Unfiltered Story #297498

When I was just a kid, my family moved to a more rural area. We soon found out that someone a few houses away gave horseback riding lessons, and my parents convinced her to teach me (despite me being younger than her usual students). This neighbour also had a Jack Russell terrier that was the terror of the neighbourhood. Even the adults would cross to the other side of the street when passing her house, hoping that that would put them far enough away to not draw his attention.
As I spent more time there, I began getting used to the dog, and even dared to pet him sometimes before my lesson. I always tossed him a treat when I came, to get him to see me as a friend.
Eventually, however, due to a stupid argument I had with my instructor (though I still say my stirrups felt uneven), I ended up stopping my lessons. I had been in a miserable mood on the last day, and ended up leaving my bike behind. I knew I had to get it back, but I was still nervous about the dog. I gained some courage when my younger brother and his friend offered to come along with me, on their bikes.
What I hadn’t taken into consideration was the fact that every time I’d gone for my lessons, my instructor had (obviously) been home. This time she wasn’t. I didn’t even make it to her property when her dog came barrelling towards me. My brother and his friend turned their bikes and left. I tossed a treat, but it was ignored.
I ended up swinging my helmet down in front of my legs as a sort of make-shift shield. Thinking back on it, I’m not sure whether he was lunging towards the helmet or me, but at the time, it seemed like he was definitely lunging at me.
Finally, as a car was coming down the road, I gave up, squealed, and ran. The car swerved between me and the dog, stopping him from chasing me, and the driver checked that I was okay. Afterwards, I walked home, still without my bike.
My parents ended up having to pick up my bike for me, because I refused to go anywhere near that house. In fact, I don’t think I so much as biked past there until I was well in my teens. It’s a funny story now, (especially telling my brother’s friends how he completely abandoned me), but I still get tense when I see a Jack Russell, even though I know it’s not the same dog.