Quote: Tresa Hendrix

Re: to all

Barbara, I have looked online but no statue of limitations is listed. The website is poorly done but I'm sure the magistrate's office could tell me.

As a general rule, statute of limitations usually mirror the time one could be sentenced for a particular crime. ie: first offense misdemeanor theft=364 days in my state.

Learned something new *again* on this board. I had no idea on that Howard. Makes sense.

I’m sorry to hear that this happened to you.

Not sure of the extent of your brain injury but as Connie indicated, this kind of thing can be pretty overwhelming to even the healthiest of people. In BC here we have a long standing organization that provides advocacy services to people such as yourself that find themselves in situations like this: http://www.bcbraininjuryassociation.com/index.php Maybe there's something similar where you are.

And about your pup - there would be a few things that would concern me after this kind of encounter. We often hear that my dog doesn’t like other dogs “because he was attacked”. An attack like this, regardless of the outcome, will often set the dog on high alert for future encounters.

I would be putting a strict management system in place and ensuring his obedience was at a high level - not only for the future protection of your pup, but for the safety of others as well. You may find that he is now a bit more on the offensive, feeling a need to defend in situations where this type of aggression was never intended.

I would just hate to see the table turned because a trusted dog with a bad experience decided to make a poor choice. You now know what he’s capable of. Please protect him from having to show this side again, to you or others.

A report was filled out for both the human bite and the dog on dog attack. Those are both on recourd and if it happens again the dog can be deemed viscious (that's right, only after the 3rd attack).

CJ, My problem isn't from an injury but the extent of my disorder has made me unable to work much of the time. There are few state run and nonprofit organizations that have helped me.

What concerns me is him watching other dogs and the level of correction I have to apply seems extreme. I can tell him down and he complies but still has to watch. When I correct him for watching, he still does that intense whine. So what I have been doing is giving him the "look command" when they pass by. I don't have the dominant/aggresive dog DVD, so I am improvising.

 Quote: Tresa Hendrix

A report was filled out for both the human bite and the dog on dog attack. Those are both on recourd and if it happens again the dog can be deemed viscious (that's right, only after the 3rd attack).

That's pretty generous. In my county there is no second chance. In most of Florida there's usually one freebie.

I sit on our county dangerous dog review board. One incident will get you there and if we can't find a good reason for the bite, the dog gets deemed dangerous.

 Quote: Howard Knauf

 Quote: Tresa Hendrix

A report was filled out for both the human bite and the dog on dog attack. Those are both on recourd and if it happens again the dog can be deemed viscious (that's right, only after the 3rd attack).

That's pretty generous. In my county there is no second chance. In most of Florida there's usually one freebie.

I sit on our county dangerous dog review board. One incident will get you there and if we can't find a good reason for the bite, the dog gets deemed dangerous.

Can’t the “freebie” pertain to any injury a dog causes, not just a bite?

Tresa,

If you don’t have leash laws where you are, is it required the owner need to be present to control the dog?
Was the owner present?
If not, should fall under negligence on owner’s part,, just my thought. You’d think that would nix any “1” or “3” bie.

 Quote: tresa hendrix

What concerns me is him watching other dogs and the level of correction I have to apply seems extreme. I can tell him down and he complies but still has to watch. When I correct him for watching, he still does that intense whine. So what I have been doing is giving him the "look command" when they pass by. I don't have the dominant/aggresive dog DVD, so I am improvising.

I'd suggesting doing a search and reading the posts on desensitizing a dog. Ideally, he would be worked/trained at a distance away from the other dogs and ghdn gradually work up to being closer and closer to the distractions. Putting him in the "thick of things" and then having to administer a very harsh correction isn't ideal... or fair. JMHO.

 Quote: Tresa Hendrix

CJ, My problem isn't from an injury

Hey Tresa, MY biased, assumptious brain went right to an injury. I apologize for that. And absolutely no plug intended but having dealt with a few of these advocates through my employment, I have nothing but respect for the tenacity with which they present their client’s case. They’re actually a pleasure to deal with - if everyone could come so prepared. And at no cost, from what I understand too.

So this whining - was it an issue before the incident? Just a curiosity, has no real bearing on training and management as you two move forward.

With this kind of reactive behavior, ideally, you want to model the behavior you expect of your dog. Dog - excited, anxious, whining, You - getting frustrated, giving commands, applying high level corrections isn’t teaching him anything. Well, it is, but we won’t get into that. You want him to remain calm, then so must you.

Personally, rehabbing a dog like this, I would give him at least a month, free of any dog contact, both visual and physical. Let him live anxiety free and mentally recover from what he’s been through. Then slow, distant exposures with extremely stable dogs. However, I realize this is not always possible depending on your location and circumstances.

I believe, for the most part, we can all manage the physical contact. We need to be prepared. There are many threads here on this. Avoid at all costs - carry a club, spray, firearm if you have the training, etc… whatever it takes to protect you and yours. The visual is often unavoidable, but not such an initial threat.

When he sees a dog, try to remain as calm as possible, solid as a rock – no reactions, even if he’s lunging and growling. The moment there’s a break, even a split second, reward. A small tug toy tucked in your belt/pocket really works well for toy driven dogs in these situations. Redirect that frustration into a great play session where the focus is on a calm, fun you.

Right now the sight of other dogs is causing him a lot of grief (anxiety, fear, confusion, uncontrolled excitement). All reactive behaviors that will set a dog up as a target for other dogs, especially unstable ones. You want to direct that energy into positive experiences that will create a confident dog.

As with other dogs at this point, avoid corrections at all costs. He needs to feel what it’s like to live pain and anxiety free in order to set the wheels in motion for a stable rehabilitation to start to take place.

He sounds like great boy that’s been through a very traumatic experience and it sounds like you have the desire to bring him back. He protected you, now it’s your turn to protect him. I wish you the best of luck – give him a hug for me and tell him he’s safe now.

Unfortunately, this was not Logan's first fight.

Ahhh... did not realize that. I hope this experience sets some urgency in motion in dealing with the issues.