I would have picked him up too, then I probably would have kicked the crap out of the german while holding Giz above my head. Over protective mama-style! Screaming and yelling like a true harpy! Then the owner… oh boy, would I go crazy on him! We'd see how he likes getting bitten on the neck!
I've been in a couple of similar situations and I can tell you that's EXACTLY what I would have done, even if I do "know better". All of the stuff I've learned about dog behavior, triggers, challenges, escalating aggression….tends to go out the window when I'm suddenly confronted with a potential life-or-death situation & I have a few seconds to react to protect my dog!
And my personal safety fails to cross my mind in those moments- I'd much rather get bitten than allow my dog to be injured, like somebody else said.
Nerdy, if I could hug ya, I would. I know it's awful when your dog gets hurt and you feel like you "could" have done something different. But what's done is done....and in all reality you did FINE. None of us can say for sure we'd have done any better, none of us were in your shoes. There is NO sense in guilt-tripping yourself while replaying the incident in your mind. You acted in the moment, you responded to an immediate threat, you did what came naturally. Your dog is hurt but he's alive and he will be just fine...and that's the main thing!
The only person who deserves blame in this situation is the owner of the GSD. He should know better...he SHOULD NOT bring a known aggressive dog to a dog park. Ever. Period, end of story. There is NO excuse for it. The others are correct....a dog doesn't "need" to play with doggy friends at the park....that's purely a human concept of social behavior and dogs don't necessarily operate that way. It's great for dogs who DO enjoy it but there is no reason to bring an anti-social dog thinkig it can be forced into playing nicey-nice. That GSD is a perfect example of a dog who absolutely had NO REASON to be at a dog park.
Yes, some dogs LOVE the dog park....it can be a great way to exercise and have fun WITH A SOCIAL DOG. I've gone to some great dog parks- MacPack's local dog park is probably one of the best I've ever been to, with a good group of regulars who tend not to allow a newcomer with a nasty dog to stick around very long. But when people bring dogs like this Shepherd to the park, and they fail to recognize the danger they're putting other people in....AND nobody at the park stands up to the owner and TELLS them to remove their dog....it ruins the experience for everyone!!
Like others said, if you really feel Gizmo enjoys the dog park and you don't want to quit going altogether, just be more picky about when you go, and leave at the first indication that somebody is present with a nasty dog.
One small thing I'll put out for your consideration- I don't know how old Gizmo is, but I do know that some Basenjis, esp. males...develop an increased level of intolerance for other dogs once they are fully mature...2 to 4 years is pretty common. My Jibini used to love the park...we'd go 3-4 times a week when he was a puppy & it was a regular thing for the first 3 yrs of his life. There was a time when another dog could snarl & body check him and he'd offer no reaction other than to be playful. But around age 3, suddenly he developed a new attitude. Seemed to get defensive in situations with a lot of strange dogs. Would not tolerate any sort of "challenge" from another dog. Didn't take much to trigger an aggressive/dominant reaction out of him, and if another dog failed to back down, he'd want to fight. It caused me to cut WAY down on our dog park visits and I ultimately stopped bringing him due to the risk. I say this ONLY for you to think about- if Gizmo is around this age range now, it is possible his love for the dog park could be changing. It's up to you to decide what's best for him of course 
Anyway, I am SO sorry that you and Gizmo had such a scary ordeal! Here's hoping he feels better soon....and that you're able to get the info on that Shepherd owner & take action to prevent him from bringing his time-bomb to the dog park any more.
Have you thought about going to a sight hounds lure event and hook up with some Basenji people and arrange some social events with them vs a dog park?
I think I will post up a sign asking for the owner of the Shepard to contact me. See how that goes.
Other than that I will be taking trips up to the park at the same time he was there, usually people have a routine and I am hoping that was his. If he does not want to give me his name I will just have to take pictures of his car license-plate and hand that in to the police.
@ nobarkus
Sadly there is no lure events here.
Dog parks tend to be bad because people stand around chatting and are not really doing anything to manage their dogs while they interact. There seems to be less issues at places where the people keep moving and therefore the dogs keep moving to keep track of their people and have more motivation to check in frequently. The interactions between the dogs seem to be easier to redirect since they are on the move and not so focused on each other.
This is the reason I love going to the area I take Sonny too. It's 118 acres and the dog owners go there to walk themselves not just the dogs We cover about 4 miles around the farm and along the way Sonny runs and plays with the different dogs we cross paths with along our walk. Sonny interacts much better when it's just a few dogs then a whole pack playing in one area.
Nerdy I'm really sorry for what happened. I had an encounter similar to yours last year and I did the same thing you did. I wrestled Sonny away from the other dog and lifted him off the ground and I'm the one who ended up with the bite marks. Your 1st instinct tells you to protect your dog and everything else goes out the window….
@sonnyboy:
Sonny interacts much better when it's just a few dogs then a whole pack playing in one area.
Kananga is the same way, a big reason why I haven't gone back to the dog parks. He just gets overwhelmed.
Around my building we're always bumping into other dogs. He loves to meet with dogs he knows (usually 1 or 2 at a time) and is very neutral with them. I have yet to see him get snarky with any dogs. It's fun to watch him sit and wag his tail when he sees dogs off in the distance (funny how I didn't even teach him to do that, he sits by default).
I think I will post up a sign asking for the owner of the Shepard to contact me. See how that goes.
Other than that I will be taking trips up to the park at the same time he was there, usually people have a routine and I am hoping that was his. If he does not want to give me his name I will just have to take pictures of his car license-plate and hand that in to the police.
Part of me feels the owner should be responsible for any vet bills you incurred. He fully knew the capabilities of his dog, in regards to aggression, and he should be reimbursing you for being negligent.
There's an owner in my building that has a larger dog, who can get aggressive (just a bit unstable at times really), and he knows the capabilities of that dog so he always has her on a leash and knows to keep some distance with other dogs. Every once and awhile he'll let her get a bit close to Kananga just to say hi, but he's always very cautious, ready to take control at any point of conflict.
I'm just disappointed that someone would allow their dog to roam off leash around other dogs when they themselves even said their dog would kill another dog at a point of conflict. Hopefully you find out who this person is and let others know of what happened. I'd be mostly worried about a repeat scenario with another dog, and they might not be as lucky…
I haven't taken Buddy to the dog park for a while. The last time we were there for 1 hour and all was fine. He was playing with this larger dog for about 20 minutes and they played well until the guy threw a ball and they both went for it and his dog attacked Buddy. No bite marks were found. That seems to cause problems when there's balls or Frisbees and the dogs get competitive or possessive. My neighbor just got a new friendly dog and I take him over there and I'm going to meet up with some other Basenji owners for get togethers near me. The only other dog park I go to is 200 acres so everybody is moving and walking.
I'm sorry to hear of this. And I'm glad you and Gizmo are okay.
I walk AJ on lead in most places because I'd rather he not try to acquaint himself with an 80,000 pound truck. There are other drivers who walk their dogs off lead. A couple weeks ago, there was a Sheltie mix bitch who was off lead. She saw AJ and made a beeline for him. I yelled to her owner to call her back or she will get bitten for rushing my dog. Luckily, she returned to him when he called her. This was not long after AJ bit the Basset that rushed him.
He does just fine without dog socializing. I know he will bite if rushed and will never turn down a challenge even from a Pit Bull. Therefore, for his own safety and for the safety of rude dogs, he is kept on lead and very carefully introduced to no more than two dogs at a time and only after I have talked with the owner and observed the other dog. And then I watch him very closely for signs things aren't going well. The very second it starts looking iffy, I call him in and remove him from the situation.
I hope Gizmo does not have any lasting issues because of this.
Part of me feels the owner should be responsible for any vet bills you incurred.
That's the main reason for me trying to get a hold of him. There is a sign with rules before you enter the park, and one of them is that you are responsible for any damage your dog does.
Hugs to Gizmo! Sorry to hear about his scary ordeal and we all hope he recovers quick. That other dog's human should never let his dog play in a park without a muzzle and leash and he better pay for Gizmos vet bills! He owes Gizmo a lot more too for the mental aspect! I am thinking twice about going to a dog park now. Thanks for letting us know about our friend Gizmo.
Poor Gizmo - please don't beat yourself up about this - it's instinctual and natural to want to get your dog out of harm's way - I would have done just what you did in the same circumstances. The owner of that shepherd should have known not to have his dog at the park - all dog park rules include no aggressive dogs allowed. I hope you get the bills paid, one way or another. Gizmo is healing and may have a few scars and psychological hurdles to get over, but he's a B, and you love him, and in time all will be well again.
It's great hearing you all would do the same. My guilt is starting to degrade, but the incident keeps playing back in my mind all day long. I think once his wonds are healed and his coat is grown back I can start putting it behind me.
Anyways, I little update;
Just got back from the vet, I was told to pop in just to make sure there is no infection. Everything seemed great. The wound was slightly elevated/irritated but Gizmo did not react at all to it. She could rub it, and squeeze it and Gizmo couldn't care less. In fact, Gizmo hasn't even tried to scratch at it. So I really have to give thanks again to the vet that did such an amazing job at stitching him up!
I have also printed out a sign to hang up. Just a quick note mentioning the attack, and if the owner or witnesses that know him, could please contact me. Going to hang it up later this evening.
Aww poor Gizmo,
I think you did right by picking him up AFTER the Sheppard grabbed him the first time, but I also believe that the instructions to not pick up your dog is correct too, but ONLY prior to any dog making contact with each other. IF, they are only snarking and claiming space, then yes, leave them be but watch carefully or perhaps leave - if it was your dog that started. We know you already know this Nerdy…- in general for other owners. 
I know everything happened so fast and read that the Sheppard owner is generally mindful and we know that you are careful as well, but when you think about it, your instincts were right by picking Gizmo up after the initial attack and I'm sure he is grateful for that. If anything, the only thing that I would do different is to chase the other dog away to let both dogs know that it is the two legged creatures that rule the park. If any of the owners had an issue with me doing this then I would say "Then watch your dog, so I don't attack him." Amazing how that phrase gets them every time...
I'm not sure if your park has a governing body that supports and cleans the area, but our park has a member / volunteer committee. When Kairoe was attacked at our park, I spoke to the committee and they set out to speak to the owner, last I heard the owner has not been back to the park since her dog was much like the Sheppard and had a reputation. We pay a nominal fee of $5 annually, to keep our parks alive. This fee is for entrances to all dog parks here in Mississauga. We enjoy our dog park and fully support more dog parks, simply for the reasons that it's for the dogs and it lets our City know that dogs have a voice when it comes to voting. Further, by posting that sign you will also enable more owners to identify the bad owner and perhaps have the owner at least be more mindful. Hopefully, his pocket will feel it too.
Keep ya heads up. 
Emm
I'm glad Gizmo's wounds are healing. Good luck with tracing the GSD owner.
I agree with Ivoss that dogs don't need the dog park to lead fulfilling lives. Lots of dogs, my Abbey included, just aren't social. We were brutally attacked by a lab-looking dog in the dog park in the middle of the day when there were no other dogs or owners around. The dog just came at us without provocation and attacked, knocking me down and ripping into Abbey's belly. You better believe I picked my baby up and held her against me!! My free hand was ready to punch that creature if he had come up in my face to grab her again, and I do NOT apologize for saying that!! The owner just calmly sat on the bench talking on her cell phone while I screamed at her to come get her dog. I carried my bleeding baby back home while she just got in her car and drove off. No, Abbey doesn't need the dog park, and I don't feel forcing her to go back as "therapy" is the answer. She has lots of dog friends in our neighborhood and that's enough for us.
Very sorry that happened!! Glad he is allright. I know, that would have picked him up no matter what. I just couldnt .. not pick him up..
Well the note I hung up did it's job. It didn't take long till the phone rang, and one of the witnesses called me up.
She told me the owner felt really bad, and as they all where talking about the incident after I left the park his dog started picking on Ariel, Gizmos "girl". So the owner stormed out of the park, and was REALLY pissed at the dog.
Apparently the owner works offshore, and will be gone for 2 weeks, but she has him on Facebook and was going to send him my phone number and inform him about Gizmo and his vet bills.
So it seems everything will work out. I will keep you all updated if anything else happens.
I can't believe he didn't collect his dog and leave immediately after the incident with Gizmo! By not doing so, he essentially told his dog that sort of behavior is acceptable.
It's good, though, that he seems to have a conscience about it and hopefully will try to make things right with you.
Good luck…
Don't feel so bad. This happened to Indy and I cried, I blamed myself, I did everything and the next day he was fine. The only thing is he does not like other dogs near his head any more. He is going to be just fine, the both of you are. The best medicine here is going to be some family snuggling. Good luck.
QUICK UPDATE:
So it turns out the owner of the Shepard has been home since Thursday 27, and has been on his Facebook page. So he has seen the message about me asking him to contact me.
I have attempted to call him but no answer. I left a message on his phone. I let one day pass. Nothing.
I then sent a text message. Let one day pass. Nothing.
I contacted the witness lady whom knows him. She is going to talk to him today. If I hear nothing today I will file a police report.
It's obvious he is avoiding the whole situation. Sadly I am now forced to send in Gizmos bills to Gizmos insurance. Bummer.
