Don't judge me or my dog!

8:02 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
Is this the face of a killer?


I asked myself this question after my lovely Spring filled walk yesterday afternoon. Birds were singing, tons of them mind you, it was warm enough to wear just a t-shirt. Yay! Spring has finally sprung! My youngest and I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. With our lovely more refined (now that she's been to 3 weeks of obedience classes) Tessie. She was lovin' it...we were lovin' it. So were a lot of others. Beautiful day. We met up with another mom, her daughter and their pooch. I did not recognize them as from around here so I'm not quite sure where they were headed, but anyway the little girl asked if she could pet our dog. The conversation went something like this:



Unsuspecting Child : "Can I pet your doggie?"

Me: "Sure you can sweetie. Just be careful, she might lick you to death!" LOL

Stupid Mom: "Oh, she's beautiful! What a friendly dog! Very well behaved. Look, honey, look how nicely she's sitting for you! How old is she?"

Me: "She's only 11 months. Her first birthday is coming up soon!"

Unsuspecting Child giggling now because Tessie has just given her a bath in dog slobber.

Stupid Mom: "Wow, she's really calm for a puppy and big too. What kind of dog is she?".

Okay, now I must go into modus interuptus here for a moment. Generally speaking, I do not tell people what kind of dog she is until they have met her. If they seem nervous around dogs, I tell them she's a Lab mix. If the conversation is going like it was here, I tell them the truth because OBVIOUSLY they can see that she is a very friendly dog and wouldn't hurt a flea. But, people who have dogs, and are smart enough to know that you should teach your children to ask a pet owner first before petting an animal you don't know, are generally a good judge of character when it comes to judging an animal. You would think this was the case here...nope.

Me: "Oh, she's part Lab and part Pit Bull."

Stupid Mom: "WHAT???!!!!"

Then, she literally grabs her daughter up off the ground backs away, freaking out shouting: "How can you put MY child in harm's way like that? Don't you know what that dog can do? You'd better watch out! She'll...she'll...EAT YOUR BABY!" and runs back down the road from whence she came.

She'll eat your baby???? What was that about? Now, I will admit. The Pit Bull part made me a little nervous at first, but come on! I am a mom and the first person to protect my kids from strange dogs. I have taught them to ask before they pet. Get inside as soon as you can if you see an dog or any other "wild" animal loose outside; and to be careful even when petting a dog that may seem friendly, simply because you do not know what they can or would do in reaction to a small child. It's all in how you raise them, and yes, I know there are extenuating circumstances with specific breeds, Pits being among them, but it depends on the dog! There is a beautiful male golden retriever down the road from me, and at 120 lbs, would literally take your head off! He does NOT like anyone other than his family.

Don't judge a book by it's cover. Be smart about animals, and remember the worst thing you can do is panic.

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