Anyone hear of the story of Hachiko?
It was a dog that became so famous for its loyalty and love of its owner, it’s story was published and a movie was made about it.
Born in 1923, the dog was adopted by an agricultural professor in Japan in 1924.
Every day the dog would walk on its own to the train station to meet its owner upon his return from work.
One year after being adopted the owner suddenly passed away. The dog continued its ritual of going to the station to meet and await its owner for nearly ten years until its own death.
A dog is not a lion.
Not all dogs are made alike.
Though I do think owners should respect fears that others may have, that does not mean that people should feed into their fears and allow themselves to “freak” every time they see a dog.
Caution is one thing, hysteria another.
Believe me, kids watch grown ups. When they see you freak out, they assume there’s a terrible danger nearby.
Animals have an amazing capacity to show love, tolerance, forgiveness, loyalty etc.
It would be such a shame to deprive oneself and children of this awareness and experience.
I teach my kids to always ask an owner if it is safe to pet the dog. They have learned to be cautious and not terrified.