Dog attack. Stupid public.

[morgan]

So I am in the woods last night walking Hemi (10yr old rescue greyhound). She is good as gold, off the lead. Like many greyhounds with a history she's very quiet and submissive.

Woman coming the other way. 2 big tan ridgebacky things (not sure what - looked similar to big labs.)

I see her grab one and put it on the lead and drag it off the path. I stop and call over "Everything OK ? Shall I put my dog on a lead?" - "Yes please - mines a bit nervous(!!)" she replies.

I put Hemi on the lead and the loose dog runs over and starts 'aggressive sniffing' (Hemi naturally just stands there, head down). At this point the other one, dog-on-lead, she is holding goes beserk, she cant hold it, it tears over , leaps on poor Hemi, wrestles her down and goes for her throat. Hemi starts howling - I manage to steam in there and get hold of this thing and physically drag it off (all happened real fast - maybe 3 or 4 seconds).
Woman just stands there. I now have hold of her mental dog. Hemi is standing a few yards away shrieking (clearly hurt). I manage to get her to take the devil-hound and I discover its sunk its teeth into Hemis neck. Big hole in neck with lump of fur missing with blood running down her leg by now.

So off to vet. Shaved. Staples. etc. While I am there I meet someone IN THE WAITING ROOM who has encountered these dogs before and they took a chunk out of her dog, needing stitches !!

Dammit I was cross.
a) They are clearly dangerous - the attack was utterly unprovoked.
b) They have done it before.
c) Given this, why on earth were they in a public place, unmuzzled, off the lead ?
d) She cant physically hold them on a lead anyway - they are too strong.

Anyway - all home now. Blood everywhere. (car, capets etc) and staples in for 10 days. But the stupidity of some people beggars belief. Usually I am walking Hemi with my children. It could have been my wife walking her. I could have been 50yds away. Given another few seconds it would have ripped her throat out.

Anyway - sorry I missed the herts meet. I was doing all this...
ARRGHH!!! SOME PEOPLE !?!??!

[John]

I must admit, I used to be guilty of having mine off the lead but not now. There are just far to many dogs and indeed senarios for them to be off.
My 2 used to be great with other dogs until they were attacked by other dogs. Admittedly one of the instances was when Boris was much younger and tried to befriend a chocolate labradore that wasnt having any of it. The lab was on a lead and clearly had anger management problems to which the lady was aware. She shouted at me for not having mine on a lead and of course was quite right.
The second was in the snow and both mine were on leads when a Boarder Collie came charging out of nowhere and attacked Baily for no reason.
Now unfortunately both mine, on the whole are poor with other dogs and my walks everyday are not enjoyable ones for the fear of running into other dogs.
My view has changed over time but now believe all dogs should be kept on leads end of!

[Dave-R]

Dogs actually get more agressive when on a lead. Body language is very important to them and it all goes to pot when on a lead.

How much they have grown up socialising with other dogs is the biggest factor. As well as where they feel they stand in the pecking order when in the home.
Dogs that are allowed to do anything they want in the company of ineffectual owners that don't know how to train or control a dog are the worst possible combination.

[Ivor]

Sorry to hear that Morgan, but I'm glad Hemi's on the mend.

A good mate of mine, very active guy, had a stroke recently and it has rendered him very weak down his left side. He went to the supermarket in Aylesbury a couple of weeks ago and there appeared to be a sleeping dog tied to the railings by the trolleys.

Within seconds, the dog had attacked my pal, knocked him to the ground, he lost his stick in the process and the dog sunk his teeth into his arm and he ended up having to be taken to hospital.

The owners carried on shopping.

Hanging's to good for them.

[Anonymous]

Samurai sword mate. I'd give her the dogs back in pieces. If she can't control them she should have them.

[morgan]

Sorry to hear that Morgan, but I'm glad Hemi's on the mend.

A good mate of mine, very active guy, had a stroke recently and it has rendered him very weak down his left side. He went to the supermarket in Aylesbury a couple of weeks ago and there appeared to be a sleeping dog tied to the railings by the trolleys.

Within seconds, the dog had attacked my pal, knocked him to the ground, he lost his stick in the process and the dog sunk his teeth into his arm and he ended up having to be taken to hospital.

The owners carried on shopping.

Hanging's to good for them.

Thats horrific. Although at least dog will be destroyed if it attacks person. Although they will just get another... As Dave says, ineffectual owners and mucked up pecking orders.

[RobTwin]

And I presume you had to foot the vets' bill too?

Did you get the other dog owners contact details so you could get her to reimburse you?

[Carl]

Dogs actually get more agressive when on a lead. Body language is very important to them and it all goes to pot when on a lead.

How much they have grown up socialising with other dogs is the biggest factor. As well as where they feel they stand in the pecking order when in the home.
Dogs that are allowed to do anything they want in the company of ineffectual owners that don't know how to train or control a dog are the worst possible combination.

Here here, I studied Dog behavior, and Dave is quite right in what he is saying. Dogs are pack animals and it is quite clear this woman is not the pack leader (As in most Dog owners) How many times do you see a dog out for a walk with the owner trailing behind? This dog is leading the owner. Therefore the dog is in control of the walk and the owner, this owner would have no control over this dog other than pulling it away with the lead, that will stop a possible fight but will not solve any behavior issues the dog has.
As Dave said it is all to do with body language, a Dogs only way of communication, barking has very little communication value.
Now this Woman is not the pack leader so will have no control over her dog hence it coming over to investigate a possible threat. Possibly with ears pinned back against the head, sometimes raised and pointing forward, hackles raised, tail raised or straight out with no wag, lips pulled back to show teeth, and a hard stare. This to another dog is a threat and as Hemi is a submissive Dog, this is a sign of weakness (head bowed, ears low, tail tucked between legs and rolling over with belly up) and usually initiates an attack by a more dominant dog (dominant dog is not to be confused with an aggressive dog, although dominance can cause aggression its the hierarchy of a pack) This is also why sometimes old people get attacked as Dogs see them as weak, in a wild pack the old and weak are killed off. The other Dog going mental was due to the excitement of the attack, which can cause a further attack from other pack members (the other Dog)

So basically its the ignorance of this Woman not knowing anything about owning a dog

I hope Hemi is making a full recovery and there will not be any lasting issues

[morgan]

She says she will pay. Got the bill - and I think she will actually. I care less about that than I do the actual event though.

Spoken to dog warden. Apparently home visit from dog warden with a policeman to explore 'prevention' options. So thats a partial result I guess - I have done my bit to hopefully spare someone else the experience...

[Dave81]

And I presume you had to foot the vets' bill too?

Did you get the other dog owners contact details so you could get her to reimburse you?

Very much this..........

I would have insisted on contact details!!

Also i would have volleyed the dog in the ribs.......I do love dogs, but if you attack me or my family (including pets) then so be it.

I have to say i don't like the fact that owners have their dogs off leads.

Father in law does it, and to be fair Ruby is as daft as a brush (choc lab), but i've seen too many stories when the dog that 'he's never done that before' has had a mental episode and hurt someone!

Just because you know your dog is soft and playful does not mean the compete stranger that your doberman is running at, at 15mph knows that he just wants to lick.

Have had this happen with my 10 month old daughter in my arms in a country park in Summer (luckily not in slobber range in the pram). I informed the owner of my thoughts about his dog and the way in which he controls it!

[Ivor]

Spoken to dog warden. Apparently home visit from dog warden with a policeman to explore 'prevention' options. So thats a partial result I guess - I have done my bit to hopefully spare someone else the experience...

Now that's the action of a responsible dog owner, good on you Morgan.

[Carl]

Unfortunatly there is not much the Police can do on dog on dog attacks

Section Three of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (DDA) can be applied to any dog of any breed or type, regardless of the dog’s size, in England & Wales.

It says....When is a dog ‘dangerously out of control’ The definition given in the Act is that a dog shall be regarded as dangerously out of control on any occasion on which there are grounds for reasonable apprehension that it will injure any person, whether or not it actually does so 6 – an aggravated offence (more serious) will have been committed if the dog, whilst out of control, injures a person. (See exclusions-reference 5 below.)

An injury doesn’t have to be in the form of a dog bite, it could, for example, be from a dog enthusiastically greeting someone and knocking them over, or jumping up and scratching a person’s leg, injury to a person is classed as an aggravated offence.

Dog on dog attacks/fights, injury to a cat, injury to another dog are not covered under this legislation unless a person is injured or there are reasonable grounds for apprehension that the dog will injure a person.

All the Law can do is give the people a warning that thedogs should be muzzled and under proper control.

[autofetish]

feel for you morgan

hope hemi gets better soon

hemi great name

[Dart Vader]

I put up a similar post a few weeks ago, our dog got attacked by a staffy, ours was on the lead, staffy wasn't. Funny thing about it was that Guinness won it by having the staffy by the ear.

We like to think we are responsible oweners, we clean up his poop, he's fully insured and is tagged and jabbed, I bet the chav staffy owner wasnt. Its the second time this dog has gone for Guinness, I warned the guy there wouldnt be a third and next time I'd lay him out


Our dog is a rescue and is not very tolerant of other dogs due to his upbringing. BUT, he is getting much better and will play with some dogs and not with others. If we suspect he's not happy about another dog we put him on his lead, walk him past and he doesn't get funny about stuff.
He's a big sofite around the home and is very loving and trusting and very obiedient.

Locally we do have a Japanese fighting dog and a Bull Mastif both of which have attitude with other dogs. The Mastif is known to attack any dog and yet the woman who owns it can barely hold onto it, the fighting dog is so bad that the owner has to walk it around the streets as it cant be walked up the park.

Guinness does have a dominant streak but we know what to look for and we talk full control of him and face him away from the other dogs and make him lay down.


We used to have a lurcher up until last year and they are such docile things but their skin is so prone to tearing, even on thorns ! I do feel for you and fingers crossed she pays up and your dog gets over the attack

[RW71]

Poor old Hemi, not what she needs after her recent problems. Hope she gets better soon Morgan.
Rich.