Kindly control your animal
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Cottage tales, Min Pin dogs | 20 comments
Many years ago, eight years at least, I was walking Dr Quito and his new wife, The Contessa. Suddenly a large dog jumped out from the shadows and sniffed them. He worried them but did not bite.
Dr Q had just recovered from a nasty ˜left for dead episode’ on Newmarket Heath. Just the mere sight of a big dog had him shrieking. The Contessa followed suit. So in one movement I swept the Min pins up from the ground and tried to shift the dog away.
The owner just kept his distance and observed.
As his dog leap to the height of my earlobes his owner still did nothing although his eyes were soon the size of organ stops. I finally lost my hair and to my surprise commanded, with a clipped and sonorous bray,
“Kindly control your animal.”
Within seconds the snapping jaws were tethered on a taut lead. As one, the Min Pins and I swished out of the park and into Jalopy, a younger polished car at the time.
Ever since then the words”Kindly control your animal”, have been a family joke when one or other of us is getting a bit uppity.
It’s generally me.
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Hi Charlie
Poor Mr B and poor you. That Airedale sounds like a real risk to anyone that passes by. Did you report the incident to the police? It could be a child that’s attacked next time.
Seeing your dog attacked or injured is simply the most awful experience, one I unfortunately had this week when I was out walking the delightful, chilled out greyhound that is our Mr B. We were on the pavement in a quiet road in the village, he was on the lead, quiet as a mouse, when an Airedale escaped from its garden and charged up to Mr B, pinned him down after biting him and then repeatedly attacking him.
The owner was there, but couldn’t get it off him, the blood was gushing and Mr B was screaming, crying and desperately trying to get away but of course couldn’t. I was screaming and trying to pull him away with the other owner being unsuccessful in pulling her dog off. In the end she had to kick her own dog and it still pulled loose and attacked him again.
Mr B is thankfully on the mend, he’s started playing with his teddies again and the wounds are healing, although he’s struggling getting up and lying down. I am terrified we’re going to come across this dog again, having a lead on it will not fill me with confidence that the owner has control of it, the lead or collar could snap easily.
So whilst Mr B seems quite content when we’re out, I look for escape routes and just hope the horrid dog isn’t around the next corner. Perhaps I need to see a ‘human whisperer’…
thanks for your replies, I have been taking Daisy to agility and the trainer has helped us both regain our confidence. My vet told me to use a harness when we first got Daisy, our trainer said he thought I should try a canny collar instead. He thought Daisy associated putting the harness on with going out and getting attacked, it has made a big difference and he has also helped me become ‘pack leader’ again and Daisy is getting better in just a week! Yes I do watch dog whisperer, he is amazing. I intend to keep up our training and build our confidence. She will soon realise not every dog is going to attack her and she doesn’t have to be defensive. It is nice to know we are not alone and I was glad I stumbled across this site. Thanks
Hello Lois
Have you ever watched The Dog Whisperer on Sky 1? Cesar Milan does amazing things with dogs which, when he does them, work incredibly quickly to resolve all sorts of issues with dogs. He totally understands how dogs think and never blames the dogs for their behaviour, rather he teaches the owners how to read the body language of the dogs so that they react and check the behaviour before the dog has gone into completely crazy mode. He is very gentle with the animals and alot of the work he does involves re-establishing who is the leader of the pack, which in a domestic situation should be the owner. If you don’t have Sky you could try to get hold of one of his books. I’m not a doggy person and only have my mum’s dog part-time when she goes away but I have used some of the techniques I have seen on the programmes and I feel much more confident when I take the dog out for a walk. I don’t go into panic mode when I see other dogs and Max is in a state of mind where he can sniff and say hello to other dogs, which he can never do with my mum. There is hope for Daisy but you have to believe it too.
Hello Lois
I was so sorry to hear about Diasy. Dog bites can hurt a lot.
The spray sounds like a good idea but if a dog has been hurt she/he might never forget the experience.
I’m sure that Daisy trusts you. She’s just protecting you both from being attacked.
Looking back, it may have been a good idea to take Dr Q to some dog training sessions. He might have overcome his fear.
I have found all of your posts a great comfort. I have been really down and worried about taking my Daisy out. She got attacked by a german shepherd about 2 weeks back. Before that I used to take her out, off the lead, if another dog came towards us, she would walk at my side, and leave it alone un-less we told her she could go play. Now she sees another dog and goes crazy, straight on the defensive, barking, growling and nipping. I have decided to get a spray so if dogs come near her showing aggression i can give them a squirt, and maybe one day again Daisy will have the trust back in me to listen when she is off the lead and ignore other dogs.
Hi Norfolk Cottages
It worked!
Hi Pamela
You are a master of intrigue (where was the convent? Were your family growing rice during the war??)
Great to hear that Max is a star with a football. perhaps there should be a dog football cup…
Hello Fiona
The nuns my mum was with ran the old ladies home where my gran finished her days when she could no longer manage on her own and she refused to move to England. They were not attacked when they went to see the orchids because the dogs were used to the nuns in their white habits. Some of the oldest nuns (at that time) had been my mum’s teachers at school and my family had kept the convent supplied with rice and fresh vegetables when food was scarce during the war.
Max is never off his lead when we take him out as he is very disobedient and wouldn’t come back when you called him. On the odd occasion that he escapes he growls when you try to round him up again! He is an ace footballer though and can even dribble a ball up and down steps!
This is surely a cute way to get attention .
Hi Pamela
Your story is intriguing. Who were these nuns? Why were they not attacked? Your poor mother – it must have been terrifying.
Great that Max sometimes has a bit of time off the lead. If our dogs go out they are always on the lead. Can’t take a chance now.
Hi Keth
I hate dog owners who let their dogs range off the lead if they can™t control them.
We are lucky as we have a very big garden and the MPs play a lot within the confines. However, I™d love them to run on a beach or in woodland and feel free.
I just can™t take the chance anymore so when they step out they are usually on leads. Sometimes we visit a large estate and if there are no sheep or chickens they can run and run and run.
I was disappointed when I discovered that the owner of the lurcher (that attacked Dr Q) was a vet. Even more disappointed when I saw him off the lead, worrying other dogs several weeks later when she knew the damage that her dog had done to Dr Q. Needless to say we avoid that Newmarket vet™s practice like the plague.
Hello Wendy
Dougal is so lucky that you chose him. Rescue dogs need that extra bit of TLC with knobs on. Loads of people don™t realise that what is good for their dog is disaster for many of the dogs that their dog ˜meets™.
I can imagine the letters that the mum with baby/pushchair and dog received. Babies in pushchairs are especially vulnerable as they are strapped in at the height of a medium sized dog™s teeth. But often this is ignored even by intelligent owners. Even the most well behaved dogs are dogs, they can suddenly turn. Dogs that have been disciplined in the wrong way can turn on something more vulnerable as soon as they spot it.
Hi Sarah
We™ve gone back and started again so many times that Dr Q has started not to get excited when he sees a lead. The citronella spray sounds like a good confidence builder. If I™m jumpy this transfers to the dogs. I must check this out. Thanks.
Hi Compostwoman
Thanks for the link!
Hi Amanda
When you get a puppy he will probably bond with it and have loads of fun but he will always be wary of strange dogs.
And that™s probably a good thing.
Most dogs like me. Most dogs probably think that I™m a dog. But a few don™t.
If you get a puppy take the pup and Small to a good dog training class. Small will then begin to feel more confident around a few big dogs and learn some essential tips for keeping everything calm.
Hello Kate(uk)
I can always rely on you for a giggle! Loved the ˜still breathing™ comment “ that ws me this morning when the Min Pins woke me at 5 with a tussle over who was going to sleep in the fold of the duvet.
Hi Casabla
This was ground into me from birth. Never keep a dog on who is suffering. Never let a dog reach a record age because you don™t have the guts to put it down.
Dr Q seems happy but I watch him carefully. Great Aunt Daisy Beatyl seems like a dead thing all day but chirps up when food is in the offing and does her tea dance. It™s hard to tell, especially if you are fond of them.
Hi Kethry
The woman sounds unbalanced and a bit dangerous.
You are not abusive in any way.
Hello Lynn
It™s really interesting to hear that an unleashed dog would be fined in the US. We always follow you so in time it will be the same in this country.
Thanks so much for dropping by.