Agression- Dog attack....

Hi All, its been some years since I've visited this forum, and in some ways I feel like I have come full circle; i feel like Im a newbie with my dogs again. (Shadow is my staffie, now 7, and bantdit is my rescue patterdale xbreed who is 6ish).

Since 2006 my life got a bit hectic (as life does), and as much as I hate to say it, my attention to my dogs took the back burner. I got married, moved house, had a baby, and slowly bit by bit I've been paying less attention to my dogs. Less walks, less playing, less attention. Believe me when I say it, I have been beating myself up, and hating myself day by day for it.....i have to do something to change this. They deserve better.

Well thats the background....now to the point.

Last Sept we were goin away on hols, when my dog sitter let me down last minute. I was frantically trying to find a replacement, when a very helpful lady dog sitter (who was fully booked) recommended her friend. She wasnt a dog sitter full time, but more of a dog rescue. She offered to help me out, and said my dogs could stay with her. Relief!

When we got there, I had my doubts as to how well my dogs would get along, as she had a massive farm (enclosed) with about 15 rescue dogs, who just roamed the house along with her own dogs. She came out to the car to meet my two dogs (who were quite excited by now). She wanted my two dogs to meet her staffie bitch, as after meeting my staffie, she was eager to see how they'd get along...... well her staffie came bolting down the steps like a bat out of hell, sniffed my staffie, and my patterdale bandit just went for her, snapped at her face and locked on. All hell broke loose. My 3yr old little boy was there, screaming. My husband was trying to pull bandit off, the resuce lady had her dog up in the air trying to pull it apart, and i had dragged shadow and my son away from them whilst the mayhem contined. It was horrific.

Luckily bandit didnt do much damage, bit his own tongue, and her staffie hadnt touched him. The staffie just ran off. The resuce lady was lovely about it all. And we sorted it so that she took my dogs to a cottage off the grounds from her farm, and looked after them there away from the other dogs. THey were fine with her then.

My problem is that since then I have been terrified of talking my dogs out for a walk; It shames me to say it.

I am a dog lover, and have been ever since I got my dogs back in 05/06. However, prior to that I had a massive phobia of dogs. I couldnt leave the house in my teens without checkin outside on the street to see if there were any dogs there. If there were I wouldnt leave the house.

I feel like my old phobia has resurfaced, i get palpatations when leaving the house with my dogs, and im almost in tears. If i see another dog when im out walking them, i turn in the other direction. Confounding the problem is the fact that the new area i live in, people just leave their dogs roam free. I am petrified a loose dog is going to approach mine (onlead always!) and a fight will break out. Thing is my dogs are on halti's so you can clamp the mouth shut on those if you direct it a certain way, but this still doesnt calm me.

I just dont know what to do.

I have a dog walker who comes once a week (i cant afford any more visits than that). But im the only one who can walk them. My husband works 12hr days 5days a week, he's out from 7am usually til 7pm or later. We do take them out as a family on the weekedns, but i am a bundle of nerves the entire time. I HATE FEELING LIKE THIS!

I deserately want to get a behaviourist/ trainer involved, as there are other issues I need to address, but I dont know where to begin to find one.

I am in some dire need of help. I've retunred here as I remember the help and advise I got here in the past. I have fond memories of the dog lovers I made friends with. So please, help.

I'm sure there will be lots of advice on here for you... what is your actual fear, your dogs, other dogs or your dogs reactions to other dogs?

Im not frightened of my dogs at all ( i love my pair, and they are so wonderful and obeidient at home, and have NEVER shown aggrression towards me or any of my family.) Im frightened of the other dogs and not being able to control my dogs. At the moment I wont even walk my dogs together, as they seem to wind each other up. I walk them seperately, but the entire walk Im on pins incase I see another dog.

Its an irrational fear as I keep telling myself, I could drag my dogs away with their haltis on, but it doesnt stop my heart racing, or the fear in the pit of my stomach.

do you have any friends that would walk with you with one of your dogs whilst you walk the other so you only have one to handle? the biggest problem would be to pass on your fear of dogs to your own dogs making them anxious and more likely to react to other dogs.

also maybe try walking without your dogs and going to places where there are other dogs, so you get used to being around strange dogs without the fear of your dogs reacting....

just my opinions, I'm sure there's a lot more knowledgeable people on here that can help =]

Thanks, appreciate the advice. Unfortunately, I dont have many friends in the area I live, I moved here about 8yrs ago, and he only firneds I have are work mates, none of them are doggy people. I have one friend who is just as doggy mad as me, but she has her own dog, who is terrified of other dogs. I cant see her wanting to come out to walk mine with me, as well as walking her own.....although i could ask, worse she could say is no. Its definately worth a shot!

Weird thing is, Im not scared of other dogs when Im on my own (unless they looke threatening or scary!). I'm happy around other peoples dogs. So i suppose that narrows down my fear to, my dogs with other dogs........

Hello

Your fear definitely comes across in your posts. I think many dog owners have had the feeling of dread about their dogs behaviour/reactions, so don't think you are alone for one second. There is so much pressure to have the 'perfect' dog, but that doesn't exist - trust me!

What is your Staffie like with other dogs? did your Patterdale show any aggression prior to the incident with the other dog? have they shown any aggression towards other dogs since?

You said the Staffie wan't injured when your Patterdale 'attacked'? could it not have just been a handbags at dawn type attack? a lot of "attacks" are all mouth and no trousers -- they sound horrible but are anything but.

What is your walking routine like at the moment? the problem with avoiding something is that the more you avoid it, the more panicked you become when you end up facing whatever it is you have been avoiding. On the flip side, quiet walks with no 'incidents' will help you build up your confidence.

yup that's probably it then, your scared of your dogs reaction... you have to be firm with your dogs and make them react the right way, training them not to react to other dogs will in turn build your confidence, there's a few good threads on here about dog aggression and how to train your dogs not to react to others..

Hey Labradork,

Well my dogs have different behaviours depending if they are walked alone, or walked together. Alone, shadow is very good, very obedient, wont bark at other dogs unless provoked (although she does bark at trees, big rocks, and jeeps.....am bit concerned about her eyesight tbh!!). Bandit on his own was agressive towards other dogs, he almost pulled me accross a main road once growling at a puppy!! He is the one I would say is least dog friendly. (he is also very anti-small furry animals, he once killed a neighbours rabbit, so am wondering if he thought the little puppy, was a little furry animal.)

When they are together they used to be a nightmare, they would attack each other if they saw another dog! However, now thinking back on it, since I have had the halti's they are much better behaved.

My walking routine is non-existant im ashamed to say. Given any opportunity I will try to avoid it, because it scares me so much. As odd as it sounds, Im happier walking them in the lighter months, than during the winter months. I find my eyesight isnt great at nightime (?!) so i get even more anxious as I feel I cant scout ahead for loose dogs as well.

They go out at most twice a week (I already know thats not enough). Once with my dog walker (who btw, walks them off lead, and although is careful when she meets other dogs, has not yet ever had an incident with my dogs and another; she's been walking them for 4 years now). And once on the wkend with me, hubby and little boy.

have you considered asking your dog walker if you can join her when she walks your dogs, or even watching your dog walker with your dogs from a distance may help to aleviate your fears, because please don't take this the wrong way, it appears from your posts that it is your fears, and not the dogs if you're dog walker is managing to walk them off lead without incidents.

It sounds like this one incident has made you see your dog as aggresive to all dogs, when in reality it may have been he was just defending his personal space from a staffie who was invading it at 100 miles an hour

I feel for you reading your posts
I know how horrible it is to be constantly scouting the horizon looking for dog shapes
Makes for not a nice walk at all

If possible walking the dogs seperatly is more likely to be enjoyable for you, and will help them
take treats and toys and make the walk something fun between the two of you
take time keeping well away from dogs for your stress levels to drop (for you and the dogs)

and it sounds like an idea to get some good behavioural help as well, to give you confidence in your dogs and your ability to control them

I know it is difficult but it is possible to help you all, things can get better

Not having seen the attack but it is possible that is actually wasnt that big a deal

Scary for you I know, but a strange dog ran right up in your dogs face
your dog reacted - which is of course not ideal
BUT
your dog didnt hurt the other dog - which really is pretty amazing

Sounds like you do have issues that you do need to work on, but also sometimes we have to say that dogs do fight, not something that we want them to practise or get good at - but one snap at one dog once does not a bad dog make