Jump to content

Bitten by a dog


Recommended Posts

I had a great day, 45 finds. But ...

 

As I was doing this cache, I could see a cyclist, with dogs, coming toward me. I rehid the cache, then sat on my bike to set up the GPS for the next cache.

 

The lady cyclist stopped and asked me if I was ok, she thought maybe I had a puncture? I assured her that everything was fine, and isn't there a great view here? She pointed out the fields of poppies, I agreed that they looked lovely, and we went our separate ways.

 

But as I started off on my bike, her alsation bit me. Hard. On the calf and shin. There was no warning, no bark, no growl, and I can't see any reasom why it would have done it. I made a very loud noise, a bellow of pain, and then shouted "Your dog just bit me!"

 

She didn't believe me. Her dog doesn't bite. Yes he does, he just bit me. He doesn't bite. Yes he does. "Show me," she challenged. So I rolled up my trouser leg, showed her the blood and the teeth marks.

 

Her next defence was "He was trying to bite the bicycle, and missed". I told her that this was ridiculous; he aimed for my leg and got it.

 

Then she started to apologise, which didn't actually make my leg feel any better. I told her she needed to control that dog, there's other people walking here, and now it's a known biter. I didn't see her telling the dog that it had done anything wrong; I think the dog has got away with this. So far. Will she muzzle the dog in future in public places? I suspect not. That dog is a menace.

 

After a couple more caches, I spotted her car; there was only one car there, it had a bike rack, and evidence of pet ownership. So tomorrow, I'll be calling the police to report the dog bite. If a dog is allowed one bite, then someone has to know that this dog has had its allocation.

 

I stopped and wiped the wound with a KFC hand-wipe, and when I got back to the car, I swabbed it with hand cleaner (which is almost pure alcohol), which stung badly, but is a strong disinfectant. And put a gauze over it. And then, later on, I visited the Mount Vernon hospital, where they gave it a thorough washing, and lots of iodine, which stung even more. And a course of antibiotics, because dogs mouths aren't exactly clean.

 

Lesson to learn? A dog can bite you, out of the blue, for no apparent reason. I hadn't known that. I thought you got growls, and bared teeth, and barking before an actual attack. But I was ambushed from behind, while I wasn't paying any attention to the dog or its owner, while I was about to push off on the bike. And when she said it had never done that before - I believe her; she seemed completely bewildered by her dog's biting me. Which tells me that, even a dog that has been well behaved for a long time, can suddenly decide to bite a stranger for no reason.

Link to comment

That's the thing about animals - ALL animals... they have thoughts going on in their heads that we really know nothing about. Having grown up with and around dogs, and having been bit by a few, I will say that one bite does not a biter make. Still, you did the right thing getting medical treatment and you should report the incident - just in case the owner is in denial about the true nature of her dog.

 

When I was a child we had a dog that was a wolf/husky cross. This dog used to let my sister drag it around by the neck with a string leash, lay on top of it and ride it, what have you. Then one day it bit my other sister, completely out of the blue with no provocation. It never bit another soul again in the seventeen years that it lived. It even let my mother pull porcupine quills out of its nose with pliers. Strangest thing.

Link to comment

I agree. Call the police, and hammer the owner. I am a serious dog lover, and I understand that sometimes things do happen. However, it is plainly obvious that the owner of that dog does not need to own a dog. My wife and I rescued (with no previous knowledge of the dog at all....) an American Bulldog. (Not sure if you're familiar with them in the UK. I'd never heard of them until I got mine. I've read they were created by crossing English Bulldogs and Boxers.) She is (now) about 70 pounds. As I said, I'm a dog person. Even a year and a half later, I am constantly vigilant at any time my dog might be in a situation that could cause aggression. And, as soon as the first sign appears, I handle it. (And, no, I don't ever put a hand on my dog in violence. I don't need to, because she is never allowed to escalate to that point.) I don't make excuses for my dog, because there is never a reason. If you are not willing to be alert, watchful and (as Caesar Milan would say) calm-assertive, you have no business having a dog. I, as the -human-, am responsible for the behavior of my dog. Being at the top of the food chain has it's perks, but it has it's responsibilities too. Sorry if this seems overly passionate, but that woman is exactly the type of owner that gives dogs a bad name. And, I'd almost bet my next paycheck that that isn't the first time the dog has shown aggression. I don't tolerate aggression in my dog to the point that she won't even defend herself from an aggressive dog if I am there. (On a walk she was attacked by a Boston Terrier. That almost sounds funny, except that the Boston was grabbing at her throat.) Molly stood there, allowing the dog to bite her, and allowing me to pull it off. When I handed the dog to his owner, I got the same thing, "Oh, he's never been aggressive before. It must have been something your dog did." (Molly was on a leash, and walking at my side at the time.....) My reply was, "No, ma'am, my dog is under control. If you don't get your dog under control, I'll let her handle it next time." She looked at Molly (sitting calmly, looking around), and turned off in a huff, knowing that her dog would be a snack for mine if it came down to it. Stories like this burn me up. Ok, I'll stop my rant now. I sincerely do hope that your bite heals well, and that the irresponsible owner of that dog is addressed. The shame of it is, in a lot of these stories, the dog ends up paying the price for the owner not doing their job. And, it really is a shame.

 

Thanks for reading my rant. Again, get well soon!

 

Later!

Link to comment

Agree - report the incident to the Police. Plus, if it was on land where you know the owner eg council or charity that owns a park, then tell them, too, especially if there are any bylaws relating to cycling and / or dogs, leads etc.

I spend a large proportion of my time as a park ranger enforcing dogs on leads only rules and no cycling in certain areas rules and pointing out bike racks.

Link to comment

i got bitten a few months ago, luckily it didnt draw any blood and same thing no growling or defensive behaviour from the sheep dog. farmer carried on driving by. the people i was with said i should have said something and one of them would have challenged the farmer, but i felt as no blood had been drawn to leave it,kinda wished i had taken it further, but at the time i was more concerned on our parties dog than actually being bitten. hope it heals up ok.

Link to comment

Yikes, that's a terrible story. I really hope it heals up soon.

 

I have a little yorkshire terrier and he is quite unpredictable. Some days he will be a real darling and ignore everybody whilst were out walking, other days he will have a go (only barking, no biting) at anybody who passes. It's very rare that I actually let him off of the lead to explore and the majority of the time he's by my side. If he even barks a little bit at someone I will ALWAYS apologise.

 

I've had a few dogs have a good go at me, but it's always been when I'm out running, for some reason me moving quickly makes me a threat, or something to chase. One day I was running on the fields near where I work in my lunch break and an Airedale terrier clocked me from about 100 meters away and ran straight at me. When it got to me it started jumping up all over me. I tried running away (towards where the owner was), but the dog chased me, still jumping up. I stopped near the owner who was slowly (!) making his way to me and waited for the owner to control the dog, but he couldn't get hold of it. The dog then jumped up, and clamped his its around my arm. Thankfully it let go without drawing blood and I just got a few scratches and a load of slobber. The dog didn't bark once at any time. The only way the owner could control it was by actually throwing the dog lead (The big plastic bit at the end) at the dog with such force that it hit the dog's belly, the dog rolled over, and cowered in a bush at which point I made my get away. I was really shocked, and really, really scared. Did the man apologise? No, not once. I even ran past him on my way back and he stood at the side of the path with the dog on the lead. Did he apologise? No! He got a good evil look off of me though! Grr!

 

I attempted to report the man with the dog to the security guards where I work (The public footpath leads to my work premise and we own some of the land around the area) and despite them saying they would have some "Dogs should be kept on leads" signs put up, nothing ever came of it. I think you did the right thing by reporting the lady. In hindsight I wish I'd pulled out my phone and snapped a photo of the man or something as I also doubt he'd keep it on a lead in future.

 

Now when I'm running I take it that any dog can bite me, no matter how cute, fluffy, or well behaved it looks and I am very cautious when passing one. It shouldn't be like that though. :tired:

Link to comment

It was painful all night, but I got a decent sleep; it's still hurting now (I think that's partly the iodine, because the nurse left iodine-impregnated pads in place). Ouch! Today I called the police and told them about the incident. They're taking it seriously, and I'm to go to the police station to make a full statement tomorrow morning. I hope I don't have to take the plasters off so they can take pictures, but if it's necessary then I will.

 

Its not that I feel the owner needs to be hammered. I don't think she was acting irresponibly; on the bridlepath we were on, it was quite reasonable that dogs be off the leash. There were no sheep or cows in the fields. And she was so shocked and disbelieving at first that her dog bit me; I don't think it was an act. But I do think that she needs to understand that this particular dog, when taken out in public, must wear a muzzle.

 

Now I have to go get a tetanus shot :-(((

Link to comment

I think now the police are involved that the dog wont get a chance to be muzzled. As you say its very strange, unprovoked and unpredictable behaviour.

 

Ouch to the bite and the tetanus shot, they really make my arm ache

Edited by reddeeps
Link to comment

I think now the police are involved that the dog wont get a chance to be muzzled. As you say its very strange, unprovoked and unpredictable behaviour.

 

Ouch to the bite and the tetanus shot, they really make my arm ache

 

The tetanus shot was no big deal, just a small prick, as the nurse said, and since I didn't need to take my trousers off ...

 

I suspect all geocachers should have their tetanus protection up-to-date.

Link to comment

so you got bitten by a strange dog and you didn't get rabies shots? :o

 

That's right, because this is England. Remember, I visited the hospital, and they didn't think rabies was an issue, either.

 

Sometimes we British forget how incredibly safe our country is.

Link to comment

so you got bitten by a strange dog and you didn't get rabies shots? :o

 

That's right, because this is England. Remember, I visited the hospital, and they didn't think rabies was an issue, either.

 

Sometimes we British forget how incredibly safe our country is.

 

you're right, i didn't notice the thread is in UK section :D

Link to comment

OMG THIS SCARES ME! i cache with my 3 n half year old and some of our caches are around public nature reserves.....Ive loved dogs all my life and i thought the rule was that if you knew your dog was proned to biting (even objects) then it wasnt allowed to be off the lead.....and had to be muzzled!

 

Soo glad you phoned the police, i hope that dog gets put down....we dont need dogs off the leads that are like that! Im very pleased that this story didnt involve your children......could have been much worse....Hope u get better soon and it doesnt put you off geocaching for life......I think it maybe would do to me :S

Link to comment

I've made my statement to the police, it's now in the hands of Wantage police. As I told the police, I'm not trying to get the dog put down, I just want him to be muzzled while in a public place.

 

I hope that my attitude to dogs isn't changed by this experience. I pretty much ignore dogs, unless they start acting aggressively towards me, such as barking or jumping up at me.

Link to comment

I've made my statement to the police, it's now in the hands of Wantage police. As I told the police, I'm not trying to get the dog put down, I just want him to be muzzled while in a public place.

 

I hope that my attitude to dogs isn't changed by this experience. I pretty much ignore dogs, unless they start acting aggressively towards me, such as barking or jumping up at me.

 

On the one or two occasions that I've been bothered by dogs, I've found that a sharp rap on the snout with a 4 cell Maglite usually does the trick. If the owner doesn't get it under control after that, I clout the dog.

Link to comment

I've made my statement to the police, it's now in the hands of Wantage police. As I told the police, I'm not trying to get the dog put down, I just want him to be muzzled while in a public place.

 

I hope that my attitude to dogs isn't changed by this experience. I pretty much ignore dogs, unless they start acting aggressively towards me, such as barking or jumping up at me.

 

On the one or two occasions that I've been bothered by dogs, I've found that a sharp rap on the snout with a 4 cell Maglite usually does the trick. If the owner doesn't get it under control after that, I clout the dog.

 

That wouldn't have worked here. The dog didn't bother me. It didn't bark, growl or jump up at me. It waited until my back was turned and I was sitting on the bike about to push off, then it ambushed me from behind.

Link to comment

 

That wouldn't have worked here. The dog didn't bother me. It didn't bark, growl or jump up at me. It waited until my back was turned and I was sitting on the bike about to push off, then it ambushed me from behind.

 

Maybe it was just trying to lick the slugs off your leg :rolleyes:

 

I knew that thing about slugs would come back to bite me one day.

Link to comment

It may seem abit harsh but what would u say if itd of been a family geocacher writing about getting bitten??? what if it was a toddler that was the one that got bit.....sorry but my opinion!

 

The police asked me what outcome I was hoping for; I told him that I thought that whenever this particular dog goes out in a public place, it should be wearing a muzzle.

Link to comment

It may seem abit harsh but what would u say if itd of been a family geocacher writing about getting bitten??? what if it was a toddler that was the one that got bit.....sorry but my opinion!

 

The police asked me what outcome I was hoping for; I told him that I thought that whenever this particular dog goes out in a public place, it should be wearing a muzzle.

A very sensible request... No biggie for the dog... I used to muzzle a really placid Doberman, just in case. After a week or so, when I picked up the muzzle he knew it was walkies and got very exited.

 

This dog was very well trained, poked in the eye by a toddler once with no reaction, but you just never know.

Edited by NattyBooshka
Link to comment

Yeh i can understand ur response to their question! But you have to be thankful that it was an adult and not a child (which could have turned into a death) (no disrespect to u dude...hope the leg heals well soon) :)

 

The leg is doing well, thanks. I think I might even be able to go out caching tomorrow!

Link to comment

Cool cool im glad the legs getting better.....Im sorry about my opinion been abit rough but i used to live next door to a family who had 2 dogs and one grandchild (a little girl) The little girl had freedom of the house and the dogs were behind a baby gate......dog got out......3 year old girl got ripped to pieces......luckily she didnt die but she had to have major surgery and will have to cope with the scares for the rest of her life

 

These dogs had never bitten anyone, very friendly and didnt need leads when they went out.....yet suddenly they just changed and boom...Not good at all.

Link to comment

Dogs always suffer because of bad owners, it is always a shame when a dog gets destroyed for a single bite on an person. Multiple bites or a vicious attack on a child or an adult is a different matter but this was a single bite and not a vicious attack

 

I don't think she was a bad owner. She was certain that this dog had never done anything like this before, and there was no reason for the dog to be on a lead, on the path we were on.

 

I was attacked from behind. He got one bite; if he'd wanted more, he wouldn't have got any more, because I'd have done whatever it took to deal with an attacking animal. I'm bigger than him, and I'm wearing boots, and I would not have held back.

 

I thought it was a vicious and unprovoked attack. He wasn't defending his territory, or his owner.

Edited by drsolly
Link to comment

 

I thought it was a vicious and unprovoked attack. He wasn't defending his territory, or his owner.

 

Vicious attack - shes lucky that your one of the ppl in this country that will give the pooch a second chance, other ppl would have taken it alot further with the police!

 

I have gone through what id do if a dog bit me in my head loads of times!!!! Hope it never happens though, i wouldnt enjoy beating it to death in the middle of the path!!!!

Link to comment

Sorry to read of your dog bite, hope it's on the mend

 

Mr BaCas was bitten last Saturday at GSG #20 - he had gone to retrieve the cache, stepped out into the open to sign the log when the dog (large black flatcoat lab) appeared from nowhere, bit his arm and legged it. There was no sign of an owner

His skin was bruised but fortunately the skin wasn't broken

Link to comment

Ooooo very unusual for a lab to bite...."supposed" to be the best tempered dog ever!!!! U sure it wasnt one of them "big black cats" :ph34r:

 

Hope the TWO bites are on the mend u guys :)

Not unusual at all... One of the most common bites... Also one of the most common dogs I guess. Rottweiler/Pit Bull bites are rarer... But usually a little more severe.

 

Got reference wrong... So editing... Will dig it out... Was part of my learning of the dangerous dogs act and the bs surrounding it.

Edited by NattyBooshka
Link to comment

I was out today for the first time since the dog bite. The leg was fine, and I met several dogs along the way.

 

Two effects are with me currently -

 

1) When I see a dog, I don't let it out of my sight until it's too far away to ambush me from behind (like the biter did).

2) When a small yappy dog acted aggresively to me, I just stopped and waited until the owner did something about it. The owner's reaction was, of course, "Don't worry, he never bites". So I got off my bike and told her about the last dog I met that "Never bites".

Link to comment

Hmmm.

 

Someone just emailed me. He had almost exactly the same experience as I did; he'd spoken a bit with the owner, and as he turned to leave, one of the dogs ambushed him from behind with no warning. From his description, we was bitten somewhat worse than I was. His attacker was a Collie. My guess is that any breed might do this, and the fact that the dog has never done it before, doesn't help you.

 

So maybe there is a useful lesson to be learned here. If you meet strange dogs, don't let them ambush you from behind; keep your eye on them until they're at a good distance. I know that's what I'm going to be doing in future. We tend to think of dogs as being just friendly pets, as in "he wouldn't hurt a fly"; I'm sure they are, nearly all the time, but I've now learned that a dog that has never bitten a person, can suddenly decide to bite.

 

If you look at it from the dogs point of view, then if you're going to bite a human, then you *don't* want to warn them first, and you *do* want to attack them from behind, that way you get a good bite in without getting kicked.

 

I would also urge anyone who is bitten by a dog, to take the owner's name and address, and report the incident to the police - they *do* seem to be taking action in my case. Photograph the wound before you dress it, they need that as evidence (I had to take my plaster off to photograph it). And if the dog draws blood, go to a hospital (I went to the Minor Injuries Unit at Mount Vernon), because dogs don't have clean mouths, and the hospital will give you antibiotics as a precaution (and anti-tetanus, if you're not currently covered). It seems that my putting hand-cleaner on it as a first-aid measure was a good idea, but the nurse at Mount Vernon gave it a proper cleaning, plus iodine (which stings somewhat).

Link to comment

I was out today for the first time since the dog bite. The leg was fine, and I met several dogs along the way.

 

Two effects are with me currently -

 

1) When I see a dog, I don't let it out of my sight until it's too far away to ambush me from behind (like the biter did).

2) When a small yappy dog acted aggresively to me, I just stopped and waited until the owner did something about it. The owner's reaction was, of course, "Don't worry, he never bites". So I got off my bike and told her about the last dog I met that "Never bites".

 

Depending on how aggressive the dog was acting I'd be more minded to take active steps to counter it.

 

I have been known to thump dogs that jump up at me, and on one occasion in Richmond Park when a dog kept jumping up at me I grabbed it by its collar and physically dragged it back to its owners (who were some 100+ yards away and not paying the blindest bit of attention to what their dog was doing).

 

I hope I never have to inflict a serious injury on a dog but if the owners aren't going to keep it under control I'll hurt a dog before I let it hurt me.

Link to comment

not a nice incident, hope it dont put you off dogs totally.its one reason we have insurance on our dogs they are two "softies" and would never bite but you never know.maybe its time dogs were licensed again and insurance mandatory.

As a former dog owner and lifelong dog lover, I think it's time exactly that happened. Seen some badly trained, over excitable Labradors, that were borderline dangerous... also seen pussy cat rotties. The insurance aspect would probably involve no claims discounts etc, and maybe push the average dog owner into better training/extra precautions when out.

 

Dunno how they'd rate the dogs though... the "pitt bull" group are of below average aggression to strangers (apparently the worst is the dachshund) but when they do attack they do a lot more damage... Husky's and Labs are in the top 5 biters... but serious injury is rare. Nightmare for the underwriters... but yes, it's time to do it.

Link to comment

I would also urge anyone who is bitten by a dog, to take the owner's name and address, and report the incident to the police - they *do* seem to be taking action in my case. Photograph the wound before you dress it, they need that as evidence (I had to take my plaster off to photograph it). And if the dog draws blood, go to a hospital (I went to the Minor Injuries Unit at Mount Vernon), because dogs don't have clean mouths, and the hospital will give you antibiotics as a precaution (and anti-tetanus, if you're not currently covered). It seems that my putting hand-cleaner on it as a first-aid measure was a good idea, but the nurse at Mount Vernon gave it a proper cleaning, plus iodine (which stings somewhat).

 

I was bitten by a pretty large Rottweiler, whilst walking across a park and much like you the dog came from behind and grabbed my arm, letting go and then coming back to bite me another two times. Physically it didn't cause an awful lot of damage (I guess a sweatshirt, fleece and a waterproof helped somewhat)- like you I went to the local hospital. However, despite asking, the owner wouldn't give me his name and/or address but I still reported the incident to the local Police who seemed very interested. I have no idea of what happened after that. I guess with no owner information, there's little that can be done.

 

I now carry a walking pole, so I have something in my hand to prod a dog with.

 

Whilst I'm sure insurance is useful, I'd rather have a scheme that prevented dogs from biting me in the first place, not one that would replace my ripped clothes after the event!

 

Can I make it clear that I'm not "Anti Dog", I have some very good doggie friends, I am however "Anti dogs that attach themselves to me with their sharp pointy teeth"

Edited by Birdman-of-liskatraz
Link to comment

The problem is: As you keep an eye on the dog, the dog takes that as a threat...

 

You watch the dog so it doesn't bite you, it sees you as a threat so bites you.

 

No. I watch the dog, it sees me as a threat, it *tries* to bite me, but I'm watching so I can see it attack, and I use whatever is to hand (or foot) to defend myself. And the dog knows that I'm bigger than he is, and better armed, and maybe he runs that scenario in his head and doesn't attack.

 

I shouldn't be scared of dogs. Dogs should be scared of me, because I'm bigger and I've got boots on my feet.

 

I was out again today. I didn't meet any dogs (or cows, or sheep, or horses). But wow, it was hot!

Link to comment

The problem is: As you keep an eye on the dog, the dog takes that as a threat...

 

You watch the dog so it doesn't bite you, it sees you as a threat so bites you.

 

No. I watch the dog, it sees me as a threat, it *tries* to bite me, but I'm watching so I can see it attack, and I use whatever is to hand (or foot) to defend myself. And the dog knows that I'm bigger than he is, and better armed, and maybe he runs that scenario in his head and doesn't attack.

 

I shouldn't be scared of dogs. Dogs should be scared of me, because I'm bigger and I've got boots on my feet.

 

I was out again today. I didn't meet any dogs (or cows, or sheep, or horses). But wow, it was hot!

 

Im sorry to hear all the stories here about people being biten by dogs, but can i just ask everyone to remember all the times a dog hasnt biten them? if you can remember all those times by the way ;) Any respectable dog owner should be able to control their dogs on a command if they are off the lead or they should have them on the lead around people. our two dogs run off the lead a lot, but they return to us with just a single whistle or 'come' command. We have to do this sometimes as they sometimes bark when around other dogs (mainly as they want to play) but as this is not always obvious we prefer to show other people sharing the countryside with us and our dogs that they are not a threat and they are well controlled if needed. In DrSolly's case, i would like to think the police will not be too harsh on this dog and perhaps order the owners and the dog to attend obedience training sessions to help both owner and dog.

 

My family run a dog training business and a few tips for those out there who maybe interested;

 

be aware of dogs around you but i wouldnt stare at them or act agressivley towards them as this can intice some types of dog. even more important is to be aware of their owners and their reactions and actions as they/you approach. it is their responsibility to keep their dog under control at all times (on the lead and off) and seeing how they react will often give you good insight into the nature of the dog more than the dog itself.

 

If a dog approaches you barking or perhaps 'threatening' then the best option is to actually stand still and tall with your arms by your side (dont raise them above your head as this is seen as threatening behavoir) now i know this is sometimes not as instictive as other actions. at this point ask the owner to control their dog (if not already doing so)

 

What you think might be an act of agression from a dog could also be a dog wanting to play. if they run after you running away it might be that they think its a game. i would always err on the side of caution, but also dont tar all dogs with the same brush

 

before stroking any unfamiliar dog, its always best to ask the owner if its ok first. for example, my friends dog has recently had to have some stiches on its ear which are not easy to see. If stroked by the unaware the dog might react quickly if it hurts (as i am sure any human would too!) this has nothing to do with the dog's normal nature.

Link to comment

 

Im sorry to hear all the stories here about people being biten by dogs, but can i just ask everyone to remember all the times a dog hasnt biten them? if you can remember all those times by the way ;) Any respectable dog owner should be able to control their dogs on a command if they are off the lead or they should have them on the lead around people. our two dogs run off the lead a lot, but they return to us with just a single whistle or 'come' command. We have to do this sometimes as they sometimes bark when around other dogs (mainly as they want to play) but as this is not always obvious we prefer to show other people sharing the countryside with us and our dogs that they are not a threat and they are well controlled if needed. In DrSolly's case, i would like to think the police will not be too harsh on this dog and perhaps order the owners and the dog to attend obedience training sessions to help both owner and dog.

 

My family run a dog training business and a few tips for those out there who maybe interested;

 

be aware of dogs around you but i wouldnt stare at them or act agressivley towards them as this can intice some types of dog. even more important is to be aware of their owners and their reactions and actions as they/you approach. it is their responsibility to keep their dog under control at all times (on the lead and off) and seeing how they react will often give you good insight into the nature of the dog more than the dog itself.

 

If a dog approaches you barking or perhaps 'threatening' then the best option is to actually stand still and tall with your arms by your side (dont raise them above your head as this is seen as threatening behavoir) now i know this is sometimes not as instictive as other actions. at this point ask the owner to control their dog (if not already doing so)

 

What you think might be an act of agression from a dog could also be a dog wanting to play. if they run after you running away it might be that they think its a game. i would always err on the side of caution, but also dont tar all dogs with the same brush

 

before stroking any unfamiliar dog, its always best to ask the owner if its ok first. for example, my friends dog has recently had to have some stiches on its ear which are not easy to see. If stroked by the unaware the dog might react quickly if it hurts (as i am sure any human would too!) this has nothing to do with the dog's normal nature.

 

Please re-read my account of what happened - you've missed a number of important points.

 

1. I've been not bitten thousands of times. That never struck me as important. I've been bitten once. That is important, and leaves me wanting to ensure that it doesn't happen again, also to ensure that this particular dog doesn't repeat.

 

2. Obedience training would not have helped in this case. The dog ambushed me from behind and bit my leg. The owner could not have stopped this from happening. That dog had never bitten anyone before, the owner didn't see it happen, and she didn't believe that I had been bitten until I showed her my bloody leg. And even then she came up with "He was trying to bite the bicycle and missed".

 

3. That particular dog should be muzzled when out in any public place, even when on a leash.

 

4. If you think about it, it is only dogs that have never bitten a person before, that will bite a person. because if they have bitten before, they will either be *very* closely leashed, or muzzled, or put down.

 

5. The fact that a dog has never bitten before, doesn't mean that he won't bite in future.

 

6. I couldn't see any motivation for this dog to bite me. Which means that dogs have motivations that we don't know about.

 

7. All dogs are dogs. And so all dogs will behave like dogs. And so any dog that hasn't bitten before, might bite one day, following the motivation that we don't know about.

 

8. Almost all dog owners think that their dog is harmless (those that think their dog is dangerous, aren't going to let it off its lead, or will muzzle it). Some of these owners are mistaken.

 

9. We only find out their mistake, when their dog ambushed me from behind and bites my leg. The owner doesn't suffer, except to be slightly embarrassed. The dog doesn't suffer (this dog wasn't even told he'd done wrong). I get to go to hospital.

 

Progress report - the dressing came off my leg today, and it's healing nicely.

Link to comment

You are going through the wars at the moment. Last week you were reporting an unusual 'itch'

For the record [and linking the two topics]When I was at University, a friend of mine was mixing with a good many 'dogs' and also ended up with an 'itch'

The local clinic put him right though !

p.s Every sympathies with your situation. I have a dog [springer spaniel] who has bitten in the past but only when his territory or possesions were at iminent risk [a bone]

Maybe there was a touch of jealousy as you had been 'stealing the attention of it's owner when you were talking.

I agree that the dog does need to be muzzled and you have taken the correct action.

I feel sorry for the owner too as it would have been very distresing for her. She may well have to take her dog to an anger/ behavioural expert as I had to do with my dog.

Link to comment

You are going through the wars at the moment. Last week you were reporting an unusual 'itch'

For the record [and linking the two topics]When I was at University, a friend of mine was mixing with a good many 'dogs' and also ended up with an 'itch'

The local clinic put him right though !

p.s Every sympathies with your situation. I have a dog [springer spaniel] who has bitten in the past but only when his territory or possesions were at iminent risk [a bone]

Maybe there was a touch of jealousy as you had been 'stealing the attention of it's owner when you were talking.

I agree that the dog does need to be muzzled and you have taken the correct action.

I feel sorry for the owner too as it would have been very distresing for her. She may well have to take her dog to an anger/ behavioural expert as I had to do with my dog.

Link to comment

You are going through the wars at the moment. Last week you were reporting an unusual 'itch'

For the record [and linking the two topics]When I was at University, a friend of mine was mixing with a good many 'dogs' and also ended up with an 'itch'

The local clinic put him right though !

p.s Every sympathies with your situation. I have a dog [springer spaniel] who has bitten in the past but only when his territory or possesions were at iminent risk [a bone]

Maybe there was a touch of jealousy as you had been 'stealing the attention of it's owner when you were talking.

I agree that the dog does need to be muzzled and you have taken the correct action.

I feel sorry for the owner too as it would have been very distresing for her. She may well have to take her dog to an anger/ behavioural expert as I had to do with my dog.

 

Yes, I was wondering if maybe the attack was to show me that I shouldn't have been stealing the attention of the owner. Or maybe something else - I don't think we can fully understand the motivations of a dog, and that's the big lesson I've taken from this incident. And I shall be a lot more wary of any dog larger than a house cat, and not let it get behind me out of my sight.

 

I am, however, now quite annoyed by dog owners whose dogs bark and rush at me when they say (as they *always* do) "don't worry, he's harmless", because I now know that they cannot know that. What they mean is that he hasn't bitten anyone *so far*.

Link to comment

Im sorry to hear all the stories here about people being biten by dogs, but can i just ask everyone to remember all the times a dog hasnt biten them? if you can remember all those times by the way ;) Any respectable dog owner should be able to control their dogs on a command if they are off the lead or they should have them on the lead around people. our two dogs run off the lead a lot, but they return to us with just a single whistle or 'come' command. We have to do this sometimes as they sometimes bark when around other dogs (mainly as they want to play) but as this is not always obvious we prefer to show other people sharing the countryside with us and our dogs that they are not a threat and they are well controlled if needed. In DrSolly's case, i would like to think the police will not be too harsh on this dog and perhaps order the owners and the dog to attend obedience training sessions to help both owner and dog.

 

My family run a dog training business and a few tips for those out there who maybe interested;

 

be aware of dogs around you but i wouldnt stare at them or act agressivley towards them as this can intice some types of dog. even more important is to be aware of their owners and their reactions and actions as they/you approach. it is their responsibility to keep their dog under control at all times (on the lead and off) and seeing how they react will often give you good insight into the nature of the dog more than the dog itself.

 

If a dog approaches you barking or perhaps 'threatening' then the best option is to actually stand still and tall with your arms by your side (dont raise them above your head as this is seen as threatening behavoir) now i know this is sometimes not as instictive as other actions. at this point ask the owner to control their dog (if not already doing so)

 

What you think might be an act of agression from a dog could also be a dog wanting to play. if they run after you running away it might be that they think its a game. i would always err on the side of caution, but also dont tar all dogs with the same brush

 

before stroking any unfamiliar dog, its always best to ask the owner if its ok first. for example, my friends dog has recently had to have some stiches on its ear which are not easy to see. If stroked by the unaware the dog might react quickly if it hurts (as i am sure any human would too!) this has nothing to do with the dog's normal nature.

 

Which is all well and good but frankly I'm not interested in playing the amateur doggy psychologist.

 

Just as you're right in saying I shouldn't assume it's OK to play with someone's dog, what makes anyone think it's OK for them to assume their dog can play with me? I'm not interested in figuring out whether a dog's behaviour is aggression or playfulness, IIRC the Dangerous Dogs Act refers to a credible fear of injury rather than guesswork as to what the dog might have intended.

 

Despite the fact that in general I'm not a dog lover I don't have an issue with dogs off leads when they are well trained. Unfortunately it's the owners who don't train their animals who seem to be the first to insist that "he won't hurt you" or "he's just playing", when they'd actually be the last people I'd trust to actually know what their animals will actually do.

Link to comment
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...