I did not understand that when dogs barked at Houdini (first family dog), it was only because they wanted to play or sniff each other out. But with Houdini, his was a mission to find his boys. He managed to ignore every snide remark and pick up line that every dog may have barked to him. He just kept his eyes ahead and moved at a steady pace. Didn’t even acknowledge the other dogs.
Highness (our current dog) walks with his nose to the ground – searching for a long lost friend (we think) and will sniff out other dogs and decide that’s not the one he’s looking for and will move on. Generally if I allow Highness and the dog behind the fence to sniff one another, things are cool and the barking generally stops. Not always.
There have actually been a few mean dogs. MEAN. They grow extra fangs right in front of us and growl as they bare their new sprouted teeth looking as though they will bite off Highness’ nose. But don’t mess with Highness!
Realistically, Highness is quite a good natured dog. He yowls occasionally, but for the most part he is just a quiet, often lazy dog. But when another dog continues to growl and bark at him and really isn’t being nice, Highness will just lift his leg up and mark his territory right on the other dog’s face.
For my own wicked reasons I am generally amused – sometimes feeling envy. Not that I’d want to urinate in the face of another – be it human or another animal. It just would be nice for those occasional irritating moments to squirt some sense into the face of another to symbolically say, “Who do you think you are?” “Don’t even think of messing with me; I am NOT one to be messed with” etc.
Long before we got Highness – perhaps at a time when we were dogless – I was taking a walk to relieve some tension that had been building up inside of me. I have an idea of what I may have been stressed about at the time, but it really has no relevance to what I’d like to convey at this time.
The point is I was already not in the greatest of moods. I had walked past a house where a pit bull had run out to torment me with its barking and populating fangs. Normally I am actually quite cautious of dogs and not a violent person, but I already had a bitter anger inside of me. The dog’s actions allowed me to add fuel to the fire and I kicked him. I kicked him hard.
It is mind boggling when I look back upon it. I have never been athletic. NEVER had great eye/hand (or foot) coordination. I don’t know how I was able to kick him as hard as I did – or that I was able to kick him at all. I had injured him – I don’t know to what degree. I was angry. He had started it. I was just minding my own business, trying to relieve some stress when this high and mighty literally went out of his way to start barking at me. What business was it of his anyway?
How nice it would have been just to rationalize with him. He wouldn’t have gotten hurt if I had had some kind of squirter – some kind of Beagle juice to throw into his face. And yet I wonder, if it weren’t for the fences would the dogs become more provoked and actually eat my Highness? Only one out of three dogs was actually bigger than Highness (maybe twice as big) while the other little yappers have been so much smaller.
What is up with small dogs who are so unpleasant? I mean, think about it. Why would such a small creature provoke one who is obviously four to eight times its size. Doesn’t it realize that the larger one could sit or step on it and crush it? The pit bull for example – much smaller than me – though larger than my foot. Duh?
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