hi Rosalind
It is sad that your experiences have caused your fear, but I fully understand why this has affected you. From the age of two, I had incidents which really scared me, including bumble bees, cows, snakes, our own dog who tried to bite me (she was in her whelping box and was only trying to protect herself from a mischievous little girl !) and a Russian Cossack stunt rider! But with the help of my Dad and my husband, I am not scared of much at all now. Certain breeds of dog have a reputation, and it is, sadly, mostly due to the lack of training or care by the owners. Before I attempt to pat a dog I don't know, I will always offer my hand (face down) so they can sniff it. They then know I mean no harm.