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Starting to Think We're Cursed

7K views 75 replies 42 participants last post by  selzer 
#1 ·
First, I want to apologize for the length of this post. It has been a heck of a night!

Cafall and I were at the pet store tonight picking up a few items. We were second in the check-out line with Cafall sitting at my feet when a woman and her chihuahua walked up in line behind us. Immediately the chihuahua starts barking and jumping at Cafall. Cafall stood and turned to face/watch the chihuahua but looked at me for direction.

I moved as far forward as possible to get away from the angry lil beast and put Cafall back into a sit. Well the lady just moved forward too and as soon as it gained some ground her chihuahua went full nuclear. Ears back, snarling, jumping forward barking. I looked at the lady and she just laughed, "He thinks he so big."

I told her, "He's actually being kinda aggressive." Before she could even say her dog wasn't aggressive it leaped forward, attacked and bit my shoe. While it didn't pierce my shoe, it startled me. I jumped back, dropped one of the bags of treats I was holding and nearly tripped over Cafall.

Cafall went on alert and not in a friendly way. The hair on his back stood up, twitching lip curls, he was staring down the chihuahua, and wouldn't budge from being between me and the little dog. During this time the person ahead of us finished checking out and left. I moved forward with Cafall while the lady pulled the chihuahua behind her and started talking to it. "That mean lady with her big dog call you a bad name?" :eek: :mad:

I turned back, stepped around Cafall, and reached for the bag of treats I had dropped. The chihuahua bolted around the lady's legs and launched at my face. It bit through my lower lip, scratched my left cheek and chin. The next minute was just blurred chaos.

I reeled back clutching at my mouth. Cafall lunged forward on the offensive. The lady tried to yank the chihuahua's leash back. The fur flew. When we each got our dogs pulled back Cafall had bites and scratches on his nose and lips and the chihuahua was limping and whining.

The cashier called a manager over and started handing me kleenex for my bleeding lip and cheek. The chihuahua's owner was screaming at me that my dangerous dog that almost killed hers. Cafall stood braced by my side ready for the next round.

The last hour and half has been spent retelling this story over and over. First to the store manager, then to the cops (apparently the chihuahua owner called them), and finally writing it all down in a written report. Thankfully the cashier has totally backed up my claim that Cafall and I are not the instigators and that Cafall did nothing but attempt to protect me. To be honest, the officers seemed way more interested in how old Cafall is, what breeder I got him from, even complimented his sable coat. It was actually one of them that had the manager fetch some disinfectant cream to put on Cafall's nose. Clearly they know a lil something about how awesome GSDs are. :cool:

Initially, the chihuahua lady wanted me to pay for whatever vet bills her dog is going to have. Via police proxy I suggested she could then pay for any human medical bills I was going to incur. Long story short we both agreed to leave without pressing charges and each take care of our own medical expenses. I don't want to see the dog euthanized, but it could def use a solid round or two of training. Or at the very least better management.

I will be fine and don't need any stitches. All the bloody kleenexes though certainly made her think twice about forcing the payment issue. Cafall has been checked over by an off duty vet tech friend who gave me some advice about things to watch for. Otherwise he seems to feel fine. I'm actually more worried it might have set back the progress Cafall and I have made in regards to him not reacting to other dogs. We have made so much headway since he was bitten by an Akita this past fall and I'd hate to see one mean little out of control chihuahua mess it all up.

We're home now. My husky has been licking Cafall's ears and generally playing nursemaid to both of us. I've got nothing planned but lots of cuddles for the rest of the evening. Talk about a crazy Saturday night. :(
 
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#4 ·
Wretched I completely agree. Those who know me well know I have a special lil soapbox speech about the antics toy breeds get away with that would land large dogs in hot water.

Thanks Nigel. I've got me fingers crossed that Cafall does okay.

I'm already trying to plan what our next outing should be. I'm thinking an on leash public park so that if we do see other dogs they will be far enough away that I can better gage his reaction. I am totally open to any suggestions anyone has though too!
 
#5 ·
OK- I work at petco- and I can tell you I see things like this ALL THE TIME, I don't mean to rant but I haaaaate that just because a dog is small it's behavior is excusable. That because its under 10lbs they don't put time in to training it. I can't stand to see things like this. Reading it I can very clearly see the entire thing happen it really makes me mad.... If you aren't intelligent you shouldn't be allowed to be responsible for another living thing...


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#9 ·
So sorry this happened :( what an idiot that dog owner was and what a disservice she is doing to her dog. Hope you both heal quickly and it doesn't set your pup back, but it sounds like it ended as well as could be hoped for. Really do not understand why people like that have dogs at all.
 
#10 ·
Thanks BowWowMeow, no worries, I have absolutely disinfected my lip, cheek, and chin. I appreciate the concern though. :)

Liz&Anna, I can only imagine the interactions you must see. It's disheartening to hear it happens so often. Here I thought we were just special :crazy:

KathrynApril pretty sure Cafall is feeling fine if not beginning to try and milk a bit more attention/ministrations from my husky. Poor Finder is just as much a sucker for the GSD sad eyes as I am. :rolleyes:

Gwenhwyfair I had the same thought. It sounds mean of me, but I was beyond relieved the chihuahua left with only a limp and not in pieces.

Sookie I agree. Not only a disservice to her dog, but to the whole breed by allowing her dog to act so poorly. Although, I'm sure we probably ruined any good thought she ever had about GSDs now too.
 
#11 ·
As a previous owner of a Chi/mix I know how crazy they can be. I had to always be on alert with her. Just never knew when she would go from zero to sixty. Eventually we had to rehome her to a adult only home with no other dogs. She's a great dog if there aren't children or other dogs around. I'm so sorry that you this woman was too ignorant to keep control of hers. Hope both of you recuperate swiftly.
 
#13 ·
Ugh, what a nightmare. Sorry you had to deal with this. That could have been so much worse. Thank you for telling your story. I shared this with my wife. Don't be nice if your in this situation, basically.

So many people with dogs are like this. I don't get it.

Curious, did the cops check rabies tags? Glad they understood the situation correctly.

You may want to get that lip and cheek checked out just to be sure. Bacteria in a dog bite can be bad. Our pup simply grazed my finger and it was trying to turn infected on me and I cleaned it pretty good when it happened.

Oh, and don't let your apprehension feed your dog the next time you're out. He is likely fine. Put it behind you.
 
#15 ·
Ksotto, good on you for recognizing your dog's triggers. I was absolutely shocked at how incorrectly this lady read her dog's behavior, even after it had bitten me.

Stevenzachsmom, thank you for the well wishes. The top of Cafall's nose has some divots in it. Pretty sure those divots and subsequent scabs are going to earn him extra treats in his kong for the next while.

Sp00ks, the store manager was actually the one who asked about rabies. My heart nearly stopped when he did just bc I hadn't even thought of it yet. The chihuahua had its tag on but Cafall doesn't wear his so I had to have them call my vet to confirm. Thank goodness the vet's office answered or I thought that was going to send the lady into apoplectic fits. Never once did she apologize or make any move to assume any responsibility for the situation. Some people... :confused:

I will def be keeping a close eye on both Cafall's and my punctures and scratches. I work in a clinic and have plenty of access to coworkers with prescription pads should an infection pop up and need antibiotics.

For now, the lip is closing and shows no inflammation or redness. It's a bit sore but not hot. My scratches aren't too deep thankfully and don't show any infectious signs yet either. I'll just avoid laying on that side in bed tonight. Our vet reopens Monday morning and Cafall and I already have a 7:30am appt just to get him looked over officially and check for any signs of infection for him.
 
#18 ·
Oh what a nightmare. I've seen situations like this before, and as a cashier, I used to try to step in and ask the next customer in line to back off while the current customer finished their transaction. Luckily it didn't happen a lot at our store, and we never had an issue quite that bad.

It's sad that I could take three larger dogs into the pet store and not have an issue, yet one lady with a freaking Chihuahua can cause that kind of trouble. I used to bring them in on my own, and never once had an issue - and only one of the dogs ever went to any kind of classes - I trained them otherwise.


I also walked them around the neighborhood on my own regularly. Since I didn't have a fenced yard at the time, I would have them on tie-outs at home, but to keep them mentally active, I walked them a couple times a day at least as well.


It didn't even take all that much work really to teach them the basics of what I expected, and yet, they were better behaved than many of the dogs I met in our area. For example, before playtime in the snow, I had them wait until I told them they could go ahead and play, and they would.


After I turned them loose in the snow, they had a total blast, and would just chill in the snow for as long as I would let them.


Hopefully you won't run into any more idiots like that. I wouldn't be too worried about your pup, it sounds to me like he did pretty much perfect at his job, and if he'd have wanted to he certainly could have hurt that little thing a whole lot.
 
#19 ·
When I hear things like this, I am reminded of how certain breeds get a bad name: their crappy owners. I don't know how many times I have heard "that's just how little dogs are". No, not really. They are that way because of their owner or a past owner. My toy poodle is very fearful and I would NEVER let him down out of my arms if I took him out in public, because the result would be disastrous. He is an awesome dog but he was in a cage for the first 4 months of his life and he is afraid of everyone and everything that he doesn't know. You definitely have to know your dog and take precautions based on the individual dog. It sounds like you have that down, but the lady in the store just thought "oh, he is small, how much damage could he do."
 
#20 ·
how scarey and awful for YOU!

I have to say tho, your dog is a testament to your training:) Kudos to you. He could have killed that little chi dog.

Honestly, I would have gone b a l l i s t i c on that woman.

Some people are just born stupid:( Glad you and the pooch will be ok
 
#21 ·
I know it's wrong, but I am seriously prejudiced against little dog owners. I don't like them.

I had a little toy poodle run out of it's yard and attack my 235 lb. Saint Bernard once. It ended up entirely in his mouth, except for the back legs. He spit it back out on the sidewalk and continued on like nothing happened. The poodle didn't want to fight anymore after that.


So sorry you had such a bad experience. You are lucky the damage wasn't worse. I'm glad the cops had your back, as I would expect them to, and I'm really glad you are OK.
 
#25 ·
Lol! When I encounter police with one of the GSDs in tow it always ends up with a lot of friendly chit chat about how great german shepherds are! :D

I do think they give a bit of an advantage to their owners, ;)



(Snipped)

So sorry you had such a bad experience. You are lucky the damage wasn't worse. I'm glad the cops had your back, as I would expect them to, and I'm really glad you are OK.
 
#22 ·
I know it has been said but, it never ceases to amaze me that people are so stupid. If that chi's owner had any care at all for it's safety it wouldn't have been allowed on the floor. And to crowd you again after you move forward is just ridiculous. The most bombproof dog can only take so much and though I'm glad things didn't escalate worse, I am glad your boy stepped in to protect you! Take care of those bites!
 
#23 ·
That's awful. What a crazy lady!

Before Eko really started to become DA, we were in line at petsmart and there was a small doodle of some kind in front of us. It was growling at Eko so I moved back to give it some space while the owner talked to the cashier (he was done buying stuff, just chit chatting). The guy noticed us and just kind of brushed it off saying "oh, she doesn't like big dogs". I said that's fine we will just wait here until you're done so she is more comfortable. Eko was just sitting next to me, he was looking at the doodle but calm. The cashier said oh maybe we should wrap it up so I can check her out and your dog can calm down and the guy gave me the dirtiest look. Like I was just the rudest person ever. He dragged his little dog off, still growling and snapping at Eko.
 
#24 ·
What a horrific evening! So sorry, that had to be a tuff night for you and your dog! I am glad the police listened and understood!

Our male was four months old when a "taco dog" what my girls call them...showed how awful he was. His owner just laughed and made jokes about it. The dog was a beast throughout the entire store. I kept a close eye (our dog was still a smaller puppy...he was a slow grower and did not catch up to his sister until he was 6 months old). As I was watching this NON leashed dog make a fuss in the buggy... I saw him spot our sleeping puppy next to my feet. He threw himself out if the cart, no leash so the owner could not grab or control him! As I was picky out puppy up, the dog jump in my arms with my puppy, I had to knock the "taco dog" out of my arms, off my puppy. While I was holding my dog up, the dog was biting my jeans near my shoe. When the owner made her way, he ran off grabbing, snarling, barking and biting at others and others dogs.
10-12 mins of everyone trying to guard their dogs from this "taco terror"...it took our puppy months and many practices when the trainer to be comfortable around small dogs again. It did happen, but t was work....a lot of work for us, because of ignorant people not controlling their dog!
People say the small dogs are just showing how brave and big they are! I think it is just attitude problems and lack of training! Sadly the dogs get blamed more than the owners who have not done what they should.


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#27 ·
How are you doing now? How is your lip? Hope someone gave you some ice so it doesn't get swollen, or get a scar. I don't care how little that dog is, its super dangerous and should be required to wear a muzzle in public. My neighbor's chi mix bit my husband and tried to bite me a couple weeks ago, the owner thinks its funny.
 
#28 ·
Wet dog, indeed! Looking back I'm really quite proud of Cafall and the way he handled the situation.

OriginalWacky good on you! Sometimes I take my husky with us when we go to the pet store and boy am I glad I didn't last night! P.S. love the sibes in your pics!

Vicky2000 you hit the nail on the head. I pet sit chihuahuas all the time and have experienced how sweet and cuddly they can be. It's a shame she let hers act to terribly in public. Not really a fan of that particular one at the moment as a result.

Jakoda thank you. As I look at Cafall's nose this morning and how it's scabbing over I start to get angry at that lady all over again. I think the fact that I had kleenex sticking out of my mouth help prevent me from getting super screamy last night.

David that's kinda funny about the poodle. I can just see it spat out and covered in slime! I also tend to judge owners when I see them walking around with pooches in their purses.

Dudes mom, thank you. So far so good on Cafalls and my injuries. His nose is scabbing over quite nicely and nothing looks infected yet on him or me. Got my fingers crossed it stays that way!

Sarah it's a shame there are so many clueless owners out there. I wish this chihuahua had been in front of us and not behind. Could have avoided the whole thing.

Mcdanfan I didn't realize you could even take a dog into a store off leash. Not that I'm interested in trying. I'm so sorry your poor puppy got terrorized. Glad he's doing okay now. Good on you for helping him work through it!

Gwenhwyfair we've had other times just passing police on the street while walking and they always want to talk about Cafall. It makes the husky a bit jealous! :p I also think it helped that while I was the one bitten, I wasn't the one who had actually called them out.

Liz&Anna I'm secretly hoping that the lady decides her dog needs some sort of therapy after being attacked by my big bad dog and will have a professional point out to her the areas for her own dog's improvement. Otherwise her rose colored glasses are firmly in place.
 
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