How to Help a Dog Recover From a Dog Attack

Adrienne is a certified dog trainer and former veterinarian assistant who
partners with some of the best veterinarians worldwide.

Is Your Dog in Shock After Being Attacked?

Your dog was just attacked by another dog. You have taken him to the vet,
cured the scrapes and puncture wounds, but what about healing his emotional
scars? If your dog is in shock after being attacked, you need to know how to
help your dog recover. However, even if your dog doesn’t show any signs of
physical or emotional scars, it’s still important to do what you can to
protect his emotional wellbeing.

Let’s face it: We all wished dogs would get along and always play nicely
together. But unfortunately, our bubbles are often burst as fights do happen
and they can happen even quite frequently. Fortunately, in most cases, they
are simply loud squabbles where no dog gets hurt, but still, those incidents
can surely be unsettling.

Dog parks are often the backdrop of such happenings due to several factors
such as lack of active supervision, failure to interrupt interactions that are
deteriorating in a timely manner, difficulties in differentiating dogs who are
playing from dogs who are fighting, and just the plain fact of putting
together a bunch of dogs with different play styles and personalities.

Some dogs simply have poor social skills. Some dogs come on too strong towards
other dogs, while others are not 100 percent comfortable around dogs and may
get snappy. Some dogs may have deficits in their play styles. These dogs don’t
use much metacommunication, and their play may be misinterpreted and spill
into fighting.

Some dogs engage in “bullying,” perhaps insisting on mounting behaviors
(according to a study, excess mounting led to aggression 85 percent of the
time), forcing play on non-consenting dogs or taking the “fun police role”
with the goal of stopping two dogs who are rowdily playing. And then there are
dogs who resource guard and dogs who are just predisposed to fighting.

Many dogs do fine at the dog park for many months as puppies, but then, once
they reach social maturity (generally between 12 and 36 months of age), things
start changing.

Regardless of why and how the fight erupted, one thing is for sure: a
traumatic experience may cause a dog to be in shock after being attacked, and
this may potentially undo years of behavioral training and confidence
building.

Warning

If your dog was attacked by another dog, see your vet. Even if your dog
presents with fairly small puncture wounds in the skin, these may be just
the tip of the iceberg. There may be damage underneath the skin that is far
more serious and extensive due to the tearing and shearing due to a dog’s
large canine teeth, warn veterinary surgeons Dr. Tara Britt and Dr.
Christopher Thacher.

Dog Behavior After Being Attacked

Being attacked by another dog is an aversive experience that may lead to
short-term and long-term consequences. Just seconds after the attack, the
affected dog may be shaky and jumpy as the adrenaline will be pumping. As the
dog recuperates from this acute onset, there may be the onset of a negative
conditioned emotional response associated with the place where the incident
occurred and/or the presence of other dogs.

Now, this doesn’t always happen to every single dog. Some dogs may perceive
the attack as scary and unpleasant, but it will soon be shaken off. The
problem arises when the attack is morphed into a life-changing event, and this
can happen even to the most solid dogs.

There are ample stories of even service dogs who have proven their worth in
being “bomb-proof dogs” over the years suffering the consequences of an
encounter gone wrong and emotionally paying the price. It’s as if an imaginary
switch flips inside their head. Science calls it “single event learning.”
Undoing the damage is often quite a bumpy road. In this service dog story, a
30-second attack turned into two years of rehabilitation.

This negative experience may have an impact on how the dog reacts in the
presence of other dogs. A history of an injury is not necessary for such
aversive conditioning to take place.

I have seen reactions range from avoidance behaviors (the dog no longer wants
to play or interact with other dogs or does so very tentatively) to defensive
behaviors (the dog feels threatened and uses the “offense is the best defense”
strategy to maintain distance).

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There are then also several dogs sort of in between, where you really don’t
notice many problems readily, but at some point in the dog’s future history of
playing or interacting with other dogs, a new issue pops up out of nowhere
(e.g., the dog starts growling during an interaction) in a dog who never
exhibited this type of issues before.

In any case, the onset of a negative conditioned emotional response needs to
be addressed to prevent the issue from establishing and becoming worse. This
requires several measures to protect the dog’s emotional wellbeing and address
any issues the dog may have acquired due to the negative experience.

Fears and phobias can develop from a single experience (one event learning)
or from continued exposure to the fearful stimulus.

— Debra Horwitz & Gary Landsberg

Ways to Help a Dog Recover From a Dog Attack

If your dog is shocked after a dog attack, it is very important that you take
several measures to protect your dog from any future negative encounters and
that you help your dog eventually recover through some remedial socialization
using the right types of dogs.

If left untreated, affected dogs may end up reacting negatively to any dogs
who remind them of the attacker (same coat color, same size, same breed) and
this may even generalize to other dogs.

A dog trainer or behavior professional using humane, positive-based behavior
modification methods may be needed to assess the attacked dog and help him
out. This is very important. The last thing a stressed dog needs is
punishment-based corrections at the sight of other dogs, which will only
strengthen the dog’s negative association with them.

Below are several ways to help a dog recover from a dog attack. How quickly
the dog recovers varies from one dog to another and other variables such as
level of owner commitment, how severely the dog was impacted, whether
professional assistance is sought and how well the dog’s environment can be
managed to prevent any future negative encounters.

Be Your Dog’s Ambassador

If your dog was attacked by another dog, **** it’s important that you protect
your dog from any future negative encounters that may further cause stress.
Keep in mind that stress levels may take several days to go down, so protect
your dog from certain close encounters until your dog is ready.

It’s fundamental to prevent off-leash dog encounters and tell dog owners to
keep their dogs under control. While this safe “buffer of space” is not the
treatment for undoing emotional damage, it’s a good starting point so that
your dog relaxes and trusts you to handle the issue.

If your dog frequents the dog park, don’t let him interact with dogs that stir
trouble or even better, skip the dog park altogether. There are better options
to allow your dog to socialize when he’s ready again, without being at the
mercy of out-of-control, dogs with little social skills.

Have a Professional Monitor

If you need help for a dog in shock after being attacked, your best bet is to
have a professional assess your dog and monitor his future interactions with
other dogs.

Not all dogs are ready to interact with other dogs and play again after being
attacked. The behavior consultant should be able to assess your dog for signs
of tension. If the assessment reveals that your dog is tense around other
dogs, then prior to scheduling positive interactions such as play and walks
with other dogs, behavior modification may be carried out to better manage and
protect your dog’s emotional wellbeing.

The professional may have to pave the path for some groundwork first using
methods based on the scientific principles of desensitization and
counterconditioning.

For example, if the attack occurred at the dog park, it may help to sit with
your dog at a safe distance where he is under threshold, praise him lavishly
and give your dog treats as he looks at dogs entering and exiting the park. If
the attack was on a walk, it may help to praise and give treats every time
your dog sees another dog crossing his path.

After some time, as your dog seems more relaxed, your dog may be able to
progress to closer encounters with other dogs.

Limit Interactions to a Few Good Dogs

If your dog had a negative experience, you will likely have to engage your dog
in a remedial socialization program. To undo the damage done, your dog will
need to be exposed to dogs that have been carefully screened. Your dog
trainer/behavior professional may be even able to provide the right friendly
dog/dogs for remedial socialization.

Skip the dog park where there are dogs your dog doesn’t know well, and often
there are dogs who really aren’t suitable for group play.

Instead, it would be best to stick to a handful of good doggy friends that
have proven over the years to have gotten along well with your dog. As it
happens in people, best a few good buddies that many friends who aren’t best
friends but just superficial acquaintances that haven’t proved worthy of
trust.

Create Good Memories

For sake of comparison, the process is similar to attending a Toastmasters’
meeting for those folks with a terror of public speaking. In these meetings,
people are encouraged to speak in a safe, supportive environment where they
don’t feel rejected or ridiculed.

Dogs suitable for such encounters are often super socialized dogs, dogs who
have met countless dogs and who know how to properly interact. Ideally, these
are dogs who are very adept at reading other dogs and delivering the right
body language. These “teacher dogs” dogs should be masters in sending calming
signals to fearful, tentative dogs.

Your dog needs to feel safe and relaxed so to create good memories. Creating
several positive emotional responses is important so to replace the negative
ones. Always end the sessions on a positive note, praising your dog lavishly
so that these new events help at least partially take the edge off the fearful
memories.

Slow and steady wins the race in behavior modification, so it’s important
working at the dog’s pace.

What if the Attacking Dog Shares the Same Household?

Things can get problematic if the attacking dog shares the same household.
Dogs attacked in the home may develop chronic fear, which may affect their
daily emotional well-being in the long run.

The dog attacking will need to be prevented from rehearsing the problem
behavior. The more the dog practices the attacking behavior, the more this
behavior establishes and becomes more difficult to eradicate.

The most important step is always making sure everybody stays safe. Dogs
should be kept separated (use baby gates, crates, etc. to create a degree of
separation) until a behavior professional can assess the situation and help
implement behavior modification.

Behavior modification in such cases entails rehabilitating the dog being
attacked and working on preventing the attacking dog from attacking. A
functional analysis plays a key role in determining the exact antecedents
triggering the attacking behavior and the consequences of maintaining the
behavior.

Afterward, behavior modification again using desensitization and
counterconditioning under the direct guidance of a behavior professional can
help change the negative emotional response of the dog being attacked while
also tackling the underlying emotional issues triggering the attacking dog to
attack in the first place.

Severe cases may require permanent housing arrangements to grant separation or
even re-homing one dog. The unpredictable behavior of the attacking dog may
lead to chronic stress, which can affect the dog’s emotional and physical
well-being.

Note

Behavior modification comes with risks. If your dog is showing behavior
problems or aggression or is the victim of aggression, please consult with a
behavior professional for hands-on help for safety and correct
implementation of behavior modification.

References

DVM360: Manage bite wounds: not just skin deep
VCA Animal Hospitals: Fear of Noises and Places in Dogs
Description of the behaviour of domestic dog (Canis familiaris) by experienced and inexperienced people Applied Animal Behaviour Science 120(3):159-169 · September 2009 with 304 ReadsDOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2009.06.009

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. It
is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription,
or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional.
Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a
veterinarian immediately.

Questions & Answers

Question: My dog who we rescued 2 weeks ago who is a pit mix was in a
fight tonight with the neighbor dog. I’m not sure who started it because
nobody was looking. Both dogs were injured and bleeding. I’m worried about him
having PTSD and biting one of my kids if they hang on him or do something he
doesn’t like. Is this possible? Should I return him before it’s too late?

Answer: Dogs are animals, and as animals, we can never really predict
their behaviors. Does this mean he will attack your kids because of the trauma
of the fight? Not necessarily, but can we can ascertain this? No, because we
never know how dogs may react. For safety, your kids should never be around
your dog unsupervised, and they should never be allowed to “do things a dog
might not like”, regardless of whether there was a recent attack or not,
regardless of breed, regardless of how long the dog has been owned, regardless
of size. I am sorry but unfortunately I cannot predict how your recently
rescued dog will react, every dog is an individual and responds differently to
stress.

Comments

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on August 30, 2020:

Hi Adriana, your dog should be seen by a vet if touching him evokes that type
of response.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on August 30, 2020:

Petya007, I am glad your vet found the underlying problem and that your dog is
being treated accordingly. This is a difficult situation, mostly because your
area has off leash dogs. You can train an emergency u-turn so that you can
avoid any encounters and have some strategies in mind to distract the
approaching dogs from your dog (e.g. tossing treats away to have them go get
the treats rather than come sniffing) https://pethelpful.com/dogs/Training-
the-Emergency…

You can also train your dog to stay back behind you when dogs approach so that
you can stand in front of your dog and send the off-leash dogs away. It may
also be possible to change your dog’s emotional response towards dogs who
sniff him by feeding high value treats when they approach and sniff, but this
should be done under the help of a professional for safety and correct
implementantion: https://pethelpful.com/dogs/Changing-Dog-Behavior-…

Adriana on August 30, 2020:

I have a small dog that got into a scuffle not even 30 seconds long with one
of my other dogs that he initiated . I’m concerned because like a lot of
people my dog looks traumatized. whenever you press on his side a little lower
of his front right leg he shivers and twitches but doesn’t whenever i press
anywhere else. He can walk fine. Should I be concerned?

Petya007 on July 28, 2020:

Hello.My dog’s issue is a little bit complicated.He is about 3y male.Few
months after being neutered ( at around 7 months of age),we noticed that other
males had weird interest in him .They were flirting and trying to mate
him.After all test ,vets found pseudomona auroginosa.We treated this,but while
treatment take effect ( several months) males kept bothering him ( constant
licking and everything)I did my best to avoid such encounters but here people
usually leave their dogs of leash. Nowadays he gets more and more aggressive
when any dogs tries to even sniff him ,even his sister with whom he lives (
male and female, reactions are worst with males).Tried my best, consulted
prof.trainers -no success , things are getting only worsted.Can you suggest
any possible solution.Otherwise he is middle trained and very joyful and
loving animal.P.s if dog is not interested in sniffing or licking him,with
majority of dogs he gets along very well.But as is known dogs first thing is
to sniff others.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on July 04, 2020:

Hi Emily, there are wounds and wounds so it’s important to seek out veterinary
care to ensure your dog receives the best care, customized for your dog’s
situation. Your dog may need to have the wound cleaned and dead tissue
removed, your dog may need stitches, pain killers, a course of oral
antibiotics to prevent infections or if minor wounds are confirmed, topical
antibiotic cream. Not to mention, if your dog was attacked by a large dog,
there may be internal injuries. If the treatment is too costly, you can try to
apply for Care Credit or you can call around various vet offices for prices or
see if there’s a vet school nearby or dog veterinarians working for a local
shelter to see if they can offer discounts.

Emily on July 03, 2020:

My dog was attacked by a big dog wht can i do to clean his wounds the hospital
is charging me alot i can afford it

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on July 03, 2020:

Thulz, as the article mentions, it’s important to see the vet to ensure there
are no internal injuries and in cases where there may be complicating factors
such as infections. Please see your vet. Your dog’s symptoms sound concerning!

Thulz88 on June 28, 2020:

Please help . My small dog was bitten by a big dog. She’s badly wounded and is
not responding to anything. I washed her wounds and gave her pain killers. Her
breathing is bad. Her eyes are open but her body is loose and a bit cold.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on June 26, 2020:

Hi Daniel,

If your dog attacked this dog and your dog was therefore unrestrained, off
leash, it’s usually always the attacking dog’s owner responsibility. It is
nice that she has refused having you fined and it is nice you offered to cover
the vet bills. You may have to consult with a lawyer though to know more about
your liabilities.

Daniel Trejo on June 26, 2020:

My dog was inside my home and while i was exititing my apt a nieghbor from
another part of my complex was walking with her dog. I live on the end unit
where the walkway ends my dog rushed out past me and attacked her dog. I
offered to pay for the dogs vet checkup and she refused to have me fined but
where does my liability end ?

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on May 09, 2020:

Hi Sandra,

So sorry to hear about your French bulldog being attacked.

When dogs are attacked (or undergo traumatic events) stress hormones peak and
may last for a while and they may lower a dog’s bite threshold.

This could be the culprit, but also if he was hurt, this could lead to him to
become touch sensitive, so a vet visit is important to rule out any internal
injuries that might not be visible at a first glance.

Sandra on May 02, 2020:

My French bulldog 18months old was badly attacked a week ago while we were out
walking.

Yesterday without warning he bit me , today he bit my husband . Why would a
gentle dog do this

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on April 10, 2020:

You’re very welcome. The shivering and sleeping a lot can be due to injuries
and we don’t want any infections to set in.

I know that the coronavirus is scary and a lock down seems to imply we should
never leave the house, but you are allowed to leave the house to take your dog
to the veterinarian even during a lock-down considering that veterinarians
(especially emergency veterinarians) are an essential service. Of course,
double check as there may be different rules based in each county/country.

If your veterinarian is closed, you may be able to take your dog to the
nearest 24 hour emergency veterinary hospital. Make sure to adhere to several
measures once out such as social distancing and make sure to wash your hands
and not touch you face.

Once, your dog has a clean bill of health, you can try to help him
emotionally. As for petting him to help reassure him, that’s perfectly fine.
Contrary to what was once thought, you can’t reinforce your dog’s fear in the
way we used to think. More on this here: https://pethelpful.com/dogs/Dog-
Behavior-Can-you-R…

If your dog is safely away from the attacker, but he can see him and hear him
from a safe distance, you can try feeding high value treats any time you
notice Xander detects his presence (turns his head his way, looks at him,
twitches his ear to listen to him). If he takes them, you are working on
creating a positive emotional response. But if he’s too overwhelmed and over
threhold, there are chances he won’t take treats, which means it’s best to
keep him more distant until he starts feeling safer.

Here’s a read on how to keep dogs under threshold:
https://pethelpful.com/dogs/Dog-Behavior-Understan…

Here is an example on what we are trying to achieve;
https://pethelpful.com/dogs/Changing-Dog-Behavior-…

With cases like this, we may never know if having both dogs together will ever
be possible in the future, as the chances for relapses are pretty high, and
with a small dog, the risks at stake may be too big. Unless you can have a dog
behavior professional come by and evaluate, it would be best to keep on having
them separated.

Ludy Nicar on April 08, 2020:

Hi Adrienne. Thank you for your quick response.

My larger dog (attacker) is within our backyard and I put him in back in
secured leash. Yes, Xander still hear and see him as he freely walk around (it
used to be his playground).

Sadly, our community is currently lockdown due to Covid 19 and prevents me
from bringing him to his Vet.

I observed that his shivering is more on fear. When he is alone he doesnt
shiver but sleeps (shallow) a lot.

Whenever I started stroking him, he again shivers and his body tense but I
continuously doing it and slowly he become relaxed to my touch. Am I doing it
correctly? Or am I contributing to his fear?

How long does it take for a dog to recover from his fear? Is there anything I
could/should do to help him recover and remove his fear? Please help us.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on April 08, 2020:

Hi Ludy, Sorry to hear Xander was attacked by your larger dog.

The desensitization and counterconditioning program is for fear the dog shows
when the attacking dog is seen or heard.

If your dog is shivering when the other dog is not present and when you touch
him, I think it would be important to have him see the vet in case he’s in
pain. Sometimes, puncture wounds seem small, but they are deep and can turn
infectious. Infected wounds can cause fever and shivering.

Where is your big dog (the attacker) being kept now? Does Xander still see
him/hear him? What plans do you have in place to prevent future attacks?

Ludy Nicar on April 08, 2020:

Good day from Philippines.

Two days ago, my dachshund Xander was attacked by my big dog. He incurred
small puncture because of the fight.Fortunately, he still eat and drink. But
he is traumatized. He became alloof, tense and he shivers even with my touch.
He is so nervous when he hear loud noise and he walk slower than before.

He used to be playful and happy dog but now he is always frightened.

Please help me what to do. I saw your post about desensitization and counter
conditioning but dont know how to do it.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on April 05, 2020:

Hi Jac, in general anxiety meds for dogs are not meant to be used alone, but
along with behavior modification. In other words, they are meant to create a
calmer state of mind, so that the dog’s cognitive functions are “open” and
more receptive to learning.

Your dog would therefore benefit from seeing a veterinary behaviorist who can
assess your dog,then based on history-taking and observation, decide then
whether anxiety meds are really needed before guiding you through the process
of behavior modification.

Jac on April 04, 2020:

Hi,

My dog is a rescue, we adopted here at 1 1/2 years old. She was a stray so no
info on previous history.

She played very well with other dogs and absolutely loves people.

She was attacked in our community dig park where a pit bull had its jaw around
her snout for about 5 min. I know i reacted with screaming.

Our dog was always leash agressive with other dogs, but had no issues with
playing and socializing. After the attack, i continued to brimg her to the dog
park, but stopped after she initiated several agressive behaviors with dogs
while initially playing. I now avoid the dog park unless it is empty.

However, she is now very agressive toward other dogs.

Would anti anxiety meds help her? I walk her often, and as long as no other
people walking a dog is encountered, she remains a joy.

We want to help her but not sure next steps.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on February 21, 2020:

Hi Eva, so sorry for the loss of your dog and that you and your other dog had
to witness this in such a traumatic way. To answer your question, dogs mourn
so you may notice signs of mourning. https://pethelpful.com/pet-
ownership/Ways-to-Help-…

Eva on February 20, 2020:

My dog little male dog was attacked by the neighbors female dog and passed
away. My other bigger female dog tried to save him by pulling him away (wasn’t
bit) but couldn’t save him. How would this event effect her.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on February 03, 2020:

Hi Sara,

If you are looking for a professional to help you out, I would consider a
veterinary behaviorist. Here is the official website to find one:

https://www.dacvb.org/

Sara on February 02, 2020:

My older dog and her daughter do not get along at all. I would say the
youngest one is the attacking dog and my older being the victim. If you know
of any behavioral sites for professionals i can look up that would be great!
Im in az btw.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on January 04, 2020:

Good to hear your dog seems to be back to his old self! That’s certainly a
good sign. I think we may never know exactly how much this event has
registered in his brain and exactly what details may have been absorbed. I
think there may be chances the place where this occurred may have some impact
as that might have an adaptive function (so dogs avoid danger areas in the
future). It could be that being this attack happened so quick he didn’t
register much details about this dog (other than maybe smell), only time will
tell based on how he reacts upon spotting other dogs on walks. I wish a full
recovery to Max, he has gone through so much, but he’s lucky to have a dog
owner like you who is so attentive to his emotional well-being! Keep me posted
on how things go!

joynkarl on January 01, 2020:

Thank you very much for your response.

Max is a great guy and adapts easy to things. My husband passed away two years
ago and prior to losing him we would all go on long road trips, hunting and
fishing. Max loves everyone and everyone loves Max.

With the New Year over, and all the fireworks associated with them, which is
the only things that frightens him, behind him, I’m in hopes he bounces back.

Today he seems to be his old self to the point of playing with one of his
toys. He’s my best buddy and I want him to heal outside as well as inside.

I’m in hopes that since Max was facing away from the pitbull during the time
he was in the dogs clenches that maybe it didn’t register what was exactly
happening… It was all so intense. What do you think?

Thank you again for your suggestions and support.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on January 01, 2020:

Hi Joynkarl, that must have been a very scary ordeal to witness! I am glad to
hear your dog is OK physically for the most part. Shame on the owner for
running away.

But yes, you need to think about your dog’s emotional recovery. Only time will
really tell how it will go. You may see him tense up when he sees other dogs,
and therefore, you may need to do some desensitization and counterconditioning
as you keep distance from dogs that make him uncomfortable.

But then, some dogs can be quite resilient and bounce back. It ultimately
boils down to your dog’s temperament and how you react as well as he may sense
you tense up if you now feel nervous upon spotting other dogs on walks. And
who can feel calm after such happening! It’s a rehabilitation effort for you
both.

I would be very observant on how he does emotionally. You know your dog best
so keep an eye on how he reacts in the next days once he is back to going out
on walks. Wishing you and your dog a speedy recovery.

joynkarl on December 31, 2019:

I have a 9 pound Maltese that was attacked by a pitbull yesterday afternoon.
We had just exited the store and my dogs on a leash and the pitbull was
outside. It was similar to two people meeting at the corner of the building.
It happened so quickly! The owner was on the ground wrestling with his pitbull
trying to get him to release my poor Max. All I could do was scream as I saw
my little one’s eyes looking at me as if to save me. The pit bulls owner Was
fighting with all his might and it was like watching someone wrestling an
alligator! Many people came around during the attack and as I said all I could
do was scream throughout it! Thanks be to God that my dog was not injured
worse than he was. He had had a sweater on and then I have a heavy duty
harness and somehow someway I can’t even tell you how it happened my dog was
released tonight I got him in my arms the man got up asked if he was hurt and
I said I didn’t know and two ladies were helping me look at him and I saw
blood from his ear but I couldn’t see blood from anywhere else.

The dog owner and dog took off running. Some young boys on their skateboard
went after Him and the people standing by were yelling at him to come back,
But He fled and the young boys were unable to find him. I took my Max to the
vet and as I said thanks be to God that he was OK he had puncture ones in his
ears that didn’t even require stitching. He was given antibiotics and
medication and of course the cold to wear for a week.

The police were called but I had gone to the vet prior to their arrival. I
called him from the vet and was told that officer would be out to take a
report but in the meantime animal control called me and said since I didn’t
have the owner or any information on him there was nothing they could do.

I can’t bear the thought to think that if a child had walked out of that door
instead of my little dog that child would be dead. What can I do to notify the
small little community of this dog and the owner I could give a description of
both.

My greatest concern now is that Max is traumatized I know I am so traumatized
by this I’ve never my life seen anything so violent. What can I do to make
sure that my poor boy doesn’t have long-term anxiety or issues from this
attack?

Thank you so much for your time and I’m glad I was able to find the site.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on December 27, 2019:

Hi Amanda, when dogs undergo strong emotional stress, studies have found that
as a protective mechanism, they tend to sleep more, however they get less deep
sleep. It could be your dog is just recovering this way. Since her heart rate
is normal and breathing is normal as well, it sounds like she’s back to her
baseline. You likely need to take measures to prevent her from undergoing such
scary events in the future.

Amanda lynn on December 26, 2019:

My pomchi puppy wasnt attacked but she was terrified by my pitbulls. They got
overly excited about her and cornered her. Now, she is sleeping. Her purpils
dilated and such normally, Her breathing is normal, her heart rate is normal,
and her reaction times and such are also normal. Im worried because she just
wants to sleep! Its only been about 2 hours since it happend and health wise
she seems to be fine. Should i be worried?

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on November 18, 2019:

Hi Lameez,

Sorry to hear about your pup’s attack. Please read the warning in the article
about seeing the vet after a dog attack. Since he’s breathing heavy, I would
take him to the vet as soon as possible to make sure he didn’t get any
internal injuries or has pain somewhere.

Lameez on November 17, 2019:

Hello my dog was attacked right now and my dog is still trying to be calm but
he can walk he’s only a puppy but got attacked by a pitbul and he’s breathing
abit heavily i can hear sounds coming from his wounds and he’s lying next to
me

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on October 28, 2019:

Dida, so sorry to hear your little one was attacked. There are many stories of
a social group of dogs living in perfect harmony until a new addition is
introduced. You have handled this very well and doing everything right. Yes,
please keep your dogs safe from each other and if the lab mix must have
toys/treats/bones, make sure these resources are given away from your other
dogs.

Dida on October 27, 2019:

Thank you for this article. It was exactly what I was searching for. I guess
it will just take time and patience. I have a pack of 4. 3 small dogs and the
latest addition is a, now 3 year old, chocolate lab/springer spaniel mix). All
has been well for 3 years with the group. Bear, the lab, occasionally does the
scary “I want that bone/toy/treat and I’m taking it” thing but until now it’s
not caused any long term issues.

Last week we returned from work to find that Chester, one of the smaller ones,
had a small cut above the eye and was very obviously shaken up. Since then, he
shakes and trembles, hides under the bed or chairs, won’t come for a treat.
Mostly when Bear’s around.

Dinner time is fine. He comes and eats. They even all walk together when we go
for our daily walk. All 4 of them walk fine. Chester even walks next to Bear.

I guess it’s treat and maybe attention from us time, that he’s scared that
Bear will attack again.

Thank you for letting me share the issue. If you have any ideas that will
help, I’d love to hear them. We’ve just been trying to reassure him and keep
them at a save distance from one another.

Thanks.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on September 18, 2019:

John, sorry to hear your dog was attacked by your older dog. Is your other dog
present in field hunting?

John Fetzer on September 18, 2019:

my dog was attacked by my older dog . GWP.

My younger dog is tentative when he is trained (field hunting) Before the
attack he was bold.

How can I get him to become bold again .. .this occurred in May and I seem to
be failing him. He seldom wiggles his tail.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on July 29, 2019:

Hello Thomas, is your dog aggressive to other dogs you have in the home or on
walks?

Thomas DellaMonica on July 21, 2019:

Hi I got my dog ( Bo) from my girlfriend’s son that he plan to give Bo away,
because he could not take care of Bo… I asked if he is socializing with
other dog, he said “yes” then we got Bo and realize he wasn’t friendly with
other dogs. Then I called her son and he said “oh he was friendly with another
dog which is his sister living under same roof” I got so upset, I tried tried
training Bo for a year and half. Nothing success…. I do not know what to
do!!!!

Bo is a very strong dog he is mixed Australia and Caine …. sometimes I feel
he is mixed “Wolf” because of his paw and his back growing like “Hulk lol”
hard to explain….

we love Bo so much he is a family dog, but what and how can I train him? He is
training for service dog he hears for us we all are Deaf…. Bo picking up
lots of sign language quickly and God bless Bo he is so smart… we really
need help!

My daughter living with us and she has a cat, it took me 3 minute nths to
train Bo to get along no with the cat… sometimes Bo attack the cat ….

We need professional help! We are disable and we love and precious Bo….

Help us please…..

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on April 19, 2019:

Cee Jay Kay, good luck in helping your dog recover emotionally from the
attack. She is in great hands, as not many dog owners realize the importance
of this. Glad you are taking step to help her out.

Cee Jay Kay on April 18, 2019:

Thanks for this information. My Greyhound and husband were attacked by a loose
dog roaming the neighborhood while taking a walk a week ago. Sophie went
through four hours of surgery at the emergency vet hospital, and will have
more surgery tomorrow with my regular vet. I am very concerned for her psyche
because I board dogs at my house. I always screen dogs before boarding so I
know their temperament, and right now I’m mostly boarding return customers.
She is no where near interacting with dogs other than my own at this time. She
has a lot of physical healing to do first. This article was very informative,
and now I know some steps to take.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on November 25, 2018:

Hello Edward, thanks for stopping by. Glad to hear you have enjoyed reading
the hubs about dogs. Send pats to your dogs from me.

Edward J. Palumbo on November 25, 2018:

We have two dogs that are party of our household and family, and I appreciate
the Hubs you’ve provided. Thank you.