Why is it when things are going so good that something always has to come along to help everything fall apart?
I've never believed that Toby couldn't bite or even that he wouldn't, but I've managed every situation so that he wouldn't ever feel like he had to. But today mom called and asked us to come pick her up at the bank so I put the dogs in the car and drove down. Toby wasn't feeling much of himself today so I figured the car ride would do him some good. It did. He was a happy dog the whole trip. When we got home we got paused by neighbors so they could ask questions about the dogs. Normally I would never stand out in my front yard with Toby because these neighbors are known for having their little dog get loose (and now their second little dog as well), but the door was shut and they assured me both dogs were locked in the house.
Alright, I let Toby linger out front with me. He was greeting all the neighborhood kids happily and mom entertained the neighbors (they were curious about Reba's breed and her sight, their new dog looks similar to her). I can barely remember what happened next. Their door must not have been locked and one of their kids must have opened it... next thing I hear is something jingling behind me and a flash of black and white as their little Shih Tzu darts over. Toby whips around but he's very good at keeping his head... normally. He's MUCH more tolerant of little dogs than he is of big ones.
But this one bit first. I remember having that split second startle as the dog did two snaps against Toby's nose and then it all blurred over in speed. I think he tried to pin the little dog first but the dog was fast, just jumping and nipping. It was over in less than a second. I had the leash reeled in and Toby hefted off the ground and Toby had the little dog by the back of it's next in his mouth. He let go just as fast as he picked it up and the owners were there to collect their dog... but I don't even know what to think.
Toby remembered himself fast and pulled himself right into a sit. He was whining slightly but nothing like he would if he were really over threshold... but I don't know. I talked to him a bit, asked him if he were okay and he settled back to normal. His breathing seemed fine. The other dog wasn't hurt according to her owners. Toby went in the house fine, none of his normal stressy behaviors after an outburst.
I shouldn't say it was his first bite... he's gotten loose once and after greeting one of his buddies turned and saw that his other buddy wasn't there and those two collided. But Comet had the same problem Toby had and neither of them stuck a bite. Their jaws were open and knocking against each other but neither of them were willing to put in the bet for the fight. Other little dogs that have snapped up Toby's face have just been pinned to the ground and held there until they cool it (unless I can intervene). (He's been raised around a bunch of little dogs, so most of those have always been someone getting a bit too bossy and Toby not tolerating it). I've never seen him actually bite, let alone hold that bite for more than even a split second.
Needless to say my adrenaline is up. I never saw that one coming. Toby acts fine but he'll be taking it easy around the house for a few days. I probably need it more than he does... because all I want to do is curl up and cry. I'm thankful neither dog got hurt and furious that these people can't contain their dogs. And at the same time I'm downright furious with myself because... I don't even know. I'm not even sure where to go next with our training, I just hope we've done enough that I'm not completely back below zero again. I don't think I can stand having to be reset all the way to the beginning again, let alone having be worse for another year before I undo what tonight did. Please just let it be a small speed bump... not a whole earth quake. I don't think I can take another one of those.
About Me
- Val
- I'm a 20 year old college student who loves everything to do with dogs, clicker training, writing, reading, photography and drawing. I love helping out with various dog rescues, my current focus with a Golden Retriever Rescue with my neighbors. My dogs are Toby, a Boxer/Lab mix and Reba, a Shih Tzu.
5 comments:
Just checking out your site. Sorry to hear about that. My bc Splash got attacked about 3 months ago, and suddenly became dog AND human reactive on walks, we struggle to avoid loose dogs every day. She is getting much better thank goodness! But there are successes and set backs. The key is focus on your successes. Have you read Scaredy Dog by Ali Brown? (www.dogwise.com) its pretty good for reactivity.
Also, if your dog wanted to puncture the other dog, he would have. That is something to be glad about, his self control.
Thank you. Poor Splash, it's just sad what damage can be done in a split second. I'm glad to hear that she's getting better.
And very true. I try very hard to focus on the success even though it doesn't always seem like it. And that's actually one I haven't checked out yet... I'll have to go see about getting my hands on that one. Since this began I've read about as many positive books on dog reactivity as I could get my hands on. So far we've had the most success with the techniques used in Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt, because Toby's seems to be a combination of fear but also an over-excitement level. It varies from situation to situation on which one is going to be his trigger. The frustration of not getting to play or the fact that the other dog is acting scary.
You know what, I didn't think about that. My mind was focused on where he bit that I forgot to remember that even in that situation he was still trying for some self-control. Thanks for reminding me to look back over the whole picture.
I wish you luck with Splash. ^_^
I'm so sorry to hear about the set-back. Give yourself a couple days to let it go, then begin again.
One of the many keys to the CU method, I think, is the zero visiting rule. Zero. Even if you think it's going to be OK, zip, zero, nada.
We try very hard to stick to that rule in training and away from home. We do sometimes (as you'll see on our blog) allow dog interaction at home because Lilly is MUCH better with other dogs, one at a time, on her own turf.
Anyway, we've had a LONG day, but I just wanted to say we're with you in spirit. Hang in there!
I was tired last night and being not-so-clear. I know that this little dog got loose and came flying in. My muddy point is that even if I think it's going to be OK, I try to treat every encounter the same. I a) try to avoid it by giving Lilly space, b) use my body to block as necessary, c) engage CU style training to put the situation in context for her.
And, P.S. if this dog nipped first, then holy cow ... no wonder Toby responded.
-nods- I didn't take him anywhere yesterday... we played in the backyard and did lots of mini sessions. Then today I took him out to the local track. We won't be walking around here anytime soon again... it's just hard because that's more time consuming and we have to plan it around when other people are using the various places.
As for the no-visiting rule, I agree. I don't allow interaction with other dogs. I do allow him to visit with kids, as long as he's calm and wants to do it. He likes a good majority of the kids we meet and it seemed wrong to take him out of saying hi when it looked safe.
And for the most part, I do the same thing in most situations. I try and give him the space while I deal with the stray and focus on keeping it in CU context (though we're just getting to some of the stuff). That one... it wasn't until after the confrontation that I was able to body block the dog from a round two (because she was willing to come back for more) and then try and fall into a normal routine. He recognized the situation after the actual attack... and it was one of the few times he actually willingly helped me keep the other dog from him.
At home, these days Toby doesn't visit with anyone that aren't his normal doggie friends. Most of what I referenced in the post are past encounters before I'd started realizing we actually had a problem here...
-hugs- Thank you. I do need to get a clearer picture for him in the emergency situations yet. And yeah, the little dog bit first. I wasn't 100% sure on that from my angle, but I was informed by everyone else who witnessed it that the dog landed two bites across Toby's face before he reacted. It makes a bit more sense to me, knowing my dog, but it was still a bit of a surprise.
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