my own fault ??

[Rolfe 2]

I agree with DUCKWING up to a point about not needing to have more than one GOOD working dog. (WORKING dogs and not house dogs) If you have not got the work for more than one dog then i can see little need for keeping more. But IF like me, you are involved in full-time rabbit control at certain times of the year then more than one dog is an asset.

I have always kept TWO running dogs at a time, often a pair of whippets, or over the last few years beddlington hybrids for my rabbiting work. Many times i work alone on private ferreting contracts and have yards and yards of long nets, and sometimes hundreds of purse nets out at any one time and having two dogs to intercept the often multiple bolting rabbits and to hold them until i can get there is essential. (Old Rolfe is not as nimble as he used to be) I get paid by results so every rabbit counts and i can't afford to lose many catches but like all ferreters escapees can and do happen. Also, being social animals, i think it is good for the dogs well being and welfare to have a kennel mate for company.

 

On the original subject of the terrier I also have a different opinion to most. IF the dog has NO history of aggression (as this one had), then i would be prepared to give the dog the benefit of the doubt and give it ONE more chance. Bitch fights are far worse than dogs fights in my opinion and a dog terrier with fire in its belly will latch on to anything that moves especially if it thinks it is top dog over the bitches (NOT the owner) I take the point, and there are a lot of "what if's" that had a child been involved etc, things would be different but i am judging the actual scenario and not what MIGHT have happened. A repeat performance though would be an entirely different ball game.

 

Regards

 

Rolfe.

[The one 8,493]

It's sad when this happens and i hope your well soon tracey but if it was one of your kids ????

[artic 595]

WELL ,

 

I KNOW NOT ALL PEOPLE ARE THE SAME ........

HOWEVER ....... YOU HAVE A PACK IN YER HOUSE AND YOUR NOT THE LEADER ,............

I HONESTLY BELIVE THAT MOST TROUBLESOME DOGS ARE OWNED BY WEAK OWNERS , DOGS NEED TO KNOW WHOS BOSS .......

 

PERSONALLY .. I THINK YOU HAVE TOO MANY DOGS ..........

WORKING BREEDS NEED TO BE KEPT ACTIVE , IT TAKES A LOT OF HUNTING GROUND WITH GAME TO KEEP TWO WHIPPETS AND A TERRIER .........

ONE WHIPPET IS AS MUCH AS MOST NEED ......

THE REMAINING ONE WOULD BE IN A KENNEL AND RUN IN THE YARD / GARDEN .........

AND A TIP FOR YOU LOT OUT THERE ....... IF YOU HAVE LAYED YER DOGS OFF FOR THE SUMMER .......... DROP OFF THAT HIGH PROTIEN FOOD ...... IT OFTEN LEADS TO HYPER DOGS READY TO GO TO WAR AT THE DROP OF A HAT

 

IAM AFRAID IF ANY OF MY DOGS BIT OR THE MISSUS OR ONE OF MY KIDS THEY WOULD BE IN A HOLE NOW .......NOT EVEN TOMORROW

 

DUCKWING

 

A very good post, the dog would be gone. You can never trust that dog with anyone, no matter how much you bonded with it, love it etc......

 

No point thinking why it happened, or how it could of been prevented. It should never of happened.

 

Atb.

Edited April 11, 2010 by artic

[littlefish 586]

It sounds like an explosion waiting to happen. Are the two whippets bitches? If so, I think it would be safer if one was to go, once there is fighting, the tension will always be there. It sounds like the usually well behaved terrier just got carried away with the situation. Maybe less dogs and more daily obedience training one to one will help stabilize the situation. Good luck. Dogs fighting is scary and you cannot be there 24 hours a day to keep the peace.

[Kay 3,709]

I would personally get some help regarding reinforcing who is pack leader.. common sense tells me that the terrier bit because it saw you as the weakest pack member ..

 

I think dogs thrive on consistent leadership not intermittent.. i am by no means done learning about dogs yet none of us are ... they sometimes throw something into the mix that baffles even the most experienced dog keeper .. but i do think in this case its clearly a lack of who's boss

 

Personally i think having more than one dog means you have to know what each dogs thinking before they think it themselves

[Sighthound 49]

When two bitches take a dislike to each other it is much harder to stop than two dogs. Bitches never seem to forget whilst a dog if it takes a beating will submit.

Mine started when my father in law gave them one juicy bone between the two of them.

Up until that point they had been no trouble and they had been bought up together for four years and believe me they were well worked.

[willum 89]

ouch looks painfull hope heels soon for ya. i had near enough the same over the last couple of days with 2 terrier bitches one bitch is 15 month and the other 10 month for no reason the little jrt has took a major dislike to the pat lakey and they had several major bust ups but it has come out of no where but as soon as i raise my voice and point at them they roll over on backs and submit but have now had to rehome the pat lakey for a while till i get run sorted out for her as she tore the tip of the jrt ear and bit her leg things couldnt go on as they were i could walk and run them fine together but once home they just put head down eyeballed and went for each other totaly out of the blue as they slept together no probs if sperated via fence they didnt even bat an eyelid at each other or fight through fence but once in same area trouble started.once 2 bitches take to fighting each other its normally time to rehome or keep totaly seperate as the feud will never end hell have no furry like a woman scorned so they say. willum

[Guest traceyg]

Thank you all for your opinion I do take in what you are all saying But the whippets have been apart with no problem up to me having a silly moment,For the past 4 months and will never be put back together again .As for the terrier it was a situation he had never seen and i am sure he was just trying to protect the whippets,I do understand how serious it was but if i had a small doubt in my mind that he was a nasty aggressive dog he would have been gone by now .But i really do think this was my fault i should have handled the situation better but it all happened in 30 seconds. The terrier deserves another chance. Once again thank you all for your pms and opinions

[sue 1]

i'm glad your feeling better trace ,I have to agree with rolfe on this one plus we all know what terriers are like if there's a scrap involved they carn't help but join in, its sad that your leg got bit in the middle of it though . In my opinion give the dog another chance ,its not like he just attacked someone out of the blue

[Sighthound 49]

I hear what you are saying Tracey but would you ever forgive yourself if that was your daughters or sons face?

[Attack Fell Terrier 864]

...As for the terrier it was a situation he had never seen and i am sure he was just trying to protect the whippets,I do understand how serious it was but if i had a small doubt in my mind that he was a nasty aggressive dog he would have been gone by now ...

 

Sounds like you're making excuses for the terrier to me.

 

When I discipline one of my dogs in front of the other two they shit themselves and run into there beds, they don't try and help the dog thats being disciplined by biting me because they know who is in charge, ME!!!!!!!!

 

You've got to be firmer with them than you are being, by the sounds of it!

 

I'd have the Terrier PTS, you're trying to convince yourself he was just confused, when the fact of the matter is, he bit you for no good reason.

Edited April 11, 2010 by Attack Fell Terrier

[scottishlass 57]

Well tg my thoughts on this are yes i would have tried to introduce the 2 whippets again but would have muzzled the both of them with the terrier and the lab kept away its ok saying this now but what is done is done. As for the terrier i have met all yer dogs and they all seem nice to me i can only guess he dived in and you were unlucky and were bitten but i would have gave him a doing all the same iwould not have him pts to sleep but must be watched and as for to many dogs i dont think that is true we have 3 terriers 2 bitches 1 dog and 5 collies 3 bitches 2 dogs, my 2 terrier bitches have there moments to its just a power struggle to be leader of the dogs and i have been bitten splitting them up. As for the collies we need so many as if one or more becomes injured or tired we need one that can take there place as my other half needs them to earn a living as a self employed shepheard some are suited to different kind of work ie lambing dog or dog that can round up wild hoggs the bitches are kept together in there kennel and yes there has been the ood spat same with the dogs

[Hob&Jill 258]

...As for the terrier it was a situation he had never seen and i am sure he was just trying to protect the whippets,I do understand how serious it was but if i had a small doubt in my mind that he was a nasty aggressive dog he would have been gone by now ...

 

Sounds like you're making excuses for the terrier to me.

 

When I discipline one of my dogs in front of the other two they shit themselves and run into there beds, they don't try and help the dog thats being disciplined by biting me because they know who is in charge, ME!!!!!!!!

 

You've got to be firmer with them than you are being, by the sounds of it!

 

I'd have the Terrier PTS, you're trying to convince yourself he was just confused, when the fact of the matter is, he bit you for no good reason.

 

agree 100% with that.

[Nell 1]

Tracy, you ask in your post "is it my fault?" The answer to this is probably yes as you should really be asserting your authority a little better where these dogs are concerned, but no one can really criticize you for your dogs fighting.

 

However what will definately be your fault is a repeat of what has just happened, you say that the dogs will never meet again, your trying to say that for the next however many years they are alive that they will never get to each other? Why run the risk? Why go through all of that trouble? I would be looking for a new home for one of the whippets and the terrier would have been in a hole the minute it let go of my arm.

 

Would you ever forgive yourself, having had this warning, if next time it is your daughter on the receiving end?

 

In my eyes there is no such thing as a bad dog, 99 times out of 100 it is down to the owners, for a number of potential reasons. Take this attack as a warning and re-evaluate what you need and whats for the best.

[Guest bluemink]

"Quote" My Daughter Came To My Rescue" !!!!

 

If You`ve Got To The Point Where You Need To Be Rescued From Your Own Dogs Then It`s Time To Get The Dogs Put Down...

 

Mars..

 

hit the nail on the head there