[get here late? read pt 1, pt 2, pt 3 or pt 4]

Six days.

That’s how long she had. Six days to miraculously shed her violent nature & become the great dog I thought for sure she would become.

(It’s really easy to slip back in denial when your heart is breaking.)

But each night before our walk, I would check out front for anyone or anything before taking Libby out. I knew I couldn’t risk it.

This past Monday night the coast was clear. And in the span of heading back in, putting the leash on Libby & heading back out the door, two little boys had gone outside to play.

Two little half Korean, half American boys who I know for a fact speak & understand English.

They’re maybe 5 & 3?…I don’t know. I’m horrible at ages – but they’re young.

Too young to be outside in the middle of our complex drive at almost dark playing without any kind of supervision.

I watched as they moved farther & farther down from us and when I thought it was safe enough, Libby & I walked out the door.

I had a tight grip on her. I had her attention directed away from them. I was going to run her out the front gate. That was the plan.

What I didn’t have, was any control over those boys.

Just as we turned away from them I heard one scream, “DOOOGGGGIIIEEEEE!”

Fudge….they’re running towards us.

I scooped Libby up & made a dash for the door.

But they had already positioned themselves between us & it. So I put on my best stern mommy voice & said something to the effect of,

“Stop! Stop right there! Don’t you come any closer. You NEVER walk up to a strange dog without asking permission first. You don’t know this puppy & she doesn’t know you. You two go back home right this instant!”

Libby squirmed a bit but remarkably she was still calm.

But the boys…spoiled kings of the complex that they are…walked closer.

FUDGE!

I kept at it - “go away, go home, stop, don’t you dare come any closer” – all those mean, old lady phrases.

I managed to get them to back up away from our door just as Libby began to growl at them & we ran back inside.

So let me just take a moment here to point out a great cultural difference I’ve noticed between American children & Korean children.

Every American child I’ve ever met when walking dogs over the years has always asked first – “can I pet your dog?” And when I say no (for whatever reason) they always respect that.

Korean children don’t ask. In fact, they tend to run right up to them with their sticky little fingers reaching out for them. And I have to remind myself that Korea is not really a dog culture & they have no clue how to behave around them.

I’ve also noticed that Korean children tend to be spoiled completely until they hit school age. Then it’s hours & hours on end of school and the expectation to excel takes over.

We got back in the house. I railed to Eric about the absurdity of two boys being outside at night and NOT listening to what an adult had to say.

We waited 15 minutes before they went back in & finally we went on our walk. After such a rough start, the walk went fairly well. No issues. But as we got closer to the complex I heard them.

The boys were back out. This time with their Korean mother.

@%&#$* Fudge!

So we kept walking – right past the complex, down the road – we just had to buy a little time. She looked like she was gathering them up for the night since it was just about dark.

As we got a good distance down the narrow one lane road, I looked back to see the mom ushering the boys, on big wheels & push trucks, out the gate and down the road towards us. And Libby began to bark & growl.

Are you @%&#$* kidding me?! @%&#$* FUDGE IT!

The mom looked up to see me restraining Libby, see Libby going crazy and…KEPT – WALKING – TOWARDS – US.

This was my worst nightmare – a woman with two young children walking towards the barking, growling, almost out of control dog.

I wedged Libby as far back as I could off the road – not taking my eyes off of her for a split second. I had to keep her under control & if that meant I got bit another ten times, so be it.

I called out to the mom, letting her know that this dog wasn’t safe – that she needed to turn back. But she wouldn’t. She didn’t. She kept coming.

By the time she was even with us I just about had all my body weight on top of Libby & I couldn’t look up. I had to hold her back.

I expected to hear a sudden change in her voice - a sense of urgency to get the boys away from us when she finally realized I was being serious.

But there wasn’t any change. She was completely clueless & calm – slowly taking her boys on a walk after dark.

Who the @%&#$* does that?!?

And then they were past us & I raced Libby home.

That was day 3.