Bad experience tonight with our friends dog.

[doggiedad]

maybe it would have been different if you met the dog
at it's home (just guessing). get one of those sticks
that when the handle is squeezed you can pick things up.
get a dog bowl and use the stick to place the bowl inside
the apartment. get a squirt bottle and fill the bowl with water.
throw some kibble on the floor with the door slightly cracked.

[KatsMuse]

Wow! I'm so glad you were there and you are both ok.

On another note, from a law enforcement (or EMS) point of view...you need to forewarn your friends about needing emergency help and how are they going to handle this dog an emergency situation?

As an LEO, my first priority has always been HUMAN life. There's no telling how this dog will react should law enforcement or medical personnel have to enter the home to help the owners.
(That would worry me and something everyone needs to think about.)

Personally, I think the dog was just being territorial and guarding its home. Possibly confused with the owners gone, but still...

I'm just glad you're ok . Scary experience.

Kat

[TommyB681]

That sucks. At least everyone was ok with all things consider. Its amazing how a dogs tempermant can change with the owners being out of the picture. Ive been around a few dogs that seem like babys until you are around them alone then protection mode kicks in and its like a completely different dog.

[pyratemom]

It's so good that you were there to help your wife. She could have been really injured. Looking back, I'm sure now you are thinking it would have been better to meet the dog on it's own turf first. Hind sight is always 20/20. That had to be a really scary time for you. I wonder if the owners ever experienced this with anyone else taking care of their dog or if this is the first time they left it home alone for any length of time. I really wouldn't want to have to clean up the mess they are in for when they get home but glad everyone is okay. Take care of those bruises though. When they are deep like that it takes a long time.

[codmaster]

Originally Posted by robk

I feel pretty stupid about this but I think I should share this as a matter of precaution. Be careful around strange dogs.

Tonight my wife and I had a fairly traumatic experience with our friend's black lab. We had only met the dog yesterday but she seamed friendly enough so we agreed to go take care of the dog this evening so our friends could go out of town for a week end get away. My wife and I had never actually been to their apartment so this was the first time we dealt with the dog in her own home. We were to go feed and water the dog and put the dog on a leash and take her out and let her go potty. All pretty simple sounding and the dog was a complete baby doll the night before when she came over for a get to know you meeting at our house. The plan was for me to wait in the truck (we were also transporting another dog that was being taken to my grandmother-in-laws house) and my wife would run in and take care of the lab.

About two minutes into my wait, my cell phone rings and my wife is frantic on the other end of the phone. She was saying that the dog had her pinned to the wall behind the door and should could not get out. I immediately ran to the apartment and when I opened the door the lab lunged at me and bit me in the knee. She did not draw blood as I was wearing a sturdy pair of blue jeans but I still felt the pain of her teeth on my kneecap. I firmly told the dog NO! she backed off about a foot but was still growling with her teeth bared. My wife then maneuvered out from behind the door and picked up some dog treats on the kitchen table to try to calm the situation down but when she tried to give one to the dog, it lunged at her and bit her in the thigh. Again, did not draw blood but now my wife was very upset.

The dog did not have a collar on so at this point I decided that she was just going to have to stay in the house. There was nothing either of us could do for her with out risking serious injury. The problem now was that my wife was on the opposite side of the dog and was not able to move towards door with out being lunged at.

I then reached over and picked up a trash can and blocked the lab from my wife so she could scoot behind me and out the door.

We called the owners of the dog and tried to explain what happened but the cell phone service was very bad. I feel really bad about even letting this happen. I should have known it would be a bad idea to try to enter an apartment that had a large strange dog inside. I am just glad I had rode along with my wife on the trip. What if I was not out in the truck? What if she would have been seriously bit and there was no one around to help except a call to 911. This could have been much worse but in the end all is well. (Except the fact that the dog still has not been let out but as I told my wife, it will be better for our friends to clean up a mess on the floor than for someone to end up in the hospital).

Let's see, a Lab bit you, but no blood because of your sturdy jeans?

And the same dog bit your wife, but again with no blood?

Doesn't sound like a very aggressive dog - just a scared one!

If most any big dog like that had bit, there would be at least a couple of drops. Jeans?????


And just out of curiosity, why didn't you and your wife practice at least once going into this poor dog's house w/o the owner right with you (but very close by and handy, at least!)?

Sounds like maybe a bit more prep and planning could have helped a great deal!

[msvette2u]

Labs aren't GSDs. They are bred for hunting, not protection.
Just the fact that it bit is significant.
And had her pinned.
Robk did the right thing. Grab ANYthing handy and put it between you and the dog.

[robk]

Originally Posted by codmaster

Let's see, a Lab bit you, but no blood because of your sturdy jeans?

And the same dog bit your wife, but again with no blood?

Doesn't sound like a very aggressive dog - just a scared one!

If most any big dog like that had bit, there would be at least a couple of drops. Jeans?????


And just out of curiosity, why didn't you and your wife practice at least once going into this poor dog's house w/o the owner right with you (but very close by and handy, at least!)?

Sounds like maybe a bit more prep and planning could have helped a great deal!

This was a last min thing. We had a one day advance notice. I am sorry disappoint you that we were not seriously injured. A bite is a bite and it lunged at least three times. Any of them could have been worse. And yes I do believe the dog was scared but it still came forward to bite. It was not cornered. It met us at the door.

[msvette2u]

I bet you're bruised! Our vet told us it's not the punctures that make a bite painful, it's the crushing/bruising that ensues...

[Cassidy's Mom]

Originally Posted by robk

I feel pretty stupid about this but I think I should share this as a matter of precaution. Be careful around strange dogs.

Originally Posted by robk

To Elaine, yes we should have known better, but that is what we always say AFTER a mistake happens.

Originally Posted by robk

Like I said in my original post, I should have seen this coming and felt dumb for it even happening, I just wanted to share our experience. We are very comfortable with dogs but comfort can easily slip into over confidence. That is when you make bad decisions.

Originally Posted by codmaster

Sounds like maybe a bit more prep and planning could have helped a great deal!

As you can see, the OP realizes that he made a mistake, no need to continue beating him up over it.

[msvette2u]

Well so Robk won't feel so bad, we did this once with our GSD...really no clue why except he really was good with other people coming in the house!

I had to leave out of town and asked my husband to swing by the house as he made multiple trips by the house in the course of his job (paramedic).
Well, as it turned out, that day he couldn't get by the house, and so asked a co-worker to go by and let our GSD out, as I was worried about him being locked up for so long.

The co-worker stopped by alright, went in the house and my husband said Hunter even let the guy in.
But as soon as the guy said "c'mon, let's go outside!" I guess Hunter just started growling deep in his throat and the guy just backed out of the house and left!

We hadn't had Hunter that long, and I guess hubby didn't think it would be a problem, but it was. Nobody got bitten, though...whew!!