[yorkietalkjilly]

Lunging with bared teeth and snarling is what got Jilly attacked, I think. The big Dalmatian was suddenly almost on us out of no where, maybe just to check us out, but his tail was carried very high and Jilly took that as a threat, I guess. She was on lead, lunged out to the end of the lead snarling and in the blink of an eye, the Dalmatian had her whole tiny struggling body up in his mouth and I came to myself hitting him over the head with my walking stick - the first time I'd ever taken it along as my brother in law had been seriously accosted by a big dog earlier that week when out walking and barely escaped injury by shouting and raising his arms, picking up a small limb and making himself appear bigger, more intimidating, though the dog followed him a bit.

Thankfully their little Yorkie wasn't with Bill or he probably would have lunged at the big dog too as it showed intense interest, likely causing the same outcome. If I hadn't brought along a big walking stick, who knows what could have happened?

When I started jabbing him with one end of the stick around his eyes, it hit home and the Dalmatian dropped Jilly but kept trying to get at her, though she acted as if she were going into a seizure. On the way home she did seize, eyes rolled back, froth at the mouth and her muscles caused her neck muscles to arch her head backward so that it was almost resting on her upper back, her body shaking violently, her legs stiff, outstretched. I was certain she was breathing her last! Kept telling her to calm down, Jesus would help her over and over in as calm a breathless voice as I could and still walk fast as I could manage over blocks and blocks. That blocks-long walk home to the car was horrible. Didn't take a chance to call first, just drove to the vet clinic which thankfully was still open.

Staff reported the attack to the cops while the vet got to work prepping her for surgical repair of her lacerations then, sent me home, anesthetized her, went to work irrigating, cleaning her wounds and suturing each closed, kept the IV running to be sure she maintained a glucose, electrolyte level and give her antibiotics and pain medicine. Thankfully she never got septic and recovered uneventfully, was discharged home and I rehabbed her there myself after a short instruction course.

After that, I began carrying the auto-open, heavy duty, huge black umbrella whose deployment always discouraged those big dogs from all further interest in her. Oh, how I wished I had it for that horrible walk!

So, Yorkie owners beware, Those with high prey-drive have that instead of judgment and act in a moment's notice before you know what's even happening and the fight is on. After that day, I'd just deploy the suddenly swooshing open huge black umbrella to intimidate approaching big dogs who started to focus in on Jilly and were never threatened again. It was a pain to carry along but saved us more than a few bad times I'm certain. I tell this story every so often to hopefully enlighten new Yorkie owners what they will likely be up against whenever their tiny baby sniffs or sees a nearby critter. Don't ever trust them not to go for any critter and even if you think to say it over and over, 'leave it' takes a while to reach their totally focused brains and institute a proper reaction.