Dog.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines this creature as “a domesticated carnivorous mammal that typically has a long snout, an acute sense of smell, and a barking, howling, or whining voice.”

I didn’t always view these magnificent yet goofy animals as bundles of fluff and blops. Their mere presence used to cause me to squish myself to opposite sides of the sidewalk. Sometimes their barks pushed me to cross the street. I avoided any curious sniffs and licks when possible.

The origin of my fear presented itself in the form of a miniature white curly-coated poodle. At the time I was in first or second grade, playing with the stubby legged creature at my father’s friend’s home. I didn’t quite understand that the perpetual mournful expression on the dog’s face was actually its normal resting expression. I thought it needed interaction to be happy and proceeded to wave a sock in front of it. Several times in fact. Eventually the dog stepped up to me and attempted to catch the sock. At least in retrospect I think it was doing that. I still don’t really know what it meant to do. Anyway, its small claws ended up scratching my cheek instead. After a tundra of tears, my newlyfound fears continued on for about ten years.

Then I met Buster.

He padded into my life and apartment with his owner (Darryl) sometime last summer. Darryl warned me beforehand not to be scared even though Buster sometimes tended to bark. Though I doted on corgis and their plump butts on the internet, I never had any real interactions with dogs. I braced myself for any shrill barks. Surprisingly, there were none. Buster actually never did much besides sniffing around in open rooms before showing himself out the front door.

I looked forward to his every visit. Before I knew it, his steady puffs blew away my initial fear of dogs. His presence was calm as his pale soft fur. His humorously austere searches for any dropped grub paved the way for my new opinion on dogs. I now welcome dogs with open arms (though Buster generally ignores me and my affections). It’s got to the point where I actively stare down and take pictures of them on campus. I aspire to have my own furry friend in the future.

Here’s a meme I made of Buster.