My worst fear came true yesterday. I went down to Devon with my husband and Badger to see my in-laws on Thursday. Yesterday we went to a local food market and I walked Badger part of the way and then picked him up (he's still only about two and a half pounds at fifteen weeks) because he's a bit fragile. I saw some people sitting on a low wall who had an English Bull Terrier with them. He was leashed so I kind of made a mental note to myself to not go anywhere near them. I don't care what anyone says, I think any of the bull terriers are way too unpredictable and no-one who owns them ever has full control over them. How right my thinking is!!!
Anyway, we carried on walking round but I could feel Badger was quite hot and I'd been carrying him for a bit so I thought I'd put him on the ground and said to Richard to keep an eye out for the bull terrier. Richard said it was cool, he was with his owners and was leashed. So I put Badger down, he stretches out a bit and I stood up. The next thing, OUT OF NOWHERE, the bull terrier is there!!! Racing towards my dog with it's head low and it's ears flat back!!!
It happened so quickly!!! I don't even remember what went through my head at that moment. Just thinking about it now is making me feel nauseous. Richard says I body blocked the dog and then just whipped Badger into the air in one movement. Thank God!!! The bull terrier then tried to jump on me!!! I have never been so terrified in all my life. Ever since I've had Badger and I've read all these stories about bull terriers savaging them, it's been a constant worry for me AND NOW IT HAPPENS!!!
The next thing the owner is there pulling his dog back. He was a massive bull terrier on a harness on a retractable lead (the harness couldn't have been more than an inch wide and it certainly wasn't strong). Are people mad?! He was this huge guy and he could barely pull this dog back. I went ballistic. I swore at him to keep his f**ing dog on it's lead. He turned round to me and said "easy. nothing happened. no need to get yourself all in a twist". The nerve of him! I told him to f** off. I'm sorry because I know a lot of people on this forum are a lot more genteel and polite but I'm not when I'm very frightened so please excuse me and realise it was probably a heat of the moment thing but also I felt he could have at least apologised. Anyway, his wife starts shouting at me "you should keep your stupid dog out the way then shouldn't you? it's your fault"
. I couldn't believe that! So in other words... she's allowed to have her dog do whatever it likes but the rest of the world (because bull terriers attack all sorts of dogs), have to keep their dogs on a lead. I can't believe the mentality of people who own bull terriers. I've never met a normal person who wanted to own a nice dog for no other reason than to have a good companion that owned a bull terrier. Anyway, Richard dragged me away because I was so incensed (it took me an hour to stop shaking) but I turned back to her and said "you should keep your savage, killer dog on a proper lead and take it for behavioural counciling. And while you're about it, you should go too for having such a pathetic dog". I could have punched her
Anyway, the upshot of all this now is that Badger is safe (thank God) but I'm terrified of putting him on the ground. I saw yet another Staff being wrestled by its owner this morning and then another bull terrier cross this afternoon outside the local store. I just keep playing in my mind that dog coming shooting out of nowhere and how easy it is for them! We're back in London now but today we were walking on the seafront down in Devon and on the beach but my heart just kept racing every time I saw another dog. I can't live like this for fifteen years. Badger is getting more and more confident which I'm thrilled about and I've put so much work into him trying to build his confidence. On Friday he met a lovely rottweiler pup on the beach and chased it (I told him "no Badger!" but secretly I was thrilled) so I really felt we were getting somewhere and now this happens! I don't know what to do. It's not his confidence now, its mine. Today he wanted to meet this cute little border terrier down on the seafront but I wouldn't go near it
Can anyone offer any advice about what to do to stop bull terrier attacks? Am I being ridiculous? Is this a real danger? What do I do if one attacks him? Every time we walk round a corner now I'm terrified in case I see that white streak again...