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Yesterday a fully grown greyhound off the leash in our local dog park. came over to my hubby and shih tzu circled him them went into crouch mode before going in for an attack... my husband had to knee the dog in the face and hold our wee dog up in his arms..... the dog jumped all round them until the owner came over and put the lead back on him...and apologied, but surely this isnt good enough... shouldnt the dog be kept on the lead or muzzled.. if she knows it does this sort of thing, Im not terrified of our dog going to the park..... this is the second time a greyhound has did this.. so are they trained to go after small furry dogs like on the race track or what... Im petrified and need help..
This is the risk you always run when you take your dog to a dog park. Unless you personally know all the dogs and the dog owners, you are playing Russian roulette. I don't care if it's a greyhound, pit bull, or poodle. Some dogs will turn aggressive against other dogs and their owners are oblivious until it's often too late.
I once took my dog to a dog park and that was the last time. I learned quickly the negative side to these parks.
Yes these parks are no good . most time the owners of aggressive dogs are too busy talking to notice what their dog is doing and then the bad happens. They usually take off before you can get their name and number so you can get them to pay for any damages . Have heard too many bad things happening in those places . I have three small toy dogs there is no way in God's green earth would I take them to a dog park and they are not aggressive .Avoid the dog park like the plague .
Most dog parks I have seen have a small dog area, and a large dog area. No way would I allow them to mix!
Agree with the above, I won't take my dogs to the dogpark ever because of disease #1, and rude dogs, clueless owners.
Greyhounds aren't trained to chase small things, it is instinct, and they are bred for it. I would never walk into a dog park with a small dog if there was any kind of sight hound there, and if one showed up, I would pick my wee dog up and leave. Period.
No, I would not ask them to muzzle or put on a lead. What is to stop a small dog from running up to it while on lead? Even muzzled a large dog can smash a small dog with a paw, if it really wants to.
Happens ALL the time that little dogs are allowed to mess with big dogs, and then it is the big dogs fault when little dogs get hurt. This has happened to me many time with my large dog "on lead". Not my fault if someone's dog gets into their space, but scary nonetheless. I've even had small dogs try to attack my small dog (mine on lead - not on their property) all just on the street. That was scary, so I understand.
It is not a question of fault, or aggression here IMO. When you have a puppy, small, elderly, or infirm dog you must be aware, and care for it accordingly. It takes extra effort to keep them safe.
Know your dog, and other dogs. Any question? leave. Maybe try to set up a meet up of small breeds in your yard, or take turns at others so they have different experiences and exercise.
Also since this is the second time, you know what to expect. See greyhound, pick up shih tzu and leave. Or find a park that has a divided small dog area if you feel you must go to the dog park.
Or..... get the rules changed at that dog park, in the meantime change your behavior to keep your dog safe.
My dogs have lived together 90 pounds and 15 pounds for years. We have one coming that may hit 10 pounds coming in to live with another 90 pound dog. And STILL, when I am walking either size dogs I have to be alert to others who think everyone loves their off lead dogs.
Yesterday a fully grown greyhound off the leash in our local dog park. came over to my hubby and shih tzu circled him them went into crouch mode before going in for an attack... my husband had to knee the dog in the face and hold our wee dog up in his arms..... the dog jumped all round them until the owner came over and put the lead back on him...and apologied, but surely this isnt good enough... shouldnt the dog be kept on the lead or muzzled.. if she knows it does this sort of thing, Im not terrified of our dog going to the park..... this is the second time a greyhound has did this.. so are they trained to go after small furry dogs like on the race track or what... Im petrified and need help..
Not in a dog park. The whole point of dog parks is that dogs be allowed to run freely in them off leash. As a matter of fact, it is a bad idea for a dog to be on lead in a dog park. It makes them a target for other dogs that aren't on leash. Why did you allow your small dog to mix with the large ones? And what do you mean by "going in for an attack?" It's rare that grey hounds are aggressive toward anything. If you still want to go to the dog park, just go when the grey hound isn't there or use the small dog area, if there is one.
Not in a dog park. The whole point of dog parks is that dogs be allowed to run freely in them off leash. As a matter of fact, it is a bad idea for a dog to be on lead in a dog park. It makes them a target for other dogs that aren't on leash. Why did you allow your small dog to mix with the large ones? And what do you mean by "going in for an attack?" It's rare that grey hounds are aggressive toward anything. If you still want to go to the dog park, just go when the grey hound isn't there or use the small dog area, if there is one.
Firstly its not a real dog park area, its a smallish fenced off park actually for older folk to sit and families, and we do walk him in other parts of the park.. but hes mainly on the lead as he runs away when he sees other dogs... he was on the lead both times hes been attacked. and it was attacks.. not play.. I dont know about greyhounds as never known one but if these ones are guilty of attacks then surely they should be kept on a lead.... He was with me the first attack and with my husband on his own yesterday... he had to knee the greyhound away from him..... thanks for the responses though..
Small dogs can trigger prey drive instinct in another dog; I would never allow a small dog loose around an unfamiliar larger loose dog. It may be fine at home with dogs that know each other, but not in public with dogs you don't know well.
Dog parks are dicey to begin with due to (too often inattentive) owners who aren't knowledgeable about what good dog-dog interactions look like and dogs of all sizes who may or may not be friendly. Mixing up sizes all together adds another layer of complexity. Best to stick with dog parks that have separate large and small dog areas.
We had a greyhound that was great with our cat in the house but if she saw any small animal out of the house, it was fair game. It was instinct and nothing stopped her. We had no squirrels on our property. When we adopted her we were told to never let her off lead unless it was in a contained area and a controlled situation. They see something and that's it, they are off. They are sight hounds with a strong prey drive but one of the sweetest dogs going. I would have another one if I could. It was not the greyhound's fault and I am not blaming you either. It is a situation to avoid.
We had a greyhound that was great with our cat in the house but if she saw any small animal out of the house, it was fair game. It was instinct and nothing stopped her. We had no squirrels on our property. When we adopted her we were told to never let her off lead unless it was in a contained area and a controlled situation. They see something and that's it, they are off. They are sight hounds with a strong prey drive but one of the sweetest dogs going. I would have another one if I could. It was not the greyhound's fault and I am not blaming you either. It is a situation to avoid.
I agree and why after the first encounter we now watch out who is in the park before entering.... I think a lot of the greyhounds are from the race track nearby at Shawfield... and rehomed... so yes theyve been trained too for the hunt of smaller animals in the game... Ill just have to be careful.. thank you.
If your dog runs away from other dogs, it probably triggers their prey instinct.
It doesn't really sound to me like your dog was "attacked" but I wasn't there. However, I do think that the little-dog-owner technique of picking the dog up just tends to make things worse because the other dogs don't know what that's all about and they get curious, and the dog that is now being held in someone's arms can't act like a dog anymore. Dogs that have been treated this way don't seem to know how to socially greet another dog, which is something very important for a dog to know.
I would never go to a dog park for all the reasons already mentioned.
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Not a fan of dog parks
