Here's the brief version of the story that just happened to us the other day....
Max and I were walking at a new park for us that has a huge walking trail! It was beautiful! We had never been there before but like I've said, we are trying out new places to walk so we (ok, MA) doesn't get bored. Everyone is walking their pups on leashes, biking, running, walking, etc. Max and I are having a fantastic time and are more or less in the middle of nowhere when a young guy comes walking in our direction with a beautiful, white, huge Pit Bull. I was aware, as I always am, regardless of dog type, size, etc. to be on alert for any aggressive pups but this one seems fine. However, upon getting ready to pass his mood shifts and he goes for Max! On pure adrenaline and instinct, I let Max's leash go and yelled at him to GO while I tried to help the man who was really struggling to get his dog under control as I could see he was loosing control of the leash. Thank God, Max for once listened to my command and then I yelled for Max to STAY (another miracle that he actually DID stay!). The guy felt awful and told me that was why he didn't go to dog parks and that it was a recent rescue and since it was a Pit he worried it would get put down if he didn't take him, but that he had to walk the poor guy somewhere and he was really trying hard to work on social skills, etc. I explained that while I thought that was wonderful and honorable of him, that maybe until his pup was a little more manageable he might consider a muzzle for both other pups, peeps and his own protection and also gave him the number to Rover Oaks for possible training. He never was able to thankfully get to Max, but the poor guy did even offer to have Max looked at anyway for like stress or something which of course was not necessary as Max really seemed to care less about any of it. So, my question is, what would you have done or what do you think I should have done? I ask because ya'lls opinions are valuable to me and I just went on gut reaction in the moment and thought it was most important to help the guy not loose his pups leash or I knew it'd be all over. I don't want to stop exploring new places and won't and I hate to just drag Max away anytime I see a larger dog and like I said, there were zero signs of aggressive behavior until right at that moment when we passed. I tried to review in my head if Max did anything out of the ordinary, etc. and can't recall him doing anything. Just looking for what you guys might have done or what you think I should have done. Thanks!!!
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| Can't we all just get along? :) Thanks for any constructive criticism or advice you can give me - I was rather upset by the encounter and would have died if anything happened to my little Max! Have a beautiful today full of sunshine and peace! |
I feel badly for all involved. i would not panic this stuff happens all the time. I have five dogs and 3 are small and one, Bob the bulldog, can be quite dog aggresive no dog parks for him. He is fine with dogs in our house but not leash at a park. I doubt he would ever do what you describe but Im careful. He seems fine on leash but off leash oh no. They also have a bit of pack mentaility and will bark like nuts when they are all together. I have been to several trainers and it gets better but many many many dogs are dog aggresive even with proper socialization. I most likely would have picked Max up and gone quickly in the other direction. Since Max is small its natural to want to protect him. I would not avoid other dogs but you can go online and read more about dog body language to help you, remember aggression is ALWAYS hightened on leash so its going to be worse when dogs are leashed. As for the other owner I feel for him, when we walk all of our dogs together we go very early and avoid other dogs. Some people bring their dogs up to ours even when I ask them not too and then get upset when they bark or lunge. Id say just keep Max leashed and dont approach strange dogs without asking are they friendly when on leash, at the dog park probably stick to the small side
ReplyDeleteurban hounds
Thanks, but I have a question...I was unclear if you think I should have picked up Max the minute I saw a big dog coming toward us? (Once the pup lunged and went into attack mode I didn't have time and the guy was struggling to try to hold onto the remaining leash) But you think picking him up when I see bigger dogs is a better solution? I am totally wanting honesty here :) and thanks soooo much for your input!
DeleteI would not automTically pick him up. But I am not sure I would have dropped the leash just in case the man lost controll of his dog. I might pi k up max if a dog seems aggressive. However this is not ideal. I think the best thing to do if you can is say come on and walk WY quickly however given the situation u did great. Max is lucky to have u
DeleteI think you did the right thing and I think by natural instinct so did Max. It was also nice of you to offer suggestions. Perhaps this man will need to work really hard to socialize his dog, and may need to walk him "off hours" until he can get his dog under control.
ReplyDeleteI hated to suggest a muzzle but I just knew if he got Max in his current state the outcome would have been horrid to both and possibly us. But the guy felt soooo bad that I do sorta think he'll come up with a better plan.
DeleteOh, thank you so much for replying to this post :)
DeleteYou gave the pit bull's owner excellent advice by recommending a specific trainer and (temporarily) a muzzle; you modeled the benefits of having a well-trained dog by commanding Max to Go and Stay; you were understanding and helpful in getting the dog under control and then allowing him to apologize and explain at length versus giving him the stink eye and walking off in a huff. Some people might have said unkind words about his dog's breed and/or his choice to rescue him, but not you.
ReplyDeleteSo I think you handled the situation in the best possible way.
Aw, thanks Amy but Max normally doesn't follow my Go and Stay is marginal at best, but think someone was lookin' out for us :) No, I hate that Pits are so hated and was happy he was rescued by a nice guy who really did seem to care and Max was fine which obviously was the big concern, just hate that it happened and don't care to jump start my heart like that ever again! :) Although Max was totally unconcerned and happy to lay in the sun spot he choose :)
DeleteI really thank you for replying to this particular post as it means a lot to me.
DeleteI hope the guy with the Pit Bull can manage the problem. I wish it for both. I think you did the right thing, specially for giving him the number of Rover Oaks. Our first adventure with a dog walking field was bad too, Easy was bitten by a Malinois who was "managed" by a 6 year old girl, who lost the control about the dog while her mom was tattled with another woman...They apologized for the dog, but I think it wasn't really the fault of the dog... the one and only culprit was this woman.
ReplyDeleteThat's awful!I had to stop and google what a Malinois was...learn something new all the time here :)...that's a heck of a pup too! Gotta wonder why people let their kids handle a dog that size in a public setting without being right there to guide them? Oh, but there would have been a lawsuit I'm sure if that was here! Yep, agree that was the lady's fault! How's Easy with other pups now?
DeleteGosh, I am really an airhead tonight, thank you Easy for replying to this as this question I REALLY wanted everyone's feedback on so I don't re-create this event ever!
DeleteI panic when a big dog comes towards us as I never know if they are going to go for Mollie, she loves other dogs, just not keen on people LOL. I think whist the dog is in training a muzzle would be good, that way he can relax too when walking the dog, as the dog will feel the chaps tenseness. Max you really are well behaved :) xx00xx
ReplyDeleteMollie and Alfie
So I'm curious...does Mollie seem like she has a "good type" of human that she gravitates towards? Max for sure does and it's odd, I can't help but think those were the people kind to him when he was a stray. So what do you do when the big dogs do come your way? And thanks for replying so much!
DeleteOMD thank God you and Max were fine. I think you did the right thing absolutely. The problem is male dogs can just get aggressive when they smell another male. The guy really needs to get the dog muzzled. We had an incident on New Years day when a staff came out of nowhere and pinned Molly down. I got it off pronto and we were lucky it was just trying to be dominant. Sorry to say I gave the woman a real telling off. I would have done nothing differently myself. Have a marvelous Monday.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes Molly
You know Molly, I wish I would have paid attention for the life of me I can't recall the pups name to know if it was a boy or girl but I somehow do think it was a boy. Thanks so much for your input, it really sorta got to me-the whole situation, Max, the plight of pit bulls...all of it. I had to see what a Staff was too (had to stop and google), I need to get better knowing all the different breeds but I always end up with mixed mutts :) Wow, that must have been so scary!!!Is Molly worried now about other dogs?
DeleteI think you did the right thing. Since Max is a smaller dog, this may be something you will have to watch out for whenever you are walking past larger dogs. I would make sure Max is not looking them directly in the eyes and maybe even making sure to give them a very wide birth.
ReplyDeleteAs for the guy with the pit bull, if he knows the dog has control issues, then he needs not to walk him until he can control him. I think a muzzle would be a must.
Thanks so much for answering this question! Maybe Max did look him in the eye, Max does seem to love any dog, regardless of size and seems more at home with the bigger guys...great point!!I have heard before that could set off a trigger in some pups but forgot that until just now reading your reply! :) Will surely be giving that extra wide birth too!! Thanks again so very much!
DeleteThat's scary! Especially since Max is so small. Thankfully, Beamer can mind his own. I do respect the man for adopting the pit bull, but I agree that he needs to he socialized more before he's put in social situations. If he needs to be out, a muzzle should be in place. I would have done the same thing as you if my dog was that small.
ReplyDeleteYea, the whole muzzle thing just seems so unnatural but I thought it better than the other alternatives if he doesn't do something. I really appreciate you replying!!! Beamer is incredible and so gentle when playing with his new roomie buddy! I loved that video! Thank you!!!
DeleteIt saddens me that pit bulls, rescues, and rescued pit bulls have such a bad reputation. I feel like if the man really wanted to be effective, he would get that dog a trainer and figure out the triggers for his aggression. Otherwise, stereotypes are perpetuated and people become increasingly fearful of big dogs, let alone pit bulls.
DeleteI'm glad Max is ok and seems unphased by the situation. I can see him saying "Ma, stop checking for bruises and cuts. I'm fine!!"
Me too, it's just sad all the way around. Ha..you hit the nail on the head...that was exactly what Max was thinking I'm sure!!!
DeleteI think you handled it just marvelous!! Also Max was so smart and listened to you, believe me we wouldn't have listened in a million and one years to our mom. That was very very nice of you to try to help the man. He probably is feeling very overwhelmed and doesn't know what to do, hopefully he will find some good people who can help him, and the pit will have a great life. At our dog park they tie a yellow ribbon around there dogs collar if he is dog aggressive or nervous or any of that stuff. We thought that was a good idea, cos then you knew as soon as you seen the ribbon to go the other way.
ReplyDeleteMom has even picked us up and put us back on our leashes (at the park we can run cos it is fenced in) when bigger dogs come ...just in case....
stella rose
Wow, I love that idea!! I think a lot of people want to socialize their pups and have to start somewhere ya know but what do they do? Oh but trust me, you give us too much credit...Max ordinarily never ...well, seldom listens to my commands but that was the perfect time to start!! :)
DeleteI think you were marvellous under very difficult circumstances. Some people with chihuahuas (namely me) would have gone into a blind panic and made everything worse. What a clever boy Max was too. Some chihuahuas (who will remain nameless) would have gone for the pitbull and been swallowed whole.
ReplyDeleteWell done both of you :)
Lynne x
Oh my gosh I have to say that I was sort of laughing reading this as in "pretend, cartoon land" and visualizing your crew beating up this big guy, then having Bridge slap him in the face...sorry, my mind sometimes goes into a world of it's own...sorta like Ally McBeal used to do :) Thanks so much Lynne :)
DeleteThis post sent chills down my back as I have encountered a similar situation and you can read about it here
ReplyDeletehttp://mygirlzgotpaws.blogspot.com/2012/11/not-your-typical-black-friday.html
If for some reason the link doesn't work go to my blog and click on NOv of last year and go to NOv. 25 post.
I am still afraid of the pits but don't blame the breed, it's the owners. While I think this guy was really trying to do the right thing he just needs a more guidance and I thank you for helping him.
Ou...still gives me shivers!! Glad Max is okay.
WOW!!!! I did read your post!! Jeez!! I would STILL be freaking out completely!!! I am sooo very sorry to bring up a horrible experience for you!!! I will definitely be way more aware especially after reading that and again, my sincerest of apologizes for bringing up such a horrible memory for you guys! Hugs :)
Deleteplease, no need to apologize. I just wanted to share my experience and it does help to talk about it. It was frightening and it makes me very aware of our surroundings when we go out. Something I think we often take for granted. Things can happen so quickly as you well know. hugs back at ya!! :)
Deleteit scared me when you said you dropped max's leash! i thought you were gonna say the pit chased him when max ran away. this could have gone so wrong. i'm sooo glad everyone is okay and that he was able to maintain control of his dog. it was really nice of you to offer your assistance to the guy.
ReplyDeleteone day hubby was walking aoife and an aggressive dog came out of nowhere, charging towards them. he immediately scooped aoife up in his arms to get her away from him. the owner of the dog was not too far behind and came running to get her dog. it has scared aoife from that day. she is now very skittish on walks and gets nervous around other dogs. i hope max doesn't end up with ptsd because of this experience.
wags.
It was scary because I knew there was no time to even bend to get Max and I had to literally pray Max would for once in his life obey me in a command I've seldom tried teaching him even...trust that we will be working on GO too! Poor little Aoife! I hate that happened to him. Luckily Max didn't have a care in the world about any of it and has encountered big dogs since with no indication of any fears, etc. as a result...but I know I am sure way more alert! Thanks so much for replying :)
DeleteI think you did everything right getting Max out of the way. I wouldn't be to hard on the other owner as it sounds like he has the dogs best interests at heart and is not some idiot who has a pitbull to make themselves look hard, Putting a muzzle on the dog is excellent advice and could be the difference between life and death of his dog and is something he should of thought of due to a pitbulls reputation and not knowing the history of the dog. I would keep an eye on Max to make sure he's not nervous of other dogs, dropping the lead and telling him to run was probably a good thing Max probably thought it was a game and was oblivious to what was going on.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ian for posting!! Yes, I was very concerned that even though Max seemed to have absolutely NO concern after the whole thing happened or quite frankly during it, that he might become afraid but we even walked at another park tonight briefly and he seemed fine thankfully :)
DeleteI think both you and Max did a terrific job handling the situation.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I'm out walking with my small dog, I'll usually try to give big dogs a wide berth too and I keep Rocco focused on me. In your case it sounds like the guy was losing control, so you probably did the best thing possible.
I just read an interesting article this morning about folks who think it's swell to let their dogs say "hi" and get in your pups space:
http://www.suzanneclothier.com/the-articles/he-just-wants-say-hi
Not exactly related to your situation, but it's some interesting reading! Glad the two of you are OK!
Your pals,
Diane and Rocco
Diane-That's great advice too, to keep Max focused on me instead to assure the other pup doesn't see a threat there! Thanks so much!!! Urr, I know it irks me too about people assuming your dog will like their dog! Max is fine pretty much with any dog but I can see the faces of the pup's humans who aren't and it amazes me at a dog park especially that the other humans wouldn't get that! Thanks again!
DeleteI think you reacted well given the situation...Some people could not have allowed their dog to run free, but you know Max and you believed (rightfully) that he would stay nearby...And you offering assistance was kind...I do feel bad for this guy...Sounds like he's really trying to do the right thing...A muzzle is not a bad idea and I'd say training classes are a must for him...I can't fault anything you did...And I applaud the fact that you and Max do go out and explore...Size doesn't matter...Small dogs need to get out in the world just as much as big dogs do
ReplyDeleteWell thank you Gizmo and we have you guys to thank for inspiring us to get out more and really hit home to me that yes, these little ones need to get out just as much as the bigger guys so thank you! Have to say I was pretty worried about Max bolting but he did great! Yea!
DeleteYou did the right thing in my honest opinion. Unfortunately those breeds are very much understood, along with Staffies, I live in the UK so its only once in a blue moon you see Pits. They are sometimes allowed if you get them behavioral tests and temperament, etc by the vets/dog rescue the dog comes from. You have to have a license to own one in the UK. If not the dog is immediately put down which is a real shame!
ReplyDeleteWow, that just sounds so wild to me that it's like that there! But see, that is exactly part of what has really bothered me so much about this is that if things would have gotten bad I could have lost Max and most likely he would have been put down too and it hurts to think about that a lot. Thanks for replying Jessica and I know Charlie Boy would sure behave right! He's really clever and cute as he can be too!! Gotta learn more about Roman too! :)
DeleteAs regular park goers we have learned one simple technique - when we see a dog or even joggers coming - we move off the path and I put the boys in a sit/stay. We wait until the dogs/people pass and then we continue. For some reason I have found "untrained" dogs do not feel threatened if my boys are off to one side. Neither of them are aggressive and basically ignore other dogs - I just figure it's easier not to put them or me at risk if I just step out the way.
ReplyDeleteWow, that is truly great advice! I think you're right and I bet that does make your pups appear as no threat whatsoever! Ok, we are working on that beginning tomorrow! Thanks so much for responding! I really value everyone's opinions so I was hoping to get some real honest feedback, tips, criticism..anything to avoid this ever happening again.
DeleteI think you did the right thing as well and I also think you were quite gracious about it. I do feel so bad for the guy with the pit bull. They really are not mean dogs, it depends on how they were raised. I like that you gave him the name and number of a resource to help him
ReplyDeleteThanks Caren, I appreciate your feedback! While I'm not certain Rover Oaks can help, I do KNOW that if he calls them, they will know who is best suited to help them. It really bothered me a lot because Pits already have such a bad rep. and I hate to see if grow too.
DeleteThe best way to protect Max is to pick him up just in case the man couldn't control his dog and he got loose. That prevents him having the opportunity to chase Max down, which would have not gone well for him. I think the advice you gave the guy was perfect. Taking his dog to a training class would give him a chance to socialize his dog with others in a more controlled setting.
ReplyDeleteI love hearing when someone has adopted a pit from a shelter and agree a muzzle would be helpful until the dog has been properly socialized.
It's not always easy for us to see those more subtle signs dogs put out in their body language. What triggered the other dog could have been something as innocent as Max looking at him out of the corner of his eye, which could be read wrong by some dogs that aren't socialized as well as others.
Linda, I felt Max was too close to even pick up in the moment and the guy was on the last leg of leash and struggling but I think I've gotten a lot of solid advice to where in the future there will be enough safe distance so I could pick Max up in time - you're so right about that!! Yes, you and 2 Brown Dawgs both mentioned about maybe Max looked at him and Diane and Rocco offered up advice to keep Max having the focus on me and not the dog so that won't happen either. I sure don't know if Max might have looked at him or not, but I'd guess he did knowing Max's friendly nature. Thanks so much for posting! It's sooo great to have other pup lovers I can turn to for help!
DeleteIt sounds like you handled it very well. Love that you helped the guy get control and gave him good advice. (Also love that he is trying to do the right thing.)
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't have done the same though - I couldn't have trusted Rita to run off. But then, Rita doesn't always do well meeting other dogs on-leash, so I usually try to keep a good distance from other on-leash dogs anyway, unless I can sense that they both have very good 'energy'.
I'm just glad it all turned out okay! And hopefully the guy learned a valuable lesson!
Oh Jackie, it was sure iffy if Max would finally listen in that moment but thank God he did! We'll for sure be doing things differently from now on! Yes, the guy was just the nicest ever and just really trying to do something beautiful and was so worried, I hope it all works out for them :) Thanks for posting so much!
DeleteHow scary! Sounds like you did all the right things. I had loose dogs and hate it when people can't control their dogs. We try to avoid passing too close to unknown dogs, but you can never tell. :(
ReplyDeleteThank you for replying - yep, were are gonna be giving a larger distance from here on out at least!
DeleteRats... that should have been HATE loose dogs - not had.
ReplyDeleteI think you did the right thing. It's good that the guy was nice and offered to help and stuff! I have no idea what I would have done!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry you had to go through that very awkward and scary situation! If I was in that situation, my natural instints would be to carry Taylor...only because she is not as well trained as dogs like Max. The fact that Max was not longer in close proximity to the other dog after you told him to "GO!" was a very good thing!
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine how scary that must have been!
ReplyDeleteI think you handled it brilliantly! It's so cool that Max knows and does the go and stay command - great job you've done!
I have to agree it would be safer whilst training the dog for him to be muzzled, no-one wants anything bad to happen.
With a hard to handle dog it could also be better if he had him on a front clip harness, Mum says she finds it much easier and I don't pull at all anymore, in addition she clips my lead to her belt just in case she lets go anytime by accident, as sometimes it's tricky to handle two dogs and pick up poop all at the same time.
Hope your next walk is much less stressful,
Your pal Snoopy :)