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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Dangerous dogs

96 replies

Ghanagirl · 29/03/2017 23:13

AIBU to ask how you can help protect your self from being bitten by aggressive dogs.
I have to visit clients at home and frequently come in to contact with various pets, some docile others really aggressive and owner's of latter often seem unconcerned that their snarling dog can be intimidating to a person that has to visit their home by law (I work for NHS) I've never been bitten but know colleagues who have so I'm now nervous around dogs in particular...

OP posts:

RabidLimboMum · 30/03/2017 11:03

I would suggest asking if the owner would mind putting the dog in another room and explaining you are a little nervous of dogs.

I always put my dog upstairs before I open the door if I know I am expecting someone simply because I know he will want to make a fuss of them and some may not like it.... Besides that they are there to do a job and I can't imagine most want to be distracted by my goofy hound.

papercoversrock · 30/03/2017 11:08

I have a very friendly pointer who poses no threat to anyone and does as she's told. However, if anybody is due to visit in a professional capacity, we make sure she is out of the way - we put her in another room with a toy or bone, one of us takes her on a walk, or we ask a friend to look after her for a few hours. It's easily done and there's no excuse not to. You are absolutely NBU. I think your best bet in this situation is to lie a little and tell people you have an allergy. That way, you can tell them what a great dog lover you are and confirm for them how lovely and wonderful you think their dog is, but still insist that they keep it out of your way. It makes for a more pleasant conversation, and there's no arguing with an allergy.

Summerisdone · 30/03/2017 11:13

You have the right to ask people to put the dog somewhere else such as another room or the garden whilst you're visiting their home.
I have a little cockapoo that is so very friendly and wants to be everybody's friend when out and about, but if a strange man comes into the house he goes crazy, never gone to bite them but he will stand about a metre away and just bark like mad, so can be intimidating to the poor blokes that don't know his usual temperament.
I just put him in my bedroom now when he gets like this as it's unfair on others to have to deal with a dog that's barking like it wants to rip their head off.

Summerisdone · 30/03/2017 11:15

Just to be clear, the 'strange men' aren't actually strangers to myself (that would just be weird) unless it's a work man just come to do his job, the other men are two work friends and they're only strangers to my dog

StarryIllusion · 30/03/2017 11:46

Grow up because you are verbally attacking loup for owning a certain breed. It hasn't even done anything.

EverdeRose · 30/03/2017 12:08

I'm a nurse, as a student during a community nursing placement my mentor took me to a house with two very friendly staffies, the owner was under us for palliative care and we were offering advice and support but no practical nursing. They were amazing family dogs and I went on multiple occasions and they'd usually be sat in the same room hoping for a stroke,, at the time they removed all misconceptions I'd had with that and similar breeds.

When the patient deteriorated and I went to administer some IM medication the owner winced as I injected her and the dogs pounced. I was severely mauled, and required extensive surgery and EMDR therapy for PTSD I suffered.

I'd recommend you ask for any and all pets to be locked out of the way before any visit if they look vicious or not, even the most friendly of animals will become aggressive if they believe their owner is at risk. No matter what the owners say or how offended they feel about it, your safety is your priority, refuse to visit unless animals are locked away, if they manage to escape during the visit pack up your things and leave immediately.

Songbirdthatsings · 30/03/2017 12:09

Iam....
This is precisely why if I know a nervous guest is coming over or a complete stranger (ie professional capacity visitor etc) I always move the dogs away. I appreciate not everybody loves dogs or wants to be approached by them. If a guest comes in and asks about the dogs and wants to see them then great, if they don't it makes no difference to me.

My point really is that if it was just a case that the dog was seen as a distraction I personally wouldn't see it as such if it was a calm dog lying in the corner of a room minding it's own business. However if the person is scared of dogs they should either say or make an excuse such as the allergy suggestion. I would hope that most decent owners would be respectful of this. And I would certainly expect an aggressive dog to be out the way for visitors but then as someone else said there are arseholes in every walk of life that don't give a crap about anyone but themselves.

I think if you make your own appointments ask if they have a dog and ask if it can be moved to another room for the visit. Upon arrival if Cujo is hanging off the door then tell them you won't be stepping in is probably the safest way to go. Its good you've got the HR guidelines to work with too.

myoriginal3 · 30/03/2017 12:27

It's only this week that a man was killed by his own 'Staffie' or Staffordshire Bull Terrier. I despise that breed. The amount of people on MN advocating this breed for family pets astounds me.

Anyway, owners are being arses if they don't remove a dog when they see someone is uncomfortable.

armpitz · 30/03/2017 12:29

The point though isn't if YOU would choose a staff as a family pet or if you like dogs or not.

If your job entails visiting people in their homes you will come across things that you would in a normal working environment find unacceptable: dogs, smoke, nowhere to have a wee, difficult to access, and so on.

Now of course if you are scared of dogs you have the right to ASK if they will put the dog away and I imagine most people would but some people have carers / district nurses in and out several times a day and would not be thrilled to shut the dog away every time.

So really - yes you can ask but unless the dog is dangerous they can say no!

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 30/03/2017 12:33

Any dog has the potential to be dangerous. That's why I don't like. They're so unpredictable.
IMO dogs lose their appeal once they're not cute little puppies.

supermoon100 · 30/03/2017 12:35

'Unless the dog is dangerous ' - all dogs are potentially dangerous or at least have the ability to bite. The amount of times I've heard 'oh he wouldn't hurt a fly'! Jesus, I bet matey boy who lived in wood green said that right before his dog killed him

5moreminutes · 30/03/2017 12:40

"unless the dog is dangerous"

And there you have it.

A reasonable owner will put the dog away. The one who won't because their dog is too special is the one who doesn't understand anything about dogs (never mind how many they've owned) and who will minimise anybiting in the past claiming it was "in play" or the fault of the person bitten (when in fact it is always the dog owner's fault).

That is the person whose dog will bite you, right there.

Absolutely refuse to enter the house where the owner won't put the dog away - asking is a litmus test.

supermoon100 · 30/03/2017 12:43

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1210213/Greyhound-bit-nose--I-love-new-face-says-model-savaged-dog.html

I remember seeing this woman interviewed on tv years ago. She said her dog had never shown any sign of aggression the one night it bites off her nose as she sleeps!

EverdeRose · 30/03/2017 12:44

Armpitz
The only reason I ended up mauled was because the question we asked was 'do you have any animals in the property that are aggressive?' The dogs had never shown any aggressive behaviour, they were brilliant with their very young children, a host of other family pets and a mass of healthcare workers that went in and out of the house. My attack was the first sign of any aggression or violence they'd exhibited.
You have a right to feel safe in any workplace even if that is in somebodies home. That NHS trust now has a policy of requesting all animals are kept away during any visit and gives professionals the right to decline to enter the property if they are not.

mumontherun14 · 30/03/2017 12:47

I have a rescue dog a wee terrier who is very barky when any visitors come to the house. I have done a lot of training 1 to 1 with a behaviour expert and I know that her behaviour is due to fear and guarding the house and us, I would never let her run loose when non dog lover guests are in or it's a visitor she doesn't know. She goes in the kitchen with a stair gate or in her crate. She is a calm loving dog with us but I could quite see how her barking could be indimidating. I would certainly not mind if you said to me that you were a bit nervous round dogs and I would happilly put her away while you visited

ipswichwitch · 30/03/2017 12:54

EverdeRose, that sounds horrific, and I'm sorry you've had such an awful experience
That was however, exactly the point I was going to make. One of my DC will cry at the mere sight of an HCP, never mind if they need to actually touch/examine him or administer any treatment. It's not such a massive leap of imagination to think that a normally placid and friendly dog may react to his upset, and go for that HCP in an effort to protect him. God knows his little brother certainly does!

You may know your dog is soft and wouldn't hurt a fly. An HCP/gas man/whoever visiting your house won't know that, and have a right to do their job without worrying about being mauled/licked to death.

fourteenlittleducks · 30/03/2017 13:03

If your job entails visiting people in their homes you will come across things that you would in a normal working environment find unacceptable: dogs, smoke, nowhere to have a wee

You wee between visits and ask patients not to smoke while you're in the house. As for dogs, I don't 'ask' for them to be put away, I tell them. If they refuse I don't come in. It's a condition of me visiting them at home and I make this clear when I phone beforehand.

I can't tell which dogs are aggressive and which aren't. I'm visiting in a professional context not as a friend. I don't want to be jumped up at, licked or go to my next patient smelling of dog.

An unrestrained dog in a stranger's home is a potential hazard, even if it's sleeping on the rug when you enter.

The only exceptions I make are trained assistance dogs (eg Guide Dogs).

Iamastonished · 30/03/2017 13:06

Songbirdthatsings If all dog owners were like you threads like this wouldn't even exist.

EverdeRose's story is a salutory lesson to all dog owners who think that their dog would never hurt anyone.

For the record I like dogs and grew up with them, but I can still understand why people are nervous around them

Original poster

Ghanagirl · 30/03/2017 14:15

StarryIllusion I didn't verbally attack anyone I simply asked why she needs a Personal Protection dog as

I've never heard of a dog used for this purpose
I'm a health care professional who is coming into your house to provide care for your child, I think I should be allowed to do my job free from fear. Some of my clients particularly those who require frequent home visits have parents that have drug and alcohol issues or their is concerns about domestic violence, so I really don't want to rely on them to say their pet is to be trusted

OP posts:

Original poster

Ghanagirl · 30/03/2017 14:31

armpitz
Yes I do come across all sorts at home visits but I never use clients toilets also I ask them to put out cigarettes if they are smoking around children.
If you want to smoke, drink, have animals running around whilst I'm assessing or carrying out treatment on your child you should get a private HCP as NHS staff have a duty to report such behaviour and don't think a private nurse would tolerate such behaviour.
Anyway it's a moot point as my HR and unison have said that we are not to undertake a visit if we feel at risk.
If you honestly think it's more important that your pet stays in the room than your baby or child recieves their required health care then it's pointless arguing with you

OP posts:

drspouse · 30/03/2017 14:45

OP I'm glad your union and HR are sticking up for you. My DM used to work in private homes (some of them similar to the ones you mention) in an educational role and some of her stories are similar.

Porpoiselife · 30/03/2017 16:13

Blackfellpony

I have an aggressive dog.

Why?

Blackfellpony · 30/03/2017 16:15

Clearly it wasn't something I actively looked for Porpoise.

I didn't exactly set out looking for the puppy most likely to bite someone.

Some dogs are damaged due to being poorly treated. Some are born genetically more nervous than others. There are a thousand reasons why a dog can turn out aggressive despite the very best help.

armpitz · 30/03/2017 16:17

I don't have a baby or a dog right now OP so you don't need to argue with me :)

My point is that what you can reasonably expect people to do in their own homes differs from yours. We both agree aggressive dogs should be removed but you seem to believe 'all dogs can be aggressive so all dogs should be removed' is reasonable. I don't think it is.

Porpoiselife · 30/03/2017 16:32

but you seem to believe 'all dogs can be aggressive so all dogs should be removed' is reasonable. I don't think it is.

I think that's reasonable. everdroses post is a very good example of why that is a reasonable request.

The OP should be able to do her job in someones home without feeling nervous about the dog when simply putting it in another room is a reasonable answer.

Blackfellpony I understand that, but I don't understand why you would still have the dog if its turned out aggressive and could potentially hurt someone in your family.

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