Need advice! -A dog bit another dog.

[Thiswillpasssoon]

I need your advice please!
A friend of mine owns a dog, American Stafforshire. This 2year old dog was abandoned by previous owner and my friend adopted her a few months ago. She hasn't been fully trained but is really friendly and nice, never had any problem with kids around. One day while she was walking the dog, she found a smaller dog near and suddenly ran and attacked it. When my friend dashed to help and opened the dog's jaw to the little dog suddenly bit my friend.( I know, it's a bit confusing)
Bleeding on her leg, she apologised to the little dog's owner about her dog's attack and gave him her phone number offering payment for its treatment. A few days later, the dog's owner came with vet charge which she was happy to pay. However, she also wanted their apology because that dog bit her too! She had to go to A&E and had a stitch. The owner denied the incident totally and blamed my friend's dog for it too.
So it had to be reported at the police. Although she took some pictures of her wound and left her blooded clother for evidence it didn't prove that the little dog had bitten her. And the dog's owner keeps insisting my friend's dog is so dangerous and she bit her own owner which is not true.
At the first place, I know it was her fault not to keep the dog under control and she has leant a lesson now. She was willing to pay the Vet fee accepting her fault, however, she just wanted an apology nothing else from the dog's owner as well. Is it to much?
In thus case, what's the best thing to do?
Any experience like this? Plz help.

[Wolfiefan]

American Staff? Do you mean American Bulldog?
By law dogs must be under control in public. This dog clearly wasn’t.
If the big dog hadn’t attacked then the smaller dog would never have bitten anyone. I think she’s unreasonable to expect an apology given the distress her dog’s aggressive behaviour caused the small dog and its owner.
“She hasn’t been fully trained”. That’s no excuse. Keep it on lead, use secure spaces, train it and hope it doesn’t end up labelled as a “dangerous dog”. According to the law if your dog scared someone it’s “dangerous”.

[BiteyShark]

If I understood this correctly friends dog bit little dog and little dog bit friend when she was opening hers dogs mouth that was clamped around the little dog?

If that is correct then the little dog probably bit your friend as it was petrified at being in a sustained attack by yours friends dog. I certainly wouldn't be demanding an apology in that case as it wouldn't have happened if your friends dog was under control.

[BiteyShark]

And it sounds like your friend wants to portion some 'blame' by demanding an apology from little dogs owner to minimise the fact that their dog was not under control and attacked another dog causing significant injury.

[coffeekittens]

Sorry but your friend doesn’t deserve an apology from the little dogs owner, the poor thing was in agony and petrified. I’m glad that your friend has learnt to keep her dog under control.

[NicoAndTheNiners]

I think your friend is totally unreasonable for wanting an apology.

The other dog only bit in fear/defence/pain. It wouldn't have bitten if it hadn't been attacked by her out of control dog.

I'd be bloody furious if I was the other owner.

[bringbackthestripes]

Your friend was WBVU demanding an apology.
The little dog bit her whilst she was opening the jaws of her own dog that was biting it.
The little dog was in pain and terror because your friends UNCONTROLLED dog bit it causing trauma, terror and pain.
Yes it is totally too much for your ‘friend’ to expect an apology, it never would have happened if the dog had been on a lead, under control and hadn’t attacked and injured another dog!
Can not believe you and your ‘friend’ think the other dog owner owes any kind of apology at all. Shocking.

[Thiswillpasssoon]

She was on lead, the other dog wasn't. It was a rainy day and my friend slipped with the dog. I think it's a bit like culture difference. We would apologise for what happened if the other got hurt even though it was my dog's fault at first." I am sorry that you got hurt too." was enough. If the owner rejected the apogogy that would have been a different story. But he lied that his dog didn't bite, my friend's dog did. Is the lie accepted in this case then?

[Snappymcsnappy]

[NicoAndTheNiners]

The owner is maybe lying in a panic thinking that possibly their dog could be destroyed if found guilty of biting someone. Especially as your friend has involved the police which seems very ott for a dog fight her dog started. So other owner is scared if they admit it their dog will be put down when it wasn't their fault.

I'd lie in that position if I thought the lie might save my dogs life.

[babysharkah]

Culture difference my arse. Do you mean it's an American bulldog x?

[babysharkah]

No idea why the x is there!

[Floralnomad]

If my dog had just been released from the jaws of another dog as far as im concerned he could bite who ever he wanted and no I wouldn’t apologise . Your ‘friend’ needs to muzzle her dog when it is out .

[tabulahrasa]

What country is your friend in?

There’s no way she had police involvement with an am staff fight in the U.K. and it wasn’t seized...

And no, she’s really not due an apology FFS

[DogInATent]

She put her foot in it insisting on the apology and going to the police.

The incident occurred as a result of her dog initiating the scrap. Injuries arising from separating the two dogs are entirely her fault. She wouldn't have needed to separate them if she was in control of her dog.

She's an idiot to think she deserves anything out of this - other than the bill for the other dogs vet fees.

Why does she think she's got an AmStaff? She does know it's frequently a synonym for a Pit Bull to pretend that BSL doesn't apply?

[CallMeRachel]

Yup, AmStaff (Pit Bull group) are a troublesome breed around other dogs and I wish feckless people wouldn't adopt them.

Muzzle, lead...that's life with these type of dogs. She was reckless.

[Wolfiefan]

I have a giant breed. I have never managed to let her loose to savage another dog as it’s a “rainy day”. Crappy excuse.
Not that she would. She’s often beaten up by dogs the size of her head. She hides behind my legs.
The point is. This dog wasn’t under control. That’s unacceptable.

[mumcanihavemumcanihave]

I struggle to managed my dog somedays (as I'm tiny with back problems and he's a huge ball of energy) but if this situation ever happened with me and my dog I certainly wouldn't be asking for an apology, I'd been taking mine straight back to a training class to ensure it wouldn't happen again and paying all vet bills! I never struggle to the extent where I lose control of my dog completely though.
Luckily, mine is a playful sort but does lunge towards smaller dogs and I just pull him back to me and force him to sit until they pass because I'm wary of how the other dog may react (I.e go to bite) and also how the other owner might perceive my dog to be (I.e attacking rather than playing).
She needs to take her dog to training classes or spend more time at home training and not expect an apology, her dog essentially caused this.

[Namechangeforthiscancershit]

I really don’t think your friend will be getting an apology. The small dog was attacked, terrified and in pain and would have bitten anything in the vicinity in retaliation.

Are the police really not doing anything? It does sound like the BSL might be relevant.

Anyway, muzzle and lot of training sounds like the plan.

[bringbackthestripes]

She was on lead, the other dog wasn't. It was a rainy day and my friend slipped with the dog. I think it's a bit like culture difference. We would apologise for what happened if the other got hurt even though it was my dog's fault at first." I am sorry that you got hurt too." was enough

So your friend slipped and let go of the lead? So at the time your friends dog attacked it wasn’t under control. The other owner had no need to apologise for their small dog biting your friend when it bit as she released their dogs jaws off the little dog.the little dog was in terror, traumatised and in pain.

You adding that the friend had the dog on a lead and slipped does not change the fact that the owner of the dog that was attacked and needed THE ATTACK DOGS JAWS PRISING OPEN to release their little dog has NO NEED TO APOLOGISE.

They did nothing wrong, your friends dog attacked theirs. Your friend was in the wrong. End of.

[Namechangeforthiscancershit]

When you say that she adopted this dog, do you mean from a proper rescue? I’m amazed they are allowed to adopt out these dogs, and wouldn’t they have told her about muzzling etc?

[Thiswillpasssoon]

Thanks for all the reply. My friend has no knowledg or experience with pets. She somehow found out her neighbours was planning to leave the country without this dog. She felt sympathy for the dog and decided to keep herself otherwise this young dog wiuld have been put down. The dog is very trained and kind to people, never grawled or barked, of course never attacked either until that morning. She sent the dog to a training course before the incident because she knew nothing about dogs and will arrange more in future. I understand she should have learnt her dog more and kept the control-will advise her.

[Pawprintjoy]

I’m guessing it’s a pit bull which would explain why the dog couldn’t go to a charity to be rehomed. Friend of mine was in similar situation with her pit bull when it attacked a smaller dog and was seized by police. Luckily she was able to prove that it wasn’t her dogs fault and got her dog back (under very strict conditions) but I’m surprised the police have yet to seize the dog if they’re involved considering laws on dangerous dogs will apply. In this situation I’d say muzzle the dog (no off lead unless in a secure area with no other dogs), if she wants him to have a chance to play with other dogs make sure they’re already well known and trusted play partners to her dog and get a better system in place so she doesn’t lose control over the dog again. Glad she gave him a home but she really needs to try and make sure this dog doesn’t do it again because next time it may well be destroyed. If she had been able to keep control of her dog and the lead it could’ve been prevented

[Thiswillpasssoon]

I also know nothing about the dogs. Do you think this dog can be seized or even destroyed this time? She is frightened to death to even think about it because this dog is already her family. TBH we weren't aware this breed is troublesome because the previous owner gave no info. She simply wanted the other saying sorry about her wound, didn't mean to make this problem worse. Considering all the comments, the dog owner might have been offended by her request and reported to police himself. I think it was just misunderstanding because in our culture when bad thing happened people can apologise eventhough it wasn't their fault. She didn't mean to blame the dog at all, of course didn't want the dog put in trouble either. Now she only wants this case closed with paying bills and keeping the dog. What could be the worst thing can happen?

[Namechangeforthiscancershit]

It’s not just troublesome- if it’s really an American Staffordshire then it’s essentially a pit bull and it looks to me like it is subject to the same restrictions. So it has to be registered and muzzled at all times. If it wasn’t then yes it can be seized and destroyed. Here is quite a good link for your friend. The other dog owner might have gone to the police yes, but your friend did anyway so they are already aware and that’s why we’re all a bit surprised that nothing has been done.

www.lawtonslaw.co.uk/resources/dog-law/

[BiteyShark]

Your friend did the right thing by paying for the vet bills as it was 100% their fault this attack happened.

Pushing for an apology was totally wrong and if it was me and it had been my dog I would be doing everything I could including pursuing it further with the dog warden and police so if they haven't your friend is very lucky considering the apology situation would get most people's backs up further when they are already upset that their dog suffered a serious attack because the owner couldn't control their dog.