Can a dog remember if another dog has bullied him in the past? (shepherd, golden retriever)

[PAinSC]

I just want to say please do not say anything about how dog parks are horrible. I take my dog to a county park where a pay a yearly fee to be a member and within the park, there's a huge dog section that's very clean.

Anyways, I took my pup there a few weeks ago and he got bullied by a dog. The owner immediately left. Well, I took him there today and the same dog was there. I saw that dog bullying a Golden Retriever but I couldn't tell if he was doing anything to my dog (too many dogs in the area). After that interaction, my pup didn't act the same. He always has a ton of energy but he literally came over to where I was sitting and laid down.

I just don't know if I should contact the park office or just wait and see if this issue happens again?

[Donn2390]

Dog parks are wonderful, and yes dogs have enemies just like people do. My dog is very friendly with people and other dogs, but there are two dogs in the neighborhood who have caused her grief in the past, and she goes insane every time those two are within smell or sound distance. She can be in the house with the doors closed, and knows immediately when those dogs are out for a walk, even when they aren't making a sound.. Any other dogs walk by, even when she is outside, and she pays no attention to them at all.
The park I go to is a city controlled, no fee park, and complaining wouldn't do much good. If you pay to go there, they might respond better, but county officials are known to be real pro active..
Usually the regulars at the park are the monitors and will ask owners with trouble making dogs to leave.
Good luck with your problem..

[Azile]

Dogs are very much like children. They will react in ways we can recognize. Their feelings are very similar to our own if you pay attention to the signs. Dogs are still dogs and will act as dogs do, but that's not to say there aren't similarities. Their feelings get hurt just like ours. Sure your dog will remember a bully dog. No question they don't forget how another dog made them feel and may choose to react as yours did and just stay clear of that dog, or a dog might attack the bully dog, or a dog may choose to try to be friendly with the dog despite the poor behavior it received the last time they interacted. I know many kids that do the same things when confronted with another kid who is mean to them. You are your dog's advocate as you would be to your own child in this situation. Your dog came to you because he feels protected by you. He's safe with you and would rather sit quietly with you than have to deal with the bully dog and ruin his day. Dogs don't forget easily. My dog was not too comfortable around any dog, but she was not afraid of small dogs. She didn't really know what they were either. So, I brought home a little dachshund mix puppy once from the shelter. She thought it was a squeak toy. When she sees something she thinks is a squeak toy, she doesn't bite it; she steps on it to squeak it (she did that many times when I brought home a new toy). Well, this puppy was no squeak toy and she found that out the hard way. She poked at the puppy dachshund with her paws and the puppy turned around and bit her in the face. Well, my dog was not having that behavior! It freaked her out and she no longer trusted another dachshund after that. I had to return the puppy to the shelter for fear my dog would kill her. I tried to get her to give the new girl a chance, but I was just too afraid something would happen while I was out. My dog was not giving in for a second. She wanted the new girl out of the house...no second chances!

She became wary around small dogs ever since but particularly scared of dachshunds. My dog was a German Shepherd mix. Luckily, she was never bullied, but that shows how long memories last in a dog. It can last a very very long time. She never got over her fear of dachshunds.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Any dog I've ever owned has had a very long memory for people and other dogs. They will remember someone they haven't seen for years.

So, yes, your dog remembers who the dog was that bullied him.

[Dashdog]

Dogs have great memories so I think they will remember a dog that bullied them and either avoid that dog or act very submissive around it which sadly may lead to being bullied even more. If you notice very submissive dogs that go around and greet other dogs in that submissive way often have trouble with other dogs bullying them. So if you enjoy dog parks but have a super submissive dog a dog park may not be the best place for your dog just as it is not a good place for a more aggressive dog. Try more plat dates with friends dogs instead. Dog parks work best when you have confident well socialized dogs.

When Jazz was young and we went to a park that allows off leash dogs anywhere in the park we joined a play group that met in one area. She loved all her friends there and one lady had 2 little yorkies that Jazz adored. Well one day she added a 3rd and it as a little female yorkie puppy and it was quite a terror and for awhile all was fine with her jumping on all the dogs and grabbing their ears etc like puppies do At about at 6 months she ran up to Jazz like she always did and tried that and Jazz rolled her and had her pinned down and people started screaming" OMG she is going to kill her" I calmly walked over as I knew she would not hurt the puppy but was instead disciplining it as she felt it was old enough to learn manners. I pulled Jazz off, the puppy was not hurt, frightened maybe but not hurt and she NEVER forgot the queens lesson. After that every time we saw them she would run up to greet Jazz but drop and roll over in a submissive way as she approached. Jazz was great with her.

A few months later my schedule changed and we could no longer go so about 6-7 yrs later we were at agility practice which is held in that same park and here comes the owner with the 3 off leash yorkies the two males race up to Jazz all excited and she was so happy to see them the female who was busy sniffing sees her brothers and races over then suddenly a few feet away she stopped and went into her submissive roll and slid right under Jazz. Jazz seemed to be grinning ear to ear perhaps pleased that the dog remembered her lesson an had respect for the queen..who knows for sure .But yes the dog remembered who Jazz was and what had happened all those years ago.

When you have a puppy or an annoying dog at a dog park often what you may be seeing and calling aggression is discipline as older dogs may expect some manners just as you expect kids to have some manners when you are dealing with them. Most dogs think with very young puppies the lack of manners is ok but at a certain age your dog should have developed some manners.

[Three Wolves In Snow]

Originally Posted by PAinSC

I just want to say please do not say anything about how dog parks are horrible. I take my dog to a county park where a pay a yearly fee to be a member and within the park, there's a huge dog section that's very clean.

Anyways, I took my pup there a few weeks ago and he got bullied by a dog. The owner immediately left. Well, I took him there today and the same dog was there. I saw that dog bullying a Golden Retriever but I couldn't tell if he was doing anything to my dog (too many dogs in the area). After that interaction, my pup didn't act the same. He always has a ton of energy but he literally came over to where I was sitting and laid down.

I just don't know if I should contact the park office or just wait and see if this issue happens again?

I just wrote this in another thread about dog parks, but since it didn't happen in a dog park, it fits here. To answer the question: yes.

Here's what I wrote in the other thread:

My boy dog was never dog aggressive until we moved to where we are now. The neighbors had a Golden, and we went to introduce the dogs. The Golden was aggressive and it riled up my boy, and I failed him because I failed to properly introduce the dogs, I failed to show him that I would protect him. That one meeting is all it took. Thousands of hours and dollars later, I still have to deal with the issue because of an improper introduction. I have learned a LOT since then...an enormous amount...but undoing that single incident has proven to be extremely difficult. I was naive. I stupidly believed the hype that Goldens are friendly. I knew my dogs got along well with other dogs...and the neighbors told me their dog was friendly...but he squared off on my boy, acted aggressively towards my boy, and I screwed up by not reacting quickly enough. I had just moved in, I didn't want to "offend" my new neighbors by standing up to their dog, like I should have. Lesson learned...and now my boy pays for it.

[PAinSC]

Thanks for all the responses everyone! It was just so weird how he acted. Usually we stay at the park for an hour but left after 20 minutes.

Three Wolves In Snow, I'm sorry that happened to you and your dog. You know what's crazy? How Goldens are becoming more agressive and going into the same category as Pit Bulls. There's articles online about this.

[Dashdog]

Originally Posted by PAinSC

Thanks for all the responses everyone! It was just so weird how he acted. Usually we stay at the park for an hour but left after 20 minutes.

Three Wolves In Snow, I'm sorry that happened to you and your dog. You know what's crazy? How Goldens are becoming more agressive and going into the same category as Pit Bulls. There's articles online about this.

This happens with many breeds when they become popular as too many people start breeding them and do not pay attention to the temperament of the dogs they breed. A responsible breeder will consider both health and temperament of the parents. A golden from responsible breeders who will refuse to breed an dog with issues will have the wonderful Golden temperament that they are known for.

[Three Wolves In Snow]

Originally Posted by PAinSC

Thanks for all the responses everyone! It was just so weird how he acted. Usually we stay at the park for an hour but left after 20 minutes.

Three Wolves In Snow, I'm sorry that happened to you and your dog. You know what's crazy? How Goldens are becoming more agressive and going into the same category as Pit Bulls. There's articles online about this.

What Dashdog said is right. It's never the dog's fault, it's the people.

I don't want you to miss the point of my post by focusing on the fact that it was a Golden Retriever. It doesn't matter what breed of dog...I posted that to give you some advice based on my own failings.

You stated that your dog was at the park, and you don't know if your dog was bullied again or not. I pointed out that I a) failed to properly introduce the dogs to each other and b) failed to protect my dog, show him that I would protect him; stand in front of him, between him and the other dog, facing the other dog, and making that other dog back down. That's what I should have done.

If you think your dog has been bullied at the park...I just ask that you think about what I just said. Introductions, failed to show the dog it would be protected from other dogs, by you. Even at dog parks, we do need to be out there, with our dogs, where our dogs are, and have an eyesight on them at all times, preferably being very close to them at all times.

You don't want people to say negative things about dog parks so I will only say this: When you enter the park with your dog, having a pack of dogs run up to your dog to sniff, investigate, and whatever else, is not properly introducing your dog to other dogs....but that is exactly what people do when they enter dog parks.

Not knowing where your dog is, at all times, to the point that you aren't sure if he was bullied again or not, means that you cannot show your dog that you will protect it.

I'm not saying that to be a jerk, I'm saying it because, as I stated in my previous post, I failed to do it...and now I have a dog aggressive dog. Now I have to be extra vigilant when taking him on walks. I cannot let him play with other dogs anymore, except his sibling. If we go on a hike, I have to bring a muzzle, just in case there are other dogs in the area. He hates the muzzle. So do I.

Learn from my mistakes....that's why I posted.

[PAinSC]

Oh I get what you were saying Three. I was very close to my dog. Honestly, if it wasn't for the owner yelling the dog's name after it was bullying the Golden, I wouldn't have known it was the same dog. It's just a black dog so it didn't stand out to me.

After he bullied the Golden, that's when my pup acted different. I always have an eye on my dog. Even entering the park, if dogs swarm to the gate area, I take the time for all of them to get acquainted.

My dog is a very socialized dog and typically has no enemies. I think it helps as he's been going to daycare a few times a week since he's been 4 months old. He loves being around other dogs and there's some he bonds with and others there's no connection. Then there is this bully dog who he just fears and I left the park since the owner wouldn't.