Creepy Guy Eyeballed My Dog

[randomoutburst]

I feel better when both hubby and I are carrying (as we make a great team) but when I'm alone, having my handgun is absolutely the only reason I feel safe. With economic times the way they are, it seems like more and more people are turning to criminal activity to make ends meet.

We recently decided to get our Schnauzer professionally groomed, since after many attempts at home I simply can't do a good job. Now he looks like a show dog (even though he's not) which unfortunately also makes him look very expensive. See?


I had dropped off my husband at work and needed to gas up before going to visit my grandparents. I had my dog with me, sitting in the front seat with a harness. (Don't worry, the passenger airbag was off!) He is a very calm dog. He doesn't bark at just anything.

Two people - a middle-aged woman and a younger 20-something male - walked past and both commented on what a handsome dog I had. Just friendly passing comments, and after they passed they didn't maintain interest. My dog was friendly, watching them as they walked by.

Then a 30-something male walked by, stopping by the hood of the car. "Nice dog you got. Real nice." He just creeped me out all around. I was wearing my revolver in a fanny pack, and positioned my left hand in such a way that I could quickly rip it open. I maintained eye contact and said, "Thank you." I stared the guy down for 5 seconds, then he turned and walked into the store, glancing over his shoulder at me twice on his way. Five seconds doesn't seem like a long time, but try staring at your dog or spouse for 5 seconds and imagine feeling threatened. It feels like an eternity. And the while the guy was in front of my car my dog was whining, looking frantically at me. He knew something was off. I trust my dog when it comes to people.

The whole time I was interacting with this guy, I was listening for activity behind me, and after he started walking away I quickly swiveled my head to make sure there was no second guy lurking behind me. My car was locked, I was aware of my surroundings, and I didn't let the guy intimidate me. Having my weapon only ensured that I had the means to protect myself; everything else worked to deter the guy from trying something.

It's little incidents like this that make me so glad that I got my CHL last September when I turned 21. It makes me glad that I have a community here at TexasCHLForum where I can ask questions and learn new things. And it makes me glad that my husband has taught me good situational awareness skills. I just wanted to share, because you never know when or where something will happen. Oh, and your dog is a good judge of people. At least, mine is. ;)

[C-dub]

I think it could have been one of three things.

1. Nothing at all, just creepy guy.
2. The guy was wondering how much he could get for your dog if he stole him.
3. The guy was sizing up your dog to determine how much fight the dog had in him if he were to attack you and or try to take your vehicle.

[AEA]

Good job!
Nice dog!

And, yes........the dog knows something's not right long before us humans do!

[speedsix]

...great awareness...good gut feelings...well done...

[fulano]

And, yes........the dog knows something's not right long before us humans do!

For sure.

My lab is friendly to most everybody. She does have a problem with a neighbor near us. He is a retired trapper and "dog catcher".

The hair stood up on the back of her neck the first time she ever saw him. He is friendly to humans but she doesn't want to be around or near him.

[aggieoutlaw]

One thing I've learned is that if you are creeped out, there is a good reason. Normal social interactions do not result in instinctive survival/physiological responses such as a adrenaline or fight/flight. Trust your instincts! You did good by staying alert and aware of your surroundings. Brava!

[Dragonfighter]

Pretty dog except for that green growth.

Good job, as perfect as I've heard.

[schufflerbot]

outstanding!!

glad to read everything turned out ok - keep up the good work!

[Heartland Patriot]

I am always pleased to read when things turn out well in a "situation". I think your "situational awareness" probably played a significant part in that. And yes, it is a nice looking dog.

[ricor]

Nice Schnauzer - is it a "standard" or "Giant." We have a Giant and a Toy Schnauzer.

[randomoutburst]

Nice Schnauzer - is it a "standard" or "Giant." We have a Giant and a Toy Schnauzer.

Standard. Most people think there are only Minis and are confused at his size. We would love to have a Giant but we don't have room.

It still bugs me that this happened because now I'm feeling especially protective of my dog. We don't normally take him out of the house (except for once a month to Petsmart and twice a month to our tutoring office) and now I'm even less inclined to bring him with me unless my husband is also present. Then again, as long as I have my weapon and pay attention to what goes on around me, I shouldn't worry too much I guess.

[johnson0317]

Great post! You perfectly described an adrenaline-releasing scenario where seconds felt like minutes. I can only say, sincerely, that I hope I think the situation through as well as you did.

RJ

[drjoker]

The hormones your body gives off can be smelled by a good dog. Your dog smelled your fear and the guy's aggression. You give off different pheromones in different emotional states. There was a dog at a nursing home that could smell death. Just before you die, he'd sit on you lap and lick you. Some dogs could predict seizures.

And, yes........the dog knows something's not right long before us humans do!

For sure.

My lab is friendly to most everybody. She does have a problem with a neighbor near us. He is a retired trapper and "dog catcher".

The hair stood up on the back of her neck the first time she ever saw him. He is friendly to humans but she doesn't want to be around or near him.

[randomoutburst]

The hormones your body gives off can be smelled by a good dog. Your dog smelled your fear and the guy's aggression. You give off different pheromones in different emotional states. There was a dog at a nursing home that could smell death. Just before you die, he'd sit on you lap and lick you. Some dogs could predict seizures.

And, yes........the dog knows something's not right long before us humans do!

For sure.

My lab is friendly to most everybody. She does have a problem with a neighbor near us. He is a retired trapper and "dog catcher".

The hair stood up on the back of her neck the first time she ever saw him. He is friendly to humans but she doesn't want to be around or near him.

I'm totally aware that most dogs, my dog included, feed off of our body language as well as other nonverbal cues like smell. I would like to point out that hormones are released within the body so would not be discernible simply because they are present; however, they can be released in sweat. A physiological response to danger is sweating, so it would make sense that a change in smell when a person is reacting with a fight/flight response (an adrenalin-releasing phenomena) would signal something to a dog, as dogs have a much more developed olfactory sense than humans.

I don't think this is as plausible to my scenario, though, because my dog was inside a locked car (windows up) and I was outside the car. He could have fed off my body language, certainly, but not my smell. Still, he has bristled at people with whom I was being friendly, but has never NOT bristled at someone with whom I was uncomfortable. I think he's got a good people sense. :)