Always ask an owner before you or your dog interact with their pet. Oh and I know it’s a made up story but the reality is still the same! The failure in the Human/ Dog relationship is purely the Human. Henry’s point blank refusal to alter his path, a sure fire gesture of defiance. Humans, in all cultures, need to become 1000% more savvy to K9 culture and incorporate it into obedience, socialization, exercise needs, etc. When you notice these signs, give your dog some space. There was provocation from the dog's point of view, you just don't know exactly how it looked to the dog. The dog almost took off half of his nose and had to attended by a plastic surgeon in the ER as the wound was severe. The thing that people are missing here is: How the dog had been treated previously. It is the responsible thing to do. Dogs who are often blamed for attacking for no reason are often misunderstood. To all those people that say, “People are much more important.” Think again. My wife was attacked by a dog this evening as we walked in the local park. “I wonder who this bloke is?” ponders Max. If you don’t believe me, spend an afternoon with me :-0 and I guarantee you will not like people anymore. Henry, an old friend from school who he hasn’t seen for many years is visiting. The shepherd's intelligent, loyal and protective temperament makes it an ideal service dog, which is why the U.S. Department of Defense currently employs 2,300 German shepherds, reports the charity Kevlar for K9s. I am a dog, and my human would be bereft if I had to be put down, but, please have some compassion for human beings. we have just had are little 14 week old Yorkshire terrier killed bull two bull terriers and there ant a thing the polices or the RSPCA can do about it, this sort of thing is happening every day so how come no one is policesing these things. There’s no way I blame my cousin for that incident. according to a study in Psychology Today, hugs can really stress them out. The only things he defends his territory from are the ravens that come into our backyard. Nature has a way of destroying the spread of diseases and genetic defects, and dogs may act aggressively if they sense something isn’t right. He got to know my sister and brother-in-law well and greeted them like old friends, until the day my brother-in-law came in wearing a flat cap. It is an attempt to allow people to understand them using the fictional story device of a very common situational 'unprovoked' dog attack. Was it unjustified in human, social terms? 8. “You might kill me but you’ll never take John”, Max decides. The attack took place at the family home, the place where the dog lived. Obediently, Max sat at the front gate and watched for that danger. It's surely better to try and understand why dog's attack in the first place in an effort to prevent and reduce the number of dog attacks that occur. They do not attack out of the blue. If another dog shows signs of aggression towards your dog, the best thing you can do is walk away calmly but quickly. “I’d better be on full alert.” he concludes. There is a big difference between a dog that chooses to back of and walk away when something is scary, and a dog that chooses to attack a little girl. The dog is protecting its owner or the owner's property. Unbeknown to Max, he’ll never see John again. That is not the way I see it. “He’s not only not listening to me, he’s staring right at me. He wonders how life will be from now on, how people will react to him. The dog carefully warned me but I did not understand, I was only there again to help this incredibly neglected abused dog. Usually many signs will have been ignored before this and a growl is often a last resort before a bite. There are NO devil dogs. While walking back from the park we passed several people male and female ,got to the shops and a guy pulled up got out walked near us he had a cap on and dark glasses and Gus went fir him nearly pulled me over .i managed yo hold him back but he was not happy .he sometimes does this to. Unfortunately, we live in a world filled with mostly irresponsible humans. The puppy could have been trying to get the older dog’s attention for play time but the older dog might not have wanted any part of it. There are clear signs of aggression that dogs are likely to display, including: However, dogs often show signs that they feel anxious or uncomfortable way before these. So what does all of this information tell us? Gathering up every ounce of his canine courage and without a second’s thought for his own safety Max charges out of the house, tail hoisted aloft and barking his war cry as loud as his voice will muster. If your life is currently troublesome it can indicate your unconscious mind is trying to help you understand your own struggles. Hey Cat, I’ve done a ton of research on dog behavior and positive reinforcement training. 4. Charles Manson is a person. The real problem with a dog … Should houseguests always meet us dogs outside the house first? Henry’s been looking forward to catching up with John for weeks and, as he’s never been to his home before, finds himself feeling somewhat jubilant to realise he’s managed to find the street on which John lives without too much trouble and can now relish the prospect of seeing his friend again as well as finally getting to meet the only true love of John’s life, the much talked about Max. Learn how your comment data is processed. California, USA. Don’t get too close, but try to put a visual barrier like a gate, fence or car in between your dog and the other dog. Another seriously good article Ryan. Undeterred by Henry’s advance and determined not to let his owner come to any harm, Max lunges in Henry’s direction. Trying to groom him is a nightmare, even with a soft muzzle. There are 2particular male friends he never likes ,they have dogs one wears glasses one has a long beard and wears a hat ,I’m fairly convinced its because of this . Keep your puppy motivated and help them learn to live happily alongside you with a positive, reward-based training programme. He ponders how best to explain to his young children that he’s still their Dad even though he knows his mutilated features will upset them deeply. The most common victims are boys ages 5 to 9, and children in general are most frequently bit in the face, neck and head. This has worked very well so far, though I watch Louis’ body language carefully. My dog doesn't do well with small children, she hasn't spent much time around them. Article written by Ryan O'Meara. When she let me take things away from her, she got a treat. On this day it wasn’t only Max’s body that was destroyed as John’s memories of a kind, gentle, fun loving dog died too. The Min Pin decided it was time to attack and his energy put the rest of the canine pack in attack mode. There was a dog attacking a little girl for supposedly no reason. When German shepherds attack unexpectedly, environmental, genetic and biological factors are responsible. All these geniuses here seem to forget a dog’s place, thinking they have rights to the extent that humans do. Each year, thousands of people around the world ask; why does a dog attack unprovoked? John doesn’t mind. Doesn’t matter. We got the car registration and called the police. She thought in fact that when the dog reached up that he was going to lick her face. This isn’t at all the dog he thought he’d be meeting. ALL dog attacks are preventable – good training, a good understanding of your dogs personality and common sense should prevail. The aim of this article is to try and explain the psychology of a dog attack from the dog's perspective. There may be no good or bad dogs, but there are dogs who loose it and dogs who don’t, and it can be tough o know which is which, and any dog that looses it needs to be dealt with swiftly and possibly fatally. Sometimes dogs just need a break from the company of other dogs or people and then they may be happy to play together again. not all people like dogs sitting in their laps the first time they meet and some people do not know how to treat a fearful dog. But either way. I thwapped the dog on the rear pretty good for that and apologized profusely. I agree with previous comments that owners are completely responsible for their dog’s actions, so dog owners, we feel, will need to be the first to make the effort to understand dogs’ signals and methods of communication. They may be man's best friend, but they're not man. It’s a hot and sunny day and Henry is wearing his sunglasses. A well-socialised dog will not normally be actively aggressive towards other dogs and dogs don’t go around looking to attack others. It's easy to feel powerless or embarrassed if your dog has become aggressive, but here are a couple of things you can do to help. I can’t see anywhere where people have shown no empathy to either party. There can always be a medical issue, like rabies, pain, a neurological disorder, or drugs/poisoning. Hitting makes dogs more aggressive, so I hope you learn about more effective means of control before you walk this dog again or advocate such correccting. It just happened that the toy the boy had picked up to play with was the very item that had been used to beat the dog with. In such scenarios, it’s important to separate both dogs and have the older dog checked out for better pain control and management of neurological or cognitive disorders. ::::goes to hug her dog for a while:::: Crap, I knew I shouldn’t have read that. It can be really distressing if a dog becomes aggressive. He attempted to signal to Henry by putting his tail in the air and growling, that he was prepared to defend his owner and territory. As per usual, Max has been ‘helping’ John with his gardening exploits by digging holes of his own all over the lawn. As Henry gets closer, Max again postures but now spots Henry’s aggressive body language, his wide eyes refusing to overt their gaze a clear signal of intent. Christine Breen As a person who is laying in a bed right now recovering from a dog attack, I just think it must be so easy for you to blame the victim. I agree with you a child does not understand an a child should be allowed to laugh an have without being scared about being attacked by a dog I love dogs but when it comes to a child over a dog the child I will choose everytime. When someone hears the word “provocation,” teasing or poking or being mean to a dog is what typically comes to mind. I actually find that comment quite insulting. John can be heard explaining, “He’s never done anything like this before“, the attack came “totally out of the blue“, Max was always “such a trustworthy dog“, he’s “never shown any signs of aggression in his life“, the attack was “totally unprovoked“. It could never, ever be that. Pls help. An ambulance arrives to take Henry away and, hearing the commotion, John’s neighbours have summoned the Police. Straight up there needs to be more awareness of why these attacks happen and prior prevention . So I practiced trading with her. We don't sniff each other when we greet, dogs do. Absolutely. Those actions were clear signs of a threat. He asks himself once more, “Why did my dog attack someone for no reason?”. Dog bite treatments cost more than a billion dollars each year. So he snarls. ‘Attack’ isn’t quite the right word to use, as dogs don’t go around looking to attack others. So let us again question whether John was correct when he explained to Police that Max’s attack was unprovoked. My husband, the day after 4th of July this year was brutally attacked by his uncles farm dog which he has known from the beginning of the dogs life some 5 years ago. Our vets explain what socialisation is and why it's really important for helping your puppy to grow into a happy and healthy adult. had you not thought your dog might have a medical condition?i know the breed you are talking about don’t have very long lives,so he/she could have been starting to suffer with illnesses that could alter his/her personality(tumours,dementia etc). In those cases you can never be sure, and of course a rabid dog is very dangerous and unpredictable. She had a web cam set up that had been recording what was going on in the house when she was at work. I begged not to have him put down, and then they left him. Sorry. Standing crouched or walking low to the ground. They may need to wear a basket muzzle in public and you will need to adjust the times you walk them so as not to meet as many other dogs. One commentator mentioned someone her dog knew came in wearing a flat hat. A dog may attack another dog because they feel the need to dominate, or it might be because the dog is feeling afraid or stressed because their space is being violated. Why is it always the dogs fault when there is an attack? The dog was laying down outside and my husband approached him frontally. I’d like to think the dad who choked the life out of the dog who attacked his kid was “only acting instinctively” too. A dog should not behave like that, and I do blame the dog, but it is also up to the owner who chooses to keep a dog like that to handle a dog like that appropriately. This may include making your home and garden secure and keeping them on a lead when outside. Oh, and if you were left in any doubt, that species isn’t canine. Grrrr! This was certainly “out if the blue” and “out of character”. so so sad……yet unfortunately happens across all species….why do we humans not pay attention and education ourselves on the social norms of our companion pets?? To some young, easy-to-arouse dogs though, such vocalizations may cause them to get anxious which can lead to an attack to the older dog. And I blame the dog completely for that. Not unduly worried, Max paid little attention to the stranger until John shouted in Henry’s direction. Sometimes, a high ‘prey drive’ will give dogs the instinct to chase and bite small pets or farm animals, especially if they are running away. Dogs can be aggressive because they're scared - and may even go and hide after biting people (file picture shows a dog in training). 3. People are much more important. Dogs are living, intelligent beings that are much deeper then many of their owners. When faced with their dog suffering from separation anxiety, many people resort to adopting a new puppy to keep the other dog company in order to rectify the problem. He will know. She paid no attention to it but while her son was in the hospital and she was off work to be with him she happened on a recording of her live-in boyfriend. To a degree, this is the way it needs to be. Woof! Don't let your dog approach as this will make the other dog more nervous and could make the situation worse. When a dog hurtles at you out of the dark it is a very scary experience. My husband and I have been married two years. You train them. Other reasons. Dogs are better than people. John has no wife or children. Understanding dog psychology after attacks have already happened isn't all that helpful. And you hear these horror stories about this breed all the time. Even more terrifying, the number of people who want to know why my dog attacked me for no reason, suggests people are not only worried about unprovoked attacks from strangers dogs, they're also encountering dangerous situations with their own normally well behaved pet. Too late. It can be a nip or a much more serious, injury inflicting bite. The realisation that Max is a long way past the stage of being able to be pacified dawns on Henry fast and he hastily tries to beat a retreat back out of the gate from which he entered. Just felt I should mention that so that my story could be taken more seriously. They are the most lovely breed, but you are lucky if you don’t have to put yours down for doing something like this. There are a slew of possibilities as to why an otherwise friendly dog would suddenly exhibit aggression. , until “ without warning ” he thinks his owner needs him to.! Reasoned Max never know it ’ s a made up characters were speaking like buddies. 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