WARNING WARNING - when walking your Shorkies !!!!!!

[Ann]

Hi everyone.
 I had the biggest scare yesterday. I was walking Toby on a lead back home from doing training when a black greyhound came out and tried to bite Toby I picked Toby up to protect him and the greyhound kept jumping up at me. Toby started to growl and fight back but I didn't want him to get agresive. Thank goodness we weren't far from home so I managed to get up to my fence and I put Toby up over the fence and ran into my yard. The dog stayed around for a while then another one came a big white dog. I was so glad that I got in before the other dog came. I went inside and told Jeff. He went out and followed the dogs back to their home. I told Jeff the dog didn't appear to be agresive but it just kept jumping up and because it was a greyhound i was afraid it would try to kill Toby thinking he was a rabbit. I didn't want the dogs taken away from their owners by the dog protection services but Jeff said that we need to do something as they could hurt someone even if they don't mean to hurt they could jump up at someone old and knock them over. I agreed and so Jeff rang the service up so I don't know what happened but it sure scared me.

So please take care when you are walking your dogs. You just don't ever know.

[Mai Tai]

Hi Ann,

My neighbors have a part pit bull dog that attacked another neighbor's dog, and once went after a puppy I was fostering.  Because of such things like you describe, I carry a large stick with me when I walk Mai Tai.  I would hate to have to use it, but I will not let another dog attack my dog.  Often you can brandish the stick to frighten the other dog away, or use it as a barricade between the other dog and yourself.  I am so glad nothing other than a scare happened to you and Toby.  I have twice been bitten by German Shepherds, so I fear stray dogs walking around with no masters.  Please carry a stick, umbrella, bat, or something when walking alone.

Take Care,
Karen

[Ladywrite]

Another thing I learned when my lab was in school was to bring up your knee when another dog approaches and swing out your foot.  Don't kick but swing out the foot.  This will knock the aggressive dog away and keep it from jumping up on you.  This is also a good training method to keep your own dog (bigger than shorkies) from jumping up on you... in case you don't have a stick with you.
Ladywrite

[Ann]

Thank you for your advise I will have a stick in future and also remember to bring my leg up.

I went to my training classes with Toby last night and my teacher told me that if I had treats in my pocket I should of got Toby on my hip and tried to get the other dogs attention  with the treats and then thrown the treat as far as I could once they went looking for the treats then head for home.

What do you think about that??

[Mai Tai]

I never would have thought of that idea.  It sounds like it might have worked for the situation you were in, as you said, it seemed the dog wanted to jump up, not so much attack.  I know it would not have worked the day my neighbors pit bull attacked my foster pup.  He saw the pup as a treat and no treat I could have had would have been better to him.  Thank God my husband was home and literally beat the dog away from my puppy and chased him all the way home.  It was very very scary.  While my husband chased the dog, I took the puppy and ran into my van and cried for about 20 minutes.  I really thought the pit bull was going to eat the puppy.  Thank God I had lifted him up just as the dog's jaws snapped shut.  From that day on, I swore I would take a large stick with me or cane whenever I walk my dog. Now, with your advice,  I will bring a treat too for the times friendlier dogs are around.  Perhaps the dog you ran into was just curious.  Unfortunately, Mai Tai barks ferociously at any dog he sees and might incite an aggressive reaction toward himself.  We are working hard to control that.  He is doing much better in his socialization class.
Thanks for the advice.  Hopefully, neither of us will have to deal with that kind of situation again, but if we do, we will be prepared.

[Ann]

I do agree. I certainly do not want to go through that again.

What is upsetting though is that we as dog owners are responsible and make sure our dogs are trained and kept in the areas that they are supposed to be in.

I don't think that every dog that gets out of their yard is the fault of the owner. I myself have had people open my gate and let my dog out. I had a beautiful collie pup he was only 10 weeks old and someone had opened my gate and he got out and went straight under a bus. Another time someone stole a Samoyd that I had been given by a freind I only had him for 2 days.

I guess it's not that they are wondering around but it's that if they are trained not to jump up at people.

Although if you train your dog correctly it won't even leave the yard unless you are with it.

Our council here has strict rules that if your dog gets out and they pick it up you get a heavy fine no exccuses. If you are walking down the street and you do not have your dog on a leash you get an on the spot fine. As far as pit bulls they are band here where I live.

We do have off leash parks where we can go and let our dogs run free but even then you get people who abuse it and let dogs off that are not trained and will attack you or your dog.

"Humans sometime", I don't know.

As far as barking is concerned Toby is a little bit of a barker especially when we go training he just gets so excited. I was told that other dogs wont thnk he is aggressive but they might find him anoying so they will have a go at him. So I do jump on him when he starts barking.

[Ladywrite]

About dogs getting out of the yard.  I was wondering if anyone has tried the "invisible fence?"  It should work even if someone opens or leaves the gate open.
Ladywrite

[Ann]

Yes my son uses it for his Siberian Husky it does work the only thing is that these dogs have a very thick hide and his dog still gets out some times. Manly when female dogs are on heat. Yeh he not desexed. My son has planes to breed as his dog is a pure breed.

The only thing with this devise is it is very expensive.

I personally wouldn't use it on Toby as I don't think I need to.

[Mai Tai]

I have read that such collars can make dogs fearful of their own yards because they get zapped, and associate that unpleasant experience with wherever it happened.  I, personally, would not use such a method as I prefer reward based behavior modification.  I know sometimes that does not work though, despite all the trainers who say it does.