to want a dog that bit me put to sleep?

[pickgo]

I was out for a walk with DS, DGS and mother on Sunday. We walked past a woman with 3 children and a dog on the lead. As we passed her on the pavement the dog leapt up at me and bit me on the chest.
Fortunately I had 6 layers of clothing on so it has only left me bruised, the skin is not actually broken.
The dog owner apologised. She admitted she already had a muzzle for the dog but hadn't put it on this time [OBVIOUSLY!!].
I said her apology wasn't good enough. What if I'd had a baby in a sling, or it was one of the children? What if it goes for one of her children? Told her I thought the dog should be put to sleep.
Ironically, I myself had a dog some years ago that randomly bit people. I too always kept it on a lead but one day it leapt into a pram and I was terrified it would bite the baby. That day I took my dog to the vet to ask for advice. The vet's advice was that once a dog has crossed 'the line' of biting people it will always be a possibility it will do it again. So I had the dog put to sleep. A sad, hard decision but I think the right one.
So, AIBU to want this dog put down? Surely I should be able to go out for a walk without being mauled by an animal and left injured?

Pickgo (great name!)- I said I wouldn't return but like a fool I have and feel obliged to respond because you're the OP and because either I obviously haven't made myself clear and I imagine that you don't know what I do.

Yes I would keep the dog, regardless. I work with dogs as well as own them and I'm an independent rescuer as well as a volunteer for rescue. My kids are rescue volunteers too. I have turned aggressive dogs around, trained them, I interact on some days with more than 60 of them in a day. That's what I do, that's what I am all about and "No Kill, No Excuses" are my watchwords.

As I said, I don't expect anyone to agree with me but you asked, I answered. I'm not saying whether or not you are being unreasonable, I'm saying that I wouldn't call for a dog to be PTS and to me it would be more than unreasonable, it would go against everything I believe in.

But that's just me. Now I really will leave you to it as anything else I said would just be repetition.

I hope that your experience hasn't put you off all dogs, that there is no lasting harm to you.

I agree with Val.

Horrible situation on both sides, but the fact that the OP appears to be suggesting that dog's owner should not be upset is where some sympathy is lost for me.

I'm a dog lover though, so my view is clouded by that.

I think you do need to ring the police again and ask them to take this further. The owner seems to have a lot of excuses. If you found out that this dog did injure someone else then I think you would feel terrible.

My father defended his own dog when it attacked (amongst other people) my little sister (still got a scar above her eye), then myself (it went for my face out of the blue, scratched my glasses very badly so I was lucky to be wearing them) . He always had an excuse... until it finally bit him very very badly (lots of stitches). I have never forgiven him for putting the dog first and even though I am a dog owner myself I wouldn't hesitate to have PTS a dog which was a danger to people.

YANBU to be upset by what happened, but YABU to want the dog to be killed, I think that's a somewhat disproportionate response.

YANBU. If the owner cannot be responsible to put a muzzle on the dog (especially if she has children) then she should be put down.

I think dog owners should be responsible or be prevented from having pets.

While the dog didn't pierce the skin, it still had intentions to do so.

I hope you know where the woman lives so you can report it. You got lucky, the next person may not.

I'm with Val. Hope you're ok though.

I come from a family of dog lovers (that sounds so wrong) and my dad is a vegetarian Buddhist who quite possibly loved our dog more than any of us children (the dog's ashes are in a lovely box with her lead round it pride of place in the living room - oh yes) BUT he has always said how uncaring and selfish it is of dog owners not to protect their dog from biting people because ultimately it will be the dog that possibly pays the worst price.

So I guess I never understand why supposed dog loving dog owners put their dogs at risk in that way? Why not just use a muzzle? Did the police say why she had chosen not put a muzzle on the dog, bearing in mind the owner was aware enough of the dog's nervyness due to intruders to use that as the reason for him biting? I wouldn't necessarily want the dog pts (but YANBU for feeling this way) but I would say that the dog owner, despite her protestations, does not love her dog otherwise she would be protecting him by protecting other people.

VALHALLA/EPHINY - I'd be all for the dog being taken to a secure place and retrained professionally. BUT i have no faith at all that this will happen. Most likely scenario is NOTHING will be done until the dog bites someone again who a) reports it and b) is seriously injured.
The dog owner seemed like a bit of an airhead to me and probably not up to the enormous patience, calm and skill needed to retrain.
In a wider context that's where these issues always end up - it's not the dogs that are the problem but the inadequate owners who do not provide enough exercise, training and the right environment for a dog.
Bottom line is though I think I should be able to go out without being attacked. If it were a person instead of a dog that had attacked me I could press charges for assault!

YANBU

You absolutely did the right thing in reporting it. The owner's 'excuse' does seem a bit pathetic but because it's a 'first' maybe there are no grounds to take it further - I'm not sure. Although as you have actual physical injuries I would have thought the police WOULD take it further.

My friend and I were attacked whilst out running and at one point I looked down and the dog had my arm in it's mouth!!! I had several layers on and luckily it didn't hurt me but I could feel the pressure on my arm.

I reported it and the police were very good and went round to the owners, whose excuse was their electric gates had stuck open, so when they opened the front door the dog made a bolt for it - down the drive and straight out onto the pavement!

They got a stern talking too from the police.

So, I would speak to the police again and make sure they are fully aware of your injuries which I hope are better.

When I was a child my friend's father had a rottweiller, This was around the time of the media coverage of 'devil dogs' and several highly publicised dog attacks. Whenever he walked it he always carried a 'staff'. He said that it was because he would not have hesitated to have beat it to death if it ever showed aggression to anyone. He loved the dog, treated it very well and took it to professional training sessions. The dog lived to a good age and never once hurt a fly.

That's the thing HalfTermHero - TRAINING.

Rottweillers are lovely dogs if they are trained properly. Like all dogs.

Fair enough and I accept your point 100%. My friend's father was entirely responsible. However, the owner of the dog that attacked OP seems lacking in this regard.

YANBU to be upset but I think calling for the dog to be put down is a complete over reaction so YABU on that count.
My opinions on having a dog PTS for any reason other than medical are very similar to vals, its bad owners, not the dog so I don't see why the dog should suffer.

I agree with Val, it was the owners fault, not the dogs. If the dog was killed it would not solve the problem of the irresponsible owner, and it should not have it's life ended because it's owner failed to take the appropriate precautions.

YANBU. Does it have to maul a child for the police to take it seriously?

YANBU, if my dog did that I'd be beside myself thinking god he's going to do it again etc etc. Its awful to think of a dog being put down but it bit you FFS?! I do think you should try and get a photo, you really would need proof imo.

Yes of course training helps. I go to kennel club classes, we're in the puppy class. The class after us is all large breeds and gundogs, all pedigree, they are on what the kennel club calls "gold level" so should be well trained, but most days at least one of them has a wobbly and runs off, completely out of control, with the owner shouting in a bored voice "no no no no its all right he's fine, its only because that woman walking past 150 yards away has a green coat/small dog/wonky teeth!" No love, its because its a DOG and sometimes, dogs do that.

I agree with val.
I think it was the owners fault. She shouldn't be keeping a dog she can't control.

Hope your ok though.

YANBU , you are being responsible, trying to prevent it from causing serious injury or worse, good on you !

Im really sorry you got bitten by a dog, and that it was severe enough to leave you bruised.

However calling for the dog to be put down in my opinion is too harsh. The owner needs to be penalised and made to take the dog for specific training, and maybe fined.

I should think that if the owner had 3 young children with her the dog probably has received minimal training at best.
The dog should have had a muzzle on but the owner probably felt that she'd be 'set upon' by the other parents at the school gate if she had brought the 'muzzled dangerous dog' to school with her. If she was that upset when the police came round it may indicate that the dog hasn't bitten a person before BUT may not like other dogs particularly, hence the use of the muzzle! just because a dog is muzzled it doesn't necessarily mean that the dog hates/bites people. It may be even a rescue dog that is under socialised. I used to work voluntarily for a very famous dogs home and have always had rescue dogs and some dogs can be a little unpredictable, I'm sure it was the dogs 1st time of biting and i'm equally sure the owner must be very upset too (as i would be)and you are too with good reason.. would I want the dog dead? personally no. Would I like proof from the owner that the dog is undergoing training to address the biting issue? yes.
Please dont feel that I dont sympathize with you because I was once bitten by a nasty poodle as a child so have also been on the receiving end.

I'm in several minds about this. We had a dog, my Mum spent a long training it, she also trained us as children how to behave around the dog and was also careful to protect the dog from anyone who wouldn't know how to behave around it (unfamilar young children).

Dogs are a lot of work, and it seems a big chunk of owners don't realise that. She should definitely not be keeping that dog. For the benefit of the dog and wider society, the dog needs to be removed and retrained.

Over reaction. You say you were mauled, hardly!!. Get a grip the dog never even broke your skin

well if the dog lovers assert it was the owners fault why not have her put down?