A dog attacked Boo!

Can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s true – a dog attacked Boo the other day!

It was sheer terror for a couple of minutes – and that was just from my point of view!

Boo was very frightened too.

However, I am happy to say that, despite a frightening experience, the outcome has been far from disastrous. Thank goodness.

As usual, Boo was trotting along, close to my legs, having a little sniff here and there, bothering no-one

Then, walking towards us, came an owner and her rather large dog, a Dogue de Bordeaux.

Now, it is true to say that we probably were not in the best spot when the dog saw us. Maybe not from his perspective.  That’s because we were walking right past his front garden gate.

So, there may have been a boundary/security issue in the dog’s mind. 

The dog attacked Boo.

However, as I remember, the dog barked, snarled and then, pulled itself free from its lead and went for Boo.

With a fair amount of aggression, the dog grabbed Boo around the scruff of the neck. I was frightened and worried that I might get injured myself if I tried to intervene.

Boo whined, whimpered, cried and yelped while the owner tried to pull her dog away.

After no more than a couple of minutes (although it felt much longer), the owner managed to grab her dog and pull it away. Thank goodness she was young and strong.

Anyway, is fair to say that the owner was extremely upset by what had happened. Throughout the attack, she had done everything within her power to get her dog away from Boo.

After the attack, Boo limped a bit on one paw and winced when I touched the ‘scruff of his neck’.  I rubbed his paw and, thankfully, there was no blood.

So sorry.

Meanwhile, the owner took her dog inside the house and came back to see how Boo was. 

Then, she apologised repeatedly for the attack assuring me that her dog had never reacted in such a way before. Although very large, her dog was quite young and, according to her, a real ‘softie’. 

To her credit, the woman offered to pay any vets bills as a result of the attack and to repair any damage to Boo’s winter coat. 

Then we parted on good terms.

Genuinely, I believed the owner’s explanation that her dog’s behaviour had taken her completely by surprise.

Why? Some years ago, as a primary school teacher, there was a young boy in my class who was quite shy. His dad would collect him from school with their pet, a Dogue de Bordeaux.

In addition, that same little boy surprised us all, in class, with a fantastic presentation about his dog. He was confident, clearly spoken and totally professional during his speech. Clearly, his love for his dog outweighed his usual nervousness.

At the school gate, the boy’s father and I occasionally had a quick chat about dogs. He would tell me how their dog was the gentlest, most easy-going four-legged friend a boy could have. And, from the small amount of experience I had with their dog, it was easy to believe.

The aftermath.

Following the attack, I continued to walk Boo down the same street. That’s so he would know that it wasn’t always a dangerous place to be and that he wouldn’t think of it as the place where “a dog attacked Boo”.

Surely, after a couple of days, he settled down again and walked past the scene without issue.

To be sure that Boo was not physically damaged by the attack, we took him to our vet for a check-up. Thankfully, the vet said there were no signs of any serious injury or damage, not physically anyway.

Now, Boo appears to be suffering from no ill effects as a result of the attack. Sometimes, however, he is a little more wary when a big breed approaches him for a quick hello and a sniff.

I like to go the experts when I need some advice. In response to my story about how the dog attacked Boo, the R.S.P.C.A (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) told me :

“In general, dogs who use aggression are doing so because they feel threatened and so are experiencing a negative emotional state or, very simply, are unhappy in particular situations. 

“Aggressive behaviour can also be indicative of an underlying health issue so it is important for owners to seek veterinary advice especially if this is a new or very unusual behaviour.

“We also urge all dog owners to be responsible and ensure their pets have basic training – such as good recall when walking off-lead – as well as positive socialisation experiences

.“If you are at all concerned about your dog’s behaviour around other dogs then we’d advise you to contact a clinical animal behaviourist for support.”

What happened after the dog attacked Boo?

Some days ago, I saw the Bordeaux’s owner near her home. Immediately, she asked how Boo was.

Then she told me a story that really pleased me, despite the fact that her dog attacked Boo.

Truly devastated by the attack, she took her dog to see a canine behaviour specialist.  She learned that she needed to handle the dog differently, if she wanted to ensure something similar would never happen again.

Rather interestingly, she said that one of best things the behaviour specialist give her, was a short lead which could keep the dog remarkably close to her side.  A short lead means that the owner has the control – not the dog.

She added that by using a short lead, the dog ‘s behaviour would improve. He would know that she was in charge and would, eventually, adopt that style of walking by choice. As a result, he would then feel much more comfortable.

She said that learning how to use a lead properly had ‘changed her life’.

In addition, the dog had also‘completely’ changed, and the whole family’s daily lives were much better as a result.

There was no pulling on the lead, no erratic, excitable behaviour and walks were so much more pleasant – even though the dog was still young and full of energy.

Of course, I am so pleased about that. And, I suppose the old saying, “keep him on a short leash” has a good deal of wisdom behind it!

Find out more about the wonderful “Historically Speaking” at https://idiomation.wordpress.com/2013/02/13/on-a-short-leash/