Is my basenji dangerous?

[jys1011]

I'm writing this completely troubled & dumbfound by what just happend to us today. We've had our dogs for 2 months & I adore them.

I went for a walk with both my Bs today after work. We were on our way back home when 2 dogs OFFLEASH approached us in the dark on the street. One was a big light colored dog lab-like. Can't remember what it was. The other was a small LOUD furry poofy kind of dog yorkie-type I dunno. I'm so traumatized right now I can barely type.

I tried to keep walking past them but like I said they were off leash and of course my dogs were curious too. It was dark too. The big dog was fine sniffed around but the little dog was barking & jumping. As we moved forward the dogs kept following us. When all of a sudden (I can't even recall how it all happened) I hear growling and quick movements & then I see a scuffle. I can't tell who did what or how! C3 grabs hold of the little dog. Topaz is going bananas so I was trying to control her & then I realize C3 was not letting go of this little dog!! The owners come out of nowhere & the big dog disappears. I dont know where it went but I'm trying to get C3 to release this dog & he just would not let go of it!!! I was so scared & terrified & I kept yelling to please let it go! let it go! let it go!! And I didn't want Topaz to go after the dog too so I was practically choking her behind me!!

Finally I grabbed his mouth & I was prying his mouth open to release the dog. This woman grabbed her dog & pulled it hard & he finally let go. I grabbed my dogs and the woman kept telling me it's ok it's ok I hope they have thier shots. I yelled out my address & told them my vet's name. They had their shots & got home as fast as I could. I'm so incredibly distraught!! I don't have any idea what to do.

I got home I realized the only one that got bitten was me TWICE!! I have a cut on each hand. No big deal but I guess I'm more wrecked then they were. C3 has some scratches on his neck but he's ok. Topaz is ok as well. I called my husband & he came immediately. He's so upset. I'm so upset.

What do I do now?? Is C3 dangerous?? I'm terrified now to walk with them, will I ever be able to walk with them?? I have no idea what to do??

Jennifer

[lvoss]

Jennifer,
The owner whose dogs were off leash is the one who was in the wrong and is ultimately who is responsible for what happened. A dog who is on leash has very limited options about how to respond to off leash dogs. The off leash dogs were in your dog's space and your dogs did not have the option to leave. They could only move in the space allowed by their leash. Many dogs on leash will act aggressively when an unleashed dog appraoches especially one that is barking and posturing. When you have two dogs that you are walking at once your options are also limited, you can scream for the owners to get their dogs or carry Direct Stop and use it. Be vocal to anyone with an offleash dog that they must leash it. Also, be well versed in your local leash laws. This is not your fault and C3PO reacted to a situation where he felt he had limited options.

My dogs have all been attacked by off leash dogs. I know my local leash laws very well and also know that if my on leash dog grabs on off leash dog that charges at it, the owner of the off leash dog is legally liable in my area because they are breaking the law.

[Quercus]

I agree with Lisa. Though I know it is a scary situation to be in, your dogs were completely within their "rights" to defend themselves. Maybe the off leash owners will think twice before they let their dogs run loose. Please do not accept any guilt in this incident.

The only thing I might have done differently would be to try to step inbetween my dogs and the other dogs, and possible kick the other dogs away. It's gotta be less painful to the dogs than being bitten, right?

This is one reason that I don't like to walk multiple dogs in an area where their may be loose dogs (like my rural neighborhood!) With one dog you can pick him up and hold him as high as possible….still could be trouble....with two dogs, you could try to do that...but you may end up getting bitten by one of your own dogs.

Another idea is to carry a walking stick that you could fend off loose dogs with. You don't necessarily have to hit the other dog, but you could place it inbetween your dog and the intruder

Sorry you had to go through that! I hope your bite heals soon.

[Lucythebasenji]

I've noticed my baseji to be very protective of herself aswell Lucy would rip that little dog to pieces if it approached her she is protective of me and herself it is not your fault at all and even though it may be tramatizing (spelling?) i know the only PERSON at fault is the owner who lets thier dogs run free withour a leash, they should be thanking you that you dont have a rottwieler or something. but dont worry about it, basenji's are one crazy breed, joining the forum made me realize they are all alike and we cant change that about them

[lvoss]

I just wanted to add, if my statements seem a little harsh it is because my oldest boy Nicky, who will be 9 tomorrow, has been attacked by off leash dogs at least once every year. I have very little patience for people who choose to break leash laws because so often these people refuse to be responsible for the actions of their dogs or even acknowledge that their choice to break the law effects me and my dogs. My husband has had people yell profanity at him as he physically restrained their dog because they continued to come at our dogs and the owners refused to leash them. It is heartbreaking to watch as Nicky has nightmares after an attack.

[jys1011]

Thanks for the support. I really do appreciate it. I've never had this happened to me before. I keep thinking back on what went wrong & what I should have done. I don't like to approach other dogs (I don't trust them) and I usually cross the street to avoid any type of altercation like this. This is the 2nd time I've been approached by dogs off leash with an owner yelling from behind them to get back (yea right!). But when I keep moving they usually move away from us.

These dogs didn't seem to get the point. I felt cornerd to be honest with you. The owner hasn't come by yet but I'm sure they will at some point. I can't imagine that dog is ok.

Thanks again folks!

[lvoss]

They may not come by. If there is a leash law in your city or county then they were liable and if you were injured in the attack, they would be liable for your injuries.

[Vanessa]

Im so sorry to hear about that. Some people I swear can just really get to me :mad: I agree with everyone…you did nothing wrong. The person whose dogs are not on a leash are to blame. You were quite bold as to stick your hands in their mouths. I dont think I could of ever done that. That was good, quick thinking on your part.
Honestly if I was ever in your situation I probably would get a walking stick to protect you and your dogs and I hate to say it but I would use it if a dog started to attack me.
In the end...Im glad that YOU and your babies are doing well.

[youngandtired]

Your babies did what they had to do to keep those dogs away from them and their owner. The owners of the off leash dogs are to blame for the mishap, not you. Stop feeling quilty, things like this happen, I would get me something to keep these unleash dogs off of me and my babies.

[JoeyQ]

I am in full agreement with everyone here!!! YOU ARE NOT AT FAULT. I am sorry that you got hurt! Joey was attacked twice by off leash dogs and the dogs were nipped at by Joey. He gave them a warning. The golden backed off right away with no owner in sight(the dog was not restrained in his yard) and the lab was being walked by a young girl who could not hold onto his leash. I told the girl she needs to be able to control her dog, but I think she was too young to understand. Your B is not dangerous. I would not feel that you need to be wary of them. They reacted naturally. I just read about this on another thread. I hope you all are able to feel better about yourselves, but not the owner of the other dogs.

[Lenora]

If your town has a leash law, the owners of the unleashed dogs are breaking the law. Your dogs had every right to defend themselves and you. I have absolutely no tolerance for people who either walk with their dogs unleashed or let them wander. 10 years ago I was attacked by a doberman as I got out of my car one morning coming home from work. It actually lived in the next block. It never even barked, just came at me and knocked me off the curb into the street and was standing on my chest while I was flat on my back. All I could do was keep my hands in front of my face because he was trying to bite my neck. THE MAILMAN came along just then and rescued me. I had a concussion, torn cartilege in my knee, cut the palms of both hands, and broke all the bones in the top of my left foot. To make a long story short, somebody's little darling Raggs, had to put to sleep because of this. He had attacked several joggers, the mailman, and children walking to school. It doesn't matter if the dog is vicious or not because nobody thinks their dog is. A leash law is to protect all of us and our dogs and people ought to abide by it for their own safety. You were doing the right thing by leashing your dogs and you dogs were trying to protect you.

[Quercus]

<< It doesn't matter if the dog is vicious or not because nobody thinks their dog is. A leash law is to protect all of us and our dogs and people ought to abide by it for their own safety.>>

So well said, it needs to be repeated!

[Lenora]

Please don't think I was responsible for the dog being put to sleep. That was a separate matter between the owner and the city. This dog had many offenses against people which added up to a death sentence for him. I lost several months of work because of my injuries. That's why we leash our dogs, for our protection and our dogs' safety as well.

[Basenji_Boy]

I'm so sorry to hear this, it's troubling. As all have mentioned you and your dogs did nothing wrong and your options where limited. I like the idea of walking one dog at a time as a solution to this happening again. You are lucky that it was the small dog that got involved…....dog fights are very dangerous and be very cautious as to how you break one up.

[nala121498]

You poor thing and your poor babies…I am sending you lots of ((hugs)) for you to heal physically and emotionally. It's a very traumatic situation. Let us know how you are doing.

[tlbuddy]

I totally agree with all of the posts. I leave in a condo community and their are a lot of people that do not keep leashes on dogs. Cali and I have been run up on by dogs on more than one occasion that was off leash. One of the dogs has attacked at least 3 other dogs and one person. Cali is a Basenji mix, so the terrier part of her started barking viciously and alerted me that a Rottweiller was running up on us(we are not allowed to have this breed in our gated community) I stood still and did not react at all because I did not want Cali to since my nervous energy. I also did not look the dog in the eye and stood my ground. Of course Cali was going ballistic, but I stood their calmly(not really, just appeared to be) and the owner came and got her dog. She has been reported on more than one occasion. We also had an unleashed boxer sneak up on us one night when I was taking Cali out, Cali noticed the boxer before I did and before I knew it Cali and the boxer wer nose to nose. Cali is extremely protective and bit the dog in the face and drew blood before the dogs owner reached us. I have learned to stay calm in a lot of these situations because I have owned very aggressive dogs in the past, rottweiller and pitbulls. It is unfortunate that people allow their dogs to be off leash. We are constantly having this problem. 2 days ago I was walking Cali and we were rushed by A dalmation that is a very friendly dog and Cali plays with him all of the time, but I dont think Cali appreciated him surprising us and she bit him on the ear:eek: The owner of the Dalmation was apolegetic, but the owner of the boxer actually wanted me to pay for his vet bill for Cali biting his dog in the face:mad: I reported him for having his dog off leash.
Your Basenjis were being instinctive and were not in the wrong. I have started carrying pepper spray with me since this is something that constantly happens in our neighborhood.
Take Care! Your pets are not dangerous, just protective of thier space and of you.
tlbuddy

[tlbuddy]

_

I grabbed my dogs and the woman kept telling me it's ok it's ok I hope they have thier shots. I yelled out my address & told them my vet's name.

_

I can't believe she said something about your dogs having their shots. This irks me terribly when people have their dogs off leash.

[jys1011]

Thanks so much for the incredible words of encouragement and for providing a sympathetic ear to this terrible experience. I really appreciate it!!

It's really good to have a good support system of people who understand exactly how I feel. I am much better. Still a little shaken up & my right hand is a little tender & swollen. Going to see a doc just as a precaution.

I'm very relieved to hear that there's nothing wrong with MY dog and that his reaction was understandable. I will definitely heed the advice of all of you. My husband usually walks the dogs with me but yesterday I decided to take them both on my own since he had to work late. I guess we live & learn.

I also called my vet to let her know what happend & to see if I should take the dogs in to see her. She was very sympathetic & comforting. She didn't think it was necessary as they didn't have any signs of being hurt. She suggested I go to the doc. And she also explained that C3 may not have hurt the dog very badly. She doesn't think he was trying to kill the dog (even tho I thought he might have!) but just take him down into submission. This usually means grabbing the extra skin near the side of the head & yanking down until the dog is submissive. She said they usually don't draw blood while doing this. I guess the little dog was stubborn because he wasn't going down. I couldn't find any blood on C3 from the other dog just a couple of scratches on his neck was all.

The vet did tell me to report the incident to the police and city health services which I will. And she also explained that we do have a very serious leash law in our area because of MANY situations like this. Apparently people in our area think they live on farms!!…not in the crowded neighborhoods we actually live in.

Fortunately for my fur-babies they are able to live in the now & they are completely UNPHASED by the whole thing & were right back to normal at home. I will probably need years of therapy to walk around those small dogs again!! Makes me want to be a dog

Jennifer

[tlbuddy]

It's amazing how dogs can just live in the moment when it takes us forever to get over things:) Take Care!

[JoeyQ]

Glad to hear you are doing better!