To be so sick of selfish dog owners...The seal pup in London

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It’s in the news that a seal pup has been mauled by an off lead dog. The seal pup now is likely to be put down.

Recent story of an off lead husky attacking lambs and sheep . A few months ago an off lead dog mauled a deer which had to be destroyed.

Numerous stories of swans being mauled by off lead dogs. On top of the numerous stories of children being attacked by off lead dogs.

Ffs why are people so bloody stupid and selfish! Keep your dog on a lead near wildlife!

I feel so sad for the seal pup . AIBU to think laws need to be tightened around off lead dogs?

I say this as a dog lover and owner .

What is the best way to stop a dog attacking another animal/dog/child? Would you say just pull it away or try and injure it (stamping on it/keying it in the eyes etc). I guess it might depend on the power of the dog.

The lead issue sounds like it should be a straightforward answer but the reality is much more complex...eg..my dog is leash reactive.. so when he is on lead and another dog that is off lead bothers him he will snap. (And it's amazing how many dogs will keep harassing an on-lead dog that is desperately trying to keep them away) However, off lead he would never do this as he doesn't feel trapped and can simply run away if another dog tries to bother him and then I can recall him after. Leash reactivity is quite common.

I guess you could say if all dogs were kept on lead that scenario wouldn't be a problem but how realistic is that to achieve? In terms of the health and wellbeing of the dog there are many dogs whose exercise needs cannot be met by having them on lead at a walking pace all the time. If they are not exercised properly their behaviour is likely to be worse as well.

Of course if a dog is not controllable it should be on lead.

@LegAndSparkle

What is the best way to stop a dog attacking another animal/dog/child? Would you say just pull it away or try and injure it (stamping on it/keying it in the eyes etc). I guess it might depend on the power of the dog.

First thing I'll say is that most dog vs dog fights are what I'd call "handbags at dawn". That is, lots of noise, lots of unpleasantness, and no blood whatsoever. In those case, simply hauling one dog off the other (by grabbing the collar or harness) is invariably sufficient to break things up.

It should be noted that breaking up a dog scrap does present some risk to you - for instance, even when the dog wasn't intending to bite the other dog, you can get in the way and what was intended as an air-snap suddenly meets flesh. Personally I have a tendency to go a bit mama bear and not worry too much about my own safety when ddog is threatened.

Most occasions where a dog bites a child it's
a) a child they live with
b) entirely preventable
Simple matters like giving the dog a quiet child-free space to retreat to, not leaving children unsupervised with dogs, and a basic understanding of dog body language so you can gauge when the dog is uncomfortable before you get to the growling stage. This is a fairly reasonable overview
In other words, prevention is better than cure. Most occasions where a dog bites a child, it's a simple snap - that is, there's no prolonged clamping and it's over before you know it.

In the (relatively rare) event that a dog bites and clamps down, as the photos appear to show with this seal, one option would be a break stick - though in practice no one carries one of these around in their handbag www.mdcexports.co.uk/product/break-stick/ One alternative is the "wheelbarrow" - basically, picking up the dog's back legs and moving them. The theory is the dog will pretty much go "wtf is happening to my back legs" and break the grip with their mouth.

What is the best way to stop a dog attacking another animal/dog/child? Would you say just pull it away or try and injure it (stamping on it/keying it in the eyes etc). I guess it might depend on the power of the dog.
If it was a child and the dog had a grip you couldn't pull it away or it could do more damage, personally I'd stick my fingers up the dogs nose and drag it backwards hopefully it would let go.

It beggars belief reading some of these dog attack prevention comments

Why the F would anyone invite such a vicious unpredictable beast into their home in the first place

A young boy was mauled in Dublin at the beginning of lockdown by 2 family rottweiler pets, I'd never own a dog who was much stronger than me.
Then the recent case with the rescue dog in Birmingham.
Disclaimer I'm sure lots of people have a powerful dog they can control.

What type of dog was it, out of interest? I read it was cross breed, but it looks like a terrier. Absolutely horrific, that poor little seal.

Meanwhile, the dog owner is standing back not grabbing her own dog, which suggests she is scared of the dog. Does anyone else get that impression?
Yes I'd have it in a headlock.

It's heartbreaking what happened to this seal, but please don't tar all dog owners with the same brush. Most dogs are not aggressive, and most owners keep their dogs under control.

In response to how to break up a dog fight, my dog has never attacked, but has been the victim of completely unprovoked attacks. I have heard water or a spray bottle works well as it startles dogs.

@Flaxmeadow

It beggars belief reading some of these dog attack prevention comments

Why the F would anyone invite such a vicious unpredictable beast into their home in the first place

I hope you don't have a male partner - because they're statistically by far the most likely person to kill you. Two women a week - 104 year year - are killed by a current or former partner. That's about a fifth of all murders each year. Child murders are in addition to that.

Likewise I hope you don't allow your children to enter a vehicle or to go anywhere near a road - there were 1,752 road deaths in the UK in 2019

By way of comparison, fatal dog attacks number, on average, 2-5 per year.

Your perception of risk is very skewed by your own personal dislike of dogs.

@DaveDave

What type of dog was it, out of interest? I read it was cross breed, but it looks like a terrier. Absolutely horrific, that poor little seal.

I think the DM reported "cross breed" because the journalist wasn't sure what breed it was.

It looked like a Patterdale terrier to me - they're noted for having a significant prey drive, seeing as they're bred for ratting.

Yes I thought Patterdale too after some Googling. I didn't know they were so dangerous.

AvocadosBeforeMortgages
Your perception of risk is very skewed by your own personal dislike of dogs

My perception of risk. Really?

These are hospital admissions. Many of these will be children and many will have life changing injuries, including severe facial scarring and the amputation of limbs

"Figures show an average of around 7,693 admissions to NHS hospitals a year for dog-related injuries, with a total of 23,078 between 2015 and 2018."

@Flaxmeadow

It beggars belief reading some of these dog attack prevention comments

Why the F would anyone invite such a vicious unpredictable beast into their home in the first place

Are you referring to all dogs there? Really? Beast? Deary me

@1Morewineplease

Slightly off thread but I don't understand why huskies are even considered as domestic pets.

I’ve had dogs all my life, first time owning a husky and have never had a more gentle, goofball. She’s the friendliest dog I’ve ever owned, to absolutely everyone she meets and all other animals. Everyone comments on her lovely disposition.

Although I know you can never fully trust a dog

Are you referring to all dogs there? Really? Beast? Deary me

Yes it's a beast. It's not a fur baby, it does have human emotions, it does not love you and it does not belong in a family home. It's a dog and all it cares about, it's every waking minute of the day, is food.

Although I know you can never fully trust a dog

So true

@Lesssaideasymended I think they may have been referring to the exercise needs/the fact that huskies were bred to be outdoor/sledding dogs in cold climates/historically covered long distances and free roamed and hunted for themselves over summer (so can have high prey drive). So some huskies don’t do well in pet homes. However lots make excellent pets if they get lots of exercise and prey drive is managed. And I’ve met one who was a couch potato and ignored squirrels/had impressive recall.

We let our dog off lead he's a border collie so would be unfair to not let him
But he has good recall , isn't that interested in other dogs and though he loves people when they come to the house if he's out with a ball he ignores them as well.
We also take him to places where dogs are expected to be off lead and not near a child's playground / wildlife etc
I trust my dog as much as you can any dog but use sense and precaution too as you just never know

Yes I thought Patterdale too after some Googling. I didn't know they were so dangerous.

I wouldn't say they were dangerous - unless you're coming at the perspective of this from a small furry thing. You certainly wouldn't trust them around your pet hamster or the Easter bunny and they do need a lot of exercise, but they're not dangerous. They're just in possession of some strong working terrier traits. Particularly terrierish terriers - or "like Jack Russells on steroids" as it was once put to me.

My perception of risk. Really?

These are hospital admissions. Many of these will be children and many will have life changing injuries, including severe facial scarring and the amputation of limbs

"Figures show an average of around 7,693 admissions to NHS hospitals a year for dog-related injuries, with a total of 23,078 between 2015 and 2018."

Everything in life has some risk associated with it. Everything. We're talking about relative risks.

The vast majority of attendances at A&E for dog bites will be people going to get it looked at / ask if it needs flushing / antibiotics / tetanus jab / going because they want to create a hospital record for some no-win-no-fee lawyer to claim on the dog owner's insurance.

I imagine DF will be counted amongst the stats for a dog-related injury. He tripped over the dog, tore some soft tissue and ended up in A&E.

You didn't answer my question - do you have a male partner, and do you allow your family anywhere near vehicles / roads? Because they're far more likely to be killed or seriously injured by those things.

Yes it's a beast. It's not a fur baby, it does have human emotions, it does not love you and it does not belong in a family home. It's a dog and all it cares about, it's every waking minute of the day, is food.

I can assure you that if you gave my dog the choice between a game of fetch and eating his dinner, he would choose the game of fetch. As far as he's concerned, balls are the best thing in life. Dogs are motivated by many different things - of which food is only one.

You clearly don't know anything about dogs. Personally, I choose to keep my gob shut on matters I know very little about. Perhaps you should try doing the same some time?

Also tbf I have been out walking for last few weeks ( without dog) I have been nearly tun over by several kids and parents in bikes on the path who don't use a bell or even shout excuse me, runners that have coughed on me and also barges past, and two old ladies on mobility scooters who have nearly sent me flying
So its people who are arseholes not dogs

pepper spray

Yes that's happening here. People have to arm themselves, just to take a walk or exercise, because so many dogs are let off the lead.

The dog in the photos attacking the seal is obviously a staffie. Why are people denying this?

@Flaxmeadow you could say that about some humans as well

You clearly don't know anything about dogs. Personally, I choose to keep my gob shut on matters I know very little about. Perhaps you should try doing the same some time?

Unless it approaches me or my family, I have no interest in your hound whatsoever.

@Flaxmeadow

Are you referring to all dogs there? Really? Beast? Deary me

Yes it's a beast. It's not a fur baby, it does have human emotions, it does not love you and it does not belong in a family home. It's a dog and all it cares about, it's every waking minute of the day, is food.

Nonsense. I'm not a "fur baby" type, but dogs are mammals, and have the same deep brain structures ( that are responsible for emotion ) that humans have. It's the cortex, responsible for complex planning, that's larger in humans. If you stick a dog in a functional MRI scanner, and let it smell it's owner, the areas of the brain that correspond to romantic love in humans light up.