Just going to have a rant

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Snuffles

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My old Gordon has been attacked twice in two days by a husky.The owner and dog have joined our group over the past couple of weeks
Once was when we were out with our usual doggie group of about 7 dogs, all different all get on, and treats were involved, so OK understandable perhaps, then again today my dog on her lead, no treats involved, dog arrived and immediately set about Georgie. She was terrified and is too old to fight her corner, dog like that could do a lot of damage too. I feel I now have to stop meeting the others as I cant risk her getting injured or beginning to be frightened of other dogs. Its such a shame as she loves being part of the pack. However I will say something I might regret if it happened again. Isnt is unusual for a dog to attack a bitch?
 
Snuffles said:
My old Gordon has been attacked twice in two days by a husky.The owner and dog have joined our group over the past couple of weeks
Once was when we were out with our usual doggie group of about 7 dogs, all different all get on, and treats were involved, so OK understandable perhaps, then again today my dog on her lead, no treats involved, dog arrived and immediately set about Georgie. She was terrified and is too old to fight her corner, dog like that could do a lot of damage too. I feel I now have to stop meeting the others as I cant risk her getting injured or beginning to be frightened of other dogs. Its such a shame as she loves being part of the pack. However I will say something I might regret if it happened again. Isnt is unusual for a dog to attack a bitch?
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What on earth was the husky’s owner doing at the time? Perhaps that person needs to leave the group until they can control their dog!
 
I would be having strong words with the owner. it is most unfair that you and your dog should have to drop out of the group because a newcomer doesn't behave. Is this an official group, with a leader/organiser or just an informal arrangement?
 
He is with us to socialise though he's not a puppy. He does get on with most of the other dogs although he is very bargy and has sent my Gordon flying a couple of times as she is very pottery on her back legs.. He suddenly seems to have taken a dislike to her, she doesn't have a nasty bone in her and in the 8 months Ive had her has never so much as growled at another dog. I think I will steer clear but its a shame as I enjoy talking to the other owners and sitting with a duck and pheasant sausage and a glass of homemade gin !
 
I’d be utterly incandescent! Why should you leave the group? He should get lost! Your elderly dog is not there for his dog to use as a punchbag. I’d be having strong words and asking him to go elsewhere. If his dog goes for yours again, scream, shout, get bloody angry and tell him to get lost. If he can’t control it, he has no right to be out with another group.
 
Owner is a lady who is actually very nice, which makes it difficult. Im going to steer clear for now, or else I might end up making things unpleasant for the other walkers, or clout the dog which is even worse .PaS no its an unofficial sort of accidental group!
 
That is such a shame. Do none of the other people in the group see your predicament? Could you speak quietly to just one or two of them?
 
I was going to suggest the same as Clodagh, speak to the others and explain your dilemma. I wouldn't want to walk with a dog who was constantly harassing or upsetting my dog either, but it seems entirely unfair that you should give up an enjoyable social outing with other dog owners because of a newcomer to the group. Could the husky owner be asked to keep her dog on a short lead so it isn't able to barge your oldie? So sorry for you.
 
Large Husky out of control - I would report her. Next time it could be a dead dog, or worse child.
I bet if she were reported and had a visit that she would take some responsibility and keep her dog away, or at least on a short lead.
 
Snuffles said:
Owner is a lady who is actually very nice, which makes it difficult. Im going to steer clear for now, or else I might end up making things unpleasant for the other walkers, or clout the dog which is even worse .PaS no its an unofficial sort of accidental group!
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she can't be that nice if she's not putting an elderly dog first? I did occasionally have dogs take exception to my setter (who was equally lovely with other dogs) and I could only think it was a size issue as he was taller than most other dogs.
 
Sorry, your dog is your priority and your duty is to protect her, it is not important how nice a person is and they clearly have no respect for you or your dog if they keep allowing this to happen.

My dog is big and strong and can stick up for himself and he has still been attacked multiple times by other people's rude, out of control animals while mine on a lead and under control and each time it happens it sets back his own training and teaches him that he is correct to not want contact with other dogs. His size, colour and appearance seem to make him a target. He is completely neutral to other dogs and will go out of his way to stick his head in a bush and pretend they are not there, until they get up in his face and then he will try to chase them off/tell them to go away.

I'm afraid the only way it stopped happening is for me to be just as rude back. I tried being nice and explaining, sometimes with tears in my eyes and quite upset after being stuck in the middle of two, or sometimes three large dogs with no help and seeing my own dog covered in other dog's drool where they were trying to grab at him. Luckily he has a very heavy coat. It kept happening.
I started roaring at other dogs when they were approaching mine (within reason, I can tell when a dog approaching is going to be aggressive/rude/pushy or not - spangles are generally lovely and charming lol and the skinny dogs just want to play zoomies) and occasionally carrying a long schooling whip that other people can see from a distance. It has stopped happening.
 
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Dont leave the group.
Go and keep yourself between the two dogs and your girl on a lead so you are in control of the situation.Then block thats dog approaching your girl and ask the owner to call him away...and if she cant speak to the owner on allowing him to behave badly not having him under control.Or even better when the husky arrives ask the owner to supervise him because of x behaviour last time and how it affected your old lady(she was sore because he jumped her please dont let him do that again.. sort of thing ) so shes aware its a problem and can work about it.Either shes clueless and needs to be taught how he should be acting..or she doesnt care but being called on it is more likely to shame her into supervising her woof better.

Socialisation isnt about having a free for all and hoolying about with other dogs.its learning appropriate manners and sometimes some dogs need to be under close control until they learn not to be rude.

If this husky isn't able to be controlled off leash then it should be on a short leash and supervised until it learns some manners and then only interact with dogs who can tolerate him off leash. Otherwise hes just having his bad behaviour continually rewarded and practiced.

Leaving the groupisn't t the solution. Dealing with the issue will make it a better experience for everyone. One dog like this could cause a breakdown as everyone with older or dogs who he victimises will stop going if ye dont deal with it! Sounds like otherwise you'll be missing a lovely experience as well...I'd love a gin drinking dog group!
 
I took a lump of wood to a husky several years ago. He singled out my very elderly dog and even though Ben showed every sign of subordination the husky kept coming. The dog's owner was screaming the dog's name and running in the opposite direction, to no benefit whatsoever. I got the dog off and put mine behind me, luckily these dogs respect people and he ran off. I checked mine over and he seemed ok but he went downhill over the next couple of days. I called the vet out and he said he'd had a massive heart attack. As I sat on the floor and held his paw for the vet I really felt I'd let him down and it still hurts as I type this. It wasn't the dog's fault, these are big powerful dogs and they end up in pet homes which can't possibly meet their needs. You have to protect your dogs, sometimes even from themselves, but you have to protect them.
 
I am with CorvusCorax. I wasn't going to respond to this thread because, as usual, she replied brilliantly.

I am afraid I take no prisoners now if a dog threatens mine. I have had 2 dogs badly attacked, both silent and deadly attacks.

The first time was poor Joe, my late Rough Collie, a very gentle boy. 2 staffies ran at him and attacked, one hanging each side of his neck. Luckily for Joe he had a deep mane and only sustained puncture wounds. Had it been one of my smaller dogs or the lurchers the result would have been very different.

The second time we weren't so lucky. I don't know if it was a large Husky or a Malaute that ran at us, the owner was about 300 yards away (across the other side of a large field). Layla tried to run away and it was on her, in no time it had taken 2 big chunks out of her back, it was like a piece of meat. The vets were appalled at her injuries and the severity of the attack, 2 chunks of muscle had been removed plus a couple of smaller bites. She was stitched the full width of her back and down the sides and had 2 drains. Layla always had two divots under the skin after that. A previously dog friendly playful dog totally lost her confidence around other dogs.

In neither case was there any doggy introduction. Just straight in to the attack. Silently. I felt the Husky's behaviour was sheer predation, it just wanted to kill her.

Neither of the owners would accept responsibility/give me their details.

I now carry a pet safe citronella spray which does not harm the dog. If that didn't work, I would resort to violence. The spray carries a warning that it may not work on all animals.

A Black Russian Terrier/Giant Schnauzer (good cross, huh?) lives locally. I had heard rumours and always gave it a wide berth. It was ahead of me one day when out of the blue it ran and bit a lab. It then turned and started running in our direction so I ran in front of my dogs and sprayed it, only then did the owner manage to get hold of the dog and leash it. This dog continued to attack dogs over a period of time until the owners finally decided to walk it on a lead.

In none of these cases do I blame the dogs. Everybody knows what their dog is capable of - or should.

Then there are the nuisance dogs with stupid owners.

My current dog is not comfortable with unfamiliar dogs. He minds his own business, he stays with me when asked and has excellent recall but if an off leash dog came into his space he would bark and posture in an effort to chase it off, he has never bitten and I want to keep it that way. He is a big boy and out of consideration for other people I leash him in the vicinity of other dogs.

Unfortunately I don't get the same consideration. Dogs are allowed to run at him, get in his face, torment him, run around him barking and generally upset and stress him (owners of small yappy dogs think it is particularly amusing).

I now politely ask the owner of the approaching dog to please call their dog, the dog invariable ignores the owner, I then, politely but with a bit of a tone, ask them to come and get their dog. My dog is on his lead and their dog is being a nuisance and my dog is barking and upset. I have to explain to them that my dog does not want Fido in his face. I have been told I should have my dog under control when in fact he is on his lead, being provoked by their dog and it is the owner of the other dog who has no control. He has never bitten but he cannot get away and I don't want him to feel he has to defend himself with his teeth because he is cornered. (and yes, CC, I can get very rude:) )

I have worked very hard with my dog to help him overcome his difficulties and this is undermined by out of control/untrained dogs.

I hope you can see the problem with the following suggestion:

Go and keep yourself between the two dogs and your girl on a lead so you are in control of the situation.Then block thats dog approaching your girl and ask the owner to call him away
Read more at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/foru...oing-to-have-a-rant/page2#tX0VACXXw3UpzWq4.99
 
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I have calmed down a bit since! Ive kept away for a couple of days because I don't want a 3 days in a row confrontation. I will rejoin group in the week and have an extra strong extending lead with a very heavy plastic handpiece that I will keep at the ready. Old girl was frightened last time as well as being flattened the first time so if she shows me she doesn't want to be with the group anymore I will avoid it. We will see what happens. The husky plays very roughly with a smaller staff and a cocker, but Granny Gordon is the same size so perhaps he feels threatened although she has never so much as growled at him or any of the other dogs.
 
I am with CC and SD. I happily hurt other dogs if they are huting mine, with a stick or my feet. Hopefully by yelling - and I am scary when roused - it has only got to the booting stage twice in my life.
I would not take Granny Gordon anywhere near this husky, poor old girl. I would go to the group without her and explain why she is not there.
TBH I am afraid that I now think huskies should join the 'not sutable as pets' list that I have in my head, which includes Border collies and patterdale terriers. All nice breeds, but they just need more work than the average person can put into them, and few people have the set up for that which they were bred. I do know many BCs who are happy as pets, but all have a 'job'.
 
It's taken me years to grow a thick enough skin to do as CC/SD suggest, wish I'd been able to do it earlier as it would have saved us a lot of grief. Although not all of it, as I've had the same experience as SD where the blame gets put back on you for having the supposedly out of control dog, as if it's unreasonable to want to be able to walk your on-lead dog on a public footpath without it being flattened by an obese labrador that's 'only being friendly' but causing your dog to scream and pee itself in fear. *eyeroll*

With only rare exceptions huskies make for crap pet dogs, should be on lead in public spaces and can easily be thuggish and overbearing in a mixed breed group setting. The owner would do well do find a husky specific group (plenty exist!) if she wants it to let off steam and play rough. Or stick it on a lead and use the group setting to teach it some self-control and focus.
 
We’ve got a Border Collie and a Husky!

The BC takes no notice of other dogs at all, especially when he’s off lead. He’d rather stick his head in the nearest filthy puddle or in a bush. If other dogs come up to him, he’ll acknowledge them.

The husky is always on lead or long line unless we take her somewhere enclosed, or she’s up the horses with me. We have socialised her as much as possible, obedience classes etc, and we do go on pack walks. She has never shown any signs of aggression to other dogs, but can be boisterous with excitement at first.

I would be mortified if she attacked someone else’s dog and would think twice about taking her again. I would also be livid if one of mine were attacked by another dog, and would possible hurt it.
 
TheresaW said:
We’ve got a Border Collie and a Husky!

The BC takes no notice of other dogs at all, especially when he’s off lead. He’d rather stick his head in the nearest filthy puddle or in a bush. If other dogs come up to him, he’ll acknowledge them.

The husky is always on lead or long line unless we take her somewhere enclosed, or she’s up the horses with me. We have socialised her as much as possible, obedience classes etc, and we do go on pack walks. She has never shown any signs of aggression to other dogs, but can be boisterous with excitement at first.

I would be mortified if she attacked someone else’s dog and would think twice about taking her again. I would also be livid if one of mine were attacked by another dog, and would possible hurt it.
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I did think it sounded like I was picking on you - go and get a patterdale, go on! - but of course there are many responsible owners who can cope, and put the work in, with more challenging breeds. Sadly there are more people who thinks it looks like a wolf from GOT and therefore will be ideal.
 
Ha ha, we can’t have a patterdale, Jon doesn’t like the idea of walking something to far below his knees!

To be honest, neither are the dog of my choice, I love German Shephards, and hopefully that is what my next dog will be. Had them when I was growing up, although we had a fab lab too.

I do love these 2 though, and I think the thought of them coming to harm or harming others is why we put the work in.
 
CorvusCorax said:
I was discussing this earlier and concluded

'Only being friendly/wants to play' = 'I have no recall'
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I have had this problem with dogs and horses. ie owners who cannot or will not call their dogs back from my horse. I have found these owners have no interest in calling their dogs (or perhaps they are too ineffective to teach it to recall!) however I have found they need action to make them do something.
With the horse I have taught him to walk straight at the dogs, slowly. I ask for them to be recalled, nothing happens, I ask again and keep walking. Owner then starts panicking and asks if I can stop, I say yes but carry on walking and asking them to recall. When they realise half a ton of horse is really going to walk over Fido they get the idea.
If I was in this situation with a dog I would carry a long schooling whip and if they refused to recall I would warn them I was going to use it as their dog had got too close/was threatening etc. If no response I would then smash it hard at the ground by the dog. I suspect for some the prospect of their dog being whipped may bring them to heel. The owners need very firm action to make them learn some responsibility. Doing nothing or asking politely doesn't get through to them. If the dog got too close and it was mine or theirs then I am afraid I would use the whip.

For the OP I would say to the husky owner, in company, that it was frightening my old dog who was far too frail for that so unfortunately I would have to leave the walking group unless the husky could be kept well away from my dog.

Huskies seem to be getting a poor press on here. I am not their greatest fan however I cycle a lot on cycle paths. The lack of control by dog owners is amazing. However the dogs most under control and that we have never had a problem with are huskies/wolf types. We see at least 7 or 8 every bike ride. They are all on a lead and walking perfectly to heel. Once we met a group of 8 loose huskies. Really wondered what would happen as we had to cycle through them. They are perfect.
 
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I'm a husky owner happy with poor press if it stops unsuitable people from having them, they really are furry douchebags. :p
 
Huskies are bred to run alongside each other, work as a team and live in dirt holes with their packs.
The ones who cause problems are usually badly bred (for looks/to make cash) and/or badly trained and not given the outlet they require.
 
Or shout their name repeatedly at them. As that's what most people round here do to unsuccessfully try and get their dogs back.
Naw love, Rupert can't hear you bellowing RUPERT RUPERT RUPERT at him from 100m away, he's too busy trying to mill my dog.
 
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