To think you shouldn't give someone's dog 'a thrashing' if it bites you?

[GuestCat]

Went for country walk with my uncle, public footpath across farmland. Uncle is in his late 60s, lived and worked on farms when he was young. He always carries a wooden stick that he calls his 'snake-stick' in case he needs to move cattle away from a gate. As we were crossing a bridge (clearly signposted as a public right of way) a large dog ran up to us and sank its teeth into my uncle's leg, completely unprovoked and with no warning, no growling or anything. Uncle grabbed it by collar, half-choked it until it let go, then started hitting it (hard) with his stick. Dog was yelping and trying to get away, I told Uncle to let it go as i was worried he'd hurt it or worse. He said dog needed a 'good thrashing' to teach it a lesson. Woman then appeared, said dog was hers and shouted at us, turns out she lives next to bridge. They had a massive argument, dog ran back to its house, woman said she'd report my uncle to RSPCA for being cruel to dog, uncle said he'll report her for letting aggressive dog on the footpath.

I don't know what to think... my uncle insists he was in the right and says dog needed to be taught a lesson or it might hurt someone or bite a child, said people nowadays are too soft on dogs. I felt a bit sorry for dog, he said I'm too soft and would think differently if i'd been raised on a farm like he was. AIBU for thinking he shouldn't have given it a thrashing?
BTW the bite wasn't deep as he had cords on, but it left bruise and little blue puncture marks where teeth went in.

Don't blame your uncle one bit. He should have then reported this dog and it's owner.

Lock jaw is a myth.
I would rather hit the owner than the dog tbh.

I would have thrashed it till it got off. I would have held it and carried on though.

If it attacked my child it Probally wouldn't have made it out alive.

We will definitely report it.

Every, not sure what type it was, looked like a spaniel but bigger (about the size of a golden-retriever but with a spaniel-type face)

A dog attacked our idiotic spaniel a few months ago. It's owner was the other side of a huge field, shouting "she's not good with other dogs" (no shit, Sherlock) so I picked it up and threw it away from my dog, and as it ran towards us again I put my foot up and it ended up biting (and pissing well ruining) my wellies as I kicked it away from my dog.

Frankly, if you're enough of a fucking tool to have a dog off lead and un-muzzled who bites, you deserve to go to jail. I'd bet my left nut it wasn't the first time the dog had bitten anyone, too. Stupid woman, your uncle was absolutely right to say he'd report her. Unsure about a "thrashing" because, frankly, the owner needs the thrashing, not the dog.

A dog that runs up and bites me has what I would call a very sincere death wish which would be fulfilled before my blood had dried on its teeth. Not joking.

I completely agree with what your uncle did. I would have thrashed the dog too. As for carrying on hitting after the dog released its grip, I can understand adrenalin, fear overtaking him, if the owner still had not taken control of her dog.
The owner needs reporting. The dog is clearly a threat and the owner clearly incompetent.

A setter of some description?

I agree with your uncle too.

t may be one that has the "lock-jaw" capability

That's a tabloid myth from the dangerous breeds panic of the early 90s.

But your Uncle wasn't unreasonable in hitting the dog til it backed away. I wouldn't have continued hitting it after it backed away, but given your Uncle was probably frightening and in pain, I can't blame him.

I'm aware of it being a myth, being the owner of 3 Boxers.

I honestly can't think right now of what breed it is. Regardless of breed, it should not have been in public off a lead. Hope your uncle is ok

He shouldn't have held the dog and thrashed it, that's wicked in my view. Appropriate action is to do what is needed to be safe, so until the dog disengaged, not to restrain it in order to give it a beating. Doesn't sound like adrenalin took over to me, he carried on even with you pleading with him to stop. That crosses the line into cruelty.
The law deals with dogs that bite people. Your uncle should have notified the police, which would protect future walkers. So is he going to do that?

I am thinking fight or flight reflex, in your uncle it was fright, adrenaline at its most powerful, an unprovoked dog attack would be terrifying, so am not surprised your uncle carried on beating the dog. Dog needs to be reported before it attacks a child. Hope your uncle is ok OP, i am sure the whole incident was very upsetting for everyone.

All hail your Uncle.

I'd have done what your uncle did. If he just let it go, no telling if the dog would try to bite again. A good thrashing would have made it very clear that this person was not someone to be messed with.

I would not feel sorry for any animal that was biting me or my children.

He was right in as far as trying to get the dog off him but once it let go he should have let go of the dog and not hit it. It may have come back for another go at him so would be fair enough to waggle the stick at it and maybe make contact of it wouldnt back down but if it just backed down then no need to keep hitting it.

I'm not sure how many of us, having just that second been bitten hard on the leg, would be worrying about what the dog needs

^^ to those saying there was no ''need'' to keep hitting it.

If the dog had bitten my child under those circ.s i'd have beaten it till it was dead i'm afraid.

Please report this dog OP. It needs putting down.

I can understand why he reacted that way. I can imagine being afraid to stop hitting the animal and giving up the upper hand in case it renewed its attack on me. Not saying it's right, but with the blood pumping and an unprovoked attack...I can see it.

your uncle was sort of nbu
I would have hit/kicked the dog in self defence but not further if the dog stopped the attack.
def report the owner for having an out of control dangerous dog.

hope your uncle is not too injured and makes a good recovery.

If the dog had bitten my child under those circ.s i'd have beaten it till it was dead i'm afraid.

Whereas in reality you'd probably be tending to your injured child and the dog would have scarpered.

I'm not sure how many of us, having just that second been bitten hard on the leg, would be worrying about what the dog needs

And actually it wasnt about what the dog needs but rather about what wasnt needed. i.e; continued beating once he'd stopped biting. Continue beating if there is a need of course, but once the need stops, then, obviously, there actually is "no need".

I don't think he was right to continue to hit it, but as others have said he was shocked and in pain so probably not rational.

It is probably good he had the stick though, as a dog which would have bitten someone with no provocation may not have stopped at one bite if he hadn't retaliated.

I'm a dog owner and my border collie jumped up on my ds and ripped his T-shirt. She is in disgrace, was given into trouble and put in her crate instead of playing with the kids and I. This is even though I am completely sure it was an accident and when I came over she was frantically licking ds's feet to say sorry. I'm her owner and it is my job to teach her any aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated, because if she was ever to bite she would have to be PTS.

Shocked at the number of people who are ok with this. Well, actually, not that shocked, people can be so ignorant around animals.

To hit the dog in self defence? Ok.

To 'teach it a lesson', under the assumption it's the dog's fault for biting the uncle? He should be ashamed of himself. I hope he doesn't own his own dogs.

It's NEVER the dogs fault. It won't understand what it's done wrong.

He was completely right to argue with the owner though. The dog is her responsibility, and if her dog injures another person, she should see that she sorts that issue out, by training or euthanasia.

He would be totally right to report the incident.

Of course its the dogs fault. It's the owners fault as well. If a dog bites me I'll kick it, no question. Then report the owner and try and have them prosecuted.