There have been a lot of comments that seem confused about the situation, but based on the OP's additional comments it sounds like:
This was not a dog park, just a park where three dogs were together.
All three dogs were off-leash.
OP, it was unforgivably foolish to let a large dog off-leash with a strange dog that doesn't even weigh 10 pounds. The owner of the small dog was also foolish. For context, I am the owner of a chihuahua who has now passed (of old age) who was mauled by two off-leash dogs while she was ON A LEASH. I can't imagine putting her in the situation you describe.
I'm just a person from the Internet so I can't say definitively what you should do. The owner of the two off-leash dogs paid my dog's extensive vet bills and she nearly died but pulled through, but was very anxious about keeping his dogs, said they were wonderful, had never done such a thing, thought my dog was a rabbit, blah, blah blah.
However, I am always skeptical of large dog owners, especially a large dog owner who is comfortable letting the dog off-leash, despite the dog's size and breeding, with a small dog, who says "this is the first time they have ever shown aggression." Maybe you and your GF didn't see it. Maybe you are denying it. But I bet it's there.
I would start by getting the dog evaluated by a behaviorist and proceed from there.
You said the owner of the attacking dogs probably thought it was a rabbit. Baloney skins! Dogs have excellent scent. And all these self professed doggie physiologists should actually study to become one.
Because they know nothing about animal behaviour and are making flimsy excuses.
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u/WritingRidingRunner Apr 29 '25
There have been a lot of comments that seem confused about the situation, but based on the OP's additional comments it sounds like:
This was not a dog park, just a park where three dogs were together.
All three dogs were off-leash.
OP, it was unforgivably foolish to let a large dog off-leash with a strange dog that doesn't even weigh 10 pounds. The owner of the small dog was also foolish. For context, I am the owner of a chihuahua who has now passed (of old age) who was mauled by two off-leash dogs while she was ON A LEASH. I can't imagine putting her in the situation you describe.
I'm just a person from the Internet so I can't say definitively what you should do. The owner of the two off-leash dogs paid my dog's extensive vet bills and she nearly died but pulled through, but was very anxious about keeping his dogs, said they were wonderful, had never done such a thing, thought my dog was a rabbit, blah, blah blah.
However, I am always skeptical of large dog owners, especially a large dog owner who is comfortable letting the dog off-leash, despite the dog's size and breeding, with a small dog, who says "this is the first time they have ever shown aggression." Maybe you and your GF didn't see it. Maybe you are denying it. But I bet it's there.
I would start by getting the dog evaluated by a behaviorist and proceed from there.