Neighbours dog has just attacked me and DD.

[katkat90]

Have had issues with them in the past

They are elderly, with two large breed dogs (think Great Danes?). They cannot control them. Honestly the amount of times I have seen them nearly pull them over in the street/simply pull out of their grasp and go bouncing off and jumping all over people is untrue.

Was walking back from the shop and saw them coming from a distance so I stepped to the side into another neighbours driveway and next thing I know- one of them had pulled out of its owners grasp and came bounding over and knocked DD (who is just about getting confident with her toddling) over.

It was over in seconds- by the time I put the break on the pram (was stood on a slopes drive so it would of ran off into the road) and went to grab DD she was already on the floor the dog barking at her- so I kicked it to get it away, and it bit my leg.

I was furious. Owner very embarrassed an apologetic but I’ve said enough is enough and I would be contacting the police and the RSPCA.

Heaven forbid it bounded on the pram and just decided to bite my 2 week old. It would of taken her head off no doubt.

V shaken and waiting for DH to get home to call the police and RSPCA.

I’ve also messaged his daughter on Facebook

@OnTheHop

There’s no magic trick to control someone else’s dog...

If I thought there was a chance of biting I’d put myself between the dog and toddler and move the toddler away, as calmly as I could.

But tbh in the OP’s situation, it’s not a strange dog and she owns dogs...so I’d probably tell it to move and sit, even dogs with little to know training tend to know sit.

Alright, I'm back and I thought I'd give my opinion and advice...

Do the PPs on here who seem to have a strong dislike for dogs realise that a dog's mind doesn't work like a human's? They don't have guilt, conscious or understanding of things the way we do- dogs do not just randomly decide to attack, they do it based on circumstances and instinct. Training teaches them which behaviour not to display. Good training does this through positive reinforcement- you CAN NOT just teach a dog to not respond if someone else attacks them, which the OP did by kicking it.
If someone kicks a dog, its instinct will either be fight, flight, or freeze. Luckily, this dog DID NOT attack back, instead it stopped her attacking. The fact OP thought kicking a dog would give a positive result is ridiculous.
Now, I agree those dogs are out of control and should be rehomed to an owner who can control them. Them escaping their lead is their owner's fault. However, in no way did the OP describe those dogs as aggressive, the seemed excited yes, but there was no growling, snarling, teeth showing. Barking is what dog's do- this dog barked probably because the child may have been screaming but again there seems to be no indication in the OP that those dog "lunged or went for" her child, newly walking toddlers get knocked over by anything- the dog most likely brushed by her. Kicking the dog was the wrong action.

Now, for crying out loud would you all stop frothing at the mouth? Dogs are part of our world, cats are part of our world, children are part of our world and so are many other creatures. There may be some you hate, there may be some you love but we all have to deal with them one way or another- so lets all attempt to use a little intelligence.
It would be responsible to educate yourselves on how to handle dogs who pose a risk for your own and your children's safety. Saying "I shouldn't have to handle someone else's dog", well no, of course you shouldn't and in a perfect world all dog owners would be responsible, and car crashes wouldn't happen and people wouldn't get their house burgled- sadly we do not live in a perfect world so as adults we should be smart enough to take precautions. But then again, if you'd prefer to take that risk and do something stupid like kick a dog that may or may not be aggressive- then by all means go for it but don't be surprised if you end up in a hospital bed or worse. OP, you were lucky that Great Dane didn't actually attack you. Yes, this dog should be reported as it is not in control, no it did not attack you or your DD and no it should NOT be put down.

And one last thing, please can people not go around spraying deodorant or reporting dogs who simply look or "shock horror" bark in their direction WHILST being under control? These dogs are not a threat to you if they are being controlled by their owners.

PengAly at no point have i advocated spraying anything at a dog under control. The deoderant advice was to avoid someone potentially getting a firearms charge for defending against an out of control dog!

Dogs on leads are NOT always under control. People need to stop saying they are. If a dog can drag its owner with said owner panicking as in one pp example then no, that dog is NOT under control

@Pissedoffdotcom read my post properly. I never said ALL dogs on leads are under control. I referred to dogs that ARE under control.
Also, spraying chemicals in a dogs eyes is extremely harmful, dangerous and very cruel.

This has obviously been a terrifying experience for you.Obviously there's no requirement for them to do so but it's a pity the owners haven't spoken with you as I'm sure it scared them as much as you. Perhaps they've already thought through the situation and decided on what they should do. Stay calm , don't transfer your fear to your child and bear in mind that you may encounter these dogs again as the owners my be asked to muzzle them in public.A combination of a child just starting to toddler and a huge dog was never going to end well.

Not being funny, if an out of control dog comes at me snarling (as i have experienced) i genuinely don't give a damn about how much damage i am going to do defending myself. I am all for doing what you can for animals but if the decision is between hurting a dog & getting mauled? It's a no brainer. Exactly the same as if a person decided to attack me. People are trying to make out that there are ways to stop dogs attacking - in some cases there aren't.

Yes, spraying a dog with deodorant or chilli powder in the face is very distressing for the dog. They tend to break off lunging, barking and snarling at you and roll around pawing their face whilst you run away.
So to protect your dog, look out for its physical and emotional well-being and don’t let it get into trouble. Don’t let it appear out of control, because you don’t know whether the person it is interacting with is safe or not. Think Stranger Danger.

Oh would you come off it. The problem is in the OP that dog was not described as aggressive or snarling. Based on some the responses on here you'd all harm a dog JUST for barking in your direction while is was being well controlled! Some posters are even interested in how to kill an animal! People need to stop and think for a moment. If a dog is not displaying any signs of aggression than attacking is it unnecessary and would make the situation worse. If it is actually showing signs of aggression and likely to attack then yes you should defend yourself but I'm just pointing out not to go randomly spraying and attacking innocent dogs

Good advice even if it is slightly snidey. End of the day the owner is responsible for their dog & not putting them in a position that endangers them OR other people is the owners responsibility.

Who would randomly spray an innocent dog? What would be the point?
People are talking about responding to dogs they feel are seriously threatening them, or frightening them. Our perception may be different to a dog lover’s, but that’s why the onus is on the owner to keep their fur baby safe.

PengAly you deliberately mentioned deoderent. If you read back, that was in response to someone who has experienced an aggressive dog attack & carries pepper spray. Deoderent was mentioned based on THAT comment not the OP being barked at ffs. So no, i don't suggest someone sprays a dog for barking but there are some people who sadly HAVE been attacked nastily who quite rightly want to know they can defend themselves if it ever happened again. Your high horse crap shows you either haven't read the thread properly or you just want to make anyone who defends themselves feel like shit. Dog owners have the responsibility BY LAW to control their dog. End of story

It’s not really just about the barking though. I have a small dog (who is always on the lead as his recall is shaky), and when young kids come running up to him (which they do - he’s small and sweet looking) I always hold on tightly to him - as I’m worried about him accidentally knocking them over - and he’s only a little dog - so a Great Dane - running out of nowhere would be terrifying if you’re little.

I'm referring to posters on here who seem to think a dog barking means the dog is aggressive. I have read it properly and that's why i'm so shocked. The issue is, people who are terrified of dogs may assume an innocent dog who barks is going to attack and take the wrong actions. There is no need for insulting my post by calling it "high hose crap". I never singled out you or anything you said. I was directing it towards the posters who seemed to lack knowledge. Calm yourself down.

Also, of course its the owners responsibility to control their dog- I never said it wasn't. It'd just be nice for some people not to take the wrong actions due to a lack of knowledge and make a situation worse.

I'd always completely disconnected barking from any behaviour...I'm slightly concerned that people on here are saying it IS indicative of stress or being out of control.

Dogs barking excessively isn't great and to be honest, owners really should train that behaviour. But in the same token barking is by nature what a dog does. You really don't have to be a dog expert to tell the difference between an happy "hello bark" and an aggressive, snarling "I'm going to attack you bark".

Nobody else has mentioned spraying a dog with anything. Reporting them for behaviour that is controlled, yes. Hence my comment. So yes, your comment re the deoderent comes across very high horsey!

Barking can be a sign of stress, anxiety, fear, aggression...if a dog is barking excessively it is too worked up, either positively (excited) or negatively (stress/aggression).

Yes i understand why dogs bark i was making a point that a dog JUST barking is not grounds to assume its dangerous. This thread brought out a lot of dog hatred so i fear some posters would spray innocent dogs

This advice about dogs from dog owners is all very well, but why should anyone else have to be used to dogs, know about dogs, be schooled in dog psychology etc?

You owners all chose to have the damn hounds: YOU sort it out. No dog should ever be a nuisance to anyone else, whether another dog owner, a passer-by, a motorist, a child, or anyone else.

Your dogs do not have rights. They are just property you decide to own and take into public spaces.

If I could I’d get a leopard and walk it in my local dog walking area. After it had killed or scared off all the dogs I’d just say “oh, she’s not normally like that. She was just excited.”

No matter the subject, humankind always wants to divide as if we're not all the same bloody species.

Liverpool vs Chelsea
Male vs female
Old vs young
Rich vs poor
Dog owners vs non dog owners

There really is no hope for us because, as can be seen here, people are fundamentally incapable of offering any understanding or compassion for the "gang" they don't feel they belong in.

This advice about dogs from dog owners is all very well, but why should anyone else have to be used to dogs, know about dogs, be schooled in dog psychology etc?

You don't have to be schooled in anything. People are simply offering advice that could be helpful. It's entirely your choice to ignore and put your fingers in your ears going "la la la" . It doesn't matter how many times you say " It's not my problem. Dog owners should do X Y Z....." The reality is dogs are part of our culture and society. 26% of the population of the uk own a dog. And within that very large group of people there will be a minority who are CF dog owners: irresponsible, thoughtless, incompetent, abusive etc. etc. etc.

Responsible dog owners welcome laws and sanctions against irresponsible dog owners.

You can choose to ignore advice but that's a strange and short sighted approach to a fact of life.

Really? You think that one group asking another group to respect their boundaries makes an insurmountable problem?

@KissingInTheRain of course its the owners responsibility to control their dog. Unfortunately our world isnt perfect and the wrong people own dogs therefore meaning their is a potential danger. Using common sense and understanding how to handle certain dog related situations benefits YOU. It keeps you and your family SAFE. Someone made a good analogy of how we teach children to cross the road and look both ways at a pedestrian crossing. Same logic- legally its the drivers responsibility to stop but there are stupid drivers on the road who dont stop. Why shouldnt we understand that we cant control the behaviours of other (bad) dog owners and instead learn how to deal with a situation should it arise? And you really dont need special dog psychology...a 5 minute google would give you plenty of advice.

missbattenburg actually this thread shows that there is a great amount of shared understanding between the vast majority of dog owners and non dog owners.

There are however a minority of people in both groups on this thread that appear to have no understanding of other perspectives.

Women to men.
‘Don’t scare us, hurt us, try and grab us or dry hump us, do stupid shit and claim it was a joke or ‘ just being friendly, can’t you take a joke, bitch?’ Respect our wish to not interact with you without being offended or abusive about it.

Dog dislikersto dog owners about their dogs. Same dialogue.