Recapping the incident to the author for this article, Amanda Patterson of Gisborne, New Zealand, said she chose to keep her dog despite the attack and her fear that it might endanger her baby when it arrived.
Amanda's cat and dog had co-existed harmoniously for nearly a year before the attack, she said. Just that morning the two had been happily sunning themselves together on the veranda.
Cats and Dogs, Canine Aggression, and Pack Instinct
While she knew the adages about cats and dogs, she never before believed that a well looked after pet dog would turn on another family pet, Amanda said. She had learnt the hard way that canine aggression towards cats was instinctual and greater than any routine good behaviour or training. That instinct was heightened among groups of dogs when a pack mentality took over.
She believed it was the presence of visitors’ dogs that afternoon, which sparked the attack.
“We went from watching three dogs happily “ragging” in the backyard to witnessing an horrific attack.
Amanda’s cat was so badly mauled, that she had to have it put to sleep.
The aftermath of the situation was as awful as the incident itself, she said. Five months pregnant, Amanda now faced the possibility that her dog might pose a threat to her baby when it arrived. She agonised over what to do.
Not only had she lost her beloved cat but she now stood to lose her dog too. Would she have to re-home it or worse, put it down?
Advice on Dog Training and Canine Behaviour
Desperate for advice, Amanda consulted other dog owners, professional trainers, Internet sites on dog behaviour and books.
The realisation that she was to blame for the attack enabled her to keep her dog.
“I realised I hadn't given any thought to the nature of my visitor’s dogs or how my dog might behave in a ‘pack’ with them.
“I should have made sure my cat was inside or asked my visitors to leave their dogs in the car,” Amanda said.
Some hard talk on the website of Oklahoma City dog trainer Kathy Diamond struck a chord with Amanda.
Davis said, “When you realize that it is normal dog behaviour to kill, you can also see that it’s a dog owner’s responsibility to govern that behaviour.
“It’s not the dog’s fault when such a thing happens. How could it be? The dog is just being a dog, and does not understand that killing is ‘wrong’ in a human perspective," Davis said.
If a dog killed, it did not mean the dog was evil. It meant its owner had fallen down on the job of looking after it and needed to do better, Davis said.
Dogs and Babies
Chris Frandi, the owner/operator of Gisborne's Canine Company kennel, where Amanda sent her dog for a week after the attack, gave her some sound advice on preparing her household for her baby’s arrival. Frandi said Amanda would need to accustom her dog to life outside. That change needed to happen well in advance of the baby's arrival so the dog did not associate the two.
From veterinary surgeon David Taylor’s books, Amanda gleaned further information about preparing her dog for her baby.
While dogs could be protective of children, seeing them as members of the family pack, babies were often a different matter, Taylor said. Dogs might have difficulty recognising babies as human and might think they were some other form of animal in particular a prey animal, he said.
He recommended accustoming dogs to the idea of the baby prior to its birth by ‘play-acting’ with a doll, nursing it, dressing it, tucking it into bed and so forth. He also advocated sending home early from the hospital some of the baby’s items, such as bedding and nappies, for the dog to smell.
Introducing Pets to Babies
Taylor suggested the mother, on her arrival home, should greet the dog without the baby, which could be carried in by another family member later. The dog, on a halter and lead, could be introduced to the baby over the next few days, at first from a distance and then gradually closer. On each occasion, good behaviour and calmness on the part of the dog should be rewarded with praise and a food treat, he said.
If a dog’s attitude was doubtful, it should wear a muzzle, Taylor said.
It was imperative that the dog continued to receive the same level of attention as was usual. Taylor said.
He warned that even the most good-natured dog could inadvertently injure a baby by jumping up, pawing at or nudging it.
The first few weeks after the death of her cat were hard, Amanda said. However, her feelings for her dog slowly returned to normal. Her dog had accepted its new bed outside in the garage and had again co-existed in the family without incident. Her baby, now nine months old, enjoyed watching the dog through the window. Amanda looked forward to seeing them play together one day.
