I was attacked by a York Terrier, I believe it was, on June 1st, while surveying serious storm damage in my parent's neighborhood.

It came charging at me all teeth and fur and I just knew it was going to bite me. And I've learned that standing still does not stop the smaller dogs one iota.

So when it reached me, and I felt it's feet on the back of my leg, I kicked backwards as hard as I could at the dog, and then ran up my mom's neighbor's driveway and vaulted into the back of a pickup truck.

The worst part? The teenagers who let the dog loose, know that it bites, and they did nothing to stop it, or call it back, they simply laughed at me trying to get away.

Never trust those smaller dogs. I hated to have to kick it off me, but at least I didn't get bit.

Brenda

Well, it's bitten several people already who did stand still. Sorry, I forgot to put that in the first post. And it doesn't bite once, it bites you several times at once.

And I've been bitten by smaller dogs in the past by standing still, also more than one bite, so I wasn't taking a chance. I didn't hurt it when I kicked back, I'm not even sure I connected with it, just got it to get away from me. It didn't yelp or anything.

My experience with larger dogs, is if I stand still and respect them, they respect me, and stand still and just growl until they walk away or get distracted. Even huge Doberman Pinschers. Never yet been bitten by a larger dog.

Maybe the smaller ones sense my fear since I've been bitten by them so much.

Brenda

The dog was taken away for I think it was 12 days, for observation and returned to the home. The lady that was bit who called the police, was simply getting out of her car in her own driveway.Others didn't file a report, but if he bites anyone else, they say they will. He didn't bite me, so I don't think I qualify to report it.

I haven't been bitten in years, since I learned to run from smaller dogs. The last time I was bitten was when we moved here in 1997, and our new neighbor's dog charged me shortly after we'd moved in. She told me to stand still, and I tried, but he bit me three or four times anyway.

And maybe Dobermans are average, I'm not certain, but the two named Baron and Haley that live next door to us, can actually stand on their hind legs with their paws on your shoulders.

I'm still scared of them, but I have learned to throw dog biscuits and things towards them when they get excited, and they have finally settled down. Once Baron got out of his yard though, and I was stunned to come out my door and find him watching me in my garage! I was really calm, and told him I didn't have any dog bones on me at the moment. He growled softly, and I took a breath and softly encouraged him to go home.

Fortunately, he was distracted for a second, and I dived for my door and got back into my house as he started barking and scratching at the door. I called the neighbor and said "Please come get Baron, ok? He's in my garage."

I never understood why he was growling at me, when we had worked things out with dog bones, unless he was mad I didn't have any to give. Maybe it was because we were both not in our safe environment with a fence between us. ;)

My fear of dogs was not of my doing, and it's mostly of Dobermans or small dogs. That's because one of my playmates in the same court when I was a child, played a mean trick on me and handcuffed me to a pole in his basement with his small doberman named Princer. I was so scared I didn't move for anything, while Princer snarled at me and barked at me, all the while showing his teeth.

His mom discovered me about 2 hours later, and the kid was punished, but it is not an experience I could easily forget.

On Princer's behalf though, his child owner treated him badly, and abused him, even once tied him onto a playground spinning ride and spun him around until he was sick.

I'm not scared of all dogs, but I'm wary of ANY dog I don't know.

Brenda