DUSTY!

I was raised around dogs my entire life. I also was afraid of all dogs except for the ones that lived in my home. This fear was justified by the many bad experiences that I had with a number of different dogs both big and small. I have been chased, bitten and had my food taken from my plate and even right out of my hand. Even though all these awful things happened to me as a child I still love dogs. To me, dogs are like people. They are all different!
My first and favorite dog was Puggi. I would be lying if I told you I knew what type of dog he was. I believe he was a mutt. Puggi was my grandfather’s dog and he was super friendly and protective at the same time. We were living in Mount Vernon NY. I felt like there were dogs everywhere and I do not recall too many people walking their dogs with leashes. Most dogs were tied up in the backyard on a long leash, fenced in the yard, or just left loose to roam the neighborhood. The first kind of dog I had a fear of were German Shepherds. There were 2 maybe 3 german shepherds on my street and they were mean. I recall them being owned by a cop and we referred to them as the cop dogs. They were fenced in and left out all day. Everytime I would walk by they would bark and jump at the fence and yes they did jump over the fence before. I was always prepared to run when I saw those dogs behind the fence. I felt so lucky to never have had to run from those German Shepherds.

There was another dog on our street that was hit by a car and only had 3 legs. This dog would run around the neighborhood on three legs as if it had 4. Then it was hit again and basically moved around on two legs. Sometimes I don’t believe this, but then again I remember seeing it with my own eyes. The policies for dogs were a lot different when I was a child. There seemed to be stray dogs all over the city and many people left their dogs tied up outside in the heat and the cold. Today you can get into serious trouble with the law for neglect of your dog. I was arrested back in 2012 and charged with failure to keep my dog on a leash. I had a warrant out for my arrest and got fingerprinted and the whole 9 yards. My dog got out of the fenced yard one day and the dog warden was called and later on sent me a ticket that I never paid. In fact when I got rid of that dog years later the same warden would show up at my house asking me why I have not been registering my dog. I ignored him and kept on walking.

The two meanest dogs I had the pleasure of spending time with were Prince and King. These were my Aunt LuLu Mae’s miniature dobermans. That bit at me, bit me and tried to bite me all the time. I feared for my life every time I went over to my aunt’s house. My aunt treated those dogs like a treasure. I mean she treated those dogs better than people. She was a single woman and those dogs were the love of her life. They were spoiled and mean. I despised those dogs and got nervous when my grandfather would pull up to my aunt’s house. She did not think there was nothing wrong with those little dogs trying to attack a child. In her eyes it was my fault.
The funniest yet scariest encounter I had with a dog was in Yadkinville North Carolina. My cousin Calvin had a large breed dog named Dusty. Dusty was often tied up unless it was the weekend and Calvin’s dad was home. We were all outside just hanging out on Calvin’s carport. It was a typical hot summer day in the south. Dusty kept bothering me and I reluctantly would pet him to keep him happy. I believe I was the only one scared of Dusty. Eventually Dusty was exclusively playing with me. I was getting scared and started to run to get away from him. I began running in a circle. It was like a Nascar race. Me running around and dusty chasing me. It felt like hours. In reality it was 30 seconds and then I started screaming. I heard all my cousins laughing and then My uncle called Dusty and dusty ran over to him. I hopped on my bike and raced home crying to my grandfather. I never visited Calvin again when Dusty was off the leash..
As an adult I have no fear of dogs. I do not call myself a dog lover. I do not run up on every dog wanting to pet and love it. I do love my own dog. Right now I have a Black lab/pitbull mix named Bomber. He is awesome. I am very strict with how he reacts to people because I know that everyone does not like dogs. I do not want anyone to experience the fears or trauma I have in my life from encounters gone wrong with animals.

Puggi, Douches, Mr. D, Bobby, Bobby 2, Tiny, Snoopy, Bailey , Kenya, Langhston, Jada, Maya,Simba, Debo, Bronx and Bomber! 16! Wow. I have never had a dog start his life with me and finish. They were either hit by a car, or life separated us and I never saw the dog again. Puggi, the very first dog in my life, ran away when I was a child. I hoped for as long as I could remember that he would return home and he never did. I guess it is better that I never had to live through a dog’s death. Bomber, my current dog is going to be the first I believe. Unless he outlives me. For now I will enjoy my time with him.
A dog’s life is simple and complicated. I always ask myself if my dog is happy. Then follow up with, how do I know he is happy? Bomber loves people more than any dog I have ever had. He also is the smartest and most stubborn dog I have had. He wants to do everything his way. He ignores commands often. However I can walk him during business times without a leash. He does not chew furniture or bark. He loves to cuddle, play fetch and go hiking. He does not like the rain, loud noises and mean dogs. He is much nicer to me then Dusty!

My dogs have not always been my best friend. Some dogs I didn’t really like a lot! They are like people in many ways. Like people, I do not believe I would want to live without a dog or dogs in my life. I truly enjoy the company of dogs. My question is, why do you like or dislikes dogs? Like people their upbringing can determine their behavior and attitudes. They only know what they learn!

Thank you for reading!

Your Friend Wakime!