My dog's terrible day!!

[centrop67]

I am so sorry fr Idna.

The behavior of the other dog owner is totally unacceptable, and it's why you're probably going to hear some people here say that's why they don't do dog parks (or, at least one of the reasons).

I would go back and ask the people that you do know about the other owner. At the very least the other pet owner owes you vet bills.

[k9lexi]

I agree with both Michaels points although I am guilty of playing ball when we camp and I guess any dog could run over and fight with her. I'm so sorry this happened to you and your dog. Poor baby!

I can only give advice about pepper spray based on my personal experience. Carried pepper spray years ago at another house when the neighbors dog would run out of his yard toward my dog I was walking on a leash. Well I tried to spray him. The 16 yr old daughter was trying to grab her dogs collar and got sprayed too, not directly but enough it turned into a big neighbor feud that lasted over a year so because of how the wind might be blowing I stopped carrying spray

On the rare occasions my dogs got into it, I'd grab the aggressor by the.back legs, raise legs up high, and walk backwards. This only worked for me if there is only one aggressor. If they are both going at you need two people doing same thing. A coworker had her pinky bit off because she reached to grab collars to separate her two dogs. I had the neighbors dogs at current house attack Lexi, one on each side. I started kicking the in the head until neighbor pulled off. I'm don't want to not walk my dog but when you have loose dogs anywhere just need to be very observant and cautious. I'm just sharing my experiences. You will need to figure out what lines of defense works best for you. So sorry about your pup. That hole in the head, man that must have.hurt. virtual hug to you and your little girl

[Dutchringgirl]

I am so verry sorry this happened! Shame on that owner!!! I would hunt them down and sent them the bill.

And yes, i am one who is very very against dog parks and never frequent them. Most humans have no clue how a dog thinks. To dogs, the park is thiers, all toys are theirs. The other dogs are tresspassing, or rhey all dont mind having a 110 lb dog want to play.

My advise to anyone is to never go. Find another town park to play.

Give her hugs from us.

[centrop67]

Air horn?

[Owned-By-Hendrix]

I'm so sorry this happened to you! I know the sound they make and it is indeed very scary. I'm glad she's on the road to recovery.

During a dog fight, you should never run towards them screaming no or screaming while working. I know in a panic it happens, but what do our dogs do if they really want something and we tell them no? Bite down harder and refuse to let go. Sometimes this even triggers a fight. Keep your cool and look at the situation and start planning what you'll do - call for help as you go up or grab someone to go with you as you're heading over there.

Air horns can work, gel pepper spray is okay but like K9lexi mentioned the wind is killer, citronella spray is another option, some people I know carry a fold up baton and start hitting the attacker but that can come back and bite you majorly, some zap stun guns in the air, and others carry shrieking devices. Cold water can shock them apart too. That's all well if the dog can be startled off the bite, but if it's in drive, there's really only two options:
1) the one that K9lexi mentioned is by far the safest and should be your go-to move. I tend to jog quickly backwards and watch for swinging fronts - you can go in a slight circle to avoid that but I've found moving back at speed tends to keep them on the ground. Other dogs may want to pile in on the fight so you have to be careful. I was doing this and got nailed from behind by a dog and bit in the knee, which caused me to let go of the dog I was extracting. You should ALWAYS carry a leash on you; you can wrap the leash around the waist and do the same thing if the dogs are locked. This is best done with two people with two active fighting dogs or two people for one big dog.
2) You can use this method also while waiting for the regrip. If you start pulling this triggers the dog to start fighting to keep what's in his mouth. Eventually they will regrip and when they do you have a millisecond to start pulling the dog away. If the dog has a steady bite this may not work.
3) this is only a last ditch effort and one with serious problems if it goes wrong. I only recommend if it everything else has failed and the dog will not release. If the dog is wearing a collar, grab the collar, move it up to behind the ears, twist it to cut off any slack, and lift straight up. I mean straight up. Not at an angle, slanted, or jerking, straight up like a crane. You're choking the dog off and eventually they will release their bite. I've performed this several times but only with multiple people holding off the other dogs and it requires strength and slightly rodeo clown-esk moves because the dog will thrash and try to slip the collar. One time I have used a leash with a ring on it to make a slip lead and did the same thing. The best thing to do is have someone ready to pull the dog away by the rear the second they release.

When a dog won't let go, besides using a break stick (which still requires the back legs to be suspended and a quick outta dodge once free) or choking them off, you probably won't get them to let go. A kick to the head is a a dangerous move that could have missed or caused the dog to tighten down so I personally recommend physical hitting last. Your best moves are ones the start with distance and getting progressively closer, because the closer you get the more likely a bite is, especially if the dogs are frustrated and come back at you.

[Raven]

Lots of hugs to you and your baby....

Keep us posted on her healing and what happens with the owner, if anything. (She might feel terrible about what happened, and was maybe too panicked/shocked at the time--??--but maybe she isn't stepping forward to inquire about Idna from believing that it would "prove guilt," if you know what I mean. Not defending her. Just sayin'....)

I'd be curious to see how Idna will respond to the sight of dogs/certain dogs after this, or if her demeanor will remain the same.

[DanLu5]

Wow that's terrible - I'm sorry that happened to Idna. But I'm glad she's going to recover.

I stay far from off leash areas and off leash dogs. I'm of the belief that no matter how well trained, any dog can be aggressive and disobedient given the right circumstances and stimulus. So not worth the risk to me. I believe this of my own dog but especially of strangers dogs that I have no knowledge of.

The Mastiff's owner should have known better or at minimum known how to deal with the situation. I'd say she's responsible for the vet bills also.

I had a similar incident recently but I'll create a separate post so I don't hijack this one.

[k9lexi]

I wondered the same thing Raven mentioned ... will she react differently now. Lexi didn't act different after the neighbors two dogs ganged up on her but I have heard of dogs that do act different Please let us know. Thanks

[Dutchringgirl]

I would not be surprised if she will act differently now. My advice would be to avoid the dog parks all together. Find another place to go with her. All of the advice for dog fights are good anyway, you never know even if you are on a quiet trail or walking the sidewalk on main street and another clueless dog owner comes by.

[Raven]

Ed Frawley (Leerburg.com) used to have a video of how to break up a dog fight (it might still be on the site). It involved grabbing back legs, but some of it seemed...IDK...impractical??? For instance, he said to wrap a towel under the hind haunches. It's been a few years since I viewed it. You might want to check out Leerburg, if you haven't already. Huge site. Tons of videos (A LOT with Michael Ellis), Q & A, etc.

[centrop67]

"Right back up on the horse" as they say, though I am a little surprised you didn't wait for the wounds to heal a little more.

Please be real keen on Idna's body language and demeanor. I just feel like going back to the park might be like sending your kid to a bully-filled summer camp. They don't really want to go, but probably don't want (or know how) to communicate the problem.

[Dutchringgirl]

I would have waited for the wounds to heal as well. One never knows in the dog park. You could be as careful as you could but another dog with an ignorant owner could be there and jump on top of her opening the wound right up. I also agree with Michael about going right back. IM against them anyway so My advice would be to never go back but if that is the only place you have to take her, then.................

[Dutchringgirl]

oooooooooh a city park not a dog park. Sorry for the misunderstanding. They way you talked about it, It sounded like a dog park.

I would call the cops too if I saw that woman again.

[Mark77]

And this is exactly why I carry a firearm whenever I'm out walking about. I'm glad your dog wasn't killed.