Idiots.......

....in uniform too....



There's NO way they can possibly blame you/your dogs for this.

Too bad they didn't get the criminal - you'd have been in the papers for helping out

This is what worries me about those looking to change the DDA to cover private land where the dog is allowed to be.

Yes it has been a loophole e.g when an invited guest is bitten by the householder's dog, but in this case the Police would presumably, were the law changed to include private land, be considered to be people who were entitled to be there, despite being there without your knowledge or consent.

Territorial dogs are following their instinctive behaviour, and being allowed to express natural behaviour is a requirement of the Animal Welfare Act, but I fear the DDA would trump that, were it to be changed in this way.

Similarly if someone comes into your garden, without your knowledge or consent to e.g retrieve a ball, how would one know before the dog's territorial instinct kicked in?

Very worrying IMO, and I am surprised the point hasn't been raised in discussions about the proposed changes.

In your case Youngstevie, I think it was just one of those unfortunate events, but I don't think they had any business being annoyed with you.

Thank goodness your dogs are trained and listened to you but how upsetting for you and them.

If it makes any difference, back in the early 90's a similar thing happened to us. Although we didn't live near a station, there was an area of scrub land, which lend to a small row of shops and a row of houses where we lived.

My mum had just got back from food shopping and went to get the washing off the line in the garden, when she heard screaming, she looks up there were 2 youths on the sheds (one on ours, one of our neighbours as they were next to each other), our GSD at the time shot straight through the kitchen door barking/growling and jumping up, moments later police jump over our garden fence. Thankfully my mum managed to grab the dog before any damage was done. Apparently the teenagers had stolen drinks from the shop and tried to leg it via the gardens.

Don`t the police need permission to enter your property?
Start talking about a claim for compensation....

If the crim got away, how? thought the chopper was around. They usually stay about till the culprit is caught. If they lost him they are to blame. The dogs were doing what dogs do. Does the law state where you have to put signs that say there are dogs on the property? Hope the Police did not damage your shed roof. Bet the officer got the shock of his life. Probably felt a **** and thats why he was brusque.

I have to agree with this totally, it's shame you didn't open the back door a tad earlier in which case Tess might have caught the criminal and then the Police would be praising you 'tho God knows what some devious lying lawyer would do.

Surely the important point is the dogs DID NOT BITE ANYONE!

So it's hypothetical. I doubt OP would be in deep doo doo for his dogs SCARING someone who was on his property!

That's what a good 'home dog' should do. Not savage people to death!

His dogs are to be commended for showing such restraint!

Stevie - I still go by the mantra that, sometimes, you 'never know what will SPOOK them'.

Surely the important point is the dogs DID NOT BITE ANYONE!

So it's hypothetical. I doubt OP would be in deep doo doo for his dogs SCARING someone who was on his property!

That's what a good 'home dog' should do. Not savage people to death!

His dogs are to be commended for showing such restraint!

Here in the UK you can be in trouble if your dog scares someone, putting them in reasonable fear that they may be injured, even if no injury occurs.

Although this, currently, applies primarily to public places, it can also apply to private places in some circumstances, such as with meter readers, postmen etc, who are reasonably there.

Police legitimately chasing criminals may have similar protection , it would probably depend how good the lawyer on either side was (the criminal wouldn't be protected).