Wake up Call - Are you failing your dog?

[LORHEL]

Pooh I'm so sorry this happened, please take care and don't over do it, I know Mr. Pooh will take good care of the dogs, while you are on the mend, he's been trained by the best anyway. ;) This post is something that I wish all potential dog owners including myself (at the time we got Zeke) could have gotten. You know the story, and ours ended up not being a statistic. But barely. Thank you for posting this, and please get well soon. I know if anyone can you can :) Best wishes from Makita and I.

[JoJo]

Elisabeth, you know you've been in my thoughts. I am so, so sorry this happened to you. With time you will heal and you'll be back out there working the Deit. I can hear you now teaching everyone in hearing distance the do's and don'ts about a dog. You have a mission girlfriend and knowing you....you WILL succeed in it. And if they don't listen, I'll lift that cast iron pan for you and swing it in any direction you wish.

Great statement for it's packed with the truth. Dog ownership needs to be in a whole package, not just the dog in a whole package. Maybe if people heed to what you just wrote, they'll "get it".

Here's to a speedy recovery! Keep your humor up, it helps in the healing process.

((((HUGS))))

JoJo

[Nico'sMom]

I am so sorry for your injury!!! Your post should be read by every dog owner if i had my way- sometimes I wish we could send these things out to the rest of the world since people like that probably dont take the time to belong to a forum. I have also been bitten by other people's "cherished pets" (not as bad as you were, sorry dear) and most of us have run into these morons who dont take the time to raise even a decent dog.

[poohbearsmom]

Thanks for the well wishes, folks.

Understand me - this man is a friend of mine... I brought this to your attention, not to make him out to be the bad guy - he treats his dogs like 90% of the folks I see at dog shows... THIS is the mentality that must be changed. Temperament should be the FIRST consideration, not the LAST when obtaining a pup/dog.

With the advent of the internet, and the plethera of books published regarding dog behavior, training, etc...it's inexcusable these days to stick your head in the sand regarding this topic... that's all.

As my 7th Grade homeroom teacher, Mr. Hendrickson used to tell me...Beauty is only skin deep - ugly goes all the way to the bone.

[JoJo]

Even more sorry to hear about this poor dog that is destined to be killed.

Sorry, but how can you feel sorry for a dog that doesn't have a clue? That's the point of this whole thread......TRAIN, SOCIALIZE, AND TRAIN your dog. Point being, what you don't have you don't miss. The dog never had it.

The owner is an irresponsible, brainless idiot. Sounds more like a self-serving ego-maniac. His dog didn't have a clue what he did, for he was NEVER taught. The dog only knows a few things...eat, sleep and poop. In otherwords, he intakes air and exhales. A waste, sure, but none the less, he was "just a breathing machine". People need to take responsiblity and learn just like Pooh stated. Otherwise everyone looses.

Pooh, try to keep your spirits high. Keep thinking those positive thoughts. You WILL get threw this, just take one day at a time. You have a big support group and we will keep those positive thoughts and prayers coming your way. Here's a big (((((((hug))))))) for you from me and Bruce.

JoJo

[kkaammm]

Sorry that happened to you. Hope you have a rapid recovery. Your post points out how responsible a dog owner should be. Otherwise don't own a dog. That is why we have a lot of dogs in shelters and others put down. I agree with the others this should be a sticky.

[Judi W]

Very few people realize the true damage that a dog bite does. They see bruising and stitches, but have no clue as to the damaged tissue, tendons, legaments and nerves beneath the surface. This damage is not just stitch-it-up damage as tissue is smashed and torn and ripped, not nicely cut.

A dog of weak nerve and deficient charactere is always a problem, not an admireable creature, and a very special problem when present in one of the working guard breeds. True, there are less than confident dogs, but whose nature is to retreat, and those dogs can make passable pets as long as they are not stressed. However, weak nerves combined with an active defense is dangerous and all too often owners are reluctant to recognize this. They find a way to justify the dog's behavior by blaming the victim for wearing the wrong clothes, smelling funny, or looking at the dog wrong. These dogs need to be put down and it would be wonderful if it were done before they injure anyone. It does not matter how sweet they are with their adoring owner, but the dangerous potential. Sadly, these dogs too often belong to naive owners. Being well-intentioned is not enough. Breeding for character is deadly important. Recognizing what you have on the leash and having the skill to manage it, not optional.

I would prefer to work with the hardest and strongest any day than a fearful dog.

I can only guess the distress all of this is causing and the recovery is going to be most painful.

I am sorry you have to experience this.

[danyp1]

I just wanted to add my well wishes. I`m truly sorry for what has happend to you. Thank you for the great post. It just reminds you that however stressfull your life is if you have a dog you need to train and socialize him otherwise do not own one.

[aquarius3079]

Your post has stayed with me all weekend. Thank you for keeping us on our toes and I hope you find some solace in knowing that you have made me evaluate how our house is run and be honest with a few things that need to change. Thank you. And best wishes.

[Dee]

Elizabeth,

I just read this and am so sorry.......What a well thought out post! Please know that we're praying for a quick and full recovery.

[rott'nrottie]

Thanks for a great post good luck in your recovery.

[Carnals]

I am sending my BIGGEST hug and well wishes for you from me and the crew.

So many times I have read messages and read the replies and saw how many people have viewed the post and then wonder...they saw it, but did they really read it??? I truly hope that this post is READ and UNDERSTOOD.

I am not one to post many messages, I am an avid reader and rely on this website for the plethora of information it contains. This is definately a post that should be saved!!

Unfortunately, people are not always honest enough with themselves to really evaluate their relationship with their dog. If they do, they do not easily recognize their deficiencies.

PM, your message is extremely important and one that you have ALWAYS preached even before this unfortunate incident. If they didnt listen before, I hope they are listening now; without having to see for themselves, the damage that an untrained, poorly socialized animal can do. Not just physically, mentally and emotionally to the victim, but to the owner, family, the community and the disservice they are doing their animal.

All my best to you during this difficult time of recovery.

Take care.

[poohbearsmom]

One month and a few days post bite. I do need to make a correction from my first post in this thread. The bite was actually 11.7cm x almost 9cm and nearly an inch deep in places... forgive the misinformation due to morphine and the angels of mercy that administered in the ER.

For a month, I have been agonizing about posting the picture of this bite. I do NOT want to be seen as sensationalizing this one bit. It matters not what breed of dog this was, or who the owner was... folks, this is what a dog bite can be. This is the damage that can be inflicted by a dog the size of a rottweiler with the power of a rottweiler. This is not as bad as it gets, but it ain't pretty either. At least I did not suffer tendon/ligament damage, nor broken bone.

Warning: Graphic image

There has been a large influx of newbies on the board, that are newbies to the breed, and working dogs in general. There are a lot of people who anthromorphize their dogs, and 'furbaby' them to death.

People, if you are going to own ANY type of dog, do yourself and your dog and the general public a favor and learn. Learn about dog behavior. Learn the difference between a grumble and a growl. Learn body language. Learn control. Learn to train your dogs positively, but do not be afraid to use correction (not nagging) or compulsion, if necessary. LEARN LEARN LEARN.

Put a fire in your belly, and UNDERSTAND why your dog does this or that. Put your dogs to work. YOU run the house instead of tiptoeing around 'Brutus' or 'Fang' or 'Spot'. Learn HOW to deal with your dogs in a fair and truthful manner, and allow them to be dogs, and coincide with you and humankind peacefully.

Still, I urge you to take stock in YOU, YOUR DOG, YOUR SITUATION, and do not ever be afraid to seek knowledge. It's the only thing that will continue allowing us to own whatever breed we choose to own. Be honest with yourself. Not everyone is cut out to own a dog of this kind. When in doubt... ASK someone. Put the time into your dog that will repay you with..... a dog worth spending time with. A dog lost his life because of this. I could have too. He just missed a major artery when the flesh pulled off my arm.

I am one of the lucky ones. I survived. I was injured badly, and will have a scar for life. I am one of the lucky ones. I have mobility of my hand. I am one of the lucky ones. I keep telling myself that, as I sit in my house with tubes coming out of my arm a month later.

Take your 'furbaby' hats off, and put your dog owner hats on, folks.

[LORHEL]

Pooh, I am so sorry, I have never in my life seen anything like that, I have never really seen any dog bites anyway, but this puts alot into perspective for all of us (or at least I hope) I'm sorry you have to go through such an awful ordeal, thank you for trying to educate everyone on the board here, your posts have been exactly what is necessary, honest, and direct. Hugs to you we wish you much comfort, and hope you feel better soon. Lori

[spidey]

Thank you so much for posting this, Elisabeth. I'm so sorry this happened, but in a bigger picture sense, I'm in some way glad that if it had to happen with this dog, it happened to someone like you, who's brave and educated enough to use this horrible experience to try and teach people something valuable. I admit that I'm one of the people who cringes when people refer to their dogs as "furbabies" or any of the other cutesy words people use, I think it's not only demeaning to the dogs, but is often (not always, but often) indicative of a serious lack of understanding that dogs are NOT "little people in fur coats", but a separate species, with different motivations and instincts from humans. I fully understand how much some people love their dogs, and I am no different in that regard, but just because it's often the case that the way we feel about our dogs is no different from the way we feel about other members of our family does not mean that we should expect a dog to be human, and treat it as such. Understanding and respecting your dog for its own sake, AS a dog, is far more loving and responsible than thinking of it as a human and thereby placing unreasonable expectations on it.

ANY dog will bite, given the right (wrong) set of circumstances. NO dog, regardless of size, deserves to be treated like a teddy bear instead of a dog. NO dog, regardless of breed, deserves to live in the confusing, frightening world we create for it when we force it to go without training, socialization and clear, fair, reasonable leadership from its owner. And NO dog deserves to be set up for failure through a lack of responsible ownership, be it socialization, medical issues or management. Dogs do a remarkable job of fitting into our society, we owe it to them to do whatever we can to help them - we need to TEACH them how to live peacefully and happily with humans, I think too many people forget that.

I hope you heal quickly, and in addition to my sympathy for the pain and distress this has surely caused you, I have so much respect for you for having the strength to use this the way you have in this post.