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Bad afternoon!
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Zoie and I were walking a trail in the preserve this afternoon and she was attacked! We were approaching a road so I had just put her on a slip lead. Three women and 2 labs, one leashed one not approached us from the opposite direction. The unleashed male lab immediately charged Zoie and attacked. Zoie is very submissive and in situaytions like this in the past rolls over on her back. She ended up with chest and belly stitches once before.
I think because she was on the lead she couldn’t lay down which was probably good. I tried to drag her away and one of the women grabbed the other dog by the collar. It was over in probably less than 5 seconds. Zoie came away with a minor gash on her neck and a tooth mark on her ear. The owner immediately said she would pay for any vet bills and gave me her name and phone #. Thankfully, it was pretty minor but any suggestions as to what I could have done differently?
Of course I called our vet office to see if I could bring Zoie by to have them take a look and of course the vet was leaving in ten minutes so that was out. I took her home and cleaned the wound and decided that it didn’t warrant a trip to the E vet. BTW, our vet has retired and is selling his practice to a new vet, I think our old vet would have stayed or met me later.
I don’t know what to say. Sometimes it “just happens”. It can be a bad dog, or it can be something about the situation we overlooked, body language, or well, sometimes dogs just don’t like each other.
I would say you handled it ok, and came away lucky. Both of mine don’t start a fight, but they sure as hell will finish it. It would have been ugly.
Forever Weimanamanama
I think you handled it well. You put a lead on which gives you control. And you know your dog well. I think the other owner could have done more. Was the male not fixed?
Things I have learned are:
don’t try to grab the dog by the head but pull the tail. Apparently that’s a safe way to break up a fight, just watch out for the dog maybe turning and snapping at you.
For control over my own dogs I like leash tabs aka traffic leads. They are one foot long and keep the dog close. they can be just the tab but they can also be part of the leash.
I have had to grab an unfixed male that came at Odin during a walk before. that dog was wearing a harness so I had been able to take Odin by the collar and as the unfixed male approached I had him by the harness. Took the owners a minute or two to catch up As I was spreading my arms with two moving dogs. I wished for leashtabs that time!
Weimanamanama Weimaranermama
I had that happen to one of mine, I called the vet and they prescribed an antibiotic just to make sure no infection would set in, I came home and put her in the shower and rinsed all the blood out good. I was able to pick up the prescription at my own pharmacy. Just keep an eye on it.
I put her in the shower when we got home and at that point decided to skip the vet but I just called the vet office to check to see if see should be on an antibiotic. They are checking when the doc gets in this morning.
It didn’t take the edge off her appetite, though. She was anxious to get in the car when we got to the parking lot. Before the liftgate opened the entire way she tried to jump in and just about knocked herself out!
Thanks for the reminder though!
That sucks! It can also make your dog fearful of other dogs. I had this happen to Seamus twice and I really don’t know what I could have done to prevent it. I did on all occasions tell the other owner that since there dog acted this way (and probably has in the past as well) that they need to keep them on lead when the see other dogs.
When Seamus got really old I would sometimes call to people I saw approaching who had a hyper dog to please leash them as I had an older dog who could not handle much.
Thanks, everyone.
We put Zoie on an antibiotic just to be on the safe side. I talked to the owner of the other dog on the phone and she could not have been nicer. I thought the other dog was a male but I was wrong just a very alpha female! I was just getting ready to ask her to keep both of her dogs on leash when she told me she would not be walking with the dogs again.
I posted on my FB page and Zoie’s foster mom who is a trainer responded. Said that you really can’t stop attacks like that from happening. She suggested carrying an air horn or a pepper spray. I have thought about getting walking sticks in the past because they are supposed to make walking easier on the hips and knees. I just looked at a pair at Eddie Bauer on Friday and didn’t buy them. Not sure how helpful they would be at fending off another dog.
Zoie is almost 11, do you think her age was a part of the attack? She is also very submissive.
Oh well, time to get back on the horse and go for a short walk.
Often, these things “just happen”. Wrong place, wrong time.
Forever Weimanamanama
Short little walk this afternoon between rains, all is good and met a dashing 12 year old weimy boys! Seriously he looks half his age!
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