That's One Way to Meet Your Neighbor

After the Biloxi Pitbull incident of 2008, I am sorry to say that I am scared shitless (excuse my language but there is no other way to say it) of big dogs running around free - scared for myself, but mainly scared for my pups. Needless to say when I saw a GINORMOUS Rottweiler running free, down our road, in our direction after our walk today, I was scared. 1. Because I know there are two Rottweilers much further down the street that bark their brains out at Bos & Riva everyday when we walk past and 2. Because I relive the Pitbull attack over in my head when I see a big, known-to-be aggressive dog out free.

I froze. I don't know whether this dog is nice or mean, but everytime I've seen him, he's been chained up barking very meanly at my dogs. So I freeze. Weigh my option. I'm only about 4 houses down from my house, but in order to get to my house, I have to pass by this massive Rottweiler (wearing a big steel choke collar, just to intimidate me more). I walk to the nearest house and know the man who lives there (not well, but well enough to say hi, etc). Unfortunately, there are two doorbells - a splitter house. I don't know what this guy's name is. The dog is staring at us, trotting our way. Crap. I pick one. But of course the wrong one. Some old lady answers, doesn't speak a WORD of English. I tell her, auf Deutsch, that I am her neighbor and I have two dogs and there is another big dog here and it is coming our way (as it starts growling). I ask her if she she knows the Big Rottweiler who lives down the street. Yes. She tells me he's not so nice. Great. On a whim, she buzzes me, Boston, & Riva in. Whew. The old lady neighbor tries to make small talk and I contribute some. 10 minutes later, there's no more barking or the Rott's shadow outside the door so I walk outside to see if he is still outside. He's not. So I walk 4 doors home.

I'm ashamed to say, I am now scared of the stereotypical 'aggressive' dog - thank you trashy Biloxi Mississippi neighbors. BUT on the bright side, I met one more of our German neighbors.