I posted on here about my pup Elly getting attacked by 2 rotties.
I have struggled really badly when it comes to taking her out, ive tended to stick to the roads and kept her on her lead. Ive only managed to take her back to where it happened when my partners been with me and i panic if any dog comes up to her.
We went to our dog training classes last monday and my daughter had to do the training as i broke down.
Elly now has a few problems as well, if she sees a large dog she will bark and if a dog comes up to her and shes not happy she will now growl she did neither of these things before.
Today my partner took her out with a friend and his German Shepherd.
Elly barked when she first saw her and when Aspen went to sniff her, poor Elly started screaming (thank god i didnt go with them) but the good news is after a few minutes when she knew Aspen wasnt going to hurt her they became the best of friends and wondered off glued to each other.

I was also informed last week that the police have re-opened the case and are looking in to it. I have told them that i want this woman "doing" and that i wont give up until it happens!

Glad to hear Elly is learning that not all dogs are bad. She needs lots more of these positive experiences to get over this, luckily the majority of dogs and owners are okay.

How are you coping???

Canine Kelly i am not coping at all well!

Anything we can help with??? I know I would be pretty shaken and on edge if the same had happened to Baby B, or any of my dogs.

It's 'Kelly' by the way

I echo what Kelly says above, anything we can help with? Maybe just chatting to us on here some more might help you?!

I know that it's so hard to get over an incident, or one where you can only see the worst 'would could have happened' scenarios...

When I first rehomed Archie a couple of years ago, before I got Sonny, I used to have fields on my doorstep... very comforting walking there and I enjoyed going out so much with firstly my old boy Charlie, and then when he passed away, with new kid on the block Archie... Usually if we ever did meet any other dog walkers (not many people had dogs where I used to live either so it was meeting others was usually a scare thing) they were polite, friendly and always had their dogs under control... fab, right!

Anyhow, one day I walked into the top field and stopped dead... at the top of a hill a few hundred yards away was a guy and three of THE hugest rottweilers I have ever seen... all off lead... Now, rightly or wrongly, and I'm not getting into that debate I don't like rottweilers, german shepherds, dobermans... they all scare me... so to see 3 off lead put goosebumps on the back of my neck immediately... I didn't even have chance to turn Archie around and go back before they came hurtling down the hill straight at us... I felt sick, still do remembering it now They surround Archie and it was so strategically done there was nothing I could do.... one pinned him to the ground with its nose/head... one brought up the left side and the other the right, when I tried getting closer one turned at me, growled and positioned its body between me and Arch... talk about helpless

The owner by this time had come huffing and puffing down the hill, and I saw he was a tiny old man... in his 60's easily, smaller than me (and I'm only 5ft3), and wasn't carrying one lead nevermind 3!! He didn't try calling any of the dogs off by name... and when one started to growl at Arch, all he said was 'now then which one of you was that' in the way you might tell off a kid for letting a pet bunny out of its cage, not one that's got a rolling pin in it's hands and about to bash the bunny's head in!!

He finally just shrugged and walked off and after another few minutes that seemed like an eternal stand off, the dogs one by one followed him... god knows what I'd have done if it'd gone a different way...

I stood where I was until I knew the dogs had gone and walked up the hill (where they'd come from)... there I found a woman very upset, with 2 gorgeous boxer pups... she said she'd just had the same encounter with the same man and dogs and she'd been afraid too that her pups were gonna be attacked (apparantly they left hers alone when they spotted me and Arch walk into the field)...

It took me ages and ages to get over this... but the only thing was forcing myself to get back out there and not avoid the place... Archie needing walking and that was the only place to do it... so 'back on the saddle' so to speak was therapy...

Now, sometimes it creeps back in, when I encounter so many unruly dogs whose owners seem to think it's ok to let their dogs run wild and jump all over other peoples dogs.... esp having 2 and no free hands when they're on lead, I often think of 'what if' they get attacked, how will I end it or cope... but it's not heathy thinking this way and I don't want the boys to pick up on mums anxieties and start displaying similar behaviours, they're incredibly sensitive and maybe Elly is picking up on what you are projecting? putting on a brave face for her sake as a start will maybe help you resume normality, and then as time goes on, slowly you might not have to pretend so much and it will become normal again...

Like Kelly says, getting Elly out and about socialising with other friendly dogs is perfect to help her understand not all dogs are like this...

After Arch has been yet again jumped all over by strange not-on-lead dogs today, I've made us a play date with my best friend and her dog tomorrow for walkies together... Arch can play and frolic with his pal as much as he likes, and vice versa... and it helps encourage and define the difference between dogs that come racing towards him unexpectedly in the park growling and teeth barring which cause him to go submissive, and ones that he can play with and stand up to and build his confidence with...

What I'm trying to say is I'm sure we've all had a truly awful experience with our pooches where we've been a wee bit worried, but you will get through it and out enjoying your walks again in no time... Don't let one irresponsible dog owner upset you for too long, she's not worth having this much of an effect... she may be keeping herself way away from that area now realising you would have reported her, so you may never find her again!

If there's anything at all we can do to help, please just holler!!

Sounds like Elly is a very brave girl and will come through just fine... and am sure her mum will too

tinks x

Thanks to you both for the replies.
I do take Elly out as i said but i go into a blind panic if a dog comes up to us that isnt on a lead.
It has taken all the fun out of taking her for her walks but i know i have to do it for her sake. I am going to try taking some rescue remedy before i go out as i dont want to be passing bad vibes down the lead to her and a lady who attends dog training classes has offered to swap phone numbers with me so that we can meet up and go together.
I think my daughter maybe getting a dog so i will be able to go out with her as well.
I cant go to the place it happened on my own i am just to scared even though i know this woman probably wont go back there. I also know she lives in the same town as me and it worries me that i may bump into her and her dogs again.
I guess its just going to take some time to get over it and i will have to keep on trying for Ellys sake.
I really appreciate the support from you both.

I know its really really hard and not sure I could do it but you do really have to be brave and put a good front on for Ellie. If you give even even the sligh-*test*-('") indication that you are worried she will know and in turn will be worried herself. If you let this go on for long enough you will have a permanent problem with her and other dogs.

I know this from first hand experience, when we first got Jack he was attacked by a great dane it didn't really do any damage but it scared him half to death. I didn't know then as much about this whole dog training lark so didn't know what to and now have the consequences. And Jack can be one of those dogs you (and me) all hate If we come across a dog that intimidates him goes on the defencive and although wouldn't attack he runs up barking round it I think in an attempt to look "big and hard". I obviously have to intervene before this happens but this makes matters worse as he then thinks that there is something to be worried about and we are back on the roundabout. If I have chatted to the owner and their dog is not one who worries about barking I have left him to it and he will bark for perhaps 5 mins (absolute max) and then is fine, plus he never barks at that dog again. Believe me this is a pain and makes many walks an stressful experience for both me and Jack so you should do anything you possible can to keep calm and introduce Ellie to as many nice dogs as possible in the very near future.

Where do you live? Do you live near any springthingers who could meet up with you?

Whe I first got my collie puppy he used to go bounding up to every dog he saw. Then when day when we were out walking we came across a two great danes - mother and puppy. However, puppy was obviously huge and floored Oscar - nothing nasty, just boisterous puppy. Anyway, after that Oscar always waited for dogs to approach him! As he grew up he was the most submissive dog you could meet. He never, ever started an argument and only started answering back once he became a grumpy old man! He was attacked by one particular GSD three times (at agility training) So he purposely avoided GSDs.

Anyway, Vinnie so far has had very positive experiences with most of the dogs he has met. Thanks to my connections with the local agility club he has met many, many different breeds bith on and off lead - including my friends Doberman who is the most laid back dog you can imagine! There are a couple of boxers that walk regularly on one of the walks we frequent. The guy walking them always puts one of them back on the lead when he sees us, which is great. The other is a bit boisterous, so now Vinnie won't go near it because he's not keen on it.

When we were out walking yesterday we met a standard poodle. All was fine to start with, but then the poodle got a bit bolshy and knowcked him flying a couple of times. He tried to keep away from it, but it kept racing at him. In the end, I put Vinnie back on the lead, as the poodle seemed to be either deaf or ignorant of its name. We then got to the little cove that we were heading towards, and the poodle carried on the coast path. On the beach was another little spaniel that was six days older than Vinnie. We let them off to play together, which involved Vinnie racing around like an idiot and the other one not being able to catch him, so barking - great fun! Anyway, out of nowhere this poodle comes racing back and floors poor Vinnie again! Now, I got him back on his lead (he know his name and isn't deaf!) The poodle went in to the sea and it took a while for the owner to get it moving on with them.

Sorry to go on for a bit, but what I mean to say is this. I think Vinnie doesn't worry because I don't worry. I know that it's hard when you've had a bad experience, but the important thing is to get out there and meet lots of people and lots of dogs. The more positive experiences that you both have, the more relaxed you will be. My collies first line of defence was always that he could run faster than whatever was chasing him! I am hoping that with all the experiences that Vinnie is getting he will use 'flight' rather than 'fight' once the adrenaline kicks in.

Hope this helps a bit. Stay strong.

S.Y.E.S.S.R. I am fairly new on this site so as yet i dont know anyone.
I live in Wiltshire.

I'm sure there is someone on here close to you

We need a mini ST meet in Wiltshire peeps - wish I was closer or I would have come down hun

It took me nearly two years and a move to get over Lola's attack. BUT we are now back to normal and able to walk without me panicking, although I do put her on the lead still every time I see a dog off the lead - mostly because she tries to defend herself prior to an attack now. It will take time to rebuild your confidence but you will get there if as you say you carry on walking her and giving her the opportunity to socialise with 'safe' dogs. I was not able to walk her again where she was attacked but moved soon after her recovery so this was not really an issue.