Afraid of stray dogs, who limit my movements in Bucharest

[Kei]

I'm no expert but just wanted to share my thoughts.

if I am WITH someone, even if it's a child or a girl who is more scared then I usually am, then I am not afraid AT ALL.

I am like this too. I've always been this way, since I was a kid.

I was scared of spiders, but once in ballet class when there was a huge spider on the wall, the other girls in the class were terrified, so I went and picked it up (with tissue ) and put it outside.

The same with dogs; I didn't grow up with a dog so I was quite afraid of them as a child, and so was my little sister. When we walked down the street there were these nasty children who threatened us with their dog, you know, they were shouting "Kill them!" to it etc. Luckily they weren't the best trainers in the world and the dog had no idea what the hell they were talking about, but nonetheless it was a scary situation and my little sister was screaming and crying; she must have really thought she was going to die. She was only young at the time. I felt really calm though; I think I realised the dog wasn't going to attack us despite what its stupid owners were saying, so I just walked past calmly and tried to get my sister to do the same.

I think if I'd been on my own in either of these situations, I wouldn't have managed to take control like this. So do you think this is some kind of protective instinct? You are probably just more rational when you have others around you, especially ones who are weaker or more upset than you are. You have to be the braver one so you just do it.

I am still quite scared of spiders to this day and I have to get my boyfriend to deal with them. I don't like that though because he tends to just kill them, as it's easier than catching them and putting them outside, so I need to deal with this fear somehow. I realise it is an irrational one, which might help.

As for dogs, luckily my parents got a dog when I was 16. I lived with it for 3 years and learned a few things. The best advice I learned was to ignore the dog and walk straight past it when you don't want to deal with it. I believe this is regarding dogs who want to play, jump up at you etc, rather than stray dogs, but it may well work for dogs with more aggressive intent too, I don't know. The idea is that you are teaching them that you are the alpha, and you won't just drop everything and pet them or playfight with them whenever they want. So you never know, maybe just showing these dogs that you're not afraid will be enough to deter them.

Whatever the case, next time you encounter a stray dog, try to let that feeling of bravery and confidence kick in. Just as if a child was there with you. You know you are capable of it, it's just a case of summoning it when needed

[NewSimon]

I think if you were to replace the stray dogs with rough kids hanging around on the streets, it would be easier to see the fear. You don't know if they are going to react or ignore you or anything. Most people wouldn't want to walk down a quiet street with 8 kids loitering.

So what are the choices -
Weaponry
Avoidance
Attitude

Try changing your attitude. It is worth remembering that Caesar Milan has actually been bitten by dogs he's worked with, but he's worked with thousands of problem dogs. Acting like you're boss is probably the way to go. Don't make eye contact. Stride smartly.

Or carry a large bat and clobber the canine foe. Or an airhorn - they won't like loud parping.

[Susan louise]

I am terrified of being attacked again by stray dogs(These dogs attacked me from behind while walking annie our beagle puppy).These monsters are everywhere and I feel like I am going to be sick everytime I leave the house or head from one destination to the next. I know this is anxiety from being attacked but damn, its just not fair. I didnt do anything wrong. I have another beagle that needs to be walked a couple times a day and I start sweating with a rapid heart. Right now I dont know what I'm going to do. I have thought about going back to the US but I love my husband so much and he's Romanian. I just pray this new fear I have will go away. Romania is such a beautiful country but there is a big dog problem here in Bucharest

[metamorph]

Originally Posted by Susan louise

I am terrified of being attacked again by stray dogs(These dogs attacked me from behind while walking annie our beagle puppy).

I heard about this from a Romanian friend. I am a big animal lover, but stray dogs that bite people should be shot. Period! There is a real risk of rabies (fatal).

I met plenty of stray dogs in Thailand, Laos, Portugal, Italy, Spain, but none of them ever behaved aggressively towards me. I am sure those countries take care of the rotten eggs.