Chihuahua killed by Husky at dog park yesterday..

chipinmom said:

It is. However, the small dog area is so small that no one ever uses it.

I understand (technically) that if the Chihuahua had of been in the small dog area this wouldn't have happened TO HIM. But I believe it still would have happened, just to a different dog. This particular Husky was aggressive towards ALL dogs, not just the small ones.

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Didn't we just have a thread about this, and one of the posters here was upset about another dog getting rough with her small dog, and when I suggested she use the small dog side, her response was that she didn't want to because there aren't many dogs that use it. I still think it's irresponsible to own a small dog and NOT use the small dog side. I blame the Chih owner in this case equally, not the Husky owner 100%. If the Husky was being aggressive to big dogs, they should have left. But small dogs do NOT belong on a big dog side. They can trigger prey drive in even the nicest dog. And teh little dog will always lose.
Chipinmom- If you want to protect your dog, USE THE SMALL DOG SIDE. It's unfair to large dog owners, and your small dogs to risk their lives by letting them on the big dog side. Do you understand prey drive? A yelp from a small dog, or a small dog running can trigger it in a normally friendly dog.

spotted nikes said:

Didn't we just have a thread about this, and one of the posters here was upset about another dog getting rough with her small dog, and when I suggested she use the small dog side, her response was that she didn't want to because there aren't many dogs that use it. I still think it's irresponsible to own a small dog and NOT use the small dog side. I blame the Chih owner in this case, not the Husky owner 100%. If the Husky was being aggressive to big dogs, they should have left. But small dogs do NOT belong on a big dog side. They can trigger prey drive in even the nicest dog. And teh little dog will always lose.

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Yes, that thread was mine actually. It's not that hardly anyone uses the small dog section, NO ONE uses it. It's way too small. Actually, I'd say it's such a small area that it wouldn't be safe to have more than a couple dogs in there at once without them getting irritated with eachother.

And I'm sorry, but I don't blame the Chihuahua's owner AT ALL! This was not her fault in any way. That Husky should not have been there in the first place. And I would say the exact same thing if it had of been a little dog attacking a big dog, a little dog attacking another little dog or a big dog attacking another big dog. If you know your dog is aggressive (and believe me, this owner knew), then don't bring him to the park.

Also, I've said this before, and I'm going to say it again. I think it is a WONDERFUL (and smart) idea to condition and socialize your dog with other dogs of ALL sizes. I DO NOT want my dog scared of big dogs ever just because I chose to never let him around them. That being said, you have to watch your dog at all times no matter how big or small he/she is. If your dog is being aggressive, leave. If you notice your dog is getting picked on too much, leave. Little and big dogs CAN and DO play together very well (most of the time). 99% of the time it is the owners ignorance and stupidity that allows any problems to get out of hand.

As a husky owner and someone who knows AND understands FULL WELL their prey drive - I'd like to chime in on this and my own experiences.

MOST people do not understand what "prey drive" is. I can't tell you how many people I've actually had to explain what a prey drive is vs the amount of people who already know/understand it. I really like what Spotted Nikes said. In a breed of dog or a dog that is KNOWN for a high prey drive even the most well socialized and nicest dog can in an instant turn simply because it caught sight of a small dog running by.

The entire situation is incredibly sad and could have very well been avoided by having the Husky removed OR by people using the APPROPRIATE area for their dogs (regardless of size - even a "timeout" for awhile would have worked in the other area). Some people are just oblivious or ignorant or what have you. You cannot hold the husky (or owner) FULLY responsible in this situation - because the chi's owner could have just as well left especially if the Husky's owner was not going to. I think the blame equally falls on BOTH people for not realizing what could have happened. The Husky's owner for not realizing her dog shouldn't have been there (on that day - dogs are entitled to bad days. he might not ALWAYS be that way) and the chi's owner for not using the small dog side and for not removing her dog knowing that this dog is behaving this way.

My Siberian is VERY well socialized with other dogs. Two of her BEST dog friends that she plays very well are much smaller than her (doxie and a mix dog). However - She is NEVER allowed to be at the dog park with smaller dogs. I have and will continue to remove MY dog if there is a small dog owner who thinks that their dog should be in with the big dogs and will not remove their dog (each side is 1.5 acres) if that means Bella only got 15 minutes of park time - then so be it. I will NOT put her or another dog at risk because another owner thinks it is okay to disobey the rules. I will also NEVER put Bella in the small dog side (it is MUCH nicer than the large dog side - the small dog side is fully grassed where the large dog side is dirt). MANY medium and big dog owners will go over to the small dog side because of the grass. I think that is just as wrong as bringing a small dog to the other side.

I feel terrible for what the owner of that little dog is going through. I really do. But I can't justify the blame solely falling on that other dog. Be it a Husky or any other breed.

Niraya, I completely understand prey drive. And I DID say that it wasn't the Husky's fault. But I think I need to point out again that this Husky wasn't just going after the small dogs. He was going after EVERY dog. Small, big and bigger than him. And not in a playful manner either.

I understand what spotted nikes is saying. YES, it is our choice to bring our smaller dogs into the all-dog area (it is not called big dog area here. It is meant for all WELL BEHAVED dogs of all sizes). And because of that choice, we need to be prepared that ANYTHING can happen. BUT! That doesn't excuse someone allowing their dog aggressive dog (no matter the breed or size) to remain in the park when it is continuously attacking other dogs.

And the Chihuahua's owner had no way of knowing this was going to happen. The Husky was off on the other side of the park then all of a sudden just came out of nowhere and grabbed her dog. There was no time to do anything.

chipinmom said:

Niraya, I completely understand prey drive. And I DID say that it wasn't the Husky's fault. But I think I need to point out again that this Husky wasn't just going after the small dogs. He was going after EVERY dog. Small, big and bigger than him. And not in a playful manner either.

I understand what spotted nikes is saying. YES, it is our choice to bring our smaller dogs into the all-dog area (it is not called big dog area here. It is meant for all WELL BEHAVED dogs of all sizes). And because of that choice, we need to be prepared that ANYTHING can happen. BUT! That doesn't excuse someone allowing their dog aggressive dog (no matter the breed or size) to remain in the park with other dogs.

And the Chihuahua's owner had no way of knowing this was going to happen. The Husky was off on the other side of the park then all of a sudden just came out of nowhere and grabbed her dog. There was no time to do anything.

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I understand what you were getting at. What I am saying though is that there was SEVERAL steps that ANY person could have taken to avoid it. Yes - as I said the owner of the Husky shouldn't have had her dog there but with other people KNOWING that this dog is not playing nicely with ANY dog of ANY size - is reason enough to remove your own dog for THEIR safety. Do you see what I mean? Yes the other dog shouldn't be there, but it was. The owner wasn't doing anything about it so the OTHER owners should have done something for their dogs regardless of it being "right" for them or not. I'm not making an excuse for an aggressive dog being there - but if there IS one there you can't hold the other owner (who is obviously doing nothing) to the same standards that you hold yourself and go "well, hopefully nothing will happen." you know?

And that is the thing with prey drive. You will NEVER know when it will happen or when it could happen or what will set it off and there will be NO time to react. All you can do is watch for the signs that it MIGHT happen. ANYTHING can turn that dog. Bella's prey drive is turned by a leaf blowing in the wind. Do you see what I mean? I've seen Bella all the way across 1.5 acres of the dog park turn on a dime and RUN clear to the other side because she caught a GLIMPSE of a smaller dog walking from the parking lot (which is about another .50 acres away). I manage my dog and her drive VERY well. But I would never expect another owner to do the same for their dog that I do for mine - because it's unrealistic.

I do understand and agree with what you are saying. And if I had a Chihuahua, especially a miniature 1-2lb Chihuahua like this one was, I would probably never take or trust it in a dog park with larger dogs. I DO take my dog in with the bigger dogs, but he is not necessarily "small" at 20lbs and still growing. He can hold his own and we get out of there usually at the first sign of trouble. The only reason I didn't leave right away yesterday was because Bentley was under the picnic table with his best "dog friend" (a young husky funnily enough). They were so caught up playing with eachother that they weren't even noticing the other dogs and the other dogs weren't noticing them.

That being said, I guess I'm just more trying to defend the Chi's owner because I feel TERRIBLY bad for her! It was an awful thing to see. An awful situation in general.

chipinmom said:

Yes, that thread was mine actually. It's not that hardly anyone uses the small dog section, NO ONE uses it. It's way too small. Actually, I'd say it's such a small area that it wouldn't be safe to have more than a couple dogs in there at once without them getting irritated with eachother.

And I'm sorry, but I don't blame the Chihuahua's owner AT ALL! This was not her fault in any way. That Husky should not have been there in the first place. And I would say the exact same thing if it had of been a little dog attacking a big dog, a little dog attacking another little dog or a big dog attacking another big dog. If you know your dog is aggressive (and believe me, this owner knew), then don't bring him to the park.

Also, I've said this before, and I'm going to say it again. I think it is a WONDERFUL (and smart) idea to condition and socialize your dog with other dogs of ALL sizes. I DO NOT want my dog scared of big dogs ever just because I chose to never let him around them. That being said, you have to watch your dog at all times no matter how big or small he/she is. If your dog is being aggressive, leave. If you notice your dog is getting picked on too much, leave. Little and big dogs CAN and DO play together very well (most of the time). 99% of the time it is the owners ignorance and stupidity that allows any problems to get out of hand.

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No matter how well big dogs play with little dogs most of the time, prey drive can kick in at any time. It can be caused by a high pitch squeal of a small dog, a small dog running, two larger dogs fighting and another gets excited, etc. If you care about your dog, you will not put a small dog on a big dog side. It is dangerous for the small dog, because if something happens the small dog will ALWAYS lose. It's bad for the big dog because you may end up with an otherwise nice dog that ends up euthed because it is now considered dangerous, when in fact, if the small dogs were on their side, it wouldn't have been.

It doesn't matter if the small dog's owner had a well behaved dog, and the big dog should have been removed. Being right and having a dead dog isn't worth it.

I take my brother's small dog to the dog park all of the time. If there are no small dogs on the small side, we play fetch over there. There is no way in hell I am taking him on the big side, even though he gets along with big dogs. If something happens, he would lose. And if a large dog comes over to the small side, I try to throw him out, so to speak. If he wouldn't leave, I would leave immediately, even if I just got there. Risking the life of a pet that relies on you to keep him safe is irresponsible.

And at your park, if the people with small dogs would start using the small side, then there would be dogs to play with. Your chih friend and your dog "could" have gone to the small side. Even if it is small, you said yourself no one uses it, so you two could have had it to yourselves. Even if it got crowded, a bunch of small dogs couldn't do the amount of damage that one large dog can do to a small dog.

Are you willing to bet your dog's life on all of the dogs at the big dog side being well behaved and having no prey drive?