Bitten by a dog.

[+lifechooser]

I did some caching on Sunday, which didn't go so well. Of the four I went seeking, I found one, failed one, had the wrong co-ordinates of one, and ran out of time for the other. However, it was a lovely walk, and I was quite upbeat as I went back to the car, which I'd parked by some houses at the start of the path.

 

The start of the path was a little strange. It went down the edge of a garden of a new build house before leaving the grounds via a style. There was no fence around the path or the property, and it really did feel like walking through someone's garden. There was however a big wooden "footpath" sign. It had 2 notices nailed to it, the first was "please keep your dog under control", and the second I can't remember, probably something about sheep worrying, or walking around the field edges.

 

All this is best explained with a photo;

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source...,83.96,,1,10.43

 

Now, since google streetview took that picture, the house has neared completion and the red netted fence has gone, however the rest is the same. In fact it's scary how similar it is. The 'footpath' sign is clear to see, however so is the large dog (laid on the footpath, near the far end of the red fence) and it's owner (I think - near the stable/shed structure at the rear of the property, about 100m further away from the road than the dog).

 

So, I'm sure I've set this up so you can guess the rest. I was heading back to the car, hopped over the style into the garden area, and saw the man tending to a horse in the small stable. Next to the stable is a static home, and as I was walking past that, I saw the dog, guarding the footpath. It growled, barked and approached, and it's owner seemed unaware. It looked a bit like a rottweiler, but slightly lighter, and without the light brown patches.

 

Rightly or wrongly (I've no idea what to do in this sort of situation) I slowed, but continued towards my car, on the path. Very quickly the dog came right up to me, barked once again and bit me on the hip, drawing blood. It's owner yelled at it, and it ran towards him, then after only a couple of seconds started walking back towards me, so I made as quick an exit as I could without running (I've been taught that prey runs). I got in my car, and the dog was right there with me - the land has no fence, so I left.

 

I was more pissed off than in pain. I phoned the local police and reported it, and went to the walk in centre to be treated. I'm now on high strength antibiotics which are playing hell with my digestion. On Monday I went to the police to give a statement to a PC who hadn't heard of geocaching, but had spent a lot of time letterboxing on Dartmoor in his youth. He's a possible convert...

 

Anyway, a morning off work, several phone calls, the expense of visiting a hospital (petrol, parking, prescription fee), a crappy digestive system, and now waiting for the policeman to get back to me, and what I really want to know is;

A) What if I was (with) a small child?

Why the dog was allowed to guard a public footpath. There should've been a fence, lead, muzzle or whatever. There is no excuse at all.

 

I'll feel bad if the dog it put down, it was guarding its territory as it has been trained to do so. I hope it's owner feels the full force of the law for not defining the territory better with a fence - after all he has just built a substantial house.

 

Thanks for letting me rant. I thought this was a bit long for "things which you hate while caching".

[+mickyz]

Noticed that I have cached in this area and am sorry to hear about

what happened.

 

If you go back to Durley , which I'm sure you will, about

100 yds south of the farm is a nice grassy parking place

next to an old gate and then walk up to the Trig point

and round.

Great views from up there as well

 

If you do find #7.6 , could I have a Hint...

when I was there a while ago now, there were about 30

cows sitting under the trees , how I was supposed to concentrate

on looking for a cache with them there I don't know!!

[+lifechooser]

I'll be back. I'll probably park where you say, and do 7.2, 7.4, 7.6 and 11. It's lucky that the path with the dog is not needed as there are many others to choose from.

[team tisri]

A) What if I was (with) a small child?

Why the dog was allowed to guard a public footpath. There should've been a fence, lead, muzzle or whatever. There is no excuse at all.

 

I'll feel bad if the dog it put down, it was guarding its territory as it has been trained to do so. I hope it's owner feels the full force of the law for not defining the territory better with a fence - after all he has just built a substantial house.

 

Thanks for letting me rant. I thought this was a bit long for "things which you hate while caching".

 

Had it been me I would want the dog destroyed (if I had something suitable in the car I'd probably have done it myself there and then). This time it bit an adult who grumbles about the consequences (and quite rightly so) but is otherwise OK - next time it might well be a small child or an elderly person.

 

I can't see how this dog could be considered anything other than "dangerously out of control" according to the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act. If the owner can't keep his dog under control he deserves legal penalties (including paying you compensation) and to see his dog destroyed.

[+Matthew 7:7 Too]

Sorry to hear about your attack. Was it a builders dog rather than the house owners? You did the right thing in reporting the incident to the Police.

 

A few years ago I was bitten on the leg by a farm dog as I was cycling along a bridle path through its farm yard. I reported it, and the Police later came to see me at home to explain that the dog had been on some medications (tranquilisers perhaps?) but the farmer had recently reduced the doses as he thought it was now OK. They asked me if I wanted to take further action or not, and that the farmer had agreed to reinstate the medication and muzzle it. (That was acceptable to me, but I haven't been cycling though the farm yard since!)

 

Chris

[+Dorsetgal & GeoDog]

I am a dog lover, but find this unacceptable behaviour from a dog.

 

I would also consider reporting the incident to the local dog warden, contact via whatever the local council website is.

 

Likely as not, they will visit and assess the situation from a more expert eye ...

 

As for your out of pocket expenses, I think you could justifiably ask the dog owner to pay, likely as not they will be covered by their pet insurance or their own public liability insurance (often part of household insurance).

 

Hope things heal soon.

[+natterjacktoad]

You HAVE to make a fuss - to protect others, if nothing else. Keep on at the police to make sure they follow it through. The owner should be prosecuted even if the dog is not destroyed. Please also contact your local County Council as they are the highways authority and responsible for public rights of way. I would also recommend contacting the local papers and/or local TV/radio news.

Idiots like that should not be in charge of a dog. Just imagine - the height of your hip would have been a child's face.........

[+Jacaru & Wemnog]

Definately make a point of taking it further. I am a dog lover, we have three Border Collies. Dog (ownders) can't be allowed to get away with this. As others have said, it has done it once, it can do it again and most likely next time it would be a child and the consequences could be much worse. I would get photographs of your hip, a copy of your statement to the police, keep a record of the medication you have been given. Then either write to the house owner and see if you get a reply. If you don't, then I suggest that you contact your local CAB for some advice.

 

I am not saying that you should sue the owner, but you should make sure that enough fuss is made that s/he feels obliged to do something about the dog, whether that be tying it up when it is out or fencing it in.

 

As natterjacktoad says above, also contact the local press to make them aware of what has happened.

[+lifechooser]

The owner is due to give a statement at the Police statement at 7pm. Until the police investigation is concluded, I don't think that there is anything I should do.

 

I also would prefer to remain anonymous. Possibly a major stereotype, but dangerous dog = dangerous owner IMO. I'm not going to make contact in an attempt to gain a small amount of compensation.

[+Jacaru & Wemnog]

The owner is due to give a statement at the Police statement at 7pm. Until the police investigation is concluded, I don't think that there is anything I should do.

 

I also would prefer to remain anonymous. Possibly a major stereotype, but dangerous dog = dangerous owner IMO. I'm not going to make contact in an attempt to gain a small amount of compensation.

 

No I wasn't saying it in order for you to gain compensation, I meant that people need to be aware of this dog.

[+lifechooser]

We'll see what the police decide. There is a likelyhood of the dog being destroyed, or at the very least, the owner will be forced to take measures to control it.

[+Pharisee]

Uncontrolled dogs and irresponsible dog owners are one of my pet hates!! Recently I had a scruffy little terrier yapping round my ankles and smearing mud up my jeans while the lady owner stood a 50 yards away calling it... Did the dog take any notice... did it hell! In the end I picked it up and dropped it the other side of a 3ft high chain link fence that separated the footpath from the adjacent wheatfield and carried on my way. That sorted the little bu**er out!

[+little-miss-naughty]

i was never a dog lover untill we got one but i totaly understand that if u dont have or like dogs then its unaceptable to have a dog buggin u when out for a walk ect, but unless a rescue dog the behavier will come from what it has learnt in the home the dog shouldnt be destroied but the owner punnished and tought how to look after a dog correctly. yes my dog has her naughty moments she is still a puppy but i can be sure she wouldnt hurt any one and 99% of the time will come back when called whatever she is doing. no dog is perfect but to bite a stranger for no reason is unexceptable.

 

lmn

[+Delta68]

As an aside, if/when you do make a fuss about it, don't mention Geocaching

 

Personally, I wouldn't have mentioned it (Geocaching) to the police in the first place. As far as anyone else is concerned you were just exercising your right to use a public right of way...

Having to explain what Geocaching is is an unnecessary distraction from the real problem

 

 

 

 

Mark

[+lifechooser]

The latest update is that the owner was very polite, very upset, and not my stereotype of thug dog=thug owner.

 

My next update will be weeks away, when they decide whether to go to court, or issue a caution. It sounds 50-50 currently.

[+*mouse*]

They may be upset and polite, but that doesn't distract from the main issue here which is that they were irresponsible to allow this situation to occur in the first place. They are d@mn lucky it wasn't a child that was bitten and I hope they appriciate that.

 

The good news is someone like this is probably more likely to take steps to prevent it happening again. Let’s hope they take this as an early warning and do something proactive like put up a fence.

 

I hope that the legal system gives a satisfactory result and that your hip is better soon.

Edited November 25, 2010 by *mouse*

[+natterjacktoad]

The latest update is that the owner was very polite, very upset, and not my stereotype of thug dog=thug owner.

 

My next update will be weeks away, when they decide whether to go to court, or issue a caution. It sounds 50-50 currently.

 

Hmmmm, amazing that they are 'polite and upset' when the police turn up on their doorstep but that wasn't the impression you gave of their reaction when you were bitten. I hope, for the sake of other walkers, that the police have checked that the dog is no longer allowed free access to the public right of way.

[+Al 7365]

The latest update is that the owner was very polite, very upset, and not my stereotype of thug dog=thug owner.

 

My next update will be weeks away, when they decide whether to go to court, or issue a caution. It sounds 50-50 currently.

 

Hmmmm, amazing that they are 'polite and upset' when the police turn up on their doorstep but that wasn't the impression you gave of their reaction when you were bitten. I hope, for the sake of other walkers, that the police have checked that the dog is no longer allowed free access to the public right of way.

 

On the point of public right of way, we were caching near pulbrough resently and had a dog set on us. We were walking down a public footpath past a house when a old man storms out demanding to know why we were not on the public footpath. Now we have freinds who are farmers and nothing anoys them more than people straying on too their land, so at this point we assumed we must have gone wrong. At this point the man's dog come out barking and growling at us, the owner then points 2ft to the left of when we are standing and sese there's the public footpath. We then politly asked for him to call his dog off but he refused. Luckly at this point we had started moving on but we were not far from a nasty situation.

 

We are used to this sort of dog & owner where we live as there is a rather nasty rotwiler which regularly gets out near one of my caches. Dog owners should take responeability. If in our case the dog owner activly refuses to call the dog off he should have the dog taken away, he is clearly to stupid to own an animal.

 

Speaking to our local vet we learnt that even if you just feel threatened by a dog, that is enough for it to be put down. This has happened a number of times in th UK over the past couple of years.

[team tisri]

If a nasty rottweiler regularly gets out you should report it to the police and the local council. If it's that nasty it needs to be destroyed before it causes a serious injury or worse to an innocent pedestrian.

[+The Other Stu]

A lot of these people are going to have a massive shock if the "Right to Roam" laws get changed (as is expected)

[+treaclefudge]

The real problem is that there are just too many dogs - many of them unhealthy. Rarely wormed; fed an incorrect diet and untrained. I consider that all dog owners should pay a licence for each animal they own and be able to show that it has adequate living space and that they are competent to keep an animal.

Unfortunately we are not a nation of animal lovers - just animal keepers!

treaclefudge

[+Lovejoy and Tinker]

The real problem is that there are just too many dogs - many of them unhealthy. Rarely wormed; fed an incorrect diet and untrained.

<snip>

 

Replace the word 'dogs' with the word 'humans' in that sentence and it works quite well too.

[+natterjacktoad]

The real problem is that there are just too many dogs - many of them unhealthy. Rarely wormed; fed an incorrect diet and untrained.

<snip>

 

Replace the word 'dogs' with the word 'humans' in that sentence and it works quite well too.

 

Completely right, but not PC to say so - so nothing changes. This country (and the world) is completely doomed unless there are massive population cuts.

[+Lovejoy and Tinker]

Completely right, but not PC to say so - so nothing changes. This country (and the world) is completely doomed unless there are massive population cuts.

I'm not generally known for my PCness .

 

By the way, am I the only one rooting for the dog in this story?

 

Edit: Sorry, when I re-read this morning what I wrote last evening I realised it could be read as meaning I was on the dog's side in biting the OP. Of course not. Every sympathy with the OP. What I meant was I hoped a solution could be found which means the dog does not have to be put down.

Edited December 4, 2010 by Lovejoy and Tinker

[bullyvine]

The real problem is that there are just too many dogs - many of them unhealthy. Rarely wormed; fed an incorrect diet and untrained. I consider that all dog owners should pay a licence for each animal they own and be able to show that it has adequate living space and that they are competent to keep an animal.

Unfortunately we are not a nation of animal lovers - just animal keepers!

treaclefudge

 

i will completly agree with this and i wish the govenment would take a look at new zealand or similer places where to own an animal you have to for go numerous checks including a house check, job, mental ability to train etc and then if you pass you pay a yearly cost to keep your animal or more if your a breeder.

 

i do also agree with Lovejoy and Tinker as to weather the dog should be put down, i dont condone dogs biting people and untrained dogs being off their leads. By the looks of things the dog more than likely was thinking it was guarding its land, i only say this as the op said there was a caravan on site and the dog being loose, now thats the owners fault for not properly sectioning off the property not the dogs.

 

anyway hope the op is ok and not to badly shook up from the ordeal and doesnt look at all dogs in this light, i would also go and take some photos of the area if the sites not properly sectioned off as thats also health and saftey factor to you the public from the site owner

[bullyvine]

sorry for the double post just i know what its like to have someone try and get your dog destroyed as 1 of my dogs bit a theif trying to rob my shed (on my property) and it was only by the skin of my teeth kept him

Edited December 6, 2010 by bullyvine

[+reddeeps]

dup.

Edited December 7, 2010 by reddeeps

[+reddeeps]

I dont think the dog should be put down, but the owner needs teaching how to look after a dog.

 

Mind you there are several humans who need teaching how to behave and look after kids as well, society sucks

[+natterjacktoad]

 

Mind you there are several humans who need teaching how to behave and look after kids as well, society sucks

 

Spot on and I think it's actually the same issue. We now have several generations of people who have no idea of responsibility but every single detail of their 'rights'. On my cheerier days I serious believe that this country has gone to the dogs. No pun intended

[+lifechooser]

@bullyvine - Sorry to hear about your thief. If someone is breaking into your property, then any injury they sustain during reasonable defence should be their tough luck. A dog will protect it's territory, and should be allowed to do so.

 

The dog that bit me was also defending its territory, however the difference is that its owners had not defined its territory properly. My feelings on dogs haven't changed, I wasn't particularly surprised by the attack to be honest. I don't have a high opinion of many (not most) dogs or their owners.

 

What sort of person chooses to own a potentially dangerous animal? It makes me wonder if I should add spikes to my car to make me look harder, and to hell with anyone who messes with me on the road.

[+reddeeps]

I love dogs they make great companions and pets. They are potentially dangerous but only if they are shown how to be either on purpose or by cruelty or neglect. However these amazing animals with the right care can also become great pets even after some of the terrible things they go through. However we need to address why they are treated badly.

This country seems to be happy to breed generations of dimwits. (both human and animal)

There is a huge stray dog issue, with thousands of staffy and bull breeds in rescues, solely due to unneccessary breeding.

Come to think of it the same could be said for humans (ducks and hides away now - its best not to start me on that subject)

How to we get to a society where people care and respect others.

Can you tell I am fed up today. I think I need to live on an island with only myself for company.

Edited December 7, 2010 by reddeeps

[+Team Noodles]

What sort of person chooses to own a potentially dangerous animal? It makes me wonder if I should add spikes to my car to make me look harder, and to hell with anyone who messes with me on the road.

 

That's an odd thing to say. I own a Dobermann bitch, she's a big lump of dog, but does that make me 'that kinda person' that you are referring to? It's not the dogs fault for how it looks, it's the idiot owner that screws with their head. Get your views straight.

[+drsolly]

It makes me wonder if I should add spikes to my car

 

I walk with a walking pole. The spike on the end is to get purchase in the ground. But if I were attacked by a vicious animal (of whatever species), I'd instinctively use whatever was to hand to defend myself.

[+Beds Clangers]

Just like the OP, I have also been bitten by a dog while out caching!!!

 

Bitten on the arm, VERY painful and took a while to fully heal.

 

I reported it to the police, dog was destroyed (it had bitten before) and the dog owner paid me £250 for the ripped fleece/waterproofs.

 

I'm not a dog owner but as the previous posts I don't blame the dog just the OWNER!!

 

Comment by the owner of "he has never done that before" don't help

 

I'm very cautious of all dogs but did not resort to "dog threat/alarm". I just stand very still with my arms by my side and look skyward if a dog "bounds" towards me and HOPE the owner is near by!!

 

Nick

[+lifechooser]

That's an odd thing to say. I own a Dobermann bitch, she's a big lump of dog, but does that make me 'that kinda person' that you are referring to? It's not the dogs fault for how it looks, it's the idiot owner that screws with their head. Get your views straight.

 

Do you really find it that odd? I don't mean to offend you, but as a non-dog owner I really don't understand the thought process behind buying a Rottweiller / bull terrier etc. I'm not sure if a Dobermann fits into the same category or not, I'm a very long way from being a dog expert.

 

I'm happy to be educated, but I can not think of a single reason for choosing a dog with a reputation for attacking children, over one with a reputation for being woolly, having long ears, or a strong desire to round up sheep. Why did you choose a Dobermann?

 

If I see someone with a Rottweiller, I will automatically assume that they have bought it in order to appear hard. The same as if I saw someone with a skinhead and lots of tattoos. I could be wrong, I don't know them or you personally, however I will make that assumption.

 

This dog, by all accounts, had very nice owners. However it bit me. It would not have bit me if it was a chihuahua

 

I'm sure you are a nice person, with a nice dog, however if I see you in the street, I am always going to question your motives for wanting to own a dangerous and unpredictable animal, and I am certainly going to go out of my way to avoid you for fear of being attacked without provocation. Again.

[team tisri]

I'm happy to be educated, but I can not think of a single reason for choosing a dog with a reputation for attacking children, over one with a reputation for being woolly, having long ears, or a strong desire to round up sheep.

 

I'm not a dog owner either and (with few exceptions) don't really like dogs, although I struggle to understand your logic here. If we were to round up every Rottweiler in the country and destroy it, and likewise anything of a similar size, where do we draw the line? At some point we start asking why anyone would want to own a dog like a Labrador when they could choose something smaller and more cuddly.

 

As a cyclist I find small dogs more troublesome than big dogs because they are the ones I encounter off their leads and running around across cycle paths completely unpredictably. Usually while the owner isn't paying the blindest bit of attention, or insisting they have a right to run there while ignoring the right of a cyclist to cycle on a designated cycle path.

 

For all I dislike dogs and don't understand why people choose to keep them as pets, I do accept people have a right to keep them as long as they are under control. The issue here is the lack of control rather than the size of dog.

[+Bear and Ragged]

It would not have bit me if it was a chihuahua...

Small dogs often feel they have to prove something...

And are more likely to bite/nip you.

[+FantasyRaider]

 

Do you really find it that odd? I don't mean to offend you, but as a non-dog owner I really don't understand the thought process behind buying a Rottweiller / bull terrier etc. I'm not sure if a Dobermann fits into the same category or not, I'm a very long way from being a dog expert.

 

I'm happy to be educated, but I can not think of a single reason for choosing a dog with a reputation for attacking children, over one with a reputation for being woolly, having long ears, or a strong desire to round up sheep. Why did you choose a Dobermann?

 

If I see someone with a Rottweiller, I will automatically assume that they have bought it in order to appear hard. The same as if I saw someone with a skinhead and lots of tattoos. I could be wrong, I don't know them or you personally, however I will make that assumption.

 

This dog, by all accounts, had very nice owners. However it bit me. It would not have bit me if it was a chihuahua

 

I'm sure you are a nice person, with a nice dog, however if I see you in the street, I am always going to question your motives for wanting to own a dangerous and unpredictable animal, and I am certainly going to go out of my way to avoid you for fear of being attacked without provocation. Again.

 

I find it very odd that you felt the need to ask Team Noodles: 'Do they really find it odd?

He chose that breed because he likes them ... (I would imagine)

 

I find your whole post very odd.

If you see someone with a Rottweiler you assume they have brought it in order for them to appear hard, Just as you would seeing someone with lots of tattoos?

What planet do you come from?

 

That you could seriously make an assumption like that AND admit to it, seriously gives me the assumption you are a very small minded person.

I don't mean to offend but that is the assumption I now have of you.

Pathetic it isn't it, to assume something about someone you don’t know at all?

 

I’m not a huge dog lover, but I like them.... all breeds really but.... I love the Shar Pei the most.

Why? .... Because it is classed as a fighting dog and looks good with my tattoos?

[+mtn-man]

Hey everyone. Let's get off the generalizations and get back to the topic in the original post. It will be some time before the original poster will have any more news. They can bump the topic at that time. None of the side story about dogs in general relates to geocaching and has been discussed in topics here before. Rather than close this, let's just let it fall off the page until more news from the OP comes forward.

[+lifechooser]

I'm not saying I'm right in my stereotyping, but at least I'm owning up to it. Everyone stereotypes other people, whether you admit it or not. For example;

 

My last car was a red sports car, which I had turbocharged to double the power. It had a full roll cage and was very fast. I'm well aware that most other road users treated me with suspicion, and probably gave me more room on the road assuming that I was a boy racer with a death wish and no care for other road users. In fact, I've never had an accident, I have only one speeding ticket in those 16 years - and it wasn't in that car. I owned that car as I did trackdays, and competed in a couple of sprint championships. It also taught me a lot about car maintainence.

 

I didn't go around trying to tell people who had been menaced by boy racers that they were wrong about me. I just accepted that not everyone would share my passion, and knew that the people who really knew me would learn who I was.

 

The same goes for rottweiler owners. There are many people who will share your love for dogs, and will understand and love your dog.

 

On the other hand there are plenty of people like me who do not understand dogs, and have no wish to interact with them. Our experience of being growled at, scared, and bitten reinforced by countless news articles about children being attacked by rottweilers who "had never done that before".

 

So I'm being honest. I do not understand why anyone would choose to own a potentially dangerous animal, just as you probably don't understand why anyone would own a fast red sports car. I don't fully understand the dog owning decision - what I read is reinforced by the attack I suffered. I can't hear anyone explaining the good points of a rottweiler over other breads. No-one is correcting my viewpoint - yet.

 

I'm not saying that you are wrong or a bad person, far from it. I'm just explaining how I and other people will perceive you is they see you from a distance in the street, before they meet and get to know you. Read around this forum, there is a lot of suspicion about dogs on here, mostly due to peoples bad experiences. "He's never done that before" is almost becoming a catchphrase. Without anyone to properly explain the counter argument, this is how I, and many others are going to feel.

[+natterjacktoad]

I'm not saying I'm right in my stereotyping, but at least I'm owning up to it. Everyone stereotypes other people, whether you admit it or not. For example;

 

My last car was a red sports car, which I had turbocharged to double the power. It had a full roll cage and was very fast. I'm well aware that most other road users treated me with suspicion, and probably gave me more room on the road assuming that I was a boy racer with a death wish and no care for other road users. In fact, I've never had an accident, I have only one speeding ticket in those 16 years - and it wasn't in that car. I owned that car as I did trackdays, and competed in a couple of sprint championships. It also taught me a lot about car maintainence.

 

I didn't go around trying to tell people who had been menaced by boy racers that they were wrong about me. I just accepted that not everyone would share my passion, and knew that the people who really knew me would learn who I was.

 

The same goes for rottweiler owners. There are many people who will share your love for dogs, and will understand and love your dog.

 

On the other hand there are plenty of people like me who do not understand dogs, and have no wish to interact with them. Our experience of being growled at, scared, and bitten reinforced by countless news articles about children being attacked by rottweilers who "had never done that before".

 

So I'm being honest. I do not understand why anyone would choose to own a potentially dangerous animal, just as you probably don't understand why anyone would own a fast red sports car. I don't fully understand the dog owning decision - what I read is reinforced by the attack I suffered. I can't hear anyone explaining the good points of a rottweiler over other breads. No-one is correcting my viewpoint - yet.

 

I'm not saying that you are wrong or a bad person, far from it. I'm just explaining how I and other people will perceive you is they see you from a distance in the street, before they meet and get to know you. Read around this forum, there is a lot of suspicion about dogs on here, mostly due to peoples bad experiences. "He's never done that before" is almost becoming a catchphrase. Without anyone to properly explain the counter argument, this is how I, and many others are going to feel.

 

Very well-written and spot on.

[+spannerman]

We had a similar experience at the weekend while out doing a series of caches. Log.

 

The farmer was very apologetic and even came out into the road to check on Roxy bringing his border terrier on a lead because "it has never done that before" and I don't think he actually believed me. As it approached Roxy it tried to bite her again so the farmer was able to see for himself.

 

I did get the impression from his surprise that this was not normal behaviour for his little terrier so we accepted his apology and went on our way. I mentioned it in our log because if anyone else does have a problem then it may be worth taking further.

 

While all this was going on, Roxy was her usual laid back self and an ambassador for her breed.