To The Man Who Said, “Wow, Bred To Be A Killer!” To My Dog In Lavallette, NJ
I was met with a rather frustrating occurrence over the holiday weekend.
On Saturday, I was taking my dog, Carolina, on her ritual morning walk.
We were taking a lap around the big dog park when another owner and his dog turned the corner.
Carolina's curiosity peaked immediately and was eager to approach.
She wanted to say hello but I could feel how hard she was pulling and decided against it. We didn't have time for her to calm down and get acclimated.
So I said, "Carolina, let's go!" and continued to walk by. Carolina started to pull and bark because she does not like it when she is NOT allowed to say hello.
In response to her barking, I heard the other dog owner say: "Wow, bred to be a killer." And not just once....MULTIPLE TIMES!
Excuse me, pardon me.........my jaw dropped...
Now just a quick note about Carolina - she is a rescue that was found in Texas immediately after Hurricane Harvey.
Ever since the beginning, she has gotten skittish and loud when a dog she has never met is close by. If she can't check that other dog out before moving on, it never goes well.
I did go to a professional trainer for Carolina in the beginning and she said a possible explanation for Carolina's dog sensitivity is that she probably had to fight other dogs for food to survive before being found in Texas.
Makes sense!
Carolina is a sweetheart but just like everyone else, she has her trigger points.
So to this ignorant dog owner: HOW DARE YOU!
Because Carolina barked, she is now a killer? Make it make sense.
Not to mention, I had a firm grip on her leash because I, as her owner, am learning her triggers and how to control them.
Stereotyping isn't cute.
The world is changing and right now we are fighting the stereotypes and preconceived notions for people of different genders, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations and who knows what else.
How many times do you have to learn the same lesson? Don't judge a book by its cover. Mkay?
So to finish up....let's take a look at a bunch of super "ferocious" Pitbull dogs to close this out.