Help! My dog snapped at a guy on the street!

[skyblu]

Is this terrible? Are they gonna want to put him to sleep? Blue isn't neutered yet (we just got him he's 1, and I have an appt. for the neutering but they didn't have any openings until August).

We were walking on a busy street (we usually don't but I had to run an errand) and there were many people coming and going. This guy was trotting towards me (coincidentally, he wasn't going to attack me), and Blue didn't see him until the last minute, when the guy was about 5 feet from me. He snapped at him and nicked him in the thigh. The skin wasn't broken, the guy developed a very small bruise (about the size of a shelled peanut), but the guy FREAKED OUT. Understandably, I guess, but it made Blure more scared and he kept barking.

I hastily gave the guy my number and told him I'd fax him his vaccination papers. What else should I have done? I wanted to remove Blue from the situation fast, and the gathering crowd wasn't helping calm him down.

I'm so upset! Does this mean he's an aggressive dog? Was this a fluke? Is one snapping enough for Animal Control to want to kill him? Will neutering help?

Please help, I can't stop crying! I don't want him to hurt anyone, but I lvoe my dog and know he's a sweet puppy that just got protective.

[BethIrish]

Take a deep breath. You recently adopted Blue, IIRC. Contact his previous owner and find out if he's ever done that before. Next, call your vet and see if they can get you in ANY earlier. Lastly, it would probably be a good idea for all of you if you took Blue to some obedience training.

My dog snapped at someone (the thread is around here somewhere...) too. She is an adorable, sweet dog and she was startled by someone coming towards me. Thankfully, I knew the person. I think you reacted the right way...you protected your dog and others by removing him from the situation as quickly as possible.

You did the right thing.

[keska]

You can also buy a muzzle. Personally, I don't care for them, but if you're worried the dog could bite (and it's not a hot day), then it will prevent that. We have to muzzle our husky when she goes to the vet. She never growls or snaps at anybody else, but she doesn't like the vet.

[mjfish]

You just got him, and while you love him already, I don't think you really have a bond developed yet. Here's my take:

It sounds like the guy startled him at the last minute. Blue has to make a split second decision on how to react to this person running towards him, almost on top of him. Since you don't have that bond developed yet, he's not secure with the knowledge that you will protect him (yes, that's your job), so he felt it necessary to protect himself. Understandable reaction in the dog's world, not so understandable in the human's world. Does this mean he's an aggressive dog? Possibly, but probably not. He may be slightly weak-nerved, which many people see as aggression. It just may have been the right combination of circumstances, he was overwhelmed and just reacted.

I think you reacted quite appropriately by giving the guy your information and removing Blue from the situtation as quickly as you could. Definitely go to obedience training -- this will help tremendously in bonding, as well as give both of you confidence in crowded social situations. Instead of reacting the way he did, with training and bonding, he will be able to react differently the next time a similar situation arises. I would not muzzle him as that is not a permanent resolution, just a temporary "fix". Neutering will help a little, but that's not going to be the sole, "magic" solution.

Do a search on the net for Weimereiner (sp?) discussion boards and join, read, and learn. The more you know about the breed in general, the better off you are. In the meantime, I would avoid those kind of situations if you can.

Only if the guy is a super jerk will he report this, and since it didn't really break skin, I don't think that there will be much they can do anyway. Not really a case where they would consider that the dog be PTS, I wouldn't think. If the guy goes to the doctor, the doctor is obligated to report it, just so you know.

Do you have his information as well? If so, I would consider calling him to ask how he is doing and maybe get a feel for what he is thinking about doing. My guess is that he will be more careful as he's jogging to watch out in crowds! :p (I'm not trying to make light of the situation, but I bet that his behaviour gets modified as well.) HTH!

[katmg]

Hi - I'm a Weimie owner too. I'm so sorry you had to go through this. What a scary situation. I agree with the others - I think you did the right thing.

Here's my take, doesn't necessarily apply exactly to this situation but talks about the breed a bit. Our weim is very smart. He likes to test boundaries and limits and is definitely a "dominant" personality. He also has a very strong instinct to protect and has let us know on several occassions that he doesn't trust someone. Our dog definitely needed training and has to have that training reinforced often. He's not a 'bad' dog though. On this Weimaraner rescue (http://www.weimrescue.org/quiz/index.html) page they have a great quiz about owning a Weim. Kinda talks about what high-energy dogs they are.

There is a wonderful book that I've recommended several times to people called "Leader of the Pack." It is all about dominant and aggressive dogs and pack mentality. I would definitely recommend checking it out. (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0061010197/qid=1121459645/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-0136742-1708646?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) I learned that dogs really want you to be the leader. It is much more stressful for them when they feel that they have to be in charge.

As for the training, try to go to a class that demands your participation. Sending the dog off for training isn't going to give him trust in you, it will give him trust in the person training him.

[skyblu]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I calmed down very much since then, and did a lot of research. We went to the vet and talked to him. He's not really "our" vet, and I didn't like him much because he was unhelpful and un concerned. However, I felt that talking to a pro was a good idea right away. And his being unconcerned was reassuring! :)

We spent the rest of the day in a quiet lake area *on the leash and Halti harness*, and away from people and other dogs. A couple of times people asked if they could pet him and, although he seemed calm, I just replied that he'd had a "cranky" day and I preferred that he not be petted by strangers. It worked out very well. He's been great all day!

I do hope the guy calls me. I didn't get his info because I was frazzled and couldn't think of much other than to give him my business card (it has my cell number). We'll see. He was a bit of a jerk about it, and a big baby about a teeny little bruise! Sure, I understand it's kind of scary when a strange, rather large dog snaps at you, but come on, no need to continue screaming and threatening and scaring the dog (and my 7 year old son!) even more! :mad:

Obedience training is DEFINITELY in the cards. I got BethIrish's trainer info and will contact them on Monday.

Thanks again for everyone's advice, reassurance, and support!

[BethIrish]

Hi again -

I also wanted to pass along a vet rec - when I lived in Waltham I always used the vet that is over by the Newton Marriott. I didn't have a dog then, but they were great with my cats :D