My negligence or the dog walkers?

[Livnlife]

I was walking my pittie. We saw a lab. I pull my pittie close. Who I assume is the owner loosen lead, say”she’s friendly”. I say “all of them are, but I who knows, with what dogs!” She continues to let her dog close. I hold mine back. Im began calming my dog. Listen for a deep growl, watch hairs, ignore wagging tail. Next thing you know her dog is up on mine. The dog is nervous and scared. My dog tries to stand over her’s, I pull back, say no. (sign of dominance) Let walker know I just got her from the rescue, she has not been socialized. Continue to say Ive had her 3 weeks, Im learning her still. She again loosened her dog lead. My dog bit hers. Then she tells me the dog isnt hesr… She is walking her for her boss. Wft. Then proceeds to tell me she wants to be paid for the bill. Am I obligated to pay? Again my dog was never off lead. And I was at an intersection waiting to cross when I was approached

What for? The OP had their dog on a lead and under control.

The other dog walker did NOT have their dog under control.

Rule #1 with dog walking - if another dog is on a short lead then don't let your dog approach them.

@Livnlife you did nothing wrong. There is no bill to pay.

Sounds like you’re both at fault, but ultimately, your dog has bitten her dog. So yes, I’d expect to be liable for the damage caused.

I'm sorry but I agree with the PP that you should have immediately (clearly) said that your dog isn't friendly and to keep away!
What you said is ambiguous and definitely didn't indicate that your dog was unfriendly

When you said I say “all of them are, but I who knows, with what dogs!” this is when you should have said "keep your dog away, mine isn't friendly". What you said was not a warning and in fact sounds half like you saying that your dog is friendly- but then contradicting that.

I walk my mum's reactive Staffie cross and I immediately tell people he's not friendly/ a reactive rescue dog when I come across them when walking.
Situations don't happen as we don't let them happen.

If you have written word for word what you said, your communication needs to be less ambiguous.
You need to tell them firmly not to get too close as your dog is the risk.

Muzzle your dog. I used to work at a vet surgery and seen too many dogs mauled by pitbull type dogs. Horrific. I don't like large dog breeds at all, after what I experienced. Small dogs fine, you can ward of a smaller dog much easier compared to a large fighting type dog. An owner can very rarely control such a big dog once it goes into fight mode. I love dogs and have had larger rescued dog breeds before. Lovely dogs but there have been too many dog attacks both on other dogs butbalso children and adults for me to not ever wanting a big dog again. As you say, they are lovely until they are not, and act on instinct. I think pretty much every owner said " he/she has never done this before" when brought in after attacking human /other dog. The worst one was a small yorkshire terrier who had been mauled by two large dogs. Horrific.

I'm assuming OP is in America by her language and the fact that she was able to rescue a pitbull.

Assuming you're in USA I'd say that the other walker was in the wrong but that you need to advocate for your dog more firmly.

'My dog is NOT friendly' will cover it off until they've settled and you can see how your rescue has faired (which will take months).

This .

I assumed USA

YABU for not having a muzzle on your rescued pit bull. The interaction between you and the other walker went on way too long. You should have just continued walking.

You need to be more assertive. You need to tell people not to approach. I have a friendly dog but she will snap if the other dog shows signs of being nervous (she never bit anyone but she will growl). I call her back on a shorter lead when we come across another dog and I would usually shout “are you OK with other dogs? Can we come over for a sniff?’ and keep interactions brief.

You were both unreasonable, but it is likely to happen again especially on pavements where there isn’t always space to keep the dogs apart. From now on, you need to muzzle your dog and you can get collars, leads, or jackets that say reactive or aggressive etc so people know to avoid your dog.

You are both at fault I think, you should have told her clearly that the dog was a new rescue and could she keep her dog on a short leash.

And she should have had her dog on a short leash already upon seeing that yours was.

Unfortunately yours was the one that bit so you will be responsible for the bill. Although, if the other party was VERY reasonable you could split the bill, both being at fault. But that won't happen.

That’s a tough situation to be in when you’ve only had your dog a couple of weeks. Personally id have shouted for her to tighten her grip and then move my dog away from the situation if she didn’t.

To me, you’re both at fault. You’re not sure how your dog would react so I’d muzzle the dog whilst training. She is just walking a dog so we don’t know if she knows the dog well or not so she should have kept it close.

A "pittie"? Aye right.

OP isn't in the UK judging by her language.

Pitbulls are just normal dogs in the US/Canada.

It's a coincidence that this thread has been started the day before UK law changes.

But loving the no froth, no nonsense replies. Get a muzzle & walk on.

She is clearly in the wrong in terms of forcing the interaction.
Your dog should probably have been muzzled too though.

Pitties? Arent pitballs illegal?

TBH it annoys me when people say ‘he’s friendly.’

BUT you clearly know nothing about dogs. Pulling a dog and saying ‘no’ after the incident has started isn’t dominance. It shows you’re not in control.

You should have got a dog you can control and muzzled it if you weren’t sure if it was friendly. And taken extra precautions like not walking it anywhere except roads until you KNEW for certainty what the dog was like.

So yes, YABU and now you need to muzzle your dog and pray she doesn’t inform the police - cos I bloody would. You don’t get a rescue you know nothing about and walk it without a muzzle in busy places until you know it. Rescue centres lie all the time about a dogs history.

Judge Judy is always going on about how you can't get insurance for 'pitties' in most states.

I agree that your communication isn't clear enough. You should have told the woman to keep her dog back.

TBH it annoys me when people say ‘he’s friendly.’

Me too, my sisters dog was bitten on a walk, he was on a lead, and now he's really wary of other dogs and off lead dogs are always coming up and climbing all over him.

Both at fault. Legally, your dog bit so you’re at fault. It’s outrageous anyone would walk a big, strong rescue dog where it could be put in a position where it’s scared enough to bite. That’s entirely on you. In the litigious USA, you’re asking for trouble! You don’t know this dog, it had the power to kill. Muzzle your dog and keep practicing training.

Yes you should pay. Your dog bit hers. You knew it was a possibility and you chose not to muzzle. If you dog walk in public you know that other dogs may approach yours.

My first thought too. Dog wouldn’t have bitten if it was wearing a muzzle which is in the U.K. it legally has to.

If you’re in the US then expect to be sued. 🤷🏻‍♀️