Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowperson
I chilled through time, my wife buying a Sheltie over my gurgles and eventually moving on.
Being terrified of dogs isn't a mental disorder. Occasionaly there's a good reason for it. Usually its a bad dog owner.
Cowperson
|
Your wife is very smart for this. The perfect dog given your rural environment. Sheltie's are an awesome breed, smart as a whip, and gentle as they come. Perfect dog for anyone scared of dogs.
I live next to an off leash area, and for some reason, these moron owners think the radius of off leash extends to all of Sunnyside. My son loves dogs, and that is the scary part. We were in the "no dog" park (as per city bylaw signs) next to the off leash area last summer, with 20 or so small children, when 2 large off leash dogs decided to crash the party. Seasoned parents immediately grabbed their kids, me a new parent was slow to react, and my son ran towards them. He nearly got trampled if it wasn't for an awesome quick thinking neighbor.
Anyways, sometimes kids need a healthy fear of dogs. They can do some serious damage, and many kids aren't aware. So I take a balanced approach with my son, tell him puppies are good, but do not touch unless daddy says so. I always ask the owner if it is ok. Then carefully watch as he pets the dog. He may get bit one day, but hey at least I am there, and the owner too. Both parties are responsible in that situation.
However, I'll tell you this much, if a strange dog off leash wanders in my yard, and the owner is nowhere nearby, and bites my kid... well let's just say BBQ is on me.