Reporting dangerous dogs?

[LondonLassi]

Something has been on my mind for a few days after hearing about the poor 12 day old baby who died after being attacked by a dog.

My sister’s neighbour has a 16 year old son who is regularly in trouble with the police. I spend a lot of time there. The screaming and shouting that comes from next door is horrendous and the police are often called out to restrain him. He is not in school. Smokes weed all day. I’ve never seen his face because he wears a hoodie over a face covering (even pre-COVID) I’m just trying to paint a picture of the kind of troubled youth we’re dealing with here. If you make eye contact with him he will swear at you, call you names and threaten you. He is quite frankly a bit scary.

About a year ago they got two puppies from the same litter. They are fully grown now and they look like some sort of pit bull cross. Possibly pit bull/mastiff. They are huge. I’ll attach a pic of what I think they might be. When we sit out in the garden we can hear them next door fighting and growling, they barge my sisters fence to try to get to her small jack Russell terriers. They’ve had to repair the fence three times already after the dogs broke it.

This boy walks the dogs regularly. They are not muzzled. If we happen to leave the house at the same time the dogs go up on their hind legs and get very over excited. The boy has to pull them back to get them away. They try to break free to get to anyone walking near them if they’re out for a walk. Tonight we happened to be leaving as the boy was walking home. The dogs immediately started barking at us and were trying to run towards us and had to be restrained. We often hear people shouting when they walk by because of the dogs trying to get to them. It’s very scary when it happens because they are big and intimidating.

I am terrified of what would happen if these dogs managed to get loose. They have been raised by someone with a violent, anti social background. I can’t shake the image of them getting hold of a child. The boy has a little brother in the house, probably around 6 years old.

What would you do in this situation? I’m thinking of reporting them as potentially dangerous dogs. If IABU please tell me. It just seems like an awful attack waiting to happen.

I am very used to dogs of all breeds, and have no breed prejudice. It has to be taken into consideration though that some breeds can do far more damage than others in the same way a chihuahua bite wont do the same damage as a St Bernard bite. I think the OP is absolutely right to be concerned. Two sibling, fairly young, poorly trained and managed large breed dogs which are known to be breeds that can cause serious injury, plus there's two of them to egg each other on, living in a house where violence occurs and screaming and shouting is normal...yes, it sounds like these dogs could easily be a risk. If it was a couple of pugs or poodles, the risk of serious injury is low IF something goes wrong. But with huge breeds bred to take down large prey, IF they were to tackle a person the damage would be horrific. Also, if the OPs gut instinct is telling her these dogs aren't safe (when she's fine about and around other dogs), she should trust her feelings.

If the dog is not a proscribed/banned breed the act still applies to all dog breeds where they are dangerously out of control.

I once reported where a dog behaving aggressively was ‘escaping’ his own garden. I was threatened by it in my garden. Neighbours felt their gardens were no go areas when the dog was outside.
In the end I took it the full reporting route - dog warden and the police. This only after requests of the owner to control him and explaining what the problem was for neighbours (as if it wasn’t obvious!) and a particularly frightening incident in my garden.
It all went to the mags court. I and another neighbour made statements and attended. Only on the day did the owner plead guilty (dog dangerously out of control). Dog not pts. Owner fined and compensation order and not permitted to keep dogs etc. Compensation never paid but I didn’t pursue this at all. Just wanted my garden back !
It worked, it took some time. If you choose this route then it’s important to keep clear diary of incidents etc.

They don't sound in control or well trained I would report them to be on the safe side and for peace of mind that at least I had done something

What exactly would you be reporting them for? The fact that their big dogs and they bark?

Report to the council - if it's creating a dangerous situation the council as landlords have a duty of care to neighbours.

Definitely report. There have been some excellent posts why on this thread.

When they try and barge the fence what do the neighbours say?

That should be stopped immediately as that is not fair on your sister who should be able to use her own garden with out worrying about other dogs she is worried off getting in.

I know a large breed like you describe, went up on back legs when saw people, jumped fences and walls even managed to go through a brick wall once. Very scary looking dog with a owner who seemed to love the attention from others that his dog brought. The dog was eventually taken off him as he just couldn’t control it. The dog was sent to a boarder who worked very hard and trained it perfectly. Impeccable manners now. She even kept the dog as she feel in love with him. Honestly like a teddy bear now. Training is key!

We once had neighbours with an illegal pit bull, completely untrained and regularly escaping from their garden. Neighbours in frequent trouble with the police and were alcoholics who were unable to train the dog or care for it. I reported to the dog warden, the dog was seized and destroyed. I felt sorry for the dog. It wasn’t its fault and I understand how flawed the law is. But that dog, through the fault of incapable owners (with whom I also had sympathy as they were very unwell), was absolutely going to attack someone and I had toddlers who couldn’t safely go into their own garden. If there is a six year old child living with dogs in the situation you describe, OP, I would report in a heartbeat. It’s better a dog is put to sleep than a child is mauled. I find it incomprehensible that there are people on here who disagree and value a dog’s life over anything else, but there are and I would ignore their advice.

Sounds like very badly behaved dogs and that can be worrying. Could be aggression and could be anxiety that often leads to aggression. Lots of people deluded that lunging and pulling in lead and barking is okay and believing their dog ‘would never bite’. This behaviour is not okay. Anxious/reactive dogs are more likely to react and lose it eventually and need careful handling.

All breeds are 'potentially dangerous' OP.

When I read about the baby dying, a witness said it was a 'big fluffy golden dog'.

Would you also report a golden retriever?

The ‘barging’ of the fence needs to stop. Your sister’s dogs must be terrified.

This is ridiculous though...

The fact that you call him a ‘troubled youth’ says a lot to be honest

He sounds pretty troubled to me and he’s a youth. Talk about hijack the thread with petty semantics

@vanillandhoney

What exactly would you be reporting them for? The fact that their big dogs and they bark?

The fact that they are acting in an aggressive threatening manner that is frightening people, in public and are not muzzled

Report op they sound nasty and a risk I wouldn't take any chances. Why should you put up with dangerous looking dogs lunging at you and trying to break into the property.

I think we're going to end up with people reporting other peoples large dogs as "aggressive" just because they dont like them. Have they ever tried to bite anything? Maybe they just excited and want to play. They're clearly under control because they haven't got loose.
Can I go round reporting every small dog that lunges and barks at my rottweiler? They're aggressive too right? Or is it just certain breeds that need getting rid of?

I agree that you are right to be concerned, OP. I say that as the owner of several very large dogs. My priority, in addition to taking good care of my dogs, is ensuring that they don’t get the chance to injure anyone, even by playfully jumping up. Having big dogs is a responsibility, and in the hands of irresponsible people they are potentially dangerous. I agree that you should report.

I would hate to live next door to an enormous barking dog lunging at the fence. I would be extremely worried for any small children living next door to that kind of behaviour.

StylishMummy

It's not the dogs that are the issue, it's the owners. The owners take beautiful dogs and turn them into horrible mauling machines“

Agree. Unfortunately, the result is the same, however they got there.
The dogs (and whomever they attack) pay the price. The owner is usually fined, banned but free to acquire another dog a year or two later.
Very sad.

From what I’ve read, a dog jumping up on it’s hind legs and trying to break free from a lead is not a well trained dog. It is considered a behaviour problem that needs attention. Pit bull breeds are responsible for 66% of dog attack deaths. These dogs are strong enough to break down solid wooden fences and have been raised by a violent anti social owner. I’m not an asshole for being wise enough to know this is a disaster waiting to happen. According to the dangerous dogs act a dog is considered dangerously out of control if 1) it injures someone or 2) Makes someone worried it might injure them. I am worried. My sister is worried. Almost everyone who encounters them is worried. I am going to report. If there is no issue here the dogs will be fine and will be allowed to continue as they are. If there is a problem, I might have just saved someone’s child from being mauled in the future.

They're clearly under control because they haven't got loose
I'm sure, troubled youth or not, there is a possibilty of the dogs getting loose at some point in their lives. A neighbours small terrier was mauled by a Doberman that was only allowed out on a lead. He just slipped through the door as someone come in. Poor dog had several days of ops at the vet before he died.

@Nottherealslimshady They lunge and bark at humans. It’s a little different. It’s only natural to be scared of something that has the potential to rip your throat out and kill your children.

From what I’ve read, a dog jumping up on it’s hind legs and trying to break free from a lead is not a well trained dog. It is considered a behaviour problem that needs attention
True.

Pit bull breeds are responsible for 66% of dog attack deaths
Oh dear.
The Pit bull terrier is not a registered breed.
When UK police take a ‘pit bull’ dog, it’s classed as that from its look and measurements.

In the past Staffordshire bull terriers with kennel club papers proving they are staffies have been seized, as have Labrador crosses and mastiff crosses and all manner of other crosses.

‘Pit bull type’ dogs are not huge.
If the dogs you describe are ‘huge’ they are almost certainly not of Pit bull type!

Jack Russel terriers and chihuahuas have killed babies before now, should they be banned?
What about Labradors as they are consistently one of the top breeds in dog bite insurance claims?
Ditto spaniels and Dachshunds..

These dogs are strong enough to break down solid wooden fences
Any determined large dog can..

have been raised by a violent anti social owner
That really doesn’t guarantee anything.
There’s a group of cockerpoos that go for my dog the second they see her and one of them has bitten my DH once and gone for him two or three times without managing to make contact.
Their owners are posh middle class women.

According to the dangerous dogs act a dog is considered dangerously out of control if 1) it injures someone or 2) Makes someone worried it might injure them. I am worried. My sister is worried. Almost everyone who encounters them is worried. I am going to report
There’s nothing wrong with reporting if you feel they are out of control and might hurt you but I do think there’s a lot of stereotyping going on that is really quite unpleasant.

Also, these are stereotypical pit bulls.
As you can see they are not ‘huge’.
I very much doubt the dogs you refer to are pit bulls.
They are much more likely to be some sort of mastiff cross or even a large guard breed like a bully kutta or cane corso or similar

@Dogsarebetterthanpeople Babies being ripped apart by dangerous dogs is far more unpleasant, I’m sure you’d agree. Stereotypes can be harmful but are sadly often true. My sister has just had a word with the mum and my guess was correct. They are bull mastiff crossed with pit bull. The mum is also scared of them but is more scared of her son so hasn’t reached out for help.

Bully kutta and cane corso.

[quote RaspberryToupee]@LondonLassi a troubled youth is not what you’re describing. None of which you put in your original post, just that he’s been restrained by the police. Which could be for any number of reasons, including mental health reasons. Which would also tie up with not being in school, smoking weed and being quite anti-social. Also listed in the first post - not breaking his mother’s nose. ‘Troubled youth’ is the term that naice middle ladies like to use for teenagers with mental health problems that really are a result of parents just not setting enough boundaries.

Concern is one thing but you are taking your impression of him and putting it on to the dogs, even admitting you nothing about the behaviour of big dogs. In 99% of cases, dog bites are a result of shitty owners. However, there are still far more shitty owners than actual dog bites. I didn’t say don’t report the dog but you need to make sure the dog is actually aggressive. Otherwise your report will go nowhere and when the dog is actually aggressive you won’t get anywhere.[/quote]
Although usually bad dog behaviour can be put down to bad or no training, it is not always the case. There are exceptions to this that prove the rule.
This ' troubled youth' sounds like a "shitty owner" though and he should be training his dogs. He won't though, so his dogs will be anti-social thugs until they are seized. Yes I would report.