Getting Charged By Dogs

[sabrinah]

I hope Mondo heals up ok! How's your arm?

Animal control frustrates me. It's like they only exist to say there's animal control but not actually do anything.

I haven't seen Bobtail Kitty or her baby. I'm worried.

 

[1 bruce 1]

My dog has met an entire 2 people that he loved instantly. Only 2. Everyone else requires an extensive introduction period. I like that though because I'm alone a lot and I always walk him alone. There have been a few occasions where a guy has come at me in an unfriendly way while walking Beast, and he's made them back off and never come at me again without even making any physical contact. Everyone thinks he's just this little lab puppy they can knock around, not realizing that 1) he's not a puppy, and 2) he takes threats seriously. When I first brought him home my senior year of high school everyone worried about me walking alone, but now no one in my family worries at all because they know no one can touch me with him around. He's a good little woofer. Tonight he's coming with me to put gas in the car. Driving gives me horrible anxiety and gas stations make me want to die. I need gas though, so I'm going later in the hopes that it's not busy. His little self is going to be on guard duty.

My brother recently got a German Shepherd puppy from a super sketchy breeder without doing any research first and I'm super concerned the dog is going to be a mess. I'm pushing training and socialization on him as hard as I can but he's already had it like a month and he's just now listening to be about training. It's a good thing he lives states away otherwise he would be begging me to train his puppy. He already asked once if I could come train it for him. He wants instant gratification and doesn't realize that's not how it works. So worried about his dog.

I don't suppose the visitor decided to take in the un-friendly feral?

Beast sounds like my kind of dog. Good instinct on him for backing the weird guys off, they can read these situations so well and tune into our moods!
I knew someone a few years ago get a German Shepherd from a breeder that wasn't super sketchy, but bred more for looks...The puppy owner said that the dogs mother was a b**** and was unapproachable and the father was too aggressive to meet. The puppy at 9 weeks old was growling and shying away from people. Bad news. Training helped make life easier but the dog has never been "right" or trustworthy. The dog isn't "protective", the dog is super insecure with incredibly weak nerves and a degree of sharpness that makes a bad package.
Their cats were terrorized by this dog, and rather than containing the dog or teaching the dog to knock off the crap, they dropped the cats off at a shelter.
(Needless to say, we're not friends anymore...)
I feel sorry for anyone looking for a GOOD German Shepherd these days. They are out there but (especially new dog owners) don't know what to look for and are fed a line of bull. And the prices are insane, $2500 for a puppy that pees itself if you look at it wrong? =/

 

[1 bruce 1]

My dog, Mondo, and I were recently attacked in our neighborhood by a mastiff-type dog. My dog is a very large Siberian Husky who only bit back after the attacker bit my arm. I fell to the ground (I'm a small woman,) but mondo lunged at the other dog, truly this time, and scared him away. Not before I had to get him some stitches on his ear and (at the vets assistance,) get the rabies vaccine since our animal control is useless. The course of rabies vaccine was more annoying than the puncture wounds, but I was livid that this dog hurt Mondo.
I can't explain CA logic to you, either, but I got a taser myself, as well. It's actually made for self defense and one of my elderly customers keeps one in her purse for this purpose. I figure it can be dual purpose since I live in a rural area, and work in a city. I am really uncomfortable with the idea of accidentally shocking myself (although our state doesn't give you very many options.) I've seen the dog that attacked us a couple of times in my car, and called animal control again - all to no avail. Once, it had a broken piece of rope around its neck, the other time it was a collar with handle. No such luck when it came after me, it had no collar.

I'm moving soon, and worry about the ferals I've been feeding, especially some kittens near where we were attacked. I haven't gotten anywhere close to them, just fed them and watched from afar as they ate it, but I hope to trap them before I leave.

I share your anger about the loose dogs here, as well as many if your concerns (even those about the roosters!) I hope your bobtail is ok, and second that I'd look the other way for a catnapping!

Our AC people vary, a few of them are very good in response and a few of them never answer the phone and never respond.
One AC officer has a Husky that he swears is a wolf. This dog is not a wolf, not even close and it's scary that someone in that authority would buy into this. It would be like me saying my horses are unicorns, LOL.

 

[sabrinah]

Beast sounds like my kind of dog. Good instinct on him for backing the weird guys off, they can read these situations so well and tune into our moods!
I knew someone a few years ago get a German Shepherd from a breeder that wasn't super sketchy, but bred more for looks...The puppy owner said that the dogs mother was a b**** and was unapproachable and the father was too aggressive to meet. The puppy at 9 weeks old was growling and shying away from people. Bad news. Training helped make life easier but the dog has never been "right" or trustworthy. The dog isn't "protective", the dog is super insecure with incredibly weak nerves and a degree of sharpness that makes a bad package.
Their cats were terrorized by this dog, and rather than containing the dog or teaching the dog to knock off the crap, they dropped the cats off at a shelter.
(Needless to say, we're not friends anymore...)
I feel sorry for anyone looking for a GOOD German Shepherd these days. They are out there but (especially new dog owners) don't know what to look for and are fed a line of bull. And the prices are insane, $2500 for a puppy that pees itself if you look at it wrong? =/

Beast is a good boy. If I was a social person he might be problematic because if he doesn't know someone and they come in the house he will go after them with zero hesitation, but I'm not a people person so he's good for me.
A 9 week old puppy already growling at people is insane. They're still babies! Ditching the cats is unacceptable. Dogs can be trained not to be jerks.
My brother paid $600 for his "purebred AKC" puppy and didn't even meet the parents first. He had zero clue what he was doing and didn't bother researching. The puppies were also all kept outdoors, they were filthy, had fleas, and had worms. It's only 3 months old now and the hips already look like an overly angled mess. I prefer dogs bred for functionality, not looks, so I really don't see anything desirable about show line dogs.

I thought I saw Bobtail Kitty today but it had a tail so I think it was either Butt Biter or Short Haired Van (it most definitely wasn't Long Haired Van) I give nicknames to all the kitties I see regularly. I hope Bobtail is ok. This neighborhood has a lot of bobtail-types, ones with folded ears, torbie and white, and calicos. Butt Biter is a calico while Hospital Kitty is torbie and white, but they're both tiny cats with a lot of white so they can be hard to tell apart from a distance. Butt Biter has to be avoided if I'm walking my dog because she acts like she loves dogs, but the second the dog turns around he viciously attacks their butt. It's not play, she means to do damage. Hospital Kitty looks ancient, is always skinny, and has some clear hip issues. She's also filthy and covered in fleas, but she seems to have a home. It's just so sad. She sleeps way up on the window of the old town hospital, probably so she's out of the reach of dogs.

 

[tinydestroyer]

Our AC people vary, a few of them are very good in response and a few of them never answer the phone and never respond.
One AC officer has a Husky that he swears is a wolf. This dog is not a wolf, not even close and it's scary that someone in that authority would buy into this. It would be like me saying my horses are unicorns, LOL.

I hate when people do that. Some try to cross breed huskies with wolves, "wolfdogs," but it is very evident when they are cross species. Still, people uneducated about this fact constantly ask me if my dog is a wolf; maybe because he's very big for a husky. He has a sweet face, though. I would say that I can't believe your AC officer is that misinformed, but in my experience with AC, I definitely can believe it.

 

[sabrinah]

I hate when people do that. Some try to cross breed huskies with wolves, "wolfdogs," but it is very evident when they are cross species. Still, people uneducated about this fact constantly ask me if my dog is a wolf; maybe because he's very big for a husky. He has a sweet face, though. I would say that I can't believe your AC officer is that misinformed, but in my experience with AC, I definitely can believe it

My brother's friend insists that huskies, malamutes, etc. have more wolf content than other breeds. I tried explaining to him that just because they have a similar coat appearance doesn't mean they're more wolf, but he just doesn't get it. He still thinks all huskies are like half wolf. Could you imagine the havoc if all huskies were mid-content wolfdogs???

 

[tinydestroyer]

My brother's friend insists that huskies, malamutes, etc. have more wolf content than other breeds. I tried explaining to him that just because they have a similar coat appearance doesn't mean they're more wolf, but he just doesn't get it. He still thinks all huskies are like half wolf. Could you imagine the havoc if all huskies were mid-content wolfdogs???

Haha. Preaching to the choir! It's no use trying to explain phenotype to them, or that all dogs have the same "wolf content" as each other. It's the same amount as humans have in "monkey content!"

 

[1 bruce 1]

My brother's friend insists that huskies, malamutes, etc. have more wolf content than other breeds. I tried explaining to him that just because they have a similar coat appearance doesn't mean they're more wolf, but he just doesn't get it. He still thinks all huskies are like half wolf. Could you imagine the havoc if all huskies were mid-content wolfdogs???

Oh, man. Can you imagine strapping yourself to a sled that's strapped to 8-10 "wolves" and letting them do what wolves do?
I'm happy the Huskies are nice and domesticated, though very cat like. But born to run. I think that's why I like them =)

 

[1 bruce 1]

Haha. Preaching to the choir! It's no use trying to explain phenotype to them, or that all dogs have the same "wolf content" as each other. It's the same amount as humans have in "monkey content!"

It's crazy.
I had someone argue with me at a training group once that their Chihuahua didn't need a nail trim (even though his nails were curled into his foot pads, ow) because "Chihuahua's in the wild didn't get nail trimmings."
...
I know that that huge bloodthirsty packs of feral Chihuahuas are a complete problem here (sarcasm)

Person was probably a bit miffed because everyone else felt the same way, and no matter how we tried to explain that feral Chihuahua packs aren't common in our area, and no way could a dog with nails like that do ANYTHING in the form of learning a dog sport safely made them budge. Neither did telling them it woiuld be like running the Boston Marathon with a huge rock in your shoe..they got pissed and never came back. Ah well.

 

[tinydestroyer]

1 bruce 1 huskies ARE very cat-like. They have that touch of independence and intelligence. Maybe that's why he gets along with my cats. He is a big ol bunny, though...very domesticated. Even when other dogs get rowdy or agressive at the dog park, he has never bit back except when we got attacked recently.
I feel bad for some smaller dogs, like the Chihuahua you mentioned. Sometimes, their owners treat them so terribly just because they're small - dragging them around on the leash, or using them as an accessory, or not giving them any training or guidance, or not clipping their nails. Poor pups.

sabrinah I give nicknames to all the kitties I see regularly, too! I hope your Bobtail Kitty friend is ok. I empathize with your feeling sad about all the neighborhood cats. It's hard for me to tell which ones have negligent homes, and which ones are just strays or ferals around here. That is, until I get to interacting with and feeding them some. Yesterday, one of the kittens that a neighborhood cat had (I call her Turtle Kitty because she's white with a tabby patch on her back like a shell,) was hit by a car. Her kittens were only a few months old, but are already too quick for me to catch. I know they weren't getting fed by anyone but me - way to skinny. But even the cats here that are getting fed are flea-ridden and not well cared for, like your Hospital Kitty.

Why are people so terrible to animals?

 

[sabrinah]

"Chihuahua's in the wild didn't get nail trimmings.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND PEOPLE WHO USE THIS ARGUMENT. Dogs are domesticated animals. Sure, there are feral packs in some places, but dogs are not wild animals. That's an idiotic argument. My dad always says a pet shouldn't be treated for something if it couldn't survive in the wild. Hit by a car? Euthanize. Shot by an idiot? Euthanize. Rotten teeth because of poor care? Euthanize. Severe food allergies or IBS? Euthanize. Any amount of cancer? Euthanize. A limb broken bad enough that it needs an amputation? Euthanize. Sometimes I just want to scream "What the **** is wrong with you?!?!?!" I mean even animals in zoos get their nails trimmed. No, a wolf in the wild doesn't get their nails trimmed but they're traveling up to 30 miles a day over rough surfaces. The nails are naturally filed. Captive wolves, and the vast majority of dogs, don't get much exercise and/or stay on soft surfaces like grass and dirt. There's nothing to file the nail down. Cut their damn nails.


Oh no! Poor Turtle Kitty! I hope the others stay safe. I've become kind of obsessed with making sure I always have enough dry on hand that I can feed any skinny kitties. I have like 20 pounds of dry food right now. My cat eats 1/4 cup of it a day. I have a problem. I know wet food would be better for the skinny kitties, but dry is what I can manage and they need to be able to get as many calories as possible in whatever amount of time they'll stick around for. A hungry cat can eat a full cup of food in 10 minutes and then have time to find a safe place before any aggressive cats pick up the smell and chase them away. That's nearly 400 calories! They need those calories. There's a fair number of plants with drip systems around here so they have a way to get water. There's also a river less than a mile away.

Has anyone else noticed the way people tend to walk their small dogs? Most dog owners I see have zero concept of walking with a loose leash and instead of holding the leash at their side, they hold it way up in the air. When they do it with a small dog the dog's front feet aren't even touching the ground! Do they not notice? Do they not care? I've also seen so many severely matted dogs here that it's frightening and depressing.

My taser should be delivered today. Hopefully, I won't have so much anxiety while walking anymore.

 

[tinydestroyer]

sabrinah I've been feeding dry too mostly for the ferals. I had some wet food, but a couple of times it was still there when I passed by again. Maybe they didn't like it. Turtle Kitty is ok as far as I know, but I haven't seen her around lately. It was one of her kittens who I called pumpkin (he was orange where she was tabby.) Another of her kittens is just like her, except smaller patches (Turtle Jr.,) and the last one I've seen is calico (who I've been calling Fancy.) I hope to get Famcy and Turtle Jr to a shelter or adopt her to someone. I put the new feeding station by my house to try and lure them back up the hill. I found pumpkin WAY up the hill yesterday, so I bet they could make it to my house. I'll keep you posted!

And I'm right there with you on the leash dragging. It's appalling. Once, I saw a customer take her little yorkie in the clothing shop where I was working. She had the leash strapped around her ankle while she shopped with both hands. She was wearing these high platform boots with a tall heel, and every time she strutted around, the poor dog was getting yanked by the neck into her foot path. It made me so mad! I went over and told her that she'd have to carry her dog while she was in the store, and she had the audacity to say "She doesn't like to be carried." I said "that may very well be, but I'm sure she likes it more than being dragged under your stupid boots while you shop." I got a really bad Yelp review for that one.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I DON'T UNDERSTAND PEOPLE WHO USE THIS ARGUMENT. Dogs are domesticated animals. Sure, there are feral packs in some places, but dogs are not wild animals. That's an idiotic argument. My dad always says a pet shouldn't be treated for something if it couldn't survive in the wild. Hit by a car? Euthanize. Shot by an idiot? Euthanize. Rotten teeth because of poor care? Euthanize. Severe food allergies or IBS? Euthanize. Any amount of cancer? Euthanize. A limb broken bad enough that it needs an amputation? Euthanize. Sometimes I just want to scream "What the **** is wrong with you?!?!?!" I mean even animals in zoos get their nails trimmed. No, a wolf in the wild doesn't get their nails trimmed but they're traveling up to 30 miles a day over rough surfaces. The nails are naturally filed. Captive wolves, and the vast majority of dogs, don't get much exercise and/or stay on soft surfaces like grass and dirt. There's nothing to file the nail down. Cut their damn nails.


Oh no! Poor Turtle Kitty! I hope the others stay safe. I've become kind of obsessed with making sure I always have enough dry on hand that I can feed any skinny kitties. I have like 20 pounds of dry food right now. My cat eats 1/4 cup of it a day. I have a problem. I know wet food would be better for the skinny kitties, but dry is what I can manage and they need to be able to get as many calories as possible in whatever amount of time they'll stick around for. A hungry cat can eat a full cup of food in 10 minutes and then have time to find a safe place before any aggressive cats pick up the smell and chase them away. That's nearly 400 calories! They need those calories. There's a fair number of plants with drip systems around here so they have a way to get water. There's also a river less than a mile away.

Has anyone else noticed the way people tend to walk their small dogs? Most dog owners I see have zero concept of walking with a loose leash and instead of holding the leash at their side, they hold it way up in the air. When they do it with a small dog the dog's front feet aren't even touching the ground! Do they not notice? Do they not care? I've also seen so many severely matted dogs here that it's frightening and depressing.

My taser should be delivered today. Hopefully, I won't have so much anxiety while walking anymore.

I helped a guy out awhile back because his old, big dog tore his leg up bad and was on cage rest. He couldn't get the dog into the truck (he was laid up pretty bad) and with no activity for over a month his nails grew large circles and when he was allowed to walk around a bit, he had trouble. We managed to get the nails back and used the file to get them further. The difference in his mobility amazed us both. The big guy was really happy once he healed up and is still doing well, just a little gimp.

I've seen people do the string up method of walking small dogs and say that's how show people do it. Yep, better to look like an idiot attempting to "show" your dog while walking down main street than care about the fact your dogs trachea is probably going to collapse.

What I hate the most is the alpha roll thing, the obsession with it, and the owners who think being the "top dog" (really? you're a dog now? ) requires daily pinning them down (randomly, not as punishment). What they don't realize is that a structured pack of all dogs or all wolves (not including humans), a boss dog telling another dog off consists of the lower dog rolling onto their side/back while the other dog pounces them and makes a really noisy point then walks off. When you see two actively trying to pin one another, or a dog randomly target and attempt to pin another dog, it's not dominance...it's a move to kill! What does a nice dog think when their owner walks into the room while they're quietly chilling on the couch, grabs them and pins them on their back?
If a small child less than 10 years old can easily and smoothly handle a 1,000+ horse without so much as laying a hand on them, it should tell you something about teamwork, sportsmanship, and partnership.
I would not trust or work for someone that routinely beat me up for no good reason.

 

[Willowy]

You can always tell someone's character by giving them power, especially over someone weaker than they are. Since an owner has near-total power over a dog, that can really reveal their character. Never trust anybody who's a jerk to dogs.

 

[Kate34x]

Off leash dogs are the actual worst. My dog, a 25 pound pug, has some anxiety issues. I adopted him at a year old and while the family who previously owned him seemed nice at first, we quickly realized when we brought him and his brother home that they were not normal dogs. In addition to several health issues that would have been obvious to anyone who spent more than an hour with them, they also were severely under/over weight. Theodore was 31 pounds and his brother Fred was 17-18. Both showed signs of abuse, ducking their heads when hands came near them, though Theo has always been much worse. The problem is that Theo is quite nervous around big dogs. He actually lives with one (my roommates dog) and they love each other NOW, but it took careful introductions to make him calm, and it helps that my roommates dog is fairly submissive and lets Theo be in charge.

I used to live in an apartment complex and there were at least 5 different dogs that lived there, and while they were mostly very nice, Theo is not. He barks and growls and generally acts very unfriendly, and if the big dogs make any sudden moves that scare him, he will snap at them. Of course most people let their dogs run around off leash in the little grassy area behind the building, so just taking him out to pee always had me on guard. And of course you get the "its ok hes friendly he loves other dogs". Thanks, but my dog isn't and your 100 pound black lab will definitely kill him if he tries to start a fight. Even after telling them he wasn't friendly, they would ALWAYS let their dog run up to Theo, scare him half to death with their friendly sniffing, and wait until Theo started snapping before coming over to grab their dog. I'm just very thankful that none of the dogs he encountered ever fought back, though there have been a few close calls with growling and posturing.

We have since moved to a house with a fenced in back yard and no neighbors in the area with dogs, at least not ones who roam off leash. Its on a very busy road so I can imagine if any dog did get free it would get hit very quickly. Theo being a lazy pug just gets back yard exercise to keep his weight down anyways, so theres virtually zero risk of him getting eaten by a bigger dog.

 

[sabrinah]

Off leash dogs are the actual worst. My dog, a 25 pound pug, has some anxiety issues. I adopted him at a year old and while the family who previously owned him seemed nice at first, we quickly realized when we brought him and his brother home that they were not normal dogs. In addition to several health issues that would have been obvious to anyone who spent more than an hour with them, they also were severely under/over weight. Theodore was 31 pounds and his brother Fred was 17-18. Both showed signs of abuse, ducking their heads when hands came near them, though Theo has always been much worse. The problem is that Theo is quite nervous around big dogs. He actually lives with one (my roommates dog) and they love each other NOW, but it took careful introductions to make him calm, and it helps that my roommates dog is fairly submissive and lets Theo be in charge.

I used to live in an apartment complex and there were at least 5 different dogs that lived there, and while they were mostly very nice, Theo is not. He barks and growls and generally acts very unfriendly, and if the big dogs make any sudden moves that scare him, he will snap at them. Of course most people let their dogs run around off leash in the little grassy area behind the building, so just taking him out to pee always had me on guard. And of course you get the "its ok hes friendly he loves other dogs". Thanks, but my dog isn't and your 100 pound black lab will definitely kill him if he tries to start a fight. Even after telling them he wasn't friendly, they would ALWAYS let their dog run up to Theo, scare him half to death with their friendly sniffing, and wait until Theo started snapping before coming over to grab their dog. I'm just very thankful that none of the dogs he encountered ever fought back, though there have been a few close calls with growling and posturing.

We have since moved to a house with a fenced in back yard and no neighbors in the area with dogs, at least not ones who roam off leash. Its on a very busy road so I can imagine if any dog did get free it would get hit very quickly. Theo being a lazy pug just gets back yard exercise to keep his weight down anyways, so theres virtually zero risk of him getting eaten by a bigger dog.

I'm sorry you had to deal with people not listening to you! It's not fair when others don't try to be responsible dog owners.

I haven't seen the pit or the corso again thankfully. The taser is super loud and sent Beast running across the house when he heard it. He didn't even see it! It scared me and I'm the one holding it! I think it'll be very effective if I ever have to use it.

I saw Bobtail kitty when I was walking Beast the other day but I didn't see her baby. I'm hoping someone took the baby and is giving it a good home.

No one knows who Butt Biter belongs to. Other people have named her Aqua and Smokey. No one has checked if it's a boy or a girl, but we all kinda just automatically decided it's a girl. One guy said he's trying to fatten her up, but she's actually pretty chunky already. You can't feel her spine or ribs at all and she doesn't really have a waist. He's going to make her obese! At least she never has to worry about being hungry.

I wish more people would help with Hospital Kitty. I don't see her (him?) too often anymore and she never wants the treats I have on me (usually freeze dried), she just wants love. She's pretty bony and has a hard time walking because of her back legs. I don't know if it's arthritis or if she got hit by a car or got attacked and never got proper vet care. She can only take a couple steps (her hind legs cross and drag a bit) before she just plops to one side and has to take a break.

 

[muffy]

Last week a women in my area was killed by her pit bull. She was walking her dog and it turned on her. She only had the dog for 2 weeks.

 

[sabrinah]

Last week a women in my area was killed by her pit bull. She was walking her dog and it turned on her. She only had the dog for 2 weeks.

Oh no! I always want to know more about these situations. Of course, half the questions I have will never be answered.

 

[sabrinah]

This is Hospital Kitty! I worry a lot about this little one. S/he can't move quickly and would be toast if a dog wanted a kitty snack. It seems like every single new person that's moved in to the neighborhood has a dog, and nearly every one of these dogs has been loose, some multiple times. Nearly every person that shares my alley has dogs.

 

[NewYork1303]

Loose dogs drive me insane. The people at the edge of our culdesac have two small dogs that are disasters. They are incredibly aggressive and have even followed my car into the garage so they can bark at me in there. They go onto other people's property to get into fence wars with other dogs. When I walk my dog they chase after us and bark, growl, and try to go after him. I think my neighbor doesn't take it seriously since they are small dogs.

I now carry a walking stick (like for hiking) when I go out on walks so that I have something to extend my reach and help protect my own dog.