Some sad news unfortunately.

The fourth fight between my boys today and it hasnt ended very well at all. Mason may need stitches to his ear and they both nearly lost an eye rio nearly two. The both have puncture wounds to the face less than a cm from the eye. Mason has a big puncture wound to his wrinkles on his neck and 2 on his leg, he is looking very sorry for himself and is in alot of pain. Mason is the top dog being entire and when he shows abit of dominance to rio, rio just wont back down and because they are such a well matched fight the just latch on and dont let go. Went on for what seemed along time today i wasnt going to get involved got bitten badly the last two times. Mason has never ever had a fight before Rio moved in and he is such a gentle dope, but he will not tolerate any aggression from rio whatsoever. Aggression from other dogs he ignores (my friends dog was there and tried to get involved mason turned round and just barked at him as he knows him and doesnt want to hurt him, he really is no a nasty dog), he lived with my mums entire ACD before i left home and never any issues, dogs on the streets that lunge and him he doesnt bat an eyelid and when another dog is nasty to him out on the walk he thinks sod that and walks away. Mason doesnt really instigate a fight as he isnt an aggressive dog.

I have rang the rspca to come and collect him as i simply cannot put my own dogs in Danger i have had mason since a pup and to see another dog with his throat in there jaws and shaking his neck around is horrible. Its a shame for Rio as he has improved drastically from the dog he was in kennels, i dont thin they will PTS as he will be a much easier dog to rehome now, although to a home with no other dogs. He is fully house trained, good with people and teen children, good on walks doesnt pull and his recall is good. Dont know how long he will be in kennels now but he will hate it and i love him but i cant have this anymore. It would be better for him too as he has punctures on his face he doesnt need to fight either.

I dont know how dogs like this can get homes, as he needed an experienced dog owner but now one without dogs. He has been well socialised whilst with me and has had some basic obedience training too.

Hi Louise

I'm sorry things have worked out this way - clearly they cannot continue as it is not just a danger to themselves but to you also if you have to physically separate them.

It seems that you feel Mason to be the top dog between them when clearly that is not something accepted by Rio otherwise the fights would not happen at all never mind have escalated to the point where multiple punctures have occurred.  Just because a dog is entire and another not (in males and females) does not mean there will be a natural pecking order and from what you've written Rio sounds quite determined to take on the role of alpha between them.

I don't think you have any other choice but to return the rescue dog.  Sad though it is, as you know this breed has become very popular in what seems like record time and many are produced by pet owners for the sake of cash and without any knowledge of the breed's traits or lines and no follow up for unsuspecting pet owners when problems arise.  I think a great many Dogues will end up in breed and general rescue as a result of thoughtless and/or ignorant breeding.  You can't save them all and hopefully Rio will get another home where he is an only dog and where the owners are experienced in handling such a large and specialist breed.

You tried - there's only so much you can do :(
Hopefully both boys will recover fully and quickly from their injuries and when Rio is away Mason will be a more relaxed lad to have around as it can't have been pleasant for him during these stressful times.

regards, Teri

bless you for trying louise but your absolutely right, you can't have them living like that.

Rio is stunning and with the improvements you have made i don;t doubt that he will quickly find a new, permenant home.

> Sad though it is, as you know this breed has become very popular in what seems like record time and many are produced by pet owners for the sake of cash and without any knowledge of the breed's traits or lines and no follow up for unsuspecting pet owners when problems arise.  I think a great many Dogues will end up in breed and general rescue as a result of thoughtless and/or ignorant breeding.  You can't save them all and hopefully Rio will get another home where he is an only dog and where the owners are experienced in handling such a large and specialist breed.
>
>

rio's not a dogue teri, hes a cross (rotti and gsd i think?) so unfortunately no breed rescue for him :( its a pity as he needs an experienced large breed owner. he is a gorgeous bear of a boy though so hopefully he'll not be waiting long.

Breed rescues do take on crosses :-)

it might we worth louise contacting them then- pretty sure she said he was a gsd X rott- both pretty busy rescues though

I think hes property of rspca so i cant hand him to any other rescue, is that only for handing over your own dog to a breed rescue?

Masons in quite a bad way (not serious) but hes very cut up and limping around abit, got blood all over the floor yum. Ive put him to bed and i gave him lots of chicken, not sure if he will need staples on the puncture on his throat or not ill just have to see how it heels in the next few days. He looks like a right bruiser all his eye is swollen up, but yet he looks so sorry for himself and let me wipe him with the baby wipes and give him kisses. Unfortunatley this has totally changed my view on rescue dogs or infact any other adult dog that i havent raised from a puppy. As i truely believe that its his lack of anything, in his previous home in the yard and then in the kennels for over a year. Fostering is an option as i think i can offer alot to other dogs, but just not a perminant thing or maybe it was just 2 males of a similar age, but after the first unprovoked fight mason couldnt trust him. My OH is very very upset as it was his first ever dog but he knows it cant be helped.

Louise

poor mason :( maybe see the vet anyway, in case he needs anti b's or anything?

you were doing a good thing and have probably done Rio the world of good with the work you've done. talk to the rspca and see if it is the case that he needs to go through them.

are you ok after being bitten? i hope you weren't hurt to badly.

> nfortunatley this has totally changed my view on rescue dogs or infact any other adult dog that i havent raised from a puppy.

This may not be anything to do with being a rescue dog, it seems more of a case of 2 dominant males where neither one is willing to back down. Please don't think of all rescue dogs like this. many of them may have had a shaky start, but dog on dog agression is something that can happen to any dog, not just rescues. My last dog was a rescue and he was a lovely thing and fine with other dogs and I've had a dog-agressive dog that I had from a puppy.
I hope both Mason & Rio make a speedy recovery. hopefully thr work you've put into Rio will make it easier for him to find a new home.

>He looks like a right bruiser all his eye is swollen up,

Have the dogs been seen by a vet? Eye injuries always need vet attention, my sisters pup lost an eye due to an infection caused by a tiny little cat scratch despite anit-biotics.

Its not his actually eye its a graze above the lid. Ill make an appointment on monday for antib's if it doesnt heel ok. He is going to be put in a dogs home in cambridge somewhere that gets a greater public influx. An only dog home with someone experienced in large breeds and no kids i think. I didnt get bitten this time i stayed far enough away, got bitten before though, went right through my welly and one on my bicep bit of nerve damage in that one. But its an occupational hazard when you get involved in a dog fight.

Louise

> got bitten before though, went right through my welly and one on my bicep bit of nerve damage in that one

ohhh, that sounds very painful. thats the down side to big breeds in this case, even if they catch you by accident it can do proper damage :(

To be honest Louise - and I'm not trying to kick you while you're down - I was gobsmacked when you first posted about Rio that the rescue would have allowed him to go to a home with a mature male, particularly when both dogs are so large. It always sounded like a recipe for disaster to me. However, hopefully you've made Rio easier to home with some training. Hugs to Mason, and to you, it all sounds horrendous.

M.

Louise, I am so sorry to hear about your troubles but you really need to get them both to the vets for anti biotics. Infection is so much easier to treat from the beginning. Once it takes hold you may have a much more serious time trying to get it cleared. There may be other injuries that you can't see, or the injuries may be deeper than you think. One of mine cut herself on barbed wire last year. I thought it was superficial until I got her to the vets. The wound was quite deep and needed stitches. Bite wounds are much more serious as a dogs mouth is so full of bacteria. Please see the vet.

Well i volunteer at the kennels and both boys had met before, excuse me if i cannot predict the future (you may say i could have with 2 mature males, but nevermind). After all he would have been PTS otherwise so i think ive done fairly well in allowing him to live, and providing him with the tools to live out the rest of his days somewhere else. Masons at the vets in the morning, Rio is no where near as bad just a few grazes on his face and hes going back tomorrow. Get him checked over as i dont like the look of the wound on his jowels. Hes abit mopey in himself so better to be safe than sorry, im unsure if it will need a staple but its quite wet. Ive cleaned it afew times, but it looks like its not a fresh wound which it is.

Louise

im unsure if it will need a staple but its quite wet.

Sounds like he needs abs straight away, the kind of bugs that live in the mouth like places they can be covered over like, under hair and wrinkles, it's always best to see a vet straight away for bite wounds .  Hope he's feeling better soon :-)

Masons had to stay in the vets for a sedation so they can shave him and clean his wounds. Hes getting some antinflammatorys and antib's. Will pick him up later on today, going to cost me nearly 200 squid. As for Rio i think he may be staying in the family, my grandad came to meet him a few weeks ago and really liked him, said he would love a dog like him, hes nearly retired and lives on his own no other dogs, hes had OESD in the past. Not sure what the rspca will say they are going to discuss and ring me back. Its a long shot but at least he has me for any advice if he needs it on training etc.

Louise

Poor Mason :-( but not unexpected really, I'm afraid.

I hope the RSPCA will let Rio go to someone who understands him, your grandad might be that person if they agree to it.

Fingers crossed for you all. :-)

Rio is missing he went to my grandads last night and when they were getting him out of the car he bolted and ran off! they were searching for him into the early hours and then again at 6 this morning. The police have been involved and others i think. My mum only told me this morning as she knew id be fuming. Ive suggested vets in the area and dog warden townley park ranger. Dont really know else to do i live over 200 miles away and i dont have a car, he doesnt know anyone up there apart from my sister so they are getting her out of school to help look, i said take my mums dog along as it will help to catch him with another dog around. He wont approach anyone i know it because he is so scared, if you approach him he will run for it. He has his lead on still and a green paisley bandana.

I dont know what to do

oh no thats terrible dont panic, hopefully somebody will be able to tempt him to come to them. if hes a rescue he will be chipped. you cant do anything so dont get yourself overly worried yet he will be fine. cross my fingers for you.

where is the area he escaped?

Have you put him on Doglost & National Missing Pet Register or contacted nearest Petsearch rep(petsearch as the organisation no longer functions but the reps list is from Dec 2008) ??

Hes in burnley in lancashire, If anyone know the area is was near townley near brunshaw primary school, a big dog walking place, no ring roads or extremely busy roads. He is chipped but as i havent had it long its not transferred into my name yet. Mums not answering her phone so im just having to wait. Ill post something on those sites.

Thanks Louise

PS mums printing out posters too

im in liverpool which isnt TOO far, if hes found he is welcome to come stay at mine until you can pick him up! fingers crossed

I will cross post on a couple of sites

Unfortunatley this has totally changed my view on rescue dogs or infact any other adult dog that i havent raised from a puppy.

We have four dogs, three rescues and one we had as a puppy from a breeder. The only one that has ever attacked our other dogs in a serious manner is our dog from a breeder! So a bringing up a puppy from a young age is no guarantee either. In addition, there are lots of puppies in rescue too, so puppies and rescue dogs do not necessarily exclude each other at all.

I hope that Rio is found sound and safe soon.

This was probably a blanket statement said when i was quite emotional. i know it depends on each dogs individual personality.

Rio has been sighted, my mum put posters up and a lady rang. My dad saw him too but as he doesnt know my dad well and he ran. I think they are off to get my sister from school now.

Rio has been found!

This morning my mum got him, he was trapped in a ladies garden because he was fishing in her koi pond, which is so like him. Ever the opertunist, mum got some hearts from the butcher and tempted him, took her over half an hour to catch him. He is very scared but hopefully things will look up from now on. Relief ahhh

Phew-get that chip's ownership changed asap