# Boo!



## May Wong (May 18, 2013)

Something not nice happened to me today.
This guy and a lady came to fix Mummy’s carpet. As always I am curious who these people are – checked them out, being protective.
I thought they’re nice but I soon realise they don’t know dogs. I went to the room to see what they were doing and as they started making loud funny noises, I got nervous and jumped at him. He was so terrified, he started to hit me! And as he hit me, I nipped him. His face got all red and started shouting. Mummy grabbed me and told him to calm down! I have never been hit before (except by Little Tyke) and neither have I bitten anyone. Sometimes I nip people I don’t like. And this guy, he kept shouting – “She bit me! She bit me!” He wasn’t a very tall man and it made him even shorter.
Mummy then took me into the other room and closed the door behind her. So I spent the whole morning sitting inside the room with Mummy.
www.missdarcy.org


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

I CANT BELIEVE HE HIT HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that is not good! I hope that you have filed a complaint!


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

Ohhhhhh - I'm speechless may.
Poor poor darcy, I hope she's ok and not too traumatised by the very silly foolish disrespectful carpet man!


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## dmgalley (Aug 19, 2012)

That is terrible. 
your mummy handled that better than I would have!

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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

dmgalley said:


> That is terrible.
> your mummy handled that better than I would have!
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Yes - I think I may of possibly of hit him - possibly bit him too


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

May that is terrible.. How dare he hit Darcy. That is just terrible. Silly silly man.


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Yikes! Poor Darcy, poor May and poor carpet man. Imagine being so afraid of a dog like Darcy? Pathetic! 

Totally off topic, that is an incredible carpet she is on! What animal is it?


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## dmgalley (Aug 19, 2012)

RuthMill said:


> May that is terrible.. How dare he hit Darcy. That is just terrible. Silly silly man.


Silly is not the word I was thinking.

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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

dmgalley said:


> Silly is not the word I was thinking.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I agree with you but I'm guarding my words. That was very generous. 

Seriously though, I hope it hasn't affected Darcy.


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

fairlie said:


> Yikes! Poor Darcy, poor May and poor carpet man. Imagine being so afraid of a dog like Darcy? Pathetic!
> 
> Totally off topic, that is an incredible carpet she is on! What animal is it?


A dead one! 
Sorry couldn't resist - totally agree its gorgeous x


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

How big was the hare Ruth?


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

fairlie said:


> How big was the hare Ruth?


Not that big!!


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Neither were the cats!


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## dio.ren (Jan 18, 2013)

Unreal I can't believe he hit her. I would of punched him in the face or kicked him somewhere not nice! Dumb jerk!


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## dmgalley (Aug 19, 2012)

dio.ren said:


> Unreal I can't believe he hit her. I would of punched him in the face or kicked him somewhere not nice! Dumb jerk!


I knew you were my kind of girl. 

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## dio.ren (Jan 18, 2013)

dmgalley said:


> I knew you were my kind of girl.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


No one messes with cockapoos if I'm around


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## Datun Walnut (Oct 15, 2013)

fairlie said:


> Totally off topic, that is an incredible carpet she is on! What animal is it?


It would have been the skin of a carpet layer if he'd have been in my house


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## GorgeousGeorge (Jan 19, 2013)

Oh May poor Miss Darcy, I hope she and you are ok? How dare someone come into your home and hit your baby? He made matters alot worse shouting and hitting out! I'm with Renee on what I would have done take care xx


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## May Wong (May 18, 2013)

I know it comes as a shock when we see some stranger hitting our loved ones but in this instance I have to say - what worries me is Darcy's reaction. She is always cautious about strangers coming to the home - men only, funny enough! In her mind she is protecting the home. I think that's normal. I was told that she should not nip - so it's something I need to work on. Because in the end when humans get bitten or nipped - it is always the dog's fault.
So I am a bit concerned about her habit of nipping when she doesn't like someone. She may be the best snuggle bug but she also thinks she's a protector.


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

May Wong said:


> I know it comes as a shock when we see some stranger hitting our loved ones but in this instance I have to say - what worries me is Darcy's reaction. She is always cautious about strangers coming to the home - men only, funny enough! In her mind she is protecting the home. I think that's normal. I was told that she should not nip - so it's something I need to work on. Because in the end when humans get bitten or nipped - it is always the dog's fault.
> So I am a bit concerned about her habit of nipping when she doesn't like someone. She may be the best snuggle bug but she also thinks she's a protector.


Miss darcy was perfectly within her right to nip this dreadful man who was behaving disgracefully in her home. Sounds like she only did it because she was scared, so she was just protecting herself, her mistress and her home x


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## Nanci (Mar 1, 2012)

I cannot IMAGINE anyone being afraid of a cockapoo??? What an idiot!!! We had a microwave replaced yesterday and the workman literally kneeled on the floor and greeted them due to them barking. They were so happy for a greeting they both did a tiny happypee . . oops, haven't done that in a long time. My point is they were perfectly fine after that . . went and watched quietly from the couch after that without a peep! Retched man . . . I promice you . . if anybody struck my poos . . they would be dealing with a whirling derbish she devil!! May . . . I think she was just being protective of her territory, then very frightened by all the shouting . . then to be struck . . . NO WAY!! I want to bite him myself right now!!!


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

Didn't spot this thread yesterday, how horrid for you and Miss Darcey, No he should not have hit her, silly miserable man (thought I would be polite), but yes you should try to sort out the protectiveness I guess, Kendal would probably be the best one to give you ideas on how to deal with it, Darcey needs to feel that she can trust people you let in, I know its easy to say that - Dudley should stop barking at things when I tell him its ok, but does he - No, of course not!
could you get a baby gate so that she could be kept in another part of your home when strangers have to come in?


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

A baby gate is a very good idea. I think you should also vet your tradespeople to be sure they love dogs. Explain to them, and guests, that she is a bit protective and you are working on a better greeting with her. Does she "guard" you while you are out too or just at home?


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## May Wong (May 18, 2013)

She doesn't trust men - she had one incident when she was quite small, about 6 months when this big guy (a former friend) picked her up and "played" with her roughly - he claimed to be extremely familiar with dogs but it scared her. She squealed and I could tell from that moment that she was afraid of men. From that moment on, any men coming up the stairs - friends or tradesmen, she doesn't like them and would growl. With friends, once they're in and sitting on my sofa chatting, she's fine because she knows they're my friends. Now she greets those she already knows with great delight. With tradesmen - when they have dogs, they know how to greet her and she smells their dogs and she's fine. This guy obviously knows nothing about dogs or he would not have reacted the way he did - by flailing his arms and shouting, it only made her more agitated. 

I did introduce Darcy to the man but he wasn't in the least connecting. He ignored her. She was sitting under my desk when they started working and when there was more activity, she was curious to find out what was going on. I did not notice she had left my desk. Then when he started cutting the carpet, she jumped at him for making the noise. 

Anyway, it's a lesson learnt to not be so relaxed with her and people she doesn't know coming into the home. I don't know how true it is when people say they read our emotions.


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

May Wong said:


> I know it comes as a shock when we see some stranger hitting our loved ones but in this instance I have to say - what worries me is Darcy's reaction. She is always cautious about strangers coming to the home - men only, funny enough! In her mind she is protecting the home. I think that's normal. I was told that she should not nip - so it's something I need to work on. Because in the end when humans get bitten or nipped - it is always the dog's fault.
> So I am a bit concerned about her habit of nipping when she doesn't like someone. She may be the best snuggle bug but she also thinks she's a protector.





May Wong said:


> She doesn't trust men - she had one incident when she was quite small, about 6 months when this big guy (a former friend) picked her up and "played" with her roughly - he claimed to be extremely familiar with dogs but it scared her. She squealed and I could tell from that moment that she was afraid of men. From that moment on, any men coming up the stairs - friends or tradesmen, she doesn't like them and would growl. With friends, once they're in and sitting on my sofa chatting, she's fine because she
> knows they're my friends. Now she greets those she already knows with great delight. With tradesmen - when they have dogs, they know how to greet her and she smells their dogs and she's fine. This guy obviously knows nothing about dogs or he would not have reacted the way he did - by flailing his arms and shouting, it only made her more agitated.
> 
> I did introduce Darcy to the man but he wasn't in the least connecting. He ignored her. She was sitting under my desk when they started working and when there was more activity, she was curious to find out what was going on. I did not notice she had left my desk. Then when he started cutting the carpet, she jumped at him for making the noise.
> ...


I can so understand how upset for Miss Darcy you were/are. It was a horrible experience where she obviously reacted out of fear. 
How much of a bite was it? Did she actually mark him or damage his clothing? As you say a dog that bites will always be judged as being in the wrong, whatever the provocation... in the past I have always checked with people working in the house or garden whether they are happy for the dogs to be around while they work and if not, I put them in the kitchen behind the gate.
Darcy has such a wealth of experiences and is amazingly well socialised and you obviously have a very close bond. Don't worry too much, you know your girl, you will be very careful in the future and you will work with her to help her gain confidence and look to you to sort out perceived threat rather than leaping in herself.
I just hope that the stupid man learnt something too and will be prepared to work at how he behaves around dogs, or he will get bitten again.


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## May Wong (May 18, 2013)

To put things into context and therefore the "overreaction" - there was no blood, no skin was cut, not even a mark! You know how our poos sometimes nip. There was once when we were playing rough that she accidentally nipped my arm. That's all it was. She jumped at him first for making the loud noise of cutting a carpet. But when he started flailing his arms and shouting, he was inviting for a nip. No blood, no skin was cut, not even a mark! Darcy is the gentlest dog. You can hold the smallest piece of treat and when you give it to her, you would not even feel her teeth. People always remark how gentle she is. But it is no excuse for a nip and that has to be stopped before it could one day become a bite. So it was almost a comical incident - when I think back to what happened - little man afraid of fuzzy dog. But to be a responsible dog owner, I am afraid what starts off as nipping can become when she's agitated. I so happen to have a Yogi friend dropping by tonight and he gave Darcy a good doggy massage - wish he would do that for her every day while he's in town!


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## Florida Cockapoo (Aug 24, 2012)

Its good in a way so share stories like this..... So everyone can know what to do when confronted with "new" people coming in to the house. I have had people come into the house that Piper does not know and she has responded in her Cockapoo way and people have been very respective to her. 

Since Darcey had a "bad" experience in the past with a male. You may have to be more concerned with people that are males in the house. Maybe ask if they "like and are use" to dogs, before they come into you house.

We had a horse that we had for about 40 years. But he was abused by a male.. So any male that rode him had to know how to ride because Berry would throw him off in a second or worse and kill him. My parents has "friend" that said he knew how to ride, but was probably further from the truth and almost got killed.  So after that my parents never let any "male" ride him. He was great with women and kids. But men forget it. Animals have a way of remembering those that abused them.. More like the "***" that abused them


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