- Joined
- Dec 3, 2017
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I am an observer of people and behaviors and often think about things that happen long after the fact. Part of my thinking is about trying to make sense of situations.
Today I saw a pit bull attack a small white dog (maybe a Bichon) and do some serious damage. Little dog had quite a long gash on it and was bleeding profusely. That kind of thing always gets adrenaline and anxiety going. I was far enough away, that I couldn't have reached them in time to make a difference, but the owner of the pit and the dog's caregiver who were there with his white furry dog and 6 dogs total could and did. The caregiver reached in and somehow got the white dog away from the pit. I couldn't see it from where I was. The dog was small enough that he could hold it in his arms. He rushed it to his vehicle and came right back to get his other dogs.
The pit's owner? She had a sturdy leash that she doubled up and just began swinging it wildly at the dogs, almost hysterically. In these situations, most dogs in the dog park run to see what is going on. I think her swinging leash was catching some of the dogs who were not in the attack. The swinging leash was doing nothing to change her dog's behavior. It really looked like someone swinging a switch hard at a child's behind and hitting any dog that came in her swing. Thankfully, the dogs with me were not up close.
The little dog's care giver got his dogs loaded in his vehicle and came back to give his information to the woman who waited outside the dog park with her dog, after she smacked it a few more times and told it that it was a bad dog. Caregiver is an older man, probably in his late fifties or sixties, lots of gray in his hair and beard. He is pretty good with his dogs, except for cleaning up after them. No one saw her give him her information, which might mean she will probably not take any responsibility for the expense of the injuries.
Later, someone shared that he thought the pit was in heat. Ugh! The woman must be really ignorant! After a German Shepherd went after my daughter's ridgeback two different times, I said, "We're leaving," and the GS owner said, "She is coming off her heat cycle." People are so dumb!
What I have thought about is that this woman's reaction is a part of her training, her life experience, and she reacted much like she has experienced many times in her life.
It told me about how important good training and practice are in many aspects of life. Training is often given by example. Emergency situations bring out reactions that are automatic in us, from our experiences and training. If someone lacks good training, they will not have a good or correct reaction. In many situations, it can mean life or death. In many situations, it is hard to know what to do, especially if you are not trained about what to do.
I wanted to say several not nice things to the pit's owner, but it is ineffective in the middle of an emotional situation like this. What would be better would be to tell her is: 1. get your dog spayed, 2. don't take a dog in heat to a busy dog park, 3. find a different way to stop your dog when it is attacking another one 4. don't have a pit if you do not know how to train and control it. All said in a diplomatic fashion, of course! Or maybe not!
Today I saw a pit bull attack a small white dog (maybe a Bichon) and do some serious damage. Little dog had quite a long gash on it and was bleeding profusely. That kind of thing always gets adrenaline and anxiety going. I was far enough away, that I couldn't have reached them in time to make a difference, but the owner of the pit and the dog's caregiver who were there with his white furry dog and 6 dogs total could and did. The caregiver reached in and somehow got the white dog away from the pit. I couldn't see it from where I was. The dog was small enough that he could hold it in his arms. He rushed it to his vehicle and came right back to get his other dogs.
The pit's owner? She had a sturdy leash that she doubled up and just began swinging it wildly at the dogs, almost hysterically. In these situations, most dogs in the dog park run to see what is going on. I think her swinging leash was catching some of the dogs who were not in the attack. The swinging leash was doing nothing to change her dog's behavior. It really looked like someone swinging a switch hard at a child's behind and hitting any dog that came in her swing. Thankfully, the dogs with me were not up close.
The little dog's care giver got his dogs loaded in his vehicle and came back to give his information to the woman who waited outside the dog park with her dog, after she smacked it a few more times and told it that it was a bad dog. Caregiver is an older man, probably in his late fifties or sixties, lots of gray in his hair and beard. He is pretty good with his dogs, except for cleaning up after them. No one saw her give him her information, which might mean she will probably not take any responsibility for the expense of the injuries.
Later, someone shared that he thought the pit was in heat. Ugh! The woman must be really ignorant! After a German Shepherd went after my daughter's ridgeback two different times, I said, "We're leaving," and the GS owner said, "She is coming off her heat cycle." People are so dumb!
What I have thought about is that this woman's reaction is a part of her training, her life experience, and she reacted much like she has experienced many times in her life.
It told me about how important good training and practice are in many aspects of life. Training is often given by example. Emergency situations bring out reactions that are automatic in us, from our experiences and training. If someone lacks good training, they will not have a good or correct reaction. In many situations, it can mean life or death. In many situations, it is hard to know what to do, especially if you are not trained about what to do.
I wanted to say several not nice things to the pit's owner, but it is ineffective in the middle of an emotional situation like this. What would be better would be to tell her is: 1. get your dog spayed, 2. don't take a dog in heat to a busy dog park, 3. find a different way to stop your dog when it is attacking another one 4. don't have a pit if you do not know how to train and control it. All said in a diplomatic fashion, of course! Or maybe not!
