How do I help my dog?

Question

Mia, my 6 year old female maltese, was attacked by a larger dog 2 days ago while we were on a walk. She spent the better part of the day in the hospital. She is now somewhat reluctant to go outside, which is understandable to me. How can I help relieve her fears?

In response to your questions...we live in a condo with no enclosed yard of our own. Mia has head wounds but will be okay. She's on antibiotics and pain meds. She's wearing one of those big plastic collars so she can't scratch her head and she hates it. So would I. She can't get comfortable. It's hard for her to eat and drink with the collar. I don't know the owner of the other dog or where he lives. The attack happened soooo fast and I was concerned about getting Mia home to check her over, moreso than getting information from the attack dog's owner. He didn't attempt to find us even though he knows which direction we went in and there are only 2 condos he could have visited in that direction. My vet bill was over $550. I'm just thankful Mia will be physically okay. I'm just worried about her emotional state at this point.

Answer 1

Patience and understanding will help a lot. Take some treats to tempt her to go outside. Don't insist on taking her for long walks at first. Take her out and sit near the safety of home for a while. As she starts sniffing around, let her do this for a while and then walk her for a while to a new location. Let her sniff there a while as well.

Dogs are scent oriented and get a lot of enjoyment out of sniffing around. This may involve many stops, but staying close to home at first and being allowed to sniff around a lot should help her feeling more secure.

Also, take something with you to protect yourself and your dog if any other dog comes out.

I hope you have contacted the owner of the larger dog as the owner of that dog is legally responsible for your dog's medical expenses, especially if that dog was loose and your dog was on a leash.

Answer 2

First of all, you sound like you are doing an excellent job taking care of her.
Second I evny you. It sounds like you have never been attacked or beaten so you do know what to do.

Imagine you had a small child in school and one day he got beaten up very badly in a school yard by a bully. Now imagine that he is healed enough to go back to school and he doesn't want to go. You know he has to go.

This is and exact same thing. Sometimes people forget that dogs are very much like humans as far as emotions are concerned.

You need to go slow. Start with getting him out the door. That is the hardest part. Only let him out long enough to go potty for the first few days. Each day try to get him or go a ocuple of steps further out.

While his "allien coller" is on (that is what I call them) don't expect much as far as wanting to go out side. It is kind of like taking a person with a plaster cast to a pool or beach. They can't do anything and they are reminded of thier injury too easily. Let him stay at home until the pain gets better. When the coller is off, bring his favorite toy with him outside, and let him stay close to the door. Each day take him further and further out. Eventuall you will get him to go around the block.

Answer 3

Well, I'm not sure what your living situation is (apartment, house, house with a yard, etc.), but if you can avoid walks for the next few days, that would probably be a good start. If you can let your Maltese out in an enclosed yard, that should be a good way to start introducing her back to the outdoors.

It may take a few days, but she should get over a one time bad experience. If it was repeated attacks over multiple days, that is when I think you would have more of a lasting behavioral problem.

Answer 4

By not babying her, if she is scared and you go "It is OK Mia" she hears..."Oh Mia what a good dog you are to be afraid". Be matter of fact and just take her out like it is no big deal. You can even drop treats along the way to keep her mind off her problems. If you are nervous she will pick it up and get to be a wreck. Most thundershy dogs are owned by thundershy people and the dog picks up their fears, esp when they get "comforted" by their owner who just reinforces that the dog HAS a reason to be scared.

Answer 5

First question of thought, is she ok? Is she ready to walk?

If yes, then pick the darling up and take her in the car to a safe place... like a open area in a park.

Just hold her. Don't put her down. Let her be outside, and feel safe again.

Next day do it again. And the next. Keep doing it until she is ready to get out of your arms. And she will. Give her some time to heal and get reinterested in the sights , sounds, scents of the park.

Good luck.

Answer 6

She will look to you for direction.. You want to show her that there is nothing to fear.. Act the way you would want her to react to the situation so when she checks you she gets the impression that all is good..

Don't suck her up, be there for her if she is looking for direction and a long slow pet down the back for reassurance, but don't feed into her fear and make her think she should be afraid, by acting like she went thru a horrible experience. She always be fearful if you feed her fear.

Answer 7

This happened to my westie recently. he seemed unusually timid to begin with. Let her take her time but don't 'baby' her to much as we communicate to our pets with much more than our voices. just be calm and positive with her, but remember she will be stiff and sore after an attack and may not be back to her best immediately, give her time. I thought my dog would never recover, he was so pathetic looking, but small dogs have huge personalities and the attack won't have taken that away

Answer 8

This is going to sound hard but dont baby her.If you put the fear in her it will stay.You are her leader and you must lead her back out into the world a show her it's ok.You are going to show her that it's safe and she is going to be fine.
Start out just setting in the grass with her and just take steps with her good luck :)

Answer 9

first thing is to mske sure your calm , if she senses your nervousness it'll only inhance her own fears

make it a game, put her leash on ..get her excited and happy , maybe playing with her favorite toy and bring the toy with you outside , start with short trips outside so she gets used to seeing nothing is going to happen
again...most of all you have to be calm and not thinking about that day

B.

Answer 10

I would slowly let your maltese hang out with dogs she already knows and trusts that dont hurt her. That will help her regain faith in other dogs and help aleviate her fears