I just learnt a lesson

[pimmsgalore]

We were out on our morning walk when up trotted a GSD. The GSD was friendly to begin with and then when its owner called it to carry on walking it decided it would not go. Then it jumped up on Max and started nipping him around his neck. Max (who we have only had a month) came running up to me a cowered between my legs, so bent down and comforted him. The GSD then charged towards us and leapt at Max and clamped his teeth around his neck growling. I grabbed Max's collar and tried to walk away, but the GSD decided that I looked pretty tasty too and clamped his jaws onto my hand.

Well all this time his owner was pathetically saying "oh he isn't normally aggressive, come boy, come" after the third attempt at calling him, with us trying to walk away she came over and grabbed her dog and walked off. I was so shocked. In the month we have had Max he has made great progress, he is a rescue dog, and he now will not move from under my feet and cowered for the rest of the walk when any dog came near him. I feel we have gone back 3 weeks as he was just getting over his nerves from where he was treated badly before. I have to go out in an hour and am really not looking forward to leaving him in his crate as he is behaving like a very clingy toddler right now.

I guess the way my hand is hurting (no skin broken but definitely bruised) I learned a lesson that you don't put hands near growling aggressive dogs but dread to think what would have happened if I hadn't as the woman had no control of her dog at all.

Sorry for the long rant just needed to get it off my chest

[thirdhill]

I didn't want to leave your post unanswered, pimms. That was a very nasty expereince.

I was told as a child that GSD are easy to train but have no loyalty, they will as easily turn on the trainer if handled by another. DF had one that was by all accounts an ideal dog, and one day when playing with DB, he flipped. It never escalated because the dog obeyed DF, it was immediately rehomed. If DF lacked control over it, the dog would have had a shorter fate. Frankly I would have reported the GSD and the onus for not having it put down would lie with the owner. Consider doing this, as it sounds as if her control over it is lacking.

[pimmsgalore]

Thanks Thirdhill Max and I have calmed down now, venting on hear put the incident clear in my head. I had my business lunch and he was very pleased to see me when I got back especially as I got him a new ball whilst out.

I think if we see the dog again we will give it a wide berth and if it does attack again then I will get the owners name (if possible) as I already know the dogs.

Right off out into the rain we go again another walk needed hopefully without incident this time

[lisad123]

Some owners are idiots. Walking my boy today onlead as just finished at vet who told us he likely has hip dysplasia and to not let him run and he had pulled me over and I was feeling rather tender. Some little thing came over, my boy all excited, bouncing about she stood miles away calling him and didn't even say sorry. If he was onlead for aggressive behaviour she soon would have said something!

So sorry for your dog, make sure you get back out ASAP, meet nice calm dogs and try not to let him see you nervous. Hope your ok

[pimmsgalore]

Lisad hope your boy is ok. We went back out this afternoon but the rain was obviously putting everyone else off as we usually see lots of friendly dogs but didn't see a single dog this afternoon :(

I think it did him good though as he was very happy with his new ball (a hockey ball that will hopefully take more than one day for him to chew to bits) and he is now happily relaxing in his favourite spot by the front door so obviously feels he can now be more than 10cm away from me

I think I would have been less annoyed if the owner had said sorry but the rudeness shocked me as much as the inability to control her dog. My hand will live to see another day, just have one very sore finger and a few bruises. Will help myself to a large tonight as DH is away

[RedwingWinter]

That sounds horrible, Pimms. Well done for getting out for another walk and distracting him with the new ball. I'm shocked at how rude the other owner was.

[GrimmaTheNome]

Pimms, how horrible. Probably it was a good thing you had a walk without meeting other dogs this afternoon, let Max settle down a bit.

If you see this dog again, don't just give it a wide berth, call the owner to make her get it under control before it gets anywhere near you! Also, Max may now react badly (either scared or aggressive) to other GSDs (my last dachshund, also a Max, wanted to kill every Boxer he laid eyes on after one accidentally hurt him). Hopefully won't be the case but its just something to be aware of.

Enjoy your