This happend only two days ago... People are soo-o nuts.
I'm shopping on a huge pedestrian out-door mall with my 100lbs male 8 year old Giant.
Magic is the perfect guard dog and very polite when shopping at the same time. He is very snobbish but will let anyone touch him and he ignores all dogs unless they are right in his face and growling (other males growling and lungeing even just 2 yards away get ignored too!). We finished shopping and were waiting at a very busy cross walk for the light to turn green. TONS of people everywhere.
Then out of no where a smelly bum walks up to Magic and KICKS him in the belly!!!! I was on the other side of the dog and he didn't move with the kick so I doubt it hurt him. BUT:
Magic went from "tired-bored and calm" to "BLOODY MURDER" in a split second. He caught the guys trench coat in his mouth (as the guy ran off RIGHT after giving the kick) and ripped the whole thing off (the bum had it opened) spit it out immediately and tried to give chase, all the while barking and growling (more like roaring).
I was stunned but I held on tight to the leash.
People around me said "too bad you couldn't just let go of that leash" and then it occurred to me.
Magic is RARELY on leash. And he is often in a 'stay' totally free on the street while I shop.
He is like a statue in the 'stay' until I return but he won't be if he gets kicked! Although something tells me that %$@#&@ would never have kicked him if he was free to fight back....
I swear he would have killed the guy if I had let go of the leash he was so furious!
Has anything similar happend to anyone?
Can you imagine if Magic was a puppy? He would have been a totally different dog after such a frightening and sudden experience.

Well, next time, hopefully you'll be standing next to the dude's chalk outline on the ground while saying...

"Officer, my dog over powered me. I couldn't hold on. I feel extreme remorse about this."

You have more restraint then I do, I might have let him loose.

It's better you didn't though, the bum isn't worth having your dog get a history as a "biter" if you know what I mean.

Besides, you wouldn't want your pup licking your face after he bit into that dirty body of that bum would you? LOL

Hello All:

Stella, first and foremost, glad you and your dog are ok, but check him out just to make sure he didn't get a cracked rib or something ok?

What you have described is exactly how quite a few GS/RSN's would of responded. When people say these are "serious" dogs, most people just don't understand the intensity that they have.

I think this is a lesson for us all, we seldom see the "other side" of our dogs but we have to remember that and be prepared as well. A good lesson for you also because; while at 8 yrs, you probably know your dog well enough, it is still best to keep him on a leash when in public just to prevent things like this from happening in the future.

Take Care,
Brandon

Magic is fine, thanks. He will always be on leash when down town -although I doubt we'd get into any real trouble with the law if he bit after a kick. He's 8 and has been training other dogs in obedience with me for all his life (my dogs a dog trainer -one of the best! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> ). He is the most famous Giant (top stud and show champ) in the country and is adored by many friends and aquaintances. I could get tons of people easily to testify that he is stable to the point of beeing positively angelic. Most actually don't think he is a guard dog at all. Only those who know well him know better. Only two people can enter the house if I am gone. My husband and my best friend. Yet he makes friends with mostly anyone I choose to entertain as a visitor. Oh yeah.. and stay the #&*^$%* away from my car. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

What I found most intreguing was how quickly Magic went back to his normal self after the kick.
He spend the next 3 minutes of our walk a bit more alert (scanning to the left and right with his head tall and neck in a 'swanlike' muscular curve) but then seemed to forget the whole thing. Its like it never happend. He has been trained in PP and has been attacked many times in training in varous locations but this was so different so sly and sudden and without reason.
I really pity the next dog the guy kicks as I guess he will do it again but to a smaller dog. Unless of course he froze in the night without his trench-coat <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />