Safe

A few days ago, I was walking home from my office. It was a beautiful, sunny day, so I thought that instead of just walking straight home I’d go down to the harbor and enjoy the view. Now, my dog Jack comes with me to work everyday. Jack’s a Double Doodle: half Goldendoodle, half Labradoodle. In other words he’s a fairly big black dog.

As I was walking, I came across a group of tourists – identifiable by the cameras slung round their necks. One of the tourists – a man with olive skin, dark hair, and an accent that might have been Spanish – made a comment that I’ve never heard before while walking my dog, though I’ve certainly thought it. Most people say, “oh what a pretty dog,” or “is it a poodle?” but this man said, “you must feel very protected.”

“You must feel very protected.” How do you respond to a comment like that? My first response was to laugh and say, “yeah, I guess I do.” And I kept walking. But for the last few days I haven’t been able to get those words out of my head. “You must feel very protected.” What am I protected from? Several sinister scenarios play through my head, none of which are likely to happen in the broad daylight, in a small town, where the police blotter consists of traffic violations and jaywalking. But I know what that man meant, it’s something that’s occurred to me before: that by walking down the street with a big black dog I become a less viable target for any number of attacks.

But at the same time, I can’t help laughing at the absurdity of it all. Jack, my protection? He’s probably the worst guard dog imaginable. He loves people. He has yet to meet a person he didn’t love. I only hope that if I ever come across a truly sinister person he’ll sense it in the way dogs do and overcome his chronic amiability. But in the meantime, Jack’s very presence is a deterrent; anyone hoping to attack me would first have to contend with the dog. (It’s the same theory behind dogs as anti-theft systems – the barking may make the thief stop and think and maybe even think better of breaking into your home.)

While I can’t help but laugh at the idea of Jack being my protector, I also can’t help but feel a little sad at the implication that a woman is in danger if she goes on a walk by herself. And it’s not just an implication. It’s a fact. A woman on her own is a target. She shouldn’t be, but she is. And I don’t know if there’s anything I can do about that, except to keep sharing my experiences. But there’s one thing I do know: a woman shouldn’t need protection walking down the street in her own neighborhood. It shouldn’t even be a thought that occurs to her.

Thank you for reading.