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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

My dog bit another dog.......

86 replies

kinnies · 07/01/2010 01:55

Dh took our dog out late the other night.

He kept our dog on a lead as we always do as our dog dislikes other male dogs.

They were on a comunal bit of grass, heading for nearby woods when our neighbour let her dog out her front door. She just opened her door and her dog ran out growling and barking at Dh and our dog. Neighbours dog ran right up to dh and he froze. Our dog reacted. He came round Dh and put himself in between Dh and neighbours dog.He snarled and and neighbours dog ran home with his tail between his legs.

We found out the next day that our dog had in fact bitten the neighbours dog. Dh did not realise this at the time as it was dark and was over in a flash. Had he known the dog had been bitten he would of corse told the owners.

The next day, my neighbour hammered on my door and conplained that our dog was out of controll and we should pay her vet bill.
I said that I was sorry for her dog and wished it a speedy recovery but I did not feel that we were responsable for the incedent as it was her dog who ran up to Dh growling and our dog acted in defence of Dh and himself. I think she is a twit to just let her dog run out of her garden and growl at people (I have had to shoo it away from Dc many times) The thing is she has said she will go and tell everyone she knows how horrid we all are. Would normaly not care as much but we have only just moved here and she works at Ds school.

I'm hormonal so want to know if I'm bu and what to do to stop this trouble before it gets out of hand.

OP posts:

Rubyrubyruby · 07/01/2010 11:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ShinyAndNew · 07/01/2010 11:06

No that's not what I am trying to say dreaming, but you shouldn't deliberately allow your dog to approach other dogs that are on their leash. You should call her/him back to you or to heel. As said by another poster earlier, even non aggressive dogs are likely to be 'offish' when they are on leash and are approached by non aggressive off leash dogs. The fact they are still on the leash makes feel insecure and therefore they are more likely to behave in defencive way.

A well trained, well socialised dog is one that has little interest in approaching dogs on leads, imo.

OrmIrian · 07/01/2010 11:15

I don't think you were being unreasonable. But if I were you I'd be pretty sceptical about vets bills TBH. A 'bite' that was too quick for your DH to see isn't likely to require veterinary attentions. It's the gripping and tugging that causes the injuries.

dreamingofsun · 07/01/2010 11:16

ruby/shiny agree and thats what i do. what if i didn't spot the dog though and she approached it and got bitten. Would that be my fault? I still think that dogs that might bite should have a mussle. my friend has one (or rather her dog) so that it doesn't eat poo and it doesn't seem that big a deal. another friend has a beagle and thats always getting bitten (maybe because its tail sticks up which i think is an aggressive signal) and its under pretty good control - though admittedly not on a load in the forest

weefriend · 07/01/2010 11:17

"I don't think it warrents being muzzled."

How bad does it have to be before it warrents being muzzled. What's the big issue with using a muzzle? It's not going to harm the muzzled dog and it would stop incidents like this. The OP would never have had cause to post this if her dog had been muzzled, the other dog wouldn't have been bitten. Isn't that reason enough? I don't understand why people are so anti muzzling.

dreamingofsun · 07/01/2010 11:18

orm - my neighbour has just been bitten by a dog on a lead and that happened really quickly and the nurse said she needed stitches. she had blood ripping down her leg all day and it looked awful when she showed me it 3 weeks later

ChilloHippi · 07/01/2010 11:18

Surely any dog might bite.

Rubyrubyruby · 07/01/2010 11:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ShinyAndNew · 07/01/2010 11:26

I have no problems with muzzling agressive, difficult to control dogs. But the op didn't describe her dog to be that way. She simply said he doesn't like other male dogs. Which to me, says that he may start behaving aggressively should one come to close to him, but could easily be called off/pulled away.

If he is pulling at the lead, growling and snarling at the mere whiff of another male dog, that is entirely another matter.

Either way, both dogs need training and socialising. the op was not at fault in this scenario. The other dog should have been under better control, but she should do her upmost to prevent this happening again.

dreamingofsun · 07/01/2010 11:28

well i'm sorry i would apportion blame ruby if another dog bit mine. i would blame that dog/owner. chillo i agree any dog might bite but since mine has never even growled i think its a bit unlikely. if she had bitten someone/something she would be muzzled when in public

ChippingIn · 07/01/2010 11:30

Your dog did, what dogs do!

I can't believe the nerve of her to have a go at your for your dog being out of control. Whose dog ran out, whose dog was free to go up to another dog? Cheeky cow.

I would though, in your situation, consider using a muzzle, just in case your dog feel threatened (or that you/DH are threatened) if a child were to run up to you - just as a precaution, because I couldn't live with myself if my dog bit a child. But you know your dog.

Chipping verdict - stupid bint calling you because her dog was running free.... twat.

OrmIrian · 07/01/2010 11:31

dreaming - I'm sure it can happen, but I am just saying that I'd want to check.

girlsyearapart · 07/01/2010 11:34

YANBU but these dog threads always get out of hand because many people have had bad experiences with dogs biting/threatening them or their children so it will be hard to get an objective viewpoint.

Why are people asking if OP's dog is a Staff?

Rubyrubyruby · 07/01/2010 11:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

weefriend · 07/01/2010 11:42

"Surely any dog might bite."

This is true but it's significantly more likely if the dog already has a problem with other dogs (or people)! A bit like anybody could get run over but it's a lot more likely if you don't look when you cross the road. It's just about taking reasonable precautions. A muzzle, handled properly, will be a complete non-issue for the dog so why would you not use one when there's a higher than normal chance it could prevent an incident like this?

I don't use a muzzle for my dog because there has never been any hint that it was necessary. Even when he was attacked by a rottweiler and bitten he didn't so much as growl. The result was the other owner pulled her dog off and no damage was done. Had he retaliated it would have been so much worse. Of course even better would have been if the rottie had been muzzled...

Original poster

kinnies · 07/01/2010 11:42

Morning guys!

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I've been really worried and couldnt sleep last night (hense the time of op)

We always keep our dog on his lead whilst we are walking him even if there seems to be no other dogs about. Hes not agresive its just that he mis-reads other friendly dogs and thinks he will be atacked. We totaly understand that this is not the problem of the other dogs or their owners and when they do come up to say hi, we keep our dog to heel and make him sit.

We have seen quite a few 'dog experts' but unfortunatley have to acept that ours is not a social dog (well with other dogs)

He is great with people and children/babies. I would have gottne rid if he even looked at my Dc wrong. I dont beleive in second chances where dogs and children are concerned.

Also my neighbour was not exercising her dog, she let him out and closed the door behind him. Dh said that the dog was barking, growling and scratching at the door. He had heard/smelt dh and our dog and wanted to 'see them off'.
So now I think she can shove it as what normal person does that?!

OP posts:

iggypiggy · 07/01/2010 11:47

My feeling is that if an off lead dog approaches another dog on lead and then gets bitten - the person to blame is the one that allowed their dog to approach a dog on a lead, so, to the OP YANBU.

My dog is totally soppy - but he has certainly had his hackles up when a dog appeared out of no where one night when we were walking on the pavement and the off lead dog came from no-where with an owner ineffectively calling the dog back... Mine doesn't bite or show agression - but being on a lead puts him in a more threatened postion - plus he has me to protect. Nothing actually happened in my situation - the owner came and grabbed her dog - and it was perfectly friendly - if totally untrained ...

I also think that if a dog attacked mine - he'd probably fight back... natural reaction I would have thought... Like I said tho - mine is a wuss and backs down/ is soppy - but I hope he'd look after himself if it came to life/ death!

Without watching the interaction between these dogs and seeing the dog communication - I don't think we can judge who's dog 'started it' and we are very unfair to judge the OP's dog as 'needing to be muzzled'

iggypiggy · 07/01/2010 11:48

kinnies sounds like her dog was 'seeing them off his territory'... def her fault for letting him out...

ShinyAndNew · 07/01/2010 11:50

No normal, responsible person does that. Have you tried nuetering your dog though? That might help, if it's just male dogs he reacts to.

LittleMrsHappy · 07/01/2010 11:57

if she want to go around and say you have done what ever you have done, say you will get the police involved and her arrested for slander.

wearthefoxhat · 07/01/2010 12:10

YANBU, but a friend of mine was in the same situation as you are in now, and because her dog did the biting, he was the one considered at fault, and had to be muzzled in all public places.
It wasn't at all fair, but from the police and the vet point of view, the approaching unleashed dog didn't bite at all, so therefore wasn't considered a dangerous dog - her dog, however, did bite, so it had to be considered that it may happen again.

My advice would be to talk to your vet as soon as possible, explain to them what happened, and follow their advice. They will know the ins and outs of a case like this, and will tell you how to deal with it.

wannaBe · 07/01/2010 12:12

so, the woman opens her front door, lets her dog out, presumably on to a road, and somehow you're responsible for it being bitten? I wonder, if the dog had been run over on said road, would the car driver have been responsible?

If this is the first time op's dog has bitten another dog, and that bite has happened in response to the other dog snarling and growling at it/its owner, then I think muzzling it would be an overreaction.

As for dogs off leads it's simple really. If your dog doesn't come back the instant you call it back then it shouldn't be off a lead. I am constantly horrified by the places that people let their dogs off. My guide dog was recently approached by a dog off its lead on a busy platform of reading station - I kid you not. And the owner had to physically come and get the dog.

wearthefoxhat · 07/01/2010 12:18

"I wonder, if the dog had been run over on said road, would the car driver have been responsible?"

My sister was in a long and nasty court battle over just this a few years ago, turns out, even though the dog was chasing her car, it was still her fault - wrong, I know, but it happens.

Cases involving dog bites are never cut and dried. Please talk to professionals who know lots about this and can give you measured, knowledgable advice.

Marne · 07/01/2010 12:29

I think some of you are being a bit harsh.

And to the person that said 'was the op's dog a staffie', what has that got to do with it.

My Staffie would never touch another dog, even when attacked by another dog she wont bite.

By the way OP, your not in the wrong, her dog should not have been off the lead but maybe it would be a good idea to muzzle your dog in future.

ChilloHippi · 07/01/2010 12:38

Let's not start the staffie argument up again.

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