Gavin was attacked today, he is NOT hurt, but I am upset!

[BG and Gavin]

We were walking through the neighbourhood park towards the garbage can to make a deposit and a man and a black mixed breed 50ish lb. dog sort of emerged from the tree shadow all friendly and saying "hello." Well the dog was off leash and made a b-line towards Gavin (who was on leash) and attacked his face and neck. Gavin cried like I have never heard and tried to hide behind me. I made myself big and backed that (female dog) off until the loser, I mean owner could grab her. I dared not drop Gavin's leash because the small park is not fenced and bordered by busy roads on three sides. Gavin cried and cried. Loser: "I don't know why she did that. She never does that. We sent her away to be trained for doing that." I just put on my happy face and kept going with Gavin acting as cheerful as I could. After we got a block away I examined him for any damage. He looked ok. Then I cried and cried lol. I stopped a couple of times to visit people on the street before going home to try and keep thing positive. I kept thinking if that loser and his dog traumatized my sweet Gavin I can't be held responsible for what I do.

[Amy and Annabelle]

I do agree about taking him to the vet for a checkup. I had a neighbor that took her small dog for a walk in the green space behind our homes, years ago. A stray dog attacked them. He went after the dog, but my neighbor was attacked trying to save her dog. Another neighbor guy came out rescued them, I won't say how he did it. She scooped up her dog and took him home. He was bleeding and she counted about a dozen areas where the dog got him. Her and her husband took him to the vet, they got him shaved to see the damage and all total he needed over 300 stitches for dozens of wounds. Luckily the dog that attacked them didn't have rabies. The dog recovered fine, but the emotional toll it took on my neighbor took much longer. This happened about 30 years ago, but I still remember it.

[33bn7f8evnuyd]

300 stitches? I would remember that after 30 years.  

[Amy and Annabelle]

He had deep puncture wounds all over. He was in the hospital a few days.

[BG and Gavin]

Omg. What a horrible situation Amy!

[Ginny Nightingale]

So sorry that this terrible thing happened to you!! I hope it has no lasting effects on your poor pooch..I have had several experiences with my dogs (not my doodles, but previous dogs) being attacked and it seemed to have no effect on them later on....the worst one happened right in my driveway.

My terrier was attacked by a dog who had come to my neighbor's house with his owners---they chained him to a truck while they visited...he broke the chain and came into my yard and attacked my terrier--who was just trying to escape...my hubby chased the dog with a steel pipe and then we found that our dog had been injured--a trip to the vet resulted in 18 stitches in his side. The vet said that if he had not been so physically fit, he would have been bitten in the neck, but his muscles prevented it. (my kids were little at the time and had just left the driveway and come in to the house, so thank goodness for that.) 

But my point is that the dogs went on with their lives as if it never happened, so I hope the same is true for your dog!!

[BG and Gavin]

Thank you Ginny. It helps to know that there were no negative effects.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

So sorry to hear about this attack on Gavin. I'd be fuming too. Hope you both are doing well.

[BG and Gavin]

Thank you Leslie.

[33bn7f8evnuyd]

I want to mention that there is a popular mentality to let dogs off their leashes because the constraint makes them more aggressive.  I am not sure that this is the solution to leash aggression but I hear people say it to me all the time during dog romps and at dog parks. I hope this popular mentality gets fixed because most aggression i've encountered comes from fear; not from being on a leash . 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Leash reactivity and aggression are not necessarily connected.  Our newest doodle, Charlie is leash-reactive to many dogs, and is perfectly fine when unleashed. He doesn't show aggression either time, but I still would not let him be unleashed in areas where other dogs ARE leashed.  But that would be some people's excuse.  I blame flexi-leads for a lot of the leash reactivity that seems so common nowadays.  If the dog is allowed to go where they want whenever they want, they throw their little tantrums when they don't get their way.

Keep us updated, BG.

However, there are aggressive dogs, and it is the stupid, loser owner who uses that as an excuse to let them run.  If one is not in control of the dog, it shouldn't be out in public.

[BG and Gavin]

I have heard before that both dogs should be off leash to meet, but it was simply unsafe in this park to let dogs off leash in my opinion. Plus it was a total surprise when this dog aggressed.

[DJ & Chance]

Oh how scary and distressing, but I am glad Gavin is okay.  That dog owner is thoughtless and irresponsible.