Big Dogs

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A couple weeks ago I mentioned that it’s common for people to bring their dogs into stores here, including the grocery store

white dog in purse in shopping cart

Yesterday Skylar and I were out doing some shopping and we were inside the grocery store…

Grocery storefronts in parking lot with palm trees

…when a homeless man who was drunk (and probably high) had a big dirty dog that was not on a leash and it was trying to sniff Skylar while we were in the sugar aisle.

Skylar smiling in pink shirt

The Mama Tiger in me comes out when I see large animals with big teeth or drunk scary looking dudes approaching my child!

As in, you better back.up.right.now.

And get your big toothy slobbering, unleashed, hungry-looking dog away from my child before I flip out.

I didn’t say a word to the man but was ready to pounce if need be.  He looked at me, muttered some choice, vile four letter words, which I really didn’t care about because this was about my child’s saftey not what this man said he wanted to do to me.  I shot him some icy stares and he and Fido kept walking.  Thank God.

Feeling unsafe in the sugar asile was not fun.

So we went to the produce section and I bought some red grapes that were on sale for 88 cents per pound

red grapes on plate

I put half in the freezer because I love frozen grapes but they were so good.  Crisp, crunchy, and sweet.  We did major damage to the bag already.  Must get more.

I have to go back to the store anyway because I forgot half the items on my (mental) grocery list after the brush with wild animals inside the store.  I just lost all concentration, but who wouldn’t.

I was actually thinking of using grapes in a Mixed Berry Clafoutis  <– sounds complicated but it’s really just a fancy name for a twist on pancake batter in my opinion

Mixed Berry Clafoutis 

I wonder how grapes would bake?

Questions:

1. Do you have a fear of any animals?  Are you scared of big dogs?

I mentioned before that I do have some animal phobias including snakes, ants, and yes, unleashed, mangy, dirty, hungry or just mean looking dogs do scare me.

I grew up next to two huge German Shepards and was bitten by them as a child and my sister was, too, and that has scarred us for life with big dogs.

Yellow labs, golden retrievers, they’re fine, but in general, I prefer smaller dogs.

A major pet peeve of mine is when people say about their (unleashed) dog, “Oh, he’s friendly” as he is coming up to me and trying to sniff my crotch, lick my child, and is jumping around and acting hyper like dogs do.  They’re dogs, it’s what they do.

We all have boundaries and things that we are comfortable with and not comfortable with, and I am not comfortable with big dogs not on leashes or those who just race up to kids in parks, as the owner is trailing behind saying, “Oh he’s harmless”.  Sure.

However, you just never know when a child could pull a dogs ear the wrong way and although the dog is friendly for the owner, it may not be under certain circumstances.  So it’s better, in my opinion, to keep dogs and kids separated until everyone is absolutely sure it’s safe.  Not to mention, some dogs have heads the size of my child’s torso and teeth that could do damage.

I never thought this was until I had a child.  Yes, kids change you and change the way you see the world.  Mama Tiger, indeed.

2. Have you ever baked with grapes?

I never have but I think I’d like to try.

But they are so juicy and perfectly in-season right now, why would I want to mess with them or alter them in any way.  But who knows.  You never know til you try, right?  That’s Baking Rule #12

Thanks for the Manna Bread Giveaway Entries

Have a great Hump Day

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Comments

  1. I am only scared of dogs if they are not on a leash. I have never baked with grapes, but I make a dessert called burnt grapes, which is really good. No baking required!

  2. I have a 50 pound (is that large) dog who I know will never bite (he’s a therapy dog who has been through rigorous training and testing) BUT I NEVER let him run up to anyone for multiple reasons but a big one is what if the person is scared? My dog was my choice not yours and you may not want his love and that’s okay!

  3. I grew up with a huge golden retriever who wouldn’t hurt a fly. However, I’ve been bitten by too many dogs in my life and am not a fan. The fiance wants a corgi, which I think I could stand, but nothing bigger than that!

  4. Oh my goodness, that does not sound like a fun trip to the store. I hate it when things like that happen! Feeling unsafe is the worst feeling in the world. I am glad that it all worked out ok in the end though, that is all that matters right? Baking with grapes is awesome! They just turn into really juicy raisins. I think you should go for it for sure! They will get more dried out if you cut them up, as opposed to putting them into a batter whole, so you just have to decide on what kind of texture you want them to be!

  5. You’re way nicer than I am! The one time a big dog off-leash came at my kids (he “treed” them on the playground equipment… which was kinda funny in retrospect) I grabbed his collar, called the owner and waited until he got there to take the dog home. Gave him an earful too.

    And grapes? For baking?? Didn’t even know you could!

  6. Allowing dogs in stores seems like a health issue to me, but there are very prevalent here. I think pretty much every time I’m at a store I see at least one.

    I actually have the opposite fear, big dogs I’m fine with, it’s the smaller ones that make me nervous. Probably because I have been bitten and scratched by a small dog (that looked exactly like the one in your first picture, except more mangy). And I grew up with black labs and golden retrievers. So I’m more used to them. But I totally agree, all should be on leashes and “he’s friendly” is no excuse!

    I am intrigued with the baking with grapes idea. They seem so juicy I wonder how that would work.

  7. I have that SAME pet peeve about dogs, BIG TIME. It would happen to me all the time when I was a runner; some dog would flip out and run away from its owner and try to climb on me. And I am NOT a dog person to begin with, but on top of that, get your damn animal off me! And then they’d be all “Oh he’s just playing” and I’d want to run up and punch them in the face.

    It’s amazing to me that people have more respect and tolerance for dogs than for children in so many cases. If a child’s crying on an airplane or screaming in the grocery store, people give dirty looks and mutter nasty things – about another HUMAN BEING! – but if a dog is going ape shit and jumping, barking, slobbering, even right on top of another person, people will think “Aw, look, he just wants to play.” WTF? ARGH!

  8. No animal fears, just bees. Surely my tune would change were I a mother!

    My roommates and I are OBSESSED with frozen grapes!!! It started as our solution to preventing our fruit from going bad :)

  9. I’m kind of two minds about this one because I love animals so much and have seen so many owners mistreat animals that I try to advocate for them whenever I can. When they rush up to people I always feel as though they just want love and I want to give that to them! But my sister is really not a dog person at all (we always grew up with cats) and so I’ve seen both sides and I agree that owners should not just assume that everyone will love their dog.

    I also have never had an experience with a dog attacking or biting me and I can totally understand how that would cause fear. So I get both sides. I’m sorry you had to experience that while just trying to browse sugar though! xx

  10. Hmmm, I love my Dante (labrador retriever), he is adorable and totally spoiled … but I have to tell you that even when he steps on your foot he hurts you unintentionally, but hurts you nonetheless. My experience has been that smaller dogs are more vicious than bigger dogs and that bigger dogs just look more harmful. Nonetheless, I keep my doggy away from all children … until the child and I are prepared, he is after all 70 lbs. and still considered a puppy. He is always on leash … I love my dog and though I can’t imagine anyone not adoring him … I keep him in my space and not in the space of others.

    I thought however that dogs were not allowed where there are food products???

  11. I hated dogs growing up. Most of my friends actually had chihuahuas though, but they were annoying with their yapping all the time. They were too energetic for me. I liked the big, old Labs.

    Once I went off to college, I became less scared because a roommate of mine wanted a dog and I considered it a better option than a cat… mostly because of the nails.

    My mom hated dogs also until she got one and it’s rather tame but not boring. I’m totally okay with her dog. I still wouldn’t prefer being around dogs but will no longer move over for them on the sidewalk.

    CONQUERED A FEAR! WOO!

  12. Although I love dogs I have to agree with you on this one! And although my dogs are both small and friendly I would always keep them on a leash around children. You just can’t be sure that they won’t react badly or a child wont poke one of them in they eye or something and end up with one less finger! It’s just commonsense really and best for both parties to be careful.

  13. I’m with the others on dogs being allowed in grocery stores. If they are not allowed in restaurants they should not be allowed in grocery stores for the same health and hygenic reasons. My area doesn’t allow dogs in grocery stores unless the dog is identified as a service dog with collar or vest they wear. I have seen puppies idenified as “Service dog in training”. They are so cute and fun to watch the trainer work with them.

    My family has had 3 Boxers and 1 mixed breed but we only took them where they were welcomed. The businesses in our area usually are good about posting that at their entryways. We also sent our dogs through obedience training to be disciplined in social situations.

    I don’t blame you for feeling the way you do. I would have reacted the same way with my son at my side.

  14. We have a big labradoodle, Lola, who’s pretty excitable, but she’s actually very good about passersby and meeting strangers. When we’re hiking in the woods and I don’t have her on a leash and we see people coming towards us, I usually just call for her to sit on the side of the trail and she surprisingly does so. She’s also very good about sitting with kids and letting them pet her gently. That being said, I always appreciate it (and was taught to do so as a child) when people ask first before petting her. I am of course fine with it, but if she were particularly jumpy or nervous around strangers I would definitely give fair warning. Also, stores are no place for big dogs! We keep her to the woods, our yard, and our house.

  15. Small dogs are more my thing, but I like the big ones too…

    Funny, it’s true…I’ve never seen a recipe where you really bake with grapes!?