any one know?

just wondered where an owner and dog would stand with the law if the owner was out walking and got attacked by another person,but the dog protected its owner and had a go or warned off the other person?
any one have any idea?
i don't think any thing would come out of it because how can you keep your dog under control if you are being attacked???

we was walking the dogs on the fields the other day and a group of teenagers was shouting "kick the dog in the b****" as we passed with tob.
put it this way i said if you did you would have me to deal with...........i know i shouldn't have but just them saying it was enough for me to see red.
but then thinking about it maybe i shouldn't have cause if this teenage lad started anything tob might have at least grummbled at him cause he is protective of me.
esp with strange blokes that he hasn't made friends with.not that the lad would have done any thing it was all noise because when we walked past them he moved from tob..............lol wimp.
just wondered what you would have done?

Since most dogs would protect their master and are not currently bound by certain laws dictating how much force we humans are allowed to use to protect ourselves-i would be very suprised if any charges would be brought against you.Dogs act on instinct and the law achknowledges this fact because i asked the Police what would happen if Abe had attacked a burglar and they said you would NOT be charged-provided the attack happened in house or garden.

I'd have said the same. We must have the same sort of tempers.
He would have to be very stupid to have tried anything, Toby would protect you but I dont think it would get that far.'Lads' are brave when the're with their mates, get him on his own and I bet he's a really nice guy.
The law would be on your side cause your female and vunerable dont forget!!!

julie i would like to see him try it.
they have started going on the fields where we walk and loads other do too.
big groups of teenagers drinking......swearing etc broken glass near tree's......grrrr.
i wouldn't mind but we had already stopped the day before to show them that the dogs are friendly etc then you get the 1.
to be honest i don't think tob would have felt it but thats beside the point.
next time he will get a what for from me.
i am usually very mild in my temper but not if some one is threating my dogs what ever breed i own.

I had a similar incident whilst walking my dog a few weeks ago where some teeagers threatened to kill Jake, he is a Jrt though so not much defence there. I'm afraid my temper took over and I flew at them never mind worrying about the reprecussions of your dog attacking them I had to stop myself from killing them.

The law of this land allows you to defend yourself as long as you don't use "unreasonable force". Since my incident I have attended self-defence classes and I carry a legal self-defence spray. My cousin in America can carry pepper spray whilst walking her dog. I have been very tempted to do so as well but have so far stayed within the UK law.I'm sure your dog defending you would also come under the law of self-defence as long as you didn't set him on them purposefully.

What a shame our society puts us in such a position................................

I asked this question of a dog warden for research for my book - what would happen to a dog if he bit someone attacking me in my defence - and this was his reply:

"In those circumstances, you would have to prove that the dog was defending you in a magistrates court. Ultimately you are responsible for you dogs actions, and it is an offence to use your dog as a weapon, albeit in defence. The Magistrate would obviously look at the case with great care, and he does have the power from giving you a Control of Dogs Order upto a Destruction Order. However, most Magistrates are pretty sensible and they will take all the facts into consideration."

well i wouldn't set tob on anyone thats for sure if it ever happened it would be him that decied to step in.
thinking about teaching him to bark on command i would have though that should at least make them think about it with his size as well.
its coming to some thing when you can't even walk your dog in peace.

sorry to hear something like that

had a bad thing like that in a resturant i was sitting outside my dog under the table a Spanish person walked past and (i was eating) when he got about 10 meters away saw my dog turned around and wanted to go to the dog before i realised what was going on he was at the dog the dog jumped up and bit him in the stomach naturally a big problem lot of blood and a torn shirt. took the person to hospital (sorry to say he had just come out after having an operation)to cut a long story short the police where there they nearly wanted to lock me up, but after talking to the man who was bitten they appologised because he said he was in the wrong to go to the dog. the end of the story i learnt a big leson anybody who came and wanted something from me i called the dog and put her on the line. if you had done the same called your dog and put on the line they would´nt have come near you i am sure ?

the law is every dog owner is responable for what the dog does

i might have put this in the wrong place but having a simular experince and a nasty one at that thout i woud put it here

This seems to be a bit of a grey area with the law and it really annoys me , a couple of years ago before Taz went to the bridge i had a very strange experience , we were upstairs i was on the pc and Taz was lying at my feet , he suddenly stood up with his hackles up and did a very low growling noise and went to the door , it was strange behaviour for him as usually if he heard somthing at night he would bark his head off , he would not settle so i took him downstairs , he walked downstairs right beside me and his hackles were still up but he did not growl i opened the kitchen door and there was a young guy standing in the middle of my kitchen Taz stayed glued to my side and started growling , the guy said oh i think i am in the wrong house , i said yes i think you are , he started backing away to the door and as soon as he moved Taz started barking at him so the guy stood still again i told Taz it was ok so i went past the guy opened the back door told him to get out and not come back , as soon as he got out of the door he started being mouthy and Taz grabbed the boys arm and pulled him down , i called him off straight away and the guy could not get away quickly enough . He was not hurt but i called the police straight away they were brilliant , i was in shock and the policeman said to me so the dog went for him in your garden , think very carefully before you answer , as this is very important , i told him yes he was just at the back door . When the police came to take a statement Taz was as good as gold he did his usual hackles up and grumbling until they came in and sat down then he was his usual friendly soppy self , they caught the guy trying to break into a pensioners house locally but i never heard any more about it .

I have called the police since when kids were teasing Taz and winding him up in the garden putting their hands over the wall , climbing on the shed roof etc and i was told that if Taz had bitten one of them i could be charged as i am suppossed to have Taz under control at all times even in his own garden seemed a bit of a contradiction to me and i am still not sure about the personal attack thing either, i would hope that if anybody was stupid enough to have a go at you when you were walking your dog they would deserve to be told off by the dog but the law is not clear enough in my eyes it is time they outlined some basics so we all know where we stand , i don't know if you will remember an episode of the bill where a young boy broke into a house and was attacked by the dog and they said the dog would have to be pts that still sticks in my mind as far as i am concerned if somebody broke into my house and the dogs attacked them more fool them for coming into a house where they know there are dogs

Fiona xx

OMG Fiona - how terrifying for you!

I have a funny story of road rage - man gets beeped from behind, stops at traffic lights. Bloke comes storming from car behind, shouting and ready for a major strop .... great hug Pyrenean head rises up from back of car, Pyr growling intensely. Road Rager makes rapid retreat.