Coworker attacked

[prancingpony]

The dog was out of his enviroment! He was caged and with people who are strangers to him! I don't care if he was boarded there before or not they are not his family nor his enviroment. Haven't you watched AFV with the clips where dogs have peed on someone or another dog? We can laugh at that but in this case we see it as a sign of agression? She was in his cage doing something that maybe he was not happy about. You know maybe he had enough, being in that cage, away from home, his family, hearing the other dogs barks, smelling their crap and the wipes was just the straw that put him over. I do not think he needs to be put down, I think we need to see it from his view and stop interpeting things.

That is making excuses for dangerous behavior.

[short_kid]

The thing that made it a done deal for me is the fact that it wasn't one bite. It was an attack.

[prancingpony]

Exactly short_kid!!

The dog growled, she moved away to not provoke, and the dog attacked. IMO, No excuses for that.

[Sunlei]

Sorry about your co-worker, I hope she heals well and fast. I've boarded dogs for many years and seen some bad bites occur. Most bites are from a single person alone with a dog. A dropped leash, a forgotten door left open, a slipped collar many accidents are just lack of handling errors or no kennel policy.

One person in a run with a un-nutered guard type breed and that person trying to treat its feet is way to dangerous. It is much safer to remove the dog from the run and use two people for any treatments. The person restraining the dog needs to be experienced aswell and know how to use a muzzle, e-collar,restraint and leash/collar control to avoid bites if the dog goes balistic. This happens sometimes in dog-care situtations. I've seen a Vet 'scalped' before by a unhappy dog.

A dog that needs extensive treatments, is un-nutered and dominate is better off boarding at a vet clinic.

Once a dog is in a boarding facility, the facility not the pet-owner is responsable for any damage to employees or other boarding pets. These type of aggressive dogs are not just a danger to kennel help..they can kill other boarding pets aswell.

[pasomystic]

Originally Posted by Sunlei

Sorry about your co-worker, I hope she heals well and fast. I've boarded dogs for many years and seen some bad bites occur. Most bites are from a single person alone with a dog. A dropped leash, a forgotten door left open, a slipped collar many accidents are just lack of handling errors or no kennel policy.

One person in a run with a un-nutered guard type breed and that person trying to treat its feet is way to dangerous. It is much safer to remove the dog from the run and use two people for any treatments. The person restraining the dog needs to be experienced aswell and know how to use a muzzle, e-collar,restraint and leash/collar control to avoid bites if the dog goes balistic. This happens sometimes in dog-care situtations. I've seen a Vet 'scalped' before by a unhappy dog.

A dog that needs extensive treatments, is un-nutered and dominate is better off boarding at a vet clinic.

Once a dog is in a boarding facility, the facility not the pet-owner is responsable for any damage to employees or other boarding pets. These type of aggressive dogs are not just a danger to kennel help..they can kill other boarding pets aswell.

Yes, I agree. When I was boarding, I would never have tried to treat a questionable dog alone and in it's kennel run that is asking for problems. The boarding facility is entirely responsible for the safe care of all boarded animals and the only staff members allowed to handle questionable dogs must be well trained.

[cameo05]

Originally Posted by short_kid

The thing that made it a done deal for me is the fact that it wasn't one bite. It was an attack.

This I definatly agree with... This is why the dog should be put down.


My Akita's do not act like this, but I have has them in training and continue to do so. I will not let anyone hit him or man handle hit him, because I know what he could be capable of if handled wrong.

I would also never board him in a kennel. The Akita is a very family oriented breed, it loves and tolerates its family, but has that tendancey to not care for other people. THe owner of this dog put everyone at the kennel in harms way by boarding him there. Kennel staff should be trained as well, to handle all types of dogs, but me as an owner it is my responsibility to keep mine under control at all times and not put him or anyone in this type of sitaution. I still say that this is the fault of this Akita's owner. Now the dog and the person he attacked has to suffer.

[BBT2T5]

If only dogs could talk!

[Shepdog]

I owned a boarding facility, and frankly, the safety of the pets and the employees is your first issue. No one wants a dog to bite, and no one wants to be bitten.

I have had thousands of dogs come through, and yes, of course the dog was out of environment. Ninety nine percent of dogs even this high-stress situation don't attack you, though. They give plenty of warning signs that there is a problem or that they are frightened. Most dogs would warn the person off obviously far before they ever got to the foot-wiping part, or just turn tail, if they were loose. Body posture, growling, barking, slapping with a tooth before actually connecting, and if you back off with these warnings, the dog doesn't usually follow through with a puncturing bite.

Yes, I agree about not going into the kennel run to treat the dog, absolutely. Was it a bad scenario all around... yep, it was. I have not made a case for the dog to be euthanized or not, I'm leaving that one alone. What I am saying is that now the owner better take a long, hard, objective look at themselves and their training/socializing abilities.

I personally believe the dog will bite again, if not corrected and the behavior worked with.

Her very first comment about the dog not being trained and so 'cute' the owner wants him to have babies doesn't strike me as an owner who likely has a personality to go and work with this particular dog for this issue or who needs an un-neutered male dog of this breed in the first place.

And yes, lifting a leg on someone or another animal is dominant behavior, and pretty disrespectful. Most dogs don't do it to people, and no, it is not funny, not in the slightest to me. Especially on an intact, young male.

[DoBeSassy]

I was told he won't be put down. He went to another facility to wait out his "jail: time, then will be going home.

[DoBeSassy]

Originally Posted by BBT2T5

The dog was out of his enviroment! He was caged and with people who are strangers to him! I don't care if he was boarded there before or not they are not his family nor his enviroment. Haven't you watched AFV with the clips where dogs have peed on someone or another dog? We can laugh at that but in this case we see it as a sign of agression? She was in his cage doing something that maybe he was not happy about. You know maybe he had enough, being in that cage, away from home, his family, hearing the other dogs barks, smelling their crap and the wipes was just the straw that put him over. I do not think he needs to be put down, I think we need to see it from his view and stop interpeting things. You and your co-workers are at risk for being bitten just like vets are, when it happens don't act suprised. I wish your co-worker well. The kennel can refuse him, they do have a choice.

I dont know about you but a dog peeing on someone is not funny, and it is a sign of dominance.
I can't believe you just excused his behavior because he was tired of smelling other dog's poop. Wow.

And I dont expect to be attacked by a dog becuse I work at a kennel. I expect the owners to properly train and socialize their dog and to disclose anything we should be aware of.

By your standards I shouldn't act suprised when I get robbed because I work at a bank. But let's look at it from the robbers stand point, he was tired of actually having to work for his money so he doesn't deserve jail.

[cameo05]

Originally Posted by DoBeSassy

I was told he won't be put down. He went to another facility to wait out his "jail: time, then will be going home.

Did they say why, DoBe? That really is not funny at all. If I were the owner, and he bit out of aggression I would have him put down. Period. Those owners need to be horse whipped. How is your Coworker today?

[DoBeSassy]

I can't answer that right now. The kennel owners are out of the state right now and the manager came in for a minute just to make sure everything was in order,then left. It was me and a trainer for the day today.

Hopefully I can get more info tomorrow

My co worker is fine as far as I know. She was supposed to come in this afternoon to get a feel for the office stuff. and hopefully I will be helping her learn the office ropes better tomorrow so I can give an update then

[Mav2007]

Originally Posted by BBT2T5

If only dogs could talk!

and if only they could control their aggression and not bite people, but sometimes they can't and as owners and humans we have to deal with them and make sure that other humans and other dogs are safe.


Of course if you work in a kennel there is a risk of being bitten and if you're a dog, there is a risk you will be put to sleep if you bite someone.

[thumpersgirl]

Originally Posted by DoBeSassy

I don't know about you but a dog peeing on someone is not funny, and it is a sign of dominance.
I can't believe you just excused his behavior because he was tired of smelling other dog's poop. Wow.

And I don't expect to be attacked by a dog because I work at a kennel. I expect the owners to properly train and socialize their dog and to disclose anything we should be aware of.

By your standards I shouldn't act surprised when I get robbed because I work at a bank. But let's look at it from the robbers stand point, he was tired of actually having to work for his money so he doesn't deserve jail.

I agree with you, DoBe. There is no excuse for that dog's behavior. If one of my dogs ever bit someone, they would be destroyed. I wouldn't make excuses for them or try to justify it. They have been trained and know better.

[pasomystic]

I would not own a dog that got to the point of this adult untrained and aggressive animal. I still find it hard to believe some people are allowed to own animals at all.
If, for some unknown reason out of the blue a dog I owned attacked the way this one did, it would not have survived the day--no question. Yes, this dog will bite again, it is much like a loaded gun with no safety, and it will go off at some point when the wrong person is in control. Sad.

What concerns me is the liability issues. Hard to say what a judge would decide--kennel worker put themselves at risk or kennel owner risked kennel worker's safety?

[DoBeSassy]

There will be no sueing. Coworker wants to put it behind her. I'm not sure whos paying for her bills(kennel or her own insurance) and I dont think it's my business so I won't ask.

I am going to talk to the manager about policy changes. So I have a question to ask you:

Why is it unwise for one person to admin meds in a kennel? Is it just in case a dog freaks,or are there other reasons. Why is it better to bring a dog out of the kennel rather than restrain them in the kennel run?

If it helps, we do put special signs up on dogs who are suspected/known to be agressive. And 2 people are required to enter, and one must be carrying mace.

[beth55051]

DoBe - Inside the kennel a dog may feel trapped and strike out more easily. Many dogs also feel that the kennel is their own personal space and be more apt to defend it.

Even with the dogs I work with everyday that know me and trust me I still take them out of their kennel if I'm going to do something new or uncomfortable with them. Routine stuff like toenails they're cool with in their kennel but if I need to do something like doctor cut/sore pads, torn toenails or clean potentially painful ears we do it elsewhere.

Even with the open door the dog may still have felt trapped, still no excuse IMO.

[Range]

Exactly what Beth said, the kennel is "their" place and you don't want to be doing something uncomfortable or painful in "their" place. Many dogs will feel the need to defend themselves or the actual kennel in that instance. Some dogs will go against training in a strange place with strange people to defend the only place they see as "theirs" at that moment.

I'm not excusing the dog. I do wonder, though, if the dog did give some warning signs that were just not recognized.

[pasomystic]

Originally Posted by Range

Exactly what Beth said, the kennel is "their" place and you don't want to be doing something uncomfortable or painful in "their" place. Many dogs will feel the need to defend themselves or the actual kennel in that instance. Some dogs will go against training in a strange place with strange people to defend the only place they see as "theirs" at that moment.

I'm not excusing the dog. I do wonder, though, if the dog did give some warning signs that were just not recognized.

Yes, that is indeed why you do not treat a dog in it's kennel. I also wonder about whether the worker ignored possible warning signs--if she has not been trained to recognize them, and/or has had no dealings with an aggressive dog before, that may be true. Still no excuse for that much of an attack, but certainly something the kennel needs to look into.

[Ferronsgranny]

I was severly bitten a few years ago by a german shepard. He ripped my hand up badly and grabbed at my chest. The only thing that saved me from getting my chest ripped opened was my jacket.

Now this was a dog that I had played with since a puppy. I did have the choice of having the dog put down as we were living on an air force base, but I wanted the dog checked out by a vet before I made my decision. Come to find out the dog had ear mites that was a bad case. When I was petting him I had accidently touched his ears and that had set him off.

After his ear mites were gone he again became the loveable dog that he was before. I am so glad that I had made the right decision.