I was wondering if anybody else out there with a history of working with aggressive dogs ever gets scared. Last weekend I was certifying a very nice English Mastiff as a therapy dog and I was definitely tense when I was testing its temperment. I can act calm and matter of fact, but I know and the dog knows it's an act.

The problem is that it was a perfectly nice Mastiff, but after many years of accumulated experiences--2 yrs as a veterinary assistant in the Bronx (lots of pit bulls and guard dogs), a long history with breed rescue and working with aggressive dogs, and about 10 years in OB, tracking, and therapy dogs--I get alot more nervous than I did in my twenties. I'm now in my forties.

For the record, I've never received a serious bite, however, in my case this has certainly been due to luck.
Any experience or advice would be welcome.

Hi Molly - what is it that is making you nervous? You said it was a perfectly nice dog, and what was it you were certifying the dog in? A CGC or something?

I have only been in GSD rescue for about 3 years, and am definitely not a trainer or a pro, but I do get called for dogs who are deemed *unadoptable* in shelters. When they are local (I don't drive) I assess them myself, if they are way out of my area I have some fosters and dog savvy pals who do it for me. Many are just loons in a shelter cage, *barrier frustration* as some call it. I don't get scared, but I wonder what it is that is bothering you, and what kind of signs you are getting that make you afraid. Is it the breed? The size? Some type of behavior?

Hi Lauren:

I was certifying the dog as a therapy dog. The only thing that was making me nervous was the knowledge that as I was tugging on its ears and inspecting its paws it could have easily fit my little head into its enormous mouth.

I think that I'm at a point where I have such a healthy respect for any dogs ability to do damage, if so inclined, that I am always partly braced for the worst. It constantly amazes me to watch pet owners take their dogs for granted ignoring growls or obvious other warning behaviors.

Even doing my best to avoid dangerous situations and taking reasonable precautions there is always that one situation that pops up. It gets very tempting to just stay with my dog club pals overly socialized extremely well trained docile (and often slightly dumb) dogs. But then I get a phone call about a stray injured dog that somebody has cornered in his barn...

I guess I was just wondering if anybody else was at the point of realizing that Lassie is usually a product of denial and Cujo (spelling?) is all to often the reality.

Thanks

Molly,
The longer I train aggressive dogs, the more I have come to realize just how badly injured I could be someday. I'd be surprised if that isn't the same for most dog trainers.

However, the longer you train, the better you become at reading the signs that a dog has reached his limit and is now in the "I'm going to bite you" mode. So experience eventually does offer a degree of protection from these types of injuries.

There have been some top level dog trainers that have had devastating, career ending injuries result from dog bites - Jo Ann Plumb immediately comes to mind.

But I get bit less training aggressive dogs then I did for the one year period that I worked as a vet tech. And most of the bad bites that occured in that situation were from smaller dogs with no training.
Man, was I glad to leave that job, although it did teach me a lot about handling smaller breeds, which I needed to learn back then.

Hi Will,

Thanks

Molly - I know exactly what you are talking about. I, too, have worked as a vet tech, and was always more leary of the little dogs than the big dogs. I always felt like I was going to hurt them if I held them too hard - but if I eased up on them they would turn and snap! One memorable patient was a 225 pound Mastiff. He was a nice dog, too - never gave any of us a problem. But he never wagged his tail - he just stared at me. I did my exam of him; teeth, ears, took his temp and almost lost the thermometer.... Anyway, the whole time he just kept looking at me, and it was making me very nervous, too! I think it is just because they are so big - even if he just stepped on my toe, it would hurt. So I know what you are saying - the more dogs I get to know, the more cautious I become. And then there's always that one dumb moment when I'm not paying attention, and I realize my face is inches away from the face of some dog I barely know...

Like you, I have never received a serious bite - from a dog. Cats are a whole 'nother story! Talk about hurt.

My cat was just diagnosed with feline diabetes. Apparently, she took issue with them taking her blood samples. She now has a big orange CAUTION sticker on her chart. I couldn't help but laugh (mostly to myself because from the look of the vet's and tech's hands they wouldn't have appreciated it)since she's 12 years old and doesn't have her front claws. I guess she's a scrapper. She must have good fight drive. I wonder if it's too late to train her as a SchutzKatz? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

It's almost a guarantee that you will be bit at least once if you work with or train dogs on a regular basis. In 9 years of working with PSD'd I've been bit 4 times. Once was my fault, once was a total fluke and two were handler errors.
I have a nice one inch scar on my belly where a dog got to "pinch an inch" because the handler wasn't paying attention to what he was doing.

I know I have developed more safety awareness when it comes to training, but I think the one thing I have realy taken to heart is the importance if knowing what signs we are projecting to he dog through our body language. I have yet to attempt submissive pee-ing to build confidence in a dog..... hmmm... there is an idea! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Now that's a funny picture <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I think its the concern over what I'm projecting as I get older and more cautious. There's an old Barbara Woodhouse training book that suggests all you need to deal with an aggressive dog is a man's thick overcoat to protect you while you correct it. I just love the image of her toddling to meet some of the dogs that are out there. I couldn't find any instance of her mentioning submissive peeing...

Maybe that's because of the Depends under the man's thick overcoat <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Walkies!