Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 138 total)
  • Dog
  • trevron73
    Free Member

    My wife was out with the dog this afternoon and whilst opening a gate a girl startled her and the dog on a short lead .The dog barked and bit the girls arm. Obviously the dog wasn’t muzzled as he had been off the lead chasing a ball in a field. The girls mother came round and said she will go to the police unless we buy a new i phone for her daughter which was apparently damaged when it fell out her hand onto the ground ? The dog is a irish wolfhound and we never had any bother before (8 years old) I’m not sure what to do ?

    hot_fiat
    Full Member

    Blackmail? Lovely. The police will find that most amusing. Possibly phone the police yourself?

    seavers
    Free Member

    As above. Call the police and explain the situation. It sounds like they are more bothered about the iPhone rather than the daughter.

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    puddle-rider
    Free Member

    Be careful!! a very similar thing happened to me, my dog was startled by some one putting out there hand to stroke my dog completely uninvited and without warning, my dog was on the lead but still nipped the man. Big wimp went to the A&E department, as such the police got involved the end result was I got a caution, had to write a letter of apology and cough up £40 for the guys taxi fare from the hospital. The law on dogs is imminently due for a change and may even have changed? the new law will mean that regardless of your dog being on a lead if it bites someone you will be deemed guilty of the offence of ‘having a dog out of control in a public place’

    muggomagic
    Full Member

    Did the girl actually drop her phone when bitten? If she did and it was damaged then you should pay up. After all your dog did bite her. You should ask to see the damaged phone and take it to an apple store and find it how much it’ll cost to repair. It’ll certainly be cheaper than a new one.

    trevron73
    Free Member

    The phone fell onto grass in a field,the phone is not the problem,I’m actually worried about the dog , my wife is pregnant and our first child ? now we are contemplating the worst?

    muggomagic
    Full Member

    I can’t imagine that there will be any action taken against the dog, unless of course it was a serious attack, which judging by your post it wasn’t. You would be responsible for any damage though.

    loddrik
    Free Member

    If I’d have been out with my daughters and someone’s dog bit one of their arms, there would be a serious problem…

    At the very least I’d involve the police, my guess is that I’d have gone for both dog and owner before I’d had the opportunity though.

    Anyone’s dog bites a child then IMO it’s definitely a police matter. If I had a dog which bit a child is probably report it myself. Absolutely no excuses.

    Yak
    Full Member

    What did the girl do to provoke your dog? Does your dog normally interact with kids? Its a big dog and kids are smaller, unpredictable, noisy and probably scared of a dog like that on first acquaintance so may react suddenly.

    My kids are certainly cagey around dogs they don’t know. It’s natural. Confidence around dogs is a skill to learn that you can’t expect young kids to have yet.

    As loddrik said, probably a police matter too.

    andymac78
    Free Member

    Take a look at this website for up to date information on what to do. Possibly you might need to muzzle your dog for 6 months till you can prove the dog is now safe. A qualified behaviourist review would be useful, but be careful with who you go with if you go down this route. I’d advise on looking for someone who works with a positive approach.

    One good piece of advice though is to inform your insurance company immediately and certainly don’t admit any liability.

    http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/controlling-your-dog-in-public

    joshvegas
    Free Member

    Report it to the police, you are the responsible owner and that you have taken steps (muzzle/training). Tell them exactly what happened including contact with the mother and ask their advice.

    Not a lawyer or a dog owner or a polis or a parent or a dog or a child or a baby robin.

    DaveVanderspek
    Free Member

    Control your dog.
    People have the right to go about their daily business without being bitten by dogs whose owners can’t or won’t keep them under proper control.
    I’m fed up of dog owners forcing ME to change MY decisions when all I want to do is take a walk or ride a bike with or without the kids due to “pet” animals jumping up, barking & $hi££ing everywhere I look.
    Control your dog.

    Del
    Full Member

    nightmare. if it were me i’d buy a muzzle, get their agreement that they won’t report it, then write a cheque.
    if you have a little one on the way then you may have some tough choices to make.
    horrible situation.

    trevron73
    Free Member

    We made our decision , we got a little one on the way.As for the phone ill send off to get repaired.

    Yak
    Full Member

    Well done for making a tough decision.

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    You can’t win.

    Did the dog break her skin? If an Irish Wolfhound bit her in earnest, I’m be surprised if she still had her arm.
    Sounds like the dog was warning her off to me.

    I’d replace the iPhone but expect to get the old “broken” one.

    hexhamstu
    Free Member

    loddrik handing his own dog over to the police.

    user-removed
    Free Member

    Sad story. When you say you’ve made a decision, are you having him rehomed?

    drofluf
    Free Member

    Take a look at this website for up to date information on what to do. Possibly you might need to muzzle your dog for 6 months till you can prove the dog is now safe. A qualified behaviourist review would be useful, but be careful with who you go with if you go down this route. I’d advise on looking for someone who works with a positive approach.

    One good piece of advice though is to inform your insurance company immediately and certainly don’t admit any liability.

    http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/controlling-your-dog-in-public

    Useful link but it’s for Northern Ireland. Not sure where the OP is based…. I’m guessing that the principles are similar but as it also refers to dog licences there are probably some differences.

    matther01
    Free Member

    Another concern now might be how your dog interacts with your newborn. Some dogs can become quite jealous of a new entrant into their lives. Given he has nipped a little one I’d be extra vigilant when the little one starts crawling etc. Thankfully mine is OK with ours but you can tell he gets a bit peed off now and again.

    trevron73
    Free Member

    Taking him to dogs trust for re homing- My father died 2 months ago and he is actually my mums dog , so i reckon he is just a bit over protective at the moment, he was startled whilst going through a gate as the girl just pushed through whilst my wife was opening the gate. Dogs trust can find him a home – he is not bad natured never has been but just doing his job. Any way , we don’t want the risk with the newborn or him jumping at strangers as my mums 74 and if he pulls either my mother or wife over could be super serious. I am taking him to Leeds to day . Sad day saying good by to a bezzy friend ?

    Drac
    Full Member

    A wise decision trevron, sorry to hear about your father. The dog will be effected by that too they do pick up emotions and routines being changed also effects them. I’m sure he’ll be happy in his new home.

    loddrik
    Free Member

    As sad but courageous decision. Well done. Kids are just too important to risk as you’ll soon find out.

    trevron73
    Free Member

    Thanks for advice.. tough decision but cannot be on pins every time we take for a walk. Police have said no crime has taken place as the dog did not set out to harm. Insurance company can take care the phone if a claim is to be made … tough call ,hard decision …………very sad.

    rossatease
    Free Member

    Sadly we’re in exactly the same situation except the police are involved and wether you like it or not it’s a criminal offence, ours is always muzzled when he goes everywhere precisely because he’s a scary big dog, in this instance a kid alleged he was bitten, we haven’t seen ‘proof’ yet they want my Mrs to go to the Police station to be interviewed under caution.
    Allegedly the dog rushed out bit a passing kid (we live near a school) then rushed back in again, she didn’t see it happen and I wasn’t at home, there were folk viewing the house, (it’s on the market).
    However it’s a Doberman, it’s never bitten anyone before and I’m sure if it had attacked a kid it would be unlikely the kid would have survived so I suspect it’s the usual story, it barked and scared the kid who then claimed it bit him, but I can’t be sure so doubt has crept in and the rehoming route seems appropriate.
    My advice would have been buy the iPhone and don’t involve the police, they are only interested in these sort of events as an easy score and solvable crime for their stats so they will prosecute a soft target which you are.
    So we’re now likely to lose a member of the family over the word of a scared kid (understandably) and a police force governed by targets.

    Drac
    Full Member

    My advice would have been buy the iPhone and don’t involve the police, they are only interested in these sort of events as an easy score and solvable crime for their stats so they will prosecute a soft target which you are.

    Or maybe not as it seems.

    geoffj
    Full Member

    I assume the rehoming place knows the history?

    sharkbait
    Free Member

    My father died 2 months ago and he is actually my mums dog

    That could explain his reaction. When my dad died his cocker was badly affected and ended up being a stroppy little bu99er that my mum became nervous of (as she’d always had dogs). Eventually it bit her one day and off to the vet it went.
    Dogs are very territorial and will protect their family [pack] – if a member of the family dies the dog can be affected in a negative way and act irrationally for a while.

    oldnpastit
    Full Member

    That’s hard. Sorry to hear that, sounds like no easy choices.

    thegeneralist
    Free Member

    Taking him to dogs trust for re homing-

    we don’t want the risk with the newborn

    A wise decision

    As sad but courageous decision

    I have to say that I don’t think this is a wise decision and it certainly isn’t a courageous one. All you’re doing is foisting the problem onto someone else who may not be aware of the full history. If the dog is safe enough to keep then you keep him. If you don’t think he is safe to have around kids then you should be doing the courageous thing and having him put down or sent off to work on a Pyrenean sheep farm or something.

    Once he’s gone to the dog’s home, which will presumably unsettle him more, and then off to a chain of new owners after that; whose going to know what he’s done in the past ?

    It really seems like you’re ducking responsibility , when you should be dealing with it yourselves. Either the dog is safe or it’s not. You clearly don’t think it is safe, so why on earth are you sending it off so the same thing could happen all over again?

    matther01
    Free Member

    Courageous decision…not necessarily and apologies if it appeared I was scare mongering. You have to be vigilant with all dogs around kids no matter how good or bad natured they are. They have good days and bad days just like humans. My dog can take the hump with our little one due to less attention…however he doesn’t hesitate to ward off other dogs when out with little one in his buggy and is mightily protective. Take a bit more time to make the decision IMO.

    cb
    Full Member

    I’m intrigued by how exactly the little girl “startled” your wife and dog – seems to be the little girls fault.

    I’m surprised by how the dog managed to bite the girl if on a short lead and therefore presumably under control?

    It wasn’t muzzled because it had been off the lead playing with a ball – as it was now on a “short lead” surely it should have been muzzled?

    The phone was dropped and the owner wanted it replaced – bloody faced cheek to ask for the damage that your wife was responsible for to be sorted!

    Its a family pet, I get that but its all typical dog owner denial rubbish that we hear all the time. Some mitigation in your case because of the sad circumstances in which you inherited the dog but better decision making from dog owners is needed. A heavily pregnant wife and a dog like that are never a sensible option.

    sharkbait
    Free Member

    A heavily pregnant wife and a dog like that are never a sensible option.

    Eh? She could be 3 months pregnant, and anyway she’s pregnant not crippled.

    I’m intrigued by how exactly the little girl “startled” your wife and dog – seems to be the little girls fault.

    +

    bloody faced cheek to ask for the damage that your wife was responsible for to be sorted!

    = doesn’t make sense.

    Drac
    Full Member

    All you’re doing is foisting the problem onto someone else who may not be aware of the full history.

    You’re just making stuff up.

    pondo
    Full Member

    Its a family pet, I get that but its all typical dog owner denial rubbish that we hear all the time.

    Well, it’s good to know you’re not making any sweeping generalisations.

    Yak
    Full Member

    to be fair – the op has made a positive decision to deal with this – get rid of his dog, has contacted the police and has taken steps to compensate the girl. We don’t know the extent of the injuries to the girl, but the phone seemed to be a bigger issue. I’d say that the op has taken all the right steps after a very unfortunate incident.

    Whether the dog should be put down or not is a different matter now and probably need a animal behaviourist to determine. I have no idea whether it would make a good future pet, or whether there is any doubt and it should be put down.

    MrsToast
    Free Member

    I have to say that I don’t think this is a wise decision and it certainly isn’t a courageous one. All you’re doing is foisting the problem onto someone else who may not be aware of the full history. If the dog is safe enough to keep then you keep him. If you don’t think he is safe to have around kids then you should be doing the courageous thing and having him put down or sent off to work on a Pyrenean sheep farm or something.

    Nope, the Dogs Trust are brilliant in cases like these – if they know a dog has behavioural problems or particular triggers, they let potential owners know. When we were looking for a dog, there were a couple that we looked at that had issues (a few with food aggression, and one who had been put for rehoming who had always been bad with children and ended up biting the owner’s grandchild who came to live with them). It doesn’t mean a dog needs putting down, it just means that a lot of care needs to be taken in rehoming and ownership.

    From what’s been said it sounds like the OP’s wife opened a gate and was about to walk through when the girl pushed through unexpectedly. Obviously the dog’s response was bad, but sometimes dogs can be overprotective and act badly when startled (the only time I’ve had a dog go for me on a bike was when I was passing a walking family and surprised a Jack Russell). Sounds a bit like the girl has had a bit of a harsh lesson in manners…

    squirrelking
    Free Member

    WTF?

    Some of you need to get a bit of perspective here, the way you’re going on it’s as if the dog was running free and tossed the kid like a ragdoll. It’s quite clear little or none of you have experience of “a dog like that” or you would know that they are, ordinarily, very placid and affectionate big buggers. Definitely not a dog I’d expect to be on a muzzle (in fact I’d argue that unless they have a good reason they shouldn’t have one at all) so where this expectation comes from I have no idea especially since it has no previous history.

    Sounds like the mother is trying it on, if she was that concerned she would be going to the police regardless, I know I would be.

    As for recommending the dog be destroyed, get a **** grip. It nipped a kid, that’s hardly a reason to impose a death sentence. It won’t be “foisting the problem onto someone else who may not be aware of the full history” as I’m sure the OP will make the rehoming centre more than aware of why it’s being given up and the person who takes it will more than have experience of such dogs (they don’t just give these dogs away to anyone).

    OP – try these guys as well, they will be far more experienced with wolfies and will be better equipped to find a suitable new owner. If you’re in doubt you are doing the best thing despite what these numpties are saying.

    http://www.wolfhoundrescue.org.uk/

    FWIW – not (current) dog owner but grew up with them, had my fair share of deserved nips and a small scare with my own daughter (stupid dog got excited and soft mouthed her). It’s easy to cry foul when you have no idea what the dog is like from personal experience.

    Del
    Full Member

    seems to be the little girls fault.

    i don’t think anyone is saying that.
    wind your neck in.

    cb
    Full Member

    Sharkbait – The OP referred to the danger of his wife being pulled over whilst pregnant, 3 months or heavily pregnant makes no odds (I thought I had read an imminent arrival on the baby scene but was wrong). If the dog is big enough to pull her over – its not a sensible combination.

    Why does the other stuff not make sense? A grown woman and dog being startled by a small girl?? Its the phraseology of dog owners’ – always someone else’s fault.

    Mrs Toast – harsh lesson in manners! Really? Maybe you should get bitten every time you forget to say please or thank you. Moronic thing to say.

    What are the downsides to muzzling a dog in public? If its muzzled in public it can’t bite members of the public and these issues would never occur. Is it cost that is the problem or cruelty to the dog?

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