But man, do I wish I could've or would've avoided it
I knew when I adopted Astro that he might not be dog-social forever. He is a mix between a pit-Jack-Russell-looking terrier and a Shar Pei. And when I got him home as a young puppy, he was so scared of even the sound of dogs in the distance that he literally tucked tail and fled.
But I worked so hard to socialize him. Took him to puppy play parties, set up play dates. He learned to not just like but LOVE dogs. He loves to play with dogs so so much.
But then every now and then there'd be a negative experience. It started when a Corgi at a park herded Astro away from me. I tried to call him and the dog wouldn't let him come, and he panicked and fled, but the **** thing followed him yapping and biting at his back legs. The Corgi's owner wasn't even in sight.
Then an idiot woman let her Yorkie run up and snarl and snap at Astro not once but TWICE at PetCo. Astro didn't react the first time; the second time, he'd had enough. The woman actually was pleased and thought it would help put her dog in its place, while I was fuming that Astro had learned how to defensive.
Then Astro got stalked and harassed by an off leash dog on a trail. Dog was stiff as a board. Astro didn't react. Then he got charged by an off leash pitbull on a neighborhood walk; he didn't react.
Then he got roughed up by yet another off leash dog who wouldn't stop, and I couldn't get to him in time because the other owner saw no problem and wasn't calling her dog while it was chasing and pinning Astro (I guess since it wasn't actually mauling Astro she saw it as no problem, no matter that literally everything in the dog's body language screamed "problematic/aggressive" and everything in Astro's screamed "get me away from here"). I finally got close enough to grab Astro - I couldn't grab the other dog, it was dancing out of reach - and since he was now trapped, Astro did react.
He has reacted every time since. Every. Single. Time. That he sees a dog, at all, no matter how close or far or what the circumstance is.
Tonight my dog who used to be so sweet and so soft and friendly lunged and snarled at a Beagle puppy who was trying to say hi. Now I have that dog who makes other dogs and their owners nervous.
I am so heartbroken and exhausted from this. So much progress taking a fearful puppy and turning it into a social adult - gone. Maybe we'll get better but I suspect he will never have that same ease around dogs again, he's been burnt too many times. And now so much of his freedom has to be curtailed and micromanaged.
I know this post is so dramatic but...eugh. Just eugh. I have failed him. I'm angry at myself and angry at other owners for not giving a **** about dog body language or training or social cues or anything whatsoever. I'm angry that I haven't done my job well enough in protecting him.
I knew when I adopted Astro that he might not be dog-social forever. He is a mix between a pit-Jack-Russell-looking terrier and a Shar Pei. And when I got him home as a young puppy, he was so scared of even the sound of dogs in the distance that he literally tucked tail and fled.
But I worked so hard to socialize him. Took him to puppy play parties, set up play dates. He learned to not just like but LOVE dogs. He loves to play with dogs so so much.
But then every now and then there'd be a negative experience. It started when a Corgi at a park herded Astro away from me. I tried to call him and the dog wouldn't let him come, and he panicked and fled, but the **** thing followed him yapping and biting at his back legs. The Corgi's owner wasn't even in sight.
Then an idiot woman let her Yorkie run up and snarl and snap at Astro not once but TWICE at PetCo. Astro didn't react the first time; the second time, he'd had enough. The woman actually was pleased and thought it would help put her dog in its place, while I was fuming that Astro had learned how to defensive.
Then Astro got stalked and harassed by an off leash dog on a trail. Dog was stiff as a board. Astro didn't react. Then he got charged by an off leash pitbull on a neighborhood walk; he didn't react.
Then he got roughed up by yet another off leash dog who wouldn't stop, and I couldn't get to him in time because the other owner saw no problem and wasn't calling her dog while it was chasing and pinning Astro (I guess since it wasn't actually mauling Astro she saw it as no problem, no matter that literally everything in the dog's body language screamed "problematic/aggressive" and everything in Astro's screamed "get me away from here"). I finally got close enough to grab Astro - I couldn't grab the other dog, it was dancing out of reach - and since he was now trapped, Astro did react.
He has reacted every time since. Every. Single. Time. That he sees a dog, at all, no matter how close or far or what the circumstance is.
Tonight my dog who used to be so sweet and so soft and friendly lunged and snarled at a Beagle puppy who was trying to say hi. Now I have that dog who makes other dogs and their owners nervous.
I am so heartbroken and exhausted from this. So much progress taking a fearful puppy and turning it into a social adult - gone. Maybe we'll get better but I suspect he will never have that same ease around dogs again, he's been burnt too many times. And now so much of his freedom has to be curtailed and micromanaged.
I know this post is so dramatic but...eugh. Just eugh. I have failed him. I'm angry at myself and angry at other owners for not giving a **** about dog body language or training or social cues or anything whatsoever. I'm angry that I haven't done my job well enough in protecting him.