Pet Owners BEWARE

[MaryS]

Yesterday on our local news station there was a report of a Black Labrador Retriever that was attacked by 4 Newfoundland Dogs. Young children were walking these dogs (which weigh about 150 pounds EACH). A man was sitting on a park bench with his 11 year old female lab when one newfoundland broke free from the child holding it and it came charging towards the man with the lab. He saw the dog coming but the dog stopped and sniffed his lab so he then relaxed a bit not to worried now that the dog SEEMED friendly when suddenly it started to attack his dog ripping his neck to shreds the other three new foundland dogs broke free and it became a pact thing where all 4 dogs were ripping this dog apart.The lab owner tried to fight the dogs off his dog by punching and kicking at them but sadly he was not able to get the dogs off his dog. Suddenly the lab broke free and ran but the other dogs caught it and cornered and continued mauling it. At some point the man got his dog free and raced it to his vets office but the dog went into shock and died on the operating table. MY husband and I walk our labs and were attacked 5 times by loose dogs but fortunately the dogs owner hearing the commotion of us screaming and came out of their houses and called their dogs and luckily the dogs obeyed and stopped attacking our dogs. Our dogs were ok but traumatized emotionally by these attacks and became fearful of other dogs. When we see dogs loose we now turn and go in the opposite direction.Sadly because of irresponsible dog owners our dogs are fearful of dogs. We have had to re route our walks to an area that does not have dogs. You learn real fast where problem dogs live. Be careful when out walking your dogs. My sisters friends poodle was killed right before her eyes by a large roaming dog . She was unable to get the dog off her dog because it was large and out of control. To this day she wont own a dog and is fearful of dogs. When you see a dog approaching you pick up your dog if you are able to if it is a smaller type dog. I am now thinking of calling local authorities and questioning whether it is legal to carry a can of mace to use as protection against vicious dogs. We have also run up on peoples porches when chased by dogs and for some reason the dogs stop coming after us when we are on a raised surface almost as if they are afraid to be cornered in a closed area. Dogs seem braver when attacking when in an open area where they can run off when they are done attacking you. I cried when i saw this news segment and my husband kept saying that we are lucky this didnt happen to our dogs during our many attacks. The question that is being posed is what responsible dog owner would allow young children to walk a dog that weighs 3 times the childs weight. Newfoundland dogs are normally not mean dogs and are called the gentle giant and very friendy dogs but these dogs may have been improperly bred. This man that lost his dog in such a horrid way is going to carry this with him for life. I know i would because as dog owners we are supposed to protect our dogs but sadly this man tried but was out numbered. He had bite marks on his body trying to save his dog and had to get rabie shots and tetanus shots. The 4 dogs were impounded but nothing was sad about whether they will be put down.

[bubbe1]

dog owners beware

Mary,
That is such a sad story. And as you said, it's not just the dogs, it's the owners. I wonder if those Newfies were put down.
We have lots of dogs in our neighborhood that are walked by small children. I often find myself crossing the street with our mini poodle to get away from them, and from dogs who are being walked off lead. Most of the dogs are gentle and well trained,but they're still dogs and you never know what might trigger an act of aggression. Our Zachary was grabbed by one of the pit bulls in the neighborhood. The pit was off lead, and so was Zach because he was just about to walk into our fenced back yard(I had just opened the gate and Zach was heading in). The other dog saw Zach and I think felt threatened by him for some reason, so he did what pits do, he grabbed Zach by the scruff,lifted him off the ground and just held on. I honestly think Cinemax,(the pit), meant Zach no harm or Zach would be dead now. He was just making a point of some sort. His owner and I got more upset than we should have and tried to make Cinemax let go, at which point, Cine starting swinging poor Zach back and forth. Cine finally did let go, and we rushed Zach to the emergency vet. He was okay except for some bites, but was left with a herniated disc in his neck. Thing is, the other dog is very sweet and well trained, it's just, as I said before, dogs are animals and you never know. Zach is now never off lead. I take his leash off after we get into the yard and the gate is closed, and I am very watchful when I walk him.
Dogs, kids, yish!

[MaryS]

Bubbe1,

Lots of pet owners are in denial saying their dogs would never bite.I had a beagle and a german shepherd and they passed on due to old age. Then I had 3 labs at one time. one passed at age 13, the next lab passed last month at age 15. Now I have one lab left and he is 9. He is so sad to have lost his playmate. He looks for her in the house and in the yard. It is heartbreaking but i am now afraid to get another dog. My dogs LOVED each other and NEVER ever were aggressive to each other.They ate together , slept together and walked side by side. So i had perfect dogs, with great house manners, not destructive. However, I would never say my dogs are incapable of biting. Any dog can bite, usually something triggers a dog to snap,growl or bite. we were attacked by a chocolate lab. This lab jumped a 7 foot fence and charged is an started nipping. WE screamed and stomped our feet and it backed off at which point his owner came running out of his house. We told him your dog was biting at our dogs and he said No Way, my dog has never ever been aggressive towards other dogs. We didnt argue, we just walked off. There were witnesses to his dog biting ours. His neighbors were on the sidewalk and saw the whole thing but we just didnt want to continue arguing with him or draw people into an argument. Our dogs were ok, the skin was not broken.So we let it go. I try not to watch the news here because daily there is always something sad on the news involving dogs. Recently a man stabbed his pitbull 29 times for no reason. he told the police who were called by neighbors,that his family didnt like the dog so he was getting rid of it. Cruelty to animals here is a felony yet the judge ruled it a misdeamer giving no fine a 2 months jail time. Well this cause such an outrage that 21 legislatures got involved and animal activists are protesting so now the case has been postponed till august. Pitbulls and other bully breed dogs generally get along well with opposite sex dogs.i found this to be true because both times my female dog was attacked it was by a female pitbull. The pitbull went right past my husband and my male lab and focused on my female lab.You were lucky that your dog suffered minor injuries from that pitbull. THese dogs have powerful jaws and that is why they are the main dogs used in dog fighting rings. They can destroy a dog in seconds if they are egged on. Today nothing was said about the attack but you can bet this is going to turn into a major lawsuit. The attack was caught on camera at the park so good evidence is available. Also, other people have come forward saying they had problems with those 4 dogs in the past. they will not release the photos to the public because they said it was gruesome. Just imagine all those people and kids in the park witnessing this horrific an gruesome thing. I never let my dogs off lease ever. I just am a believer in being cautious and not taking risks when it comes to my dogs. Like you i let them off leash when we get into our fenced in back yard. And i never ever left them unattended around other people or kids. Like you said they are animals an can snap at any given moment. Well at least you can scoop your dog up in your arms if you feel threatened by another dog. My lab is 85 pounds or more...oh by the way our nick namesfor the 15 yr old lab was bubby and bubba.

[ICNDonna]

If you don't want to carry a mace sprayer, a small pressure can of hair spray will repel most dogs. I am thankful that nearly everyone on our road keeps their dogs leashed if they're out of their fences.

Donna

[MaryS]

Donna,

I don't know much about mace or hairspray. Do they both just irritate the eyes but don't cause long term damage? What a good idea using hair spray. I would never have thought of that one. My husband thinks you have to register to carry mace. The reason i felt compelled to post this is the simple fact that people should be aware and be prepared when they take their dogs out in public. This dog didnt stand a chance against 4 newfoundland dogs . If he had hair spray, mace or even one of those loud noise maker things to scare or startle the dogs long enough to wisk his dog away it might be alive TODAY. He was a young man and very trusting and naive. He has learned the hardway and his life will be forever impacted by this tragedy. I learned the hard way not to trust a dog running towards me. Sadly, he lost his dog but we all learned a lesson from this and will be more aware and prepared. I guess we all were focused on women carrying mace and noise makers as a means of self defence if you are attacked by a man when out alone. And this also came out when young women were being raped when out walking alone. guess now we have to walk in fear of humans and animals..sad world....

[ICNDonna]

It's just the spraying that dogs don't like. Another one that can be used is to mix an ammonia-water solution (strength doesn't matter) in a spray bottle. That one is irritating to the dog's eyes, but can be very effective.

Donna

[bubbe1]

dog owners

Mary,
I'm sorry to hear that you lost one of your dogs last month.
I'm also sorry that you've had some bad experiences with other dogs. I know how unnerving that can be.

You probably could get another dog if you wanted to, just make sure that your dog and the potential new dog meet each other and interact before you choose to bring the new dog home. When I worked with the Humane Society in our area, we had meet and greets where people who were thinking of adopting one of our dogs would bring their current dog to our kennel and the dogs would interact under our watchful eyes. First they would meet through a chain link fence, so they could sniff each other and we could watch their body language. If that went well, the dogs were brought together in the play area, but on long leads. We could usually tell from that if the new dog was going to work out.
When my sister-in-law wanted to add a second dog to their household, she actually brought her dog, Max, with her to meet a group of dogs needing homes. Max picked Sam all by himself, and it was a match made in heavan! A year later, Max and Sam picked Jake!

I know dogs can at times be aggressive and it's wise to be careful, but keep in mind that most dogs are gentle and just want to play and be loved. The majority of dogs we meet on walks are nice. They just want to say hello and do some meaningful butt sniffing! As long as a dog is on lead, and with a responsible parent, I let our dog say hi.

Donna, great ideas about the sprays. I have always used water but I think your suggestions would be more effective.

Mary, that's so funny about your dogs' nicknames! In case you don't know, my user name, bubbe, means grandma in Yiddish, but the popular picture of a bubbe is a little old Jewish woman with a kerchief on her head. I am not that kind of Bubbe! One of our friends called me that after our first grand child was born, and it stuck!

Laurie

[MaryS]

I am mourning the loss of that dog> I cry all the time. She was our angel baby. Just the perfect lab who had no issues and loved everything and everyone. No replacing that dog. This dog faught to live with us to the bitter end.It was her love for us and the other dog that kept her going when most dogs would have given up. she had IBS and became incontinent when she was spayed. Luckily the meds fixed the incontinence but the ibs came and went . Odd how we both had similar ailments.Even the vets were amazed at her will to live because she got this odd virus that made her unable to focus her eyes and made her unable to stand on her legs. The vet gave her meds and said she could bounce back to normal or she might regain some leg usage or fail completely. She did not bounce back totally. She was able to walk slowly around but when laying down or if she fell down she could not get up. She would bark to us when she wanted lifting up...and this was how it was for one year. Between the IBS and this problem i stayed up all night with her until my Husband came home from work in the morning and then him and the kids took care of her while i was sleeping. My kids tell me i went above and beyond for this dog and I did and would have still kept her going but one day we lifted her and her legs stopped working totally. Vet said it was a seizure or stroke .She had no pain and wagged her tail right to the moment she was taken to be put to sleep. It was sad and traumatizing to see her fail that day. My daughter and I cried like babies when she collapsed that day. My daughter kept saying try lifting her again mom maybe she needs a couple of tries to get going. But her legs were lifeless.
My husband sleeps during the day so I would need to find a dog that is not a barker. both my dogs seemed to sleep while i slept so they were so quiet which was good for my husband. It will be difficult to find a dog that would blend in with our lifestyle and other dog. We tried once already. I know two women in town who run animal rescue organizations. THEY pull dogs from kill shelters and foster them while looking for a new home for them . This women had a yellow lab and she said take her for a few days and she how it goes. She was a sweet and gentle lab unfortunately she wasnt dog friendly. You sometimes dont see a dogs real personality for a few days. We introduced her to each of our dogs one at a time and the meetings were excellent she seemed calm with out dogs and our DOGS loved her instantly their tails wagged and the male dog kissed her on the ear. Well the first day she was fine a little stiff with the dogs and not wagging her tail at ALL but it seemed like she was just tolerating them but not wanting them to be near her >my lab layed down right next to her and was so happy but she seemed uncomfortable. He isnt a bouncy type of dog so it wasnt to much activity around her. The next day the old dog walked by her to get to the back door to go out and do her thing and when she walked by the new dog attacked her for no reason. I was there with them when it happened. My old dog then was scared to come back in the house. NOT GOOD. Then the male dog came in the kitchen and when he walked by her she actually lunged at him and went into full attack well my male lab fought back and my husband had to get between them and pull them apart. It was awful but no one was hurt but we were all shook up because we never witnessed aggression from a pet in our home.I called the lady up and told her and she said bring her back. I told her that this dog probably needs a quiet home with NO KIDS and NO DOGs . She was fine with us no aggression but i wouldnt trust her with young kids as she seemed unpredictable. So that is my worry about finding a dog who will like our dog and a dog that my dog will like as well. So see sometimes a meet an greet is not always a good judge of dogs personality. We saw no aggression at all when we met her and she was sweet with humans.A shelter worker told us sometimes a dogs true nature does not appear for a few days. My husbands friend had 3 dogs and his wife rescued another dog from a kill shelter and for one week all 4 dogs got on well and then one day while they were just all hanging out as a family the new dog and one of the other dogs got into a huge fight that turned bloody . It happened so fast that they dont know who started the fight or even why. It wasnt food or toy related. So between our one failed attempt and my husbands friends failure we are both afraid we wont find that harmony between dogs that we had with our two dogs. Cant do meet and greets at shelters. My dog gets car sick and hates car travel. He goes in the car to the vet and it is just 8 minutes by car. Anything longer then that and he throws up bad. I drive and my husband holds him with his heat out the window and this keeps him ok for those 8 minutes. AND yep we tried the car sick meds and dramamine but those didnt work out for him. but even if he was able to travel he is skittish in unfamiliar environments and I think the dogs barking madly at the shelter would make him anxious. To him a barking dog is a dog coming to attack him.that is what his memory is of barking dogs. He will interact fine with a quiet non reactive,non barking dog but a hyper bouncy type of dog would set him off. My friend has two dogs . One is quiet,,calm my dog will go an do the sniff thing and be fine but when the other dog comes out charging and barking my dog goes into immediate defence mode ..like i am gonna bite you before you bite me.........this is what has happened to my dog as a result of the dog attacks on us he is on the defensive all the time.

[MaryS]

Oh wow.............I am Ukrainian and we use the word Baba or Babcha which is word for grandmother but some also used it to describe and old lady........odd how the two langages are similar. Is yiddish same as jewish?

[MaryS]

My parents lived in germany during that awful persecution of the Jewish people.

[MaryS]

bubbe1,

Your sister in law's dog is probably normal. So she was able to do the meet and greet thing at a strange place. My male lab has many issues and my husband always says how lucky this dog found me because anyone else would have got rid of him the first day. then I remind him that he was gotten rid of 3 times because someone didnt want to take the time to help and train him to be a good canine companion. My dog has separation anxiety which had improved but since the other dog passed he has become extremely clingy and follows me everywhere I go and when i need to go out he has to be held so i can get out the door . AND he cries the entire time I am gone. I think he now fears i will disappear like his playmate did. I think she had a calming influence on him because he followed her lead. He has now developed fears of fireworks and hides when he hears them. This was never an issue before and again the other dog was unaffected by fireworks or storms and remained calm which made him calm. He is an anxious dog and uncomfortable around strangers and strange places. the only way he would accept another dog is if I am handling the other dog and my husband handles him. He will accept a dog because I am holding the leash and since he trusts me he will trust the dog. This is how we did it with the yellow lab we tried to adopt. When he saw it with me his mind tells him the dog is ok because it is with his mom. If someone else were to hold the leash he would react different because it is a stranger and strange dog. He is an odd but loving dog with his family. He has alot of baggage from his past . I think he was locked up in a crate all day while his owners were at work and he was also hit when he did wrong. To this day when i reach out to pet him he still backs away out of habit still thinking the hand will hit him. One day i wanted to wash the kitchen floor and he is underfoot and walking all over the floor as i was washing it so i put him in my bedroom for ten minutes so i can wash the floor and he vomited all over my bedroom floor from being confined/locked in a room by himself..i never did that again. I use a gate to block the kitchen and he can stand by it and watch me/see me which eases his anxiety. sad how humans damaged this poor dog.

[ICNDonna]

If you're really wanting another dog, a very young puppy is almost always accepted by resident dogs.

Donna

[bubbe1]

dogs

Oh wow.............I am Ukrainian and we use the word Baba or Babcha which is word for grandmother but some also used it to describe and old lady........odd how the two langages are similar. Is yiddish same as jewish?

Yes, it is. Jewish is our ethnicity and Yiddish is the language that evolved as a way for Jews from all parts of the world to communicate, so it has words that are very similar to words from many other languages, such as german, and apparantly, Ukranian! Our "official language" is Hebrew, but not everyone learned to speak it.

[MaryS]

Donna

Yes, Donna you are right. Most dogs except a young pup verses an older dog. I have done this three times already. I had a beagle and brought in a german shepherd pup. but the beagle was older so she passed on leaving the german shepherd alone and she missed her friend.Luckily, our neighbors had a dog so the shepherd played with this dog but missed the beagle. At that time I had young kids and didnt want to bring in another dog at that time . Then the shepherd passed on and for the first time in my life i had no dogs and hated that empty feeling.the footsteps padding around the house and the greeting at the door when we came home so after 6 weeks of missing my dog I bought a female lab. After a few years, i decided to get another lab pup as a companion for the other lab. They loved each instantly. I think the older lab took the mother role for this pup an watched over her. My best friend somehow conned me into rescueing another lab from a bad situation. She knew someone who kept the dog tied up outside all day and into the evening. The dog was sad and depressed and not eating. She convinced them to give her the dog telling them she could put it in a home where it would get more love and attention and be a house dog. They gave the dog and she then brought it to me. Her dog was dog aggressive so tho she wanted to keep this dog she could NOT. Well then i had 3 labs. Well, I believe in fate and two months later my old lab passed on and had we not taken in this dog the other lab would have been friendless. So it worked out I had two dogs that were companions for each other. Well now that older lab passed last month and now we have one 9 year old lab left. getting a pup would just start the cycle again because the pup would come in and get attached to the male dog and then in 4 years she would lose her friend..vicious cycle when you adopt dogs with big age differences. I would love to adopt a dog that is within a year in age difference so I can get out of the cycle of an old dog passing on leaving a young dog alone.

[MaryS]

Donna,

I go back and forth on this dog issue and honestly I dont know if i can handle a puppy at this time. With my IC and IBS it would be hard to take care of a pup from the bathroom . Before , I had kids here to help me but now my son moved in with his girlfriend and my daughter works alot and when not working she is off with friends......my husband works 6 nights a week..i wish i could find a calm, submissive laid back dog that would blend well with my dog.....he has bad arthritis that kicked in this year so he doesnt need a playmate as much as he needs just a friend who will just hang out with him and go for short walks.He went from being a hyper active dog racing around the yard to a quiet calm dog in a heart beat .....this arthritis kicked in overnight..one day he was finethe next he was hurting.....vet said this happens alot..said most likely he had it for a bit and tolerated it until the bad pain kicked in. Again, another reason why a pup would not work out ....it would be boucing all over him and biting him with needle teeth....he plays for a bit then goes and lays down where a puppy is full of endless energy..