After the bite incident last week, I was hopeful that my next walk would be a more positive experience with no drama.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, the walking mishap continues.

And it didn’t even involve a dog, instead, a human.

It was a cold Dec 1st morning.

I only stepped outside the shelter doors 3 mins before this situation went down.

I was walking Kokomi, (Koko for short) a Siberian husky who I’ve walked many times before when I seen a runner heading in our direction.

So I stepped off the pavement into the grass a couple of feet away so the runner could have the pavement all to themself.

Koko & I waited for him to pass by.

She was sitting to the left of me, away from the road and the runner.

I was handing her treats for her good behavior.

This gentleman trips and falls to the ground right in front of us.

I immediately asked if he was OK but the response I received wasn’t what I expected . . .

The gentleman starts cussing at Koko & I in German.

I hear, “Scheiße (shit), Hund (dog) and Mensch (people).

I’m in total shock!!!

Why is he being so irate right now???

He picks himself off the ground and begins grabbing at his shoulder.

The German shouting, directed towards me continues.

Some English slips out “Your dog scared me!”

He goes on blaming the dog for his trip.

I said “The dog was nowhere near you, we were literally standing still, away from you, when you tripped and fell.”

Koko didn’t bark or lunge in his direction, she was too busy eating the treat I gave her to warrant any sort of fear on his end.

I’m aware that some people have a legitimate fear of dogs and I don’t know this man’s history around them.

Maybe he had a traumatizing experience with dogs in the past but to stoop to that level is unacceptable especially when the dog was no where near him.

He wasn’t hearing my point of view, instead he kept cussing at me in German.

I couldn’t restrain myself so I told him “fuck you”.

Looking back I shouldn’t have reacted to his anger with more anger.

I should’ve just walked away but I couldn’t believe the ridiculousness I was witnessing.

This man is seriously blaming a dog for his fall and shooting expletives my way. . .

Uh-uh, not today sir, don’t mess with me.

99.9% of the time I’m a laid back person.

I don’t like conflict, I’m a recovering people pleaser, and I’m naive to a fault.

But when you unleash that 1% . . .

• The side that doesn’t take no shit
• The side that’s been locked a way for a long time and desires to come out and play

All sense of calmness goes out the window.

And well yeah, she came out today.

I was in the heat of the moment and just let it out.

I know now, that I shouldn’t have behaved like that in this situation.

The smart and adult thing to do would’ve been to immediately walk away when he started yelling.

• He could’ve had a weapon
• He could’ve been mentally unstable
• The power difference, I’m a short woman walking alone and he is a man of average built in his mid 40’s
• There were no witnesses, it was a cold day with nobody in sight to offer help if needed

Depending on any of these scenarios, this story could’ve turned out differently.

I shouldn’t go around poking a bear when I had no form of protection besides a now scared pup.

Koko started whining during the altercation at this point.

Isn’t it amazing how animals sense energy?

I’m just blessed that the situation only ended with words being exchanged.

He finally walked away and I, in a state of shock headed back to the front of the shelter to simmer down.

Debating whether I should go back inside and tell them what happened.

The shelter is closed on this particular day.

In order to get in, I have to call them to unlock the door each time.

I wish they would give volunteer walkers an access key to unlock the doors, what if it was a serious emergency and I really needed to get inside for safety.

I decided to hang around outside the shelter for a couple of minutes.

With my composure back to a calm state, I headed back to reset this messy day . . .

I either have impeccable timing or bad luck.

Here comes the guy again, he spots me, we’re a far distance away from one another.

He says some words that I couldn’t make out.

I throw my hands in the air and say “what happened?”

I stayed back near the shelter waiting for him to disappear from my existence.

Once the coast was clear me and Koko set out for our walk again.

Man when I say I was paranoid during the whole walk, I’m not exaggerating.

I was checking behind and in front me every few seconds making sure I wouldn’t encounter the gentleman again.

Every car that went by I checked to make sure it wasn’t him in a rage of revenge.

When I got home, I told my family and friends what happened and expressed how bothered I was by the ordeal.

“How could someone be so angry over a trip?”

It wasn’t until my mom said the following statement, that my whole perspective shifted.

“Maybe he was embarrassed that he fell in front of you.”

BINGO, light bulb moment!

Yep yep, that is potentially true. 

I didn’t even think about Mr Ego or Pride being the cause of his outburst.

I was genuinely concerned for his well-being and would never make someone feel bad or laugh at their discomfort.

Even if he felt embarrassed, it doesn’t excuse his behavior.

But I liked the viewpoint that my mother shared, so that’s the story I’m going with.

This gentleman suffered from a crushed ego.

Answer Me Universe

As I sat in my car, finished with my walk for the day (I walked 1 other dog, who I hope to share soon) I replayed the incident and asked the universe the following questions:

1. Why did this incident happen to me today, what are you trying to tell/teach me?
2. Why are these situations suddenly happening, is it duo to a full moon, are my chakras out of balance?
3. Are these clear signs here to deter me from walking shelter animals and dogs in general? (I was considering taking a part time job walking dogs) or
4. Is it so I can have interesting stories to share on my site?

I decided to side with option #4.

And lastly to release the negative energy of the day, I sent a message to the universe:

Please universe/karma help this poor jackass rid himself of any demons that have been torturing his soul

And then I resent my message to the universe:

Please universe/karma help this poor German gentleman rid himself of any demons that have been torturing his soul

Lessons Learned: Essential Tips for People Who Walk Dogs & for Pedestrians in General

✱ Don’t stoop to the same level as people with bad energy

While they’re getting their demons out, continue walking in the opposite direction making sure your back isn’t 100% turned towards them. If your back is turned, keep turning around to check behind you

✱ I gave this gentleman plenty of space to run by us to avoid any accidents, however I think the new distance I’ll have between me and pedestrians is 300 feet (I’m exaggerating of course)

✱ If at all possible walk with someone for extra security and as a witness to the shenanigans that may occur

✱ If you’re alone, male or female, bring some form of protection.

Pepper spray, a stick, anything to have on hand in case the need arises

✱ I’m thinking about investing in a hands free camera so I can start documenting incidents that may occur

Give Me Your Paw-spective – Let’s Hear It!

Despite this odd interaction, I still like to believe in the goodness of humans.

Have you ever experienced a weird exchange while walking dogs?

If so, how did you handle the situation?

Howl at me in the comment section below!

To end this post on a positive note, I want to share 1 positive encounter I had that day.

The park where the dogs and I walk to was transformed into a beautiful Christmas wonderland.

While I was admiring the Christmas trees and decorations, a man walked towards me and my walking buddy (my paranoia decreased the minute my walking buddy arrived) and told us that he was the one responsible for putting out the decor.

He said he had a couple more finishing touches to do that day.

I told him he did a great job.

He was overjoyed that his hard work had been noticed!

And that made my heart sing again

This misadventure took place on Dec 1, 2024