I feel terrible - dog got kicked out of doggie daycare
I feel terrible - dog got kicked out of doggie daycare
martiniqueen
Posted : 4/25/2007 1:11:09 PM
We've had our lab/pit mix for about a year and a half, and she's just over two years old. She been attending a doggie daycare once a week for about 9 weeks.
I got a call today from the Doggie Daycare saying that the owner had tried to separate our dog and another dog who were fighting over a ball - our dog bit the owner, and she had to go for stitches! The owner was definitely upset by the whole situation, and I feel terrible. She's never displayed any aggresive behavior like this since we've had her...she was a rescue who was abandoned on a roof top in Manhattan, and of course, she is part pit bull. We've been asked not to bring her to doggie daycare any longer - which is sad because she loved going.
I just don't know how to feel about this whole situation. When I got the call, I would have so much rather have heard there was a fight and she got bit. Does anyone have any opinions or any words of advice to make me feel better?
Ixas_girl
Posted : 4/25/2007 2:02:17 PM
Here's what I've got to offer:
Get as many details as you can. The dog was in the daycare owners care when it happened, not yours, so you need to find out what lead up to this. Don't let your feeling embarrassed or guilty cloud your responsibility to your dog. []There's no way to know if their staff did something squirrely, or there was something off about the other dog, or if your dog was already stressed by something else ... all you know is that there was a bite, you just can't be sure about the details, since you weren't there. But at least you can get more clues, to try to determine if it was just an odd moment, or if there's some underlying problem that needs to be addressed.
If you think highly of the daycare owner's handling of your dog, and their training abilities, you might ask to pay for separate training time, to address whatever s/he feels the underlying issue is, if there is one.
houndlove
Posted : 4/25/2007 2:15:27 PM
A human getting bit while trying to deal with two aggressing dogs is not the same as a dog just hauling out and biting a human, if that makes you feel any better. My own dog bit me once when I was breaking up a fight between him and another dog and it's not like he meant it. Dogs get wound up and start just biting pretty much anything that gets in their way. It could have been that your dog did not even start the fight, but once it got going was not going to back down and the owner tried to intervene and your dog redirected on to them or they simply just got in the way of some teeth. When I was bit I'm pretty sure that neither dog even really registered I was even there, they were way too focused on proving their points to one another.
Once you get all the details, you might want to do a one-time consult with a behaviorist to see how they read the situation as it's been recounted. It might give you some insight into what was really going on there and what you can do to work on the issue. It may be a dog-aggression issue coming to the surface, and given the breed mix that would make the dog no longer a good candidate for daycare, but there are other options, such as a dogwalker (a really good one will work with you on your dog's individual needs and not just come and walk for 15 minutes and leave).
Mic Foster
Posted : 4/25/2007 4:26:27 PM
As the owner of several dog daycares I can tell you that you should not feel bad. 1) Getting bit is part of the business. 2) Steps should have been taken to seperate the dogs that didn't put anyone in danger.
What I am saying is...the owners an idiot (or doesn't have much experience). Daycares have procedures for breaking up dog fights, none of which involve putting your hands in the middle of things...feet maybe, but hands...no way. I wouldn't sweat it to much...dogs have bad days just like people do. If he enjoys going to daycare I would look for another place to take him. Be honest with the new daycare about what happened. We take dogs all the time that have been booted from other places...our program and handlers are far superior to our competitors so we can accomodate dogs that have the occasional issue.
No worries though...bites happen...it's not your fault.
Grace Stover
Posted : 4/26/2007 1:46:17 PM
It sounds like the owner's fault. less intruding measures should have been taken before sticking his hands (literally) in the dogs business. It is a natural reaction in dogs... puppies... anything, if you grab them and they are concentrating... usually you get nipped!
Don't feel bad at all, just look for another day care. Your dog is NOT a danger to society.
spiritdogs
Posted : 4/26/2007 3:21:13 PM
ORIGINAL: PACleader
As the owner of several dog daycares I can tell you that you should not feel bad. 1) Getting bit is part of the business. 2) Steps should have been taken to seperate the dogs that didn't put anyone in danger.
What I am saying is...the owners an idiot (or doesn't have much experience). Daycares have procedures for breaking up dog fights, none of which involve putting your hands in the middle of things...feet maybe, but hands...no way. I wouldn't sweat it to much...dogs have bad days just like people do. If he enjoys going to daycare I would look for another place to take him. Be honest with the new daycare about what happened. We take dogs all the time that have been booted from other places...our program and handlers are far superior to our competitors so we can accomodate dogs that have the occasional issue.
No worries though...bites happen...it's not your fault.
I would also add that day care operators should be aware of which dogs tend to be guardy about toys, and that soft toys often cause more arguments than rope tugs, for example. They also should know about the possibility of redirected aggression (Mic's example of not putting your hands in the middle of fighting dogs), and they should be aware that some dogs with Pit background can become dog aggressive at adulthood. Compatible dogs need to be separated into groups, there need to be rest periods so the dogs don't get overstimulated, and a whole host of other things that owners are not expected to know.
This was certainly not your fault, but liability issues probably will prevent your dog from attending day care, since reputable day cares will ask for a bite history at intake. (Mic's place is in Cincinnati []). The daycare here would probably require you to come for a private consultation before making a decision.
Sorry it happened this way, but you were not at fault. The day care staff are the pro's (presumably), and you are the lay person. The onus is on them to manage the dogs and accept the occupational hazard of being bitten. That's what business & liability insurance is for.sillysally
Posted : 4/28/2007 5:35:20 PM
You should not feel as if you have done something wrong. When you work with animals you have to learn to expect the unexpected and the possibility of getting injured is just part of the deal. I have worked at a horse boarding stable for 10 years and have been injured numorous times by other peoples' horses (stepped on, bitten, kicked, run over) and I never blame them--it just comes with the territory.
DPU
Posted : 4/28/2007 6:39:16 PM
ORIGINAL: PACleader
What I am saying is...the owners an idiot (or doesn't have much experience). Daycares have procedures for breaking up dog fights, none of which involve putting your hands in the middle of things...feet maybe, but hands...no way.
Did you write a book or guide on this subject so the people like myself, JQP knows what to look for in Doggie Daycare Centers? Or, is the "Owners Guide to Dogs" our only source?
spiritdogs
Posted : 4/29/2007 6:16:53 AM
ORIGINAL: DPU
ORIGINAL: PACleader
What I am saying is...the owners an idiot (or doesn't have much experience). Daycares have procedures for breaking up dog fights, none of which involve putting your hands in the middle of things...feet maybe, but hands...no way.
Did you write a book or guide on this subject so the people like myself, JQP knows what to look for in Doggie Daycare Centers? Or, is the "Owners Guide to Dogs" our only source?
What a great idea! I think Mic should write that book. []
But, I will start a thread in General Discussion, so everyone can weigh in.