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Permalink Reply by Karen Dadisman on March 5, 2009 at 9:22pm

I'm sure you had your dog's best interests at heart but I do not understand why people take their dogs to dog parks. Take them for walks, take them to classes, go to your friends where there is one other dog. So many dogs get hurt and frightened in dog parks. If I were you, I would not take him back. Corgis who are attacked by other dogs can easily become fear aggressive and then you have a real problem on your hands. A dog park is a fight waiting to happen and the offending dog's owner will never own up just like the parents of the local bully think their child is an angel.

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Permalink Reply by Patti on March 5, 2009 at 9:24pm

You have my deepest sympathies for Midas and for you - I know all to well how horrific these attacks can be - my Kai has been viciously attacked twice, by a Great Dane and an Akita. It is not fair, nor right and you are absolutely right - apologies should be given.
As for your questions as to why this is happening, the one thing I have learned is you cannot judge someone else's dog - only your own. I looked at the Dane right before it attacked Kai and there was no forewarning that anything was about to occur, no growls, no lunging, no ears back - nothing. After the Akita attack, we decided to change OUR behavior. Kai has quite a few friends who he plays well with and will not hurt him. The chase each other, play ball, "frap" and do "healthy" dog stuff where we don't end up at the vet's. I - in my opinion - will never take Kai to a dog park - because I cannot judge all the dog's that are there and it is not worth the risk to me - now maybe Im overreactive, but close to $3000 in vet bills, and I'm ok with not going to a dog park.
You could try taking Midas to a puppy training class - for the socialization, and training doesn't hurt either! he could make some friends, as well as you, and start from there. There may be other dogs in your neighborhood that you could try taking Midas for walks with, on a one-on-one basis, and let it start out slowly.
You are in my thoughts and I hope all goes well for both of you.

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Permalink Reply by DR, Nala & Simon on March 6, 2009 at 12:02am

Unless there is a small dog area in the dog park, I don't take Nala or Cosmo. Have you checked a "doggy day care". They usually have socializing sessions, with dogs the same size. Puppy classes are other excellent option. A friend of mine, who has teacup chihuahuas usually arrange for playdates in her house. She invites a couple of other "pint size" owners. They bring treats, move some furniture for games, play dress up, etc. She does this, because she can "control" the environment and the dogs are supervised and having fun. See if there are any "Corgi Meetups" in your area, try to see where and when they get together, that way Midas can relate and enjoy the company of other corgis.

Report to whoever administers the park, about the incident. Aggressive dogs should not be allowed or tolerated in dog parks. Use your rights as a park member. They need to identify the dog and the owner and let the person know that the dog is not welcome. I am sorry you and Midas had to gone through this. Hopefully it will be the last time. Take care! Hope Midas keeps his friendly attitude.

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Permalink Reply by Ein Danger on March 6, 2009 at 1:07am

i understand that there are many irresponsible dog owners out there but that shouldn't spoil the fun for the rest of the group. nor should you live in fear of going to the dog park. it's supposed to be a fun and happy place. and besides, its a free country! i'm not sure as to what the laws are there but if there was a fight it would make sense that the other owner involved would have to be 50% responsible for their dog's actions. since dog parks are leash free areas, owners should take full responsibility for their dog's actions/behaviors. if my dog were to have been hurt or to have hurt another dog where they would need to seek medical attention, i would immediately call the police to file a report. that way you have something to take with you to court if they do not wish to ante up their portion of med expenses. no more people's court for me. lol.

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Permalink Reply by Boots and Superstar! on March 6, 2009 at 3:02am

I have the same problem when I take Superstar to the dog park...large Bull Mastiffs and other large breeds attack her, whether they are male or female and she is only 5 months!I still wonder why does this happen. There is a dog park that I was taking her there, and she loves it but last saturday, the dog park owners changed the "off leash" to "only leashed dogs" allowed. And people would question them why did this change happened and they said due to irresponsible dog owners who attack other dogs for no reason...it is always sickening that dog owners do not care on how to raise their dogs right, for other people who are responsible dog owners to pay the consequences.

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Permalink Reply by Stanley & Charlotte on March 6, 2009 at 8:28am

I can only imagine how frightened you must have been. That's so scary. Well I have been fortunate enough with Stanley to be able to take him to several different dog parks and each time has been fine and a lot of fun for him. Dog parks are not bad place and I think it can be a good outlet for dogs to play with each other. But I will say I have seen a really bad dog fight at a park between two larger dogs. Animal Services was called out and they did not issue the owner of the aggressive dog a citation or anything. I had heard from other people in the park that the dog had been aggressive before at the park 3 other times before. Animal Services said they'd never rec'd any calls about that dog before and thus no citation for a first offense. So what I would offer is that if you feel a dog is aggressive and shouldn't be at that park - call Animal Services or whoever runs the park and report it right away. Those kinds of dogs should definitely not be allowed in the park. That being said, perhaps you should lay off the dog park for awhile until Midas gets more confident around dogs of all sizes (in safer environments like dog daycare or obedience classes). Maybe the other dogs see him as afraid and that's what prompts them to attack?

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Permalink Reply by Sam on March 6, 2009 at 8:45am

I'm really sorry this happened. I'm just boiling in anger reading this. Stupid people getting pets... If Ein was attacked in that same fashion I think I would probly lose it and scare the dog and then go after the owner. I hope you call it in to whoever you can though and let them know about this dog even if you don't go back there which is probably a good idea.

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Permalink Reply by Plato & Sula on March 6, 2009 at 9:41am

The dog park can be overwhelming--especially if you have a fearful dog. It sounds like Midas hasn't had enough good experiences to build up his confidence around other dogs (and maybe even in public?). Until he does, I would not take him to an environment where there are a lot of overexcited, uncontrolled dogs. I would recommend a few things:

-Walk him (at a brisk pace) 2x a day for at least 45 minutes each time, this will build his confidence, calm him down and allow you to display leadership
-Never take your dog immediately to the dog park. You should walk him for at least 35 minutes beforehand to calm his mind.
-Enroll in obedience training or teach him tricks on your own--any time he does something right and gets a reward he'll slowly build his self-esteem
-Gradually expose him to as many different sights, people, environments as possible. If he shows fear, do NOT console him as this will encourage the behavior.
-Gradually expose him to other dogs. If you have friends with well-mannered dogs, I would recommend that you take them on walks together so he gets used to being in a calm state around other canines.
-It's good to protect Midas when other dogs are attacking him--but be careful about picking him up any time he shows fear of something. Again, this can encourage and affirm his fearful behavior. He'll expect you to bail him out every time.
-One of the most important things is to show leadership. Not sure if you're an experienced dog owner, but your dog is less likely to be fearful if they have a calm, assertive leader they can look up to.

Hope this helps!

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Permalink Reply by Cindi on March 6, 2009 at 9:45am

I'm so sorry you went through this. It's just maddening! We have a dog park about 25 miles from us. It's divided into two areas: big dog, small dog. However, this (and many parks) are owner-supervised. You simply cannot know what kind of dogs are there and what their temperament is. A woman in our area is trying to set up a privately run park. All dogs will be temperment tested and will have to pay a fee to participate.

I can say, as a trainer, by scooping up Midas you may have saved him some pain but it incites the other dogs to attack further. It's a two-edged sword. Someone mentioned training classes, which are an excellent opportunity for socialization as well as confidence building. Also, if you're near a PetSmart or PetCo, take Midas in a couple of times a week and just walk him around. When I was socializing Tank, I would take him and just sit on the floor with him and give him treats for good behavior. It helped a lot.

Another thought that comes to mind, as long as Midas has a problem with confidence (weak energy) the other dogs are going to pick up on that and respond by facing down that weak energy. It sucks. So working on some confidence building is a great idea. And, unfortunately, it means you can't always save him from everything. I'm guessing that you're so fearful of attacks now that Midas picks up on that and translates that energy to the other dogs around.

Do consider taking training classes and getting involved with a local corgi club, if possible. The confidence building will do the both of you worlds of good.

(And I'm glad to hear he wasn't hurt badly.)

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Permalink Reply by Marianne Ross on March 6, 2009 at 12:50pm

I'm sorry about poor Midas. When my dearly departed Lady was still a pup, there was a chow that was loose in the apartment complex. This chow followed us on our walk. I kept an eye on the dog and it is good I did. As I watched, it broke into a trot and was intently staring at Lady. Obviously, the predator behavior in action. I scooped her up, turned around and snarled at the incoming chow. He startled, looked at me as if to say, hey, that little thing has a big scary protector. And he retreated. I had acted just like a pack leader, saying to the intruder, this little bitch is MINE, back OFF.
Had I been in your shoes, you can bet I would've been snarling and kicking that dog that was tugging on Midas' leg. I am my babies protector and I'm not afraid to kick the snot out of some dog that attacks mine. *hug*

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Permalink Reply by Sarah C. on March 6, 2009 at 1:22pm

I feel the same way. I'm not one to hurt a dog, but if being the meanest, nastiest dog of the pack in the dog fight well get other dogs the hell out of my way so I can get to my dog, I will. In fact, I have.

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Permalink Reply by Corgibyassociation on March 11, 2009 at 9:32am

That's so scary! I heard a tip where a woman carried some vinegar in a spray bottle. Since she was in a park much like the one in our area (where some can't control their aggressive dogs), she was forced to break up any fights. Vinegar will sting but it shouldn't cause too much damage. Also, it is better than mace--you can always dilute it a little bit.

We take our dogs to the trails. We have a park that allows dogs, so long as they are leashed, to hike--and there are a lot of dogs there too.

But we also experienced similar problems that you have at the dog park with our Weimaraner. We haven't gone back since.

Best of luck, glad Midas is ok.

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