Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

146 replies

GuestCat · 22/04/2015 18:20

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.

OP posts:
SmillasSenseOfSnow · 23/04/2015 00:26

You cannot use fear/intimidation to make a dog safe.

WaywardOn3 · 23/04/2015 05:23

Problem would be knowing how the dog would react to being 'thrashed' as it could just make the dog worse

One dog may cower and never do it again

Another might become fear aggressive of strangers. We think our Akita was regularly beaten by men as she's very very anti big men coming near her (she'll growl, snarl and wet herself if they get too close)

Other dogs may take an I'll get you before you get me approach which would only make the situation worse.

Tbh I'd report the dog as it shouldn't be loose if it behaves like that. I'd also report your uncle if he held a dog down and beat on it. Fair enough to give it a wack for biting but to hold it down and thrash it? No chance that I wouldn't report that nasty behaviour

Morloth · 23/04/2015 06:15

He needs to photograph his injuries and call the police.

To answer your question I would hurt it if necessary to get it off but would not continue after that.

But I would make every effort to have it destroyed legally.

Silvercatowner · 23/04/2015 06:44

In the few seconds/minutes after I was bitten (large alsatian) I completely lost it - it hurt like hell and I was absolutely, completely terrified and in a state of panic. Any actions I took then were not based on any sort of rational thought and had I had the opportunity I could well have beaten the crap out of the dog (dog slunk away, no opportunity).

LePetitMarseillais · 23/04/2015 06:46

2 of my dc gave been attacked by dogs both unprovoked and unknown to us.The first ended up in hospital and the other didn't.I learnt my lesson and kicked second dog very hard with my walking boot.If he had looked in any way likely to return to invading my DC's space or likely to repeat it's growling and jumping on my child,biting his clothes I would have happily killed it.

Owner up in arms"he's only a puppy". Like I give a shit.

So in answer to the op,all power to the uncle.More people need to do the same,then all owners might just keep their dogs under control.

lougle · 23/04/2015 06:56

The beating was wrong. No question. But the woman should seriously consider the dog's future. It is a really hard thing to do if the dog is otherwise lovely. I had to have my dog PTS last week and it really hurts every time I look around me, but it was the right thing to do.

SoupDragon · 23/04/2015 07:09

In the few seconds/minutes after I was bitten (large alsatian) I completely lost it - it hurt like hell and I was absolutely, completely terrified and in a state of panic. Any actions I took then were not based on any sort of rational thought and had I had the opportunity I could well have beaten the crap out of the dog

This is precisely how the dog could have reacted having been beaten with a large stick. Of course, the dog would have been PTS had it reacted like that. The man with a large stick, not so much.

I said earlier that I would have hit the dig with a stick but only to fend it off. Having thought more, the beating was completely inappropriate and disproportionate and, if the man reported my dog, I would also report him.

Superexcited · 23/04/2015 07:15

The dog would not have been given a thrashing if it hadn't bitten the man.

I understand where people are coming from saying that the thrashing might make the dog more aggressive but the dog has already bitten a stranger for no apparent reason so it is clearly already aggressive and should be put to sleep.

SoupDragon · 23/04/2015 07:17

The dog would not have been given a thrashing if it hadn't bitten the man.

Irrelevant. The dog should not have been given a thrashing at all. Beat it away with the stick, yes, but the dog was cowering and whimpering and trying to get away. At that point, the uncle had crossed the line into animal abuse and being a nasty thug.

Superexcited · 23/04/2015 07:27

It isn't irrelevant. If the man had been cowering and trying to get away but the dog had carried on biting him it could have been very serious. People often don't think about what they are doing when attacked by a dog, they just react. Who knows if the dog would have continued trying to bite the man if he had just hit it once?

TheRealAmandaClarke · 23/04/2015 07:39

How disturbing. Sounds Like he was enjoying himslef a bit too much imo.
I don't even really like dogs. I would use any force atmy disposal to get a dog off a human. That dog should be destroyed imho.
But the "thrashing" to teach it alesson would have upset me and given me a less than favourable view of uncle big stick.

LegoSuperstar · 23/04/2015 07:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SoupDragon · 23/04/2015 08:24

Superexcited Beating something well past the point which is covered by self defence is wrong and makes you a nasty thug.

Who knows if the dog would have continued trying to bite the man if he had just hit it once?

The dog was cowering and trying to get away. The man could easily have defended himself with the stick if the dog came back. However, he had hold of its collar and was beating it. Of course we'll never know because the dog wasn't given the chance to get away.

Beat it off with a stick: Fine.
Choke it with its collar and give it a thrashing: Thug

Of course the dog shouldn't have bitten - of that there is no doubt. However, the man went well past the point of what was acceptable retaliation.

SoupDragon · 23/04/2015 08:27

Three are at fault here:
The owner for not securing the dog
The dog for biting
The uncle for continuing to beat the dog with a large stick

Casimir · 23/04/2015 08:33

Dog bites unprovoked. Put down. With remorse. Owner needs thrashing.

base9 · 23/04/2015 08:35

The dog should be put down. Report it. Your uncle was being ridiculous to claim hr was somehow training the dog by beating it. That said, an animal that attacks a human armed with a stick is likely to end up dead or injured, and the owner is an idiot to think otherwise.

Pepperpot99 · 23/04/2015 08:39

I'm with beating the dog tbh. Any dog that bites randomly needs to be put down.

Tizwailor · 23/04/2015 08:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SurlyCue · 23/04/2015 08:56

I understand where people are coming from saying that the thrashing might make the dog more aggressive but the dog has already bitten a stranger for no apparent reason so it is clearly already aggressive and should be put to sleep.

So absoloutely no purpose to beating it then if it is going to be put to sleep is there? Its unnecessary pain when another painless solution is available and likely.

SurlyCue · 23/04/2015 09:00

Who knows if the dog would have continued trying to bite the man if he had just hit it once?

Who knows if the dog would have went mad at being beaten and attacked the man more severely?

SurlyCue · 23/04/2015 09:03

I'm with beating the dog tbh. Any dog that bites randomly needs to be put down.

Yes, put down! Not beaten for no purpose other than to make the man feel as if he's gotten his own back!

Fuck there are some stupid attitudes on this thread. "Dog needs put down so lets beat it as well" Hmm

SmilingHappyBeaver · 23/04/2015 09:06

The Uncle was absolutely right, just a shame he didn't kill it... the owner clearly can't/won't control it, and takes no responsibility. If no one has reported it, then it's still a danger to the public. It might be a child's face next time.

Aussiemum78 · 23/04/2015 09:07

Dogs that attack humans should be destroyed.

I'd have done the same.

HagOtheNorth · 23/04/2015 09:08

' Owner said it got out of her garden and said it had never bitten anyone before, she didn't believe us until uncle showed her his leg.'

Yes, that's a fairly common response from a negligent owner.
The last time a dog had a go, growling and snapping, I had a small child with me. I dislike badly-behaved dogs and am frightened of aggressive ones, so I wasn't thinking straight. I probably wasn't thinking at all when I grabbed it by the collar and tail and threw it away from us very hard.
Fortunately the dog was frightened and ran back to its shrieking and angry owner.If it hadn't, I bet my response would have continued to be aggressive.
Took me a while to stop shaking with the adrenaline, I was furious.

Viviennemary · 23/04/2015 09:09

It was a vicious and dangerous dog. Next time it could attack a child and do worse injuries. The women should be reported. No your uncle should not have taken the law into his own hands. I think he was right to hit the dog when it attacked him but not to continue to beat it.