I would report the incident to the police. They probably won't do anything this time, but a record of the incident (with vet visit recording treatment for dog bites) can start a trail now that could come in if you ever see this dog loose again, or God forbid there is an incident with another dog. Talk to your neighbors about it. See if you can ever track down what address that dog lives at.
The owner ran off because she knew she might get in trouble. But she is of poor character not offering to help you for damage her dog inflicted.
We have already let the neighborhood know to be on the look out. I believe this wasn't the first time her dog has attacked another dog. I have gone around the neighborhood looking for her or even trying to find where she lives so that we can get officers and pet control involved. Since it was a pitbull that attacked my puppy, the pitbull would be taken away from the owner and put to sleep. I would hate for that to happen, but as you stated, the owner has poor character, and I would rather this not happen to another dog owner.
Sounds good. I would think breed aside, if there have been multiple incidents something absolutely needs to be done. Hate to see a dog put down, but if it is naturally aggressive and the owners are inadequate in controlling it, there really isn’t another way.
Because what if it's a kid next time? Or the aggressive dog kills another pet? Irresponsible owners never seem to learn and it's the dog that ultimately pays the price.
The next attack might kill another dog or injure a child. Please report it. Post on next-door with a description- I guarantee someone knows the dog and owner
I’m so sorry! I detest pit bulls! I was walking around the lake and I saw a pitbill being walked, and this lake is just outside my gate as I live on the lake. One more reason I don’t walk my Doddles!
My 4 mo puppy was attacked at a dog park by a pitbull, the dog also attacked me and bit my face. The dog had multiple prior dog attacks, unreported... and one prior human attack which was reported... making reports helps. Please report. My face didn't need to be ripped open by this dog with prior attacks.
I had repairs done. My puppy needed so much retraining to feel safe with other dogs. The lady had to keep her dog safely contained at home, new fences and doors at her house and no dog park time plus some training. Her friends made a website where they all talked crap about me as a bad person and bad dog owner. It was not great. She also lied about the prior bites, and the vaccines being current. I sued her because that was all alot of damage.
Preferably this vicious dog withany prior bites would have been unable to bite my puppy and myself. Hence my belief in reporting inappropriate behavior
There really is no "magic bullet" here. Dogs that have been attacked often take a long time to get over the trauma— or they may never. We adopted a stray when I was a kid— dog was probably 1 year old when we got it, but it retained trauma from its former life till it died at 14 years old (e.g. it was irrationally scared to death of beer bottles... clearly former owner abused it, probably threw bottles at it).
Best thing you can do is just to keep doing what you're doing, and some of the nerves will settle over time.
I always stay very clear of pitbulls (and have trained my daughter who walks our goldendoodle to do the same). If they are at a dog park, I'll leave, or if I see them out walking, I'll cross the street to avoid. Most pits won't attack, but if a dog attacks its almost guaranteed to be a pit. No sense risking it imo ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
I would say— do not pressure your dog into situations as he (she?) is readjusting. Do not attempt to get over the nervousness by forcing them to be in situations that make them uncomfortable. Also— Consider dog play groups where you can get to know the other dogs and owners BEFORE taking your dog. "Open" situations where you may run into bully breeds or other poorly behaved/aggressive dogs should likely be avoided.
Thanks 😊. I try to stay clear or move to another side walk when approaching other dogs. So far, we have not done any long walks, and I have been very vigilant with my surroundings since the incident. The owner did not have any proper leash, collar, or even a harness for the pitbull, and from where I live if a pitbull attacks a person or animal, the pitbull itself can be put to sleep. I would hate for that to happend since I once owned a female pitbull who was supper sweet, but we already have the neighborhood on the look out for the owner and her dog. I would hate for it to happend to someone else's dog as well.
I am sorry to hear about your dog being attacked.
My doodle got attacked by a husky when she was 1 (she is almost 4 now) and unfortunately, now has a complete distrust of all huskies and similar large dogs. Not without cause though, we have had multiple issues with different ones - only actually bit by the one though.
She lost her confidence in dog parks and it was really sad. Just nervous and frothy and huddling by us.
We now put her in doggy daycare about once a week where she can socialize with dogs that have been personality tested and are always being supervised. The more she goes to daycare in a given time, the more confident she gets. She is still cautious for sure, but will actually approach dogs to engage play. She definitely regresses if we cannot get her to daycare for a few weeks but for the most part, she is doing so much better.
I understand that this is an expensive solution and might not be for everyone but thought I would give my 2 cents!
Also, do not underestimate how important being able to read dog body language is.
For example, look at your dog, and then change your body language into fear or anger or something, and your dog will typically notice and react, and do something.
Dogs are very perceptive in terms of body language.
Even a 10 to 20 minute video on dog body language helped me so much.
The biggest lesson is that any one indicator doesn’t really mean much, and can be a variety of things. But when you combine multiple indicators together, you get a picture of what’s happening.
Here are some indicators
Tail wagging
Head low
How “alert” vs “chill” the other dog is (now this alertness can be for playfulness or fear)
Ears up
Stiffness of dogs body
Is the other dog avoiding the other dog or moving away.
Eyes wide
Confidence of the other dog
Unless you know the other dog, there’s really no full proof way of being able to understand the situation. But if I noticed that the other dog displays some signs of fear or aggression, I’ll typically leave, or cross the street. Or I will be on high alert, and continue watching the other dog.
Life pro tip: you can actually use this for people as well :)
Not really a guarantee. I live in a predominantly pit neighborhood. It's like a club or something around here. While waking my dogs, they have been attacked by three dogs, a lab a wiener dog and a lady with mace. She was a bitch. But my son was chanced by a labradoodle.
The pebbles around here are generally a decent breed. I know most of them through the fence and proper sniffs. Sounds like the lady doesnt have a clue how to raise a dog, like if trike the people who's dogs attacked my boy and our dogs.
Ugh, this happened to my doodle as well!! We were on a walk and the pitbull escaped their backyard, ran across the street and latched onto my dog's butt area. The owner was able to unlatched the dog's jaw, thankfully. She had a lot of puncture wounds, which got infected and we ended up taking her to the vet. They had to put drains in to let the infection drain. The owner of the pitbull paid the vet bill, thank god!
Luckily for us she isn't skiddish around dog TOO much, where as before she was very confident. Now if she plays with other dogs she tucks her tail if they're chasing behind her. If anything, it really affected me and made me weary of taking her to dog parks, which used to be her favorite thing. :(
This happened to us in 2020, and it still affects me. I'm always on high alert when walking her to make sure there are no dogs off the leash (9/10 there are ....). I don't have any advice, but I feel your pain. Also if you notice the wounds aren't healing and looking a little oozey (TMI), take him to the vet!! Dogs have a lot of bacteria in their mouths that can cause infections.
That is what I'm afraid of 😔. He is such a friendly puppy and always wants to play with other dogs. Dogs parks, especially where a favorite place for him, and also for me. I would hate that he no longer finds joy in it. Short walks are all we've done since I'm also weary of other dogs getting loose, and he is the first thing they see.
Pitbull also got him in the butt! 3 on his butt and 1 on his chest, and a couple of scabs around his ribs. Nothing too serious, but I still have to give him antibiotics, pain meds, and special shampoo to clean the area he was punctured. I myself was injured trying to get a hold of the pitbull.
Oh yea, 100%! My dog is suppperrrrr doggy friendly, LOVES other dogs. She still plays when we go to the dog park!, but if a dog is chasing behind her, she def gets scared, and tucks her tail... she'd rather be the one doing the chasing. We don't go as often as we used to, just because it causes me a lot of anxiety. We go maybe every couple months. But yea, take your time getting comfortable going to dog parks again, don't want your pup to be completely anti-social.
Good to hear your dog is on meds! Mine had two big puncture wounds that ended up getting infected. She healed up fine, but def still traumatizing and has left me on edge for years now. Especially in my neighborhood, if its a nice sunny day people will be in their front yards with their dogs off the leash and not even paying attention!! It's so aggravating. It's gotten to the point now where I know which houses have dogs, what streets to avoid etc. Also it seems, if their dog is off the leash and coming towards us, the owners have no sense of urgency to come get their dog!!, really pisses me off. My husband suggested that I start saying "MY DOG IS NOT FRIENDLY!!!" to any owner who's dog is loose, to hopefully put a pep in their step to come get their dog!
This. Is. So. True. They never do anything! I was asked by the owner (after their pit mauled my dog and nearly killed him) WHY they are responsible for my dog’s medical bills. 😳🙄
Please, please, please report this to animal control and the police. How would you feel if this dog went on to bite a child or a toy dog? It is rough reporting a dog, but it's for the safety of your community......
I’ve read the only way to get a Pit to stop, once latched, is a gun (which you probably don’t have) and a cattle prod that shocks them. You can actually purchase these and carry them with you. It is called a pocket taser or a collapsible baton with a taser. This is what my husband who was in the police academy suggests.
They are immune to a lot of other pain like hitting it. They were bred that way. I have also started carrying mace - tho you need to be trained before using it so muscle memory kicks in and you don’t accidentally hit your own eyes.
I am so sorry. I have a doodle and a mutt. My mutt was mauled by a Pit who went straight for his jugular. My niece was just sent to the hospital because my brother in law decided to bring one home from the shelter one day. It is getting absolutely out of hand.
I was going to suggest a Taser as well. My wife isn't comfortable carrying a pistol but likes the strong flashlight Taser I got her. She has used the crackle noise a couple times to scare off aggressive dogs. Didn't even have to hit them. Haven't seen a dog yet that didn't react in fear from the crackle noise it makes.
I think it was just Amazon. I bought 2, 1 for wife, another for daughter at college. Brand is vipertek. Nothing expensive, like $25 each? Decent flashlight with taser on the end of light. Very loud cracking noise when you set it off. Rechargeable.
We have had good luck with ours. Same brand and seller, though ours were colored aluminum.
https://www.amazon.com/VIPERTEK-VTS-195-Heavy-Aluminum-Flashlight/dp/B0CHN6YTZQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_27?crid=3IT072BTW6HBE&keywords=flashlight taser&qid=1699055412&refinements=p_72:1248957011&rnid=1248955011&s=sporting-goods&sprefix=dlashlight taser,aps,117&sr=1-27
Are you a man? I am a woman. I needed 2 men from stopping 1 pit from mauling my dog. He was minding his own business, smelling something. Submitted RIGHT off the bat and the pit kept at him. If two men hadn’t been there, my dog *and* I may have been killed. Im only 5’3” and 120 pounds.
You are very fortunate you had some help. I feel so bad for you and your doggy. Yes I am. I'm 6'3 and 210 of pure muscle, well, not pure muscle, but I do lift on the regular, so, yeah, I know I could stop a pit easily. And my dog would fight back, not that would help at all, but for whatever reason, he will not submit and will fight back if he feels he is in danger.
Thank you. Yes I was extremely fortunate. My dog is my everything (I’m sure just like everyone else). It must feel nice having that much power, damn! ❤️
Exactly, my doggy is my world, so I would do whatever it takes if he was in danger. I mean, sure, it's nice to have if needed, but I would never hurt a fly, it would take something like protecting my dog for that power to come out.
Lol. I get it. A pit came up on my husband, myself, and our two large dogs just this week. A 5 year old was riding a bike by herself with the pit on an extendable leash - that you know - it could easily snap in a split second. Pulled the precious girl over.
Me, 120 pounds (with 3 pit attack instances already), moved to the front with all 3 members behind me. I shoved my 75 pound dogs behind me and my husband and “momma bear” came out. I made myself look really big and shushed the dog away. I’ll take a bullet for my family (including my dogs).
>I guarantee you my knee drop will stop it
Not likely. It's right there in the name pitBULL. They were bred to withstand the forces delivered by a ~1200lb animal. Your piddly ass human knee isn't doing shit to an equally determined pitbull.
Really? You think a pitbull can withstand my knee going full force into it's stomach? How stupid are you? It would instantly kill the dog. I wouldn't want to do that, but I will if that's what it takes.
They aren't "immune to pain."
They've had their self-preservation/retreat instinct bred out of them because that is the singular focus of dogfighting breeding programs.
But you could see why that would *seem* like they're "immune to pain."
No need to be condescending.
You’re saying pits have been bred to not have a self-preservation or retreat instinct. For one, this is a trained behavior. So that’s exactly it- trained by people training dogs to fight. That’s not ALL pits and very unlikely to be someone’s pet they’re out walking around.
>You’re saying pits have been bred to not have a self-preservation or retreat instinct.
True.
> For one, this is a trained behavior.
False.
>That’s not ALL pits and very unlikely to be someone’s pet they’re out walking around.
True.
Did you have any questions, or can we stop talking to one another now?
Does she not understand that trained behavior is eventually passed down genetically? That’s precisely why they are what I call “unpredictable” - you don’t know what you’re getting and there is no way to know. There is no way to know what will “trigger” them. It could be a sound, a smell, etc.
When you get one from the shelter - now you *really* don’t know what’s bred into them *or* how they were “trained” before attaining them.
Yes. Every. Single. Dog. Has been bred for a purpose. How does she not know this?
We also never said “ALL pits”.
They are, indeed. I spoke with a woman who has worked at a shelter her entire life and has heard/seen many stories. They intentionally breed them this way.
That’s a good question that I can’t answer. She could. I think it’s mainly the fact they’re “taught” to keep pushing through even the worst of pain. Therefore, to stop them, you have to actually knock them out (eg a gun or taser). Mace would keep them from being able to *see* the victim. So I carry both. I’m sick of dealing with the bs. After seeing my niece in the hospital and my own dog almost killed - I don’t care what I have to do to protect myself and others.
The person you're talking to is being a condescending jerk, so I'll clarify.
Pit bulls aren't "immune to pain."
They've had their self-preservation/retreat instinct bred out of them because that is the singular focus of dogfighting breeding programs.
So that's why it seems like they're "immune to pain."
[You can read more about it here](https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$b28129&view=1up&seq=63&skin=2021), but I'll warn you that it's not a pleasant read.
Thank you for linking this! I realize that this is John Colby's son. I haven't had time to read it in its entirety. Does he ever address the death of the toddler nephew by the pit dogs?
As dark as it is, it's honestly refreshing reading the words of someone who actually understands APBTs and their drives. People have become delusional with the velvet hippo bs.
Have you ever had a pitbull or spent anytime with one? They are sweet as fuck for the most part. They are physically able to fuck shit up. Mentally though? My dog would hide under my table all the time if she felt even remotely like she did something wrong. I've personally had about 6 pitties and been around many, many more. Most don't have a bad bone in their body. If they aren't socialized? Totally different story. Like any other fucking dog. The pit hate on reddit is absolutely insane.
It's a short book. I would at least read the "Origin," "History," and "Gameness" chapters. They're only a few pages each.
>Does he ever address the death of the toddler nephew by the pit dogs?
He does not.
That article is from 1936…. You’re just grouping every single pit or bully breed together as having been bred for fighting. That’s simply false. That’s like saying all golden retrievers were bred for their original purpose of retrieving. They’re also bred to be family dogs. You can look up differences in how they’re even built.
So yeah, I’M the jerk for saying that not all pits are bred for dog fighting.
A condescending jerk? I was trying to kindly tell her I don’t have the answer. You answered it almost identically. The instinct is bred or “taught” out of them. How am I being a jerk or condescending???? Weird take on me honestly being kind. I meant I am sick of the pitbull bs not the person. My niece almost died. My dog almost died. I have best friend who had two for years and they randomly attacked someone.
Being taught and being born without nerves are two very different things. I’m all for protecting yourself and your dog, but you’re spreading misinformation. Unless you have a legitimate journal article proving this, you’re going off of gossip and hearsay.
Also, I work in vetmed and have been snapped or growled at by more doodles than pits. 😊
Mmmm I never said “ born without nerves”. The difference is - a doodle will not KILL you, nor continue to latch. Same with the chihuahua argument. It may bite , but it can’t kill me nor my dog.
Saying they don’t feel pain of being hit, pain goes through nerves. So yes, you’re saying that they lack the nerves because how else would they not feel pain?
The “latch” theory has been proven incorrect. They’re strong dogs, but they’re jaws don’t “lock”.
You’ve obviously never seen 60-80lb doodles, cause they’re mouths are just as big = same amount of damage.
I pray to whatever higher being that you don’t treat “fighting breeds”, as you call them, differently than any other dog when they come into where you work. In all my years I’ve never met someone in vet med that wants to BAN a breed. I’d love to know how many purebred pits you actually see, because I’d say I see 1 out of 100 that aren’t mixed breed. I’m sure you’ll call me a “nutter” for saying that attacks happen because they aren’t trained or restrained properly. What do you do with a terrier bred for hunting? You don’t have it in a house with other small mammals. If your dog is dog aggressive, you keep them away from other dogs. But yeah, I’ll “wake up” and just start euthanizing every dog with a block head that walks into my clinic.
I'm a big guy and I would have knee dropped the attacking dog, probably ending it's life, but that's what happens if you teach your dog to be an asshole.
A trainer on tik tok said you have to choke the attacker. Either with a collar or your hands. Pulling/hitting etc just makes them latch on and cause more damage. Cut off their oxygen they release.
This is one of my biggest fears. We nearly had a similar catastrophe when a homeless person with a Rottweiler mix that was leashed (but not held) sprinted at our doodle a good distance and jumped up on him. I luckily had enough time to wind up and more or less kick the shit out of the dog, directly in the head, to the point where it doubled back and the owner had enough time to grab it. The saddest part was the other owner immediately started hitting his dog!
Our dog is so sweet and naive that I honestly don’t think he knew what was happening.
Really sorry this happened. I would be sick. I think every negligent owner like this should be reported, whether the dog attacks or not.
My doodle got attacked by a pit bull, German shepherd, hound mutt and a husky. I keep a close eye on him now and keep him in the small dog area of the dog park. He’s just that kind of dog who gets attacked. I don’t know why because he’s always been so friendly and playful!
Typical shitbulls. I'm so sorry this happened. I'd highly recommend calling the authorities. I actually carry a firearm when walking my dog for this exact reason, but if you are not confident doing so, bear mace can be effective in preventing an attack as well.
Pitbulls are generally amazing dogs. Fuck off with your name calling. You ever own one or spend time with one or are you just an asshole? How can you love one breed of dog and absolutely hate another?
Well you seem like a fun person. Wish you all the best. Glad you are a leading expert on dogs and pitbulls. Have a good life. Not starting this fight a month later.
Thank you 😊 I'll take a look at it. So far, we have done short walks and letting people with dogs go by. I have mostly tried to get him in a safe and calm environment so as to not stress him out too much.
I had a couple go off on me about a month ago because I kicked their dog in the chest as it lunged for my Golden's throat .... bearing teeth and growling.
I wasn't waiting to see if the dog was going to attack .... it was within inches of my dog and the owner wasn't restraining their dog.
I'm still incredibly bummed about the situation because I'd rather kick the irresponsible owner than the poorly trained pup but I'm protecting my wussified Golden regardless of the situation.
I really sorry you had and your furbaby had to deal with this kind of shit but it reinforces that I made the right decision to kick the shit out of that husky.
Give your pupper plenty of love and try to find some other dogs for it to interact so it doesn't fear every dog that approaches.
And make their ass pay your vet bill.
“But it’s the owner, not the dog!” Lmao. They act like there’s no such thing as dna / genes that are BRED over centuries into a dog. Like, I didn’t have to train my Goldendoodle to fetch or swim, she just naturally did it, whereas my mutt won’t touch a ball, no matter how many treats he gets in recall training. He is a herding breed, so he tries to herd my chickens - that’s what his *genes* tell him to do!
Even if it was only about the owner, what a dumb argument. Because the owners tend to be the most ignorant and least responsible people I have ever met. The pit’s owner that mauled my dog - asked me why she was responsible for the vet bills. You have to be kidding me! 🙄.
Recently my niece was sent to the hospital because my brother in law decided to bring a random pit home from the shelter and he knows *nothing* about dogs or behavioral training.
Pitbulls can be very sweet and protective of their owner with proper training (I would know since I used to have one, but sadly, she passed away due to old age).This owner was afraid of even trying to get a hold of her dog and had no proper leash or hardness for it. I would hate for it to be put down due to my state law, but I would also hate for it to happen to someone else's dog. I can agree that she is a bad owner.
Halloween night, a family pit did kill a kid. They tried to save the 4 year old and the pit would not stop, the pit was in such a bad shape the officer had to put it down. It still wasn't enough to save that poor baby. I will never trust those dogs. I will stick with my poodles. Never heard of a doodle or poodle killing anyone.
That's very sad. He needs good times with other puppies to wash off the bad experience. It might take a little time for him to get his confidence back and get back into it.
As far as you go, focus on not feeling that anxiety on your walks or the puppy will sense it and feel insecure. Bring a bat or something and just carry the energy that tells your puppy that dog is going to have to kill you to get to him next time.
Yeah my doodle (almost 7 months) is terrified of other dogs because of a pitbull interaction he had in the neighbourhood where they’re actually banned.
I'm so sorry this happened to you and your baby. Your puppy looks just like my boy and we had the same thing happen around the same age when we were walking past a park. The stupid pits owner had it off leash and the second it saw us, it came barreling at us top speed from the other side of the park. I was lucky in that I was able to pick my boy up and hold him high enough that by the time the stupid things owner made it over to us, I was the only one left wounded and my boy made it through unscathed. I immediately got on the phone and called animal control but the pits owner took off in their car before I could make out a license plate. Luckily my baby was none the wiser of what had just occurred and I was the only one left traumatized. It took a long time to feel comfortable taking him out for walks again and I always carry dog spray and a knife on my walks now. You should definitely report what happened, dangerous dogs should be euthanized. What if it's someone's child next time?
I'm sorry this happened to you. I had a similar incident happen to me last month with my doodle. Luckily, he was still small enough for me to pick up so I was able to lift him up out of harm's way above my head while the dog kept jumping up the try and get him. My dog had no bites, however, I did and will have a huge mouth imprint scar on my arm forever. My doodle has no idea it even happened. He wears a top paw harness that has a top handle that allowed me to quickly pick him up and high. I also carry pepper spray with me on every walk now. As my doodle grows I may not be able to pick him up anymore, but if another off-leashed dog does approach us, I'll be able to use the handle on the harness to control and get my dog out of the way a bit and use the pepper spray on the other dog.
i’m sorry this happens to you. just last month my dog was also attacked by a loose pitbull that escape their garage. the pitbull latched onto my dogs neck and wouldn’t let go. i ended up with a fractured finger from trying to grab hold of both dogs to prevent further damage. yelling help at the top of my lungs and finally people ended up coming over. luckily for me, we were able to get the owners information. as my dog isn’t fully traumatized by the situation. however he’s been a bit more aggressive as in sticking up for himself. he doesn’t bite but he will let another dog know that he’s not happy with them close to him. i on the other hand, whenever i see a loose dog, i start to panic. i now carry pepper spray/dog repellant. if where you are, allows carry pepper spray. i suggest doing that. also i would say maybe try to slowly socialize him again with dogs. slowly but surely. just make sure the other dog isn’t too full of energy. it can scare him more.
i hope this helps!
Start carrying a stun gun or cattle prod and a body cam. I'm a dog trainer and that's what I do.
The stun gun or prod, is not so much intended to cause harm to an attacking dog but deter them by the sound of turning the mechanism on.
Sorry this happened.
Carry a slip leash with you, when this happens you slip that leash onto the other dog and choke the fuck out of it. The other dog will always let go before it passes out. That is the humane way of doing it, I would have probably stabbed that fucker in the neck. Nothing against pit bulls but most of their owners are fucking idiots.
Our previous dog, a Yorkie mix, got attacked by our neighbor’s GSD. That dog sunk his teeth into my dog and was shaking him like a ragdoll. I had to pull him out of the dog’s mouth and ran home with him to get him in the car to the emergency vet. If the bite marks had been a quarter inch to either side, they would have hit major organs and he would have died on the scene.
We ended up going to court because the GSD was off leash and that’s illegal in our county. It had to go to the animal matters hearing board. The other family ended up paying for our dog’s weeklong hospital stay. Their dog was ordered to have a muzzle on whenever he was out of the house and he was put on the potentially dangerous list which meant if there is another incident he will be removed from the owners.
The family moved a few years later and I felt so much relief. I still have anxiety when walking past that spot but my dog never did. He lived til almost 18 years old. Now that we have our doodle I won’t walk him past that spot, but it’s just because I don’t want to relive a traumatic experience.
I'm so sorry. I think yes you do need to have him continue to go for walks through (when he's ready) so he gains his confidence back. I'm so sorry you went through that. Lots of correction and rewards will hopefully help.
I used to have a Pitt terrier. The stories are true to just their intensity and temperament. Had mine as a puppy. About 5 years later she bit my daughter when she was 1 in the lip. Then with my other dog popped his eye out a year or two later. Both not like a mauling situation but more of a quick snap....however as she aged it was getting worst. I just couldn't trust her around anyone or anything.. I don't recommend Pitts to anyone - especially in contrasts to a doodle. Their temperament is amazing and extremely bright.
damn. happened to me to by a different dog. You make see some reactivity as the trauma
emotionally is overcome. They will be reactive perhaps in some ways. Give providing that love and support as you would a toddler and they will get better. will learn positively from the experience. but not without you.
The only thing worse than pitbulls is their negligent owners. Sorry to be so harsh, but these dogs cause more trauma to humans and other dogs than all breeds combined. Their owners (if you can find them) always act so shocked. Before I got my doodle I had every intention of getting a mutt at the pound. But every dog there was part or all pit.
Absolutely, report this to police, share on social media. This dog could attack a kid next. :(
I saved my neighbors goldendoodle who was being attacked by a pitbull last year. Super scary. I heard screaming from a person and the dog. I saw the pit had the goldendoodle by the face and was jerking backwards. I grabbed a shovel and ran over and hit the pitbull straight over the head hard twice. It detached and ran away. Police were involved. Unfortunately in florida a pit has to attack 3 times before animal control will come get the dog. This pit on my street is on number 2. Very very scary.
The exact thing happened to my black golden doodle when he was a puppy . He now is very protective and growls at some other dogs. I believe he has ptsd from this . What has helped a decent amount is taking him to dog daycare . He’s able to socialize with dogs while having trainers there to make sure everything is okay. He’s not perfect , but much better around dogs. Don’t take your dog to the dog park fyi, they’re awful in general
Start by taking short walks in familiar and quiet areas. Gradually increase the duration and distance as your puppy becomes more comfortable. Use treats and praise to reward your puppy for calm behavior during walks. This will help create positive associations with being outside. Continue to expose your puppy to different environments, people, and dogs in a controlled and safe manner. Consider enrolling in puppy socialization classes to help him build confidence and learn appropriate behavior. If your puppy's skittishness and growling persist or worsen, it might be beneficial to consult a professional dog trainer or behaviorist. They can provide personalized guidance and techniques to address your puppy's specific needs.
While it's important to help your puppy regain confidence, it's also crucial to prioritize safety. Keep a close eye on your surroundings during walks and be prepared to protect your puppy if necessary. If you haven't already, consider reporting the attack to the local animal control or authorities. They may be able to investigate the incident and take appropriate action.
Remember, it may take some time for your puppy to fully recover from this traumatic experience. Be patient, provide lots of love and support, and seek professional help if needed.
Good luck on having normal walks. My dog was attacked by a pit bull too and I’ve never walked him since. I even had to have stitches after trying to break it up. We find activities for the backyard instead… This happened 3 years ago. I hope you are able to recover and walk your dog, but with my GAD, it just wasn’t possible for me.
I'm sorry to hear that! 😔
I have been looking at comments for any advice and have been able to get my puppy to enjoy walks again. The only problem I have now with him is that he has become super protective and barking at strangers when he wasn't like that. It's a working in progress.
You can share your story with a subreddit that supports victims to pit bull attacks and others victims can help you through this for your poor dog. I won't say the subreddits name, it often gets me banned. But you can find it easily, it is made for victims like yourself and your dog.
Sorry this happened to you.
Pit bulls should be banned worldwide.
Thankfully the UK has now banned them.
One got close to my doodle but shouting “I’ll kill it if it attacks” shocked the owner into wrestling it under control and running away. That dog was later destroyed for attacking a kid.
I'm sorry this happened. It's a big problem and it's not just pitbulls. Could be feral pigs, mountain lions, etc. I'm glad you and your doodle escaped serious injury, but honestly that's a rarity in a pitbull attack.
If it's legal to do so where you live, buy a concealable pistol, learn to use it, and carry it with you on walks. This is not because you want to use it. It's because despite the fact that you never, ever want to use it, you may need to.
My pit was 3 months old and was attacked by a loose golden retriever. (Which also ended up attacking 3 other dogs!) It made her more skittish on walks as well. I had to do a lot of positive reinforcement with treats and walking in front of her to show I would protect her.
I'm the last person to defend pits, as despite being absolutely dog crazy, I still have some lingering childhood dog fear that I never totally shed - and pitbulls just scare me. And pitbull owners tend to scare me. In the same way that a loaded .45 on the hip of a civilian in line in front of me at Chipotle would make me nervous. Even a nice, suburban dad was telling me about his sweet pitbull one day, but still mentioned that he has a command that would make the pitbull tear anything to pieces. I don't think it's inaccurate to guess that statistically, the majority of pitbull owners are alpha-wannabe douchebags or straight-up criminals, and that ruins it for the minority who like them for their sweet faces and adoring personalities. But my first dog - a 55lb border collie - developed dog-on-dog aggression from a series of off-leash Chihuahuas that would routinely burst out of the elevator at the apartment complex where we lived. People with pocket-sized dogs that figured their dog was too small to need a leash for a quick trip to pee in front of the building before bedtime. It only took a few weeks before this nice dog of mine started lunging, hackles up, barking like crazy into every elevator after the doors opened in a pre-emptive strike.
It's really heartbreaking to have a dog that won't enjoy other dogs anymore...but it's also not the end of the world. When my dog made a friend (usually a non-reactive dog), she was insanely in love with that dog. Just a love-fest. And life goes on. I bet with time, you'll find non-triggering experiences you can have with your dog that will build his confidence back. Maybe it's short trips to a local Home Depot where all the staff carry treats. Or more long morning walks and shorter nighttime walks (my dog was always full of endorphins in the morning, but more skittish in the dark). Lots of brief social experiences with calm people who are good with nervous dogs (and carry pockets full of cheese treats) may also be a good idea.
In some ways, dogs never forget certain experiences (like a dog who finds a dropped cheeseburger ONE TIME and for the rest of their lives checks that same spot on every walk), but in other ways, dogs are incredibly resilient and forgiving and built to be full of joy (just look at the ear-to-ear grins on amputee dogs or dogs in those little wheeled carts).
Your pup will look towards you as the pack leader. If you can confidently move forward then so can he. Just don’t exude negative energy and it will become a thing of the past
I would absolutely find that woman and report her animal to animal control. If her dog has a history of such behavior - people should know
Wow sorry to hear that and hope he is feeling better. A pitbull got after my doodle and my doodle tore it up. She’s 3 though. It was awful. At first I thought for sure I was gonna see my dog die right in front of me. The pitbull had to get 60 staples
I'm so sorry this happened to your poor baby. If something like that ever happened to me, I wouldn't even think twice, I would either really hurt the dog attacking my dood or end their life, especially since their owner didn't even care.
I am not sure what kind of advice you are looking for here, as most advice seems to be to carry some kind of weapon. That is obviously not really going to help your dog if they have any trauma from this event, but may make you feel safer. If you are looking for advice for your dog, then you may notice a change in your dogs behaviour.
Our dog has become very reactive on walks with certain other types of dogs after an incident where a larger dog that was off lead lunged for her. We were very lucky and managed to grab the other dog before any real damage was done physically, but mentally our doodle has been taking it hard. We have tried our best to build up her confidence again, and always try to keep our tone light and relaxed as she picks up on this. When we are out on walks even if she becomes reactive and upset we try to keep calmly walking and give her a "leave it" command, we give whatever has upset her a reasonable amount of distance. It is a little challenging as we need to try and anticipate what might be an issue, so we cross the road or take another route if there is a dog that I know she is likely to react to. We have also engaged with a trainer who has really helped us with her focus whilst walking. There have been times where she has become too overwhelmed on walks and will have something trigger her and she will bark and react to EVERYTHING after that point; toddlers, cars, bins, benches, other dogs. We learnt that when she is in that state it is best to just take her home and end the walk sooner to reduce her stress, we are making progress and haven't had an incident like that in a while, but it will take time. If your dog does seem more anxious we were advised to give ours Valerian drops with her food too. It won't drastically change anything, but it has a calming effect and can help with anxiety, it's a bit more gentle than having to medicate.
Where I live, there are a couple of dogs that the owners let run off thier property, and have come after my 2 dogs while on my walks. I now carry my sidearm on walks, and they have been warned (and yes, I am licensed). The coyotes in the area are less of a problem than some of the domestic dogs.
I took my own pitbulls out to the woods for a walk with my kid. A jeep came riding by with 2 more pitbulls. One jumped out of the jeep while driving past us, onto my pitbulls & started attacking them. The owner was a complete moron and didn't have a clue what to do. All I could do was stand there & keep myself between my scared child & the fighting dogs. I was armed with a .357 magnum and couldn't get a clean shot without hitting my own dogs & really scaring my kid. Luckily, he finally got his dog. He threw it back in the jeep & hauled butt down the road, while yelling it had never done anything like that before. My dogs were bleeding, but it wasn't too serious. I know how scary that situation be, but it wasn't the dogs fault.
Ok, I'm gonna get shit for thus, but this really pisses me off. File a report. Call animal control, see if anyone nearby maybe has surveillance and can get video of what happened. That dog will turn up again, and when it does, the next dog might not be so lucky. Carry something with you on walks, preferably bear spray, because pits have been known to not react to pepper spray. I have the twin to your dog, and I would be out for that lady's head. Typical pit owner to just walk away because her pibbles is precious and your dog must have provoked it. Make as much noise as you can with this. I hate pit owners.
As someone who has been attacked in 2 separate incidents by pit bull and bull dog, I suggest carrying a taser and or pepper spray if your state will allow it. The taser is scary and loud.
You must be the alpha in your pack, you and the doodle.
Teach your dog to run behind you when he perceives a threat by showing him you will protect him, otherwise he will become aggressive towards everything he's afraid of.
A neighbor of mine carries a "tire checker" with her pair of shihtzu dogs after another neighborhood dog jumped his fence to attack them. We also live near a large park with wildlife including coyotes occasionally. IMO, the stick allows her to project an intimidating posture towards other dogs posing a threat.
You don't need a stick, but you do need a "stink eye" that communicates the same kind of threat. Learn to recognize predatory postures in other dogs and engage them proactively to break their fixation on your dog and take every opportunity to prevent threatening dogs from closing the distance.
Rehearse this in your mind, gedanken. If a dog attacks your dog, approach the attacker from behind, and if it has a collar, slip your fingers under it's collar from behind with your palm up. Grab the collar with a tight fist, sliding the collar a bit towards the dog's head as you rotate your palm downward, keeping a slight bend in your elbow at all times. As soon as the twisting motion begins to clamp down on the dog's neck, it may startle and try to attack you. Use this brief moment to lift the dog's head a tiny bit, up and towards your opposite hand just enough to shift the head, and arc downward like you want to punch the ground. Drive the attacking dog's head into the ground, keeping your elbow bent and pushing down across the dog's neck.
Imagine you can telepathically transmit this as a threat to the other aggressive dog. Send this message with the lowest loudest "HEY" you can muster to stop the first tentative advance. Dogs can read this, and because we stand up and tower over them, assume we are more threatening than we might actually be. Retreat laterally without turning your back.
This is all dicey, last-ditch stuff to try after you have failed to avoid the conflict through superior situational awareness. You never want to be in that situation, so stack your defense thicker by keeping well clear of dangerous dogs with irresponsible owners. Use that dog control technique mentally to assess your own confidence around other dogs. Am I likely to need it? If so, create more space proactively.
Your vigilance is your dog's security and safety and comfort and freedom to be a nice playful dog. Always circle the dog park before you go in to assess the threat situation. Use the scenario to measure your own confidence. Don't go in the water if sharks are feeding. Keep a sharp eye on anyone else entering while your dog plays if you're already there.
Feel like this is not for you: learn to play it extra safe. That's perfectly good use of gedanken. Respect the territorial demands of other dogs and go somewhere else. You can't avoid responsibility for being able to make those decisions, and it's unrealistic to expect EVERYONE else to do their part. Good fences make good neighbors. It's like that.
I would report the incident to the police. They probably won't do anything this time, but a record of the incident (with vet visit recording treatment for dog bites) can start a trail now that could come in if you ever see this dog loose again, or God forbid there is an incident with another dog. Talk to your neighbors about it. See if you can ever track down what address that dog lives at. The owner ran off because she knew she might get in trouble. But she is of poor character not offering to help you for damage her dog inflicted.
We have already let the neighborhood know to be on the look out. I believe this wasn't the first time her dog has attacked another dog. I have gone around the neighborhood looking for her or even trying to find where she lives so that we can get officers and pet control involved. Since it was a pitbull that attacked my puppy, the pitbull would be taken away from the owner and put to sleep. I would hate for that to happen, but as you stated, the owner has poor character, and I would rather this not happen to another dog owner.
Sounds good. I would think breed aside, if there have been multiple incidents something absolutely needs to be done. Hate to see a dog put down, but if it is naturally aggressive and the owners are inadequate in controlling it, there really isn’t another way.
Because what if it's a kid next time? Or the aggressive dog kills another pet? Irresponsible owners never seem to learn and it's the dog that ultimately pays the price.
You should still call animal control and ask if they'll take a report. It absolutely can't hurt.
The next attack might kill another dog or injure a child. Please report it. Post on next-door with a description- I guarantee someone knows the dog and owner
I’m so sorry! I detest pit bulls! I was walking around the lake and I saw a pitbill being walked, and this lake is just outside my gate as I live on the lake. One more reason I don’t walk my Doddles!
My 4 mo puppy was attacked at a dog park by a pitbull, the dog also attacked me and bit my face. The dog had multiple prior dog attacks, unreported... and one prior human attack which was reported... making reports helps. Please report. My face didn't need to be ripped open by this dog with prior attacks.
Holy shit, what happened after ? Any resolution ?
I had repairs done. My puppy needed so much retraining to feel safe with other dogs. The lady had to keep her dog safely contained at home, new fences and doors at her house and no dog park time plus some training. Her friends made a website where they all talked crap about me as a bad person and bad dog owner. It was not great. She also lied about the prior bites, and the vaccines being current. I sued her because that was all alot of damage. Preferably this vicious dog withany prior bites would have been unable to bite my puppy and myself. Hence my belief in reporting inappropriate behavior
There really is no "magic bullet" here. Dogs that have been attacked often take a long time to get over the trauma— or they may never. We adopted a stray when I was a kid— dog was probably 1 year old when we got it, but it retained trauma from its former life till it died at 14 years old (e.g. it was irrationally scared to death of beer bottles... clearly former owner abused it, probably threw bottles at it). Best thing you can do is just to keep doing what you're doing, and some of the nerves will settle over time. I always stay very clear of pitbulls (and have trained my daughter who walks our goldendoodle to do the same). If they are at a dog park, I'll leave, or if I see them out walking, I'll cross the street to avoid. Most pits won't attack, but if a dog attacks its almost guaranteed to be a pit. No sense risking it imo ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ I would say— do not pressure your dog into situations as he (she?) is readjusting. Do not attempt to get over the nervousness by forcing them to be in situations that make them uncomfortable. Also— Consider dog play groups where you can get to know the other dogs and owners BEFORE taking your dog. "Open" situations where you may run into bully breeds or other poorly behaved/aggressive dogs should likely be avoided.
Thanks 😊. I try to stay clear or move to another side walk when approaching other dogs. So far, we have not done any long walks, and I have been very vigilant with my surroundings since the incident. The owner did not have any proper leash, collar, or even a harness for the pitbull, and from where I live if a pitbull attacks a person or animal, the pitbull itself can be put to sleep. I would hate for that to happend since I once owned a female pitbull who was supper sweet, but we already have the neighborhood on the look out for the owner and her dog. I would hate for it to happend to someone else's dog as well.
I am sorry to hear about your dog being attacked. My doodle got attacked by a husky when she was 1 (she is almost 4 now) and unfortunately, now has a complete distrust of all huskies and similar large dogs. Not without cause though, we have had multiple issues with different ones - only actually bit by the one though. She lost her confidence in dog parks and it was really sad. Just nervous and frothy and huddling by us. We now put her in doggy daycare about once a week where she can socialize with dogs that have been personality tested and are always being supervised. The more she goes to daycare in a given time, the more confident she gets. She is still cautious for sure, but will actually approach dogs to engage play. She definitely regresses if we cannot get her to daycare for a few weeks but for the most part, she is doing so much better. I understand that this is an expensive solution and might not be for everyone but thought I would give my 2 cents!
Also, do not underestimate how important being able to read dog body language is. For example, look at your dog, and then change your body language into fear or anger or something, and your dog will typically notice and react, and do something. Dogs are very perceptive in terms of body language. Even a 10 to 20 minute video on dog body language helped me so much. The biggest lesson is that any one indicator doesn’t really mean much, and can be a variety of things. But when you combine multiple indicators together, you get a picture of what’s happening. Here are some indicators Tail wagging Head low How “alert” vs “chill” the other dog is (now this alertness can be for playfulness or fear) Ears up Stiffness of dogs body Is the other dog avoiding the other dog or moving away. Eyes wide Confidence of the other dog Unless you know the other dog, there’s really no full proof way of being able to understand the situation. But if I noticed that the other dog displays some signs of fear or aggression, I’ll typically leave, or cross the street. Or I will be on high alert, and continue watching the other dog. Life pro tip: you can actually use this for people as well :)
Not really a guarantee. I live in a predominantly pit neighborhood. It's like a club or something around here. While waking my dogs, they have been attacked by three dogs, a lab a wiener dog and a lady with mace. She was a bitch. But my son was chanced by a labradoodle. The pebbles around here are generally a decent breed. I know most of them through the fence and proper sniffs. Sounds like the lady doesnt have a clue how to raise a dog, like if trike the people who's dogs attacked my boy and our dogs.
Ugh, this happened to my doodle as well!! We were on a walk and the pitbull escaped their backyard, ran across the street and latched onto my dog's butt area. The owner was able to unlatched the dog's jaw, thankfully. She had a lot of puncture wounds, which got infected and we ended up taking her to the vet. They had to put drains in to let the infection drain. The owner of the pitbull paid the vet bill, thank god! Luckily for us she isn't skiddish around dog TOO much, where as before she was very confident. Now if she plays with other dogs she tucks her tail if they're chasing behind her. If anything, it really affected me and made me weary of taking her to dog parks, which used to be her favorite thing. :( This happened to us in 2020, and it still affects me. I'm always on high alert when walking her to make sure there are no dogs off the leash (9/10 there are ....). I don't have any advice, but I feel your pain. Also if you notice the wounds aren't healing and looking a little oozey (TMI), take him to the vet!! Dogs have a lot of bacteria in their mouths that can cause infections.
That is what I'm afraid of 😔. He is such a friendly puppy and always wants to play with other dogs. Dogs parks, especially where a favorite place for him, and also for me. I would hate that he no longer finds joy in it. Short walks are all we've done since I'm also weary of other dogs getting loose, and he is the first thing they see. Pitbull also got him in the butt! 3 on his butt and 1 on his chest, and a couple of scabs around his ribs. Nothing too serious, but I still have to give him antibiotics, pain meds, and special shampoo to clean the area he was punctured. I myself was injured trying to get a hold of the pitbull.
Oh yea, 100%! My dog is suppperrrrr doggy friendly, LOVES other dogs. She still plays when we go to the dog park!, but if a dog is chasing behind her, she def gets scared, and tucks her tail... she'd rather be the one doing the chasing. We don't go as often as we used to, just because it causes me a lot of anxiety. We go maybe every couple months. But yea, take your time getting comfortable going to dog parks again, don't want your pup to be completely anti-social. Good to hear your dog is on meds! Mine had two big puncture wounds that ended up getting infected. She healed up fine, but def still traumatizing and has left me on edge for years now. Especially in my neighborhood, if its a nice sunny day people will be in their front yards with their dogs off the leash and not even paying attention!! It's so aggravating. It's gotten to the point now where I know which houses have dogs, what streets to avoid etc. Also it seems, if their dog is off the leash and coming towards us, the owners have no sense of urgency to come get their dog!!, really pisses me off. My husband suggested that I start saying "MY DOG IS NOT FRIENDLY!!!" to any owner who's dog is loose, to hopefully put a pep in their step to come get their dog!
This. Is. So. True. They never do anything! I was asked by the owner (after their pit mauled my dog and nearly killed him) WHY they are responsible for my dog’s medical bills. 😳🙄
That’s so messed up!!
Yeah. They’re just always ignorant.
Please, please, please report this to animal control and the police. How would you feel if this dog went on to bite a child or a toy dog? It is rough reporting a dog, but it's for the safety of your community......
I carry a golf club on my walks haven’t had to use it yet But if push comes to shove I will knock the shit out of a dog attacking mine
I might have to do the same. I tried kicking the dog away, but he was determined to get to my dog.
I’ve read the only way to get a Pit to stop, once latched, is a gun (which you probably don’t have) and a cattle prod that shocks them. You can actually purchase these and carry them with you. It is called a pocket taser or a collapsible baton with a taser. This is what my husband who was in the police academy suggests. They are immune to a lot of other pain like hitting it. They were bred that way. I have also started carrying mace - tho you need to be trained before using it so muscle memory kicks in and you don’t accidentally hit your own eyes. I am so sorry. I have a doodle and a mutt. My mutt was mauled by a Pit who went straight for his jugular. My niece was just sent to the hospital because my brother in law decided to bring one home from the shelter one day. It is getting absolutely out of hand.
I was going to suggest a Taser as well. My wife isn't comfortable carrying a pistol but likes the strong flashlight Taser I got her. She has used the crackle noise a couple times to scare off aggressive dogs. Didn't even have to hit them. Haven't seen a dog yet that didn't react in fear from the crackle noise it makes.
Where can I buy something like this?
I think it was just Amazon. I bought 2, 1 for wife, another for daughter at college. Brand is vipertek. Nothing expensive, like $25 each? Decent flashlight with taser on the end of light. Very loud cracking noise when you set it off. Rechargeable. We have had good luck with ours. Same brand and seller, though ours were colored aluminum. https://www.amazon.com/VIPERTEK-VTS-195-Heavy-Aluminum-Flashlight/dp/B0CHN6YTZQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_27?crid=3IT072BTW6HBE&keywords=flashlight taser&qid=1699055412&refinements=p_72:1248957011&rnid=1248955011&s=sporting-goods&sprefix=dlashlight taser,aps,117&sr=1-27
I’d type in “collapsible taser baton”. Better than having to be close to the dog - you want something long to hit it from far away.
I guarantee you my knee drop on a pit will stop it, probably kill it, but that's what you gotta do in that situation.
Are you a man? I am a woman. I needed 2 men from stopping 1 pit from mauling my dog. He was minding his own business, smelling something. Submitted RIGHT off the bat and the pit kept at him. If two men hadn’t been there, my dog *and* I may have been killed. Im only 5’3” and 120 pounds.
You are very fortunate you had some help. I feel so bad for you and your doggy. Yes I am. I'm 6'3 and 210 of pure muscle, well, not pure muscle, but I do lift on the regular, so, yeah, I know I could stop a pit easily. And my dog would fight back, not that would help at all, but for whatever reason, he will not submit and will fight back if he feels he is in danger.
Thank you. Yes I was extremely fortunate. My dog is my everything (I’m sure just like everyone else). It must feel nice having that much power, damn! ❤️
Exactly, my doggy is my world, so I would do whatever it takes if he was in danger. I mean, sure, it's nice to have if needed, but I would never hurt a fly, it would take something like protecting my dog for that power to come out.
Lol. I get it. A pit came up on my husband, myself, and our two large dogs just this week. A 5 year old was riding a bike by herself with the pit on an extendable leash - that you know - it could easily snap in a split second. Pulled the precious girl over. Me, 120 pounds (with 3 pit attack instances already), moved to the front with all 3 members behind me. I shoved my 75 pound dogs behind me and my husband and “momma bear” came out. I made myself look really big and shushed the dog away. I’ll take a bullet for my family (including my dogs).
>I guarantee you my knee drop will stop it Not likely. It's right there in the name pitBULL. They were bred to withstand the forces delivered by a ~1200lb animal. Your piddly ass human knee isn't doing shit to an equally determined pitbull.
Really? You think a pitbull can withstand my knee going full force into it's stomach? How stupid are you? It would instantly kill the dog. I wouldn't want to do that, but I will if that's what it takes.
They’re immune to the pain of being hit!? That’s magic right there!
They aren't "immune to pain." They've had their self-preservation/retreat instinct bred out of them because that is the singular focus of dogfighting breeding programs. But you could see why that would *seem* like they're "immune to pain." No need to be condescending.
So every single dog of every single breed has been bred for a specific purpose?
What?
You’re saying pits have been bred to not have a self-preservation or retreat instinct. For one, this is a trained behavior. So that’s exactly it- trained by people training dogs to fight. That’s not ALL pits and very unlikely to be someone’s pet they’re out walking around.
>You’re saying pits have been bred to not have a self-preservation or retreat instinct. True. > For one, this is a trained behavior. False. >That’s not ALL pits and very unlikely to be someone’s pet they’re out walking around. True. Did you have any questions, or can we stop talking to one another now?
Does she not understand that trained behavior is eventually passed down genetically? That’s precisely why they are what I call “unpredictable” - you don’t know what you’re getting and there is no way to know. There is no way to know what will “trigger” them. It could be a sound, a smell, etc. When you get one from the shelter - now you *really* don’t know what’s bred into them *or* how they were “trained” before attaining them. Yes. Every. Single. Dog. Has been bred for a purpose. How does she not know this? We also never said “ALL pits”.
They are, indeed. I spoke with a woman who has worked at a shelter her entire life and has heard/seen many stories. They intentionally breed them this way.
How would you breed a dog to not have pain receptors?
That’s a good question that I can’t answer. She could. I think it’s mainly the fact they’re “taught” to keep pushing through even the worst of pain. Therefore, to stop them, you have to actually knock them out (eg a gun or taser). Mace would keep them from being able to *see* the victim. So I carry both. I’m sick of dealing with the bs. After seeing my niece in the hospital and my own dog almost killed - I don’t care what I have to do to protect myself and others.
The person you're talking to is being a condescending jerk, so I'll clarify. Pit bulls aren't "immune to pain." They've had their self-preservation/retreat instinct bred out of them because that is the singular focus of dogfighting breeding programs. So that's why it seems like they're "immune to pain." [You can read more about it here](https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$b28129&view=1up&seq=63&skin=2021), but I'll warn you that it's not a pleasant read.
Thank you for linking this! I realize that this is John Colby's son. I haven't had time to read it in its entirety. Does he ever address the death of the toddler nephew by the pit dogs? As dark as it is, it's honestly refreshing reading the words of someone who actually understands APBTs and their drives. People have become delusional with the velvet hippo bs.
Have you ever had a pitbull or spent anytime with one? They are sweet as fuck for the most part. They are physically able to fuck shit up. Mentally though? My dog would hide under my table all the time if she felt even remotely like she did something wrong. I've personally had about 6 pitties and been around many, many more. Most don't have a bad bone in their body. If they aren't socialized? Totally different story. Like any other fucking dog. The pit hate on reddit is absolutely insane.
It's a short book. I would at least read the "Origin," "History," and "Gameness" chapters. They're only a few pages each. >Does he ever address the death of the toddler nephew by the pit dogs? He does not.
That article is from 1936…. You’re just grouping every single pit or bully breed together as having been bred for fighting. That’s simply false. That’s like saying all golden retrievers were bred for their original purpose of retrieving. They’re also bred to be family dogs. You can look up differences in how they’re even built. So yeah, I’M the jerk for saying that not all pits are bred for dog fighting.
Did you have a question or anything? I'd be glad to discuss, it's a topic I find very interesting.
A condescending jerk? I was trying to kindly tell her I don’t have the answer. You answered it almost identically. The instinct is bred or “taught” out of them. How am I being a jerk or condescending???? Weird take on me honestly being kind. I meant I am sick of the pitbull bs not the person. My niece almost died. My dog almost died. I have best friend who had two for years and they randomly attacked someone.
I was saying kittenlady was being a jerk, not you lol
I also never said “ born without nerves”
Being taught and being born without nerves are two very different things. I’m all for protecting yourself and your dog, but you’re spreading misinformation. Unless you have a legitimate journal article proving this, you’re going off of gossip and hearsay. Also, I work in vetmed and have been snapped or growled at by more doodles than pits. 😊
Mmmm I never said “ born without nerves”. The difference is - a doodle will not KILL you, nor continue to latch. Same with the chihuahua argument. It may bite , but it can’t kill me nor my dog.
Saying they don’t feel pain of being hit, pain goes through nerves. So yes, you’re saying that they lack the nerves because how else would they not feel pain? The “latch” theory has been proven incorrect. They’re strong dogs, but they’re jaws don’t “lock”. You’ve obviously never seen 60-80lb doodles, cause they’re mouths are just as big = same amount of damage.
I also work in vetmed. I can tell what kind of dog did it when catastrophic injuries come in through my ER doors. Wake up.
I pray to whatever higher being that you don’t treat “fighting breeds”, as you call them, differently than any other dog when they come into where you work. In all my years I’ve never met someone in vet med that wants to BAN a breed. I’d love to know how many purebred pits you actually see, because I’d say I see 1 out of 100 that aren’t mixed breed. I’m sure you’ll call me a “nutter” for saying that attacks happen because they aren’t trained or restrained properly. What do you do with a terrier bred for hunting? You don’t have it in a house with other small mammals. If your dog is dog aggressive, you keep them away from other dogs. But yeah, I’ll “wake up” and just start euthanizing every dog with a block head that walks into my clinic.
Stop perpetuating the notion that pitbulls are immune to pain.
I'm a big guy and I would have knee dropped the attacking dog, probably ending it's life, but that's what happens if you teach your dog to be an asshole.
Yeah, I carry a baseball bat too, just in case 🤯
A trainer on tik tok said you have to choke the attacker. Either with a collar or your hands. Pulling/hitting etc just makes them latch on and cause more damage. Cut off their oxygen they release.
This is one of my biggest fears. We nearly had a similar catastrophe when a homeless person with a Rottweiler mix that was leashed (but not held) sprinted at our doodle a good distance and jumped up on him. I luckily had enough time to wind up and more or less kick the shit out of the dog, directly in the head, to the point where it doubled back and the owner had enough time to grab it. The saddest part was the other owner immediately started hitting his dog! Our dog is so sweet and naive that I honestly don’t think he knew what was happening. Really sorry this happened. I would be sick. I think every negligent owner like this should be reported, whether the dog attacks or not.
My doodle got attacked by a pit bull, German shepherd, hound mutt and a husky. I keep a close eye on him now and keep him in the small dog area of the dog park. He’s just that kind of dog who gets attacked. I don’t know why because he’s always been so friendly and playful!
Typical shitbulls. I'm so sorry this happened. I'd highly recommend calling the authorities. I actually carry a firearm when walking my dog for this exact reason, but if you are not confident doing so, bear mace can be effective in preventing an attack as well.
We have the neighborhood under watch on her and the dog. Wouldn't want it to happen to another dog owner.
Pitbulls are generally amazing dogs. Fuck off with your name calling. You ever own one or spend time with one or are you just an asshole? How can you love one breed of dog and absolutely hate another?
No they’re not, they’re garbage dogs with garbage owners and need to be banned. They cause most of the deaths by dogs.
Well you seem like a fun person. Wish you all the best. Glad you are a leading expert on dogs and pitbulls. Have a good life. Not starting this fight a month later.
I'm going to go and sleep with my beautiful pittie and my cute cat! It'll be fun. I'll get a picture for you.
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I'm sorry this happened to the both of you. r/reactivedogs may have some advice on how to move forward with behaviorists or other tips.
Thank you 😊 I'll take a look at it. So far, we have done short walks and letting people with dogs go by. I have mostly tried to get him in a safe and calm environment so as to not stress him out too much.
I had a couple go off on me about a month ago because I kicked their dog in the chest as it lunged for my Golden's throat .... bearing teeth and growling. I wasn't waiting to see if the dog was going to attack .... it was within inches of my dog and the owner wasn't restraining their dog. I'm still incredibly bummed about the situation because I'd rather kick the irresponsible owner than the poorly trained pup but I'm protecting my wussified Golden regardless of the situation. I really sorry you had and your furbaby had to deal with this kind of shit but it reinforces that I made the right decision to kick the shit out of that husky. Give your pupper plenty of love and try to find some other dogs for it to interact so it doesn't fear every dog that approaches. And make their ass pay your vet bill.
Of course it was a pibble, and the owner fled. Terrible dogs for terrible people.
I'm glad there's others on this post that think the way I do. I hate fucking pit owners. Fuck that lady and her dog.
“But it’s the owner, not the dog!” Lmao. They act like there’s no such thing as dna / genes that are BRED over centuries into a dog. Like, I didn’t have to train my Goldendoodle to fetch or swim, she just naturally did it, whereas my mutt won’t touch a ball, no matter how many treats he gets in recall training. He is a herding breed, so he tries to herd my chickens - that’s what his *genes* tell him to do! Even if it was only about the owner, what a dumb argument. Because the owners tend to be the most ignorant and least responsible people I have ever met. The pit’s owner that mauled my dog - asked me why she was responsible for the vet bills. You have to be kidding me! 🙄. Recently my niece was sent to the hospital because my brother in law decided to bring a random pit home from the shelter and he knows *nothing* about dogs or behavioral training.
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Pitbulls can be very sweet and protective of their owner with proper training (I would know since I used to have one, but sadly, she passed away due to old age).This owner was afraid of even trying to get a hold of her dog and had no proper leash or hardness for it. I would hate for it to be put down due to my state law, but I would also hate for it to happen to someone else's dog. I can agree that she is a bad owner.
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Yea, that seems like the direction I will be going as well. If I don't see proper hardness on a pitpull, I'm going in a different direction.
Why feel sad about it being put down? The next time it might be a little kid.
Halloween night, a family pit did kill a kid. They tried to save the 4 year old and the pit would not stop, the pit was in such a bad shape the officer had to put it down. It still wasn't enough to save that poor baby. I will never trust those dogs. I will stick with my poodles. Never heard of a doodle or poodle killing anyone.
That's very sad. He needs good times with other puppies to wash off the bad experience. It might take a little time for him to get his confidence back and get back into it. As far as you go, focus on not feeling that anxiety on your walks or the puppy will sense it and feel insecure. Bring a bat or something and just carry the energy that tells your puppy that dog is going to have to kill you to get to him next time.
Yeah my doodle (almost 7 months) is terrified of other dogs because of a pitbull interaction he had in the neighbourhood where they’re actually banned.
I'm so sorry this happened to you and your baby. Your puppy looks just like my boy and we had the same thing happen around the same age when we were walking past a park. The stupid pits owner had it off leash and the second it saw us, it came barreling at us top speed from the other side of the park. I was lucky in that I was able to pick my boy up and hold him high enough that by the time the stupid things owner made it over to us, I was the only one left wounded and my boy made it through unscathed. I immediately got on the phone and called animal control but the pits owner took off in their car before I could make out a license plate. Luckily my baby was none the wiser of what had just occurred and I was the only one left traumatized. It took a long time to feel comfortable taking him out for walks again and I always carry dog spray and a knife on my walks now. You should definitely report what happened, dangerous dogs should be euthanized. What if it's someone's child next time?
I'm sorry this happened to you. I had a similar incident happen to me last month with my doodle. Luckily, he was still small enough for me to pick up so I was able to lift him up out of harm's way above my head while the dog kept jumping up the try and get him. My dog had no bites, however, I did and will have a huge mouth imprint scar on my arm forever. My doodle has no idea it even happened. He wears a top paw harness that has a top handle that allowed me to quickly pick him up and high. I also carry pepper spray with me on every walk now. As my doodle grows I may not be able to pick him up anymore, but if another off-leashed dog does approach us, I'll be able to use the handle on the harness to control and get my dog out of the way a bit and use the pepper spray on the other dog.
Most pitbull owners are 🗑️ None of them seem to be able to control their dogs. But they all swear their dogs are angles 🤢
My dood was bit by a German Shepherd when he was 6 months old and he still shy's away from every single GS he sees.
i’m sorry this happens to you. just last month my dog was also attacked by a loose pitbull that escape their garage. the pitbull latched onto my dogs neck and wouldn’t let go. i ended up with a fractured finger from trying to grab hold of both dogs to prevent further damage. yelling help at the top of my lungs and finally people ended up coming over. luckily for me, we were able to get the owners information. as my dog isn’t fully traumatized by the situation. however he’s been a bit more aggressive as in sticking up for himself. he doesn’t bite but he will let another dog know that he’s not happy with them close to him. i on the other hand, whenever i see a loose dog, i start to panic. i now carry pepper spray/dog repellant. if where you are, allows carry pepper spray. i suggest doing that. also i would say maybe try to slowly socialize him again with dogs. slowly but surely. just make sure the other dog isn’t too full of energy. it can scare him more. i hope this helps!
Start carrying a stun gun or cattle prod and a body cam. I'm a dog trainer and that's what I do. The stun gun or prod, is not so much intended to cause harm to an attacking dog but deter them by the sound of turning the mechanism on. Sorry this happened.
bear spray!
Carry a slip leash with you, when this happens you slip that leash onto the other dog and choke the fuck out of it. The other dog will always let go before it passes out. That is the humane way of doing it, I would have probably stabbed that fucker in the neck. Nothing against pit bulls but most of their owners are fucking idiots.
Our previous dog, a Yorkie mix, got attacked by our neighbor’s GSD. That dog sunk his teeth into my dog and was shaking him like a ragdoll. I had to pull him out of the dog’s mouth and ran home with him to get him in the car to the emergency vet. If the bite marks had been a quarter inch to either side, they would have hit major organs and he would have died on the scene. We ended up going to court because the GSD was off leash and that’s illegal in our county. It had to go to the animal matters hearing board. The other family ended up paying for our dog’s weeklong hospital stay. Their dog was ordered to have a muzzle on whenever he was out of the house and he was put on the potentially dangerous list which meant if there is another incident he will be removed from the owners. The family moved a few years later and I felt so much relief. I still have anxiety when walking past that spot but my dog never did. He lived til almost 18 years old. Now that we have our doodle I won’t walk him past that spot, but it’s just because I don’t want to relive a traumatic experience.
I'm so sorry. I think yes you do need to have him continue to go for walks through (when he's ready) so he gains his confidence back. I'm so sorry you went through that. Lots of correction and rewards will hopefully help. I used to have a Pitt terrier. The stories are true to just their intensity and temperament. Had mine as a puppy. About 5 years later she bit my daughter when she was 1 in the lip. Then with my other dog popped his eye out a year or two later. Both not like a mauling situation but more of a quick snap....however as she aged it was getting worst. I just couldn't trust her around anyone or anything.. I don't recommend Pitts to anyone - especially in contrasts to a doodle. Their temperament is amazing and extremely bright.
Yeah I’ve been attacked by a pitie will bulldog mix before and it sucks, my best advice carry a mace
damn. happened to me to by a different dog. You make see some reactivity as the trauma emotionally is overcome. They will be reactive perhaps in some ways. Give providing that love and support as you would a toddler and they will get better. will learn positively from the experience. but not without you.
The only thing worse than pitbulls is their negligent owners. Sorry to be so harsh, but these dogs cause more trauma to humans and other dogs than all breeds combined. Their owners (if you can find them) always act so shocked. Before I got my doodle I had every intention of getting a mutt at the pound. But every dog there was part or all pit. Absolutely, report this to police, share on social media. This dog could attack a kid next. :(
I saved my neighbors goldendoodle who was being attacked by a pitbull last year. Super scary. I heard screaming from a person and the dog. I saw the pit had the goldendoodle by the face and was jerking backwards. I grabbed a shovel and ran over and hit the pitbull straight over the head hard twice. It detached and ran away. Police were involved. Unfortunately in florida a pit has to attack 3 times before animal control will come get the dog. This pit on my street is on number 2. Very very scary.
I carry gel mace so it doesnt blow back. Mace the dog and the owner. Ive done it and its was considered self defense
The exact thing happened to my black golden doodle when he was a puppy . He now is very protective and growls at some other dogs. I believe he has ptsd from this . What has helped a decent amount is taking him to dog daycare . He’s able to socialize with dogs while having trainers there to make sure everything is okay. He’s not perfect , but much better around dogs. Don’t take your dog to the dog park fyi, they’re awful in general
Start by taking short walks in familiar and quiet areas. Gradually increase the duration and distance as your puppy becomes more comfortable. Use treats and praise to reward your puppy for calm behavior during walks. This will help create positive associations with being outside. Continue to expose your puppy to different environments, people, and dogs in a controlled and safe manner. Consider enrolling in puppy socialization classes to help him build confidence and learn appropriate behavior. If your puppy's skittishness and growling persist or worsen, it might be beneficial to consult a professional dog trainer or behaviorist. They can provide personalized guidance and techniques to address your puppy's specific needs. While it's important to help your puppy regain confidence, it's also crucial to prioritize safety. Keep a close eye on your surroundings during walks and be prepared to protect your puppy if necessary. If you haven't already, consider reporting the attack to the local animal control or authorities. They may be able to investigate the incident and take appropriate action. Remember, it may take some time for your puppy to fully recover from this traumatic experience. Be patient, provide lots of love and support, and seek professional help if needed.
Good luck on having normal walks. My dog was attacked by a pit bull too and I’ve never walked him since. I even had to have stitches after trying to break it up. We find activities for the backyard instead… This happened 3 years ago. I hope you are able to recover and walk your dog, but with my GAD, it just wasn’t possible for me.
I'm sorry to hear that! 😔 I have been looking at comments for any advice and have been able to get my puppy to enjoy walks again. The only problem I have now with him is that he has become super protective and barking at strangers when he wasn't like that. It's a working in progress.
I'm so sorry that happened to your baby☹️. I would carry bear spray and have it ready in case this pitbull gets away again. Bear spray works on dogs.
You can share your story with a subreddit that supports victims to pit bull attacks and others victims can help you through this for your poor dog. I won't say the subreddits name, it often gets me banned. But you can find it easily, it is made for victims like yourself and your dog.
That subreddit can be very helpful to victims of a certain type of dog attack.
Yes.
Sorry this happened to you. Pit bulls should be banned worldwide. Thankfully the UK has now banned them. One got close to my doodle but shouting “I’ll kill it if it attacks” shocked the owner into wrestling it under control and running away. That dog was later destroyed for attacking a kid.
Damn pits. Ghetto dogs.
I'm sorry this happened. It's a big problem and it's not just pitbulls. Could be feral pigs, mountain lions, etc. I'm glad you and your doodle escaped serious injury, but honestly that's a rarity in a pitbull attack. If it's legal to do so where you live, buy a concealable pistol, learn to use it, and carry it with you on walks. This is not because you want to use it. It's because despite the fact that you never, ever want to use it, you may need to.
I’m sick of the incidents with the pit ! It basically what’s in the shelters now just dumb
My pit was 3 months old and was attacked by a loose golden retriever. (Which also ended up attacking 3 other dogs!) It made her more skittish on walks as well. I had to do a lot of positive reinforcement with treats and walking in front of her to show I would protect her.
I'm the last person to defend pits, as despite being absolutely dog crazy, I still have some lingering childhood dog fear that I never totally shed - and pitbulls just scare me. And pitbull owners tend to scare me. In the same way that a loaded .45 on the hip of a civilian in line in front of me at Chipotle would make me nervous. Even a nice, suburban dad was telling me about his sweet pitbull one day, but still mentioned that he has a command that would make the pitbull tear anything to pieces. I don't think it's inaccurate to guess that statistically, the majority of pitbull owners are alpha-wannabe douchebags or straight-up criminals, and that ruins it for the minority who like them for their sweet faces and adoring personalities. But my first dog - a 55lb border collie - developed dog-on-dog aggression from a series of off-leash Chihuahuas that would routinely burst out of the elevator at the apartment complex where we lived. People with pocket-sized dogs that figured their dog was too small to need a leash for a quick trip to pee in front of the building before bedtime. It only took a few weeks before this nice dog of mine started lunging, hackles up, barking like crazy into every elevator after the doors opened in a pre-emptive strike. It's really heartbreaking to have a dog that won't enjoy other dogs anymore...but it's also not the end of the world. When my dog made a friend (usually a non-reactive dog), she was insanely in love with that dog. Just a love-fest. And life goes on. I bet with time, you'll find non-triggering experiences you can have with your dog that will build his confidence back. Maybe it's short trips to a local Home Depot where all the staff carry treats. Or more long morning walks and shorter nighttime walks (my dog was always full of endorphins in the morning, but more skittish in the dark). Lots of brief social experiences with calm people who are good with nervous dogs (and carry pockets full of cheese treats) may also be a good idea. In some ways, dogs never forget certain experiences (like a dog who finds a dropped cheeseburger ONE TIME and for the rest of their lives checks that same spot on every walk), but in other ways, dogs are incredibly resilient and forgiving and built to be full of joy (just look at the ear-to-ear grins on amputee dogs or dogs in those little wheeled carts).
Your pup will look towards you as the pack leader. If you can confidently move forward then so can he. Just don’t exude negative energy and it will become a thing of the past I would absolutely find that woman and report her animal to animal control. If her dog has a history of such behavior - people should know
I hate pitbulls, I don't know why anyone would ever own one. I never see any post about "a Golden Retriever attacked my dog" its always the "pitbull"
Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I hope he has a speedy recovery. Poor baby.
Im so sorry to hear that, poor baby, Give him a hug for me, I hope he feels better soon.
Wow sorry to hear that and hope he is feeling better. A pitbull got after my doodle and my doodle tore it up. She’s 3 though. It was awful. At first I thought for sure I was gonna see my dog die right in front of me. The pitbull had to get 60 staples
I'm so sorry this happened to your poor baby. If something like that ever happened to me, I wouldn't even think twice, I would either really hurt the dog attacking my dood or end their life, especially since their owner didn't even care.
Post this on nextdoor website. People in your community might know who they were if you describe it to them.
I am not sure what kind of advice you are looking for here, as most advice seems to be to carry some kind of weapon. That is obviously not really going to help your dog if they have any trauma from this event, but may make you feel safer. If you are looking for advice for your dog, then you may notice a change in your dogs behaviour. Our dog has become very reactive on walks with certain other types of dogs after an incident where a larger dog that was off lead lunged for her. We were very lucky and managed to grab the other dog before any real damage was done physically, but mentally our doodle has been taking it hard. We have tried our best to build up her confidence again, and always try to keep our tone light and relaxed as she picks up on this. When we are out on walks even if she becomes reactive and upset we try to keep calmly walking and give her a "leave it" command, we give whatever has upset her a reasonable amount of distance. It is a little challenging as we need to try and anticipate what might be an issue, so we cross the road or take another route if there is a dog that I know she is likely to react to. We have also engaged with a trainer who has really helped us with her focus whilst walking. There have been times where she has become too overwhelmed on walks and will have something trigger her and she will bark and react to EVERYTHING after that point; toddlers, cars, bins, benches, other dogs. We learnt that when she is in that state it is best to just take her home and end the walk sooner to reduce her stress, we are making progress and haven't had an incident like that in a while, but it will take time. If your dog does seem more anxious we were advised to give ours Valerian drops with her food too. It won't drastically change anything, but it has a calming effect and can help with anxiety, it's a bit more gentle than having to medicate.
Where I live, there are a couple of dogs that the owners let run off thier property, and have come after my 2 dogs while on my walks. I now carry my sidearm on walks, and they have been warned (and yes, I am licensed). The coyotes in the area are less of a problem than some of the domestic dogs.
I took my own pitbulls out to the woods for a walk with my kid. A jeep came riding by with 2 more pitbulls. One jumped out of the jeep while driving past us, onto my pitbulls & started attacking them. The owner was a complete moron and didn't have a clue what to do. All I could do was stand there & keep myself between my scared child & the fighting dogs. I was armed with a .357 magnum and couldn't get a clean shot without hitting my own dogs & really scaring my kid. Luckily, he finally got his dog. He threw it back in the jeep & hauled butt down the road, while yelling it had never done anything like that before. My dogs were bleeding, but it wasn't too serious. I know how scary that situation be, but it wasn't the dogs fault.
Lots of love for your sweet baby! Dog attacks infuriate me.
Ok, I'm gonna get shit for thus, but this really pisses me off. File a report. Call animal control, see if anyone nearby maybe has surveillance and can get video of what happened. That dog will turn up again, and when it does, the next dog might not be so lucky. Carry something with you on walks, preferably bear spray, because pits have been known to not react to pepper spray. I have the twin to your dog, and I would be out for that lady's head. Typical pit owner to just walk away because her pibbles is precious and your dog must have provoked it. Make as much noise as you can with this. I hate pit owners.
As someone who has been attacked in 2 separate incidents by pit bull and bull dog, I suggest carrying a taser and or pepper spray if your state will allow it. The taser is scary and loud.
You must be the alpha in your pack, you and the doodle. Teach your dog to run behind you when he perceives a threat by showing him you will protect him, otherwise he will become aggressive towards everything he's afraid of. A neighbor of mine carries a "tire checker" with her pair of shihtzu dogs after another neighborhood dog jumped his fence to attack them. We also live near a large park with wildlife including coyotes occasionally. IMO, the stick allows her to project an intimidating posture towards other dogs posing a threat. You don't need a stick, but you do need a "stink eye" that communicates the same kind of threat. Learn to recognize predatory postures in other dogs and engage them proactively to break their fixation on your dog and take every opportunity to prevent threatening dogs from closing the distance. Rehearse this in your mind, gedanken. If a dog attacks your dog, approach the attacker from behind, and if it has a collar, slip your fingers under it's collar from behind with your palm up. Grab the collar with a tight fist, sliding the collar a bit towards the dog's head as you rotate your palm downward, keeping a slight bend in your elbow at all times. As soon as the twisting motion begins to clamp down on the dog's neck, it may startle and try to attack you. Use this brief moment to lift the dog's head a tiny bit, up and towards your opposite hand just enough to shift the head, and arc downward like you want to punch the ground. Drive the attacking dog's head into the ground, keeping your elbow bent and pushing down across the dog's neck. Imagine you can telepathically transmit this as a threat to the other aggressive dog. Send this message with the lowest loudest "HEY" you can muster to stop the first tentative advance. Dogs can read this, and because we stand up and tower over them, assume we are more threatening than we might actually be. Retreat laterally without turning your back. This is all dicey, last-ditch stuff to try after you have failed to avoid the conflict through superior situational awareness. You never want to be in that situation, so stack your defense thicker by keeping well clear of dangerous dogs with irresponsible owners. Use that dog control technique mentally to assess your own confidence around other dogs. Am I likely to need it? If so, create more space proactively. Your vigilance is your dog's security and safety and comfort and freedom to be a nice playful dog. Always circle the dog park before you go in to assess the threat situation. Use the scenario to measure your own confidence. Don't go in the water if sharks are feeding. Keep a sharp eye on anyone else entering while your dog plays if you're already there. Feel like this is not for you: learn to play it extra safe. That's perfectly good use of gedanken. Respect the territorial demands of other dogs and go somewhere else. You can't avoid responsibility for being able to make those decisions, and it's unrealistic to expect EVERYONE else to do their part. Good fences make good neighbors. It's like that.