I love dogs but my wife is not a dog person so I don't own dogs. However, when I see a dog with someone and it is being friendly I like to give it some attention by petting it . I always ask the owner first if the dog is friendly and is it okay to pet their dog. I've found that a lot of owners are very aware of unexpected traits their dog may have and will warn you away from contact with them if there is a problem- or will say they love to be petted and talked to. There are a couple gals in the neighborhood who walk their large dogs on a semi regular basis on our street. When I'm out in the yard I always say hi to the neighbors and converse for a few minutes if they are interested. A couple times I have simply said hi and the large dogs- a Doberman and a Bully type dog instantly came to attention and placed themselves between me and their owners and were at full alert until the owner pulled them away. A learning experience for the owner I think as I was kind of expecting the reaction from past experiences.
No dog bites for quite some time, but only because I've learned my lessons a long time ago when my family did have dogs...
My daughter in law worked in a vet clinic for quite some time when she was younger and the general consensus was that two breeds of dogs were the worst biters in their clinic and pretty much in all vet clinics. The two she told me surprised the heck out of me- Black Labs and Saint Bernards
Last edited by Sheister; 03/29/24.
