I showed your comment to my husband and he was very touched, so thank you! We go walking in our neighborhood every morning and every time he hears a dog bark (even dogs we know are friendly little ankle biters), he stiffens and we chuckle a little bit. It's going to be awhile before he trusts dogs again :( I'm sorry you were bitten. It must be a terrifying experience.

Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Lydia!

Yikes! I get that dogs feel bound to protect their owners and will use whatever resources they have, but it's scary how aggressive some of them are. Definitely not what my poor husband expected when he left a restaurant and walked through a parking lot to his car!

Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Deanna!

I'm with you. I can pet and play with other people's animals without needing my own. And I do love sweet dogs and cats, of which there are many, many. The aggressive ones are definitely the exception.

I remember reading MRS FRISBY because I can see the comics-like pictures in my mind. At least I think I can. I know the movie scared me half to death! Ha ha.

Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Jen!

We had a beautiful purebred Australian Shepherd puppy for about a year. Since we hadn't had a dog before as a family, we were really clueless about how much work it takes to deal with a puppy, especially a large, VERY energetic one. When he nipped our niece in the face (he was only playing and she wasn't hurt), we decided we couldn't handle anymore and re-homed him. I've always felt bad about it because I'm sure he would have turned into a great family dog if only we'd had the patience and know-how to get him trained correctly. I actually quite like dogs, but like I said, I like them better if they belong to someone else who DOES have the patience and know-how. Sounds like you are one of them :) I hope your boyfriend is handling it okay, ha ha.

Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Ethan!

Thank you! It turned out to be a fun list to put together.

Thanks for stopping in, Claire!

Anthropomorphic narrators really are a pet peeve of mine, but I guess there are always exception to the rule, huh? I've never heard of I, COSMO. Glad to hear it was enjoyable.

Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Sam!

The story fascinated and terrified me in equal measure! I need to revisit it and see what I think now that I'm an adult. I still don't like mice and rats (shudder), so it would probably still scare me, LOL.

Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Lark!

Same! It made me want to live on a farm and save all the endangered animals :)

Thanks for stopping in, Louise!

Dog attacks are so scary and traumatizing, even to adults. I actually like dogs, but I'm happier enjoying other people's pets than having my own.

Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Cath!

It was such a random, weird attack! Totally unexpected. Poor guy.

Thanks for stopping in, Ronyell!

That's exactly what I've heard about the books vs. the movies. I need to give the books a go. They do sound fun.

I need to revisit NIMH as well. I wonder how my view of it would change now that I'm an adult. I'd probably still be freaked out by the rats!

Thanks for coming by, Nicole!

Right? My kids begged for pets, promised they would help take care of them and guess what? I (the one who didn't really want the animals in the first place) ended up doing most of the work! No thanks. Ha ha - I love that your son STILL doesn't want to do the pet care work :)

Thanks for stopping in, Cheri!

Yes! Jethro has made a few lists this week. He's definitely a memorable character.

Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Carla!

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that! Even if you weren't seriously hurt, you were still traumatized by the experience. I feel bad that the dog that attacked my husband was probably put down by animal control, BUT I don't want anyone else to have to go through what he did. He was just glad that he was by himself and didn't have me or our kids with him. It would have been worse, he said, for one of us to have been hurt.

THE ELEPHANT'S GIRL is a great read. It's got a little bit of mystery, a little bit of magic, and a lot of heart. I enjoyed it a lot.

Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Marianne!

Definitely a great trauma, I was almost forty until I let a dog get near me.

It must have been horrible for your husband. Especially since he wasn't doing anything to trigger the dog, he must be so scared now.

It's always a pleasure talking to you. Thanks also for visiting me regularly.

Really? Meryl Streep would be a FABULOUS audiobook narrator. I'll have to look and see what I can find as I'm always looking for fun, new listens.

Thanks for stopping by, Deb!

Luckily, the physical wounds really weren't that bad. My aunt-in-law had to get stitches and her arm was painful for a long time. My husband didn't get stitches, but he has a couple puncture wounds and lots of colorful bruising. His stomach has been quite tender ever since he was bitten.

I know lots of people who say they prefer animals to humans and I get that. Some animals are so sweetly loyal and adoring, it's no wonder their owners love them so!

Thanks for coming by, Diane!

My family always had dogs and cats growing up. I'm not scared of either, but that doesn't mean I want them in my house. Been there, done that.

Thanks for stopping in, Alexandra!

Really? Most people I know who've been bitten/attacked by dogs grow up terrified of them. I'm glad your daughter (and you) were able to overcome the trauma.

Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Helen!

Yeah, it's strange that my husband and his aunt got bitten so close together. Same city, but different dogs in different neighborhoods. Both of them have been really shaken up by the experience. Sorry to hear that your wife went through something similar.

I'm still fine with dogs, but I also still prefer them in a book rather than in my house :)

Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Sam!

It's a great book, isn't it? Glad you enjoyed it too.

Thanks for stopping by!

He's doing fine now, thank goodness. The puncture wounds might leave scars. We'll see.

BLACK BEAUTY was definitely one of my childhood favorites!

Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Suzanne!

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Yeah, I live in a huge suburb, but out on the edge in the high desert. We get all kinds of wildlife out here. Bobcats and coyotes are pretty common, although they're usually skittish around people. We did have a bobcat one time that hung out under our trampoline for a couple hours, cool as a cucumber. Our presence bothered him not at all!

I need to re-read NIMH. I wonder what I would think of it now.

Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Greg!

We were pleasantly surprised to find out that the dog who bit my husband was actually up on his shot. His owner was living in her car, so we figured the dog wouldn't be up-to-date. That was a relief, at least.

Sounds like you guys had your own terrifying dog experience. I know most dogs are just playing or protecting their owners/homes when they jump/nip/bite, but it can be such a distressing experience for people!

Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Katherine!

We always had a dog growing up and I don't remember any of them biting other people. They were all older, gentle labs and retrievers, though.

Jethro the pig is a really fun character! I actually have a friend who has a pig for a pet - he lives in the house and is actually very clean. Who knew?

Thanks for stopping by, Holliehocks!

There are SO many to choose from in the HP series that I just couldn't pick a favorite!

Thanks for coming by, Jessica!

Same! MARLEY AND ME is such an affecting read, even for those of us who aren't really pet people.

Thanks for stopping in, Megan!