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DH's friend hit our dog - am I over-reacting?

62 replies

DiamondInTheRuff · 02/07/2016 07:44

Because right now (the morning after the event) I'm still fuming.

We adopted a lab just under 3 months ago. He was estimated to be 9 months old, so is now a year. From straying, he was taken to a kill pound, rescued from there and put in foster, then adopted, then a few months later they gave him back, now he's with us. So probably four homes (at least) in the first year of his life.

First adopter told us that he was a lovely dog - dodgy recall and "a bit possessive of the sofa" but otherwise no issues.

We got him home and it was obvious he didn't want our girl dog on the sofa - he growled at her if he was on it and she went near. However with less than two days of me giving him treats whenever she went near the sofa he stopped and never did it again. They cuddle up on the sofa together now.

However it became pretty clear that DDog has some pretty severe fear-aggression when on lead and / or in enclosed spaces with other dogs. We took him to training classes but he couldn't cope in the environment so we're doing some one-to-ones and working on that in the hope of taking him back when he's more confident. The key point here is fear-aggression when crowded by other dogs.

Last night friend came over. He has 5 dogs. His dogs are not supposed to come in our house due to a mixture of issues from dog aggression and human aggression through to not being properly toilet trained. Yesterday DH had arranged to meet friend for a dog walk (they do once or twice a week). Friend came back to ours after. He usually either takes his dogs home or leaves them crated in his van (doors open but crates secure). Last night he brought the dogs into the garden instead. After a while he brought one of his dogs in (small dog he was worried would escape from our garden). This dog is human -aggressive but as our DS was in bed by then, with three stairgates and a door between him and us we said it was OK.

Friend and DH were sitting at either end of our sofa, with our pup dog sprawled across them, head on Friend's lap. I couldn't say if he was awake or asleep, but knowing him almost certainly would have been dozing. Friend's dog tried to jump on his lap, landing squarely on our dog's head. Our dog growled and snapped (Didn't make contact) - probably because (a) he was surprised and (b) the whole fear-anxiety thing. Friend immediately hit my dog hard on the shoulder, then pushed him off the sofa (violently enough that pup-dog landed on his back on the floor). He then swore at our dog. I was stunned but pulled myself together and told him he was not to hit our dog. He apologised, but TBH I think only because he realised I was annoyed, not because he was actually sorry.

The atmosphere was certainly awkward after that. Eventually friend put his dogs back in his van. By this point the dogs outside had dug up a lot of my garden, friend laughed but apologised again.

I don't want friend or his dogs in my house again. DH is pretty much not talking to me after then incident (and slept on the sofa last night) so I'm assuming has sided with his friend. Am I over-reacting? I've been working really hard with Pup Dog to try and overcome some of his issues and we've been making progress (using positive reinforcement) and if this sets him back I'll be livid. Pup Dog has been unsually clingy since last night. He usually sleeps with DH but came up with me last night. How would others tackle this?

And any advice if this HAS set DDog back?

OP posts:
EasyToEatTiger · 05/07/2016 17:01

So many people make this mistake. I love dogs, you love dogs therefore the dogs will love each other. Er, no.
We sometimes have other peoples' dogs to stay, on the basis that we are prepared to clean up after them, we are prepared to sort out scraps and we are prepared to look after the dog as one of our own. I don't do it very often. I don't generally like other peoples' dogs in the house. It's difficult for the new dog and not fair on our own. How really stupid of your dp's friend to come into your home with his dogs. I would be bloody annoyed.

Wyldfyre · 05/07/2016 17:25

Your post about being towed off made me laugh Diamond.
Have you ever had folk call the cops cos someone thinks you are travellers?
(I'm a flyballer, rather than agility but this has happened a few times to us)

DiamondInTheRuff · 05/07/2016 17:54

Shock no! But to be fair there's usually a hundred or so campers and at least half a Dozen rings so it's probably quite obvious what we're doing!

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Wyldfyre · 05/07/2016 18:19

We think it's pretty obvious what we are doing too - after all what travellers have orange netting fenced gardens next to their caravans (also loads of tents) - but it's happened at least twice in the last year (different venues)

DiamondInTheRuff · 05/07/2016 18:34

Oh dear Wyld I guess you flyball lot must look a bit suspicious! Wink

We had to abandon the orange netting as ddog just pushed his way straight through it. Bloody labradors. We're on the fancy green stuff now!

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Wyldfyre · 05/07/2016 19:07

I think it's the venues TBH - one was a playing field/sports ground and the other a section of country park (where there has been problems with real travellers in the past).
I don't bother with a garden with my labs. They stay in the car during the day (tailgate guard with boot open)

SloppyDailyMailJournalism · 07/07/2016 08:24

No wonder his dogs aren't toilet trained if that is his toilet training method. I'd be fuming too. I'd probably push the dog away as a reflex, but hitting someone else's (rescue pup) is off

KittyBeans72 · 07/07/2016 10:09

blimey DiamondInTheRuff, you're having a tough time at the moment aren't you. Cake Flowers Chocolate. Good luck with everything. x

dreamingon · 08/07/2016 13:50

I have a rescue dog who had "issues" when I had him. Tried lots of training but found positive reinforcement was fantastic. I have spent 2 years obtaining my dog's trust and training him. If somebody hit my dog their feet would not touch the ground as they left my house and they would never return.

I cannot stand physical violence in any form and cannot understand the mentality of anybody who thinks it is ok to hit a dog.

My daughter's dog is being training and is a bit nippy and jumpy so I just move away from her dog not hit her

pippinandtog · 08/07/2016 16:17

dreamingon, your dog was lucky you chose him to rescue, the way you have been so patient with him. Too many owners give up, and the poor dog ends up back in rescue, with even more problems.
Our rescue collie cross had been to four different homes before he came to us over six years ago, another one with "issues", and, like yours, he took a couple of years to settle completely: even now,he's not an "easy" dog.
We love him to bits.

DiamondInTheRuff · 08/07/2016 18:55

They are worth every second we put in to them. Both of mine had been adopted then returned. I just look at my dogs and think of how much the other people missed!

OP posts:
Shriek · 08/07/2016 19:36

so good to hear you are getting heard /support outside of this, as i agree that your post tells of symptoms of the actual deeper closer problem, and that its making you worry about your own protective/ nurturing instincts to animals in need of additional caution in approach.

I've had a trainer hit one of mine and after a while the gut feeling i had at the time finally permeated fully into acting on it and dropped the trainer.

I think there is little point in remonstrating with either 'DH' or 'friend', and congratulating yourself instead on getting strong and moving in your own direction following your own instincts and speaking out about it.

go well, and good luck for your plans.

Major red flag hitting animals, especially as its someone else's ddog! Your husband condoning those actions tells you a lot, as does having this guy as his friend.

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