How far would you go to protect your dog..

[Kanga]

If your dog was being threatened or even attacked by another dog just how far would you go to protect your Malt.

This is Scrappy's story HERE (http://amaltesedogwhoblogs.blogspot.com/2006/09/3-dogs-chased-me.html)

I am sure you all have experiences you could share.


I guess I am asking could you attack the other dog either causing it harm or even killing it if you feared for the life of your dog?

[MaxJack'sMom]

What a brave daddy Scrappy has.
My first Maltese was attacked by a dog that came charging out of an apartment building. Max had a collar on and by pure instinct I whipped his leash way up in the air and caught him and I tried to kick the living sh** out of the dog. The owner comes out and says "oh, he won't hurt you, he just likes to jump and be friendly"!!!!!! I gave her a piece of my mind but Max would never go for another walk. He would refuse. I also think I might have injured his throat, so that is why we now use a harness on Jack.
I would fight for my dog's life like I would fight for my children's lives. Jack is a member of our family and I'd use whatever is available to fend the attacker off, be it screaming, kicking, even biting that animal if I had too. As much as I love animals ( I cry at the Disney movie Bambie), I think I could kill an animal if I really thought it would harm or kill my Jack. I pray to God that it never happens!

Cheryl:smlove2:Jack:smlove2:

[bek74]

Bren how very scary for Scrappy and your Husband :tongue6: .

I will do WHATEVER I had to do to save my baby. I am an animal lover, I brake if a bird lands on the road for goodness sake:tongue3: , But yes I am with Cheryl, I would punch, kick, belt, bite, anything I had to do, to save my babies.

I have heard that if a dog is attacking your baby, to pick it up by its hind legs ( wheel barrow postion) and start walking backwards in a circular motion, the dog will release your baby and you call for assistance.

[I Found Nemo]

:( I am so sorry Bren, thank God Scrappy is okay..
My first instinct would be to go for the dogs throat, if he was really attacking and not letting go. I already once in my lifetime almost killed a dog.
When my son was 2 years old, we were at the park and a Doberman Pincher started to bite on his clothing and knocked him down onto the ground:mad: I totally freaked.I kicked him so hard I broke his ribs, it was pure adrenalin~ I had absolutely no fear ...:(
I actually scared the SH&$ out of myself:D ..
All I thought about was my son and I knew I had to get him off..
The owner was going to sue me, until one of my husbands best freinds (Who is a cop) told him that if he did most likely his dog would be put down, he let it go..
I have never been to a park since:(

ANDREA~

[Jadey]

i do anything!

[dogloverx4]

I would GOUGE out the eyes of any dog that touched my precious pups . I would rather I was bitten than them . Sarah

[lilybellesmom]

I would put my babies safety above my own.

Bren, so glad that Scrappy is okay, and Cheryl, I'm so sorry about Max, but that would have been my first instinct too! That's why I put LB in a harness. Andrea, I would have done the same thing. I can't believe the owner had the gall to even think about suing you! That will never win in court!

[maltesemum]

Poor wee scrappy:( so glad he had his daddy to protect him!

Bren, i would like to think i would do anything to protect them but i cant imagine what would happen unless i was in that position:(

[Kanga]

Poor wee scrappy:( so glad he had his daddy to protect him!

Bren, i would like to think i would do anything to protect them but i cant imagine what would happen unless i was in that position:(

Exactly Elaine. My hubby could do nothing. He had Scrappy on his head and a large dog with his paws on hubby's shoulders with a couple of....... he thinks Jack Russell Terriers pulling at his trouser legs. he just stood still till the woman eventually managed to call her dogs off.

I too think I would have just frozen in that situation for fear of upsetting the dogs any further.

I just don't think in a sudden attack like that. That you have time to react.... well, hubby didn't lol as Scrappy scampered up his body.

I carry a water pistol with me now and just pray that I will have time to use it before Scrappy is attacked.

What infuriates me is that while you do the right thing by keeping your dog on a lead in clearly marked "dogs must be on lead" parks other's do not, and they are usually the one's with the out of control dogs.

[mrfinke]

Hmm, well I'd like to say I would step in and protect my dog, and I probably would if he was little enough, like Riley. I'd just hold him and run away. But we also have 3 labs who I can't pick up so it'd be harder to stop a fight.
My sister's face was bitten by a dog when she was around 4 so my mom is pretty alarmed whenever a strange dog comes around and always told us to never get in between a fight with dogs, since more than likely they'll bite you whether they mean to or not. However if it was my kid than yeah I definitely would try everything to stop it.
But if it were 2 grown dogs, I would try to get scare the other dog off or something. One time my sister and I were walking our 1 year-old male labs, Kato and Apollo, down the road. Apparently these people did not have a leash or even a collar on their dog and he came charging out at us. I thought they were going to get into a fight, it looked like he wanted to. He seemed more interested in Apollo, who is the smaller one. Since we had them both on a leash we just turned around and started walking back but the dog would keep following us so the owner had to come and drag him by the fur back to the house. I'll admit it was a scary incident. Luckily it didn't turn out to bad as it could have.

[Kanga]

Whoa Mrfinke that was so strong of you to be so calm.

I hope your sister was ok and not badly scared from the bite?

I have been scared of dogs since a neighbor was bitten on her face by a collie dog at the house she was being babysat at. She was only 4 too, and she has a nasty scar as Toby bit right thru her cheek. She was touching his food bowl as he ate. :mad:

One of the first things I did when I got Scrappy was to make sure he was used to anyone touching his food bowl while he is eating.

[mrfinke]

Yeah, I tried to remain calm on the outside though on the inside I was praying that a fight wouldn't start. We walked back quickly, but I didn't want to run back bc I thought that might make things worse.
Anyhow, my sister's incident sounds a lot like your neighbors. It was on her cheek, luckily it missed her eye. She has a scar but it has been about 12 years now, so it has healed pretty well.
The dog was a german sheperd and was put down afterward, although the owners didn't want to.
But about a year later, my mom and dad talked it over and decided to get a dog bc we didn't want her growing up being afraid of them. So we got a black lab, Midnight. So now she isn't afraid of dogs at all. We are just wary of strange dogs that don't look friendly.
Within this last year my dad was bitten by a dog as well. He went to a store to get our lawn mower fixed and it was on a chain but it came up and bite him on the shoulder. He talked to the owners who apologized but refused to put it down or leave it inside the house. Later on, we found out that it jumped on my dad's friend's wife and bite her too. She sued him I think because she was going to have to get surgery. I think after that the owner had to put it down but I'm not sure.
I just find it terrible that people don't take better care of their dogs, especially if they know they aren't good with people or other animals. :mad: It's good that you trained Scrappy though. Dogs are sometimes too protective of their food/bones/toys.

[mackenzie*]

Aww so glad to hear Scrappy is ok!!! & his daddy !!!!
And I think I would do anything to protect my baby from another dog. We were just out for a walk one day, and one was down another road growling at us, and I picked up a big rock & picked up Kallie, just incase !!! I would not take any chances, or think twice if my baby was in harm!!!

[Dixie's Mama]

Well first off...I am a massive dog lover...all kinds, I have never abused a dog, or thought of it. But if a dog...any dog, tried to hurt my kids or my dogs, it would not live to see another day. I would die for my children, and would risk alot for my dogs...they are my babies too. Lets just say...we have a small gun collection in the house. Get my drift...:tongue5:

[k2p1e]

Okay here is my DIRTY little secret...
I am a dog groomer, dog lover and i am active in the 'doggy community'....when Kenzie (sorry she isn't a Maltese..but yorkie) had her spay surgery, I kept her indoors for about a week. On the first day out we walked across the street to the post office and came back and quick as a blink, on our very own porch she was attacked by our neighbors lab (nasty growly dog...).
I KICKED THE DOG!!! I never thought, I don't even remeber doing it completely but I was terrified. My neighbor saw the whol thing and screamed at me, I was screaming (and 8 months preg), there was blood everywhere. There were plenty of witnesses, and I called the cops, they drove me to the vet, darling little Kenzie who never even whimpered was ripped open on her incision site...was stitched again. The nieghbors dog was put down...apprantly he had a nasty habit of running loose and attacking other people's dogs. We moved 3 months later. The nieghbors didn't really like us either....my dirty little secret...I never hurt a dog before and Idon't think I ever would again but a 100lbs lab vs. a 3 lbs yorkie??? Who just had surgery??
The worst part...if I had to relive that moment I would do it again...

[k2p1e]

Okay here is my DIRTY little secret...
I am a dog groomer, dog lover and i am active in the 'doggy community'....when Kenzie (sorry she isn't a Maltese..but yorkie) had her spay surgery, I kept her indoors for about a week. On the first day out we walked across the street to the post office and came back and quick as a blink, on our very own porch she was attacked by our neighbors lab (nasty growly dog...).
I KICKED THE DOG!!! I never thought, I don't even remeber doing it completely but I was terrified. My neighbor saw the whol thing and screamed at me, I was screaming (and 8 months preg), there was blood everywhere. There were plenty of witnesses, and I called the cops, they drove me to the vet, darling little Kenzie who never even whimpered was ripped open on her incision site...was stitched again. The nieghbors dog was put down...apprantly he had a nasty habit of running loose and attacking other people's dogs. We moved 3 months later. The nieghbors didn't really like us either....my dirty little secret...I never hurt a dog before and Idon't think I ever would again but a 100lbs lab vs. a 3 lbs yorkie??? Who just had surgery??
The worst part...if I had to relive that moment I would do it again...

[Kanga]

Goes to show that we never really know what we are capable off till tested and our protective instincts kick in.