Help....complete disaster :(

[bex1984]

Just had a really horrible experience and am absolutely gutted.

Stan has been really good with other dogs recently - he can be a bit barky but has been much better lately. But today he has been really nasty to another dog - I had to pull him off He has never done that before, it was completely unexpected and i am so upset

Other dog is fine, not injured and barely shaken, but did nothing wrong other than come over just at the moment when stan was sitting and waiting to go back on his lead and have a treat.

I can't even explain how much this has upset me I think I'm just going to have to keep him completely away from other dogs from now on, I just cannot risk that happening again. I feel terrible about it.

Any advice on where to go from here?

 

[Kaylum]

Oh dear sorry to hear that. At least he didn't cause any damage. My dog was attacked a few years ago and the owner just stood there until I kicked the other dog to get off her. It's not good for either owner.
Only thing for the short term is a muzzle and keep out of other dogs way. I find distracting them with a bottle of stones loudly shaken good as well. Some dogs respond to clicker and treat training.

 

[bex1984]

Stan was attacked as a pup and I know how traumatic it was, would hate to think we'd made anyone feel like that Today I did what any sensible grown up would do, apologised profusely and burst into tears

He can be very successfully distracted with a ball but we've been avoiding too much ball-play because he gets obsessed and long term that was making him less sociable with other dogs. But I think I might have to just give up on interaction with other dogs, so go back to playing ball.

 

[Kaylum]

bless him it's horrible for them and they know no different. It's attack or be attacked.

 

[Chestnuttymare]

I reckon the clue is in this bit of your post....'' stan was sitting and waiting to go back on his lead and have a treat''
He was telling the dog to get lost as he was expecting food and was being protective of it. Possibly a bit protective of you as the dog came really close to you. He was also in a more vulnerable position than he would have been if he had been running around, the dog possibly came right into his space.
Can't say 100% as i wasn't there to see the other dogs body language and also i don't know your dog. sometimes we miss the body language as it can be so subtle.

 

[bex1984]

I reckon the clue is in this bit of your post....'' stan was sitting and waiting to go back on his lead and have a treat''
He was telling the dog to get lost as he was expecting food and was being protective of it. Possibly a bit protective of you as the dog came really close to you. He was also in a more vulnerable position than he would have been if he had been running around, the dog possibly came right into his space.
Can't say 100% as i wasn't there to see the other dogs body language and also i don't know your dog. sometimes we miss the body language as it can be so subtle.

I'm sure that you're right and that was the trigger. Not helped by the fact that the dog was one of a pair and the other one had just told stan off (not a problem - typical terrier stuff). Also not helped because he is a bit protective of me because I'm pregnant. 5 seconds later and I would have had him on his lead and it wouldn't have happened.

BUT all that said, knowing he did this, I don't feel I can take the risk of him ever getting ther opportunity to do something similar again

 

[Spudlet]

Henry would have had a handbags moment in that situation too, and has. You said yourself he did no damage - if he had meant it, he would have done. This is normal behaviour for a dog. So do not panic.

In your shoes I would work on a 'watch me' command to keep his focus. Also, be aware of him so you can nip developing issues in the bud. Because I know about Henry and his handbagging proclivities, I am on top of him in those situations before he has even thought of being lairy.

To me, bearing in mind I wasn't there but from your post, he just sounds like a normal dog. So please don't panic.

 

[bex1984]

Henry would have had a handbags moment in that situation too, and has. You said yourself he did no damage - if he had meant it, he would have done. This is normal behaviour for a dog. So do not panic.

In your shoes I would work on a 'watch me' command to keep his focus. Also, be aware of him so you can nip developing issues in the bud. Because I know about Henry and his handbagging proclivities, I am on top of him in those situations before he has even thought of being lairy.

To me, bearing in mind I wasn't there but from your post, he just sounds like a normal dog. So please don't panic.

Thank you, reassurance very much appreciated! Good idea about the watch command, will work on that. Normally I would be on top of his behaviour as he does have 'flashpoints' - I just wasn't expecting this one, which is what has worried me. I thought I'd got to grips with his issues - not solved them, but I normally know the triggers and avoid those situations. I don't want to be 'THAT woman with THAT dog' if that makes sense

 

[Chestnuttymare]

I think you are being a bit hard on yourself and your dog, even had you got him on the lead and the dog had still come close like that, he would still have had a go. that is perfectly normal behaviour and it was more the other persons fault than yours. When my cara was on restricted exercise a dalmation flew up to us when she was on the lead, it wasn't being aggressive but she flew for it. I had shouted to the guy to get it as she will react if she is on the lead and she is the sweetest, most non confrontational dog ever, but she was being a dog. He didn't have his under control enough to recall it. Not our fault. I did say to him that she wouldn't have gone for it normally but she was protecting herself and me. 2 way street love, you had your dog beside you about to go on the lead so hardly out of control. Dogs will be dogs so stop beating yourself up.

 

[bex1984]

Just wanted to say thank you to you all for your reassurance and support on this. OH has since dragged me to the park, and Stan had a lovely play with a jack russell I am insisting OH accompanies me on walks at the moment and I'm keeping my distance when he's with other dogs as I am more than a little bit emotional and irrational at the moment and don't want to transfer my feelings to Stan.

Have come to the conclusion that it was just an unfortunate moment and he just felt threatened - his focus was on me, his lead and his treat, and all of a sudden another dog got inbetween us and, as Spudlet put it, we had a 'handbags moment'. I'll know not to get in this situation again.

 

[ChesnutsRoasting]

Henry would have had a handbags moment in that situation too, and has. You said yourself he did no damage - if he had meant it, he would have done. This is normal behaviour for a dog. So do not panic.

In your shoes I would work on a 'watch me' command to keep his focus. Also, be aware of him so you can nip developing issues in the bud. Because I know about Henry and his handbagging proclivities, I am on top of him in those situations before he has even thought of being lairy.

To me, bearing in mind I wasn't there but from your post, he just sounds like a normal dog. So please don't panic.

This^^^100%