Met the dog that damaged my knee

OK I am preoccupied with thinking about my son and a bit short on sleep so probably a bit short on temper too (well, even shorter than usual would be a better way to put it!)

Dunno if anyone recalls my experience with the LUNATIC dog that a young lady walks around here. It is never on a lead because she admits she just couldn't hang on to it. It is NOT vicious but is TOTALLY out of control. A complete nutcase of a dog. You know those dogs that just run circles and skid to a semi halt and slew round and knock everything over? Well, one of those and the size of a GSD.

When it sees other dogs out walking it hurtles into them and off again just as quickly - owner is pathetically shouting at it all the time and apologising profusely. Actually has 2 dogs but cannot possibly take them out together. She lives above the fields paths we walk so can get it out without fear of the roads and doesn't even carry a lead.

When it slewed round and its hip connected with my knee (the one I'd been receiving treatment for for 18 months and had only just got better) there was a loud crack and I screamed in agony and actually had to sit on a wall for a long time before I could even attempt to hobble home. The worst thing about it was I was due to fly to UK 2 days later - ended up at the Osteo twice before that and had to buy a pricey walking stick - but worst of all had to see my kids with me having something WRONG WITH ME and spend precious time I wanted to spend with the kids seeing the doc in the UK too!

She didn't even stick around to see if I could walk. Just got the dog away as quickly as possible. But on my return I did tell her just how much damage it had caused to my only recently healed damaged knee. I told her then she needed to take it to formal training as it obviously took no notice of her at all.

Well it came hurtling down the path towards us this morning and I said 'look I am now terrified of your dog after what it did to my knee last year' I was sort of hopping about and avoiding it and it was doing its usual mental performance. She was trying pathetically and in vain to get hold of it. And even now insisting 'it just wants to play!' (unbelievable) I said to her 'dogs don't have to BITE you to cause injury - when they are as out of control as your one is they just have to crash into you'. Then I said that my advice to her was to first get a leash and keep it on it and get some training for it so she could mix with other dog owners one day.

She did her usual about turn (the only way she can get the dog away from anything) and called over her shoulder 'I think you are over-reacting' !!!!

My response - I think you'd be over-reacting too if it was you that had had to spend €150 at the Osteo and buy a walking stick just two days before I was due to fly out to see my kids - not to mention how long it took for the knee to become pain free again after that. And all because you've got NO control whatsoever over your dog and you admit it and I'd like to see you try the 'only wants to play' card if it is a toddler it sends flying one day.

The other dog walker with me just stood there and, as the loony dog owner left she said to me 'I don't think she is very happy at all'. I agreed and said 'no but I feel A LOT BETTER after that!'

Off my soapbox now - rant over! She didn't catch me on a good day! I'm not afraid of dogs. But have to say I felt fear as this one came hurtling and skittering towards me.

Sorry about your knee - I winced when i read about it.

I think it's a classic tale of the owner not the dog - with the right training and environment most dogs can be taught good manners.

When we first rescued our dog he was very fidgety around the house, like he'd ants in his pants, the first thing I did was radically change his diet and the change in him was unbelievable - virtually within the hour he was resting quietly in his bed - sometimes the most manic behaviour in dogs can be caused by the simplest things.

Well Baxter I think the first requirement is an OWNER who would be receptive to advice. Not one who just shrugs and gives up and accepts that they will never be able to manage the dog or even take it out on a lead.

I usually just avoid problem dogs around here if I can. But this path is popular just because it is so long and safe - waterway one side and fields the other and about a kilometre long with only side paths on one side and you can take them and turn and turn again to get back on it.

It has the benefit of being able to 'see ahead' but the disadvantage of leaving you 'trapped' with whatever is coming towards you if you are far enough down it not to make turning back an option.

I always feel so sorry for the dogs in these situations because they miss out on so much.

It's a popular meet up place for lots of us conscientious dog owners here (that would be those of us who don't just turn our dogs out to exercise them!)

We have a stray and street dog problem yes - but hand on heart I have NEVER met an aggressive or uncontrollable street dog yet. They will sometimes just 'mooch along' with you on your entire walk and then poodle off when you head home. Sometimes follow you right to your door.

So - as you say - it has to be the owner doesn't it? If all the dogs who are MINUS owners are OK!

Harness and lead that should give her some control or head collar.
Dillon has hurtled into Gorden's bad knee a few times but he is our dog and he does get reprimanded for it.
When he is on the field playing with other dogs he can skid to a holt and knock into you or other walkers dogs he is playing with but they are expecting it and move accordingly as they understand he has to run and play. Of course if he gets too excited he goes back on lead and game is over.
You do have to take control and not let your dog do damage and if it does accept your dog needs some training and make an apology.

You know what?? I would send her the osteo bill, and maybe even the bill for the walking stick, when she kicks off tell her she is 'over reacting' and walk away. No chance she'll pay it, but if she even thinks you are going to hit her in a place she is bothered about (her purse) then maybe she'll think even harder about the problems her dog is causing.

I'm in CYPRUS TW! If you had a good case to take anyone to court or go to a solicitor whatever it'd take about SIX YRS for anything to come of it! It's not like the UK where you can sue the local Council for broken paving stones if you trip and all that. You'd just be laughed at. Hardly any consumer protection rights either - just the shrug and the spread hands and the 'this is Cyprus' lol! when a dog got out and went for my CKCS in Limassol ending up badly scratching me - I was told to just call the Police. There would be only one outcome here they would take the dog and put it down.

But GUESS WHAT? I only saw her again today! She was far enough away on the path and I only at the beginning for me to turn around and head back but ....

She had the dog on a bit of rope! She did look like a water skier - leaning back at 45degs and digging her heels in with the dog straining and on it's back legs! But that's progress. I didn't want to push it by seeing whether she could hang onto it once it got close so backtracked until she could get up a side path and then came back and continued with Bella and my neighbour and her dog.

But have had another interesting encounter. I posted about when Bella was much younger and one of the GSDs here owned by the old guy who breeds them 'went for' Bella. Bella was SCREAMING her head off and the GSD was bowling her over and roughing her up. I know she could have killed her in an instant if she'd a mind to. Bella was left with red scratches all over her tummy and what seems like a lifelong fear of those dogs now.

The guy has two that he breeds and occasionally a pup that he hasn't sold on yet. These dogs were always fine with my CKCS and I was very surprised when this one broke away from him and just came hurtling for Bella. It was the second time it had happened. The first time I was under the block opening my post box and didn't see it coming but was able to pick Bella up and loudly see it off until he grabbed it. The second time he beat it savagely with a chain which upset me just as much as seeing it terrifying Bella.

Anyway EVERYONE around here could hardly believe it when I started to avoid him and his and said why. They were all astonished saying his dogs would never hurt anything.

Then, this morning at the end of the path, I met Olga with her dog, Sonia (medium sized) and said I'm just going back I'll walk with you. She said 'no - we don't go down that way anymore Sonia is too scared too since one of the GSDs chased and went for her! She said it is the mother dog and that it isn't the first time she's heard of it. So I am not after all the ONLY owner of a dog that one of his has gone for (I didn't know which of his it was - he sometimes walks them separately when he has a pup so I avoid him at all times and he turns away when he sees me since the incident).

I felt slightly better because I'd got the impression from some previously that they assumed 'Bella must have done something to provoke this dog' as it is so good. Fact was that he was way in front of us, we were walking behind and Bella was on lead (thank God) when his dog turned and came hurtling back at us. No question of Bella doing anything not even making a noise to 'provoke it' (she sure makes a noise when she sees it now though - dozy bint!)

I can go weeks and weeks and never see the very few dogs I have a problem with and then, this week, I seem to see them every time I go out!

Well...I would say if it is the mother dog that is doing it, could he have one of the older puppies with him when this happens. I know what Cariad is like, I keep her on a line all the time when I am out with the babies, even if Mabs is with us. The minute a dog appears even on the far horizon she is immediately on Red Alert and doesn't calm down till it disappears, she only has to hear one bark and she is puffs herself up and starts bristling. The other day some idiot had a beagle on a harness and the inevitable extending lead, it was towing the bloke towards us, making X shapes as it got closer and I was shouting and waving my hands and shouting NO NO and still they kept coming!!! Cariad was bouncing up and down in her eagerness to see this dog off that very obviously was going to kidnap the babies, who weren't quite sure what was going on and were milling about, part of them interested in this new toy approaching them, and part of them concerned their mother was worried and maybe it was better to hide behind her. In the end he got the message, but looked quite offended, obviously didn't understand the situation.
So it could well be that in the mother dogs eyes any other dog presents some sort of threat to her offspring and must be dealt with forthwith. If no babies are present then she is probably quite friendly and non combatative.

He rarely ever has 3 with him. As I'm told it is the female dog, i could be the mother when she's not long had her babies I suppose (or perceiving Bella as small vermin/prey!) but Bella was a puppy then and it is unusual for adult dogs to go for puppies. I didn't know which one of them it was. I put it down in some part to him not giving his GSDs enough exercise and them getting grumpy. Little Bella gets much more distance and out much longer than his.

In fact if I've set off and seen him - he will have taken both of them out and back home before we get back. GSDs need more than 10 mins walk to the corner of a field and back. There are places here where he could let them off to have the run of a field. He obviously keeps them to breed them for money and not as pets. They live in a tiny shack of a house just up the road and are in the yard most of the time when home.