Well, over the last couple of days we've had quite a bit of snow and freezing rain here in Ontario.
So under the freshly fallen pretty snow is a very nasty sheet of ice.
Last night coming back from our walk Tucker took a running leap at the stairs (he takes these in one leap all the time, about 3 stairs) outside to go into the front yard like he alwasy does. Unfortunately his footing wasn't good and he ended up crashing very hard (he was running full tilt)into the stairs.
Of course then the yelping starts (which sounds like he's being beaten to within an inch of his life). So of course I try to calm him down so that the neighbors don't think Im beating him, they already think Im mean because I don't let him get away with anything. I probably did the wrong thing but i tried to re-assure him by calmly (well, as calmly as I could because I was sure he had broken a bone or something due to the fact the my Boyfriend heard the thump INSIDE the house)speaking to him in a low voice. I didn't want to touch his leg while he was in this state as he was holding it straight out in front of him, not just holding it up, which is why i thought maybe he had disclocated his shoulder or something. He wouldn't put any weight on it so my Boyfriend carried him in down the stairs. He was still wimpering a bit & shaking so we just kind of let him sit there for a bit so he could sort himself out. Which he did. He was limping for a little bit but seemed to come around after a little bit
My concern is that he is now almost avoiding me. He will normally follow me around but now seems almost reluctant to get too close to me. Normally when i look at him his ears go back (in a good way) and his tail wags. Last night his ears would go down when I looked at him but his tail wagging was not present. And if he was up walking around and i passed him he would put his head down and look at the floor & just stand there, almost like avoidance.
It was a bit better this morning. Although he did avoid the stairs like the plague for the first few minutes, but I eventaully got him to go up and down them a few times with no problems.
So, after this long post, my question is this.
Is it possible that he associated the pain he was in with me since I was there when it happened? I did try to not touch his leg right after it happened and he was in that yowling yelping stage and just spoke to him. Also, since he is a rescue dog and this is the first time he has truly hurt himself in my presence I didn't want to take a chance that he would snap at me because of the pain.
I did, however, check out his leg when we were inside. Just felt it all over and moved it around and felt the toes to see if he would re-act so that i could pin point a possible problem. He whined a little bit but never offered to pull his leg away from me or offered to bite.
But it kind of breaks my heart that he's just not the same with me as he was before the little tumble and i was thinking that maybe he's now associating the negative experience with me because I was there when it happened?

Sound crazy???

Wendy

Well it just happened last night. It's likely pretty darn sore. I'd not fuss over it at all since it he's not feeling very good. I bet in a few days he'll be back to his old self.

Hey Melissa,

i could understand him being on the quiet side afterwards and possibly avoiding the stairs and such.

but it just kind of threw me for a loop when it seemed like he was avoiding coming into contact with me after the incident. He's generally right under my feet and follows me room to room. It's almost like he thought I had something to do with it.
And before anyone says it,im not placing human emotion in the dog. Im just wondering if he's relating this particular negative experience with my presence.

Thought it was odd and was hoping someone maybe had a smiliar type experience they could share.

but thanks for the input!!! we'll see how he is tonight.

Wendy

 Quote: wendy lefebvre

It's almost like he thought I had something to do with it.
And before anyone says it,im not placing human emotion in the dog. Im just wondering if he's relating this particular negative experience with my presence.

My experiences aren't as severe as your case (and I hope your boy will be Ok!) but occasionally while playing with Oscar (crazy tug in the house, stick throwing and chasing outside, etc.) he'll bump his head on the coffee table, or jam a stick into his gums, or have some other little "owie" of an accident - it's smarts, I'm sure, but I swear, every time something like that happens he looks DIRECTLY at me with eyes that plead, "how COULD YOU?!!". Then he sulks for a few seconds, and the game is usually over... until he gets bored of not playing, then he'll want to start again.

From my experience, it's quite possible that your dog associated you with something unpleasant, and now he's reacting as though he needs to keep his distance for a bit. He also could just be sore and out of sorts for a day or two... It will pass, and I'd try to do some motivational work with him here and there to give him opportunities to be praised and reassured that all is well with you two. I could be off base, but that's what my dog responds to.

~Natalya

 Quote: Natalya Zahn

Then he sulks for a few seconds, and the game is usually over... until he gets bored of not playing, then he'll want to start again.

yes, we've had those experiences too. Mostly with Tucker not looking where he's going when he's chasing something and either get's a knock on the head by a branch (we have about 50 feet of forest behind our house) or tripping himself up when he's running. And he does the same...looks at me and sulks for a minute but then its game on again.

Just got home a few minutes ago and he's totally back to normal.
He's still a little gimpy, we just had a light leashed walk so as not to put any undue stress on his leg. He's definately tender in his lower leg. And as I type he is sitting under my chair with his chin resting on the lower rung.

Thanks!!!

Wendy

Yes us too! We were playing tug with a rope and a puppy tooth popped out (she was teething). The howling was atrocious and the look on her face was SO accusatory! Keep providing positive experiences and I think the pup will realize you're not the source of all evil.
Apparently some of this has to do with the dog's temperment. Some are more quick to forgive transgressions than others. Maybe yours is a slow forgiver.

Wendy, it's not putting human emotions on a dog to say they associate positive and negative with us. To add to that, we work at showing the dog that everything comes from us.

There was probably some association, or it could be that he knew that you would want to check him out and touch his leg and he was just trying to avoid that.

I think you handled it very well.