My First Bark Break by Janna Abdelaziz
On Thursday, June 18th, I saw a dog and I didn’t run away screaming! I even pet it. I am usually really scared of dogs because mostly… they can bite me and they nearly always chase me.
My first encounter ever with a dog was a horrible one. The dog started barking at me and running after me. It was terrifying! I didn’t know what to do, so I started running, screaming and crying. If the dog was a small one maybe I would have not have reacted this way however, this one was huge! Although I admit I was not that comfortable with dogs even before that incident, from that moment forward my fear resurfaced every time I saw or heard another dog.
However, that all changed when on Thursday my friend convinced me to go see the St. John’s therapy dogs in the Hayden Library! In the beginning I was not convinced I wanted to be there. In fact, I was really scared because there were too many dogs in one place for me.
With great hesitation, I entered the library and approached the dogs. The first dog I saw was Bella, a golden retriever. She became the first dog I ever pet in my life or even came that close to. The most surprising thing for me was that she did not lunge at me or even bark. She was still and quiet. I was expecting a lot of movement but she was so calm and I was surprised at how soft she was. Just as I was starting to breathe and let the nerves out, one of my friends intentionally jumped out at me! I jumped and screamed but Bella… laid there. She was perfectly fine! Unaffected by our antics, she didn’t even bark!
On Friday, I went again and this time, I was willing to approach the great dane named Leto. On the first day, I was so scared just because of her majestic size. She weighs 120 lbs, the size of many Hayden students! I almost let my fear get the best of me but then, I mustered up all the courage that I had and when up to her. I soon realized she was big but not scary. She even seemed to like me. Her ears felt like velvet. She laid down on her back exposing her belly so I gave her a belly rub and she just laid there… doing nothing. I could feel my fear melt away.
Honestly, Bella, Leto, all the St. John’s dogs are so different. It is obvious that they are trained to be nice, quiet and calm. If you are scared of dogs, you need to go see them when they return during exams next year! Surprising to me, I am looking forward to seeing them again!
A special thanks to the each of the gracious owners who got up early to share their pets with us and of course, to our guests of honour: Leto, Chica, Denver, Charlie, Bella, Demi, Lexie and Dudley. Much appreciation goes to Cory for helping our Hayden staff organize this event.
The Hayden Howl 
June 28, 2015 at 11:47 am
This is a beautiful story. I have owned a dog throughout all my life, and can’t imagine being without my best friend. It is heartwarming to know that St. John’s helped Janna minimize her fears by experiencing a calm, enjoyable connection with the dogs at the Library. St. John’s is providing a wonderful service!
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