Was this my fault?

Holly Hocks

Holly Hocks

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This morning I was taking my dog to the fell for his walk. I have to walk over a path which goes across a field where people walk their dogs. My dog was on his lead and as we walked onto the field, a golden retriever type dog came down from the left. I asked my dog to carry on walking with me and he tried, but the other dog wouldn't leave him alone. My dog hates feeling that he can't get away and the dog's owner was doing nothing to get her dog away. As mine has always been a good natured pooch, I decided the best course of action was to unhook him as then he could get away. So I let him off and then the other dog mounted him and attempted to hump him. My dog retaliated which to be honest I don't mind as I don't find random humping by other dogs acceptable. He just growled and then left it at that. The man who was with this woman had a terrier with him also off the lead and as my dog was saying hello to it , my dog suddenly became very dominant with it, and standing over it. Something I've never ever seen him do before. The retriever dog then came right up to my dog's backside again and went to hump him again and my dog then went for the terrier in front. I feel terrible as he has never ever done anything like this before. Man picked terrier up and my dog came back to me. My dog has hip dysplasia and got increasingly lame on the walk so he is on Metacam now, but I think the fact that he was in pain may have been a factor (especially as the retriever had mounted him). Not sure why I'm writing this, but just feel so worried that he is going to do it again when normally he is very submissive.....if I had just kept on walking with him on the lead this wouldn't have happened, but I thought I was doing the right thing because the other dog just wouldn't leave us alone. He met two springer spaniels on the fell and was fine with them - showed absolutely no sign of any aggression. It just bugs me that if I see someone with a dog on a lead, I clip mine on straightaway because I always think that the other dog is on a lead for a reason, but now I feel like the bad dog owner because someone else couldn't call their dog away and didn't put it on a lead in the first place.
 
Its unfortunate rather than you being a bad owner, unforseen consequences, I think carry a light stick so you can threaten another nuisance dog, obviously first ask other owner to remove it.
 
some times dog don't get on. In your shoes I would have done the same thing and maybe his response was pain related.

my lurcher is currently on lead only and yesterday we were coming to the end of an isolated footpath,I could see 2 women cleaning their boots and a little fluffy dog wandering about (in and out of the road), no-one was paying any attention to the dog, I called out to ask if the dog was ok and 4 or 5 dachshunds appeared out of the boot of the car and set about my lurcher, I had to pick her up (whilst swearing at the women and their dogs) as she did not know what to do as they were all around her running in and nipping, they told me the dogs were not aggressive even as I picked my dog up and one dachshund was hanging off her leg and another off her harness-I did point out it is a good job my dog is not aggressive or there would not be much left of their dogs.when my dog was in my arms one of theirs was still trying together by jumping up-I did end up giving that one a swift kick as the women we useless. I would have let my dog off if we had not been road side as she would have been able to outrun the horrid little blighters
 
I wouldn't have let mine off the lead tbh and that humping dog would have been kicked off by me all the while I would be shouting at them to get their dog under control. It would be a brave dog to try and hump one of my Dobes and they would have soon shown this rude dog why it wasn't a good idea.

If we all had crystal balls life would be great, what you have to ask yourself is if the same situation arose what would you do now, we all live and learn and there is no point beating yourself up about it.
 
To be honest I don't think it's your fault at all.

One of ours is dog aggressive so we keep him on the lead at all times. There's nothing I hate more than trying to walk and having some random, annoying dog not leave us alone. I never stop if another dog comes up to us, and if we're being constantly followed and jumped over I don't mind if mine growls or snaps. It's how dogs learn boundaries with one another.
 
Dobiegirl said:
I wouldn't have let mine off the lead tbh and that humping dog would have been kicked off by me all the while I would be shouting at them to get their dog under control. It would be a brave dog to try and hump one of my Dobes and they would have soon shown this rude dog why it wasn't a good idea.

If we all had crystal balls life would be great, what you have to ask yourself is if the same situation arose what would you do now, we all live and learn and there is no point beating yourself up about it.
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I suppose it depends on your dog my current lurcher just keeps out of reach if anything gets grumpy, but a couple of my old boys I would have kept on lead as it would have been a bundle if anything tried to mount them, if I shouted with in a situation like that my lurcher she would be even more scared but she is a good judge of dogs intentions and generally keeps out of trouble
 
Thanks all. I think in future if mine is on his lead, I will just keep walking. If he has a go at another one, that the owner can't get hold of then so be it. The thing is, he has never ever shown any dog aggression apart from when another dog has tried to hump in the past. I don't mind him retaliating in those circumstances. I only ever let him off on the fell as the other dogs are generally always off lead, and there is plenty of room to play, or get away, whatever he chooses. My dog is definitely suffering today. His hips must be sore, he doesn't want to be with me and he is not right behind. Back to the vets again this week I think!
 
Holly Hocks said:
Thanks all. I think in future if mine is on his lead, I will just keep walking. If he has a go at another one, that the owner can't get hold of then so be it. The thing is, he has never ever shown any dog aggression apart from when another dog has tried to hump in the past. I don't mind him retaliating in those circumstances. I only ever let him off on the fell as the other dogs are generally always off lead, and there is plenty of room to play, or get away, whatever he chooses. My dog is definitely suffering today. His hips must be sore, he doesn't want to be with me and he is not right behind. Back to the vets again this week I think!
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Don't feel bad. Your dog didn't do anything except be a dog!

It sounds like it was just a chain reaction and he went for the thing closest to him out of shock. Hope he feels better soon!
 
I dont think you are in the wrong at all...it sounds like it could have been avoided if you could have cut off the advancing ,off lead, dog before it kicked off. Sohere is a suggestion. Ihave recently bought a dazer..a high frequenti ultra sound devise.I carry it in my fanny pack with the poo bags...it rarely comes out into action....but it works.
When my st poodle was just ten months old,we were walking onlead when he was literally knocked to the ground and bitten by an off lead Rottweiler.
After this I bought a dazer...Google this.... Since then I've used it twice for offlead dogs coming at us across the fields,and not to say hi....I used the high frequency dazer and the dogs have stopped in their tracks and turned away,problem avoided.

http://www.dazer.com/dog-deterrent.jsp
 
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Thanks all - I don't feel quite so bad now - just worried that it might happen again. He is now drugged up on Metacam and resting.
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I probably would have kept mine on the lead and kicked the annoying retriever away with out any compunction - I hate badly behaved dogs like that - but that is more because I know my greyhound dog can be dog aggressive if he is put under pressure.

I dont think you did anything wrong, I just hope it makes the other dog walkers learn that they should keep control of their dogs...
 
My three year old collie has Hip Displayisa and flies at anything that jumps on his hips. They hurt, he is protecting his self. I don't apologise to owners in the sense. Feel bad, I just make it clear to them he is protecting his hips.

You did nothing wrong except maybe not asking the other dogs owners to remove said dog.
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Slightlyconfused said:
My three year old collie has Hip Displayisa and flies at anything that jumps on his hips. They hurt, he is protecting his self. I don't apologise to owners in the sense. Feel bad, I just make it clear to them he is protecting his hips.

You did nothing wrong except maybe not asking the other dogs owners to remove said dog.
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Thanks. I took him to the vet tonight and we've started a course of cartrophen injections and started on Metacam for a period of time with a view to reducing it if possible after a short time. Also going to get some hydro/physiotherapy. :)
 
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