I've got a bit of a problem with Max, let me explain:
Max was attacked by a dog at the beach and instead of defending himself, he just bolted! It's really frustrating me because I’d like to teach my dog how to stand up for himself!!!!!! How do I do that??? The last time I was out with a friend and her dog (his name's Fox). At one point, there was a dog and its owner who wanted the dogs to "get to know each other" and the owner's dog started growling at Max. Max (who was off-lead) just ran for it! He did come back later, though. But when the other dog growled at Fox, Fox stood his ground by growling back at the other dog.
I wish my dog would act "dominant" too.
Why doesn't he react when a dog growls at him or attacks him?
Thanks 😊
Translated from French
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Instead of getting defensive, just answer my question. They must have taught you how to handle things during your training, and that’s what I’m interested in. What’s the protocol?
"knowing her" "depending on the dog" "she gets between my legs of her own accord to let me handle the situation"
Are you lot aware that a greeting on a tight lead can trigger a fight or cause the dog on the lead to react? Did you also notice that my dog wasn't looking for trouble and knew how to de-escalate the situation?
It would be nice if you read EVERYTHING before trying to nitpick.
Obviously, you wouldn't do that with a reactive dog, but is that even the point? No, because Max isn't reactive, and neither is my girl.
In my opinion, "letting your dog off the lead" is the worst advice you can give and probably the one that will have the most consequences in the long run.
Your dog is going to learn all the wrong lessons. You’re scared. You aren’t able to protect them. It’s up to them to defend themselves. It’s the perfect recipe for making them reactive or even aggressive next time.
Without even questioning whether the other dog is charging out of excitement, play or aggression, I believe the right approach is to step in to de-escalate the situation. Even if it’s not your own dog, a loud, firm "stop" or "no" works almost every time.
Dundeemaya, I am beyond surprised. You say you have the dangerous dog certificate and they’re teaching you to let the dog off? Don’t tell me that’s what they actually taught you!
In my opinion, you mostly find a load of rubbish on the internet. Methods that suggest sticking a finger up the dog’s bottom (yes, really!) or lifting them by their back legs are, to my mind, ridiculous at best. In any case, you have to remember that if a fight happens—a proper one—you won't usually have the time to react using any specific "method". You just separate the dogs, trying to make sure there's as little damage as possible. After that, it’s like any rescue situation: you do whatever is necessary to save them.
Oh really, are there actually methods like that? I read that you should get a bucket of cold water and throw it over the dog attacking yours.
No, there’s no risk, not with a mastiff at least (I’ve had to do it with a Dogo Argentino before): the dog isn’t flexible enough to twist all the way round to reach the person lifting them by their back legs. Because they’re off-balance on their front paws, that ‘acrobatic flip’ you mentioned is just part of their own momentum as they're pulled backwards.
Mind you, I haven't tried it with a more agile breed and I definitely don't want to have to, lol.
@Gros Toutoux beat me to it. I quite like the metaphor of the chihuahua cocking its leg on you. It’s my thinking as well; performing an acrobatic flip is going to be much easier with a Bichon than with a Dogue de Bordeaux. Mind you, the risk of getting bitten... is exactly the same.
My laid-back Aussie always avoids conflict when he's up against a more assertive dog. The only exception is when it comes to protecting me or another dog. Otherwise, he always lets me handle things, or he lets my spaniel do the policing while he stays well out of the way. Apart from those rare cases, it’s honestly so much easier having a dog that’s under-reactive rather than over-reactive.
Lift them by the back legs, causing enough discomfort for the dog to turn back towards you, then use that momentum to pin them onto their back as they turn.
I hope you never have to use this.
The golden rule is that it’s down to you to step in and act as a shield to protect your dog from another dog.
One time a little mutt attacked Gally (the whole "grab and shake" thing; luckily he was the same weight and not any heavier :/). I knew the dog a bit and knew he didn't like other dogs but was perfectly fine with people. So, I grabbed the mutt by the hips and lifted him up (honestly!) and he ended up dangling there like a pig until his owner came running over. Basically, how to stop a fight is a case-by-case thing. It depends on the type of fight, the type of dog...
The fact that a dog is "fine with humans" doesn't guarantee anything, though. I know several people who've been bitten by their own dogs while breaking them up. It’s not an intentional bite; the dog is just in a frenzy and snaps at whatever’s in the way.
The most shocking one I saw recently involved Jack Russells. Two Jacks were latched onto a third Jack with their jaws. The owner of the dog being attacked had the reflex to... pick it up ^^
Which meant she ended up with a triple-decker of Jacks dangling in mid-air.
All three dogs ended up needing quite a few stitches.
