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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be very annoyed by this incident? (prompted by Staffy bull terrier thread)

143 replies

thatsnotmymonster · 19/10/2008 22:17

Reading the other thread about Staffordshire Bull Terriers reminded me that I was going to post about this so...

My sister was visiting last week with her 2 children. We went for a walk around the woodland footpaths across the road from my house. She had a backpack with her 1yo in and I had a double buggy with my 6mo dd in it. My 3.5yo ds was on his scoot bike and my 2yo dd and dneice were walking. These 3 were about 10 metres ahead of us on a straight footpath when suddenly from behind us a dog came tearing past us, it ran straight to the children and knocked my niece to the ground and stood over her. She was screaming and the dog was nuzzling all round her head (we couldn't tell what it was doing). My sister and I screamed at it as we ran towards them. I pulled the dog off and held it (it was wearing a studded leather harness) while my sis comforted her hysterical child who was thankfully physically unharmed, however she was scared of dogs BEFORE this happened.

After a couple of minutes the owners arrived, running and breathless, saying, 'oh she would never hurt anyone'. I said, 'well she knocked a child to the ground and stood over her and you never know with a dog.'

They acted very indignant and said, 'You don't walk round here much do you? It is basically the local dog park.'

It IS NOT any kind of dog park- it is just an area of public footpaths.

The dog looked very much like a Staffordshire Bull Terrier although I am not an expert so I'm not sure.

Should we have been keeping better control of our children? We were quite shaken by this and I was really annoyed at the couple and their attitude. My ds now wants to be picked up whenever we see a dog when we're out and goodness knows what my niece will be like now!

OP posts:

pamelat · 21/10/2008 12:57

I am not defending SBT's. I like all dogs but I don't own a dog. If I did I would get a labrador (a big fat chocolate coloured one )

Its just that DH and I had this debate because my aunty has a SBT and I took DD round (she is 9 months, she ws 7 months at the time). My DH was furious that I had let DD in the same room as SBT. I didnt leave her unaccompanied, in fact I held her the full 20 mins that we were there. I think he thought that I had endangered her life. I got a bit scared about the whole lock jaw thing but then googling it yesterday it looks like it could be a myth.

I dont know. I have no experience of SBT's.

dittany · 21/10/2008 13:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HeyJude07 · 21/10/2008 13:35

I have just read the OP and it has made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up - why - because when I was younger and walking my dog (Springer Spaniel), a SBT attacked him and I was left traumatised for quite some time.

I saw this dog coming and the owner was shouting "Leave him alone!" - as if the dog can understand that and then the dog launched himself on my dog and I was trying to kick him off and yelling and crying at the same time. The owner rushed over with a plank of wood and started beating his dog to get him off mine. And then the owner said "He doesn't usually do that" - wtf?

I agree that it is definitely the owners who have a responsibility to train their dogs, but I am still very wary of SBT's and other similar dogs and pick my ds up around them if they are not on leads.

YAdefinitelyNBU

dittany · 21/10/2008 14:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HeyJude07 · 21/10/2008 14:21

Hi dittany, I took him to the vets and he was checked over and was fine, just a few scratches. But he didn't stop shaking for a while - and neither did I.

slightlycrumpled · 21/10/2008 14:23

I admit this is due to my lack of knowledge maybe, but I just don't get the need to own a massive and potentially dangerous dog.

The young girl I mentioned earlier in the thread had lived in the same house as this dog for most of her life. As had the other family member it attacked. So whilst I am sure people say 'oh my dog would never hurt you' in good faith, nobody can ever be totally sure.

But then I'm afraid I'm probably over cautious in my life and would surely run a bloody mile (which I know is the wrong thing to do.) if any large dog was running towards me in a menacing way!

Freckle · 21/10/2008 21:21

Point is that SBT aren't massive dogs. They are, relatively speaking, quite small compared to, say a Rottie or GSD. I think the problem is that the damage they are capable of inflicting which is not proportionate to their size. Also they do look a little similar to pit bulls, which means they can often be mistaken for that breed and treated with more caution than they really deserve.

tinto · 21/10/2008 21:49

My mum and dad were visiting my sister and bil on their property in Northern NSW (Oz). My sis has a lovely, really gentle SBT who is excellent with their little children.

They walked into a shed on the property and on the ground in front of them was a black snake. My mum froze in fear. Without a second thought, the SBT jumped - and bit the snake in two. One end of the snake went flying one way and the other end went flying in the opposite direction. It is, as far as I am aware, the only time he has shown aggression - and it was too protect his humans.

Just a story about one little SBT - not meant to be any kind of general observation.

Original poster

thatsnotmymonster · 21/10/2008 21:56

tinto- that's a nice story. I don't doubt for one minute that they are very loyal, as are many dogs.

Any owner of ANY dog should be aware that even their loveable, loyal, family pet could attack anyone at anytime for no reason. I love dogs and I would love to have one but I would never trust it entirely. We have a very friendly cat but it would scratch a child if the child was provoking/chasing it.

OP posts:

Freckle · 21/10/2008 22:04

Some people are so besotted with their dogs that they cannot conceive that anyone else might feel differently. I used to dog-sit for friends of my parents. I loved dogs and it wasn't a problem for me, but these people, perfectly decent, respectable and caring citizens, had no idea that their dog (a springer spaniel) was an absolute liability. He was totally untrained, extremely boisterous and a complete menace, tbh. His owners would have been devastated to learn that not everyone felt the same way about their dog.

It doesn't excuse any dog behaving in an untoward manner, but may explain why its owners seem oblivious to the worry and fear felt by others.

catweazle · 21/10/2008 22:20

What I find odd is how many of these incidents seem to be happening. As a dog owner I read the updated Dangerous Dogs Act and basically a dog owner has fewer rights than anything. If you are accused of not having your dog under control you can be investigated by the police- even if you are completely innocent.

So how are these irresponsible owners getting away with their dogs attacking people?

My real bug bear is people letting their dogs off lead when they have no control. We had a very large (and very timid) dog who was absolutely terrified when approached by strange off-lead dogs. It isn't just children who are frightened of dogs.

If the owners don't care what effect their animal is having on other people I think all you can do is report them.

hatwoman · 21/10/2008 22:31

I think the owners behaved very badly. I have a 6-month lab and am very conscious that he's not perfectly trained yet (hence we are constantly training and improving him); that not everyone likes dogs; and that children can be scared by him. the other day he ran towards a small girl and it scared her, and she ran to her mum. I was actually completely gutted to see that this little girl was scared and upset. seeing a small child like that is horrible. I apologised profusely to both the little girl and the mum, got him to lie down (while holding his collar tightly) while we were talking, asked if they would like to stroke him (and wouldn;t have been offended if they'd said no). they did and the little girl said he had nice soft ears. I was genuinely upset to see the little girl scared and I really cannot understand a dog owner who would not be profusely apologetic - esp if the child had been knocked over.

having said all that there's an awful lot of people who make huge generalisations about dog owners. and a lot of vitriol that seems heaped on all of us, rather than reserved for the irresponsible few.

Lovesdogsandcats · 21/10/2008 22:32

My dog has just had to have an emergency vet call out with a wound clean and 10 stitches under general anaesthetic after an attack by.... a labrador!!

So, it is the dog not the breed, although I do believe that the fact that bull terriers wer used in dog fighting and bull-baiting might actually say something about their power, strength and high pain threshold. So, are more likely to do damage if happen to turn nasty.

Having said that, I do like staffs.

hatwoman · 21/10/2008 22:34

herbietie - just seen your post saying dogs shoudl always be on a lead. if dogs were always kept on leads they would not get enough exercise (even if you walked them for 4 hours a day). and if they don;t get enough exercise they are bored and unhappy, difficult to train and far more likely to be unpleasant.

hatwoman · 21/10/2008 22:36

lovesdogsandcats. hope he gets better soon. what were the owners like about it all?

Lovesdogsandcats · 21/10/2008 22:41

Thanks hatwoman, he is fine now .
owner was a bit shocked at first,as dog has never attacked before. He was really ok about it though and paid the bill.

hatwoman · 21/10/2008 22:47

michelle hanson a lot of sense about dogs www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/sep/28/animalwelfare.familyandrelationships

claire187 · 08/11/2008 20:30

Kiddiz. The studs on these harnesses and collars do serve a purpose asthe staffy breed and simular can easily chew through their collars, leads, harnesses etc.. the studs help to prevent this and are definately not there to make them look intimidating.

On another note, I own a staff bitch myself and have made it my it my mission for her to be well socialised with dogs, children, etc.. She is 9mth old now and has always been off the lead in enclosed areas (ie parks), she stays around by me and tends to ignore people most of the time or greats them by falling at their feet, never intimidatingly. Obviously if people who are scared of dogs are present, I have her stay with me and put her on a lead until they have passed. I think Staffies get given a bad name and not all are the killing machines some people make them out to be. My Missy is a gentle giant in fact, her best friend being my sisters 16wk old Bichon Frise lol..

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