When Dogs Attack

Subsequent to that first incident, we were told by every dog expert we approached (and we approached several) and dog loving friends alike that the startle reaction we'd seen in her was completely normal, and it was entirely within the realm of regular and expected dog behaviour.

The actual existence of the creature known as a "dog behavior expert" is open to question. Most of those who identify themselves as such are well-meaning, delusional incompetents who never saw a problem they couldn't solve with owner behavior modification. Many of the worst offenders are veterinarians who confuse their medical training with knowledge about dogs. Mechanics and race car drivers aren't automatically interchangeable. The expert advice continues;

That a small child in an unfamiliar environment was probably seen as another dog infringing on her territory. That the old adage "let sleeping dogs lie" was true and we were naive to think otherwise or expect the breed to be "above" such things.

A dog who cannot tell the difference between a child and a dog is probably dead. That doesn't mean they won't attempt to communicate with a child in "dog sign language", and then discipline them in accordance with their place in pack hierarchy - with devastating consequences.

Nor does a child's size indicate to a dog that they are harmless and trustworthy. We encourage our dogs to discriminate, to consider some humans as threats, to protect the home and family. It's their job to be on guard against suspicious humans, and children are bizarre, erratic, bleating humans with flailing limbs - that stare. Children can scare the living crap out of an otherwise reasonable dog.

As time passed the few incidents began to seem like isolated circumstances that wouldn't recur.

This is the part where every owner who has been complicit in their dog attack injuries reveals themselves to be unthinking idiots. Infrequency of aggression is what permits these animals to remain in homes long enough to complete the final attack. If the aggression were frequent, the dog would have be gone before it had the chance to follow through.

Now, review the previous lesson on "dog experts" before we continue into the other refuge of the unqualified - the "obedience trainer".

We also joined an obedience class and Pony was the star of the show, partly because she would do anything for treats. Since official obedience training involves a food-as-motivation, Pony was a very quick study and came along in her discipline exceedingly well, and was a favourite of the training instructor.

This is not obedience training. It's crossover from the leftist school of thought that introduced the world to "child self-esteem" and "positive motivation" and made spanking a punishable crime. Food training is happy happy joy joy... sit for the wiener ... so long as the dog isn't intent on killing the miniature dachshund across the room, taking off their owners arm or anorexic.

Typically, the owners of problem dogs receive less and less assistance until they give up in frustration. If a dog has serious temperament problems, food incentives may produce focus and response to given commands, but it's just new paint on bad wood. They flake under stress. This dog flaked in the face of her husband.

This afternoon I talked to the mother of the woman here who originally put us in touch with Pony's breeder, the mother herself a breeder of golden retrievers. She suggested that Pony was reacting to my pregnancy, and that she was displaying a protective testy response.

For every "dog expert", and every 10 "obedience trainers", there are a hundred "dog breeders". Generally, the only thing the consultee knows about them is the phone number they were given. For every genuinely knowledgeable breeder in existence. there are about 100 "backyarders" making money off pet store derived purebreds for quick sale. Guess who you bought your dog from?

Sure, me being pregnant might have been a factor. Like I said, we saw that she was having moments of weird edginess in the last while during which we didn't bug her to participate or heel,

Owner behavior modification, as noted earlier....

but in general she was a better, more obedient, happier dog since we settled in at home and started the new disciplines and routines following Christmas. The pregnancy was only one factor and it alone couldn't have caused our dog to attack and take a chunk out of Turner, of all people. Turner: her favourite person in the world, the person for whom she'd dance around and moan and wail when he'd come through the door after being out a few hours, the person for whom she'd come and sit and stay, the only person with whom she'd seriously tug-of- war,

Time to review what I said about dog owners misreading their dog's actions. Tug of war is a contest in which dominant dogs declare themselves the superior.

the person whose leg was the humping instrument of preference

Another obvious display of dominance.

the person who fed her dinner every day and walked her every day and sang to her every day.

Her servant.

She'd snapped at me once, a month ago, but she savagely attacked and maimed Turner. It was not an accident. It was not a startle- reflex. She was not defending me, the pregnant person - I wasn't even home. It's heartbreaking, but our dog was not right, and today she went way, way too far.

No, she wasn't. Neither are the people who rationalize so many warning signs in the delusion that the way to a happy, sane dog is as simple as "showing them love".

A situation evolved in which the subordinate was expected by the dog to show proper deference, according to his lower rung on the family pack ladder, with just penalties for insubordination.

Serious acts of insubordination include leaning over the dog's shoulder area for a "hug" or taking away a toy. In her lengthy explanation, the writer reveals he knew to "discipline" the dog when she misbehaved. An subordinate does not attempt to discipline a superior in the pack without expectation of a fight. Add to this confusion of canine misinformation a dog with possible hearing impairment, poor bite inhibition and matters were not likely to end well.

So, what to do if you're a confused dog owner with an emerging problem, who doesn't know who to turn to? Find a professional show dog handler of at least 10 years experience with a variety of breeds, including large guarding breeds. Unlike veterinarians, obedience trainers and garden variety pet breeders, professional handlers routinely take on strange, adult dogs for training, conditioning, grooming, travel and exhibition from a diverse range of owners. They've seen it all. They're pretty good at evaluating behavior and letting you know if the dog is unstable, or if it's truly reacting to stress according to the normal expectations for that breed. They may also know who to consult about breed specific temperament, vision or hearing problems.

Unlike the garden variety "trainer", they don't send you and your poochie home after an hour of "walkies" chirped in their ears. They live and travel with dogs, have no time for nonsense, and train them to perform in stressful, unpredictable environments - large crowds, intact males, bitches in heat in the same ring, strange judges with funny hats who open their mouths to examine pigmentation and count teeth.

Pro handlers are not that hard to find, if you contact a local kennel club for referral. Perhaps you can arrange and pay for the dog to spend a couple of weeks for evaluation. Then, for God's sake, listen to what they have to say.