Muzzle?
Dogs? **** going anywhere near that bare-handed, you must be joking.
Yup. I was at my brothers last weekend and played a fair amount with his cockapoo type. So something which is reasonably small and likes me. It was still a handful at tug of war and given the damage it was doing to the toy I would be mildly concerned that using ninja skills would just end up with the damage to my arm or the leg I tried to boot it with instead.
. So any recommendations on how to help him would be very welcome?
Muzzle straight off, then use one of those leads that pulls the muzzle down when tensioned
Muzzle?
French bulldogs have flat faces, it's need to be a hockey mask I'd say!
At home biting depends on aggressive vs playful excitment, if playful when he starts to bite switch to a toy and give reward/praise for chewing the correct thing. If aggression I'd get a behaviourist in to work with you.
When out walking, if you can teach the 'hand' command (see wood green website), it works as a distraction, once their focus is not on the other dog you can pass-by easily enough. Works for our dog some, not all of the time as yet, training continues (with a behaviourist).
So any recommendations on how to help him would be very welcome?
I don’t know your background and it sounds like you are trying your best with the dogs. It might be worth getting in a professional to assess the dog and see if they think it can be trained out of its current behaviour.
We had in no way the same problem - we had a small fluffy dog that got anxious when we had a baby - but we had just one session with a trainer and she immediately seemed to have the dog’s trust when she came in and suggested things to do and very quickly the dog was back to pre-baby and is very relaxed around kids now.
I can’t remember how I found her now - she was called Gemma Sankey and had a military dogs background I think. Based in Salisbury. Her website seems to be broken / down now though so maybe she’s not working anymore.
We've got a boarder terrier who can be a bit of a knob so he's always on the lead. Certain things set him off like a fire engine siren or a large black dog which is fairly normal I guess, but also oddly anyone carrying a small child in their arms. I don't know if he's trying to 'protect' the kid or something but he becomes a noisy ball of fur and teeth.
He's a large boarder terrier... but that is still a relatively small dog so he's easy to control in that situation, but we have to be alert to it when walking him.
I once got properly bitten whilst separating fighting dwarf hamsters, for goodness’ sake. That $%^&ing hurt enough.
That made me produce snot!
I love these suggestions on how to handle dogs. They often sound vaguely sensible when there isn't a bitey, snarling set of aggressive teeth attempting to get you or a loved one. Years ago, pre-internet, a friend told me that the 'proper' way to deal with a dog was to grab the front legs and extend your arms, breaking the dogs legs and breastbone I guess. Then he said, 'or maybe you're meant to cover the nostrils so that it can't breathe. That may be ferrets...'
Nothing to add for the op, but our dog is a lab, collie cross. So nothing particularly built for aggression or fighting etc. But when he (or any dog bigger than knee high) wants to show off with a ball or toy etc you realise just how strong and powerful he/they are. All the talk of kicking one etc you would have to seriously surprise one to get close enough. Just try catching any dog that doesnt want to be caught. I cant lay a hand on him playing unless he chooses to let me close enough.
That made me produce snot!
For clarity, they were dwarf hamsters who were fighting, I don't think Fighting Hamsters are actually a thing.
Great big pointy teeth, mind you. Little shitbag fanged hold of my finger and wouldn't let go, I'm there screaming with a sodding hamster swinging about as I'm trying to shake it off without having to resort to braining it, my OH of the time was helpfully watching on with an "I told you so" look on her face.
We’ve got a boarder terrier who can be a bit of a knob
Probably pissed off that he's not been on the slopes for ages due to covid.
I sympathise.
Thanks for the advice. We think he was badly beaten before he came to us. I was in the kitchen making pies, I took the rolling pin out the draw and he went mental. Attacking the pin. It's like a switch. The other night he was on the couch next to me. Came over for a cuddles and turned on me. Just missed my face. I think he wasn't going for me. Just warning.
Other times he is really affectionate. We can tell. he gets a look and his ears go back and sort of turn in. Most times we just turn our hands to him, say no, and he seems to snap out of it.
Things like he could not go up stairs. Wouldn't cross a line between rooms. When I touched his back near his bum he would go mad, In the beginning it was almost constant but he's improved almost beyond recognition but there is still that edge.
We have only had them three months so still working on it.
As I suspected, police are barely interested. They'll look into her previous, make the 'dog team' aware and maybe pay her a visit and get back to us if they decide to take any further action, which they think is unlikely due to there being no actual attack.
So despite the fact that nearly everyone who uses the field has had incidents with this character the police are seemingly powerless to act, or more likely just under-resourced.
I'm in 2 minds for the next encounter. When the dog comes running at us, whether that's if we're just with our dogs or if the grandchild is out, do I massively escalate things and give it a good kicking? She's the kind of unstable character with some dodgy family connections that could create issues for us, the type that thrives on trouble when we just want a quiet life.
Council dog warden may have more of a remit here.
Just keep pressuring the police. No actual injuries is irrelevant there was an attack and that dog clearly met the definitions under the dangerous dogs act
Uggski - some of that sounds familiar with ours, also a rescue, but not to the same extent (there's no aggression, just fear/barking). Things like sticks/brollies can wind him up too and he's also not too keen on anyone touching his back end
If you've only had him three months and you're already seeing a change, then well done. It'll take time, but he should get there.
But, and it's big but, he may not, and if that edge never goes then you may need to make a difficult decision. A good friend of mine had to do it with their dog - an absolutely lovely thing that they'd had from a pup. 99.5% of the time it was adorable, but had a switch loose somewhere and the remaining 0.5% was vicious. They were experienced dog owners and did everything they could (training, dog psychologists, the lot), but that 0.5% would not go, so in the end they did what they considered was the only safe thing, and it was put to sleep.
Plastic baby in push chair. Mobile phone or go pro cameras strategically positioned
You can see her walking the dogs off the leads
Be interesting to see wjat happens if you back away and let the dogs carry on with their intentions without interruption. At least then you will know how far they are willing to go. The owner will have a bit of a problem denying it, with the usual oh hes only playing, being friendly, being a dog bull that they always come out with just aftet one of them nips your ankle when the doll is headless on the floor after being pulled apart by the demonic hounds
The woman in the OP sounds like an idiot and the dog needs to be removed. Can never understand why anyone would have a dog and not do their utmost to ensure it’s well trained, behaved and under control. Dogs are always let down by shitty owners
when we just want a quiet life
Hey, I can relate to this. So let's say you shouldn't have to put up with this persons dog-related failings at all, but quiet life desires mean compromise, so...
grandchild
Hey, everyone has their own setup and for all I know you all live together, which would be totally cool. But if you are doing occasional childcare duties, how often does the scenario arise? I'd put up with avoiding a drunk dog owner a lot more if it was once a week, rather than several times a day. Seems like a factor in the response.
When the dog comes running at us, whether that’s if we’re just with our dogs or if the grandchild is out, do I massively escalate things and give it a good kicking
There's a great deal of speculation in this thread, but I've missed the bit where you mentioned what breed or big/small dog it is. German shepherd, maybe a different approach might be sensible. But equivalently, public sympathy is limited for the chap that punts a Dachshund into space. Although they can be proper jerks.
So I'd suggest deciding how difficult it is to avoid the dog in reality (yeah you shouldn't have to) and also if you have a genuinely held fear that you couldn't prevent an attack, even with an adult present. That should decide how cat-in-the-wheelie-bin you go in your future actions.
the police are seemingly powerless to act, or more likely just under-resourced.
I know it really shouldn't be so, but you need to start making a real fuss if no action is ultimately taken. Talk to more senior officers with you concerns, complain to the police and crime. Commissioner, local MP, get on the police's social media feeds and encourage other people who have suffered to do the same. It's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.
Owen P, that's all good advice thanks. Grandchild is here 2 days every week, I wfh for 2 random days each week, so there's usually at least 1 occasion each week where my partner has dogs+child and is terrified she couldn't grab him in time to prevent an attack if it came to that. To be honest though we usually manage to avoid each other and it could be weeks before we bump into the idiot, it could also be every day if the timing is wrong.
The dog is a mutt, going by the markings there's a bit of german shepherd in there and it's about the size of a small Labrador. I'm pretty confident I could take it in a fight without resorting to doggy martial arts techniques.
Came over for a cuddles and turned on me. Just missed my face. I think he wasn’t going for me. Just warning.
To be honest you need to decide whether you are taking him to the vet before or after he bites you. I think you already know that though.
Plastic baby in push chair
... with a couple of sausages inside.
So any recommendations on how to help him would be very welcome?
see wood green website
+1 (and give them a ring/e-mail if you're still struggling, they've got a great team of trainers/behaviourists that'll give better advice than kick-it that you get on STW).
Thanks guys. I've always had dogs. Normally Staffs.(I know) but never had this with Staffs except they didn't always get on with other dogs so were kept on a lead if there was any doubt.
Sorry to sidetrack your thread @mdavids
Letter to MP I would say.
Given the recent tragedy, the police should, regardless of resourcing constraints, be there within minutes of getting the call/seeing that the dog and owner have a history of complaints. The fact that they just fobbed you off is outrageous (from a public perspective) but also monumentally stupid from the perspective of the police.
It's the equivalent of them ignoring an unaccompanied bag on a bus the day after 7/7
The fact that they just fobbed you off is outrageous (from a public perspective) but also monumentally stupid from the perspective of the police.
It’s the equivalent of them ignoring an unaccompanied bag on a bus the day after 7/7
I have a close friend who actually works for Northumbria police, he openly admits they are useless. They don't have the resources to police serious crime so something like this is way down the list of priorities. We will be keeping at them though and if nothing gets done I'll explore other avenues of complaint.
We had a guy here with a gsd that he hd trained as a protection dog, badly.
It bit children through the front gate and when I went to speak to him about it bit my hand over his garden wall.
I went back to see him with my fac which had a condition on it allowing me to shoot animals that pose a danger to humans.
It was never allowed in his front garden again.
There is no excuse for keeping a dangerous dog. And if it was my kids it attacked it would not survive it.
The OP , if they want it dealt with, should be reporting a dog attack and keep at it until they get a result.
Good luck relying on the cops but I suppose it’s your only choice in some folks case.
If it’s your own dog that has aggressive behaviour issues then if training fails , an e-collar can give great results if you use it correctly.
If that fails the dog needs put down.
Just to be clear for certain readers. I am not being antagonistic in any way.
Took me a while but I got there. Boarder / border... what am I like?
, he openly admits they are useless. They don’t have the resources to police serious crime so something like this is way down the list of priorities
I think we need to be careful confounding "under resourced" with "useless".
The terrible thing is an hour tackling this now could prevent an even worse incident/tragedy, with all the knock on costs to Police, justice and health services, but that's not the way the public sector operates.
an e-collar can give great results if you use it correctly.
Although I don't necessarily disagree, that's a pretty big if. Used incorrectly, they're downright cruel.
So is a shoe, but thats a different thread.
Aye, true
I've had a much better response from the dog warden. They've confirmed this behaviour is covered by the dangerous dogs act but apparently the police comms team who initially take the call are generally not aware of this.
Although it's a police matter they'll be paying a visit to the owner but have no powers except to give warnings. However they'll also be escalating with the police dog team and are more positive about getting a good response from them.
I once tried to get a red setter off a lamb it had chased down.
I tried kicking it, grabbing its muzzle, poking it in the eyes all kinds of violence
none of it worked. apparently the dog had never done that before.....
So thanks for the cross arms, grab back legs and flip advice, I will remember that one if a dog goes for my child.
Much rather get it off than panicking, thumping the dog and getting nowhere.
I’ve had a much better response from the dog warden. They’ve confirmed this behaviour is covered by the dangerous dogs act but apparently the police comms team who initially take the call are generally not aware of this.
Although it’s a police matter they’ll be paying a visit to the owner but have no powers except to give warnings. However they’ll also be escalating with the police dog team and are more positive about getting a good response from them.
That sounds promising, fingers crossed a visit from someone official gives the owner a wake up call.
TBH, I hope the dog warden wakes up the police, and that's the official who calls on the owner. Then leaves with the dog. If she's been told to keep it on a lead, but doesn't then no further last warnings should be given.
