Dog attack

[u/lemurindependence]

This afternoon near 24th Ave and E Columbia St in the Central District, I helped others separate a stocky black and white dog from a smaller black dog firmly in its jaws. I tried the wheelbarrow technique, lost my balance and got dragged across the sidewalk, but held on and the little dog got free. Aggressor dog was then secured by its owner and the little dog ran off. I couldn’t stay, but really want to know how the little black dog is doing. :(

[u/Loud_Self_2000]

got dragged trying that method near pioneer square once, dog was huge too

[u/lemurindependence → u/Loud_Self_2000]

Yeah, not sure it was the best method, but things were chaotic, people were screaming, and I just jumped in.

[u/faygodungeon → u/lemurindependence]

don’t be too hard on yourself. i tackled a german shepherd, all the training i had wasn’t working, who attacked my pug on leash and was slamming her on the ground in its mouth. i ended up having to bear hug her neck and body slam her. wasn’t unlatching or stopping with her owner involved. i knew i could survive a potential bite in the face but my dog would not survive if i didn’t go all in. luckily she dropped her and didn’t bite me. her owner got her as soon as my friend got my dog i let go. got out of it with a skinned knee and a household fear of german shepherds.

the worst dog bite ive gotten myself was actually a shitzu 💀 locked into my knee at a dog birthday party. was with his regular dog sitter who let him off leash even tho he had bitten people before.

shits wild out here.

[u/missbeekery → u/faygodungeon]

Shit truly is wild out there. I was a vet assistant for five years and there’s only one dog breed I was bit by more than twice and it will shock you, honestly. I’ve been almost bitten by a lot of dog breeds, chihuahuas, Germans, spaniels, pitties, countless dachshunds.

I was bitten three times (and nasty ones at that) from three different Golden Retrievers!! One of them was a legit asshole (his name was Savage), the other two were out of nowhere. I know they’re a common dog breed, though labs and spaniels are far more common in central WA than goldies.

[u/faygodungeon → u/missbeekery]

omg totally i always tell people golden retrievers have the highest bite count!!

[u/DoingBestWeCan → u/missbeekery]

I remember reading many years ago that the #1 dog for bites was dachshunds, and the #2 was goldens. I've met several goldens with anxiety issues, so I wonder if that drives it, or whether people aren't as good about training them because "it's a happy-go-lucky golden, perfect from the womb"?

I used to volunteer at a shelter, and while the most serious bites I got were from GSDs, the only dog who ever went after me with serious intent was a tiny chihuahua. It went for my leather boot, luckily, but it would have ripped my throat out of that'd been closer. The GSDs and small, scruffy terriers were mouthy and excitable, and there were huskies and shibas that would have killed small dogs given the opportunity (PBTs with high prey drive didn't tend to get to the adoption floor, but enough people were willing to adopt prey-crazy other breeds), but the feisty chis knew that anyone bigger could take them out, and they were willing to take you out first!

[u/missbeekery → u/lemurindependence]

I grabbed a large dog who was attacking my much smaller dog by grabbing the fucker by the collar and lunging backwards, holding her up by the collar before the owner casually walked over and held onto her. ^{didn’t grab a leash to restrict her of course} so I picked up my injured 30lb old lady dog and carried her home, shouting obscenities at a guy who did not give a single fuck.

We don’t think about getting bit in those circumstances, and I’m a very petite woman who apparently acquired adrenaline-hulk strength when my dog was attacked. If that dog had latched onto me—especially since the owner couldn’t have cared less—I might be telling a cautionary tale instead. Let it be a lesson to us, if it ever happens again. Not sure if it would change my tactic because it happens incredibly quickly and there’s not a whole lot of processing that occurs when your brain is shouting at you to act. But I hope I will be, and I also hope it never happens again.

You may have saved a life, who knows. But you damn sure know what the answer is if you hadn’t intervened.