Attacked at the dog park!!!

[g8erjackie]

I'll try not to pour out too much of my frustration, but I feel like everyone here is just as protective of their bully babies as I am of mine. We recently moved and live half a block from what could be (and sometimes is) an absolutely fantastic dog park! I'm talking fenced in with double gates so no one can bolt, astroturf in the middle, benches and trees for shade, water hoses, free poop bags!!! Sounds great, right? Most of the people who bring their dogs are responsible owners and only bring friendly, well-adjusted dogs. I realize dogs can play rough sometimes or have disagreements, but people bring flat out aggressive dogs -- dogs that bite and injure other dogs with little to no warning. There have been arguments at the park that I've seen where owners have requested other owners remove their aggressive dog from the situation because of current behavior or injuring another dog in the past and the requests weren't honored. I just don't understand it.

While Ruckus gets along with every person and every dog he meets, I still monitor him closely at the park, just to be safe. He was running around with the other dogs having a grand time. Then he turns to say hi to a golden retriever mix - you know, a little butt sniffing, maybe a look of hey want to play!? -- and BAM in less than a second the dog snapped and bit Ruckus on the head leaving bloody gashes. I ran over and popped the dog in the head so he would let go of Ruckus and I grabbed Ruckus -- the dog snarls, growls and lunges back. Finally, the attacking dog's owner pulls it away, still snarling and growling. Then he had the audacity to look at my bleeding bulldog and say, "well it happens at dog parks." I told him it wasn't ok, half an inch the other direction and my dog's eye would have been gone. I asked if his dog had ever bitten before and I got a vague and muddled answer, then he tried to yell some legal mumbo jumbo at me (which was totally incorrect and I told him that -- I'm an attorney, I should know) and then said "good luck if you try to call animal control." Well, I did call and report it, but I won't go into it.

I digress....so a trip to the emergency vet (had to happen on a Sunday....), shaved head patch, and an antibiotic later, I might be more shaken up than Ruckus. Moral of the story, if you take your bully to dog parks, be vigilant of aggressive dogs and irresponsible owners.

 

[Pati Robins]

This is why i dont use one - here in cardiff uk they just open indoor one but i like to be in the control with who my girls interact and we go to a public parks instead
I hope Ruckus is ok xxxx

 

[Pati Robins]

Forgot to add xSadly there are many dog owners that will spoil an otherwise good experience ;-(

 

[Marine91]

i am glad it wasn't more serious. This is the exact reason we stopped going to dog parks as there are a few owners out of the bunch that go that are idiots and don't care. Even our vet doesn't like them as they see multiple dogs a week that come in with injuries and need to be stitched up every week.

 

[2BullyMama]

OMG... Exact reason I do not go to them. Too many people really are not dog savvy and think it is OK, to not pay attention when there, and some of the dogs are not trained or socialized well enough to even be in that environment.

so hope you boy heals up quick.

 

[KMARINO]

I have went twice, both times it was another dog that attacked Vegas while the owner was sitting in a group chatting. Last time we went a big lab was biting his neck fat and pulling it. I got the dog away a few times then we packed up and left, never been back in 4 yrs now. I blame the owner's not the dogs. Never would I just sit and chat, I watched Vegas like a hawk the whole time. I hope Ruckus heals quickly and it's a shame this happened.

 

[Vikinggirl]

Aww poor Ruckus, I hope he's okay, and you too. We stopped going to the leash free parks for the same reasons, we had two episodes where we encountered aggressive dogs, we've had Blossoms sweater torn off her and ripped, and we always get dogs that want to hump my dogs, and especially Blossom, and the owners either don't do anything about it, or think its funny. The other reasons I don't go to the parks anymore is that I see so many piles of dog poop that people don't pick up after their dogs, and there's no excuse for it, because the city provides poop bags, and receptacles to place them in. My dogs get poor on them and come home smelly, and that got me thinking that they could pick up diseases and parasites, or worms, and even fleas, because not everybody keeps their dogs vaccinations up to date. I now take my guys to nature trails down by the river, and since we go early in the morning or in the evening, there aren't very many people and I can let them go for a run. It's unfortunate that not everybody is responsible for their dogs, and are jerks. We had one leash free park where a dog was killed, my neighbour had warned me about it, so we never went to that one. Another good place to take your dogs at this time of the year is to school yards, because school is out for the summer and is usually empty.

 

[Manydogs]

I have raised and sold many different kinds of animals. It didn't take long for me to learn that HUMAN'S are idiots.

 

[Julzz9170]

After I got my second bulldog I stopped going to the enclosed dog parks because I felt I couldn't watch the 2 of them as closely as I would like...a bunch of unleashed big dogs made me nervous and there were a few minor altercations..I like to take my boye to different nature trails with a friend that also has a bulldog and there is a large field near my house that we walk daily that I am able to tke them off the leash because there usually isn't anyone else there

 

[ddnene]

I'm so sorry that this happened to your baby… I do NOT like dog parks for the same reasons everyone has listed. People are MORONS and want to sit & chat… while their dogs are mauling other dogs. It's ridiculous… and I agree it seems like the MOST aggressive dogs are always at the dog parks. I avoid them period...

 

[My Otis]

This is one reason I do not take Elmo or my other dogs to a park because of some of the stupid idiot owners that let their aggressive dogs run wild. T Pray Your Precious Ruckus is going to be ok. LOL to Ruckus.

 

[My Otis]

Lynn, you have hit the nail on the head, humans are idiots.

 

[Bazza]

Poor Ruckus , so sad that people can absolutely wreck what should be a great experience for a doggie's and owners. I gave up on them along time ago too, its a shame, but I cannot trust a heap of unleashed dogs, I am quite small and not very good at breaking up fights. We go to a park to socialise Bazza all dogs are on leads, and either you and other owners have a chance to ask if they want to say "hello". Alot safer had no problems. Make me angry people refuse to accept that their dog is aggressive and should not be at dog parks or just plain don't care.

 

[Mia Amor]

I agree with pati I am so sorry scared to take my babies to a dog park just for this reason of people not taking care of their dogs. I do the public park so they still enjoy but I know I am in charge.

Sent from S4 (Mia & Chubbs)

 

[dolphin]

Im so sorry, happy to hear Ruckus is ok. We don't go to off leash parks specifically because of this.