Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

The doghouse

My dog bit someone today

15 replies

Goawaybob · 02/04/2012 22:02

He has never EVER shown aggression before, apart from to other dogs, but only in response. He is a small JRT.

Today i had some really dodgy guy knocking on my door wanting some scrap from the front garden (the local travelllers usually have it, we leave it for them and they are nice guys) but this guy is not a traveller, unpleasant and quite frankly, a bit scary. He asked for a car battery we had put out there wiht the intention of either giving to the travellers or taking to the dump at the end of the week. Im not sure but it hink they guy was high - he went to rough up my dog, and he bit him. Fucking good.

I think its interesting how dogs just know who is ok and who isn't. He didn't do any damage, i dont think he could, his teeth are so small, but he clearly felt he needed to protect us. I had this once before when two guys knkocked on my door late at night, i had a rottie at the time who was soft as shite, these guys were pissed and had knocked up the wrong house but my dog was there, hackles up, teeth bared. I was home alone and rather glad for my big boy.

I was proud of my wee lad today

OP posts:

Report

noinspiration · 02/04/2012 22:30

Good for him. I don't care if some do goodie politically correct liberal comes on here and starts banging on about irresponsible dog owners, danger to children blah blah blah, I'm totally in agreement with you - he's a great wee dog.

Goawaybob · 02/04/2012 22:32

Thanks noinspiration - my dog is fab and brilliant brilliant with my DD, i have no question of his temprement whatsoever, i trust him implicitly. I just find it interesting how dogs have a sense of who is trustworthy and who isn't. Maybe he picked up that i wasn;t comfortable with this guy (we have had issues with him in the past) or just that he was a wrongun. I was but it was definately a case of "thats my boy"!!!

OP posts:

Allmynamesaretaken · 02/04/2012 22:38

What a clever little dog! We are getting a jack Russell soon and reading this made me feel so happy. Thank you

Goawaybob · 02/04/2012 22:43

lol allnamesaretaken, i posted on your thread earlier :)

OP posts:

Scuttlebutter · 02/04/2012 23:05

I totally get where you are coming from, and it's great that you felt your dog was protecting you, BUT I would be concerned. Is there any likelihood that this guy will report to the police, or to local Dog Warden? Could he take civil action against you? Plenty of no win no fee legal sharks out there, very happy to take on a case like this and earn a few grand compo. I would take specialist advice (such as the DogLaw website). Your home insurance may also have a legal helpline.

Ironically, the bite may also have increased the likelihood of the dog being stolen. Working terriers and lurchers/greys are very popular within the travelling community, and in certain other circles. The fact that this dog is now proved to be a "goer" who stands his ground may well mean his card is marked. Please, please keep a very close eye on him.

Goawaybob · 02/04/2012 23:11

He didn't even leave a mark scuttle and the guy thought it was funny. He was not a traveller. I can promise you my dog would never be any use as a fighter as todays bite would prove. There really is no likelyhood on this planet he will report us, he was too stoned to remember. The guy isnt a traveller, we have travellers come regularly to pick up metal (my dp is a builder) and i trust them actually.

OP posts:

Scuttlebutter · 02/04/2012 23:14

at "too stoned to remember" !!

Flatbread · 02/04/2012 23:43

he went to rough up my dog, and he bit him

What exactly did he do to the dog? I wouldn't be happy at all if my dog bit anyone except if they came into my house with a knife or gun.

(And then probably my dog would go up for a cuddle )

But seriously, if dogs are trained to protect, shouldn't it be when you give it a command to bite vs. it willy-nilly making the decision to 'protect' you by biting someone?

Goawaybob · 02/04/2012 23:46

my dog is not trained to protect - lol thats the funniest thing i have ever read. rough up was not hte right word, it was just ruffled his hair - he didn't do any harm, he couldn't, he just doesnt have the bite capacity.

My post was really a comment on how dogs know when people are ok and they are not ok. Maybe he wasn;t protecting me, maybe the guy hurt him, or he just didn't feel safe. To be fair, i think the guy is harmless, but he is a druggie and was probably high. Dog sensed it, and defended himself/us.

OP posts:

dyspeptic · 03/04/2012 11:24

I had a huge male hound well over twelve stone and 38 inches at shoulder, he was as soft as any dog ever. Once I was approaChed in the middle of a wood around midnight by a man who wanted to chat about the dangers women face alone. The dog fluffed up to twice his size, went still and looked at him and growled like rolling thunder. He looked terrifying. The man decided I faced no risk and quickly left.

AIBUqatada · 03/04/2012 11:32

I have a parson russell terrier that is capable of feeling nervous enough to bite, if not properly treated, and I wouldn't trust to a dog's mystical ability to know who it was acceptable to bite and who it wasn't acceptable to bite.

I would be horrified that my dog had bitten anyone and I would be furious with a bloke who "went to rough up my dog" and so provoked a bite.

Every time a dog is pushed into a position where he feels cornered into biting in order to make himself feel safe it increases the likelihood that he will adopt that same strategy again -- perhaps with someone you'd feel less happy for him to bite, like a noisy unpredictable child that the dog "knew" wasn't "ok".

Ephiny · 03/04/2012 13:52

Agree unfortunately that dogs don't always judge situations well. Mine lunged/growled at a man power-walking in the park once - obviously from his point of view he just saw a man striding 'aggressively' towards me and thought I needed protecting! He's been 'funny' with joggers as well for similar reasons, I think we've mostly overcome that now but I am still careful about it.

Ephiny · 03/04/2012 13:55

I can understand the feeling of it being nice to know your dog will defend you when needed! Just that it's not really fair on them to put them in the situation where they have to make that judgement, because if they get it wrong the consequences for them can be very bad (not to mention it isn't nice for the innocent person who gets bitten!).

And they might be small, but a JRT can give a nasty bite if they want to. Sounds like this was more of a warning 'nip'!

Goawaybob · 03/04/2012 14:14

I didnt set my dog on this person epiphany i was , but i have encountered this before and i was pointing out that dogs do seem to have some sort of sense of if someone is Ok. I did not encourage my dog, in fact he got told off, but i was pleased secretly. I have no illusions about him protecting me. My dog has a tiny mouth, he is a JRT cross and i dont think he could achieve more than a warning nip tbh.

I dont htink it was good really, just interesting

OP posts:

Ephiny · 03/04/2012 14:20

No, of course, not saying you did it on purpose or encouraged it - just that if it were me I'd be careful about similar situations in the future.

Flip

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.