Blue About Blue

Dear Dog Lady,

Help! My dog snapped at a guy on the street!

Is this terrible? Are they gonna want to put him to sleep? Blue, a Weimaraner, isn't neutered yet. We just got him and he's one-year-old. I have an appointment for the neutering but they didn't have any openings until late August.

We were walking on a busy street and there were many people coming and going. This guy was trotting towards me, and Blue didn't see him until the last minute, when the guy was about five feet from me. Blue snapped at him and nicked him in the thigh. The skin wasn't broken, but the guy developed a very small bruise (about the size of a shelled peanut). The man freaked out. Understandable, but it made Blue more scared and he kept barking.

I hastily gave the guy my number and told him I'd fax him Blue’s vaccination papers. What else should I have done? I wanted to remove Blue from the situation fast, and the gathering crowd wasn't helping calm him down. I'm so upset! Does this mean he's an aggressive dog? Was this a fluke? Is one snapping enough for Animal Control to want to kill him? Will neutering help?

“V,” San Francisco, CA

“V,” put a lid on your hysteria. Your reaction must have had an impact on your dog, although you should be blue about Blue. Your dog will not be killed, but this is serious. An animal lunging at an innocent passerby and causing a bruise the size of a shelled peanut (any injury is unacceptable, even shelled sunflower seed sized) is not fit to share space on busy streets. Until your dog is neutered, Dog Lady strongly advises you to walk Blue in private areas away from people.

Castration may solve Blue’s aggression, but the procedure is not a magic bullet. Even after your dog is neutered, you must continue to keep him under control at all times and vigilantly watch his behavior. If your dog bites again and causes more damage, you will have no choice but to assess your options about keeping your dog.

Dog Lady understands this situation is stressful. However, you have got to maintain a calm controlling demeanor around Blue. You might also want to sign up for behavioral training so you can better pick up for your dog’s signals. For now, Blue antennae are sharper than yours. Your dog senses your anxiety. His aggression undoubtedly has roots in wanting to protect you.

Posted by Dog Lady at August 21, 2005 12:25 PM