Well said. My 'nasty' girl is a joy to own apart from her one (admittedly quite serious) issue with strange dogs. She is very sweet natured with people. Kept under control in public she is no danger and who knows what happened in her past that made her like that? She still deserves a good home and a nice life.

Lets no argue over it please, I am sure noone has meant ill feeling by what has been written.

My 'nasty, vicious' dog is a pleasure to own and I will miss him tonight as I am pet-sitting another 'nasty, vicious' dog that jumped on me and covered me in wet slobbery kisses when I turned up.

Why do we do it eh?

I don't mean to take anything away from the fact it was a horrible experience (I got a puppy too and I would hate the same thing to happen to us!), just thinking that if it didn't really get to your dog then chances are your puppy will be fine, just try not to make a big deal of it when you next meet other dogs. Find a well behaved adult one he can hang out with.

thats my point though my dog is aggressive with other dogs or at least has the potential to be, but he doesn't get off the lead and we avoid - but that does not mean he isn't a great dog to own and love....

Thats ok JulieSS, I know you didnt . I am thinking we were lucky this evening that nothing bad happened and that I could manouvere him out of the way. If I had stood still I think it would have been a different story.

Well Brundog let me put it like this - I would only consider my dog to have been ATTACKED if there was physical contact, she suffered wounds and she had done nothing to provoke it.

I do not get very exercised about all the scare stories about how dangerous and risky it is to walk your dog these days and have said so many times.

I am very laid back, I've got a child (altho' now 34yrs old!) who was viciously attacked by a big dog when he was 5 and still bears the scars.

I've owned a Cavvy who was seized by a pair of Boxers and roughed up and terrified by them (so I suppose they did 'attack' her - they had her one each end before I waded in) but she survived virtually unscathed (but with a lifelong fear of boxers). I wouldn't report that sort of thing. I would give the owner a right ole mouthful.

The incident involving my child I DID report and the dog was put down within 24 hrs and I wouldn't have been happy if it hadn't been.

You say your dog is aggressive. We are talking here about dogs who ATTACK. And what constitutes attack. If you know your dog is aggressive and you take measures to prevent it attacking other dogs or people. It is not ever going to ATTACK is it? Not in the sense of my understanding of the word.

I am trying my best to say that unless unprovoked physical contact and physical damage is involved - I don't really consider it to be an attack. No more than I would consider a human who verbally abused and frightened me to have attacked me. Not unless they got physical and damaged me.

But we are all entitled to our own stupid opinions and I still am of the opinion that I wouldn't get any pleasure from owning an 'aggressive' dog and have owned GSDs, Mutts Spaniels and Terriers (none of which were 'aggressive'). You might get pleasure from owning an aggressive dog and indeed say you do. You are perfectly entitled to do so.

That must of been terrifying. I hope you are feeling better today and so is your dog. Hopefully classes tomorrow will help your dog to overcome any fear which may set in.

I think if people who have these kind of dogs allow them somehow to get free and see they are intent on attacking or their dog is a stalker and keeps circling and intimidating another dog the least they can do when they do eventually have control again if they ever did in the first place is apologise profusely check you and your dog are ok and make sure their dog never does it again.
I have manners and expect my dog to learn some too and get very irrate when others don't afford me the same courtesies.

Dillon would love to meet and greet all and sundry if acceptable he does and he is learning to do it in a controlled manner. I am very aware he is a big puppy (50kg) at almost 10 months very bouncy and although very friendly not everyone and every dog sees him that way. So for his sake as well as others he has to be on long line and harness for now. Meets and greets can then be controlled.

Ollie could be selective with people and other dogs so harness and long line for him was the way to go.

Indoors with his family he was a pleasure to own and very loving and if out you have to take more control but not a lot more than you should at any other time in my opinion.

The very same thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago, so I understand how it made you shake, it did me at the time, even though I have a dog who could well have defended herself all on her own and probably kill the other dog, but thankfully, hubby was to hand, and after I'd booted it trying to get my dog behind my legs, hubby stepped in, grabbed it by the neck and bum and pinned it to the ground, where it was STILL going off on a tangent, with my dog just sitting there staring at it.

Terrible experience to go through, and the speed this thing flew up to us with its teeth barred was quite horrific for me let alone my poor dog. I got no apology from the two owners either, just a load of abuse as they sloped off! My dog was onlead too. Unbelievable how some people think their dogs are fine with other dogs when they're not! Grrrrr. Hope your little puppy gets over this quickly, which I'm sure he will when you next attend that friendly puppy class. Mine was set upon about 3 times when she was a puppy, and consequently, if anything gives her an attitude now she will defend herself quickly and who can blame her!

I miss my vicious dog desperately. Walks were a chore because of his issues but I wouldn't say there was no pleasure in owning him. Far from it.

Charliegirl, hope your pup is okay and suffers no bad effects from the incident.