Darn dog attacked us!!

[alice's mommy]

Okay....my worst fear (although Arthur and I are fine now...I'm just shaken) happened on our morning walk today.
As we were walking past a vehicle, I saw a dog in there leap into the front seat and start growling/barking at us. I quickly looked and saw all the windows were closed and the sun roof was closed (they goodness for northern winters! lol) so i relaxed a bit. Then...the dog somehow managed to open the car door and leaped out!!! I swear to you, my adrenaline almost shot through my head! I pulled Arthur behind me and started yelling, "BACK! BACK!". Heck, I don't know if I was yelling it to that dog or my dog! Arthur was a gem (ironic, as our walk today was not one of his finest moments) and was behind me as this scrambling, snarling dog came running for us.
All of this must've lasted a total of 5 seconds only....yet I'm still shaking! Haha...sigh. Anyways, the owner of that dog ran out of the store she was in and said, "How did this happen!? The door was locked!". I could only stutter out, "He opened it". She apologized and put him back in the car.

So....my question is: what do you DO when a dog attacks?! And doesn't it seem like dogs seem, for some reason, compelled to attack rotties?! Or are there really THAT MANY viscious dogs out there?!

[Cdn1050]

I know that feeling. I had that happen to me and the time it happened last summer, I had my dog and my kids with me. I stood in front of my dog and told my kids to stand behind me. I was yelling "to go home". I would have kicked the GSD hard in the jaw if I had to, and took the chance of getting bitten. I always cross to the opposite side of the street if I see someone walking their dog on the same side as me. Yes, at times it always seems people think it's cute when another dog (that's not considered a bully breed) tries to bully a dog that is considered a bully breed. I'm glad you and your dog are ok. Next time, just carry an umbrella with you on your walk, if a dog tries to charge point the umbrella at them and open it. Keep the open umbrella between you and the dog trying to attack.

[MonicaBH]

I have considered purchasing and carrying an electric cattle prod for my walks. I think that was recommended here. I also think it is illegal here, but it's a risk I'm willing to take to save myself & my dog.

I have most definitely kicked the everloving sh*t out of a dog that was trying to come after Clyde & I. They have also had rocks and sticks thrown at them. And I like to yell and cuss at them, too. Because they understand the "F" word, you know.

I am definitely not an aggressive person, nor would I ever intentionally harm an animal, but there is a time when it has to happen.

[EmmysMom]

This happened to DH, me and Emmy three times. DH had Emmy on the leash and I went out to "meet" the dog w/my foot. Dog got by me and went after Em and DH had to kick him. The 2nd time a little boy was running behind the dog trying to catch it so I didn't want to pepper spray the dog (started carrying it) but we were able to keep it away from Em until the kid chased it back home. The third time it was an older brittany and it would not "go home" or be deterred so I did resort to the pepper spray. It barely entered the cloud when it backed up, sneezed and took off running away from us. I was worried because it ran across a relatively busy street w/out paying any attention but he was fine. I would have died if he had been hit by a car because I sprayed him!

Unfortunately, Emmy was under a year when the first two attacks happened and she has been very "dog reactive" on her walks since then. It is controllable, but ...!!!

[psychosid77]

i recently went for training at a local place for the pup. it was a home run business, and i accidently walked into the residence instead of the business entrance. apparently i was in someone's kitchen when i opened the door. suddenly 2 large boxers came out to see me standing in the door. i stood there, and they both walked over to me.....then they saw my pup and all hell broke loose. they tried to get at him, so i had to put myself between my pup and the two boxers, and try to push my rotti out of the house and push the other two off, without letting these two dogs run out onto the street. the owner/ trainer came about a minute later, but i was horrified. i'm sorry, but in any other circumstances, i would have smacked the sh*t out of the other two dogs; no apologies. however, i had walked into the wrong part of the house, so it was my fault and i didn't want these other two dogs to run out. i get nervous when this stuff happens, since my friend has a pit who was extremely friendly until another dog bit him one day. now the pit can't even see another dog without wanting to attack it.

[RiggersMum]

Actually, yes, it does seem like Rotties are more prone to attacks. It's weird - when we go to the dog parks it's always Riggs who is getting snapped at and growled at. I thought that in dog body language he must be a bit of a bully, but who knows?

I'm sorry you got attacked. Seems like this particular dog was an expert. Geesh!

[greatdane]

having been attacked three times , yes I do think rotties are more prone to being challenged. one of those times it actually was a cat that tore my dog up, the humilitation!
the cat was beaten away with a tennis racket , it took three times ,
the little mutt dog attack was kicked away after it latched unto my leg and then owner finally came over to get it away ,yelling at me for kicking it
the last was a sch. trainer's GS that broke thru a fence and got to my dog , I pulled that d----- dog of two times , he was lucky I did not sue .
It has certaintly left my dog with leash aggression that we are finally moving forward with, slooooow process but it is happening. she can play with other dogs , we just can't meet them while she is on a leash walking down a street, maybe in about one , two more years. sigh!

[Calin]

Maddie was attacked when she was a little puppy once. I grabbed the other dog by the hind legs and lifted up while Maddie did this run/yelp/pee thing to get away. For a few days afterwards, she had a problem with dogs that were the same color as the dog that attacked her, but it went away and she's been fine ever since.

[fostermom]

Originally Posted by RiggersMum

Actually, yes, it does seem like Rotties are more prone to attacks. It's weird - when we go to the dog parks it's always Riggs who is getting snapped at and growled at. I thought that in dog body language he must be a bit of a bully, but who knows?

I think I read somewhere that other dogs have a more difficult time "reading" dogs that have docked tails...perhaps that might be one reason?????

[lengel]

Can't say if rotties are more prone to attack but there certainly are a lot of people out there who have poorly socialized dogs. Our neighbor has a lab who thinks the entire neighborhood is her territory. They never walk her and used to put her on a tie out all day. She just chewed right through it and roamed the neighborhood. I swear she sought out our dogs. The worst was when I had my guys between myself and a tree in the pouring rain trying to fend her off with my foot. She would back off a few feet, feint one way then try to dart behind me the other way. The psycho thing was that no one watching this did anything. The dog is well-liked by kids and the owners' daughter died in an accident the year before so they were allowed to do whatever they liked.

Fortunately, the town hired a new dog officer who doesn't live here. The first time she went to their house to give them a warning (no one had kept records of my prior complaints), the woman told her that she wasn't aware that the dog had ever been loose. It hasn't happened since.

Needless to say, never an apology even though one of the attacks was on our front doorstep.

[SABELLESMOM]

Goodness! That must have been scary! Just goes to show, once again, it's not the breed.

We've been lucky. People here pretty much obey leash laws, and no dog has been smart enough to open a car door, here...yet. Perhaps a window down if the car was on, and the child lock not engaged would be far more likely.

Well, luck or not, we've only had the small yippy dogs try to charge (leashed) at us, dragging their owners. My girls will sit if I tell them, and calmly wait for the errant knucklehead to realize he's in over his head...usually about 2 feet away, when they notice "This dog is H-U-G-E and NOT MOVING!!" Stops 'em dead in their tracks every time!

I don't think these unrestrained knuckleheads are deliberately singling our Rotties to go into the "charge mode." I think they'd do it because they ARE knuckleheads. Most likely they've gotten away with it before, as well.

I give NO dog an excuse! Dogs read dog language very well! Tailed or not, the charging dog can figure it out. He doesn't want to. That excuse only works for me at a distance of 100 yds or more. Untrained, unrestrained knuckleheads. You think a dog can't "see a butt wriggle in happiness?" Don't kid yourself. You think they can't see the hackles are down? You don't think they see a dog who's ignoring them totally?

[rottcrazed]

My boy Ruckus, is just now 7.5 months (but big, he is 85lbs) and I am already on guard with him.

Male dogs, neutered or otherwise, are already bee-lining for him through the crowd that is the rest of my dog pack (all girls) and posturing right there in front of him. Ruckus, being a pup, wants to play. He is on lead for this reason. I do my best to control his boisterous puppy bouncing, all the while (this was the other day), the male somethingX is hackling, growling and posturing all over my boy. Owner calling him to no avail. My girls are off playing while this is happening.

This happened when Justice was young as well. I found I had to really be on guard with my boy as he would always be the one targetted by other males, so I am well-versed in minding my new boy pup now because of my experience with Justice.

Ruckus is still in the learning manners stage, he will be kept calm at my side in future. I also NEVER go anywhere overpopulated with loose dogs for this reason.

In the past I have had to physically remove other dogs from Justice. Other dogs who were trying to mount him, thankfully my boy was well-mannered and did listen when told to settle, so I never had a fight on my hands. Ruckus is a different dog and I am working now with him on many things, but one is to learn to re-focus on me and settle to my side when told.

I can't stand hearing things like this, but ultimately, if you can maintain control of your own dog, and carry a big stick (seriously, if it makes you feel better), you can avoid stupid dogs and their stupid owners who have no control.

Kristi

[poohbearsmom]

Originally Posted by alice's mommy

Okay....my worst fear (although Arthur and I are fine now...I'm just shaken) happened on our morning walk today.
As we were walking past a vehicle, I saw a dog in there leap into the front seat and start growling/barking at us. I quickly looked and saw all the windows were closed and the sun roof was closed (they goodness for northern winters! lol) so i relaxed a bit. Then...the dog somehow managed to open the car door and leaped out!!! I swear to you, my adrenaline almost shot through my head! I pulled Arthur behind me and started yelling, "BACK! BACK!". Heck, I don't know if I was yelling it to that dog or my dog! Arthur was a gem (ironic, as our walk today was not one of his finest moments) and was behind me as this scrambling, snarling dog came running for us.
All of this must've lasted a total of 5 seconds only....yet I'm still shaking! Haha...sigh. Anyways, the owner of that dog ran out of the store she was in and said, "How did this happen!? The door was locked!". I could only stutter out, "He opened it". She apologized and put him back in the car.

So....my question is: what do you DO when a dog attacks?! And doesn't it seem like dogs seem, for some reason, compelled to attack rotties?! Or are there really THAT MANY viscious dogs out there?!

I'm sure that barrier frustration had something to do with it.

Glad you're OK, and Arthur's no worse for the wear.

To answer your question; I've been bumrushed by a dog in my neighborhood, while the owner was pulling weeds in his yard. I put Dieter in a sit facing me, all the while asking the wonderful neighbor to PLEASE come get his dog and put a leash on it... 3 times the man told me his dog was FINE. 3 times I told him mine wasn't. LOL. I finally kicked the mutt and he scurried away.

Generally, it's not difficult to chase off a dog, but don't depend on that to work unless you're really good at reading body language.

This is precisely why my dogs get exercised in my yard or at the field. If I do walk my dogs around the neighborhood, I take a PVC pipe with me. I have pretty good aim.

[maxcat]

I had a golden retriever looking dog get out of it's yard and come at me and my pup barking and growling. I put up my hand, arm straight out and yelled STOP, BACK, BACK....STOP, etc. while I pulled out my pepper spray with my other hand. To my amazement, Heiko (my pup) stayed pressed up against my leg and moved behind me and the other dog stopped, turned around and walked back to its yard. I waited until he seemed like he had settled and then I moved on with Heiko at my side.

It's pretty nerve racking, but a great confidence booster when you realize you can stand your ground. I always carry pepper spray, though...just in case another dog on the attack gets too close.

[nancyhq]

I am a new rottie owner so I don't know if they are proned to being attacked. But, my other dogs have been in similar situations. It's very frustrating. I once ended up kicking a dog to stop the dog from trying to attack my dog on a walk. My dog hid behind me while the other dog went crazy. But, I felt horrible when it was over because I hurt the animal. It was the only way I could get the dog to stop because the owner had no control. I was upset with the dogs owner for letting the dog get away from him and being carless with it's behavior. The incident happened so fast that I just reacted. I feel it's often peoples fault who don't train their dogs or watch for signs of aggression. I try to walk my dogs on opposite sides of the street when I see another dog. I love the idea of pepper spray so I'm going to invest in it. I am sorry this happened to you and I'm glad you are both okay.