I may have sealed Mochi and Jasper's fates
When I showed up at the dog park nothing was amiss, I checked out the owners, and the dogs; and they were all know to me, no issues. Ninety seconds after I took him off of his leash, Mochi was across the park and on top of a westie named Jasper. Thankfully, another owner knew him and pulled him off by the time I could get there.
Still, Moach wasn't playing. He apparently drew blood.The humane society has a vet on duty so he checked him out, but I didn't get the full story because the owner was making a bee-line for her pet clinic and didn't have time to chat. Her concern was he might lose an eye. :0(
Obviously I feel horrible about the whole thing. I knew the lady and both her dogs, and they tended to get along fairly well. Koda played with Jasper a lot and I'm not sure if Mochi was being possessive, it happened way too fast for me to make any kind of objective judgment.
I've already told the wife that if Jasper is seriously hurt, Moach can kiss his balls goodbye. The truth is that he is probably going to get snipped anyway as I don't have any intention of going through this on a regular basis. Of course there is still going to be a lot of behavioral work, and if he is allowed to go back to the park he will be muzzled and kept on a lead for some time.
Of course the worst part of this is the fact that it is entirely my fault, I misjudged the nature and the extent of my dog's aggression. He has shown some tendencies towards rank aggression, but I've always been confident that I could call him off. Clearly I've shown poor judgment, and somebody else gets to pay for my mistakes.
I hope to find out what happened to Jasper tomorrow, until then I expect to be in a fairly shitty mood.
Still, Moach wasn't playing. He apparently drew blood.The humane society has a vet on duty so he checked him out, but I didn't get the full story because the owner was making a bee-line for her pet clinic and didn't have time to chat. Her concern was he might lose an eye. :0(
Obviously I feel horrible about the whole thing. I knew the lady and both her dogs, and they tended to get along fairly well. Koda played with Jasper a lot and I'm not sure if Mochi was being possessive, it happened way too fast for me to make any kind of objective judgment.
I've already told the wife that if Jasper is seriously hurt, Moach can kiss his balls goodbye. The truth is that he is probably going to get snipped anyway as I don't have any intention of going through this on a regular basis. Of course there is still going to be a lot of behavioral work, and if he is allowed to go back to the park he will be muzzled and kept on a lead for some time.
Of course the worst part of this is the fact that it is entirely my fault, I misjudged the nature and the extent of my dog's aggression. He has shown some tendencies towards rank aggression, but I've always been confident that I could call him off. Clearly I've shown poor judgment, and somebody else gets to pay for my mistakes.
I hope to find out what happened to Jasper tomorrow, until then I expect to be in a fairly shitty mood.
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Comments
I just wanted to say good luck and I hope the other dog is OK with no serious damage. At the end of the day, you have to choose what's best for the both of you and I agree with your conclusion that if the other dog is hurt then the balls should go. It may be a huge step in the right direction to good behavior for Moach (Mochi? I'm unsure of the name as it's spelled two different ways above.) and he may actually be grateful to you for snipping him (although not likely, lol,jk). Nevertheless, I feel your pain, staying up late, worrying about your dog. Keep us posted and I will do the same. Peace.
A muzzle for the park is a fine idea, but a leash is not a good idea. A dog on a leash vs dogs not on a leash always leaves the leashed dog feeling like they are at a disadvantage, and that can often up the aggression/possession mode of a dog.
I really believe that things would've gotten worse if I took her to the park with a muzzle. Her aggression would just escalate out of frustration, cause a fight and put her in a position where she can't defend herself...but I know her. Mochi might be different muzzled.
But I agree with the above, snip the balls and consider a behaviorist. Moach will be a happier dog in the long run.
Good luck, I'm hoping for the best possible outcome for you.
As far as paying the vet bill, that is a given; we feel bad enough for the grief we've caused the owner and we've already acknowelged responsibility.
This reminds me of the family guy episode where Brain almost lost his nutty buddies. There is a line where Peter's father-in-law tells him:
"This is just like a Greek Tragedy, and you're going to be playing the part of Sans Testiclies"
@M&M: His name is Mochi, moach for short (rhymes with roach); also I'm very sorry to hear the little one is ill.
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I want to point something out, but I don't want you to feel like this is a personal attack. I don't mean it that way...
The title of this thread is "Mochi may have sealed his fate" when really the title should be "I may have sealed Mochi's fate".
By taking your intact male to a dog park YOU sealed his fate. The truth is you have no idea what caused this situation. If it happened to a neutered male dog it would be MUCH easier to figure out the cause, but when you add hormones to the mix there are so many triggers that can cause aggression like this.
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Was Koda with you at the park? Is she intact too? If so she could be going into heat, her first heat, and Mochi may have been guarding his lady.
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As owners, it is our responsibility to make sure things like this don't happen and if they do happen it is our fault, not the dogs.
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I’ve edited the title to reflect what has actually happened.
Sorry to hear about this episode. However, I would caution you some...what is your plan when Mochi is still aggressive AFTER his neuter? The fact is that much of that behavior is learned. Castration is not a magic wand. I agree, if you aren't planning to breed or show, by all means neuter him, but you must be realistic about your expectations and the dog.
Some behaviorists actually think that the reason some neutered dogs behave better after the procedure is because OTHER dogs alter the way they react to them. The aggressive dog still has every tendency to be defensive or aggressive, but other dogs don't respond in a way that causes an escalation. (Particularly in the case of another intact male. The neutered party is just not considered that much of a threat)
Obviously you weren't there to see the entire interaction, but I also have to wonder about the Westie. Having owned a Westie for 14 years, I happen to know they are NOT all sweetness and light! They are cute, little, white and smart, but they are also a TERRIER.
You may have to realize that you have a dog that is simply not suitable for a dog park. I agree with Brandon. Your dog can be exposed to many dogs and learn to be less reactive in a controlled, safer setting like an obedience or agility class. He can still play with his buddy Koda. You won't be denying him anything.
Good luck
And yes, Jasper is intact and by no means shy; so I’m sure it factors in to it as well. But that is something I have absolutely no control of, every park is going to have at least one alpha wanna-be. Which of course re-enforces the notion that my dog doesn’t belong in a dog park under any circumstances. I acknowledge that my expectations may be unrealistic for either the dog or the breed, but I’m definitely not wild about making that call. :0(