It’s not your dog, it’s me
“Good-natured, thoroughly emphatic human being who doesn’t love animals but means well.” Those are the first words that came to mind as an idea for a potential dating profile, if I ever had one, after an encounter with a dog yesterday.
First, let me say that I don’t understand why people act surprised when I won’t even ask them about their dog. I witness a lot of dog and human interaction in my neighborhood, and dog owners almost seem to expect you to ask if their dogs can be pet. Evidently, a lot of people ask. There’s a lot of petting from strangers going on. But not me; I’m not a fan.
I don’t know if it’s fear, the yuck factor, or both. But this dog yesterday reminded me that fear is very much present. It was a big furry dog, pulling from its owner’s leash to come towards me. I could feel my ears get hot and my face turn white while I stopped frozen in my tracks — just how I felt with a similar experience at a different time on the beach.
“It’s OK, it’s OK,” said the owner. But that never appeases me. In the past, I’ve been bit by two dogs whose owners said they didn’t bite. One of them even left a little mark on my calf, even though I was wearing jeans. (It would have been a hospital trip had I not.) A couple of other dogs have scratched my bare legs while trying to be playful with me, and let me tell you, I did not love that. Their barking also triggers my anxiety, especially bigger dogs’ barking.
So when the lady said that it was okay, suggesting that her dog was good, I wish I could have said that line to her; that I’m also good, just not into dogs. Maybe it’s not the dogs, it’s me. But I also wish people would understand and stopped seeing non-animal-loving people as “bad” and respected our choice to not want to live with dogs, just like I respect their decisions to allow their animals in bed. Still kind of grossed out by it, but it’s your bed.
One last thing: the whole notion that animals are better than people… I get the inference, but it’s annoying. Now, some people? For sure. But you can’t put us all in that generalization. As someone who cares about the well-being of all (precious) living things, though, I’m glad animal lovers do exist — those furry things are not going to pet themselves.
