# Terror on the beach... Newbie must read



## Divaskychick (May 18, 2011)

Holy crap, four hours later I still feel shaky from what happened to Soleil today. I'm sharing because while I was told horror stories about dog parks / big dogs against small dogs, I somehow thought those were extreme stories that hardly ever happen and certainly not to me...

So today we took Soleil for the first time to our local dog park on the beach. I've been staring longingly at it for years, to be honest. My old mutt was part fish and would have loved it.

My husband, four year old daughter and I laid out a blanket and watched as Soleil ran around like a maniac. Everyone was delighted with how cute she was, everyone wanted to know her breed and all the dogs were lovely to her. 

After 45 minutes or so I found that some really large dogs were playing a little too near us so we moved down the beach but the dogs followed. Soleil tried to play with them and suddenly was screaming in fear as a large black lab tackled her to the ground. The scream set the other dogs in motion and all at once six massive dogs, none under 75 lbs, were trying to get her out from under the lab. With their teeth.

The chaos that ensued was terrifying. My husband kicked the crap out of several of the dogs while I ripped legs out from under them, trying to drag them off her. Stephane managed to scoop up Soleil like a fumbled football and we ran off the beach with my child who god knows what could have happened to while this all occurred. I'm literally sick thinking about it.

Soleil was lucky. She's bruised and has a few small cuts. It wasn't until the very last moment that the dogs started to mean her harm; it was all fun and games at first (altho not for her!) 

Dog parks are not safe places for our babies. Too much chaos, too hard to supervise, too much unknown. I really want Soleil to have the opportunity to run off leash and play with other dogs but that was NOT they way forward. 

Hope our misadventure helps someone make a better decision than we did.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Wow Mandy, so sorry for your experience. I agree, it's always dangerous when you have strange dogs around a small dog. Where were the owners.? You're lucky these dogs didn't do more damage . This could have been MUCH worse. Thanks for sharing . This was bordering on predatory drift possibly. Watch her reactions to dogs next time you're out with her. If she shows any sign of fear, be very careful not to make it worse.


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## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

I am so sorry this happened. What an awful experience for your entire family. I am so glad that Soleil and none of you were hurt. 

Did the owners of the dogs every show up???


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

I am sick just reading your story....how horrible for you and your poor baby!! 
I'm glad everybody is ok and I would imagine it is going to take a while to calm down from all this!!


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

That was so scary! I'm sorry you had to go through such a traumatic event. How did your daughter take it? I hope it doesn't leave lasting marks on either of them.

We don't have dog parks anywhere near where I live - guess I should be glad!


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## Pipersmom (Jul 27, 2009)

That's terrifying Mandy, so sorry you had to go through that. It sounds like you all kept your heads and dealt with things the best way you could. I'm glad your husband and daugther were there to help get Soleil out of there. 

This is one of my biggest fears, I even worry just walking Piper as I am usually alone. Does anyone have tips on the best way to handle this? Piper was jumped by a dog that had gotten away from it's owner, the dog had it's teeth in her and I screamed and pulled on the leash until I got her free. Not the best way to handle it, but I panicked.

I hope Soleil is ok, give her hugs from us!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Pipersmom said:


> That's terrifying Mandy, so sorry you had to go through that. It sounds like you all kept your heads and dealt with things the best way you could. I'm glad your husband and daugther were there to help get Soleil out of there.
> 
> This is one of my biggest fears, I even worry just walking Piper as I am usually alone. Does anyone have tips on the best way to handle this? Piper was jumped by a dog that had gotten away from it's owner, the dog had it's teeth in her and I screamed and pulled on the leash until I got her free. Not the best way to handle it, but I panicked.
> 
> I hope Soleil is ok, give her hugs from us!


 I've read numerous articles on this and a lot of the ideas are a bit absurd. Basically all you want to do once your dog is attacked is get your dog off the ground --lucky we have small dogs. If you are able to do this , cover your dogs face and as much of the body with your arms. Turn your back to the dog or dogs but don't run, unless you know you can make it to safety quickly. You can yell off or leave ,it's been known to actually work. Quite often they will give up . Biggest thing is not falling to the ground. If you do , get into fetal position and try to protect your face and dog at the same time. Sounds difficult but practice it at home once. Sometimes you have to do whatever ,it takes . An expert told us on the other forum if you have to kick the other dog , kick him behind the back of the ribcage nearer the groin area. The only problem being that if he gets a grip on your pant leg, he can pull you down. This is scary stuff indeed. Short of walking around with a bat or handgun , it comes down to prevention and watching out. Easier said than done. Be prepared for re-directed agression by the attacking dog or dogs. They can start off attacking your dog and suddenly turn on you.


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## FancyNancy (Oct 7, 2009)

oh lord - my worst nightmare. Poor you! Poor Soleil! I'm so glad everyone is Ok and YAY for the heroic and quick actions of you and your husband. One time a kid in my neighborhood, who has a large but young German Shepherd, came out on the road with his dog to say hello to me while I was walking Henry. He really didnt have good control of the dog and when the Shepherd began lunging at Henry's neck I said very calmly but menacingly "Get control of your dog. if he tries to grab Henry I will kill him with my bare hands.". Very Charles Bronson. I dont know HOW I would kill him of course - kick him with my killer flip flop? Anyway, it made me realize that I dont really have a way to protect my dog and it worries me. But I suppose that KNOWING that, and being vigilant and careful will help. So will wearing combat boots (jk)!


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## Jplatthy (Jan 16, 2011)

Oh my gosh that is scary....I am so glad they did not go after your daughter and no one was seriously injured........big dogs are scary....we have a small gate around our patio at the apt (we put it up) and I can let the dogs out w/out needing to put them on leashes which works great with 3 of them and esp when Misty was smaller and needing to go out at 2 and 4 am....anyways one day this mother and her daughter were walking dogs out in the yard pretty far from my apt...but I was concerned because the mother had the little poodle and the small child had the huge dog (about the size of a lab) and before I could even react that dog had jerked the leash out of the child's hand and was lunging at the gate trying to get my dogs...it happened that fast!.........they stood their ground except for Misty who ran and hid in her crate....I grabbed the broom and swatted that dog ....the woman kept apologizing and all I could say was you are so lucky your dog did NOT hurt one of mine and why in the world would you let the CHILD hold the large dog??? She ignored me and just walked away......grrrrrrr


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

I hear ya Nancy, they're out there, aren't they.


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## dodrop82 (May 21, 2010)

Super scary, and a fear I share! When I go to visit one of my son's, (he lives in an apartment in the heart of town, so he has NO yard) I have to take the girls for walks around the block to potty them. One day, as I drove into town, I saw a loose pit bull (no person in sight!) about a block away from my Son's apartment. Now I'm on high alert when I walk the girls...obviously I could encounter anything at anytime! And can you imagine trying to keep TWO pups safe in such a situation, when I'm all alone with them! Jeez, people! Leash your dogs...It's the law around here! I should have called and reported the dog, but I only now thought of that now...


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Oh my gosh! I am so glad you are all going to be okay!
I have never taken Tillie to a dog park, but she has been "attacked" too many times by bigger dogs, on our walks. It starts out as a nice sniff and greet and then the big dog has Tillie pinned to the GROUND!? what the heck!!? Poor thing, she has noe developed a fear of big dogs that I can't seem to get rid of! But, I don't blame her, she is 9 lbs!!
She barks and each and every big dog she sees. It sucks.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Get an air gun. If you or your dog (or both) are ever attacked by other dogs, you can use the air gun. It makes a loud noise which will startle them and give you enough time to react to the situation.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Wasp spray comes in handy too


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

Our small town built two dog parks with a path in between the fences. One of the fenced-in area is for small dogs only. The other is for all sizes. I feel much more comfortable in the smashing dog park. If only the grass would fill in more. Every time we go Buster needs a bath afterward.


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

Divaskychick said:


> Holy crap, four hours later I still feel shaky from what happened to Soleil today. I'm sharing because while I was told horror stories about dog parks / big dogs against small dogs, I somehow thought those were extreme stories that hardly ever happen and certainly not to me...
> 
> So today we took Soleil for the first time to our local dog park on the beach. I've been staring longingly at it for years, to be honest. My old mutt was part fish and would have loved it.
> 
> ...


I am so glad everyone is OK!!! :grouphug:
What I want to know is where were all the [email protected]#%& other dogs owners! They should have been there to help you!!!!!!!


irnfit said:


> Get an air gun. If you or your dog (or both) are ever attacked by other dogs, you can use the air gun. It makes a loud noise which will startle them and give you enough time to react to the situation.


I know when Comet and I were attacked one day I wish I had one but.....
My main concern was getting Comet away from the @#$%^ other dogs. I couldn't handle an air gun too. I think my scream helped a bit to startle the other dog


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## ShirleyH (Sep 13, 2009)

*Terrible*

This incident would scare the **** out of anyone. Happy it turned out as well as it did.

Yesterday we took Keeper on our town's River Days--lots of people, some dogs. He is bad about barking at other dogs who otherwise would probably not be at all interested in him. Perhaps Dave knows something of the psychology of why he does this. He usually loves other dogs, but if he's on leash and doesn't know the other dogs, he barks at them. If he knows the dog, he just wants to play. If he sees other dogs out the front window, even if he knows them well, he barks, leading us to believe he's just saying 'let me get out to them'.

SO, this kind of interaction we don't want and which might lead to a problem,
is a mystery. Anyone else have this behavior with their Havs? Some of the dogs we met yesterday ignored him and others would have taken him on if they had been off leash.

Keeper's Mom


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

I am so sorry you all went through this. Thank you for the reminder that these places aren't the best for our havs. The planned playdates are probably the best.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Yikes, that sounds utterly terrifying! I'm glad you all are all okay! Your husband also could've been hurt trying to save her, I know my DH would've done the same thing. I don't understand why people would let their dogs roam on down to bother you and not at least go with them to maintain some type of order and supervision over them,since you had a small dog and small child, it just seems so irresponsible to me.

Kara


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

So sorry to hear this happened, Mandy, and REALLY glad everyone is OK.

I know how terrifying it has been when a neighbor dog has grabbed Kodi... Twice, once when Kodi was being walked on leash, and the other time when the dog came into OUR YARD, and grabbed him on the porch steps. Both times i was able to grab Kodi and get him off the ground while kicking the dog off, and fortunately, though this dog is dog-aggressive, he is NOT people aggressive. But as abd as that was, it doesn't approach the terror of a PAVK of strange dogs attacking your little girl!

We don't do dog parks either. Between the chance of spreading disease (even if it's just kennel cough) and the chance of aggression, we'd much rather choose who Kodi plays with. You might want to check and see if there is a small dog meet-up group in your area. We have one near us that happens to meet at our vet's boarding facility. We may try that one out when we get the chance!


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

So glad this ended as well as it did! About a mile from our house is a mile-long walking path along a drainage slough. I used to really like taking Augie there for walks. If we saw a dog without human off in the distance, we would do an about turn and not continue. It just seemed like it was happening more and more often. I think it would be extremely difficult to have to protect two pups.

I think the small dog meet-up group idea sounds like a good one.


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## DonnaC (Jul 31, 2011)

Our local dog park has separate areas fenced for small and large breed dogs. We walk the puppies through the large breed area on their leashes (well, we often carry them) and then take them off leash in the small-breed area. We've never had so much as a growl in the small breed area.

We have heard some growling among the large dogs, some of which are the size of horses (and quite gorgeous)!


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

You know I can't understand the Dog Park thing. I play with my dog here at home or she plays with herself and of course tortures Josie Wales and the chickens. My neighbor has a labradoodle (can't hardly even say that) that Rosie hates. She always runs to the window and barks and growls every time the giant dog is taken out to potty. I just let her cause I think it is funny. I really don't want other peoples' dogs around Rosie. she survived a really bad case of kennel cough from the groomers and that is enough for me. If and when I am able to go walking around town again, I will carry my cane and dare any dog to come near. The thing is you have to watch all the time about other dogs just as if you were watching a baby or toddler around another dog.


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## SnickersDad (Apr 9, 2010)

I too am glad to hear everything turned out ok. I also wanted to relate my short story about Snoopy. We have several dog parks here in town, and I like to take them to one in particular because they have a little pack that gets together and plays - the pack is more of a hit or miss than a regular thing. We would meet in the "Big" dog park. One day a very aggressive doberman was brought in and the owner was constantly vigilant making sure the Doberman played well away from the rest of the dogs. Snoopy for some reason caught his attention and before I knew it the Doberman and Snoops were have a very loud argument -- with the Doberman displaying much more aggression than Snoopy had ever seen before, but the Snoops wasn't about to back down. He scared the [email protected] outta me, all the Doberman would have had to do is give him one quick bite and snoops would have been his lunch. Finally the Dobermans owner was able to get him under control, but by then we decided that the "small" dog park would just be safer all the way around. We no longer visit the "Big" dog park.


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

This is a reply to Shirley:

I bought a stroller partly for the purpose of going to street fairs and other large gatherings where it would be difficult or impossible for my two dogs to walk on leash. 

They are safe in the stroller, particularly because they tend to watch what is going on outside their mesh screening without barking and drawing attention to themselves.

Another benefit for me is that I can now take them inside stores and restaurants with a small blanket over the top so the stroller becomes more like that of an infant. My boy has SA so the stroller has been a boon.


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## Tessa's Mommy (May 20, 2011)

What a terrifying thing to happen to your family. I'm glad that everyone is or, at least, will be all right. I think this every small dog owners' fear.

I took Cooper when he was younger to an off leash park for smaller dogs. There were two small dogs there, about his size, but they wouldn't leave him alone. Kept sniffing, jumping on him, etc. He hated it and I haven't taken him back. Now that we have Tessa, he gets to play with another dog, but I sometimes wonder if I should be socializing them both a little more.

It's really a hard call. You want them to be safe, but you want to socialize them some.


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

When man first took dogs into their caves, I don't imagine that they worried to much about socializing them. I have never had a dog that I felt was not socialized (meaning it would not turn on another dog or child). My Rosie is our pet and I don't think that she misses other dogs. I think that Cesar would say that she is balanced--except for the barking at the giant dog next door. When other dogs have been here they played well together. In all fairness, the giant dog next door came over last year and scared Rosie to death, so she is just showing him that she is not afraid by barking through the window. lol. Really I do think that we worry to much about socializing our pups.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

ShirleyH said:


> This incident would scare the **** out of anyone. Happy it turned out as well as it did.
> 
> Yesterday we took Keeper on our town's River Days--lots of people, some dogs. He is bad about barking at other dogs who otherwise would probably not be at all interested in him. Perhaps Dave knows something of the psychology of why he does this. He usually loves other dogs, but if he's on leash and doesn't know the other dogs, he barks at them. If he knows the dog, he just wants to play. If he sees other dogs out the front window, even if he knows them well, he barks, leading us to believe he's just saying 'let me get out to them'.
> 
> ...


Shirley ,when he's on leash, he probably is doing what's called alarm barking . It's generally lower in tone and sometimes starts with a growl and usually in bursts of short barks. It is meant to convey a warning not to approach. It's usually longer in duration. The barking at the window is usually alert barking. He's letting you and any other dogs know somethings going on out there.And it lets the other dog know it's been spotted. It tends to be higher pitched.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Shirley, we have this SAME problem with Tillie and it drives me NUTS!! We have tried everything to trainer has recommended to no avail. Tillie barks at every.single.dog. she sees.  We get her out and around other dogs on a regular basis and she hasn't always done this, it seems to definitly be getting worse. Occasionally she will greet another SMALL dog without barking, BUT if the other dog barks, GAME ON and Tillie will NOT shut up for the rest of the walk when there is another dog around!! grrrrrr....


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

As far as dog/dog socialization goes. If you want to take your dog out in public where it is nearly impossible not to meet other dogs, it is very important to continue socializing. That doesn't mean necessarily dog parks. And it doesn't mean greeting every dog out there. But if your dog doesn't meet other dogs he will possibly and more than likely become asocial. If he barks at every dog , he will not enjoy his walks, and neither will you. And the danger of that is that the dog doesn't get walked. And the problem escalates. Then boredom can be a problem at home and a host of other problems can develope. Socialization is very important , critical when young and very important for the rest of their lives.


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## Divaskychick (May 18, 2011)

Thanks everyone, thanks so much for your words and sharing your stories. We are all okay, with the exception being Soleil has picked up some sort of cough, like she's choking or something. I thought maybe she had sand in her throat or something but it hasn't gone away so we're seeing the vet tomorrow. Will report back tomorrow.

We have been on walks in the neighborhood and run into some big dogs. I'd say my normally happy go lucky pup is a tad more cautious but only for a minute. If the other dog doesn't show interest or is friendly (all we've run into), she reverts back to her uber friendly herself. I'm relieved she's not scarred even if my husband and I are. Our daughter is completely unfazed. Love the resilience of the young!


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## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

TilliesMom said:


> Shirley, we have this SAME problem with Tillie and it drives me NUTS!! We have tried everything to trainer has recommended to no avail. Tillie barks at every.single.dog. she sees.  We get her out and around other dogs on a regular basis and she hasn't always done this, it seems to definitly be getting worse. Occasionally she will greet another SMALL dog without barking, BUT if the other dog barks, GAME ON and Tillie will NOT shut up for the rest of the walk when there is another dog around!! grrrrrr....


Lizzie doesn't bark at dogs when we walk the neighborhood-even those who bark at her. We sit on our front porch a lot and that is when she barks at dogs being walked by. They don't know it, but she is wagging her tail and it is her friendly bark.

I am glad that Soleil is doing well. Now, I don't know what Soleil's cough is like, but I now go to a Homeopathic vet and she told me that Lizzie's cough after drinking water or exertion is a classic side effect of her Rabie's shot.


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## ShirleyH (Sep 13, 2009)

*Thanks*

Dave, thanks for the always good advice. I'm confused that Keeper absolutely loves any dog he knows. It's hard to app;roach a large dog for socialization when Keeper sounds as if he's going to try and eat them. His bark is aggressive I think. He may bark when he sees dogs he plays with in the distance and the message seems to be 'get me to them'.

Basically, this is a dog who loves all living things but the 'alarm' bark sounds right. He may be signalling the 'don't approach' on a walk, especially a crowded area. Is that a protective ploy for us or for him?

Shirley


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

Divaskychick said:


> Thanks everyone, thanks so much for your words and sharing your stories. We are all okay, with the exception being Soleil has picked up some sort of cough, like she's choking or something. I thought maybe she had sand in her throat or something but it hasn't gone away so we're seeing the vet tomorrow. Will report back tomorrow.
> 
> We have been on walks in the neighborhood and run into some big dogs. I'd say my normally happy go lucky pup is a tad more cautious but only for a minute. If the other dog doesn't show interest or is friendly (all we've run into), she reverts back to her uber friendly herself. I'm relieved she's not scarred even if my husband and I are. Our daughter is completely unfazed. Love the resilience of the young!


Let us know what the vet says about the cough...


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Divaskychick said:


> Thanks everyone, thanks so much for your words and sharing your stories. We are all okay, with the exception being Soleil has picked up some sort of cough, like she's choking or something. I thought maybe she had sand in her throat or something but it hasn't gone away so we're seeing the vet tomorrow. Will report back tomorrow.
> 
> We have been on walks in the neighborhood and run into some big dogs. I'd say my normally happy go lucky pup is a tad more cautious but only for a minute. If the other dog doesn't show interest or is friendly (all we've run into), she reverts back to her uber friendly herself. I'm relieved she's not scarred even if my husband and I are. Our daughter is completely unfazed. Love the resilience of the young!


 Mandy ,you're quite lucky that Soliel seems alright. Some pups recover OK ,others can be traumatized seriously .And some never recover. Glad your daughter is OK.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

ShirleyH said:


> Dave, thanks for the always good advice. I'm confused that Keeper absolutely loves any dog he knows. It's hard to app;roach a large dog for socialization when Keeper sounds as if he's going to try and eat them. His bark is aggressive I think. He may bark when he sees dogs he plays with in the distance and the message seems to be 'get me to them'.
> 
> Basically, this is a dog who loves all living things but the 'alarm' bark sounds right. He may be signalling the 'don't approach' on a walk, especially a crowded area. Is that a protective ploy for us or for him?
> 
> Shirley


 My guess would be himself. But possibly for you too , if he shows a tendency to resource guarding. . You being the resource LOL The "lets play" bark is usually a drawn out barr ufff sound. And quite often done with a play bow.


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## ShirleyH (Sep 13, 2009)

*Goofy Guy*

Sometimes, Dave, I think he's just plain ticked that he can't get to the dogs he knows that he's seeing out the window or from down the street.

Those 'strange' dogs he barks at on the street may be any size--doesn't matter; chihuahua or huge shepherd.

In one case, we always know which dog is on the street because of the decibels involved when he's window watching. This is a gorgeous Afghan hound he thinks is just awful. We tried to get him to 'meet' this dog and he's not interested--of course neither is the Afghan. They tend to be quite aloof.

I'll need to play closer attention to the kind of bark but, off hand, it all sounds the same. Isn't it funny that he has this reaction to strange dogs when he's the most socialized guy you can find around humans--never met a human he wasn't crazy about.

Shirley


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