May 18, 2011
My puppy was attacked in a dog park. How can I recognize when a dog is going to attack my dog?
Full Question:
I was hoping that you could give me some advice. I have a 5 1/2 month old female GSD (both her parents came from your kennel.) We took her to an agility park last weekend where we were socializing her with an 8 month old 100+lb GSD. The pups were both on leashes when the male suddenly went crazy and attacked our Maddie. She was hollering & trying to get away and the male just wouldn't let up. My husband finally got her away from him and the owner apologized saying that her dog had never behaved like that before & then left the park.Later while we took a good look at Maddie we saw the she had two bite punctures on her belly and a large gash on her outer thigh that ended up needing 3 staples. I know the best thing for me to do is to keep socializing her so that she won't become afraid of other dogs but I am not sure how to choose who I should allow her to socialize with. Maddie is not a dominant dog and wants to play with every dog she sees. Is there any type of body posture (or anything else that I can watch for) to know whether or not a particular dog would be safe for her to socialize with? I would appreciate any advice.
Sincerely,
Ellen
Ed's Answer:
I am afraid the damage is done. You will find that from this point on your dog will look at other dogs in a defensive manner.
I am not a fan of these dog socialization areas - they "ARE STUPID" for the very reason that you have already found out. People with no idea of dog training take their dogs there and they end up having a free for all - many times they fight and the results are that one dog is attacked and hurt.
My advice is to NEVER TAKE YOUR DOG TO A PLACE LIKE THIS AGAIN. Control which dogs your pup is allowed around. Make sure from this point on it is never allowed around an aggressive dog. If you do not know the other dog is passive - then you assume that it is aggressive. If you follow this basic rule you will never make a mistake and your dog will possibly recover.
Pups are pack animals. They expect their pack leader to protect them. You failed your dog this time. It's your responsibility as pack leader to not allow things like this to happen.
My advice is to socialize your dog on a flexi lead and get my video Basic Dog Obedience - read what I have to say about obedience training.
I am not a fan of these dog socialization areas - they "ARE STUPID" for the very reason that you have already found out. People with no idea of dog training take their dogs there and they end up having a free for all - many times they fight and the results are that one dog is attacked and hurt.
My advice is to NEVER TAKE YOUR DOG TO A PLACE LIKE THIS AGAIN. Control which dogs your pup is allowed around. Make sure from this point on it is never allowed around an aggressive dog. If you do not know the other dog is passive - then you assume that it is aggressive. If you follow this basic rule you will never make a mistake and your dog will possibly recover.
Pups are pack animals. They expect their pack leader to protect them. You failed your dog this time. It's your responsibility as pack leader to not allow things like this to happen.
My advice is to socialize your dog on a flexi lead and get my video Basic Dog Obedience - read what I have to say about obedience training.
No ratings yet
Was this Q&A helpful? Let us know!
Can't find what you're looking for?
No ratings yet
Was this Q&A helpful? Let us know!
