This is M. She is our third baby. Actually, she is our FIRST as she turns seven this summer. She has been somewhat neglected since the arrival of "the kids", as she was in fact treated as our child for the first five years of her life. (She still is, but has fallen in the ranks a tad). Anyway, we adore our dog and try to give her a good life filled with walks, toys, belly rubs, and the occasional treat. She is a very friendly and sweet dog. She loves kids and attention. Her worst habit is jumping up on people when they come over b/c she is so excited. M is protective of us, (as all dogs are of their families). She does not like it when a man comes to the house and D is not here. She does not like it if a man is talking to me or the kids and D is not here, even if she knows the man. She gets especially upset if someone uses a loud, threatening voice towards us. She has never bitten anyone, she has never been aggressive. She does not do very well with dogs. She prefers people by far!
On Sunday, she was attacked by our neighbor's dog. Yep, the "friendly" neighbors next door - the one with the lovely music pouring out of their windows on occasion. The ones with the son who is home from college, but looks 40. I digress. Unfortunately, the man next door (in his sixties maybe?) brought his dog over to meet our dog on Sunday.
Did he knock at our door first? No
Has he personally met us or our dog before? No
Were we outside and waving him over? No
Did we even know he was out in our backyard? No
We were all inside. I was getting ready for a bridal shower, D was visiting with my father and the kids were playing.
The neighbor approached our dog (who was on a runner in our yard) with his dog. And his dog got loose. That dog attacked M and we all ran to the windows to find out what all the yelping was about. From D's view, he thought M was barking at the cat who was sitting in our yard (who often torments M). He didn't see the neighbor standing in our yard with his dog whom he had gotten under control.
I was looking out the bathroom window upstairs and watched in horror, as his dog broke loose AGAIN and again backed M up against the iron fence around our waterfall/pond area. Molly cried, yelped, and barked again. And D ran outside to find out what in the heck was going on. I too, ran outside and M had managed to slip her head out of her collar and came limping towards me with her head and tail down.
The man apologized and stated he was hoping the dogs could be friends. D informed him that they would never be friends now, as his dog attacked M and M would always remember that. Clearly, despite being an educated dog owner, with presumably years of experience having a dog. This man has NO IDEA about dogs.
Who approaches a dog they don't know without their owner present? Who approaches a dog they don't know, in the dog's yard, without the owner present, WITH ANOTHER DOG?
The good news is that M is okay. I took her to the vet last night as she was limping. They think it is soft tissue bruising, but gave us some "meat flavored" anti-inflammatory meds. If her limping continues or gets worse, we'll have to x-ray her and see if there is a fracture.
Now, as a dog owner (or parent, for that matter), when your dog misbehaves towards others, you feel badly. In a situation like this, wouldn't you go OUT OF YOUR WAY to make sure the other person's dog is okay? Ask about her when you see the dog's owner outside the following morning? Offer to pay for a vet bill if an injury develops? If it had been reversed, I'd have homemade friggin' dog biscuits at their doorstep the next day. No word from our neighbors.
Oh yeah, and the man did tell us that the cat that hangs out in our yard all the time, tormenting our dog is his cat. Of course. (I personally think it also pees near the windows of our basement and is responsible for the cat pee smell that becomes more apparent when it rains)
I guess the saying is true: "Good fences make good neighbors".
(Sorry about the spacing, for some reason Blogger isn't acknowledging the paragraph breaks despite my numerous attempts)
4 comments:
Poor Molly. And yes, that guy is a big fat jerko.
I would have paid your vet bills.
Our previous dog was part pit bull, and though we never believed the stigma attached to the breed, she prived us wrong by continually going after other dogs and being fearfully aggressive towards kids and strangers. So we just stopped taking her out and she seems pretty good with us and in her own environment. One day, however, she snapped at my baby's face. I called the vet, and since he knew her and her behavior, we decided to put her down as she was a danger to our family and heaven forbid she ever got out - other people's kids and animals. And I couldn't have that on my conscience. So, even though it was one of the emotionally hard things I've ever done, I held my dog and cried while the vet put her down. I know it was for the best and the safety of everyone, but it still broke my heart.
You don't mess with dangerous dogs. I believe they are sick in their head, just like people get sick.
UGH, that would make me so angry... I know our neighbors were not thrilled when our fence went up (in both neighborhoods...) but I was not about to chase my dogs or have them chased. I grew up in well fenced in CA homes (no one wants to really talk to one another so they build 50 foot fences of course!) so for me a fence is a must have to stop people from entering my yard easily.
I could not imagine taking my dogs out to meet the neighboring dogs esp. when I cannot constrain my dogs (Lucy mostly and she hates other dogs... she barks and growls and flips out when we are walking her...) UGH.
As for the cat, is there something you could buy that is not harmful to you or the cat that would keep it from peeing on your windows & out of the yard. Like a spray or SPIKES?!
Oh no! Poor puppy!
It always amazes me how clueless some people are about dogs. I would never dream of taking my dog into someone's yard to introduce them to another dog!
Ugh...and the cat that torments Molly and pees in your yard. That would drive me batty!
I am so pissed off right now at your neighbor. I am sure he meant no harm, but come on!!! What an idiot.
I, too, had to put a dog down for aggressive behavior. He was a 12 year old dachshund whom I adored. He was my baby, but he bit two people, and I couldn't have him bite a child. It was the worst feeling to make the decision to end his life. I also held him while he died. I have never cried so hard.
As for the cat...ANTIFREEZE!
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