SOMEoNE HIT SOPHIE, SHE IS A TERRIBLE STATE!!!

[mrose_s]

Ok, here is the situation, our dogs, when excited by the mailwoman are sometimes excited to the point where they fight back at one of the dogs next door. Dux (dog next door) is a lovely girl to people, but hates our dogs.
Sophie is a big dog remember and sometimes does damage that she doesnt mean.

So thismorning, Dux picked another fight with sophie eventhough Dux is about half Sophies size and a lot younger. Sophie has already made her get stitches to her face once from another morning.
So Dux picks ANOTHER fight and Sophie grabs her again. Before we can get out there, someone has run up form a couple of doors down and hit her over the head with something. It might have been a steel bar, but Dux's owner said it was a stick.

Anway, I just found out Sophie is at the vet with a drip, she is very not well but should be fine. I am really worried for her...

I know Sophie's problem with the blueing is half training problems, everytime I try to stop her from ignoring me i am told by my step dad I am "a control freak and to leave them alone" but in short, because I have been doing nothing with them lately because evrytime I do I get told off, I have to reteach Buster to come and Sophie just wont listen.

She will no longer "come" or "stay". and when they start barking through the fence I say "come here" and "come" and all. Buster stops and runs over and sophie wont listen to a word I say, the ONLY way to get through to her is to throw something at her (something light) or to chase her with a palm frong. She is just to controlling over US now. My stepdad feeds her at the table, gives into her whining to come inside and has this as a way to train a dog.

we took them to the shop, in the back of the ute, not tied in. Sophie now JUMPS OUT because she has no resepct for us and she used to always stay in. So my S-D gets out of the car and slaps her up the side of the head and says to stay put. I got up him saying its mean and stupid and he said that i had no idea about dog training and all I can do is make them sit. :mad: he puts me down all the time and i cant stand up for myself.

Sorry this is so long but I have a lot of things to get off my chest. Plus I think I might be about to be dumped :(
The neighbours are putting up a barrier on their fence ASAP

[Renee750il]

What do you mean, you think you're about to be dumped, Mrose?

I don't know what to tell you about your stepdad, except to work with Sophie as much as you can when he's not around so that she'll remember to be good for you because she wants to please you.

[Babyblue5290]

What kind of damage did sophie do to dux? Is dux ok?

[mrose_s]

she should be, I am way more worried about Sophie. She apartentley has milkiy eyes is on a drip, and can hardly open them. Mum says it looks like she might have a fractured skull. This guy must have really flogged her.

and renee, I am just not sure if he like me anymore. :(:(:( this is not my day.

[Saje]

I don't understand. Did this happen in your yard? You really need a good fence if it did. I hope she'll be ok. Have you thought about clicker training?

www.clickerlessons.com

[mrose_s]

It is a good fence, its thick metal close together and soemhow dux leaves her dangly ears through it. these dogs are stir crazy, they spend all night barking. But their are covers over the fence now, wont happen again.

[Saje]

They did that through a fence!!! :eek: Wow. they really do not get along! Are either of them fixed?

[mrose_s]

she is, but sophie isnt, sophie isnt an agressive dog, Dux starts things, Sophie finishes them

[mrose_s]

ok, all is well. mum bought Sophie home and she is doing great! she has to go back tomorow for some more injections though.

I can't believe someone did this to her :mad::mad::mad:

[Barb04]

I'm glad to har Sophie is doing better.

[taratippy]

Really glad she's ok and its dreadful that someone could do that to your dog! Cant help much with the other stuff but if she's jumping out of your vehicle can you not get her a harness to restrain her? As for you SD, it sounds like he's giving her very mixed messages, on one hand he gives in to her on the other he punishes her. Try and do what training you can with her on a one to one basis when she's well again. Good luck.

[Fran27]

I don't understand. If she was in a fenced yard, how did she get hit by someone who doesn't even live in the house? Do you have a fenced yard? I would never let a dog that behaves this way free in a non fenced yard, especially when the mailwoman is around. And how did 'someone' get in the yard and hit her? I would never let such a thing happen to my dogs. I would have hit the guy in return, and called the humane society on him, and got him to pay the vet bills.

Sophie needs lots of training, but you need to be careful not to put her in situations that could be dangerous. And tell your step dad to go to ****. Have you talked about it with your mom?

[Sheba]

I can't believe someone did this to her :mad::mad::mad:

neither can I!

[sparks19]

Fran you must live in a dream world. Maybe someone opened the gate and came in. I'm sure they were more concerned about their dog than hitting the guy that did it to her. i would rather take care of my pet than worry about the guy that did it until after THEN i would call the police.

As for telling her step dad to go to hell um she has to live under his roof. she doesn't want to get kicked out I'm sure. It's easy to talk about the right thing to do when you aren't the one doing it.

Mrose I am glad that sophie is doing better. i agree with the others and try to spend as much one on one time as you can. Maybe go outside and do training stuff with her if you can. You didn't do anything wrong and your dog was only defending herself and her territory. I'm glad that there are covers over the fence and it won't happen anymore :D HOpe things get better

[Fran27]

'maybe someone opened the gate and came in'? I don't live in a dream world, but I sure live in a world where strangers don't go in my fenced yard to hit my dogs for no reason without me saying anything either! Especially when I am outside! Or did the person 'sneak' into the yard when they were in it? I don't get it.

I don't know what relationships she has with her step dad and her mom, but yeah, I assume that her mom cares for her and would listen to her if she talked about it. I might be in a 'dream world', but I'm not going to start assuming that people don't care for their children either!

No offense Sparks, but I think you're the one who is pretty negative about what the world is like, by assuming that it's normal to see strangers go into people's yard to hit their dog or that every parents don't care for their kids...

[EliNHunter]

I am totally lost... sorry!

[Adrienne]

I am glad to hear that Sophie is feeling better. That must have been terribly scary. I would kick someones butt if they ever hurt my dog!

[Buckshot]

I dont have this pictured straight in my head. Was Sophie beaten on your property? If so how was it done? Beating a dog through a fence in good repair would be no easy task. Was the fence short enough to reach over? How were they fighting through a fence? If my dog was attacked on my property, no matter who starts what (I dont understand dog politics) the intruding dog has a grim future at best. If my dog attacked someone elses, on their property, I would pay all due compensation and accept what ever happened to my dog as my fault. I would hope that the neighbors and my dog could forgive me. Poorly behaved dogs are like leaving loaded guns laying around. I hope Sophie is ok and I hope she gets trained or contained.

[mrose_s]

Ok, let me sort this out. OFCOURSE WE HAVE A FENCE. with three dogs we cant affor not to have one. It is a good strong one too. Thedogs fight in a corner near the footpath so it is possible for someone to run up and lean over the fence.

We arnt paying for the other peoples bills because of two things, they are pretty good mates of ours and they understand. and because it is their dog that starts the fights. Sophie has never really had to fight with a dog because she is so big. But dux wont quit. and Sparks its ok, Ive told my SD somethings that i wont repeat here and ill never get kicked out because my mum isnt like that :D.

and this guy that did this is going to regret being born when we find him.
The reason he isnt already in trouble is because no-one was home when it happened, luckily the neighbours saw Sophie staggering around the place and went and found my SD at work to tell him he needed to come home.

[Martine]

mrose, I'm glad Sophie is okay, although can't believe someone hit her like that!!! Also hope your day got better, & you haven't been dumped.

[Fran27]

Well in such conditions I would never leave her outside when nobody is home anymore.

[gaddylovesdogs]

I'm sorry about Sophie, that must've been very painful for her. I hope she feels better soon.

But if she doesn't like Dux, or Dux starts fights with her, then you shouldn't leave her in your yard without supervision. That way there's less of a chance of her getting into a fight with him.

[mrose_s]

Well in such conditions I would never leave her outside when nobody is home anymore.

well we havnt really got a choice. Our backyard is tiny so they need the front yard to entertain themselves. And we cant lock them inside or they will sleep on the leather lounge and pee in the house.

There is a block over the fence now so they can no longer start things. She is a big dog and so a dog door wont help. Plus they are our security, great dogs that we know we can trust our house to.

[mrose_s]

oh and martine, i did get dumped, ah well. I huess i'm over it now anyway :D

[Martine]

Glad you're okay and over it......I won't use that old cliche 'plenty more fish in the sea'.....(but there are! :D )

[Manchesters]

well we havnt really got a choice. Our backyard is tiny so they need the front yard to entertain themselves. And we cant lock them inside or they will sleep on the leather lounge and pee in the house.

There is a block over the fence now so they can no longer start things. She is a big dog and so a dog door wont help. Plus they are our security, great dogs that we know we can trust our house to.

No dog left outside unattended is a security dog---unless maybe it has been poison proofed! Have you never heard of over the counter sleeping medicines? Or arsinic, or ground glass?? A nice piece of steak with some sleeping meds in it is all it takes. The bugular throws the meat over the fence, goes and has a couple cups of coffee, comes back after the dog/dogs has passed out and takes off with your whole house.

Get crates for the dogs and keep them inside.

[Zoom]

Manchesters: That's got to be one REALLY determined burgler though, if she's got three big dogs that all bark. Not fool-proof, but then, neither is a burgular alarm. Enough time, patience and skill can dismantle anything.

[Manchesters]

Manchesters: That's got to be one REALLY determined burgler though, if she's got three big dogs that all bark. Not fool-proof, but then, neither is a burgular alarm. Enough time, patience and skill can dismantle anything.

A thief can use a ling shot to lob a piece of meat with some Dramimine in it into a yard. Unless, as I said the dogs are poison proofed. As long as the owner is home inside to check what the dogs are barking about---great. My dogs are my door bells. But they are not in a position to get any poisoned goodies.....lots and lots of double fenceing.....and a Whippet with a muzzle on who finds everything first, lol.

[mrose_s]

Get crates for the dogs and keep them inside.

I WILL NEVER EVER CRATE MY DOGS!!! I find it mean, they enjoy running around and playing, jumpingf at each other and resting in the sun, can you imagine the boredom?????? we have a ACD mix and he needs the room to atleast walk around and intract. I hate the idea of crating and will never ude them except when flying my dogs.

[Fran27]

So let them inside. And housetrain them so they don't pee inside!

I can't see any other solution. It's either that or running the risk of your dogs being injured or worse than your neighbors. Personally, I wouldn't hesitate a second, after what happened it would be pretty irresponsible to leave your dogs outside without supervision.