of tarpaper shacks, when a black lab came out of the yard and approached me snarling.  He just kept coming, not charging, just a slow cautious snaring intimidation, and he wouldn't respond to me commanding him to go home.  There were some little kids in the yard, all less then ten years old watching, and the dog kept coming.  Finally, I looked at the kids, who went from just watching to looking quite apprehensive after I cocked the 30-30.  I told them to call their dog back, and with relief, they seriously called to the dog, "Come back here, Sparky!"  The dog perked up and looked at them, and then even the dog seemed relieved as he trotted back to them wagging his tail.  I thanked the kids, and they said, "That's OK.  Thank you."

Baruch

Quote from: SGOS on March 12, 2018, 11:51:40 AM
Here's an opposite experience:  Years ago, a friend had dropped me off in the woods during hunting season, so I could do a walk home hunting with my 30-30.  I was on a dirt road that found it's way through an isolated community of tarpaper shacks, when a black lab came out of the yard and approached me snarling.  He just kept coming, not charging, just a slow cautious snaring intimidation, and he wouldn't respond to me commanding him to go home.  There were some little kids in the yard, all less then ten years old watching, and the dog kept coming.  Finally, I looked at the kids, who went from just watching to looking quite apprehensive after I cocked the 30-30.  I told them to call their dog back, and with relief, they seriously called to the dog, "Come back here, Sparky!"  The dog perked up and looked at them, and then even the dog seemed relieved as he trotted back to them wagging his tail.  I thanked the kids, and they said, "That's OK.  Thank you."

Lucky for you there wasn't no banjo picking in the background ...
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Cavebear2

Quote from: SGOS on March 12, 2018, 11:51:40 AM
Here's an opposite experience:  Years ago, a friend had dropped me off in the woods during hunting season, so I could do a walk home hunting with my 30-30.  I was on a dirt road that found it's way through an isolated community of tarpaper shacks, when a black lab came out of the yard and approached me snarling.  He just kept coming, not charging, just a slow cautious snaring intimidation, and he wouldn't respond to me commanding him to go home.  There were some little kids in the yard, all less then ten years old watching, and the dog kept coming.  Finally, I looked at the kids, who went from just watching to looking quite apprehensive after I cocked the 30-30.  I told them to call their dog back, and with relief, they seriously called to the dog, "Come back here, Sparky!"  The dog perked up and looked at them, and then even the dog seemed relieved as he trotted back to them wagging his tail.  I thanked the kids, and they said, "That's OK.  Thank you."

I understand.  That's the thing about dogs.  Loyal to the end and they are good like that.  I just don't like them.

Dogs have owners; cats have staff. 
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!