My Greyhound Grabbed A Yorkie Today

[Guest lucylei]

We just got Missy two weeks ago and feel really lucky to have her. She loves people (I took out her Spaying stitches myself today and she didn't even flinch). She also gets along well with all the other dogs at the dog park (off-leash). However, she goes crazy for squeaky things. We think she must have been trained with a squeak toy because she loves them and our house is full of them. Unfortunately, a little Yorkie started squeaking and Missy just turned into another dog. She grabbed it in her mouth and lifted it off the ground (didn't shake it). We pulled her off and the Yorkie didn't even have bite marks - just a lot of slobber. Still, I need help fixing this! What kind of training is best to get this out of her? I feel it's so instinctual that I'm just lost on how to fix it - or can I just never go back to the off-leash park? She's had no problems for the last 2 weeks and usually just sticks by my side anyway.

 

 

[kamsmom]

First, she is too new to be going to the dog park. Second, when you do go it needs to be one that separates the little dogs. I don't take mine to dog parks, I don't like that other owners don't have control of their dogs and I don't want to be the owner that doesn't have control.

 

Lots of dogs like squeek toys, they may or may not have used squeek toys - most likely the trainers just had squeek toys around as most dogs do enjoy playing and the trainers enjoy playing as well.

 

She may have prey drive and you may always have to watch for it but you won't know until you have had her for a while. In the mean time, get to know her, spend lots of time together and just go for long, leashed walks. If you have a fenced yard take a squeek toy outside and throw it around for her, she will love it.

[Guest PhillyPups]

Prey drive is not "fixable". Was this at the dog part, and if so what was a Yorkie doing in a dog park with large dogs?

 

My dogs would have killed the small dog, plain and simple, they are gentle, sweet, loving and high prey. Even dogs that live in homes with small animals, outside, all bets are off. We have sighthounds, bred for thousands of years to hunt by sight. Most people that I know that have large and small (yorkie size) dogs, do not put them out in their own yards to play. This is not a "fixable" issue.

 

You are lucky no harm no foul this time, but next time may not be so lucky.

 

Enjoy her, spoil her, but most will not come out of their prey fixation even when excellently recall trained.

[a_daerr]

First, she is too new to be going to the dog park.

Way too new. I don't recommend dog parks for anyone who doesn't know their dog's temperament in different situations, or a dog who doesn't know basic obedience commands like recall and 'leave it.' Even dog parks that have a separate area for small dogs aren't a good idea, as owners do not always obey the rules. If, in fact, your dog is high prey, dog parks are just a bad idea. You would be 100% responsible if your grey hurts or kills another dog. Too risky.

[msjpk]

My personal opinion, experienced dog owner or inexperienced dog owner (grey or not) NO DOG PARKS.

 

Can you answer an y of these questions with a yes when taking dogs to a dog park?

Do I know the personality of every dog that enters? Never mind the owner's personality.

Can you guarantee that your dog will not grab a little yapee dog and kill it?

Can you guarantee a larger dog then a grey will not attack your dog?

Is there some kind of mechanism that is in park that could possible break up a dog fight?

 

I say NO is the answer to all these questions which = NO DOG PARK. JMO

[JohnF]

I once sent a Greyhound back because of a 'prey eye and posture' against small dogs. The group said prey drive wasn't fixable and I'd do better to send the dog back before we bonded. Very hard to do that.

All I can suggest is that if you can't do that, then muzzle your Grey in public lest the dog grabs a little squeaky dog even when on a lead. It can happen in a heartbeat and you had a lucky escape this first time.

[Guest lucylei]

Prey drive is not "fixable". Was this at the dog part, and if so what was a Yorkie doing in a dog park with large dogs?

 

My dogs would have killed the small dog, plain and simple, they are gentle, sweet, loving and high prey. Even dogs that live in homes with small animals, outside, all bets are off. We have sighthounds, bred for thousands of years to hunt by sight. Most people that I know that have large and small (yorkie size) dogs, do not put them out in their own yards to play. This is not a "fixable" issue.

 

You are lucky no harm no foul this time, but next time may not be so lucky.

 

Enjoy her, spoil her, but most will not come out of their prey fixation even when excellently recall trained.

 

Yup this was at the park. This dog was PARTICULARLY small. Missy has played with small dogs fine up until now and likes to chase them - but when she catches up, she just nudges them with her nose to make them run some more. She only went into 'prey' mode when it started to squeak. The owner wasn't mad at all - he kind of acted like it's happened before but it gave me a huge scare.

 

I guess I just don't like to think that my big lump of a dog can actually kill anything...but it's becoming obvious that this is the case.

 

My personal opinion, experienced dog owner or inexperienced dog owner (grey or not) NO DOG PARKS.

 

Can you answer an y of these questions with a yes when taking dogs to a dog park?

Do I know the personality of every dog that enters? Never mind the owner's personality.

Can you guarantee that your dog will not grab a little yapee dog and kill it?

Can you guarantee a larger dog then a grey will not attack your dog?

Is there some kind of mechanism that is in park that could possible break up a dog fight?

 

I say NO is the answer to all these questions which = NO DOG PARK. JMO

 

This makes perfect sense to me. I watch every dog closely because some people take their unneutered males to the park and they get aggressive with the females. We've been going because Missy actually loves it. I think a muzzle is a good idea. We have her racing one. Our building backs onto a big park with a fenced-in off leash section, but I guess if Missy wants to keep going, we'll have to do something about her being able to bite.

[kamsmom]

Do not muzzle your dog unless the others are muzzled as well. It's not fair to her. If a fight were to break out she could not protect herself.

[Brandiandwe]

Paige has a nice dose of prey drive. It's not fixable but it might be workable. Paige has been described as opportunistic. That is, she seems fine, you relax, then she goes for the other dog.

 

She is never left alone with small dogs and never around them without a muzzle. We only go to dog parks with other greys and avoid them if small dogs are in the section next door as otherwise we have Paige attempting to go over the fence or fence running. We have also limited her access to squeaky toys as we found that the more time she had with them, the more reactive and driven she was.

[robinw]

If she is muzzled, she won't be able to defend herself if anything happens. I think it would be a good idea to avoid the dog park for a long while.

[mychip1]

My JJ has a high prey drive.....we avoid little dogs.....but don't let it make you think any differently of her.....just because they have that drive in them, doesn't take away from the big ball of love that they are I other situations.....my JJ is the most happy go lucky guy...but I would fear what he could do to a small dog if things kicked in with one loose with him....

Edited March 31, 2013 by mychip1

[krissy]

I LOVE the dog park. However you need to bond with your dog and get to know each other before you start going. Also, no matter how much I love the dog park, not every dog is suitable to go. Kili is a great dog park dog. Summit can only go if all the stars align and even then it's a lot of work for me to be even more vigilant. With Kili I am really only watching other people's dogs and the arrival of new dogs. With Summit I have to closely monitor him, the other dogs and the entrance. If a dog shows up who has an energy I think will clash with Summit I leash him and take him out. Kili gets along with absolutely everyone so I just have to keep an eye o. Other dogs to make sure they aren't aggressive.

 

The dog park is something for you to decide, but not yet. It's not even time to start thinking about it yet. Get to know each other. Have fun bonding. Then rethink her prey drive when you know her better and make an informed decision. There is no shame in having a dog that is not dog park material.

[Guest RMarie]

I feel your pain. Even months after having James, we experienced the same thing. We took James to a dog park. He found a cocker spaniel and kept bothering it. He kept sniffing and nudging it; he just wouldn't leave it alone. The owners didn't seem to mind, but the poor spaniel was having nothing to do with it. After a while, the spaniel let James know how much he/she didn't like his behavior and started squealing. Wow...did James turn into another dog! The chase was on and James started mouthing the dog. All I saw were teeth! It was very scary, but luckily he had good bite inhibition. No damage was done to either dog. The spaniel's owners were very understanding. But, I was quite upset. I knew he wasn't safe with small dogs, but this spaniel seemed big enough that I didn't worry letting him in the park. I think the trigger for James was the squealing.

 

You've learned your lesson. Your grey has a high prey drive. It will forever. Stay away from dog parks as long as small dogs are around. And even once you're in the park, you must monitor all the time to make sure no small dogs arrive. if they do, you need to leave.

[Guest june]

I'm so sorry this happened. I can only imagine your fear. I have one girl who is not safe with small animals. When we walk she is always by my side. I've had small dogs run up and when I first got her it was very scary trying to hold her back. Now I put my hand under her chin and tell her "close" and shorten the leash until the small animal can be moved away. It is very scary and no matter how much I love my girl I always remember what she is: a high pray drive greyhound. That will never change.

[a_daerr]

I have to agree with the others. You're putting a big target on the dog's back and making her more vulnerable if she's the only dog in the park wearing a muzzle. It's similar to leash dynamics.

[Guest WhiteWave]

Don't like dog parks for this very reason. Never had a good experience with dog parks, but sometimes I give in and try again and quickly realize why I don't go. Jack got attacked last time by an intact male Doberman and Joey was scared to death of the other dogs. Ronon hates people and stays shoved up my rear end except for the time he went after a Chihuahua and Casper will attack another dog w/o batting an eye if they challenge him and with his size/strength, he is going to do serious harm, so I just stay away. Better for me and my pups.

 

Never ever muzzle your dog unless all dogs are muzzled. Dogs will go after the odd ball and you could cause a huge fight where your dog is not going to be able to defend herself.

[spottydog]

My boy showed no sign he was interested in little dogs, and not in a good way, (air snaps) until we had him 6 months. I grab his muzzle if we are jumped by a little dog.

[Guest FawnFan]

Personally, I'm not a fan of dog parks. I've been to a couple here in NJ. Neither of my hounds were interested in the other dogs. They did the perimeter and then came back for pets from all the humans standing around. I also don't like them because of the possibility of a dog fight. There was a dog fight that did happen at the park and mostly greyhounds were involved. Thankfully I wasn't there... one, not a fan of fights and two, I don't like to see the dogs get hurt. One of the hounds had to go to the ER for their injuries. Another reason I don't go to dog parks, I like keeping my hound as my hound. If my hound were to catch and kill another dog, I'd call The Lexus Project and most likely my dog would be removed from my home and put into another jurisdiction. There then would be the possibility I would never get the hound back. I'd rather not take that chance.

 

Most people at the dog parks are just not responsible enough or paying enough attention to their dogs, imho. I'd rather set my dogs up for success by taking them to a fenced in area, by themselves or with maybe one or two other greyhounds you know and are comfortable with, and let them play there. To me it is not worth the chance of getting the hound into unnecessary trouble. And imho, as others have said, you dodged the bullet today - big time.

 

Just my two cents based on my experiences.

 

Good luck!

[sobesmom]

Back off the dog park. Your dog is not ready to mix. Maybe, after a few months, go to a "large dog only" park. Your dog is far to new to allow that much exposure to animals that you don't know a reaction to.

 

Not trying to be mean. It happened, you learned.

[3greytjoys]

If you haven't seen a Greyhound race, you might be interested in viewing a Greyhound racing video on-line. All racing (or schooling) Greyhounds chase a moving "lure" made to look (and sound) like a small, live prey animal. It's fairly common for newly retired hounds to carry that activity to other outside settings (game on). Squeaky toys also mimic the sound of hurt prey; thus, dogs' attraction to follow their natural instinct to chase, capture and kill the toy, pretending as if it were prey in the wild. (Some dogs go as far as shredding soft toys, even ingesting material, or squeakers - which can cause dangerous intestinal blockages.) As mentioned, Greyhounds are "sight" hounds that have been bred for thousands of years to hunt animals. No one can stop prey instinct, nor can a person run 45 mph to intercept a dog acting on instinct in a public dog park.

 

I agree with others, please don't muzzle only "one" dog for reasons others posted. One muzzled dog is more likely to be viewed by other dogs as the most weak dog in a pack (unable to defend him/herself); therefore, any other dogs are more likely to attack the only muzzled dog. If one dog cries out, it can also cause a full pack attack where all dogs rush to attack the perceived weak/hurt/prey dog - biting other dogs in the process.

 

Please do ask your adoption group if they offer safer "Greyhound breed only" play dates where ALL Greyhounds inside an enclosure are muzzled. If not, leashed walks are great. Also, you might try befriending another nearby Greyhound owner willing to invite your girl over for muzzled play dates in their fenced yard. (Greyhounds skin rips very easily, so it's safest to have Greyhounds muzzled even when they are the only dogs playing together.)

 

[OwnedBySummer]

Where are you located? There's lots of greyhounds around the Toronto area, including a couple of playdate groups. We held one yesterday with 31 hounds in attendance and another one today with about 10.

[BatterseaBrindl]

I agree with everyone!!

 

Like Krissy said... if you're in the GTA you should be able to find a safe all-Greyhound playgroup, where they are all muzzled.

 

And Greyhounds love nothing better thatn playing with other Greyhounds!!

[Guest lucylei]

Where are you located? There's lots of greyhounds around the Toronto area, including a couple of playdate groups. We held one yesterday with 31 hounds in attendance and another one today with about 10.

I tried researching a few groups but couldn't find any near by? Could you give me some more information? I'd love to introduce her to that environment. She came from a kennel with about 30 other greyhounds and I don't know if she misses it.

[Guest lucylei]

Okay - so it looks like no dog park for us. I agree, muzzling doesn't sit right with me. I guess that the temptation was just too great because we live so close to 3 huge fenced in dog parks. Some dog fights have broken out before but only between the larger dogs (Dobermans, Shepherds, Rottweilers) but Missy doesn't really get the attention of the big dogs and doesn't seek it. Unfortunately for us, the little dogs love her. It's a park where people bring in dobermans and great danes but also yorkies, pomeranians and chihuahuas.

[kamsmom]

Watch for patterns at the dog park. I do use the fenced in areas but I go at off peak times. I go very early in the morning or on the weekdays when no one is using it, or maybe there are only one or two other dogs. Find a friend that goes and that your dogs get along. You just have to be resourceful. I also have used baseball fields when they are off season. Just be sure to walk the perimeter first to check the fence and gates, I bring along bungee cords to tie the gates shut while I use them.

 

Your new dog is going to be just fine if she is only leash walked. Maybe see if you have a friend with an enclosed back yard and see if you could "borrow" it for an hour each week to play.

 

It will get easier and this stuff will all become second nature to you in no time.