When I was a child I was afraid of dogs. It came from the fear I saw in my Mother and Grandmother when they thought one of us kids might be headed to the barn where the Pit Bulls stayed. My Grandfather tried to teach me not to be afraid but it was not working. Then one day my Grandfather and I were walking down a street in Nashville. A man that had a grudge against my Grandfather sent his Giant Airedale after my Grandfather. I was scared stiff, and being the smaller the dog went after me. As the dog jumped for me, my Grandfather grabbed the dog. He swung the dog up over his head, then slammed it down on the sidewalk. My Grandfather then grabbed the dogs back legs and swung it up over his head again, then slammed it down on the concrete. End of vicious dog. My Grandfather calmely picked me up, turned to the man standing on his porch staring and said, "You come down here and you will get the same". Then he continued to walk home carrying me in his arms. After that I started losing my fear of dogs and started going to the barn with my Grandfather to watch how he handled his working dogs.
I still had a fear of strange dogs. My younger brother Jim loved dogs. Jim would always pick up strays and bring them home. Jim had the ability to go up to any dog and pet it and have it licking his hands in just minutes. No dog had ever bitten him. I also have to say Jim was the most picked on kid on the street, no one was afraid of Jim, he was looked at as afraid of his shadow. I was about 14 or 15 when a German Shepard came into the community. The dog grawled at anyone that got close to it, so everyone gave it a wide berth. No one knew where it came from, or who it belonged to, and people were afraid of it. German Shepard's at the time had a bad rap, and mothers did not want one near their kids. We were out playing Dodge Ball one afternoon when this dog came around. Jim was dodging the ball and got close to this dog. The dog jumped out and bit Jim on the leg. When Jim realized he had been bit, Jim lost it. Jim was so mad he jumped on the dog. The dog tried to bite Jim, but Jim shoved his hand deep into the dogs mouth. The dogs gag reflex prevented the dog from biting down, and it opened it's mouth farther. Jim grabbed the lower jaw and started pushing it downward. With Jim in control of the lower jaw the dog could not close it's mouth and bite. Jim got a good hold on the dogs body and kept shoving the lower jaw to the dogs chest, the dog started yelping. All us kids just stood watching my brother Jim handle this dog that we were afraid of. We heard the bones crunch, and the jaw break. The dog making the loudest yelping and trying to get away. Finally Jim released the dog and it ran away, yelping. Jim stood there with tears running down his face, looking at his bleeding leg. Jim looked up and said, "I hated killing that dog, but he was too mean". I pointed out the dog was still alive, Jim said "He can't eat, so he will die, and he deserves it". Later that day the local police shot the dog.
After seeing how my Grandfather and younger Brother handled vicious dogs I realized man can handle any dog. Man can be just as vicious as any dog, that's all it takes. Have seen only three breeds that will stand up to a charging man, Doberman, Rottweiller, and Pit bulls. But now that I am an old man I call on my friends Ruger and S&W to handle aggressive dogs.
Heather: When the kids are outside playing and those dogs are near, keep a good friend close at hand.
