BAD night at the park

[jodysh]

UGH. I'm pretty upset. Probably more upset than Malcolm. We've been going to this park for months and he's been playing with the same dogs and having fun until tonight.

FOUR dogs ganged up on him I have NO idea why. It started with one - the bulldog pup he's always played with for weeks and they both played so nice together all this time. She got mean then 3 other dogs swarmed when they heard him crying he got between my feet I'm trying to push all these dogs away from him he's screaming I'm about to freak out. Of course the other dog parents got to us pretty quick but I just don't understand why my boy is suddenly getting bullied. I put his leash on him and we left I didn't say anything. Too upset.

Needless to say I won't be taking him to that side of the park again. We'll just go to the "little dog" side again (where there is rarely another dog around). So sad. Ticked off. Confused. BOO.

[deepnite10]

sometimes it reminds me of gangs of kids..they just gang up on the weaker..

if they re displaying a submissive behavior, the other dogs will pick up on it..and there ll be a pack..in this case its the little bulldog playing the part of the pack leader..

as big as Toby is..many a time he s been a victim of such behavior and i ve got to protect him from the little dogs ganging up on him..

yet again..there s a female german shepherd and a italian mastiff that look after Toby when they re in the park..they get jealous when other dogs get around Toby and chase them off..

[lindamarie]

I hated things like this sooo much that I quit going!
Poor Malcolm!!!

There was one park we took Bogart to that had to be on 5 acres or more. It was really difficult to watch what was going on and keep up.
I recall seeing Bogart waaaay off in the distance and into a doggie "dispute".
I went running over there.....but where was the other owner?
All worked out well.....but that's not always the case.

We have to remember that dogs are pack animals. Sometimes they lose all their domesticity and wind up at their basic core of the wolf pack when in a group.
Nope! Not for me!

Glad it all worked out and that you had support!

[jodysh]

Thanks. I don't know if they were really hurting him so much as scaring him, but. I didn't like it at all. I've never had a dog this small before so I guess I might be over protective sometimes and I don't want to overreact and create a dog that's afraid of it's own shadow. My dogs have been a standard poodle (who was very protective of us as kids actually), a German Shepard and a lab.

We'll still to the side for "small dogs" from now on when we go to the park.

There is a black German Shepard that comes to the park that protects Malcolm too She wasn't there for this incident, though. I really started thinking and actually looked at German Shepards on PetFinder. I thought I should get him a "big sister or brother" so there would always be someone to protect him from bullies. Silly? Maybe! But I was planning to get a second (adult) dog after Malcolm was at least 1 year.

ANYway. It's a real shame because I want him to have other dogs to play with. I hope more little dogs start coming since it's cooling down.

[Jasper'sMomma]

a big brother or sister is a great idea!!

Jasper LOVES his big brother and Tux does keep an eye on him at all times!! Especially at the dog park...it is cute...he just follows Jasper around about 10 feet back just watching...doesn't mind if he plays with other dogs but he won't let them play rough with his puppy...only Tux gets to play that rough with him!!

[Nikkiey]

I'm sorry to hear that he was ganged up on, it's the worst feeling knowing that your dog is being picked on or even vice versa, that your dog is picking on others.

That's actually why Juneau and I don't go to the parks anymore. Except the difference was that Juneau wasn't the one being ganged up on, he was the one 'joining in' when he saw other dogs do it. I don't know how or where Juneau learnt his 'playing' techniques from, but once I saw it becoming a consistent thing, we stopped going. He was about 6 months old when we stopped going to the dog park (we have gone since, but we left after he wasn't behaving again). The first few times that he would chase a dog down and grab the scruff of their neck and take them down we would grab his lead (he was always on a 20 foot lead) jerk on it to get his attention and he would let go - game over. But after it started becoming a game, we didn't know what else to do. We tried jingling keys to get his attention, a water gun to spray him with, and other random stuff, but nothing would actually get him to stop. I was devastated - I wanted my dog to be able to enjoy playing with other dogs, running like a free man, but I don't trust him.

He's never hurt a dog, and the dog he's 'playing with' always comes jumping back on him with a wagging tail, but I'm just afraid he's going to get too carried away one time and actually hurt them. I know that he's being dominant when he does this kind of play, but even the trainers we've hired are stumped.

Jodysh:
Just know that if those other owners are responsible, caring owners they probably feel just as bad about the situation. No one wants their dog to be 'that dog'

[jodysh]

We did go by the park tonight and went to the side for "little dogs". The bulldog pup's mom was there (the other dogs involved weren't there) and she came over to apologize and ask us to come back over to the other side. Which did make me feel better.

I said I understand these things can happen and Malcolm just really doesn't have an aggressive bone in his little body he just wants to play. Which is another reason it makes me a little nervous because he will keep going back for more. He will keep trying to play. So. We did go over though and he was fine. The bulldog pup and him played a little and she started with her "mean voice" and her mom took her away from Malcolm...and of course he tried to follow her and I had to grab him and make him stay away. Luckily another pup, a Viscla, that he usually plays with came in and so he just played with her.

I was still nervous because there were a couple of big dogs I didn't recognize there so. I'm not sure if it's really worth taking him to that side. Even if there are no dogs to play with on the other side. He did have fun though. And he found himself a mud hole *eye roll* So I had to give him a bath when we got home.

I do want to get him a brother or sister, but I'm not in a position to do it right now. It will be a while :-/

[jodysh]

Hiya Laura!