This morning I definitely did not want to get out of bed. I
knew it was cold out and when we had walked the dogs last night there was a
thin coat of ice on the roads making it impossible to walk at my usual pace. I
also had to be honest and knew if I got out of our development, other roads
were likely salted, so I did set the alarm to run. The strong call
of the cozy sheets keeping me in bed was interrupted only by to my husband’s
restful measured breathing – it kept me from falling back asleep!
So off I trotted – sure it was going to be short and sweet
because it was cold, and surprised it was actually NOT icy. A freak
of nature! How could the ice have gone overnight when there was no
thaw? Whatever the cause, it allowed me the luxury of letting my
mind wander - and wonder at what I would learn this morning.
Once I got warmed up a bit and picked up the pace I lengthened
the run in my mind. Yeah, I could take that other turn, and yes, I
should go up this cul-de-sac – it is flat so why not? (So much of our
surrounding neighborhoods are constant hills and declines). Dorothy was doing
her usual looking out for her friends in familiar places. I’ve
become accustomed, and so has Dorothy, of seeing certain people out with their dogs
at certain points on our run. We
encountered one such familiar ‘family’ this morning in rare form. We were right
near their home and the owner, not seeing me, had opened the door before the
leashes went on the dogs – an older irish setter and a young husky/sheperd/malamut
mix. The two barked and barreled straight for Dorothy and I - and
thus the lesson of the day began.
I seldom own my authority. Not that I am laid back by
any means – I strive to a fault to control the environment around me – but not
so much the people and the other living things. Self reflection has
revealed to me that this is due to the credit/blame cycle our society sets up,
and a weakness in my own sense of self confidence. I shy away from
autocratic leadership in every way. I don’t want to take the blame
for calling the wrong shot – and to my credit, I never take exclusive credit
for any of my accomplishments. On the positive side of this avoidance is a
spirit who is firmly, deeply rooted in the idea of community and
collaboration. All that said, I believe there is a time when
definitive leadership needs to be taken up and exercised. I sometimes
fail to step in where I should. I don’t want to mess “it” up and
have to take the blame.
In the split seconds it took the dogs to advance, I was deeply
grateful for something my husband had taught me about dissuading approaching
dogs. I squatted, spread my arms wide, and yelled “NO.” My
first attempt was not successful. I consciously
decided not to follow another common recommendation to let the leash down when
your dog is being attacked so they are equals to the loose dog(s). My
instincts told me that was a very bad idea. So I kept Dorothy (a pit
bull terrier – size small J) close to me
on her leash. When I yelled “NO” with great force, Dorothy hovered behind
me. Behind me went the large shepherd mix to bite at Dorothy. I
turned toward it and squatted and shouted again. The small in
stature woman across the road looked on in shock. After about four
turns and squats and shouts the dogs retreated. When Dorothy was
snipped at she was definitely doing her best to defend herself, and then my
“NO” would subdue her again. When the dogs were back close to their
owner, she profusely apologized, and I shouted the ‘squat and spread’ technique
to her as we ran off. She thanked me.
As I ran off opulently affirming Dorothy for not tearing those
dogs up to the best of her ability (she would have done okay, but I’m not sure
she would have won and I don’t want to imagine what that whole scene would look
like) I was actually surprised at myself, and happy. I was pushed
into an autocratic leadership role. My, what our human nature will
bring forward within us! It was a lesson for me in instinct and
protection. Our human instinct to protect is not different from that of
all of our relations in the animal kingdom. It was, in a small way,
an example of being pushed to a limit and rising to the occasion. I'm glad
we encountered the off-leash dogs for the revelation it provided me!
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