so...my dog got in a fight today...with a Chihuahua...>_&

moonrabitt · Post by **moonrabitt** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 10:03 pm

So I have a shar-pei (pics on my RB gallery under pics, or something like that)

(((((WARNING: I Can't write spanish for $!!$%!$!!! )
So the story goes, today I was minding my own business, when I accidentally told my dog "VAMOS" (Let's go) instead of "quieres ir a fuera" (do you want to go outside?)
Like K9 dog units that are taught German words, I teach my dog spanish words....go figure

The thing is that "Vamos" is codeword for "I'm going to take you on a walk"
and "Quieres ir a fuera" is codeword for, do you want to go to the backyard and run.....
And of course, since the Shar-pei is such a smart dog, she understood and began jumping up like crazy, so I said....DAMN....Now I have to walk her, or else she will be angry at me, or crazy like crazy...
-----Anywho...moving along....-----------
So I put on her special Harness....(No collars, since with her wrinkles she can escape easily) and we go off on a walk....
So in the distance we see some lady with two dogs (Chihuahuas), so I keep walking her, than one of them runs up to her barking,the owner just calls her (and does not even bother to pick her dog up that has no leash) My dog "Sandy" does not seem to give a damn, and just looks at the dog...
The dog than pounces on her and starts to attack her....
YOU may be thinking, a small "rat-like animal" vs a 40lb dog?
Who would win? At first the Chihuahua, the fight (if you even call that) took like 20 secs, My dog then just grabbed the Chihuahua by the Neck, and shock it like a toy, I quickly yanked my dog, she let the chihuahua go, and he ran back to his house whimpering really badly...
I asked the lady if her dog was okay, she said yeah, and ran back inside, leaving her other dog outside, it too without a leash....
At home I then saw why my dog had defended herself, the dog cut her nose...
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Which does beg the question....
*WHO in their freaking right mind, does not stop their dog from attacking another dog? Mind you, her dog was next to her when it began to run towards me, she could have stopped him.....My dog also looks dangerous, the breed is a "Fighting Dog", and heck even had a leather harness,which makes her look bad-@s...
*Meanwhile the owner just stood there, letting her dog attack mine, and
*I hope that the dog is okay, but I'm angry that the owner did not keep her dogs on a leash, because I hope that she does not call the police or something and claims that my dog attacked hers, or sue, since my dog was attacked first, and they I'm scared of dog-profiling....
I guess next time I should just kick the other dog myself, or run like heck, but then risk letting that dog bite me....
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Pics:
(with fake tigers)
http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/imag ... 222dc5.jpg
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With glasses:
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/imag ... eb241e.jpg

killer.jellyfish · Post by **killer.jellyfish** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 10:18 pm

awww, your dog is so cute!!! love the pictures.

and i know what you mean...my little shih-tzu loves to pick fights with bigger dogs...and each and every time i'm scared for her life and do whatever it takes to get her outta there asappp!

moonrabitt · Post by **moonrabitt** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 12:10 am

Yeah, thanks ^_^,
She posed for like 2 minutes to take those XD
(It was for Halloween, as a card dealer)

I just didn't think that it would attack, since if the dog had come sense, it would know that it would surely loose

But my dog has tried to pick a fight with a bigger dog, and with the economy the way it is, I'd rather run ^^;

Shih-tsu? Aww....They don't get along with kids do they???? They like being the center of attention

killer.jellyfish · Post by **killer.jellyfish** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 12:26 am

haha. mine loves kids...especially when they give her attention!

it's weird, everytime she sees a kid she just HAS to go to them.

now that i think of it...i think my dog is just a tad bit special.

hahahaha.

graymouser · Post by **graymouser** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:30 am

Here in California it would be considered the other owner's fault. You must be in control of your dog(s) at all times. This means they must be kept in an area they cannot get out of (inside the house or secure yard) or on a leash. Technically, she would be responsible for any veterinary bills you incur. In this case, who attacked first and the relative sizes of the dogs do not matter. The woman had no physical control over her dogs.

This leash law here is very strict. If an unleashed dog had run into the street and been hit by a car, the dog owner would have no right to ask for payment. In fact, the car owner could demand payment from the dog owner for any damages or injuries caused by the accident.

If all the dogs involved in a fight/attack are off leash. it gets much more complicated. This includes off leash dog parks and beaches.

As for the chihuahuas going after a dog much larger than themselves? I am not at all surprised. A lot of them have what many in the veterinary field call "little man's (or dog's) syndrome" and start fights that their opponents finish. I suspect that many of them are so used to being pampered and protected by their owners, that they severely misjudge their relative rank in the dog world (where size matters) and get into serious trouble as a result. I'm not blaming the owners, mind you, its just a that people and dogs communicate/interact differently and this can cause problems.

Picking up and shaking is the most common attack that cats and little dogs receive from large dogs. That owner needs to watch her dog for signs of spinal damage, brain swelling and internal bleeding. These shaken pets may not have any external puncture wounds so it is easy to underestimate how hurt they really are. It is very hard to tell in the first few minutes after the attack since adrenaline will allow a seriously injured animal to run surprisingly far before they collapse.

Anyways, I really do need to stress that it would not be considered your fault. She is the one that had no control over her dog's actions. If they had been properly restrained it would not have happened in the first place. We can feel really bad for her and hope her Chihuahua really is OK, but she would have no business blaming you.

graymouser · Post by **graymouser** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:42 am

I should add something in the other owners defense. She probably just froze when the dog fight started. Sometimes people are so shocked that it is over before they really get a chance to react. I would not read the fact that she did not pull her dog away immediately as a sign that she did not care.

moonrabitt · Post by **moonrabitt** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:54 am

Ya..., I know about the leash law, and my dog once escaped her leash (since at the time I underestimated her wrinkles...At that time she almost ran into traffic, but I got her in time, from that I learned to get her a Leather Harness, that she can in no way escape....

I know that people may think that their pets will isten and won't "run away", but no dog can be trusted....

The law about the "car hitting a dog" sounds horrible, but I guess understandable since the owner should control their pets....

I also was just in shock, Who in the world would expect that little dog to attack mine for no apparent reason...My dog was not barking, she was just looking at him....It felt horrible to see that little dog shaken like a twig, so horrible...But at the same time, you are just left with a "What is going on???" face.....
(Specially with the dog being about a house away and he freaking ran up to us...)

I do hope that the dog is okay (and thanks for the words that make me feel a bit better) but while she ran after her chihuahua, she left the other one there....So I think that she was just shocked like me, but It's weird that she just left the other one there, a house away from me....

p.s=Maybe I see too much court tv, with being worried of her trying to sue me >_<...But since I did nothing wrong, I won't be worried....

MDKiller1 · Post by **MDKiller1** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 9:47 am

Sorry I saw this and had to giggle alittle bit. Not at the fact that your dog got attacked but how stupid Chihuahua are.

Let me tell you a story..lol

Ok so I have a chihuahua and so does my mother in-law. Well we just moved into a new house about a month ago. It has a 6 foot wood fence and everything around it. Both people that live next door have dogs. However one of them has 2 big dogs. One is a Rott and the other is a shepherd.

Keep in mind my mother in-laws dog is full grown an is 4lbs. Well all day while we were moving stuff to our new house. Her dog was running up and down the fence barking at this Rott and shepherd. She was annoying them pretty badly because they started to bark back at her (and these dogs are really good and nice dogs). Well we got everything unloaded and I was heading to the bathroom before we left again to pick up more stuff from our other house. I stop on my way there because I hear alot of whimpering and tons of growling. Im thinking "Oh shit something is wrong with Buddy" (Buddy is my chihuahua) I take off running outside to were the noise is I see my dog on my side of the fence and I stand there for about 3 seconds before I realized my mother in-laws stupid chihauhua dug a hole and climbed under the fence to get to the Rott and Shepherd.

At that point I scream for my husband because theres no way in hell im going over there to save that dog. I dont want to get myself bit. However I am standing on our fence looking over at them attacking my mother in-laws dog. Im calling at the Rott and Shepherd. The Rott came over to me and sat down next to the fence. My husband ran over to the house next door and they werent home so he had to get in there back yard to save the Chihuahua.

We ended up having to rush her to the vet because she got a small hole in her lung from a bite mark. We spent a total of 550.00 dollars at the vet and the whole time im thinking. "Man you are one stupid dog. What in the hell were you thinking going over into those big dogs yard and starting a fight with them"

So after all that mess I can picture a chihuahua going after your dog. An just like the Rott and Shepherd. They were really nice dogs but they had to defend themselves just like your dog had to. I dont know why Chihuahua's think they are 150 pound dogs.

I also live in California and I do agree with Graymouser leash laws here are very strict.

I really hope your dog is alright. An you shouldnt feel bad for your dog attacking the Chihuahua back. She had to defend herself.

jcaliff · Post by **jcaliff** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 10:41 am

When I was younger we used to have a big problem with our male Yorkie burrowing under the fence. My dad eventually planted railroad ties all the way around the edge of the yard at the base of the fence to keep him from digging his way to freedom. And he also had the same problem - never realized he was only a 7 pound dog and thought he could take on the big boys. Fortunately none of his excursions ever ended in trips to the vets office.

zerospace · Post by **zerospace** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:02 am

I think the point that is illustrated here is that some people are totally irresponsible dog owners, and they make the rest of us look bad to the non-dog-owning public. I have quite a few of these in my neighborhood as well

. I've even been LECTURED by one of them, while out walking my dog (mind you, she was a puppy being leash-trained at that point). Needless to say, said neighbor has later been seen with her dogs roaming the neighborhood ignoring her calls and her husband's

, while my dog is well on her way to being a model citizen

.

I don't think chihuahuas are necessarily stupid, but they ARE very high energy dogs and require a lot of exercise. They, like any other dog, also need discipline as well as all the other luxuries we like to lavish on our dogs. Without any training or discipline, the dog thinks he/she is in charge and can and will do whatever he/she pleases. If we as dog owners allow this to happen, WE are the problem, not the dog(s).

It sounds to me, moonrabitt, that you are the responsible one, and the lady you ran into is yet another example of a bad dog owner. I swear.. there should be an IQ test when getting a dog... you must be smarter than your dog in order to own one!!

Penguinton · Post by **Penguinton** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:05 pm

Ugh...Well I don't like dogs and dogs don't like me. I can't tell you how many times dogs who either escape the grasp of their owners or just aren't on a lease run at me.

And I have been bitten before but its always been a small dog. So I just have the impression that small dog owners don't watch and train their dogs as well as other owners. Or just smaller dogs are harder to train. I dunno I never had a dog. But I do believe the other owner was in the wrong just for not having the dog on a leash.

moonrabitt · Post by **moonrabitt** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:48 am

Thanks for your words guys ^_^,
I have not seen the dog (hope it's okay)

Today I walked my dog again, and in the distance saw another Chihuahua owner (not the same dog or owner) and again without a leash...
There are a few chihuahuas around here, and only one owner seems to have common sense, and keeps hers on leashes, the others just don't...it's sad...
-----------
WOW MD, that dog was insane 0_o At least the dog was saved from the other two....
It's good that nothing bad happened to your dog JC.
Yeah Zero, I think that they are sooo pampered that they just become overconfident...and end up hurt >_<,
I too was lectured by the lady that lived in front of our house, since my dog escaped once, but she took her dog out without a leash....-_-
I think that all dogs can be taught Penguinton, it's just that maybe some owners baby their dogs too much....And like spoiled children, they can be raised horribly....Don't worry, not all dogs are bad

Killua · Post by **Killua** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:24 am

In my experience, when you have misbehaving small dogs, it's because their owners tend to treat them more like cats than the dogs they really are. Dogs really do need strict discipline, no matter the size! Cats are generally not stupid enough to pick fights with creatures nine times their mass.

EternityOfPain · Post by **EternityOfPain** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:23 pm

One Day I was walking my great dane, and this chick is walking this chiwawa, so to be kind, I go to the opposite side of the street and start walking, she follows.. When she gets close enough to hear my voice, I frankly tell her, "My great dane, WILL eat your dog. Run. Now."

and she quickly went to the opposite side of the street

R E S P E C T !

duotrouble · Post by **duotrouble** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:36 pm

First of all, it's always a good idea to give your dog special "codewords" so other people can't use the standards on your dog. Not that anyone would be asking your dog if he wants to go for a walk but you get my drift.

Nothing weird or unusual that you chose Spanish commands.

Second, your dog is adorable.

Third, I'll admit at this point I've only read your first comment. I'll go back later to read the rest so sorry if I'm repeating.

From my experiences, Chihuahuas are mean little dogs if owners don't train them right. I can't blame them. They're so tiny. They have to defend themselves. The Chihuahua probably thought it had to defend its territory. The one that attacked must be the alpha dog over the other one. However, it's appalling that the owner of them didn't even seem to care from your description. It is the owner's fault if a dog attack happens. I don't know about your area but where I live there are leash laws too. You can't be in your own unfenced yard without having your dog on a leash.

I hope both dogs (yours and hers) are doing well.