I AM AN IDIOT!!!

Does she like stuffed toys? Kina hated them and didn't want anything to do with them.
 
I understand your last post completely and I totally agree with Spiritdogs. We love our dogs so much we think they'd be happy with another dog and then things go awry.
 
She's cute and she looks a LOT better today and she'll get past this and be her happy self again soon!
 
Gotta love those hounds!

wow, this is a tough thing, and i'm so sorry it had to happen, both for you and your poor puppers. 
 
i, for one, was offended by the same post you were, but after i looked back i noticed something about it that i won't post publicly, but suffice it to say- just ignore that post completely.
 
dog fights happen.  no matter how hard we try, they happen.  while you might have been able to diffuse the situation, you also might NOT have, and hindsight is 20/20.  it's really too bad because that little sweet thing you wanted to adopt was super super cute....  oh well.. one day at at time.

Bless her little heart, hope she heals real soon.

She is not some ticking time bomb

Maybe she isn't a ticking time bomb, but any dog that is fear aggressive can bite, especially if she is threatened, cornered, confronted on leash too closely by another dog, etc.  I think the poster who said this was just making a point, perhaps a bit too emphatically, that you not let your guard down.  If I were advising you as my client, I would say the same thing.  You do need to protect the fearful dog while you boost their confidence.  And, frankly, some dogs, especially those that come from situations that you describe, are not going to ever be the great family companion that their owners envisioned when they adopted them.  These are, unfortunately, dogs that usually need to be managed for their entire lives.  And, if two dogs in a household develop a severe dislike for one another to the extent they are willing to damage the other dog - well, you may expect to have to keep them separated if there is any resource around that they can fight over, even if it isn't food (dogs can argue over you, space, resting spots, etc.)

Maybe she isn't a ticking time bomb, but any dog that is fear aggressive can bite, especially if she is threatened, cornered, confronted on leash too closely by another dog, etc.

 
Sadly, I had to accept this fact for my two, and it's one of the reasons I worry about off-leash dogs.  In settings I can control, such as the vets office, I make 100% sure that no dogs get close enough for an altercation.  Sometimes that's meant sitting in the corner using my leg as a block.  I've had many people stare at me, or even ask questions regarding my actions, and I just tell them she doesn't always get along with other dogs.  I'm less concerned with what they think than with preventing a problem.  If dogs are out of control around us, and I can't seclude us enough, I'll tell the desk staff that I'll be waiting in the car.

First, I haven't read anything here that makes you sound like an idiot..all I hear is care and concern.  My daughter's dog & another dog that were already 'friends' & did fine on neutral territory broke into a fight at her house - to the total surprise of both owners.  It happened so fast that my daughter, not thinking, stepped in to break them up & had a bite land on her arm!  Her dog was the one that landed the bite on her & was mortified.  She stopped fighting immediately, allowing the other owner to step in.  I think they were all very lucky. 
 
Anyway, I just wanted to say that I hurt for your Ginny & for your own hurt feelings, too.  I'm also glad that it wasn't any worse...
 
Take care of your sweet pup...and yourself...
 
 

ORIGINAL: whtsthfrequency

I believe you had failed to protect her in the past so she had no choice but protect herself in the future.  It is why she had to fight.

I'm sorry, I find this rather offensive. You assume that I have a lackadaisical attidtude towards her and it it MY fault that she is fear-aggressive. This dog was picked up in an abandoned house in West Virginia, starving and pregnant, with multiple bite wounds from other dogs. She is afraid of other dogs because of her early life, not because of me. I have done everything I can to build this dog's confidence, and have spent the last two years going through agonizingly slow counterconditioning with her and she has made great strides. She actually has "dog friends" now, and will calmly hold a "sit" as other strange dogs walk by.

 Don't make an excuse for your nervous dog that she would never hurt anyone.  No this dog can hurt anybody
 
No, this dog will not . And your words are extremely uneducated and accusatory. You know NOTHING about my dog except a few paragraphs in the post.
You insinuate that my dog will  attack anyone and anything? She is not some ticking time bomb who will not someday snap and kill someone.

i completely agree. nobody has the right to tell you something like that about YOUR dog. you are a very good, compassionate person for rescueing her and you being offended is completely warrented!

i am so sorry her friend didn't work out for her. i'm sure she'll find one. she might be better with a kitten i've seen circumstances where hyper/nervous/submissive dogs (not accusing your dog of any of these traits) have been made really happy with a cat, it's inexplainable. its amazing. i'd research it. good luck []

Funny you mention that - I have two cats right now, one is mine and one is a foster, and she is amazingly sweet to them. She is very nice to all cats in fact (maybe too nice, since she sometimes gets swatted because she thinks every kitty will like her back, ha ha). She is also very gentle with small animals like rats, ferrets, and rabbits (amazing since she is a hound!!).
 
She also has great "play" bite inhibition - she and my cat "wrestle" all the time and sometimes it look scary because she has her mouth around the cats neck or legs or something, but in reality she never even displaces a hair. She is also usually good with puppies. This makes me think that she probably grew up with littermates, but became a stray still at an early age.

well i'm so glad she has some pals to hang out with. if you really want another dog, consider a small one maybe she'll think its a cat i think she would do better with a female, males are tooo.... . socially dominant? females are a little more friendly and loose
 
good luck!

Actually, some dogs will accept a puppy into the mix, when they won't accept an adult, so you may not be limited to cats as companions for your dog.  But, you would probably have to be careful to get a pup that is very non-threatening, and of opposite gender, to have the best chance for success.  Dogs that like their space will not have much use for Labs, Goldens, Boxers, etc., but may do ok with hounds, for example.

Just for "future reference", isn't it generally recommended to NOT have the dogs on leash when they first meet?  leashes make dogs feel trapped and likely to trigger aggression that really doesn't exist. I'm always uneasy about letting leashed dogs interact with each other.
Last adult dog intro we did, we snuck into a tennis court  (don't tell anyone-- a lovely safely fenced highly neutral area) and did it in there off-leash. You could even put the dogs in different courts sharing a fence at first.

ORIGINAL: mudpuppy

Just for "future reference", isn't it generally recommended to NOT have the dogs on leash when they first meet?  leashes make dogs feel trapped and likely to trigger aggression that really doesn't exist. I'm always uneasy about letting leashed dogs interact with each other.
Last adult dog intro we did, we snuck into a tennis court  (don't tell anyone-- a lovely safely fenced highly neutral area) and did it in there off-leash. You could even put the dogs in different courts sharing a fence at first.

You are quite correct.  The leash is often the thing that starts the fights.  We often intro dogs with leashes dragging, and quickly take them off if they seem to like one another.  Fences can be the same as leashes for some dogs.  I know a great GSD who likes most dogs just fine, but is barrier aggressive.  Put a fence up and anyone who pokes a pinky (or a paw) in might just get nipped. 

I know technically it is better for dogs to meet off leash, but the few times I let Ginny meet another dog (all nice dogs) off-leash, she ran straight up to them, froze, and a fight broke out - usually initiated by her snapping and frantic "jump-all-over-I-am-going-to-bark-very-loud-and-dominate-you!" stuff...... I don't trust her as far as I can throw her off leash . I can totally see myself getting sued for "emotional distress"   Loose leash greeting doesn't really assuage her fears either.
Basically, if the dog shows any interest in her (is butt-sniffing, looking at her) she will flip out.
If the dog ignores her and lets her sniff him and follow him around, she is fine. But few dogs will totally ignore a new potential "playmate, yknow?"

MY DOG was the same, as soon as she was done sniffing, when it was the other dogs turn, she wouldn't let it sniff HER butt...  she'd flip out. we later found out, she hates cold noses! but another element was that she wasn't socialized on a regular basis.

maybe an older more relaxed dog would suit your baby

but the few times I let Ginny meet another dog (all nice dogs) off-leash, she ran straight up to them, froze, and a fight broke out - usually initiated by her snapping and frantic "jump-all-over-I-am-going-to-bark-very-loud-and-dominate-you!" stuff

 
hmm. Sounds like you need someone with a "professional" rehab dog to help your dog learn better manners.