My Dog Attacked a Racoon

Brent004 · 03-28-2008, 07:54 PM

I have a 10 month old male German Shepherd/Huskie mix. He was recently neutered. I usually keep him on a leash while I walk in the city or when other dogs are around but when I go for hikes I let him off.

Today we saw a young raccoon. The minute my dog (Bowzer) saw it he was off. It tried to climb up a tree but was pulled down by my dog. When Bowzer got ahold of the little raccoon he started to viciously shake it. I had to chase him and practically pull the raccoon out of his mouth. It appeared to be ok as it ran away but I am scared my dog will do the same thing if he sees another small dog.

Normally Bowzer shows no aggression. We own three other cats and he is pritty good with two of them. I have to tell him to relax sometimes because plays a little rough. My other cat is aggressive towards him and so Bowzer seems to be intimidated and barks, but he has never viciously attacked any of them the way he did with the raccoon. I think because he has grown up with them. I am afraid that he might attack another smaller dog the way he did the raccoon.

What can I do to suppress this instinct to chase, grab, and shake smaller animals?

RonE · 03-28-2008, 07:56 PM

My lab killed a raccoon and six rabbits during the years that we had him. It never occurred to me that he would be interested in attacking any dogs.

Most dogs have a prey drive and most can tell the difference between a raccoon and another dog.

Shaina · 03-28-2008, 08:00 PM

My parent's lab has killed two groundhogs, a possum, and a rabbit at various times. When my sister first brought her then-2.5 lb puppy home, the first thing she did was run at the lab and attempt to jump on his head. He licked her and let her climb all over him. He also regularly naps with the cat.

Not to say that your dog definitely won't think of small dogs as prey -- he might. But seeing small wild animals as prey doesn't necessarily translate to small dog aggression.

Brent004 · 03-28-2008, 08:06 PM

Perhaps the smell a rodent gives off naturally triggers something in him... I saw a video of a pitbull attacking a ladies small dog and would die if my dog did something like that.

RonE · 03-28-2008, 08:10 PM

Some pitbulls, unfortunately, are specifically trained to be dog aggressive. It doesn't come naturally to most dogs.

Still, you have a combination of breeds that will require deliberate training and socialization (as all dogs do, for that matter.) Many huskies do like to chase and catch small, furry things that squeak and it is your responsibility to make sure that doesn't include shih tzus.

Brent004 · 03-28-2008, 08:15 PM

How would you recommend we socialize him? I want to put him into obedience classes but I don't have a job right now because I am a full time student. He gets to play with the dog across the street once a day but not for very long. How many play dates a week would satisfy socializing?

Shalva · 03-28-2008, 08:15 PM

ok well aside from the attack itself
I would get that pup to the vet and get a rabies booster......

Brent004 · 03-28-2008, 08:18 PM

would a rabis booster be necessary even though he's been vaccinated already?

Lorina · 03-28-2008, 08:19 PM

Shalva took the words out of my mouth.

Healthy racoons aren't usually out in the daytime. A former coworker had a dog who killed a racoon, and she had it tested and it was positive for rabies. Her dog was UTD on vaccinations, and was given a booster right after the incident, and was fine, but did have to be quarantined for six months.

Shalva · 03-28-2008, 08:24 PM

the rabies shot is fine unless his system is challenged and then they would want to give a booster immediately after the incident....
I think a rabies booster is in order
s

Durbkat · 03-28-2008, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonE

Many huskies do like to chase and catch small, furry things that squeak and it is your responsibility to make sure that doesn't include shih tzus.

RonE, you made me burst out laughing. To funny.

rosemaryninja · 03-29-2008, 12:58 AM

I was just going to mention the rabies booster too. I think it's a good idea, just to be safe.

About the actual attack - both breeds in your mix have a pretty strong prey drive, so it's really not at all surprising that he attacked the raccoon. However, I wouldn't be that worried about him attacking a smaller dog. Generally, dogs are able to distinguish dog from rodent quite easily... they smell different, they move differently, etc.

However, you don't want to take any chances of him being dog-aggressive at all, so socialization is extremely important for him. He needs to be socialized with large dogs as well as small dogs. Dogs do not come with the pre-programmed knowledge that there are different dog breeds - some large, some tiny, some with floppy ears, etc - in the world. In fact, dogs don't really come with the pre-programmed knowledge of the existence of very many things in the world - cars, bicycles, vacuum cleaners, men wearing hats.

That's what socialization is about - allowing him to be exposed to these new stimuli in a controlled and safe environment, so that he has no reason to fear them, be wary of them or defend himself against them in the future.

This is a pretty good page on socialization:
http://diamondsintheruff.com/socialization.html

gills · 03-29-2008, 05:31 AM

err.... I just feel I have to speak up for the raccoons. They're not rodents. They are actually more closely related to dogs and bears. They belong to the family Procyonidae, which is a member of the canoid (canine or caniform) subgroup of the Order of Carnivores.

I have a soft spot for the little devils

Elana55 · 03-29-2008, 09:12 AM

FWIW when I had the farm we ahd resident raccoons in the hay loft. We had to dispatche them due to the amazing amount of poop they made and all of it in the hay or, if they got in theree, the Grain Bin. What a mess and raccoons can carry Lepto (this was a problem both b4 and after the rabies sweep coming into NY.. prior to that rabies was almost unknown in my area).

The dogs regularly killed raccoons or would corner them so we could kill them with the .22. Neither dog ever acted aggressively toward another dog.

I might add that raccoons will fight back This seems to do it for the dog and they fight 'em and kill them IF the dog is big enough. If a dog chases a raccoon and they go in the water, a raccoon will climb on a dog's head and drown the dog. Something worth knowing.

After the rabies came thru any time a dog tangles with a raccoon we updated her rabies shot. Cows, cats and horses were also vaccinated for rabies.

Rabies travels along the nerve fibers. Typically, a bite to the head on an unvaccintaed animal will prove symptomatic much sooner than a bite to a tail. A lot of rabies can be prevented if the wound is washed with warm soapy water.

That being said, get a booster for your dog. If you handled the dog and had any open woulds on yourself, call your doctor for advice. Raccoons sometimes do come out during the day and often are not rabid. This time of year they are having kits and so their behavior is not typical of the rest of te year. Usually they are nocturnal, but it has been a long winter and they are also exiting their semi hibernation (raccoons do not truly hibernate).

My understanding about rabies is that it is not transmitted unless the animal doing the biting is symptomatic for the disease. If you have an unvaccinated animal, and it is bitten, you need to get shots immediately (same for a human) to build immunity to prevent symptoms and prior to symptoms. Once symptoms develop, rabies is 100% fatal in most mammals including raccoons, dogs, cats and humans.

wvasko · 03-29-2008, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shalva

ok well aside from the attack itself
I would get that pup to the vet and get a rabies booster......

shalva
good thinking on the rabies program, if this attack was during day you normally don't see raccoons out unless sick or just disoriented. Whoops I am only about 5 replies late. Oh well I'm slow but I'm old.(great excuse)

gills · 03-29-2008, 01:28 PM

er... (puts hand up tentatively)...

I'll just speak up for raccoons again. They are actually very placid creatures. They do have sharp incisors and I've seen a dog pretty messed up after a fight with one, for sure. BUT... After many many close encounters (including IN my home - but anyone from Toronto will understand), I can tell you from personal experience that they won't necessarily fight even when cornered. Even when cornered with an entire litter of 8 babies. So let's not demonize them - they are charming, extraordinarily intelligent, and in the way of all extraordinarily intelligent creatures, they can cause mischief. But mostly they are just getting by like everyone else, and deserve to be left alone.

SO ... they do carry rabies in some areas, they do have communal poop piles which carry parasites that are nasty for dogs. Keep your dogs away from them, and from all wild animals - mostly out of respect for our fellow travellers on this earth, and also for your dog's health. Don't shoot 'em, please, unless all other options are exhausted first.

Brent004 · 03-29-2008, 03:53 PM

Thanks to everyone for all the great info. I'm taking bowzer in for a check up next week to make sure he didn't contract anything. I don't think he did, as I saw no blood, but better safe than sorry.

Ginny01OT · 03-29-2008, 04:00 PM

I agree with RonE most dogs have prey drive----I would definitely call the vet regarding rabies but also equally important is the leptospirosis and distemper vaccinations, I would be sure your dog is up to date on them all particularly if they have such a prey drive to protect them

Quote:

Originally Posted by gills

er... (puts hand up tentatively)...

I'll just speak up for raccoons again. They are actually very placid creatures. They do have sharp incisors and I've seen a dog pretty messed up after a fight with one, for sure. BUT... After many many close encounters (including IN my home - but anyone from Toronto will understand), I can tell you from personal experience that they won't necessarily fight even when cornered. Even when cornered with an entire litter of 8 babies. So let's not demonize them - they are charming, extraordinarily intelligent, and in the way of all extraordinarily intelligent creatures, they can cause mischief. But mostly they are just getting by like everyone else, and deserve to be left alone.

SO ... they do carry rabies in some areas, they do have communal poop piles which carry parasites that are nasty for dogs. Keep your dogs away from them, and from all wild animals - mostly out of respect for our fellow travellers on this earth, and also for your dog's health. Don't shoot 'em, please, unless all other options are exhausted first.

In Hamptons here in NY my friends dog was attacked and killed by a raccoon

Willowy · 03-30-2008, 12:00 AM

If you touched the raccoon, you should ask a doctor what to do.....they'll probably want you to go in for rabies shots. You don't want to mess with rabies. Dogs (and cats) should be boostered for rabies whenever they are in close contact with a wild animal, especially those known to be common vectors of rabies, such as raccoons, skunks, foxes, or bats.