A Vent

[Tentapride]

I have an 8mo shy pup who I have been working with at home and out and about to improve his confidence levels and trust around other dogs. So I determine he is finally ready to start at a club. I enroll talk to the instructors to let them know that I need to stay on the outside of a class as my boy in nervous. I've trained and trialled before so I was asked to start my boy in the 3rd level class. I thought great more stable dogs and they recognised I knew what I was doing and would not push my dog past what he could do. I also requested an identifier that the club uses to indicate to others that my dog was not to be crowded (it was not to indicate that my dog or any dog was agreesive) I thought great my dog can integrate into a class over a period of time at a level he was comfortable with.

Then the worst happens a couple of dogs from a higher level class break free and run through my class. I was at my dogs side to reasure him and as he started to freak I picked him up for safety sake as the situation was deteriorating rapidly. only to have him set on by another dog in the class. I now have my previously shy boy absolutely terrified of other dogs and the obedience situation. He has a nice hole in his side, that is being treated, but its the phycological damage that is the worst. Things could have been so much worse if I hadn't recognised the dangerous situation and took preventative measures as quickly as I did. My boy was in my arms when the other dog lunged and I barely escaped myself from having my arm bitten but luckily I was twisting away at the time of the attack.

What was worse is when I accused the dog of attacking the owner had the hide to say I misread his dog and he has never hurt another dog. When I showed him the hole in my dog he quickly back peddled and will be paying for vet treatment.

Now I need to decide whether to lodge an agressive dog report with the relevent council. I know other actions probably led to the attack but there was no cause to lash out at my dog who was in my arms and showing no signs of anything other than fear.

The breed involved is one that has a bad rep but even if it had been a chi I would still be contemplating the same thing. If this dog had got a hold I am afraid my beautiful boy would be in very serious trouble.

[aussielover]

Was your dog vocalising at the time you picked him up?

I am afraid some dogs that are generally good natured and "would never hurt another dog" are stimulated by a squealing dog being picked up... the dog thinks it is a game or a prey item. Although I am not in anyway condonng the dogs reaction, it is something that obvoiusly needs to be dealt with - perhaps the dog had not encountered such a situation before?

At least the owner recognised his dog DID do damage and has offered to pay for treatment, which is more than most people do.

I'm not sure I would jump straight to a council report.

I'd me more tempted to take the matter up with the owner and the club directly.

The instructors should be able to tell you if the dog has ever shown aggression to another dog. If it has then the club itself have acted irresponsibly (dog should never have been off lead and not muzzled) and I would not be returning and would then consider council action.

If it was the first time, you could insist that this dog is muzzled and on lead around your dog when training and the dog is assessed by a behaviourist for its risk to hurting other dogs.

[OSoSwift]

I would take it up with the owner and the club first.

If the owner and club do not implement measures to ensure it doesn't happene again I would let the other option be known. Make sure you have photos of your dogs wounds.

What Aussielover has suggested sounds the right way to go to me.

I have heard cases where a club hasn't dealt with it effectively and the same dog has done the same thing 3 times resulting in a dog that was that traumatised it could not retrieve a dumbell with another dog withing cooee.

I recently had an incident - not wounds though - where I was in the middle of doing jumping training when a dog came out of nowhere, went passed two other dogs waiting for there turn and T-boned my dog at top speed. She sent him flying, winded him and he landed a good three feet from where he started. How he did not injure himself badly I really do not know.

The owner of the dog was taken aside and spoken to, educated.

In this incident her mother had turned upa nd she let the dog off lead (outside class and when the dog should not have been off lead, and it was known as not reliable off lead) to say hello to her mother. The dog ran in the opposite direction to line my dog up and take him out, when I grabbed him she then came back to try and stand over him (I was ont he ground with him) I sent her on her way.

My dog is very soft and I was very worried about long term metal trauma but we seem to be okay although a friends dog whom he knows trotted towards him when we were out yesterday and he saw her and ducked very quickly out of her way when she wasn't going to go up to him.

Good luck with your now very traumatised boy and I hope the owner and club handle the incident appropriately.

Edited November 6, 2011 by OSoSwift

[Tentapride]

Was your dog vocalising at the time you picked him up?

I am afraid some dogs that are generally good natured and "would never hurt another dog" are stimulated by a squealing dog being picked up... the dog thinks it is a game or a prey item. Although I am not in anyway condonng the dogs reaction, it is something that obvoiusly needs to be dealt with - perhaps the dog had not encountered such a situation before?

At least the owner recognised his dog DID do damage and has offered to pay for treatment, which is more than most people do.

I'm not sure I would jump straight to a council report.

I'd me more tempted to take the matter up with the owner and the club directly.

The instructors should be able to tell you if the dog has ever shown aggression to another dog. If it has then the club itself have acted irresponsibly (dog should never have been off lead and not muzzled) and I would not be returning and would then consider council action.

If it was the first time, you could insist that this dog is muzzled and on lead around your dog when training and the dog is assessed by a behaviourist for its risk to hurting other dogs.

No my dog did not vocalise in any way what so ever. I fully understand the concept of prey instinct and drive. It was purely an unprovoked attack. The dog continued on in the class after the incident. I intend on making a written complaint to the club and making a formal request that this dog is appropriately muzzled and not allowed off lead at any time. I believe the owner had dropped the lead as the class was in a 1 minute sit /down stay at the time.

[aussielover]

Was your dog vocalising at the time you picked him up?

I am afraid some dogs that are generally good natured and "would never hurt another dog" are stimulated by a squealing dog being picked up... the dog thinks it is a game or a prey item. Although I am not in anyway condonng the dogs reaction, it is something that obvoiusly needs to be dealt with - perhaps the dog had not encountered such a situation before?

At least the owner recognised his dog DID do damage and has offered to pay for treatment, which is more than most people do.

I'm not sure I would jump straight to a council report.

I'd me more tempted to take the matter up with the owner and the club directly.

The instructors should be able to tell you if the dog has ever shown aggression to another dog. If it has then the club itself have acted irresponsibly (dog should never have been off lead and not muzzled) and I would not be returning and would then consider council action.

If it was the first time, you could insist that this dog is muzzled and on lead around your dog when training and the dog is assessed by a behaviourist for its risk to hurting other dogs.

No my dog did not vocalise in any way what so ever. I fully understand the concept of prey instinct and drive. It was purely an unprovoked attack. The dog continued on in the class after the incident. I intend on making a written complaint to the club and making a formal request that this dog is appropriately muzzled and not allowed off lead at any time. I believe the owner had dropped the lead as the class was in a 1 minute sit /down stay at the time.

I would also suggest that you encourage the owner to see a behavoiurist or get the club to encourage the owner to see a behaviourist, as unprovoked attacks on other dogs are not acceptable.

I hope your dog is ok and recovers quickly both physically and physcologically.

[Tentapride]

Was your dog vocalising at the time you picked him up?

I am afraid some dogs that are generally good natured and "would never hurt another dog" are stimulated by a squealing dog being picked up... the dog thinks it is a game or a prey item. Although I am not in anyway condonng the dogs reaction, it is something that obvoiusly needs to be dealt with - perhaps the dog had not encountered such a situation before?

At least the owner recognised his dog DID do damage and has offered to pay for treatment, which is more than most people do.

I'm not sure I would jump straight to a council report.

I'd me more tempted to take the matter up with the owner and the club directly.

The instructors should be able to tell you if the dog has ever shown aggression to another dog. If it has then the club itself have acted irresponsibly (dog should never have been off lead and not muzzled) and I would not be returning and would then consider council action.

If it was the first time, you could insist that this dog is muzzled and on lead around your dog when training and the dog is assessed by a behaviourist for its risk to hurting other dogs.

No my dog did not vocalise in any way what so ever. I fully understand the concept of prey instinct and drive. It was purely an unprovoked attack. The dog continued on in the class after the incident. I intend on making a written complaint to the club and making a formal request that this dog is appropriately muzzled and not allowed off lead at any time. I believe the owner had dropped the lead as the class was in a 1 minute sit /down stay at the time.

I would also suggest that you encourage the owner to see a behavoiurist or get the club to encourage the owner to see a behaviourist, as unprovoked attacks on other dogs are not acceptable.

I hope your dog is ok and recovers quickly both physically and physcologically.

Thankyou the physical damage will heel quickly its the phschological damage that is of most concern. He still hasn't lifted his tail from between his legs. Poor baby is just scared witless and wary of everything even my other dogs but he is starting to relax a little around them. I only have the young guys out with him not the more boistrous of my bunch just yet.

[pie]

Poor little man

[ktig]

Poor little guy. This is exactly what happened with my last dog. He is a knee high terrier cross, white in colour and was always a bit of a magnet for aggressive dogs. He was a timid dog to start with as he was a rescue and we had a dog in another class who got loose and came straight for him. Thankfully my instructor was very quick on her feet and we separated the two before any physical damage occurred. The pschological damage is another matter. He is okay with dogs he knows or has had a chance to suss out, but strange dogs, particularly those running loose make him VERY nervous and snappy. I have to be so vigilant with him all the time. It's such a shame. The owner of the dog in question was fantastic and very apologetic, and a lot of education ensued. I now have a puppy and we've just started obedience and I'm so aware of what other dogs are doing, after having this happen to one of my dogs I never want to have to have a pup put in this position again. Hope your little guy heals and regains his confidence quickly.

[B-Q]

How stressful.

This is my biggest fear with Quinn. She's very shy with dogs as it is and it worries me what a bad experience could do, she particularily doesn't like offleash dogs, they make her nervous after being rushed by a few.

I suppose I'm lucky that she seems to be able to recognise training environments as safe places and gets very confident and full of herself.