One of my biggest fears ocurred today on our walk

[KarenCurtis]

Yes I have a problem with Pitt Bulls here too. A great many of them are owned by irresponsible people who are just interested in a status dog. So I find its better to play it safe if I see any around. We have had several dog deaths in the last few years from pitt bull attacks. I am also wary of Staffys, Cattle Dogs and Huskys that come running toward us. I've had too many run ins with these types of dogs and have already been through 3 dog attacks with Tully and I dont think either of us could handle it again (can't afford the vet and behaviourist costs again anyway)

I carry a chuck-it stick most of the time when I walk the dogs. I have on many occassion smacked a dog with it, or held it out to keep them from getting too close or jumping on the dogs or me (I have vertigo). When I dont carry a chuckit (usually because I'm not expectng other dogs around) I have a lawyers bodkin (aka a pig stabber) - "no officer its not a concealed weapon its a letter opening". I do this as much for my own safety.

I think that I will use the other entrance to the trails in the conservation area where there are more people- and more help, and stay in the wide open spaces. I will also read that article, and carry a stick! Too bad that I have to.
Karen

 

[KarenCurtis]

I think the pepper spray idea is a great idea. I will do that from now on as well. It truly aggravates me when I see people walking their dogs w/o leashes when the law clearly states that dogs should always be on leashes as long as it is an understood off-leash area like at the dog park. No matter how docile, obedient, or safe you may think your dog is, it doesn't matter...be considerate and keep the leash on for the sake of others. Anyway, here's something I read about protecting yourself and your dog from an off-leash dog that I found very informative http://dogbreedinfo.com/articles/dogwalkattacks.htm.

I read this- it's good! I will try to use it! I will also read the other one from JusticeMom
Karen

 

[KarenCurtis]

Phobias are hard to deal with. We know they maybe unfounded in the situation and that our fear might be unreasonable to some yet we can't help it. Due to trauma, training or experience. We can not help it. It is involutary.

I myself have a fear of GSD not just any GSD but really light tan ones with a black saddle. I was bitten unprovoked in the face by one, the dog latched on to the left side of my face and I had to peel him off with my hands. As I dropped him he bit me in the hands. It was presidents day 1999. I still hear the growl in my ear, the pressure(not pain on my face) on my jaw. My vision is black ,my hearts races and I break out in sweat at the sight of the above described GSD. For 3 yrs I could not work with such a dog because of my nervousness. I caused them to distrust me. I have gotten to the point that I can calm myself and deal with my fear. I had to or I never would have done it. But it always starts before I can control it. If I was surprised by a light tan GSD with a black saddle charging at me I can tell you that I would be very scared and react even if others saw no threat. I really do like GSD, rotts ,pitts and dobermans. All the dogs with the bad media rap. I am the vet that all the other vets get to handle the scary dogs. I try to go on indivdual dog rather then breed. Because I can tell you Pits are not even in my top 10.

That being said I have zero tolerance for unrude out of control dogs and their owners, regardless of breed. The dog needs to be under voice control 100% or on leash. Charging strange dogs and people is just plain rude and if the other dog is reactive there is going to be big trouble. I had an reactive dog who was very civilized unless a dog got into her face(a 2 -3 ft circle). At that point your dog might not have a face anymore if I didn't stop her. Then whose fault would it be. I never let her off leash and she had a great recall. I carry direct stop(like pepper spray) and would not hestitate to use it if I felt it was needed. I have never used it but came close once.

I think reading this article says it better then me way it is not good to let strange dogs run up into your dogs face or for you to let your dog run up in the face of a strange dog.

http://flyingdogpress.com/content/view/42/70/

I have put back togther too many dogs(on both sides of the issue) who's owner said I thought he was friendly. Off leash areas like a dog park it is an assumed risk and another story.

Thankyou, I will read this, absolutely. I love GSD's and hope I never meet a scary one.
Karen

 

[Toffee's Mom]

...

It is really the owners I don't trust who have Pitbulls- except for maybe one owner - who will remain nameless, but he has a T.V. show, um, which I may watch tonight. Okay that's enough of that,
Karen

rotflmao

You just had me sputtering my coffee through my nose, hehehehehe
I didn't expect such a laugh in this thread, hahaha was unexpected

 

[tofu pup]

I think reading this article says it better then me way it is not good to let strange dogs run up into your dogs face or for you to let your dog run up in the face of a strange dog.

http://flyingdogpress.com/content/view/42/70/

This is a fantastic article, and I can't recommend it enough. It really articulates well the "rude dog" issue.

My big theory is that dogs in our society are raised in isolation... they get lots and lots of contact with humans, and they know all about how that works, but they get no worthwhile exposure to other dogs as part of a functioning group (tearing around with other youngsters once a week at a dog park or puppy class doesn't seem to cut it). They've never had a boss bitch snap at them, and they've never learned boundaries or the warning signs that other dogs give. All they know how to do is wiggle up and get in the other dog's face.

 

[Smudge]

Your worst fear is my worst fear, too. I used to not be afraid of dogs. Oddly enough, I am also afraid of dark colored dogs. I don't know why, but they also scare me. Being attacked by a mastif changed my mind, and now everytime I see a mastiff, pit bull, great dane, or any large dog, I become terrified. It becomes even more terrifying when you are faced with not only protecting yourself, but trying to protect your dog at the same time. It's not an easy task.

I actually did ask about the leash law not long ago. My friend had a shih tzu who was seriously injured by an aggressive great dane. The dog has been fighting for it's life for a few months now. The great dane tore it up. Anyway, since we do not live inside the city limits you are not required to have your dog kept up here or on a leash. However, the police said if a stray dog is in your yard and messing with your animals it is your right to get the animal off of your property by any means you see fit. So that means if Miss Fluff jumps the fence and decides to pay the lab down the street a visit they can shoot her the minute she walks onto their property, and I can't do a thing about it, because they can claim she was terrorizing their animals.

There is a ban on pit bulls a few towns over. It is ALWAYS the people who should not own these types of animals that seems to have them.

I think people should have to take a dog ownership course before owning a dog. It should apply to all breeds.

 

[Lahree]

That article was a complete eye-opener! Wow! It made me realize a lot about Ellie's behavior around the BAD DOGS. No wonder she got sassy back with them. She'd reached her limit on getting harassed every time she goes past their yard! I have also learned alot about her body language and how to read it and how to help her. I have had a huge learning curve in the past week and a half. BIG. I think I can really help Ellie now because I am educating myself more and more about dog behavior.

 

[SheltieChe]

This is a fantastic article, and I can't recommend it enough. It really articulates well the "rude dog" issue.

My big theory is that dogs in our society are raised in isolation... they get lots and lots of contact with humans, and they know all about how that works, but they get no worthwhile exposure to other dogs as part of a functioning group (tearing around with other youngsters once a week at a dog park or puppy class doesn't seem to cut it). They've never had a boss bitch snap at them, and they've never learned boundaries or the warning signs that other dogs give. All they know how to do is wiggle up and get in the other dog's face.

it is a great theory IMHO and very correct one. too many dogs grow up with their owner as a company and have no clue how to be around other dogs.... The article is excellent one, it confirmed many ideas I arrived on my own...
... if it was left to me Che would have been neurotic sheltie for sure trying to prevent him from this and that in pooch park.... some altercations do look dangerous even when deep down I understood they were not....
trying to control Che when some obnoxious bratty dog was getting in his face is not a good idea as my hubby pointed out a while ago...
... noticing that we got paired up with rude pup and no clue owner during agility class should have been a large letter message for me and I could have unobtrusively moved us to safer place as opposed to letting her dog get into Che face one too many times and Che going over his treshold and getting zoomies around the class....
when that big dog charged at us full speed across the street and I had no clue what to do- all I had to see my pup making a playbow- he KNEW dog running across the street to us was a friendly one...

 

[labgirl]

The Pitbull didn't do anything when he came running to us- I think he was just curious. I am too afraid of them (and what they can do to other dogs) to allow this, I feel bad about it, but unless I can fully trust a Pitbull owner I cannot get over this fear of them. Maybe this owner did know his dog wasn't dangerous, but when he said "take it easy" to his dog I was wary.

I use the phrase "be nice" when Cadbury sniffs another dog, I actually don't mean a lot by it, its not a particular command I've just gotten used to saying it! Some people might think it means sometimes my dog isn't nice, which isn't the case

I've read through this thread and I do feel for people who have encountered scary dogs - I have. But I made a policy with Cadbury to judge every dog individually, not by breed, I still do that even with dogs I am wary of (GSDs and BCs) and I shall do the same with Sheltie pup. It has certainly been an eye-opener, especially as so many of the 'nice breed' dogs have proved to be the nasty ones!

These days I can tell what a dog is going to be like by the way it responds to Cadbury. Last puppy playgroup there was an incredibly nervous Goldie pup. I didn't let Cadbury approach it (though actually Cadbury is one of the best socialisers for a nervous pup there is) but waited until it felt confident enough to approach him.

I've also seen dogs that go rigid when they see me coming with Cadbury - those are the dogs that are going to bark, growl or snap, and I avoid them.

As for 100% recall, maybe it is different with Shelties, but I have yet to meet a dog that you can guarantee 100% recall in every situation. Even breeds such as BCs I have seen fail their recall for whatever reason.

Owning a lab who can have selective hearing it is hard. I visit the park when it is empty, but even so I can be caught out.

I do agree that dogs are raised too much in isolation these days, but the answer to that is to make sure our own dogs are very well socialised so they can deal with dogs that aren't.

 

[RonandJan]

Karen, I hope that I can jump in here and not upset you by sidetracking the thread a bit (and AGAIN!), but I have a question and it really works here rather than starting up a new thread and having to reference this one.

I ran into a mess last night at the ball field with MMM and after reading the above article, I handled it horribly and owe MMM a huge apology. But even after reading I am not sure how I should have handled it and would like insight.

Here is the scenario:

MMM is number one, not feeling the best.

#2 had just been in a long down/stay (about 30 minutes)

#3 in a pissy mood because of #1 and #2 and has not been properly exercised. He had not played with Teddy, and had missed his 30 minutes of training. So he had pent up energy.

So this was his state of mind. I was fairly relaxed as we had been watching baseball.

As we were leaving, MMM was healing nicely, going along, looking back over his shoulder checking in with me, as he should, when out of my right eye this 5 year little girl and little spit of a dog (4 lbs full grown) come flying at us. The dog is on a retractable leash (I hate those) and it is extended the full 20 feet and the dog is pulling the child and there isn't a parent in siight. McKinley went BALLISTIC. Tried to back out of his collar(which he has never tried to do before) then he lunged forward, barking wildly, at which point, I said NO to MMM and made him sit and settle down. Now Ron did intervene and made the child and dog retreat and found a parent, but MMM got a stern NO and a watch me and a behave yourself.

Now my gut instinct was WHERE IS THE REAL OWNER OF THIS DOG and THIS DOG AND CHILD ARE RUDE, but yet MMM bore the brunt of the other's rudeness.

But my question is, what should I have done. I couldn't have left MMM and the little dog and child make contact. This is my biggest fear, so to speak, children and little pissy dogs!

What was the correct response to this situation?