I'm still shaking -
My 17 lb pug-x, Murphy, was attacked by a man on our walk today. I probably should have called the cops. Murphy is fine, I'm actually impressed with how well he handled himself. We were walking on this little Island jutting off of the Columbia river at 8 am. The island was packed with people fishing. The one stretch with no people, this guy with a big stress-grin and missing a few teeth was walking toward us. He was carrying a long stick with a beer can dangling at the top, and singing about being an American Indian. He was as Anglo as me, and I probably smirked, although I didn't try to. As Murphy and I always do, we stepped aside and Murphy gets behind me. the man marched right over trying to pet him, and announcing very loudly that he was a Native American. I asked him to leave Murphy alone, said Murphy might bite him. he showed me his right hand, with no fingers on it and said "he isn't going to bite them off!" Then he said "I'm a lion then", put his hands up in the air, started snarling, and lunged at Murphy. I body blocked him and started yelling, not a good idea, but it was an adrenalin rush. He started yelling about my dogs being off leash and reporting me - if they'd been off leash, he would have been bitten. I didn't think he had enough of a foot in reality to argue the point with him, though. He kept circling and lunging, I kept yelling, Murphy started growling. My other dog, Finn, started growling and lunging... He finally gave up and marched down the trail yelling about the "F'n white man, think they own everything, but then they give it all to the G**D*** Mexicans" (but he didn't us the word Mexican), and about calling the cops on me for my dogs being off leash, "that's illegal, these f'n whites ruining our land and giving it to the ..."