Are you afraid of big dogs?

@kiran1978 (4134)
Australia
June 3, 2008 8:42am CST
Most of the time big dogs really do scare me if I don't know them. This fear of mine started when I was around 8 years old. My sister and I were walking our small silky terrior down the street. As we were passing this house, a large Husky pulled our dog through the gap in his fence. We quickly jumped the fence. We tried to get our dog out of this dogs mouth. Neighbours also came to try and help. People were hitting the husky, trying to get our dog free. It took around 10 minutes to get him free. When we got our dog back he was badly injured. I remember laying beside him later at home, crying, I knew he was going to die. We took him to the vet, he died on the way. It was one of the worst childhood memories I have ever had. To this day I now do not trust alot of dogs particularly bigger dogs, I think they are too unpredictable. So are you afraid of bigger dogs, that are not your family pet? Has your dog ever been in a dog attack before?
6 people like this
41 responses
@dan20071 (724)
• Romania
3 Jun 08
That's a really frightening and sad story you had there. Sure, I guess everyone fears big dogs who get too close. I once had a big dog at my grandmothers house. Me and my sister always used to play with him. One time, we got close to him while he was eating and my sister tried to pet him. The dog jumped at her and bit her cheek right under the eye. Fortunately she got to the hospital and got away with a little scar, barely visible. The doctors said that if the dog was to bite her a little closer to the eye, she would have lost her sight forever. She was very lucky, but for standing beside her, we are now both afraid of big dogs, even the ones we know.. I guess she was very lucky to get away that easily and that she can't remember much of it, frankly I don't either, we were really young. One time, with another dog of ours, we were going to go camping, and some guard dogs just jumped on him and were really trying to rip him apart. We were lucky that we had some fishing rods and managed to fend of the dogs. Our dog was not injured Big dogs are dangerous animals, but if you get to know their instincts you will understand what to do to be able not to provoke them
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
4 Jun 08
I am so glad your sister is okay now, that would have been very frightning for her and lucky the dog did not get her eye. I never go around dogs when they are feeding, they can be very protective while eating their food. Gee you have had some bad experiences with big dogs too I can understand why you now are afraid of dogs. It is always to be cautious when going near dogs you don't know. It is a shame how your sister was bit by a family dog a dog you thought you could trust. Did your grandmother still keep the dog after this indicedence?
1 person likes this
• Romania
4 Jun 08
It mostly depends on the dog. My little cousin used to play with my grandfather's dog, a big mountain shepperd. One day he started hitting the dog with a shoe. The dog jumped at him, but he only pushed him, he didn't bite him, so no injuries. Then again there are dogs that are more aggressive than others. And it depends on how they are raised. Dogs that have no friends and nobody playes with them, tend to get really aggressive sometimes.
@chrissieatu (1033)
• China
3 Jun 08
Yes, I am afraid of those big dogs. They are really scary. Two days ago, my roommate and I talk about those big dogs. She said that when she was in primary school, her neighbor has a "huge" dog that was as high as a adult! Worse still, it hurt peoples for several times. Once it jumped on my roommate. Fortunately, the owner came up and nothing happened to my roommate. Our family has never had a dog. But I surely would not choose big dogs.
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
4 Jun 08
I am glad your roommate is okay, it is so frightning having dogs run up and jump on you, especially big dogs. Is there something that happened to you that made you scared of big dogs?
1 person likes this
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
6 Jun 08
I agree with you big dogs can look pretty fierce, it is hard to know whether they will attack you or not.
• China
4 Jun 08
Actually nothing bad happened to me before. But those big dogs just scare me, I mean their huge size and fierce look. When I was very young, my classmate's big dog walked beside me. And that time, I realize that a big dog could be that scary.
• United States
4 Jun 08
I own several big dogs. My favorite was a German Shepherd named Prince. The neighbors were all afraid of him until they got to know him and then they all loved him as much as I did. He was a wonderful pet and part of our family.
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
6 Jun 08
Yes I think some big dogs can be wonderful, once you get to know their nature it is not so scary.
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
3 Jun 08
I am sorry to hear that. Well, in a country like ours there are a lot of dogs roaming around the streets. Well, I think almost everyone are afraid of big dogs and that includes me. I have a dog who is in a medium size and have some encounters of being attacked by other dogs. But have not experience a situation such as yours.
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
4 Jun 08
I am from the Philippines. There are street dogs roaming in several parts of our country. The good thing is our government is coming up with programs to round up this dogs to prevent dog bites and possible rabies infection
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
6 Jun 08
Lucky the government is going to get this under control, it would be very dangerous having kids out on the streets with dogs everywhere.
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
4 Jun 08
What country are you from again? luckily not too many dogs here roam around freely, you do seem some occasionally at parks or the beach. I am very cautious then and try and stay away from the dogs.
• India
4 Jun 08
I am not scared of big dogs, but am scared of the pet dogs (whatever be their size) who have the habit of jumping on people and playing. Those dogs don't harm people usually, but my friend had a bad experience with her new pet and due to it am scared of such dogs.
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
6 Jun 08
It only takes one bad experience to make you scared of dogs. It is so hard to shake the fear after you see dog attacks.
• China
3 Jun 08
I have a big dog too,but it is lovely
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
4 Jun 08
I am sure your dog is lovely, what type of dog is she/he? I don't mind big dogs that I know and that I can trust.
• China
4 Jun 08
I don't know which kind of dog he belong,my dog is not rare,But lovely,he once catch a cony in winter,you kown it's hard.
@scrawl (374)
• India
3 Jun 08
Smaller the better.... but not too small like a chiuahaha.... I can understand for guys, it's a macho thing, but with females never could figure why they took upto biggies !
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
6 Jun 08
I agree smaller dogs the better, cuter and fluffier too, lol. Yes I think guys like big dogs as it does look more manly, can't imagine many guys having a little poodle as a pet, that would look a bit feminine.
3 Jun 08
I think your fear of dogs is perfectly understandable. That sounds like a horrible thing to have experienced. I hope it hasn't put you off having a dog in the future, as they can make such lovely pets. I'm not afraid of dogs, though I do exercise caution with one I've not met before. I'm a lot more wary around smaller dogs, mainly because I was bitten by one when I was younger, and most of the larger dogs I've known have been Labradors, which are soft as butter.
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
4 Jun 08
No luckily it has not put me off having dogs, when I met my partner he has a red cattle dog and when I first met her I was afraid, now I have come to love the dog, she is very placid. It just takes me a while to trust big dogs, once I know their nature I am okay. I think labrador's are beautiful dogs, don't think I would be too afraid of them. Mostly afraid of husky's, bull dogs, pit balls and staffies.
@snowy22315 (168419)
• United States
3 Jun 08
That's a terrible story. most big dogs are very gentle. They are more gentle as a rule than small dogs because they dont ahve anything to prove. When I was little i got scratched by grandfather's dog. He didn't do it on purpose he had long nails, so I was afraid of dogs after that. I had a real neurosis about it. owning a dog has helped me to get over my fear of dogs.
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
4 Jun 08
I am not afraid of big dogs one I get to know them. My partner has a red cattle dog, medium sized dog, it took me a while to learn to trust his dog and go near her. Now that I know she is placid and good natured I am okay being around her.
@snakequeen (1299)
• India
3 Jun 08
Hi kiran! I was once attacked by a red, medium sized dog in my village, under a mango tree, when i was very young! Thank God, i escaped being bitten, because of timely action by my brother, who threw stones at the dog! In another instance, later, i was chased by a couple of dogs on the street! I was very much scared of street dogs in those days. Even now, i keep a watchful eye when a dog nears me!
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
6 Jun 08
Lucky your brother protcted you from the dog, that would have been very scar fo you being attacked by a dog. I think it is good to be cautious of most dogs as they can become very unpredictable.
@suz1000 (159)
3 Jun 08
No never, and to be honest on the whole its the little dogs you need to watch, I have years of experience and its always the little ones who try and nail you. Most big dogs are on the whole trained to some degree - whereas people seem to think because little dogs are wll...........little they dont need training which is untrue. Any dog can be unpredictable size isnt a factor - only in that a big dog does more damage, did you know I think the top breed for bites is actually jack russells, they just tend to do less damage so less reports on it. I just groomed a huge labradoodle and huge german shepeherd this morning - two nicer dogs you couldnt ask to meet honestly .
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
4 Jun 08
Yes I can understand that little dogs can be quite dangerous too. But I can't shake my fear of big dogs after what happened to my dog when I was younger. I know there are some really placid big dogs too, it's just a shame that most of the I am scared to go near them unless I know their owner and I know they are friendly.
• United States
3 Jun 08
I have been an animal lover ever since I was a little girl. So it was pretty hard to understand when I was attacked by a large Akita when I was around 14 years old. I did nothing to the dog, I was at a friends house for a birthday party and the dog was on a line. It just randomly came over to me, stretched on the line farther than it was supposed to go, and bit my arm and attacked me to the ground. It stretched my arm wide open from the bite, and I was also scratched up pretty good on the bottom of me and on my legs. I required 50+ stitches in my arm and I can't feel from my wrist to my elbow, but I can feel underneath my arm. I didn't know it at the time, but the dog had bit multiple times before, and no one did anything about it. So for a while I was scared of most dogs, then it went to just big dogs, now it's just mainly that breed or ones that look similar to them. I work in an animal hospital, so it's hard to stay afraid of dogs, especially big ones, when I see them daily and have to phsyically work with them. I did overcome my fear eventually, took a very long time, but I will never go near an Akita again. If there is one at my work, I will step out. Sometimes dogs just literally "go crazy." They can be the nicest loving dogs and one day they will just "snap." It is their natural instinct long before they were domesticated. They were technically once a wild animal and are related to wolves and other wild dogs. You should never fully trust a dog unless you're certain and have that special connection. Most of the time from working in the animal hospital, it is the smaller dogs that are harder to trust and can be very unpredictable and are always wiling to bite. The big ones are usually more gentle and relaxed for some reason. But every dog and place is different. I particularly think that labs will always be a good dog to trust and great around children.
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
6 Jun 08
OMG I am so sorry to hear about the dog that attacked you that was pretty severe attack to get 50 stiches. So this dog was someones pet dog?? I can't believe the owners did nothing about this dog when it has bit mulitple times before, that is really careless of them, unfortunately you had to suffer because of it. I am amazed that you still have such a big heart and compassion to work with dogs still, you are very brave. I would have been scarred for life. I think Labradors are great big dogs too, they don't frighten me. I have not seen an Atika dog before, but now I will look them up, don't think I want to go near one of them. Thanks for sharing your sad story and giving great advice about dogs. Have a great day, take care.
@mrspace (60)
3 Jun 08
I'm not afraid of big dogs. We have two big dogs and we love them. I think that as long as they're raised to be good dogs, there's nothing to be worried about.
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
6 Jun 08
Yes I agree with you, most cases I think it is fine to be around your own big dog, who you have raised since a pup to be a good dog. But it is the dogs that you don't know that you need to be cautious around as you don't know their nature and they can be unpredictable.
@Valenas (1507)
• United States
3 Jun 08
Dog behavior, as well as human behavior, is mostly influenced by the environment. In a dog's case, what the dog learns. Not all big dogs are that way, and I am sure that you know that. It is in the similar idea that people who have seen fighting dogs, such as pit bull dogs, hate all breeds that are pulled into that terrible event. Fighting dogs are that way because they are trained to fight. Also, certain dogs have different temperaments. Huskies are well-known for being rather unpredictable.
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
6 Jun 08
Yes I know all dogs are not like this, but I can't shake my fear. If I get to know a dog and have them as my pet I am okay with big dogs. It is just the big dogs I don't know. Labradors don't look too scary though, they seem pretty friendly. Fighting dogs who are trained to be like this, should not be able to be let off leash in public, that is when people get attacked by them.
• Philippines
6 Jun 08
No unless it's silent attacker.I'm actually fond of big dogs you know.
@golfproo (1839)
• Canada
6 Jun 08
Hi There, I don't tend to be afraid of any dogs. In fact dogs are probably my favourite creature. Any animal has it in them to bite or attack another. I think the majority of the time it is bad owners you have more to be afraid of then the dog. Owners will encourage the dog to have a certain kind of disposition. In terms of the size of the dog it does not really matter. cheers,
@enola1692 (3323)
• United States
3 Jun 08
no I am not scare of big dogs but i did get bite by an ankle biter when I was younger so i watch those little dogs
@kiran1978 (4134)
• Australia
3 Jun 08
Lol, little puppies can be little ankle biters, I think it is cute.
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
6 Jun 08
Am I afriad of bigger dogs. NO!!! It is all about the dogs upbringing. I have had huskies, Standard Poodles, Labs, and have seen friends that have rotties .... They all act like big babies. LOL!!! my huskey Nikki was chained outside on our property when we left to go grocery shopping and my neighbor who my dogs know very well came into our yard ... Not a problem.. However what the problem was is she brought in her border collie who was not even leashed or with a collar into my yard with out permission and the border collie from what was told by witnesses snapped at my dog who was tied to a tree mind you. Thus my dog defended herself and when we got home the neighor and was trying to get their dog out of my yard. Yes their dog was injured . Mine was not Nikki how ever did not go for the through just the paws and the legs to get the dog away from her since she wasn't able to go anywhere but where her chain let her. When the dogs were seperated the neighbor took their dog to the house then called my mom and demanded that she pay the vet bill. Of all the nerve their dog was not on a leash and had trespassed into my yard and they are asking for my mom to pay the vet bill. You've got to be kidding me. There is a leash law .. God only knows how many time Dollie that was the name of the border collie had nipped at me when I got the mail. The dog was mean and evil and that is how it was brought up. Nikki was brought up and had other dogs to play with and would rather roll on her tummy and get pets than delibrately go after anyone. Now if she felt I was in danger she would growl but if i said stop then she just through herself down and wanted pets. I've had very bad experiences with ankle bitting dogs. I have found those to be more high strung and apt to bit. But really it is all in how you bring up a puppy to be a dog. I have a husky he loves other dogs and lives with cats.
@julyteen (13252)
• Davao, Philippines
21 Jun 08
i am so afraid of dogs, much more of the bigger dogs. although i haven't experienced being bitten by a dog yet, but i know a lot of people who are injected with anti rabies because they are bitten by a dog. it cost a lot of money, and the danger they experience really gives them trauma.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
28 Nov 08
I do have a fear of big dogs that I don't know. I've almost been attacked a couple of times and witnessed attacks so I know to be cautious. But my son had to have 13 stitches in his mouth one time because he picked up a little dog! Guess they all can be dangerous if they feel threatened or like your envading their territory