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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

My dog went for another dog today

16 replies

Cakefortea1 · 27/11/2017 19:12

I’m so shaken.

Had my dog for 3.5 years. She is a rescue dog. Approx 5.5 years old.

She is normally very well behaved, great recall. She can growl at another dog if they bark at her but usually just wants to play.

Today however she saw a dog on a lead & went running towards. I shouted her & she stopped and I caught up with her. The owner said he might growl and I laughed yes so might mine and then before I knew it her dog barked and launched towards mine and a fight began. I called her and only after about 30 seconds did she listen. I was so angry she knew it & cowered as I got her lead on. She has never done this before or not listened to me.

I apologised a lot, the other owner did not although it really was 50/50. She did tell me I should have had her on the lead, however there has never been a reason to keep her on.

The owners little girl was crying and I heard her say something about bleeding as they walked off so I walked back to ask was he ok. Owner said yes and then little girl said don’t worry about the scratch on his face, it wasn’t your dog, it’s happened before.

Did my dog sense he was a non dog loving dog?

Should I now always keep her on lead?

I’m so upset.

OP posts:

fizzthecat1 · 27/11/2017 19:37

I apologised a lot, the other owner did not although it really was 50/50. She did tell me I should have had her on the lead, however there has never been a reason to keep her on

OP are there signs to say dogs need to be kept on leads? If so then it's definitely not 50/50. We have this problem in our park, I've had very aggressive dogs run over to me, growl, show teeth etc. Everyone thinks their dog is lovely/won't hurt a fly but it's an animal at the end of the day.

And yes definitely keep her on her lead!!!!

Maudlinmaud · 27/11/2017 19:42

Please keep her on a lead op. I know you feel awful and it was 50/50 but this could have been easily avoided. I can't walk my dog at our park which is right across the road for fear my dog will be attacked. I think everyone should keep their dogs on leads in public.

missbattenburg · 27/11/2017 19:45

Sorry OP, I realise you are upset but this was not 50/50 as you describe it. Your dog was off lead and unresponsive so out of control, her dog was on a lead so under control. In all honesty, it sounds like the other owner was thoroughly decent about it all and more understanding than many might have been. It's worth doing a bit of research on what it means for your dog to be dangerously out of control because the definition is much broader than people often realise and it doesn't take much to fall foul of the law on that.

Anyway, there could be any number of reasons that running towards this dog was irresistible to yours and I would bet none of them are anything to do with sensing it was a 'non dog loving dog' and much more to do with the location, situation and the experiences your dog has had with other dogs - maybe dating back to the 2 years before you got her. Maybe she had a bad experience with a similar breed before. Or maybe she had great experiences and so was drawn to say hi. Or maybe that day had a funny smell in the air and put her out of sorts a bit. The list goes on and on...

I am also sorry to say but getting angry with her will have risked making this behaviour worse. Dogs never know they have done wrong because right and wrong are human constructs that they do not understand. It is much more likely that your dog has now had her fear of other dogs (or dogs like the one you met today) confirmed because it's presence meant both a fight and your bad mood/reaction. In short, she is more likely to associate your disapproval with the presence of the other dog than with her behaviour.

The term 'great recall' means very different things to different people. Anything from 'they almost always call back when I call them once or twice, if they are not doing something more exciting' to 'they drop everything immediately and run straight to my side, even if they are mid way through chasing a rabbit'. What you've seen today is that her recall is not 100% reliable around other dogs. Your job now is to watch the horizon for other dogs and get her back on a lead before you and she get close.

I might be tempted to make a mental note of the size/breed/colour of the dog and maybe seek out friendly versions for her to meet (under close control and supervision) - just to try and balance out the bad experience she had today.

Wolfiefan · 27/11/2017 19:50

You must keep your dog away from a dog on lead. Always.
And if your dog growls it isn't dog friendly. Growling is one of the last warnings before a bite.
Long line if recall isn't 100% or keep on a lead.

loobybear · 27/11/2017 19:53

missbattenburg is pretty spot on. A lot of dog owners don't realise the importance of dogs not running up to other dogs until a situation like this occurs. In the nicest way possible (because I know this is a common mistake so not judging at all) if your dog doesn't come back on demand or runs up to unknown dogs without permission from you then you need to keep him on a lead. Even if your dog is usually ok with other dogs, as you have found out today other dogs may have issues due to their own experiences and if their owner has them on lead they have already played their part.

Chippyway · 27/11/2017 20:05

Yeah the other dog may have been on the lead but it also sprung out towards your dog. Of course yours would then react.

venellopevonschweetz · 27/11/2017 20:07

As someone who was recently bitten by an unleashed dog that went for my leashed dog (I got in the way, instinct trying to protect my baby) this gives me the rage.

Keep your dog on a leash in public and these things won't happen. Simples really.

Original poster

Cakefortea1 · 27/11/2017 20:13

No signs saying must be kept on a lead. Same park we always go to so not anything different.

However totally take everything you all say & will now keep her on lead as I don’t want this to happen again.

Miss battenburg - I never thought of it that way ie me getting angry being the wrong thing to do. Wow I’ve really ballsed up here. Any suggestions on how to move forward from this? I’ve noted the breed & will try introduce her although don’t know anyone with this particular breed.

Thank you all. I am a responsible dog owner, honestly & guess I lost sight of the fact she is an animal at the end of the day due to her good behaviour until now.

OP posts:

missbattenburg · 27/11/2017 20:22

To try and negate getting angry I might try and partner other dogs to good things.

Take some tasty treats with you on a walk - something really tasty like ham, roast chicken, beef etc. I often find Sunday dinner leftovers useful for this. Every time you come across another friendly dog, allow yours 2-3 seconds to take a quick, distant hello sniff then call her on (all on lead). As soon as she trots on with you, give her treats. Basically, what you are hoping to do here is get her to link seeing other dogs but not reacting to them with lovely, lovely treats.

I might also be tempted to treat her recalls too. Obviously, she will be on the lead in the park but in other scenarios where there are no other dogs you may still think about letting her off lead. Call her back to you often and treat her every time she comes back straight away. This not only strengthens her recall but also negates any bad link she made have made between (eventually) listening to you today and your anger. Again, you want her to learn that listening to you results in good things so is always worth doing.

fwiw I already thought you were a responsible owner - you wouldn't be looking for advice if not. You are right, they are dogs not humans but are so good at fitting in with our lives that it is easily forgotten... every now again they find ways to remind us :)

limitedscreentime · 27/11/2017 20:25

If a dog is on a lead it pulls the dogs front end up so it automatically has a more aggressive stance than a dog approaching not on a lead. For this reason (and because you never know why a dog is on a lead) I would never allow my dog to approach a dog on a lead. If your dogs recall is in any way unreliable then keep it on a lead.

WhoWants2Know · 27/11/2017 20:25

Although it’s a scary experience, OP, it’s also an opportunity to gain a better understanding of your dog and strengthen your relationship with further training.

From your description, it sounds as though something about this particular dog triggered a strong reaction, similar to when she has growled in the past. Keeping her on the lead will allow you to observe her responses to other dogs more closely and to quickly reward positive interactions. Positive reinforcement will help counteract any fear she picked up from the fight.

Floralnomad · 27/11/2017 20:28

The only thing you need to do is ensure that your dog does not go within 20/30 ft of a dog on a lead , if you cannot do that without her being on a lead then she needs to be on a lead .

WhoWants2Know · 27/11/2017 20:29

Also, with respect to the leads causing a more aggressive stance, I have found nose leads to be very effective in making sure dogs approach from a less confrontational angle.

Booboostwo · 27/11/2017 20:31

You made a mistake, you realized it, no need to panic now. Keep her on the lead when around other on the lead dogs, strengthen her recall, but also keep calm and allow her to socialize with other off lead dogs. It is very important that you remain relaxed as she will take her cues from you.

Original poster

Cakefortea1 · 27/11/2017 20:51

Thank you all, great advice that I will be following.

OP posts:

Runninglateeveryday · 29/11/2017 18:48

Keep your dog out of lunge distance from dogs on the lead. My dog is generally well behaved but I put her on a lead if I see another dog on the lead as I don't trust 100% that she might go over. What type of dog do you have ? At least no damage done. My dog is very friendly but if a dog tries to dominate her, she turns quite quickly so she's on a lead most of the time unless it's a dog she knows, we tend to walk rurally.

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