When I was a young small child, the police informed my family that someone was trying to kidnap me. It seems that my Grandfather was thought to be wealthy. All kinds of actions were discussed. I was talked to about behavior, actions taken, be aware of strangers was one of my lessons. I don’t remember how old I was then. Probably about 4 to 6 years old. My freedom to roam about was curtailed. My father got a new pistol. Many defensive actions were installed. My Dad decided we needed a dog, He brought home a dog I thought was a farm dog. The dog placed his head on the top of the kitchen table. The dog was named “Pete”. He was a big brown dog. When standing on his rear legs his front two feet were placed on your shoulders. He had a great bark and let you know if anyone was near your property.
A little more information about site will help you to understand the story.
The house front was on south side and exposed to public. It was our street. To the west was a gravel cross street and a heavy wire fence, exposed public. To the north our garage. And to the east, more houses and neighbors.
Pete scared our neighbors. He easily went over fence on west side. So my father installed a heavy wire from the garage to the porch on the back of the house. He put a collar on Pete and a length of chain connecting dog to wire. Pete had freedom of back yard. People walked on other side of cross street so they were not close to dog
This location was in Center Line, Michigan that became a city about 10 years earlier. Our house was at the end of the street. Beyond was a cross street and then open fields.
The back yard was protected with a heavy wire fence. The back of the house had a small elevated porch enclosed with wood panels and two doors, one to the house and the other a stairway house to ground.
The dog tried to show he was friendly. However, when he rushed me he would knock me down. When I was slow getting up once, he grabbed my pants leg and dragged me around the back yard. Once. I became fast and he never got me in a position where I could not get away. I had learned!
The fence helped enclose the back yard. The wood garage provides one side, the fence was on two of the other sides, and the house with porch the other side. Pete loved my Mother. No one went near her if he was around. One time my Mother needed medicine for us and her brother refused to deliver until my Mother held Pete.
No secret. He was smart. Mother fed him I will admit when he stood on his back legs and looked at you, you were careful.
The doctors told my mother that she should go south where it was dry so she could breathe better. So, we went to Arizona. Had to get Pete a new home. My Grandmother had relatives in Canada. They had a farm and it was a good place for the dog. They agreed. So off to Canada went Pete. Sometime later we heard Pete was dead. It appears they didn’t understand the dog. They went to visit the ailing family member. So, a couple days when they got home, they had left Pete outside.
The dog had chewed thru the back door and got into the house. He tore the inside of the house into disaster. Case of the human not understanding the human man or the animal.