Now, if you politic door to door, you're gonna meet some dogs, and dogs are a lot like people. You're gonna meet all kinds! So it occurred to me to tell you a few of my remembrances of some of the dogs I met on the campaign trail in Pickens County. I don't remember much about the 1980 race - except that I recall a lady telling me she couldn't vote for me because I had a mustache, and that it was the only race in which I got bit by a dog. I remember that these folks had a St. Bernard, and a little dog perhaps a little smaller than a Chihuahua. Well, the little dog was the one that bit me, but he was so small his little teeth couldn't penetrate my pants leg deep enough to get to the real me. That was my only dog bite episode, in three contested elections, but there were some other times when I came awful close!

I will never forget my most frightening encounter with dogs. It was in '86, when I visited every house in Pickens County, and then started over and visited about a third of them a second time. One day I was traveling a sparsely populated dirt road between Liberty and Bethlehem, and turned off onto a dead end dirt road, at the end of which was an old clapboard farm house and a large pack of hounds. Well, I never once failed to put a card in someone's door just because of a mean dog, and I was determined to do so this time, even though I was confronted by a large number of them, all of whom quickly let me know that I wasn't welcome there, at least not by them - and they were the only ones at home! 

I imagine it was about fifty or sixty feet from my car to the front porch of that house, and these dogs were contesting every foot of ground. Before I knew it, I was surrounded like Custer at Little Big Horn, and every one of those hounds was snarling, with bared teeth, like they meant business! The worst thing a person can do when in such a situation is to turn their back on the dog, but in this case there were too many dogs, so that no matter what direction I faced, I had dogs behind me. The other thing you never want to do in such situations, by the way, is to show fear, or attempt to flee. I wasn't about to flee anyway, because I had a mission: to put one of  my campaign cards in the screen door of that house. So, what to do?

Here's what I did: I surveyed the pack of hounds and quickly determined which one was the leader. Dogs are pack animals, and any pack of dogs has a leader. It didn't take long to figure out who that leader was, and then  I kept eye contact with him, ignoring the others, and never turning my back to him. I figured that none of the others would attack except at his signal, and I was right. I walked up the steps to that old porch, placed a card in the screen door, descended the steps and walked back to the car, all the while focusing on that one dog, who wanted to attack but wouldn't, because dogs like to attack from the rear and I never gave him that opportunity. I have often thought what would have happened to me if I had not kept my cool, and a clear head, way out there in the middle of nowhere and with not a soul within two or three miles to render aide. 

Another incident I clearly recall was down at McShan. I had gotten out of my car and was approaching a mobile home when a huge German Shepherd came out from under that trailer. He was obviously not just another German Shepherd, but was the very picture of viciousness. And I knew he meant business. Just then, a man opened the door to that trailer and said "Don't move! He's a trained attack dog and he'll tear you to pieces." Well, I did as I was told! Then the man turned his attention to the dog, and essentially told him to "stand down", which the dog immediately did, returning to his cool spot under the house and offering no more offense. I then approached the door and asked the man for his vote, which he said I had. I imagine I was the only political candidate who ever made it to that door, as most folks would have decided skipping just one house wouldn't hurt their chances too much! The fellow probably didn't even vote.

Not all dog encounters are adversarial, however, and one of the funniest things that ever happened to me while going door to door occurred in Reform, Alabama. I pulled up to the carport of a house and got out, whereupon I was greeted by a Great Dane. If you know anything about Great Danes, you know they are very big and very tall, and that they are very playful and friendly, but can knock you down by sheer accident. Well, this fellow wanted to play, and was so actively writhing around me that I couldn't get to the door to leave a card. Suddenly, the solution occurred to me: I gave the dog a campaign card, which he took in his mouth and then retreated to the back yard with it. You'd have thought I gave him a ham  bone, so proud he was to have that card! 

Another funny encounter I had with a dog was in the '98 campaign. I believe we were somewhere in the Springhill area, and my older daughter was driving for me. We came to a house which had a drive ending quite some distance from the house, so that it was a fairly long walk to the front door. As soon as we pulled up, a huge yellow lab came out to greet us. Obviously, I was not concerned about this big fellow, he being a lab, and sure enough he just wanted some attention. All the way to the door of the house, I was petting him on the head, as he wanted. Putting a card in the door, I headed back to the car, the dog right beside me, when suddenly he reached over and took my entire left hand in his mouth! My first thought was that he was biting me, and I said "What are you doing?!" But immediately I realized that he was just saying "Don't go. Stay with me and play a while." It was a startling but  funny experience, and one I have enjoyed recalling innumerable times.

I could relate several more such experiences but these are my favorites. Just be advised that if you ever decide to run for public office, especially in a rural place like Pickens County, Alabama, you're gonna meet about as many dogs as people!

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