Evening all,

My friend and I were out with my 2 JRTs and her Black Russian Terrier earlier and went to our usual park to play frizbee and ball, before venturing out into the countryside. We met with a man and his female springer spaniel, who we have met several times and all dogs have always got on v. well. 

My 18 month old dog, Jake, went over to the spaniel and started to bark at her, but all was over and done in a few seconds when the man shouted 'enough both of you'.

2-3 minutes later both the springer spaniel and my 2 year old JR, Pippa started fighting and my friend heard a yelp. I had calmly (to my own surprise) not intervened and called both my dogs, who came back immediately (so were treated) and a couple of minutes later noticed that Pippa had a deep cut close to her eye (thank goodness it was not her eye).

The man seemed to think that this incident and his dog biting mine was caused by his dog not liking to be sniffed too much (which made me think this had maybe happened before) - I thought this strange as his dog had run into the field and laid straight on her back very submissively and my two greeted her only the once and were no way overly sniffing her or 'in her face'.

I am left feeling a little upset by this incident and hoping that Pippa doesn't get an infection (am cleaning it out with salt water) and also worried that when we bump into each other soon that this will happen again.

Was this started by my dog barking at her or was it as the spaniel had a ball in her mouth and was being protective of her toy or am I missing something? I do find it difficult to read a situation when it happens so quickly.

Hiya....!

It can sometimes be difficult to "read" a situation instantly...but on reflection can often make sense if you try to look at it from the dog's perspective....

I have a pack of Border Collies...and for the longest time I was thinking that My Littlest Girl...Little Tess...was particularly dog on dog aggressive...

After researching and reading and lots of observation I came to realise that She is actually "Restorer of Pack Harmony" and that all Her "giving the Eye"...tail raised...head over head...and mouth boxing if neccessary...are all Her Way...of calming a situation...

Ive found that NOT saying anything at all...and letting the dogs sort it out between them...works far Quicker...than shouting...or attempting to split them up....In fact...I only have to raise my voice a fraction...at one of the other dogs....and She dives straight in to "tell them off" for me...! :)

Little Tess...is the sweetest...gentlest...little Border Collie you could wish to meet...and is My Right Hand Girl....but raise My voice...and She turns into a proper She-Devil....! :)

Salt Water should do the trick...and you could maybe try giving Homeopathic Arnica to help with bruising....and if you meet the Chap again...just tell Him to... "Shhhhhhhh....." :)

Hope all is well again very soon....!

Helen x

Impossible to say without having seen it, exactly what happened but there are many things which might have been at play.

The toy is one - his bitch could have something wrong, like an infection, which he hasn't noticed (or didn't mention) so was short-tempered; even him shouting at the dogs may have made things stressful enough that they got snappy with each other.  It's easily done.

It might even be that his dog finds other dogs stressful - given what you say about her falling straight onto her back this is very possible - and she may have met one too many dogs before yours, or for whatever reason been a bit more stressed than normal that day, so meeting your dogs for several minutes may have just been too much for her.

Heck, it could even be something as small as one of yours treading on her foot by accident (or her treading on one of yours).

Dogs are complicated beasties at times!

It does sound that your dogs wound was the result of a quick nip that may not even have been intended to make full contact, and would not have left a mark had it not been on the short coated are it landed.

My Lexi has a little nick just above her front leg where it joins her chest at the front, caused by mad 4 month old grandpuppy diving and grabbing at her legs.  I am sure the pup never intended to hurt and I don't think the bitch noticed (may have just yelped), ti was picked up on grooming.

It sounds to me that the incident was caused by the man's dog being insecure.
Any balanced dog would sniff another dog or allowed to be sniffed themselves.