I have a 2 year old yellow lab who is ball crazy. Not possessive of her ball but just loves to play ball. Recently she has been attacked numerous times in one day. First two balls got mixed up and this pit bull grabbed my dog and tore in leaving her with a HUGE gash on her forehead that fortunately did not need stitches, while the fight was going on the dogs owner ran up hitting my dog and hers with the chuck-it stick and I was yelling at her to stop because it makes it worse and just grab her dog by the rear end. my dog was on he ground SCREAMING and this pit was not letting go and throwing her back and forth by her face and neck like a rag. (my dog is a 65 pound Labrador mind you)
Once I got my dog under control and in safe hands her dog went after a dog close by and started to tear in as well that fight was not as severe.

after a 15 min time out..and that owner and dog left the park I let her go run again

Second time: involved another pit bull mix, who's dog walker had a squeaky toy and the walker KNOWS her pit client is aggressive about her squeaky toy and STILL brought it to the off-leash dog park. STUPID CHOICE. there were about 5 dogs who wanted that toy and my dog just happened to wander by the toy in order to get her ball back to me (just passed by the dog) The dog Jumped on my lab and tore in as well! then another pit got involved who likes to defend the other one.. I am angry and frustrated at this point. Wrigley had done NOTHING. hearing those screams is heartbreaking. The dog walker says afterward that "Oh yeah well I thought about not bringing the toy since shes aggressive with any dog who comes near"....don't bring personal toys to the dog park.. it causes problems. and if you do.. expect fights, broken toys, and do not expect to get that toy back. It's community property once it enters the park according to myself and 97% of the dog park frequenters

It has gotten to a point where I am just wanting this to stop before my dog gets seriously hurt. In my area this is the only place she can really run long distances to play ball. and I just am so frustrated with her being mauled 3 times a day.. her luck is going to run out.. Any suggestions on how to avoid this problem that doesn't involve not going to the park?

has anyone else gone through this sort of thing before?
(I love pit bulls when they have the training and leadership that the breed requires but there are select few who really don't know what they have gotten themselves into and here the breed is.. with a bad rap because of an uneducated owner and all we see from the bad owners is a unruly pit bull that has tons of strength and will power.)

That is awful! Did you call the police and report these aggressive dogs and their owners? Can you sue these owners for vet bills?

Oh my gosh! If it had been me in your place, there would have been some people fights as well as dog fights, let me tell you! My community just opened it's very first dog park (basically a one acre lawn with a chain link fence around it). But it does have rules posted, and one of them is, "Aggressive Dogs are not allowed." (The others are, females in heat are not allowed, sick dogs are not allowed, and all dogs must be current on vaccinations and licensed). This gets me to thinking, though... does your dog park have any kind of "park monitors" that help to enforce the rules and keep owners responsible? If not, you might want to contact the city about setting up some kind of group of people, even volunteer park users, who are willing to take turns doing that. The only other thing I can offer is to be more assertive when it comes to correcting stupid people who bring aggressive/undisciplined dogs into the park. Get their names, report them to the city; perhaps the city will send them a disciplinary warning, and possibly ban them from the park for future incidents. Like dogs, people will never learn without consequences for their poor choices.

The dog park in my area where I have been walking for over a year has been great until this past month. My dogs have been attacked twice! Once by a standard poodle who jumped on top of one of my dogs while they were sniffing eachother. My dog just walked up to this dog (who was off leash) to sniff and next thing I knew he was pinned on the ground being bitten. I was very thankfull that no skin was broken but the poodles owner just stood there and DID NOTHING while I grabbed HER dog by the collar to pull him off and rescue my poor dog who was screaming. The other attack was at the end of our walk by a yellow lab who was gragging its owner into the park, on the leash, up on it's back legs, barking and barking. I called my dogs over to leash up but before I got the leash on my dog he walked over to say hi, tail wagging and the lab grabbed him by the side, the owner just held the leash and then yelled at ME!! Saying it was MY fault!! I told her that her dog was dangerous and should not be at a park where people come with friendly off leash dogs and with children, etc. I thought I was going to get bitten trying to save my dog. She just walked off while I was checking for broken skin (there was) but she was already gone. I heard the next day from a close friend who is a walker (usualy has 3 or 4 dogs as a group not 10-12 like some) that this lab (who the owner let off leash after it attacked my dog) ran into his group and started attacking his dogs and again the owner did nothing and blamed my friend. Luckily we have not seen her since, my friend told her to not bring the dog back and to seek professional training and see a vet/behaviorist about her dogs severe aggression. You just have to be so carefull!!!

you came down on one of the owners b/c they brought a sueky toy, but you said yourself you brought a ball, which can also be considered a personal toy. the fact that you brought a ball for yuor dog seems to be a problem in both instances you mentioned. i would leave it at home from now on. any thing a dog has in its mouth can be a toy and cause aggression from other dogs.

there are many things you can do, stay closer to your dog so that if something does happen, you can intervene sooner and there will be less of a chance of serious injury. you can also note the dog owners and dogs and report them to the park officers, or your city if that isnt possible. you can also note when these people go to the park. most of the time, people will go at the same time. if its needed you may need to change the time that you go so as not to run into these people.

its sounds like your dog is not the aggressor in these situations. if the park continues to be unsafe for her, then i would consider doggie daycare. usually they have room for the dog to play with other dogs, and the dog are temperment tested and safe.

Originally Posted by Mydogiscute

Oh my gosh! If it had been me in your place, there would have been some people fights as well as dog fights, let me tell you! My community just opened it's very first dog park (basically a one acre lawn with a chain link fence around it). But it does have rules posted, and one of them is, "Aggressive Dogs are not allowed." (The others are, females in heat are not allowed, sick dogs are not allowed, and all dogs must be current on vaccinations and licensed). This gets me to thinking, though... does your dog park have any kind of "park monitors" that help to enforce the rules and keep owners responsible? If not, you might want to contact the city about setting up some kind of group of people, even volunteer park users, who are willing to take turns doing that. The only other thing I can offer is to be more assertive when it comes to correcting stupid people who bring aggressive/undisciplined dogs into the park. Get their names, report them to the city; perhaps the city will send them a disciplinary warning, and possibly ban them from the park for future incidents. Like dogs, people will never learn without consequences for their poor choices.

The only proeblem with these people is that ( they are good people) BUT they get SO defensive when you say "Hey I need your information for vet bills" or anything in that nature.. They don't give you any information and they leave.. there are some people who follow the rules #1.. You are liable for every damage your dog inflicts and are responsible to pay the damages and or consequences. But majority of the people get mad stating that "You don't know my dogs they aren't aggressive blah blah blah you don't know pit bulls" IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PIT BULLS IT HAS TO DO WITH THE ACT THAT YOUR DOG INFLICTED DAMAGE. YOU ARE STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR DOGS ACTIONS! * thankfully my dog was not seriously injured.. her dog on the other hand had been "Bit" but when we looked at the damage her dog had bit its own tongue mauling my dog.
I have to say that majority of the time the police and animal control can't do anything about it once they leave.
I also have to say that majority dogs that attack my dog are actually not Pit bulls. they are normally the herding breeds.
don't get me wrong.. I adore pit bulls they are GREAT dogs when they have the proper training and the demanding leadership they require. 92% of the pits that come to the park are some of the sweetest dogs I know.

Originally Posted by purplex15

you came down on one of the owners b/c they brought a sueky toy, but you said yourself you brought a ball, which can also be considered a personal toy. The fact that you brought a ball for yuor dog seems to be a problem in both instances you mentioned. I would leave it at home from now on. Any thing a dog has in its mouth can be a toy and cause aggression from other dogs.

There are many things you can do, stay closer to your dog so that if something does happen, you can intervene sooner and there will be less of a chance of serious injury. You can also note the dog owners and dogs and report them to the park officers, or your city if that isnt possible. You can also note when these people go to the park. Most of the time, people will go at the same time. If its needed you may need to change the time that you go so as not to run into these people.

Its sounds like your dog is not the aggressor in these situations. If the park continues to be unsafe for her, then i would consider doggie daycare. Usually they have room for the dog to play with other dogs, and the dog are temperment tested and safe.

obviously you have never been to a dog park.. People donate tennis balls to the park there are literally hundreds of tennis balls at the park. I do not bring my own toys to the park or my own tennis balls i grab one from the park. They are everywhere just laying around..all i am doing is throwing the ball for my dog.. So your suggesting that i run with my dog back and forth to stay closer to her at all times?? Your ridiculous.. Doggie daycare? I don't want to spend money if i don't have to. I live in seattle so everything tis very expensive.. I go in the mornings.. And i know everyone there as i have been going for 9 years with my older labrador molly. For you to even say such things shows that you have never been to a dog park or own a dog that plays fetch. Because honestly there is nothing you can do to break them of fetch.. Someone else will be there with a chick it throwing the ball for their dog so if your not throwing the ball your dog will find another person.
Before you start pointing fingers saying "oh well look at you bringing toys" maybe you should ask me "hey do you bring the ball from home?" my dog will give her ball up and find a new one if another dog takes it. Shes not attached to a certain ball.

Originally Posted by orangedog

The dog park in my area where I have been walking for over a year has been great until this past month. My dogs have been attacked twice! Once by a standard poodle who jumped on top of one of my dogs while they were sniffing eachother. My dog just walked up to this dog (who was off leash) to sniff and next thing I knew he was pinned on the ground being bitten. I was very thankfull that no skin was broken but the poodles owner just stood there and DID NOTHING while I grabbed HER dog by the collar to pull him off and rescue my poor dog who was screaming. The other attack was at the end of our walk by a yellow lab who was gragging its owner into the park, on the leash, up on it's back legs, barking and barking. I called my dogs over to leash up but before I got the leash on my dog he walked over to say hi, tail wagging and the lab grabbed him by the side, the owner just held the leash and then yelled at ME!! Saying it was MY fault!! I told her that her dog was dangerous and should not be at a park where people come with friendly off leash dogs and with children, etc. I thought I was going to get bitten trying to save my dog. She just walked off while I was checking for broken skin (there was) but she was already gone. I heard the next day from a close friend who is a walker (usualy has 3 or 4 dogs as a group not 10-12 like some) that this lab (who the owner let off leash after it attacked my dog) ran into his group and started attacking his dogs and again the owner did nothing and blamed my friend. Luckily we have not seen her since, my friend told her to not bring the dog back and to seek professional training and see a vet/behaviorist about her dogs severe aggression. You just have to be so carefull!!!

I agree with this. But it sounds like the lab was already pumped up with energy and when confronted on leash or at a fence can act aggressive and lash out. When dogs are on leash and have tons of pent up energy it can result in a fight because the dog on leash feels trapped and threatened. One time a guy came to the park and his dog mauled a puppy Shepard and did a lot of damage and the owner refused to give information.. I got the license plate number and called the police and took the dogs collar as well but stood by people that could defend me and that I knew in case something was to happen. Taking the collar is risky however it could be the evidence you need to go to court or get the police/animal control involved (if it has tags or licenses). I actually see quite a few golden retrievers and labs that are aggressive these days and fewer and fewer mean pit bulls. Owners in denial are the worst sort of people to come by and there are a lot of them out there. You just have to grit your teeth.

Originally Posted by splinters

That is awful! Did you call the police and report these aggressive dogs and their owners? Can you sue these owners for vet bills?

Thankfully there were no serious injuries to my dog. So unless there is a medical need I let it go because normally after a fight the owners leave. The police wont do anything unless they feel that the public are in danger or if the dog has been seriously hurt or is going after countless dogs and animal control is not open that day.
Animal control will do an investigation but will not necessarily do anything about it. I have been through that SEVERAL times and I just want to shake them.