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Having worked in a job that required frequent visits to people's houses and therefore regular contact with pet dogs/ working dogs etc I can only say the, "it doesn't bite etc" statement is very hollow.
I've been nipped and bitten by dogs that have nipped / bitten other lads I worked with...only found this out afterwards and all the owners said to me it never done that before!!.
Firstly though a visit to the docs / casualty for a proper medical clean up and possibly some medicine to reduce the chance of infection.
Secondly take your injury/pictures and complaint to the police and get the owner cautioned at a bare minimum.
At the end of the day you are doing the owner a favour if it bites you and it costs him nothing thats okay. Next time it could be a kid and some real serious damage and a huge lawsuit and a lot of publicity.
Just as a point of note I am a dog owner and general dog lover but as one of the earlier posts states if my dog bit without provocation then he would be gone straight away no questions.
FWIW I experienced two large and boisterous Great Dane puppies jumping up at me on a bridleway alongside a property when on a solo ride. Owner ignored their barking, I was told that "it's my land they can go where they like". I subsequently reported him to the Rights of Way people and he received a letter telling him to keep his dogs under control.
I'm used to dogs, I used to work in boarding kennels handling all different sorts and breeds and you mustn't show any fear.
I do agree that working dogs can be terrifying, normally they are tethered.
Tinribz; a dog or few would help keep foxes away (a fox would be able to smell farmyard dogs, and vice versa, and the foxes would keep their distance) without the need for costly fencing (foxes can burrow under fences anyway), and dogs could alert the farmers to any intruders. I'm not suggesting they keep hungry Rottweilers to rip people to bits!
If you think some dog poop is going to keep your chuks safe your in for a big surprise! I'd give them about 2 nights lol. Yes fencing is not cheap but if you've got birds you ain't got much choice. I've built a fair few pheasant pens you just make sure it extends along the ground about 3 feet so it takes longer than a night to burrow, and put a leccy fence round to stop them climbing. Standard practice. Then again chickens are in sheds at night anyway.
Though for neither of those functions do you need an aggressive dog, and as I said before, for other functions aggression is counter productive. I've yet to see a proper rational reason why a farmer (or indeed anybody apart from maybe the police) needs aggressive dogs.
Tell that to people living in the middle of nowhere when they find 3 pikies sniffing round their yard, or you meet them out alone in the fields carrying a bloodied deer, or lamping at 3 in the morning. They'd be long gone before the police dogs turn up 6 hours later, and back regularly to fill their boots if you can’t put up a convincing show of force.
A: Get to a hospital and get that checked out. You've no idea what bacteria might have been harboured in that dogs mouth.
B: Report it to the police. He might have told you that you're the first, but maybe he has said that to others before you. And if you subsequently heard that someone else was attacked - perhaps with worse consequences - how would that make you feel? Once you've reported it, it's out of your hands, so just let the law deal with it.
While out jogging in a public park I got bit on my waist by a young dobeman, the owner was obviously shallow in her concern. Then whilst I ranted at her, she proceeded to tell me about the previous jogger who Rover bit. "but he didn't make anywhere near the fuss you are!". You can imagine my response. I walked back to the car clutching my bleeding side and then bumped into them again, she droped down to her knees and covered the poor vunerable dogs eyes in a sort of "oh, don't look at that nasty shouty man again you poor darling". 🙄
The dog was doing his job - defending his territory / his owner's territory. That is what dogs do. It's an entirely different kettle of fish from Mr Nutt's tale. It's terribly unfortunate that a public bridleway runs through a farmyard - there's a lot of it about here in Durham too.
I've been bitten by a border collie on Lewis (Isle of). I bled a lot, kicked the bloody dog and ran away quite fast. As long as humans have an association with dogs, we must understand that this is what dogs do - we trained them to do it.
Best bet is as has been said to stand up to Dogs if they look as though they are going to get a bit 'argumentative' I had a Rottie come up to me and my Labs the other day it was off the lead roaming free with no owner to be seen, 2 shouts of NO backed it off and it ran down the street, I didnt really fancy a fight with a Rottie but the boot would have gone in next.
If you are challenged by a dog whilst on your bike, get off the bike and use it as a shield, or just hit it with it! lol
Jamie - you seem to be missing the point that whilst dogs might instinctively attack, it's down to the humans who own them to train that out of them, and if they can't do so to keep the dogs under control using physical restraint. To let dogs who attack run free on a bridleway is against the law - however "terribly unfortunate" it might be that the ROW runs through the farm, that's the farmer's problem.
I am a dog lover myself but I have kicked a plenty in my time, it does them no harm. Unless its very vindictive I have no problems with other people disciplining/kicking my dog, they bounce back fine!
you dont want to say that on here mate, there are a few dog owners on here that think their dogs are gods and have the right terrorise people because 'they are only playing'
I always talk to the dogs when I pass through farms. The barking diminishes over time.
I wouldn't try to cycle away from an attacking dog, best to stop and face it down.
The dog was doing his job - defending his territory / his owner's territory. That is what dogs do.
Nonsense.
By that rational, if someone visits my house and my dog bites them it's ok because the was "defending his territory" and "That is what dogs do."
Why should I have to get off my bike or stop if a dog runs at me? Its the owners responsibility not mine. I have the right to go about my lawful business unbothered by someones dog.
Find me an owner who, when their dog takes a chunk out of someone, willingly owns up to it having bitten someone before. It isn't going to happen. They're always going to come out with the usual dog owner excuse bollox about him only playing, or having never done it before.
Report it then it'll at least be on record as having bitten you.
I've just read B.A.Nana's post which contradicts my statement above but I'll still post it anyway.
By that rational, if someone visits my house and my dog bites them it's ok because the was "defending his territory" and "That is what dogs do."
or if *I* bite them since I don't have a dog to do it for me...
* but not swallow obviously as I am a veggie
get off the bike and use it as a shield, or just hit it with it! lol
Are you suggesting owning with bombers?
As above, report it. I got a similar bite from a farm dog as I rode past it on the road. Farmer's wife said he'd never bitten anyone before. I went to see the farmer a few days later. He said it had done it before and promptly took the dog into the field and gave it a final stroke before shooting it. :o( He then told his wife that if she'd have kept the dog tied up like they always did they would not be down a dog.
ive been chased by dogs quite a few times ont bike - most of them were collies come to think about it! all i do (if ive got time) is jump off and whip the seat/seatpost out - raise it threateningly and shout. 99% buggered off at this point but evry so often you get one determined sod that gets a good whack.
if the owners get arsey then they can get bent - should keep nasty dogs on a lead, its simple as that.
i love dogs too - but ive got no probs with protecting myself against them
Report the f****r before someone really gets it.
I to have came off my road bike in the past with Fermers Dugs taking a flyer at me..
Collies are nippy...**** EM.
I made a beeline for the fermer...Told him its gettin reported..Got the usual mouthfull of hes a working dog.. U startled him.( it was waiting on me behind a gate.)
Seemingly it had done it a few times, so its no longer there now..
As for the farmer hes got his new hound chained up.(no not his wife,even if she looks like a howler) RANT FINISHED
Go back at night and burn the farm/farmer/farmers wife and dog to the ground.
Its the only way to be sure.
Go back with a shotgun, shoot the mut whilst shouting 'thar'll teachya for worrying moi' leg'