If your dog bit someone...

[LittleSkeletonSailor]

What would your immediate reaction and then course of action afterwards be?

If it was someone known to you, not close but you know their address and phone number etc..

Dog bit because it was startled.

Your dogs barked at him, he got scared and because your hand was already out you ended up being caught in his fear response.

I agree with this. The owner sounds like a twat and shouldn’t be letting her dogs run out of the house. As it was her fault, she should have checked on you and be assuring you that her dogs won’t be allowed to run out of the house in future.

Hope you’re ok.

This.

I don't blame the dog at all! He got scared.

He wasn't aggressive.

The owner needs to have something in place to stop her dog running out given she has no control over him.

Sorry what?! How else is the OP supposed to keep her dogs in her own home. My dog couldn’t break down a stair gate and would go batshit behind the gate if a random dog appeared at our front door. I’m not sure I can be held responsible for my dog protectively barking while safely secured - what else am I supposed to do with my dog?

OP’s post was quite simple and none of these additional facts change how I would react, so in my mind they’re not relevant to OP’s question. I’d still be extremely apologetic and not let my dog out unmuzzled in future if it’s going to walk itself into situations where it gets so scared it bites people.

@Venalopolos put them behind a closed door? Not a stairgate which even an eight week old puppy can knock over.

You need to tell her that she has to put something in place to stop him getting out in future or you will be reporting the incident . I’d have expected an apology and a small gift ( flowers/ wine or chocolate) for the inconvenience of you having to go to minor injuries .

Police and dog warden need notifying as being bitten in your own home by a neighbour’s dog is not on! What if a child had been there instead and they bit their face??? The dog being “startled” or whatever is ZERO excuse!!!

My stairgate is drilled into the walls.

My 16st DH fell against it and it didnt move.

My dogs are 7kg

Have you reported it to the police - I would in this situation

I totally agree: One bite then put to sleep permanently. No excuses exist for this behaviour. Humans, especially children, above dogs. You get warnings from dogs about temperament. A good family pet dog will never show any lower form of aggression. You should be able to take its food bowl away when it is eating, put your hand between dog and food bowl when it is eating, there should never be any lip curling, or growling at any child or person who is not being aggressive. This is different for a guard dog/police dog.

She sounds like an awful, useless dog owner OP. She should have her dog on a lead before she leaves the house or have a secure garden.

Does she know her dog bit you? You could have been a child OP so if she doesn't know then I think you need to tell her. If she doesn't care then I'd tell the police. I wouldn't want the dog put down but I'd want her to be a responsible owner.

They didn’t knock it over? And my five year old dog can’t knock over our sturdy stair gate, so you have no idea whether OP’s dogs are capable of knocking over her stair gate?

You can report it, owners have responsibility for their dogs.

An eight-week-old puppy can knock over a stairgate? Well if they can, it hasn't been installed properly.

That’s sounds very much like victim blaming to me. You can’t assume that everyone knows what does and doesn’t not trigger a dog, especially children. If your dog is in the vicinity of people and unmuzzled / unleashed then the onus is on the dogs owner to make sure people are safe IMO

I’d be absolutely mortified, think about it every single day for the rest of my life and be extra kind to that person forever. I would also muzzle my dog.

I’ve only read your posts OP but I’d be reporting this to the police (easy for me to say as I never have to see the owner) but it sounds like the dog is out of control and a danger. The owner doesn’t appear to really care or understand that this is a risk. I hope you’re ok!

I had a dog bite me as it attacked my dog and I was trying to separate them. I got an apology at the time (which was the worst apology in the history of apologies) and a text later to check we were ok but when I said no, I’m bitten, my dogs bleeding and my jeans are ripped I didn’t get a response so never expect people to do the right thing.

That sounds like an unprovoked attack to me. I’d be distraught if my dog bit someone.

It’s reassuring that most posters here say that at least they would apologise.
I have been bitten twice in unprovoked situations, on eve in s pin when I just walked past a dog, not touching it or looking at it. In the second standingin s queue in a cafe when it but my hand. Neither owner apologized. Both said the dog was ‘startled’.

No - I was just raising a question. The PP (not OP) said that if a dog bit she would expect the dog to die. I was just asking even if the person who was bitten was responsible. Fir example, if the owner said “Don’t put your hand through the garden fence” and the person did, resulting in being bitten, should the dog be killed?

It depends how it was startled and how the bite was. “A scrape from a tooth because someone tripped over the dog and fell on him and the dog snapped at the attacker” is different than “the dog jumped up in a kids face because he was startled when the kid ran past him”

In your case i would definitely expect an apology. I cant believe you didnt get one. Actually i would apologise in almost any case.

If there was no immediate apology, and I didn’t have any confidence that it wouldn’t happen to a child (and I hadn’t wound it up!) then report it all day. It would want putting down.

Your neighbour is an idiot and completely could have avoided this situation. I'd be letting them know how unhappy I was and wanting changes to how they manage their dog. It could be a child next time

My dog gets sleep aggression if suddenly woken up. I warn everyone who comes into the house to leave her if asleep on one of the settees or her bed. If someone ignored this and touched her when asleep, I wouldn't be impressed with them and certainly wouldn't be putting my dog to sleep. She has only ever snapped but could potentially catch someone in this situation. I would check they were ok after tho!

Then you should report it to 101, could be a child that gets bitten next.