Frighteneing Experience

[fenella6]

I have just had a really scary experience while out walking my new rescue dog. Had her 2 weeks and have been walking her with 2 leads and a harness as she is extremely strong and has a tendency to pull. Sometimes while out she will attack the leads like in a game of tug-of-war,so i just stop walking and she soon stops and carries on walking again. But today while out after 2 hours of her walking really well she suddenly went for the leads and then for me. I turned my back on her as i always do and she just repeatedly attacked my arm and the managed to break one of the leads and ran off. She ran back almost straight away and let me easily pick up the lead and walk on as if nothing had happened. My arm is really sore-luckily i was wearing a thick cardi and jacket,but i have some really nasty marks and bruises on my arm. Now i don't know what to do-if my daughter had been out walking her i dread to think what would have happened.Fenella x

[estweyn]

I have just had a really scary experience while out walking my new rescue dog. Had her 2 weeks and have been walking her with 2 leads and a harness as she is extremely strong and has a tendency to pull. Sometimes while out she will attack the leads like in a game of tug-of-war,so i just stop walking and she soon stops and carries on walking again. But today while out after 2 hours of her walking really well she suddenly went for the leads and then for me. I turned my back on her as i always do and she just repeatedly attacked my arm and the managed to break one of the leads and ran off. She ran back almost straight away and let me easily pick up the lead and walk on as if nothing had happened. My arm is really sore-luckily i was wearing a thick cardi and jacket,but i have some really nasty marks and bruises on my arm. Now i don't know what to do-if my daughter had been out walking her i dread to think what would have happened.Fenella x

 

This sounds to me like a case of dog handler aggression and is sometimes shown when a dog has tendancies to be dominant, the fact that the dog is dragging you about is showing dominance anyway. Two weeks is early days and she is finding her feet with you, if you allow this to continue you will find you cant walk the dog. I would suggest that you find out more about basic pack behaviour and demote her to bottom of the pile. Some dogs are motivated by pain, so thats perhaps something else you need to consider, could she be in any pain at all. You mentioned that you turned your back on her as you always do, does this mean she has gone for you before this occassion.

Letting the dog know you are the dominant pack leader does not mean being hard or nasty to the dog, its much more subtle than that. Simple things like never allowing her on the furniture, earning everything including food by doing something like sitting or laying down, all let the dog know you are in charge and are to be respected. There is also something known as the umbilical cord method that sometimes works with rescues, in this the dog is on a long lead all the time even in the house, where you go she goes, you become in total charge of her every movement. This method has worked for many dogs when they realise that you call all the shots.

Hope some of this makes sense, but it seems to me back to basics and thorough investigation of any pain issues is needed

[fenella6]

She has never gone for me before-just the leads,so i turn my back just to give her the message that i am not playing.

[ReikiAnge]

Can you contact the rescue you adopted her from for advice?

 

It would be be worth getting her checked out by the vet too to rule out problems that might be causing this - such as pain as mentioned above.

 

There are professional behaviourists you could contact for an in-person, one-to-one session, but see the vet first

 

Also, you mention your daughter walking her - how old is your daughter? I wouldn't let a child walk a dog unaccompanied by an adult.

 

This sounds to me like a case of dog handler aggression and is sometimes shown when a dog has tendancies to be dominant, the fact that the dog is dragging you about is showing dominance anyway. Two weeks is early days and she is finding her feet with you, if you allow this to continue you will find you cant walk the dog. I would suggest that you find out more about basic pack behaviour and demote her to bottom of the pile. Some dogs are motivated by pain, so thats perhaps something else you need to consider, could she be in any pain at all. You mentioned that you turned your back on her as you always do, does this mean she has gone for you before this occassion.

Letting the dog know you are the dominant pack leader does not mean being hard or nasty to the dog, its much more subtle than that. Simple things like never allowing her on the furniture, earning everything including food by doing something like sitting or laying down, all let the dog know you are in charge and are to be respected. There is also something known as the umbilical cord method that sometimes works with rescues, in this the dog is on a long lead all the time even in the house, where you go she goes, you become in total charge of her every movement. This method has worked for many dogs when they realise that you call all the shots.

Hope some of this makes sense, but it seems to me back to basics and thorough investigation of any pain issues is needed

 

Sorry I don't go with this whole "dominace" "pack leader" stuff - and in my opinion dogs pull because they want to get to something/somewhere quickly and/or haven't been taught not to pull, not because they want to be dominant!

 

If you are concerned by possible aggression from your dog, I would be very careful about implementing some kind of pack reduction programme personally.

 

I think honestly, this kind of concern is best dealt with by a professional that can meet you and the dog face to face and assess you thoroughly

[cycas]

Have you had a chat with the rescue she came from? As they know the dog they may have some extra advice for you? If you post where you are, then it may be that someone will know of a local expert who might be able to observe this, it sounds a bit scary but also, the kind of thing that is quite hard to interpret correctly without seeing it?

 

The only thing I could think of that might be a useful idea is that sometimes when you are trying to discourage something by ignoring it, the animal will start trying the behaviour harder to try to 'make it work'. I wonder if this could be her final attempt to get you to play exciting tuggy games before she starts getting the hint?

[summersun]

Hi,

 

2 weeks is the "danger time" its when you start seeing the first glimpses of what the dog is really like.

 

it sounds like she is re-routing anxiety through lead biting, the pulling could also be anxiety. this was just waiting to happen she's moved it on from the leads, to YOU !!

one thing i can guarentee you is that your dog is not "dominant"

 

what are you feeding, what breed/cross, how old, any history, neutered, were you out with other dogs, what dogs have you got, ages, sex and neuter status and breed ?

 

what was happening at the time she turned on you - anything change / other dogs around you etc ...

 

where was she rescued from ?

 

personally i wouldnt walk her again until you've spoken to someone as if she gets loose near a road or other people/dogs she could attack them.

 

Claire x

 

p.s. this is nothing to do with playing "exciting tuggy games" this is no game and needs professional advice before a lead goes anywhere near her again - please dont put her on a house line she'll probably chew it to pieces, you'll give her the chance to practice the behaviour you dont want AND risk her biting anyone near it including your daughter.

Edited May 27, 2008 by summersun

[fenella6]

My daughter is nearly 18.

[summersun]

it still hurts tho and for you as a mum (am a mum too) it'll hurt too x x

 

just read your other post ...

 

Hi everyone-my name ifs fenella,i live in newcastle and have just adopted my first dog-a gorgeous 3 year old ridgeback,greyhound lab cross from Pawz for Thought animal rescue. I also have 2 cats,a rabbit, 2 giant african land snails and 15 rats-soon to be 18. I have never kept dogs before so i am sure i will be using this site a lot!

 

i'm shocked they have sent a dog like this to a "new" home

 

and i can reccommend someone for you i'll just have a quick dig about

[summersun]

hi,

 

you basically have 2 options

 

1. call paws and tell them she is aggressive and that you are bringing her back now and want your adoption fee back as there is no way they should have homed this dog with a "new" owner. if they say they dont have room then just state everything again and say you are bringing her NOW. there are always kennels somewhere that they can find.

 

2. if you want to keep her you need to call a behaviourist today before she does this again and it must be one insured to work with aggressive dogs too if they are not, and she bites them they could claim against you as an owner.

 

claire x

[murtle]

My daughter is nearly 18.

 

 

Not really a child , but your daughter none the less!! If you are happy to say an area that you are then there is bound to be someone on the boards who will be able to suggest people to help with your dog. I wonder if cycas's comment is right in that like a child where they start quiet with Muuuuuuuuuum, then get louder and louder and more and more whiney....you pooch is trying to get you to do/see something and is having to resort to *dragging* you there to go see?

 

Which ever way you look at it, s/he needs to learn that what you say goes and that may need to have someone to help/guide in to getting it right! His previous owners may not have cared enough to train him and teach him manners, which you clearly want to.

 

xx

[cycas]

p.s. this is nothing to do with playing "exciting tuggy games" this is no game and needs professional advice before a lead goes anywhere near her again

 

 

I don't see how you can tell that, or diagnose that it is related to anxiety, unless you know the owner and the dog. Some people do get frightened by dogs trying to play, particularly when they haven't been taught to do it appropriately.

 

I agree with you that it would be a good idea to get advice from someone who can observe them together ASAP, but telling a new adopter that their dog could attack someone seems a little alarmist to me?

[fenella6]

She was originally from the newcastle cat and dog shelter and was homed to a lady who adored her but after a couple of months could not cope with Pushkas strength. Her knee got shattered by pushkas' rough playing with another dog so she reluctantly got rid of her.We don't know why she ended up in the cat and dog shelter first. She is 3 years old and i feed her on JWB.

[ReikiAnge]

i'm shocked they have sent a dog like this to a "new" home

 

The dog may well not have shown any similar behaviour while with rescue.

 

To the OP, have you contacted the rescue yet to advise of your concerns/experience?

[murtle]

hi,

 

you basically have 2 options

 

1. call paws and tell them she is aggressive and that you are bringing her back now and want your adoption fee back as there is no way they should have homed this dog with a "new" owner. if they say they dont have room then just state everything again and say you are bringing her NOW. there are always kennels somewhere that they can find.

 

2. if you want to keep her you need to call a behaviourist today before she does this again and it must be one insured to work with aggressive dogs too if they are not, and she bites them they could claim against you as an owner.

 

claire x

 

I feel like I've entered the twilight zone or a parallel universe...or are they same thing?!

 

How can a dog be judged without being seen?

Edited May 27, 2008 by murtle

[fenella6]

I have sent her a message but do not have her telephone number so all i can do is wait for her reply-unless i contact the kennels she was in-i know their number and address.