when i was younger, and i would accidentally kick a dog, i would feel horrible and get mad apologetic. over the years it started to feel stupid -- rightly -- saying 'sorry' to a dog. besides, it's body language and the tone of your voice that dogs respond to.
so now when i kick a dog, i still feel bad, but i consciously hold back the apology. i kneel down, stroke it behind the ear for a few seconds, maybe coo at it quietly, and walk away.
bystanders stare amazed at this spectacle of me alternately kicking then stroking a dog, without a _word_ of apology, like, You're such a jerk!
i have to admit, i still make kind of an apologetic face though. those years of conditioning are gonna be tough to undo.
>I don't think I've every intentionally hit an animal, let alone a goose. I was
>walking down castro a couple weeks ago, passing a dog tied to a tree outside a
>store (with the owner inside). The dog looked away from me as I was walking
>along the narrow sidewalk, then he turns his head back just as I'm passing him
>and I clock him right in the face with my knee. It made a really gross sound. I
>unintentionally apologized (to a creature that didn't speak english). Hope he
>was ok. He could have been a she for all I know, but I figured I'd avoid the
>ire of certain members of the reading community (my girlfriend) by not refering
>to the dog as 'it'.
>
> Posted by gene at April 3, 2003 01:37 PM
https://www.cementhorizon.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=1092