I thought I would start a thread on animal encounters. I am sure many of us have some animal encounter stories. I will share one.
One time I was riding my bike to the store. I used to take a shortcut on a canal. There was this irrigation ditch with a gravel road on both sides. It was fall and they had already drained the water from the canal. On the opposite side of the canal from where I was riding my bike was a really big German Shepard. When ever I rode down that canal he went balistic. He would bark and growl and run back and forth trying to break out of that fence.
I kind of had a fear of dogs too from an encounter when I was small. But anyways, I was riding my bike at full speed going down that road, I could hear him barking like normal, but suddely he got out of that fence. He ran right through that canal like it wasnt there. I looked back he was runing at me and barking and frothing at the mouth. I dont know why I did it but my instinct kicked in and I just hit the breaks at full force my bike skidded sideways, gravel few from my tires, and I dropped my bike to the ground and I just tunred to the dog and faced him. He was at a full run. Then he hit his breaks. I could see the gravel skidding under his feet and he skidded to a stop right in front of me. I just looked at him as adrenalyn was coursing through my body.
Somethign weird happened. He just stopped his full blown attack. I though for sure I was going to have to box this dog. I was 120 lbs, so I would have lost, but I was ready. That dog just stopped and looked around all confused lowered his head and started pretending he wasnt doing anything, like he was embarrased and minding his own business. I was so suprised. He just walked away.
I learned alot that day. I learned that even the meanest animals are still a puppy inside. I learned that there is really no difference from an animal and a human that we share the same emotions. It was amazing really. I mean that dog was frothing barking and growling and in full attack mode, but when I stopped like that and confronted him, he got confused.
I think he didn't want to hurt me, that he just wanted to chase and attack for fun. But I learned that he was actally a really adorable dog that day.