JACKYSIAN Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 I've always struggled with Tiz and her erratic behaviour. And I've never made a secret of the fact that me and her arn't really 'meant to be' together. But I do love her and I want the best for her. Anyway on saturday she did something completely unexpected and attacked another dog totally unprovoked! I had seen the woman coming with 2 whippets, she had one on lead so I grabbed Cooper and Cromwell and put them on lead, Tiz was way ahead of me and not in the area of the woman so I didn't get her. The off lead whippet then shot across and sniffed the 2 boys (while Sidney did his manic boinging and showing off his toy trick!!), luckily the whippet was a female so the boys weren't at all aggressive or bothered that she was sniffing them while they were on lead, she then pottered off. Then Tiz shot across in front of me and went to the whippet, she just sniffed her and walked off...I carried on and the next thing I saw Tiz turn back and attack the other dog! She went straight for her throat but luckily the woman got her foot inbetween then and I shouted so loudly that Tiz did stop!! Unfortunately the whippet was damaged on the side, and her ears and neck were ripped! Tiz has always been grumpy and she can fight over food or jealously but she's never done anything like that before. Since then I've been keeping her on the halti until I see that the beach is clear of other dogs, and I call her back to me if I see anyone else. I've also been making sure I take treats with me and doing her obedience training while on the walks (she's actually very good at obedience). What else can I do to stop this ever happening again? Is it something I've done that has made her do it? I just don't understand her, she's such a friendly dog to people and she adores her 'boys' but she just has this side to her that is so unpredictable. Do you think I'm silly to not have her muzzled on all walks now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanrossscot Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Firstly BIG to you, I know you will be feeling rotten. It is difficult when you have a grumpy dog that you can't 'figure out' - I am pretty much the same with Tia. I don't know if something I've done made her like she is but it doesn't do to try and analyse things too much sometimes Jacky. I am not sure what to say about having her muzzled all the time. I would say probably not, but that is only my opinion. It may be that what would have been a grumpy 'no real contact' situation with most dogs has looked much worse because whippets have such thin skin with no fur to protect them. I think as long as you keep an eye out and call her back when you see other dogs you should continue to walk her as you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mop Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Tommy would do this on rare occasions and I put it down to the other dog either swearing at her or saying something to upset her. That was the impression I got from Tommy's body language. Maybe this Whippet had done something similar to Tiz. The problem with muzzling a dog is they can't defend themselves if they are attacked and round here there are plenty of dogs that attack for the fun of it so I won't muzzle mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel n Hardy Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Jacky I don't have the level of knowledge to offer any advice on this, just that I am sure you will do the best thing possible and keep trying to get to the sorce of Tiz'z behavour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiona711 Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 How scarey for you I think my first port of call would be the vet just in case there is any pain or discomfort anywhere that she is not showing , most dogs seem to have quite a good threshold for pain so maybe something is bothering her ? I think i would keep her onlead around other dogs , i am not a great fan of muzzles as Margaret said if another dog attacked her while she had a muzzle on she has no way of defending herself and at least if she is onlead she cannot attack any other dogs as you are in full control of her , sometimes their body language is very subtle so we cannot always see the signs when something is going to kick off . Please dont think it is something you have done , dogs cannot be expected to like every other dog they meet just like we dont like every human we meet , maybe she thought the other dog was a threat to her and / or you ? Sadly its one of those things you will never really know , theres all kinds of triggers even though we dont know what they are but i am a great believer in better safe than sorry when it comes to our dogs , as i said we dont always know why they do something but we have to try our best to make sure they are not put in that position again to safeguard them as well as other dogs . Fiona xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernie Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 No advice Jacky, but it just maybe something about the other dog she didn't understand or like, as Margaret says maybe the other dog gave a low grumble or something which you couldn't hear. My Dylan can be rather scared of some dogs he doesn't know and will avoid them at all costs, but there is one dog living near to us that he absolutely hates and I do know if they ever met off lead he would have a real go at him, it's bad enough when both pass nearby on the odd occasion and on lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACKYSIAN Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Thank you everyone . I do feel that I'm never going to win with her, and I have irrational thoughts that she does it to spite me. I have seriously thought of rehoming her to someone where she can get more 1 to 1 attention, but when it comes down to it I couldn't imagine life without her. I do love her but find this behaviour so difficult to deal with. She can spend the afternoon snuggled on my knee on the sofa and then when we go out she is barking at everything. She 'protects' people from their own dogs, and it's just luck that the people I walk with have dogs that don't react to her snarls! She went for my friends little oldie the other day over a bowl of water and I just put that down to jealously, but maybe there is something physical. She does seem to have got worse recently, I hope it's not her becoming grumpier in her old age!!!! I have a major worry of her doing it one day and the boys piling in to help her!! Sidney is a sweet kind dog but he's a sheep and he adores his Tiz. Why do we do it? I knew I should of stuck with gerbils!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooster Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 to you and Tiz. Don't really have any advice to give though, other than maybe take her to the vets as others have said to see if she's in any pain/discomfort Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mop Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Just take a step back for a couple of minutes and look back to how she was when you first got her and see how much she has changed. Also, think back to your knowledge when you first got her, and how much more knowlege you have now, it is the difficult ones that teach us so much, we have to learn to cope with them Whenever I have a bad experience with one of my dogs, this is what I do, I still wish the incidend hadn't happened, but seeing how far my dog has come, my upset is replaced with pride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACKYSIAN Posted August 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Just take a step back for a couple of minutes and look back to how she was when you first got her and see how much she has changed. Also, think back to your knowledge when you first got her, and how much more knowlege you have now, it is the difficult ones that teach us so much, we have to learn to cope with them Thank you, that does help. I spent last nights walk working with her, and we met a lady with a 10 month old schneuzer (sorry can't spell that!!), Tiz was horrible and snarled and barked but I distracted her and within a minute she was happily sitting next to the other dog and let me chat to the his owner. I didn't let her off lead around him, but Sidney played like a fool and she wasn't at all bothered when they shot passed at 100 mph!! I won't allow her out now without her halti on because it does seem to calm her. Today I'm alot calmer about it, what would I do without this place to rant and rave to!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collies r best Posted August 25, 2007 Report Share Posted August 25, 2007 Have you thought about getting a reading done for her like you've done for Kane? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACKYSIAN Posted August 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 Have you thought about getting a reading done for her like you've done for Kane? Oh sorry just seen this. Vashti did one for me a while back, very very distressing reading. It is frighteningly accurate as I do know alot of her history because I met someone that used to live next door to her (she is quiet distinctive looking and he recognised her straight away) and he told me what had been going on!! He said his wife had actually gone round one day to offer to rehome her but they refused and then a week later they told her she'd gone back to the rescue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACKYSIAN Posted September 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 Just thought I'd update. Went to visit the dog trainer who's been doing obdience with me and Sidney. Took Tiz for her to assess........we are doing our bronze in 2 weeks!!!! She couldn't believe I'd never had a lesson with Tiz (someone amoungst her 5 homes must of done training with her!) she's said that she'll breeze through bronze and then we'll get going on silver! She actually said that Tiz is a better candidate for obedience than Sidney cos all he cares about is play!! TBH I'd decided to not take Sidney any further anyway cos he's a good dog and I only did it for fun with him, but as it seems to be doing Tiz alot of good I'll carry on with her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooster Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 Fab news!!! Good luck with it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel n Hardy Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 keep us posted with regular updates plzzzzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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