Dog attacked my husband! Feeling very cross about irresponsible owner

[BaitandSwitch]

My husband takes a regular walk around the local park and fields and today he came home with some face bleeding.
What had transpired was that a regular dog walker had let her dog off the lead - which bounded up to my H and jumped up at him. In the process drew blood from 4 places - 1 claw clipped the inside of his nostril, and three sites around the nose and cheek. He naturally was in a state of mild shock. I asked what the owner's reaction had been. He responded he sees her and that dog regularly and the dog always makes a beeline for him and jumps at him. The owner laughed it off apparently saying, " oh he always goes for you".
I feel so angry and upset - how dare she have such a cavalier attitude and not keep her out of control mutt on a lead? I feel inclined to accompany my H on his next walk and give her a piece of my mind if I see her. I have just had to get this off my chest.

It was an accident, these things happen. Move on with your life and stop being so childish

It wasn't an accident. It was caused by the inconsiderate dog owner refusing to keep their excitable dog on a lead. The OP said the dog constantly jumps up at her husband. That is not an accident.

Unless you know that your dog will never bother other people (or dogs come to that) it should be on a short lead at all times in public.

1. This was not an attack. Don’t use the word attack. It trivialises those individuals who have been attacked by a dog and even killed.

2. if it was an average size mongrel then it would not have reached your dh’s face like that unless he is extremely short🤔

3. he more than likely got down to pet the dog, the dog was over excited and jumped up. Hence his reluctance to report anything.

4. the dog ran over, because your dh has previously made a fuss of him, otherwise he would ignore him as there would be no point in seeing him.

5. This ‘scratch’ was an unfortunate accident not an attack. To clarify an accident is an unplanned or uncontrolled event that has led or could have led to injury, damage or loss.

@AllInaday

Yep, although there are many decent, considerate dog owners about, there are complete wassocks as well (a few on this thread!)

Every time I go for a walk for an hour or so, be that by the canal, or river, or in the woodlands, or the country lanes, I always encounter an entitled clown with their mutt on the loose! And 2 out of 3 times, the mutt comes bounding up to me, knocking me sideways, (almost into the canal a few times,) and covering me in mud and crap off their paws.

I have also been scratched and caught by their claws, with cries of 'he won't hurt you' coming at me. And I have even been pinned up against a wall by someone's dog, who the owner had NO control over. He pinned me against the wall for 2-3 minutes before he could get him away from me.

Big fucking lurcher it was. Went mental at me, and all I was doing was walking along a country lane, minding my own business. All the man did was walk off saying 'he is only playing!' Absolutely fucking clueless! (Like a few posters on this thread!)

In addition, I have been on the beach with my family, and had peoples (loose) dogs pissing around with our stuff on the beach, and jumping up my kids, One time a dog grabbed hold of our backpack and dragged it across the sand for about 20 feet. Everything fell out, including a £150 digital camera, and then he pissed on our backpack. Think that's funny? It ruined my camera, and I never saw the owner again, as he couldn't get away fast enough!

The entitled dog owners on here, who think their mutt can do no wrong, would find some way, deep down in their tiny brains, of blaming ME for my camera being wrecked, and ME for the dog attacking me and pinning me against a wall, and ME for nearly getting knocked into the canal.

'Oh you should take better care of your stuff,' and 'you should not walk so close to the canal then,' and 'well you should have put your hands up and said NO' because THAT always works when a dog is attacking someone DOESN'T it?'

I wish these dogs and their appalling, entitled owners would drop off the planet to be quite honest. I have no IDEA why they think every passer by, wants to be mauled and clawed by their mutt.

In addition, in many villages around me, (and the fields surrounding them) there are signs all over the place, telling people to keep their dogs on leads, as they scare the farm animals, and especially the young farm animals. Dogs on the loose, spooking farm animals with their wild and erratic behaviour, (sometimes even jumping at the animals and attacking them,) have actually resulted in farm animals losing their young, because of the shock.

But I suppose they are JUST BEING FRIENDLY eh??? FFS!

Like a lot of other (sensible) posters on here, I am both gobsmacked AND angry at the lackadaisical attitude on here from some dog owners, trivialising the bad behaviour of some dogs (AND their appalling owners.) They think that a badly trained dog, off a lead, jumping up into peoples faces, is acceptable, and is only 'being friendly!' And if you DARE challenge them on it, or get (understandably ) pissed off, you are being RUDE to them.

How about THEY stop being bloody RUDE, and start controlling their mutts, and stop assuming everyone is interested in interacting with them. Because many people are not, and NO-ONE wants a dog bounding up to them, jumping up them, and covering them in mud, and scratches, or even worse, intimidating and scaring them, and biting them.

THEY are in the wrong, (the entitled, appalling, dog owners who think they and their mutt can do no wrong;) NOT the people having to tolerate their dogs, with their 'friendly greetings' who are 'just playing' and who 'won't hurt you.'

Sort yourselves out! (And keep your bloody dogs on leads!)

Fucking hell people! If a dog I didn’t know and wasn’t interacting with jumped up and clawed my face leaving me bleeding I would bloody well call it an attack. It doesn’t matter what the dog’s intentions were.

I would also be fucking terrified and almost certainly crying but that’s because, having been bitten by a random dog before, I’m frightened of all dogs I don’t know.

Somewhere between these polar opposite views there is probably a sensible middle ground.

Dog owners should ideally keep dogs on a lead that aren't fully under control. Even if you know your dog isn't dangerous, a stranger doesn't and may not want it jumping up and fussing them. It can be frightening and cause accidents.

But people could also be a little more understanding to dog owners and accept that even old or well trained dogs can do out of character things. Should every dog always have to be kept on a lead even in remote places just in case they take off? Providing they aren't dangerous/likely to cause injury or major distress, as a one off I would probably let an incident like this go or casually remind the owner to keep the dog on a lead. I wouldn't call it a an attack. But I can sympathise that it wasn't a pleasant experience for your husband

Okay so he wasn't attacked. A dog tried to say hello and was a little over friendly. Yes he should be kept on the lead. But you're massively overreacting. This is the most sensible comment. Yes, it shouldn't have happened, but it wasn't an 'attack'. The owner, now knowing what the dog can do (albeit accidentally) should keep the dog on a lead if she thinks he may run over to someone.

And SnowyAlpsandPeaks is more than likely right - your DH bent down to fuss the dog as he usually does. If he was that bothered he would have said something, or reacted more after.

Actually Raindropsonroses27 Has the most sensible comment

The owner, now knowing what the dog can do (albeit accidentally) should keep the dog on a lead if she thinks he may run over to someone

Errrr no. The OP actually says the owner acknowledged her dog has done this before. It's not a first time.

I love how some posters make it all up as they go along because they haven't RTFT. The OP has already said her DH did not bend down to pet the dog. Where on earth does the OP say he usually does this? She has said he doesn't. So why put in a post your DH bent down to fuss the dog as he usually does

Snowy your points are incorrect. There have already been dog owners on here saying their pets can jump up and reach their face. Plus... see above... the DH does not make a fuss of the dog, never has done. You're just making stuff up to justify why an out of control dog has scratched someone's face in 4 places.

I'm sick of owners who think this is all ok. I have a friend who was attacked by a dog when she was a child. (attacked might mean she was scratched in the face, no idea). Needless to say, she would be absolutely terrified if this happened to her. But a lot of you seem to think she is exaggerating/making a fuss/being dramatic.

And can I suggest that dog owners with misbehaving dogs stop saying 'he's only playing' or 'he won't hurt you'. I'm not terrified of dogs but those sort of words are soooo annoying. Why not 'I'm sorry my dog is running up at you, I'll put him on a shorter lead now' ?

The owner acknowledged the dog goes over for fuss. The dog has never hurt him before.

And yes, a dog could jump up that high theoretically but its highly unlikely the dog launched itself 6 foot in the air.
A dog jumping up with the front two paws for a fuss is likely, but to reach the face, the person would have had to be bend down slightly, as is normal when fussing a dog.

The key is that the husband doesn't want a fuss being made so he obviously doesn't think it is that big of a deal. Accidents happen.

and a scratch isn't an attack ffs

Dog owners need to accept that not everyone likes dogs, and therefore not everyone likes a dog to ‘just be friendly’. I have 4 cats, but I accept that not everyone appreciates having a cat jump on their lap and if I have guests who don’t like it, I shut my cats out of the room.

I have no problem with well behaved dogs, I actually like them, but I absolutely don’t want a dog to jump up at me when I’m out for a walk, thank you very much.

Personally, I’ve had to work hard to convince my DDs not to be afraid of dogs, as we have friends and family who have dogs and they did need to get used to having them around. So out of control dogs really don’t help with this!

Lizzie48 I've got to admit, I did assume the husband was walking a dog and therefore had experience and was comfortable with dogs. Rereading the OP it doesn't clarify that.

Nowhere does it say that the OP and her DH have a dog. I think we have to assume that they don’t; he was just going for a walk on his own.

Lizzie48 Which I think does change the story a bit. But I still would not call it an attack.
An attack doesn't have to be a bite, could be a scratch, but it has to be intentional and this clearly wasn't.
However, if the dog has form for it, then it should be on a lead.

it needs PTS, due to it's stupid owner.

RomanyQueen1 Thanks for your very helpful input.

Ahh.... so the dog didn't intend to jump up... rightio....

The OP says this... He responded he sees her and that dog regularly and the dog always makes a beeline for him and jumps at him

How does that translate to The owner acknowledged the dog goes over for fuss
?

Golly me, talk about putting a spin on the original facts...

it needs PTS, due to it's stupid owner

For accidentally scraping someone with its claws?!

Jeez, my MILs dog has ruined countless pairs of tights and made me bleed before scratching my legs because she wants affection and will scratch as a way of attention seeking if she doesn’t get it.
Should she be PTS too?!

it needs PTS, due to it's stupid owner
Really? The dog was out of control but it wasn't aggressive. The owner needs someone to have a sharp word and to take the dog to training classes. Suggesting PTS is a complete over-reaction.

The dog was dangerously out of control. It injured someone. The owner could be liable to up to five years in prison, or a fine, or both. The dog could be destroyed.

www.gov.uk/control-dog-public

It is impossible to ascertain the intent of an animal therefore the owner will always be held accountable for its actions.

This isn't a trivial event. We're all entitled to move freely through public places without fear of an animal accosting us. Under the law, none of us is expected to manage or control someone else's animal. The owner of the animal is obliged to do that.

But who’s going to make the owner do that? She unfortunately doesn’t seem bothered that her dog is out of control. A couple of PPs suggested the dog warden?

But it would definitely be a massive overreaction for the dog to be PTS, it wasn’t an attack, quite clearly.

Jesus Christ mumsnet anti dog hysteria at its finest. So your DH (not you) was accidentally scratched by a dog that admittedly should have been better controlled. Just how big was this average mongrel?

Next thing people are screaming it could have killed a toddler, call the police (who have so much time to deal with such things).

So your DH was close enough to the floor to be scratched by the dog of a woman he sees regularly during his solo park walks and doesn’t want to take it further. Why do you hate the dog so much😂

Forget the dog. The dog was doing what dogs do.

the owner of the dog was not in control of it and threfore was commiting an offence.

No criminal intent is needed; no actual harm is needed, just a reasonable expectation of it.. and OPs DH was harmed, the dog's actions drew blood. That is harm.

Specifically It is an offence to allow a dog to attack or cause serious injury to a person or livestock, or to behave in such a way that makes a person worried that it might attack them

www.gov.uk/control-dog-public

As a dog owner I would be horrified if my dog did that. Not that he could, as he is never off lead in public spaces... except ones intended for off lead dog exercising.

I was making a fuss of a flat coat retriever. Not a massive dog. Quite a small one. I stopped. It jumped up to my face height. Didn’t hurt me but a dog doesn’t have to be enormous to jump that high.
Dogs shouldn’t jump up at people. But I can’t understand why the OP’s DH hasn’t asked the owners to keep it away of it makes a beeline for him and he doesn’t want it to.
Dogs should be under control in public. This wasn’t an attack but it wasn’t under control.

But I'm just double checking here - your husband is an adult right? So surely it is up to him not you what the course of action is here.

It does not really matter weather it was a friendly or aggressive attack, the fact is that you husband was injured. The dog is obviously out of control and the dog warden should be contacted. If it were a child it could have led to severe trauma as well as injury.