What would you do?

It’s the fear in the back of every dog owner’s mind.  You’re at the dog park like you’ve always been before.  Enjoying those precious moments with your fuzkids.  Watching them run around, smelling everything, marking everything.  As another dog approaches, your heart skips a beat as your eyes go back and forth from the owner to the dog to the owner.  Looking for some form of control, compassion, and responsibility.  You look to the dogs’ tails to see their reactions.  Breathing a sigh when they show a playfulness between each other.  The owner looks to you and smiles.  Relaxing you both move on with your day.

But what would you do if this situation didn’t go so perfectly?  How would you react if another dog suddenly lurched and left you screaming for anyone to help you save your furry child?

I’ll give you ways to help your fuzkids below, but first I must let you know how this subject has come up for me.  Recently, there have been a lot of dog-on-dog attacks at local dog parks.  Most involving Pit Bulls.  Being a proud owner of a Bully Breed, a Rottweiler, I personally know that owning these dogs takes a lot of responsibility.  Let me say that again – It takes A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY!  A novice dog owner cannot go out and get a Pittie or a Rottie and think they are going to have Lassie in the back yard.  It just doesn’t work like that.  These dogs need to know from the very beginning that you, the owner, are the ALPHA and are always in control of them.  If not, they are going to walk all over you.

Now on to my newest friend, Kari Haugh and her friend took her Weimaraner puppy for an afternoon walk in Bear Creek Dog Park.  She and her puppy met up with man walking two Pitties on leashes.  I think the news report from KOAA Channel 5 says it best:

That’s when they say a pair of dogs they describe as “pit bull type” attacked Haugh’s 4-month old puppy.  The dogs were pulled off the puppy, but not before the pup was badly injured.

“When the pits saw our dogs it was all the guy could do to hold them back. Unfortunately the pup did nothing and was grabbed by the nose by one of the pits. It locked its jaw with at least 2 inches of the pups nose in its mouth. As we all tried to get it off the other pit had his ear, ” Shari Sherman wrote on the Bear Creek Dog Park Facebook page.  “It was horrific, the pup was screaming, we were screaming and beating the dogs. I tried a loud whistle, a can full of coins and nothing worked. Finally, the guy was on the ground wrapped around the dogs and told us to pull the pup from their grip. Somehow he got freed,” Sherman added.  (Editor’s note.  No dogs have “locking jaws”, but rather a strong jaw and apparently these had a “tight grip”. )

Shortly after the attack Haugh said the owner of the two dogs left in a hurry, but not before she snapped a picture of him and his dogs.

“This is the person who’s dogs attacked mine,” Haugh said on a Bear Creek Dog Park Facebook post.  “He left the scene as soon as his dogs released their jaws from my dog.  He didn’t leave in a car, just ran away fast. If you see this person please call the police… Don’t approach him, he is very unfriendly, Just make the call…The PD and Humane Society are looking for him….any help finding him would be GREATLY appreciated!”

Sadly attacks like these aren’t unusual and involve many different breeds according to the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region.  With the popularity of the dog parks growing, more and more people and their pets are coming to join the fun, but not all dogs are ready for the dog park environment.   ” You should always bring a dog that is voice commanded and well socialized to the dog park,” says Erica Meyer with HSPPR. “You also need to make sure they’ve had all their vaccinations, they are licensed and that they are wearing their ID collar.”

If you do have a situation in which you or you dog is attacked call the police right away.

Haugh says the puppy was in surgery over four hours and he is now at home recovering.  The dogs that reportedly attacked the pup were on leashes which aren’t required in the dog park. 

Here is the picture Kari snapped after the incident.  Personally, I don’t know how she kept calm enough to get this and a picture of the man with his Pits.  I applaud her for doing exactly what she needed to do to save her puppy’s life.  Please take a moment to look at her picture and feel the emotions she must have felt at that moment.  Really think about how this could have turned out.  Don’t bash people for owning Bully Breeds – EDUCATE THEM!  Be the responsible dog owners I know each one of you are.  Hugs and sloppy puppy dog kisses from Colorado!

Click here if you would like to help Kari and Brewtus with their vet bills.

What can you do if you are find yourself in the same situation?

Small excerpt taken from wikihow on How to Handle a Dog Attack:

• If you are looking for a more humane solution and can manage it, straddling the back of the dog with your partial body weight and applying forward pressure to the back of the neck will immobilize it until help comes and it will be unable to reach around to bite you.
• If facing multiple dogs, going for eyes, nose and limbs will prove most effective versus tackling/crushing one dog at a time. In a pack, they will attack as a group and if they feel they are unable to pull it off, will quit as a group. HOWEVER, if the dogs are not actively lunging for you, DO NOT kick or strike at a dog with your hands or legs unless you have had training in how to do so quickly. The animal will more than likely catch on to your limbs. Throwing rocks and other debris can discourage a pack of dogs before an attack begins.
• If a dog has locked onto another animals’ neck, or human limb, pick it’s back legs up and hold it in the air. This prevents it from pulling, ripping and causing any more damage.
• Put a cloth over the dogs head. This can make them let go.
•  Spray the dog with a strong jet of water or air spray.
• If the dog is biting someone else, do not pull the victim away for the very same reason. Find a large stick and strike the dog across the back of the neck. You could also try to force a long object or your arm horizontally in the dog’s mouth. Push it in forcefully towards the throat to minimize damage to yourself.  If you have time, wrap your arm in a shirt or jacket first.
• Don’t hit a large dog on the head. Big dogs, especially mastiff-type breeds have very thick skulls and you will only make it angry.  The only place to hit a huge dog that will have an effect is across the back of the neck near the base of the skull or across the sensitive nose. This may not be useful against huge dogs, but will usually be effective on small or medium-sized breeds.
• Back away slowly and leave the area once the dog loses interest in you. Staying calm and stationary can be a real test of your nerves in this situation, but it’s the best thing to do as long as the dog isn’t actually biting you.