Dear Faith,
A short time ago, we had an incident with our dog, Daisy, who we adopted about a year ago as a puppy. Daisy fits right into our hectic household, and she has grown up to be a large, loving, playful and intelligent dog. She has always socialized well with other dogs at the dog park and with our friends’ dogs. Recently, however, she was bitten badly in the face by another dog when I was walking her on a narrow path near our home. I pulled Daisy in to share the path as we moved past, but the other dog jumped toward her and bit her face. Daisy didn’t fight back.
Daisy has a deep tissue wound below her eye and a less severe bite mark on her nose. Since the incident, she will at times get very aggressive as another dog passes near us or a short distance away. Other times, she behaves as she has in the past and will walk calmly with us or sit and stay nicely as they pass. We never know what her reaction to each dog is going to be. Do you have any advice on how we can help Daisy heal from this trauma?
CONCERNED FAMILY
Dear Concerned,
Traumatic events can cause emotional and behavioral injuries that often take longer to heal than the physical injuries. It may be helpful to change the route you and Daisy walk or discontinue walks for a while, if possible. Revisiting the site of the attack may trigger scary memories for her and for you, too, especially when you encounter unfamiliar dogs on the path.
Daisy’s reaction is normal and is motivated by fear. She’s obviously perceiving some dogs as dangerous, which causes her to respond with behaviors (barking, growling and lunging) intended to make the other dog go away. You can best help Daisy by giving her some skills to help her feel more in control and, therefore, less fearful. Here are some suggestions:
Step far off the path as you see a dog approaching, long before Daisy begins to react, and feed her some delicious treats as the dog passes. In time, she will associate the approach of another dog with an opportunity for treats instead of an incoming threat.
Make sure Daisy is walking on the outside of the path, while you are on the inside, so that your body can be a buffer between her and another dog. If another dog tries to come too close, you can simply step between them. Daisy needs to understand that you will protect her. Pay attention to your leash handling and body reactions. It is natural to react to the memories of the trauma by tightening the leash, holding your breath and becoming stiffer as another dog approaches. Daisy can sense these changes in your stress level and may react accordingly. You can help change her reaction by practicing this at home: Put Daisy on her leash, hold your breath and tighten up on the leash, then give Daisy a delicious treat. Do this about five times per session — until you see that Daisy is having a more relaxed reaction.