Scars can mean nothing!!

I'm getting fed up now of people looking at Honey, seeing some of her scars and then because of that assuming that she is a rescue dog, and the amount of people who move away like she has the plague after being told that she isn't, some of them giving me the evils as they do, don't people realise that scars can so easily mean nothing, apart from the dog is able to run off lead, I mean yeah she has one on her side, thats from Diesel playing, she has one on her front leg, from running down one hill too fast that she couldn't stop and stumbled coming up the other side, she has one on her face that can only be seen in certain light, she caught a squrriel, she has one on her back leg, another dog bit her (that bite went down to a tendon) she also has others, does it mean that I've ever raised a hand to her? No, don't people know that any dog can get scars, but Honey seems more prone to it as she has thin skin and a thin coat, I could keep her on lead her who life, but summat tells me that she will be more unhappy with that then the cuts that she gets out and about, and also tbh the worst injury she has, that was incidentally caused by a person is the one that because of how great the vet was you can't see, its the one that happened when she ran into embedded barbed wire and cut between her toes (needed washing out twice a day for a week before the vet stitched it) but again that wasn't me. Have to say though, I've taken the whole thought on people like this and Honey scars as a thing that they don't really know much about dogs like her, I've had a few discussions about scars with people when I've taken the dogs to the Greyhound walks (particulary the one on her side) and I have to say, its not a rare thing, but when will people actually realise that?

There's a man who walks his dogs where I sometimes go & he owns a GSD & a whippet & the whippet is scared all over because he plays with theGSD & his skin is very then & no coat to protect him. The dog is fine & perfectly happy, though he doesn't learn as he tries to initiate play with my two GSDs & I know they play rough so I won't let them.

It's bad isn't it? I'm lucky in that respect I guess, Axel has a couple of hidden scars on his neck, but the big one is on his shoulder. I can say for that at least that it's a racing injury. It's a shame people take that better than "She's accident-prone"...To be fair, Honey would have had a much happier life on the whole than Axel (prior to me of course ) but it's bad that people accept my explanation but not yours. Ignore them if you can, they're obviously closed minded.

We sometimes call Pharaoh 'Posterboy' which is short for 'Poster boy for the RSPCA'... He is so accident prone and is made out of tissue paper and string! His skin tears if you breathe on it funny.. So regularly in fact I have wound wash and wound glue in my walkies bag. Kismet has to be muzzled before they are let off to play zoomies chase or he will come back bloody from a grab to his scruff or nip to his tail..

Silly boy. But I know what you mean... (I took to saying yes when asked if he was rescued... it's not a lie, I did rescue him.. just he was three weeks old at the time!)

Well IMHO until people stop commenting on facial disfigurements of PEOPLE it is unrealistic to expect them not to comment on scars on dogs.........................

You have a point there SB

We get the same kind of reaction with Chaos although not because she has physical scars, she is nervous of strangers. People don't believe we've had her since she was 8 weeks old and assume that she's the rescue not Joey! At one time there were some people who drink in our local pub who actually believed a rumour that was started that we beat her. I was told that the general attitude at the time was "no dog is that nervous without a reason"

It is not uncommon for working, hunting dogs to be scarred e.g.lurchers, foxhounds, even gundogs and falconry dogs, but these days relatively few people are accustomed to seeing working dogs, and those who are familiar with them are unlikely to be the same people commenting on the scarring.

I have seen RSPCA inspectors claim on tv that a dog who exhibits greeting urination, or one who flinches if a hand is suddenly raised, has been abused!

Some would equally flinch at any sudden movement, or loud noise, by anything and although most dogs grow out of greeting urination not all do.

It has been well-established that nervousness and reactivity can be an inherited genetic trait, that can persist however concienciously (sp) a dog is reared, socialised and habituated.

Very true, sadly.

Pharaoh flinches at loud noises or if you raise your hand and I have never hit him. He also cowers and hides if you are angry no matter what you are angry at. He's just sensitive.