Need an opinion...

So, earlier on last week I was walking Lady and Tomas (both on lead) on the usual route. It has to be flat walk for Tomas' spinal porblems so I don't really have a choice of route.

As I was passing the house where the Choc Lab lives the owner came out with his dog off lead. Now, to put this in context partner of the owner cannot control this dog on a lead. About 6 months ago I was passing with Lady off lead and the Choc lab charged, pinned and attempted to attack lady. I stepped in with the boot at the time and all she could say was "f*%$@ng dogs fighting".

My Wife has passed by the fence and the Dog has charged the fence.

On this particular walk the Choc lab turned and faced us about 10 yards away and starting barking agreesively. Lady and Tomas went ape but I was managing to control them on the leads. The Choc lab charged us and I put myself in between the dogs to stop the fighting until the owner managed to come across and hold his dog full of apoligies. Anyway I managed to get a bit in the calf with a rather impressive tooth size chunk out of it. Although I walked away an am OK (apart from a sore leg) I don't know if he realised his dog bit me, but I did limp away.

I clearly told him he needed to keep his dog on the lead.

Two days later my daughter comes in from work and informs me that he was walking his dog off lead in the street again.

Opinions?

I think I would speak to the Dog warden first, and explain that the dog has some issues that are not controlled by the owners and see if a visit from them first will force them into walking the dog onlead.

Would it be worth speaking to the Dog Warden and asking them to have a word?

Report to the Police today. This clearly isn't a one off problem. Could be a child next.

Not sure but I would be concerned that he may attack and bite a child the next time and I would change routes of where I walk my dog if it was me in the situation

The dog warden is a good idea, but strongly recommend you not doing anything would be leaving a dangerous situation to get worse as it could be a child with a dog or a woman with a baby, who knows what the next outcome might be from this dog being off lead. I don't like waiting around to find out as I would feel partly responsible as I was aware of the situation and did nothing

The dog will only bite a child next time if a child gets between the fighting dogs.

That is unless this dog is human aggressive as well as dog aggressive,

Is the dog human aggressive when other dogs are not around??

From what you say , this is a dog that is dog aggressive and the owner does not or can not be bothered to control him or leash him out side the house.


Personally, as you were the one who got bit, (you said you got in between the dogs) so I am guessing the dog did not target you with his aggression, I think I would 1) have a word with the dog warden..2) go and speak to the owner, try and be polite and inform them (and show them the bite mark) that the dog bit you on the last occasion it attacked your dogs... you are giving them a friendly warning, that if the same thing happens again, you will have to inform the police and dog warden... AND that if he does the same to another dog /person, they may not be so understanding and insist the dog is PTS (for human aggression) i also think, if you do report it to the police for biting you (they wont do anything for dog to dog aggression) then it wont be in your hands whether they deem it dangerous or not, once they take over, you asking for it not to be PTS will have no effect.

Hi Nick a bit after the event I know but in the same circumstances I would have made sure the bite on your leg was 'recorded' and you should have had an anti-tetanus which would have give your GP a chance to record the bite .

Then I would have informed the owner of the dog in writing you had been bitten during the fight between the dogs and a GP had checked the bite and that your were reporting the incident to the Dogwarden and if you saw the dog off lead again you would report it to the police.

This might have made the owner more careful about putting the dog on the lead. If not the incident has been recorded and can if need be used later to insist the man controls his dog.

I would see the owner - write if you like - and say that if I didn`t get evidence within the next 14 days that he was attending a training class with his dog, and he gives an undertaking to have his dog on leash and muzzled in public untill I was satisfied his dog was no longer a danger I would sue him for personal injury and loss of earnings AND report him to the police.

eta why is it worse if the dog bites a child? Do we not also bleed? Do we not also feel pain and distress? Just asking.

I just think a lot of children wouldnt know what to do, they are less capable of how to go about stopping a dog biting and screaming can often lead to increasing the dogs agitation. I know adults can do the same thing I have no idea what I would do if a dog bit me, it hasnt happened yet (or should I say a dog of considerable size, thanks Scratch).
Children also are smaller than most adults (before the teenage years) leaving the chance of their face and neck to be gotten to easier than an adult.
I doubt children have ever thought of what to do if a dog attacks them or read up on it, it may not help in the situation but gives us a chance of that info to kick in.
Another thing is children have less blood which can put then into hypovolemic shock much quicker than an adult (above a certain height.
We can also systematically go through and try to figure out if we missed signs that we should have all a child might know is 'I walked up to this dog to say hello and it bit me'
Undoggy people may not know either but a child has less chance to have learnt that.
JMO of course and generalising as I can't cover all reactions or some dog savvy kids, but I don't know many dog savvy kids
I don't see it as caring more if a child is bitten or not, it is the consequences that could be worse. I care just as much as an adult, I don't like it when anyone gets bitten by anything