It breaks my heart when people have bad experiences with dogs. There are so many good dogs that could easily change your mind, but can never change what you’ve gone through.
Since you have been with dogs before, i think volunteering at a shelter could help. These dogs are temperament tested, and any dogs that are rough to handle or haven’t been tested yet are usually off limits to volunteers.
It is important to know, though, that there are dogs that should be feared. You should never mindlessly approach a strange dog, or handle a strange dog, without caution. Dogs never attack for no reason, or without warning. So it’s critical to always read a dog’s body language when approaching, and know that not every dog can be touched.
I also want to point out that dogs being “dominant” and you being the “leader” is not correct, and could land you in a dangerous situation. There is a difference between being confident and being a threat. Looming over a dog and “putting them in their place” can backfire on you and, in general, shouldn’t be your relationship with any dog.
Lastly, I urge you to reconsider how you read a dog’s signals. I personally have worked with dogs for the past 8 years; I’ve worked with injured dogs in ER situations, packs of dogs, border patrol k-9s that you’re not allowed to touch, and have even broken up dog fights – I have never once been bitten or attacked. I cannot say that you’ve done anything wrong, or anything to provoke an attack, because I haven’t seen these instances, but I think it would help to perhaps shadow a dog trainer, check out a dog daycare, watch dog signal videos, and ditch the dominance theory.
I sincerely hope you give dogs another chance. There are thousands out there who would love to be your friend ❤️