As a dog owner, here are 5 situations that freak me out

[d_r]

15. that's a really good idea

I wasn't aware of it but I really hope it catches on.

Years ago we had a great dane dog. He was a good dog, had a bit of an alpha streak but a good dog who had learned good manners. He liked to play with small dogs a lot. The problem was always medium sized dogs. They'd try to dominate him because he was the biggest dog around. So the family golden or lab would try to put his head on top of the dane's and bam, it would be trouble. A lot of the folks who had those dogs didn't recognize their dog's behavior and signals. I learned so that could usually see it coming and rein the dane in before - the other dog would have forward ears, the tail straight up, the flashing of teeth. Approaching from straight on instead of at a slant. Blaring eye contact. Prickeled fur. I'd pull him in quick and go the other way. I had to split a couple of vet bills and honestly it was the other people's fault because they didn't see it in their dog's behavior. The funny thing was, that dog loved to play with other dogs. Would chase and play and let dogs like poodles and scotties chase him all over. He had a boxer and a german shepherd he would regularly play with. He could run and play off leash at the dog park with a field of dogs. And there was nothing more awesome than five or six great danes running and playing. But every once in a while there was that alpha-seeking dog that was the boss at home that wanted to dominate him and he wouldn't take it. It was like he thought I was president of the entire world, but that he was vice president.

Our dog now is a lab-beagle mix from the shelter. She is sweet as candy. But she is funny and reminds me of how you have to figure out rescue dogs. She hates, I mean hates, bald men. She sees a bald man down the road and will start barking. And she is afraid of middle age women swinging things like bags around. She'll cower away. But she tolerates kids coming up like anything. She didn't really know how to play when we got her over a year ago, but she has figured a lot of that out. The funny thing about it is - to me - she can meet with most dogs, but a couple of times there have been dogs that pulled the same kind of behavior I described above, and she tried to go after them. At 30 pounds she is a lot easier to keep from it than the dane was at 160. But it is the same behavior that elicits it, and most dog owners that have those dogs seem to just not get it.

I would almost put a yellow ribbon on her just to shoo those folks away.