Dogs that keep getting attacked?

I'm starting to wonder if some dogs just bring out the worst in otherwise non aggressive dogs. I mean I know from working with kids in crisis in the past that some unfortunate children are bullied in every school they ever enrol in throughout their school life. In despair their parents keep moving them but, even if they move areas and don't know a soul the bullying starts again.

Well I've just taken muttley out (a bit earlier than usual this evening as she was fidgetty.) Had to avoid the meet up spot as the old bloke with the 2 GSDs (one of which 'went for' Bella years ago) was just heading for it as we left the block. So we circled round slowly (he's only out with them for about 15mins top whack doesn't actually go onto the path just gets to the edge and waits for them to pee). We met a new dog who looked a bit like old Rory (blackface) and the Boston Terrier we know. Then we headed over there.

Met the old Cypriot lady who owns one of the oldest dogs around here - Trixie - never off lead and harness and saw that Trixie had what I can only describe as a hole on her head - right above one brow - dark and bloody but dry. Apparently the Akita mix I took a piccie of last night attacked Trixie! It was a real pussy cat with all the dogs last night (it's 5 months old but huge). Now this had me wondering - this is the THIRD TIME (that I know about - could be more) Trixie has been attacked by local dogs in this area in the last couple of years. Once by Dortu the dog of the loony cat lady in the next block - a lolloping overweight cross daxie that has never even seen a lead and usually just plays with all other dogs and all the cats its owner feeds too - generally never seen without an empty plastic water bottle in her jaws and her pup (now grown) chasing behind her.

I walked back with her and Trixie and we bumped into the Boston Terrier again as he came round and Trixie went MENTAL at him up on her back legs and really vicious snarling! So I am wondering if some dogs do just trigger off a response in other dogs with their behaviour as the usually placid BT then started yapping back at her and pulling on his lead! I was wondering if there is something maybe in the pitch and tone of their barking that triggers an aggressive response? I was left pondering what I was told years ago regarding dogs 'you sometimes never know what it is that 'spooks' them.

Little Bella actually got in the middle of them (idiot) and was going from one to the other in her placatory kissy kissy mode! I wasn't worried about her as she was still offlead and she can outrun the lot of 'em! She is now asleep in the BATHROOM on the bathroom rug. That's a first and I wonder if it is because it is SO sticky (hottest day today in a lot of places here) and there is a nice breeze coming in through the open bathroom window from the mountains.

Here she is on the bathmat

There was a boxer at a Dog Training Club I once went to which was completely inoffensive, yet always had problems with other dogs.

I went to sit next to it once, and to my horror Blodwen, my border collie, growled at it in a very threatening way. Completely out of character. I felt very sorry for the boxer.

Love the bathmat picture by the way!

Interesting thoughts there Tang - I do believe that if a dog is not well, or is injured, this can provoke attacks from other dogs..........it happened to our last dog, and the attacks came from normally good natured and friendly dogs.

Who knows what Trixie is screaming - it could be all manner of insults and obscenities

Bella looks her normal, silky soft self!! Sooo sweet

Oh Bitkin she is now under the table at my feet coz the BLUDDY FIREWORKS have started (well industrial firecrackers are favourite here sounds like we are being shelled). I was giving her a cuddle when they first started but she won't be comforted she has to hide under summat and my new bed is now too low to the floor for her to get under. And ....

I feel guilty now ....

I didn't think about it being Bella's safe haven when I got rid of the old one. Just thought this one would be more difficult to mop under? BAD MUM!

Short answer...yes! There are dogs who become victim dogs and the more often they are attacked the worse it gets. My mum knows someone with a choc lab which us always getting attacked. I've not met it yet so haven't been able to get an idea as to why. In a training class situation scrabbly dogs almost always set everyone in the room off. The sort of dog who bursts in through the door dragging its owner behind scrabbling all over the place and panting or whining lots.

I suppose some dogs are like some children and have victim stamped on their forehead. Such a shame.
Loving that pic of Bella reclining on the bath mat.
I hope the fireworks stop soon Ollie was a nervous wreck and it is very upsetting to see them so distressed.

Fireworks stopped now and we've had a cuddle and a commiserate and she is now on a big cushion I've put on the floor beside me.

Yes Lynn - that's what I was thinking too. Which is why I mentioned the kids that get bullied wherever they go. Very sad, very worrying for the parents as they move them from school to school and same thing happens again - and the hardest cases of bullying for schools to deal with - and of course it doesn't look good that the child leaves a school complaining about it and same thing happens at the next and the next. We actually lived a few doors up from a boy in Newlyn. He was 15 by then and had been to so many schools - in the end he was kept home from school to be home tutored. He wasn't what I'd call a 'likeable' kid but not a troublemaker - just a sort of square peg in a round hole really - didn't blend in if you know what I mean. A bit 'odd' but nothing serious. Kids that don't just 'get on with it' or 'join in' but who require a lot of coaxing to get them to do so. And, I think, who draw attention to themselves through that.

The only other factor I can think of (with regard to this particular dog) is that the owner is always on edge and always holding on very tight and taut on the harness and lead and looks wary all the time. Could be her tension transferring to the dog and putting it on its guard?

But it's really old (probably 15) and looks old too a ploddy old dog not overly sociable with the others either but just goes NUTS at some dogs. If it were not this particular dog I'd be very wary of Bella round the Akita cross after this incident. But I just don't think she will have a problem with it.

There has to be something in it.
Pepsi hasn't a "bad bone in her body" as they say. She gets on with everybody and every dog.
Until they meet a man with 2 Lurchers on their walk. Apparently she can tell from yards away that they are coming and goes ballistic and she is not the only one. Hubby says other placid well behaved dogs are just the same.
There is something about these Lurchers that set off all the dogs

Well you don't say what the lurchers are like. Because on the other hand there are one or two dogs out of all the myriad dogs around here who everyone is wary of! One of the GSDs up the road and a Shar Pei (don't see that so often) but the word soon goes round that they are not to be trusted. Bella ALWAYS barks at those if she manages to catch sight of them - but not without reason - in the past 3 yrs or so both of them have had a go at her. And she will never forget it it seems!

But this is a case of all DIFFERENT dogs attacking this one dog over a period of time. And all dogs that seem very friendly and happy with all the other dogs. So the only common denominator in the attacks is the dog that is being attacked.

As I said all I can think of is that this dog does go apeshit at 'some' other dogs - but can't get to them because it is held tightly on a harness and perhaps there is something in the tone and pitch or waddever of it's nasty snarling, barking and growling that just sets off an alarm when the other dog hears it.

I mean we get a lot of 'mouthy' dogs and it is just that - all mouth and no action! And you can usually tell when a dog is barking like mad because it is frightened.

So I think there are some 'victim' dogs and it is some signal they send out that seems to trigger an aggressive response in the other dog when they start getting excited and barking and snarling. I mean it doesn't even LOOK as if it could harm any of them. Though I am not sure at all if dogs take that on board (what the other dog looks like!)

Dogs will often respond aggressively if they detect weekness in another dog or if the other dog has something that impedes the attacking dogs ability to interpret their body language and meaning..I.e. very pale eyes that could be mistaken for staring, hair over their eyes, a very high tail, a tense body etc.