I AM AN IDIOT!!!

Oh man, I am so sorry, and your description is something I'm all too familiar with.  I know what a horrible feeling it is, especially when there's injuries.  When my two have fought, it's happened in a flash too.  I'm really sorry that this happened, and I'm sorry that poor Ginny was injured.

I'm so sorry this happened to you. Please try not to beat yourself up over it. NO ONE can 100 percent predict the outcome of any given situation.

Oh, poor baby.  She looks so innocent too. 
You're not an idiot  these things happen.

I'm so sorry! Don't beat yourself up. Animal interactions are, to us at least, unpredictable and can be too sudden for us to stop if something goes wrong. I hope she gets better quickly!

Don't beat yourself up. Or rather, I beat myself up too when something similar happened here (not as serious but a trip to the e-vet and stitches were involved), so I know how you feel.
 
Big healing vibes to Ginny for a speedy recovery!

Oh no. [] I'm so sorry to hear that and her face looks awful. I hope she gets better soon!

Big hugs,
Tamara

I really thank you all for your kind words....It really almost brings me to tears to see that people who I know only through a forum care enough to take the time say things like that I just keep asking myself why I didn't pull Ginny away, walk her around, and calm her down, and THEN bring her back up after the first growl. I guess I trusted her too much, or maybe I trusted the other dog too much.

She is sitting in her crate right now, still shaky from the sedation. There is a warm bowl of organic wet food (she usually goes absolutely CRAZY for wet food) mixed with chicken right next to her, which she won't touch....the cats eat it and she doesn't bat an eye. I bought her a new stuffie, and she hasn't touched it(!!!) It's just sitting by her head (and for those of you with frenetic stuffy-destroyers, you know the dog must be REALLY shaken up to not touch a stuffie). I can't help but feel that it was my fault, that I pushed her into a situation she didn't feel comfortable in because I was so eager to see if she could get along with another dog.

Going to go put a hot compress on the stitches. She is a tough little one so she will be ok - I hope mentally as well as physically. She gives you all slurpy kisses.

I agree with the others - don't beat yourself up.  You were trying to give her a friend and it just didn't work.  Now you know that initial introductions need to occur with the dogs on opposite sides of a fence!
 
It sounds like Ginny was posturing and Smack was the aggressor, so the person holding Smack was as much (or more) responsible for the situation as you were.  Regardless, we all have to learn from our mistakes and move forward.
 
I hope that Ginny heals quickly.  I am sure that her interest in food and stuffies will return shortly.  Sedation can cause a queasy stomach and the stitches are probably still too tender to make chewing attractive.
 
Give your sweet girl an ear rub from me!!  []

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You were trying to give her a friend and it just didn't work.  Now you know that initial introductions need to occur with the dogs on opposite sides of a fence!

And, that some dogs simply don't need, or want, a friend in their den.  It is the humans that think they need one...  For the lurkers: If a dog has dog to dog aggression or fear issues, work with a behaviorist, but don't risk your dog's life (some fights end up that way), by toying with this yourself.  Neutral territory isn't always enough to insure an incident free meet & greet.  You must be a student of behavior, body language, and the dogs' history as well. 
Everyone wants to adopt the poor, fearful, but adorable, pup that hides in the back of her run.  What they don't realize is that that lack of confidence and socialization (inability to "speak canine") can make them prime candidates for what happened to you.  Sadly, these dogs are not likely ever to be friends.

You are not to blame.  You are a victim of your own desire to help and do good.  But, you have learned a valuable lesson.  Sorry it had to come at your dog's (and your pocketbook's) expense.


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Smack is fine, as even when Ginny is fighting it is a fear issue and she never actually hurt anyone. However, Smack thought Ginny was going after her for real, and we end up with

  She is insecure because  she does not trust you to protect her if something happens. A nervous dog always feel secure in a leader who hasn't failed to protect.  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. Don't make an excuse for your nervous dog that she would never hurt anyone. No this dog can hurt anybody so do not pet the dog when it is nervous or scared.

I feel your pain...my shelter dog and my dogs are having trouble adjusting...

You just have a big heart and wanted to rescue a dog and do some good. Things don't always work out they way we wish.

[]

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.

Sorry about Ginny. How is she feeling today? I bet her face hurts. Oh Kristin, she makes me miss my hound so much!
 
ETA--my hound was a LOT like Ginny--she had been attacked a few times by a Golden (good grief--a Golden!) and she got more and more edgy as she got older. I know so much more now than I did then so I think maybe I could have handled things differently, but then again, maybe not. She just didn't have the need for another dog and she didn't have a lot of patience with one, either, and was especially irritated when she was on a leash. 
 
And, when she became an "old lady" it was easier for me to just tell people to back off with their dogs. That's what I did
 
Ginny's a cutie and I'm glad she's with you!

I apologize for the tone, but not the content of my last post...I just get very angry when people say things like that, reminds me of the people I pass on a walk, who look at me like I am a horrible owner because my dog is growling at their dog.

Thanks for asking, Ginny is doing better today, she ate and the stitches aren't oozing quite as much. The stuffie is miraculously still alive! maybe this one will make it hah......Oh and for some reason, Ginny hates ALL Golden Retreivers for some reason...maybe she was bitten too, and there is a renegade troop of Goldens terrorizing other dogs somewhere
 
I call this the "Aww....I guess I knew I would get my butt kicked eventually" look....