[nagdu] Dog Attack

[Craig Heaps via nagdu]

Thanks to all of you for your responsies.  Yes, I've called GDB.  Yes, the 
owner of the attacker plans to pay the vet bills.  No, I haven't called the 
police yet, but plan to.

One thing I did remember from training is that when the dog attacked Chase, 
I immediately let go of his leash.  I wanted him free to do whatever his 
instincts told him to do.

I learned it happens lightning fast, and some of my romantic ideas about 
what I would do were just that .. romatnic.  I'm not sure what I would have 
done if Chase and I had been alone and the dog's owner were not there.  I'll 
be noodling on that now.

Craig and Chase


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Craig Heaps via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2014 9:07 AM
Subject: [nagdu] Dog Attack


> Well, we survived our first dog attack last night.  My wife and I were 
> walking out dogs in our neighborhood.  She has a small standard poodle, 
> Cody.  I, of course, have Chase, the black Lab.  I had Chase out of 
> harness and on leash, while I walked with my white cane.  As we came 
> around a curve, a pit bull mix came running out of his house and went 
> straight for Chase, wtith the owner of the pit bull right behind.
>
> The dog lit into Chase and Chase went submissive.  (I think he thought the 
> other dog was playing, the way Chase and Cody wrestle when Chase is out of 
> harness).  The dog had Chase on the ground by the neck.  The owner was on 
> top of the dog, trying to pull him off.  It wasn't until my wife kicked 
> the pit in the hindquarters that he let go and his owner was able to get 
> control of him.
>
> Chase had one through and through puncture wound on his right ear and a 
> small insignficatn abrasion below his right eye.  We took him to the 
> emergency vet, who put two surgical staples in his ear and wrapped his 
> head like those guys you wee in old war movies.  He was able to avoid the 
> cone of shame so I can put his harness on him if I need to.
>
> Chase didn't seem at all traumatized.  His tail was wagging right after 
> the attack and he wanted to greet all the people who came ouf of their 
> homes to help us.  Our poodle, on the other hand, was a mess.  He couldn't 
> calm down. He was barking and baying so loudly I couldn't tell at first if 
> Chase was crying.  He wasn't.
>
> The dog's owner indictated he will have the dog euthanized.  We have a lot 
> of small children in our development, and it just wouldn't be responsible 
> to keep a dog like that around, even though it's been around and 
> aggressive for some time.
>
> In training, they told us it would happen eventually, and now it has.  Do 
> any of you take steps to protect your guide?  It's remakable how fast it 
> happened.  I was beating on the pit bull with my graphite cane until the 
> tip flew off, and I might just as well have been scratching him behind the 
> ears. My wife's well-delivered kick to the rear end seemed to do the 
> trick.  I don't know what we would have done if his owner had not been 
> there.
>
> Craig and the mostly unfazed Chase
>
>
>
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