Dog owners please help. Need to offload after upsetting incident

[Threadworrm]

Was out today with my dog. Passing through field of sheep sp dog on lead. Two adolescent dogs ahead. I siad to the owner that my dog not friendly but his dog ran right up to mine.

My dog bit his dog on forehead. I pulled him away, looked at injury etc and was v apologetic and concerned. Injury very minor but close to eye.

I said would he like my name and address. But then I added that I wouldn't necessarily accept liability because my dog was under control and his approached out of control.

I would really appreciate it if anyone knew what the laibility situationwas here. He didn't even try to call his dog off.

The worst part was what happened next. The owner lost his temper completely and hit my dog with a heavy chainlink lead. He then raised his fist to me and said he would hit me. I threatened to go to police etc. Much swearing, called me a 'grass' and threatened to hit me again, raising his fist.

I do appreciate that my dog started the whole sequence, and I understand that the man was upset. So I'm very concenred to know what you think about a bit that happens because a dog on the lead has been pestered by an offlead dog.

Mans DP was there and said nothing either to support him or to stop him.

jeez.. I've no idea how that would work surely you can't be liable.. what a horrible man!

Blimey, maybe you should go to the police, he threatened to assault you after all. Don't know about the legal side with regards your dog but logically you dog was on a lead and you did warn the owner.

Hope you're ok.

I personally would go to the police. He threatened to hit you.

Not sure if you will be liable though.

You were in a field of sheep? Then ALL dogs should be on a lead, I think that might even be law, to protect the farmers sheep.
I think I would go to the police, not only about the assault,(on you and your dog) but about the uncontrolled dog.

Thanks for replies. Yes, I have reported to police. Feel daft doing it but want something on record in case I meet this bloke again. Policewoman on phone just said 'well, dogs bite eachother, that's what they do.' She was only interested in him raising his hand to me.

Yes, CM, the fact that his dogs were offlead among sheep says something about his attitude.

You poor thing how awful.
I am galad you have reported this.
I feel it was not your fault as you had your dog under contol.

Not sure if you will be told to muzzle your dog though.
hopefully someone will come along who knows legalities.
Hope you are ok.

Threadworm that's awful. Hope your dog is okay.

Don't know the legalities of it but common sense says that the dog off lead should be at fault. Tbh I doubt the police would give a stuff about the dogs but should be interested in his threat.

Oh thready, how nasty.

Well done for going to the police (for his threatening behaviour, stuff the dog bite). We've all met dog owners like him I'm afraid. He should have his dogs under control at all times and definitely on a lead when amongst livestock. His dog wouldn't have been bitten otherwise.

Have a big glass of wine and don't let it bother you (says she who once festered too long over a similar incident).

Strictly speaking what does under control mean? Is it just on the lead or if your dog is liable to bite should this also mean it should have a muzzle at all times??

I don't know. Either way it's immaterial due to the man's behaviour.

I have a dog who in his puppy days was bitten by a dog on teh lead. I apologised profusely as my dog should never have been able to approach a dog on teh lead.

Thanks everyone. Duchess, sorry you had a similar incident. What happened?

My dog is lovely in almost all respects, and well trained. But I can't cure him of a combination of slight nervousness and typical jack russell assertiveness that makes it always possible that he will snap at other dogs. Often he is fine, but I put him on lead with other dogs just in case. And the lead makes him more nervous and snappy.

I doubt the snap would have hurt most dogs, but this was a shar pei -- lots of loose folds of skin. A 'three grand dog' the owner said.

I'm a very over-polite and shy person, so it really upsets me that my dog has started a confrontation.

Sorry, x-post hercules. Yes, I suppose that a muzzle might be nec for my dog to count as fully 'under control'. He's not actually hurt a dog before, though

Hope your pup was okay

Your dog didnt start the confrontation, the other dog did. Either way the man was a complete dick and you did right in reporting him. I expect his dp said nothing out of fear of him

what a fecking arsehole! Poor you and your poor dog. You warned him, your dog was on lead, just avoid same area, if he was prepared to be that aggressive in front of his dp, then what if you are on you own next time. Well done for reporting it, what a bloody twat.

Thanks

threadworm - sorry to hear of your confrontation, the guy was bang out of order.

We had a terrier cross who had a tendancy to snap at other dogs who invaded her space, we got her a 'halti' not quite a muzzle but goes over the nose and mouth and it stopped her snapping, in fact it really helped her, as prior her instinct had been to bite but once she couldn't she got quite socialable and actually stopping biting altogether.

The man was out of order threatening you, but if your dog is prone to aggressive outburts it should be muzzled in public at all times.

If it had happened to me (my dog is friendly and loves sayin hello to other dogs) I'd have been cross even though technically my dog should have left yours alone.

To the OP - are you able to pick up your dog when things like this happen?

My mum has a small dog and when out of control dogs approach/mum's dog is in season/whatever, I quickly pick her up out of the way of any problems. Once, a big dog jumped up and put his paws on my shoulder to try and get at our little dog! (And I am 6ft tall!!).

Obv the guy is a complete moron, but the fact is there are plenty of people like him about. I expect someone like him left the dog mess on the path that my 2 yo stepped in last week.

I wouldnt advise picking up a dog. It is incredibly tempting for a dog to want to investigate a dog being carried by trying to sniff and get to that dog.

wow. what an arse.

you didn't do anything wrong. his dog should have been on a lead. or he should have called it to him. you warned him FGS!
glad you went to police.

I think what you need to think about is whether or not you will meet this man again? Is it a local dog walking place?

Do you have his name and address? I didn't fully understand whether you got his, but probably not? So, if you call the police about it, there isn't much they can do unless they know who to speak to...

But I would report anyway on the basis that it was an assault....

Am so sorry this has happened. One of my gol;den retrievers once shaked mud on someone and they got aggressive. Some people can just turn nasty...

I do believe that your dog was under control as it was on a lead (I don't know of any legislation that insists "under control" means lead and muzzle). His dogs were not (especially when in a field of sheep). He was abusive and threatening - he could be charged with assault simply for raising his fist to you, not to mention that he physically beat your dog (could be charge with cruelty to animals for that one), also the verbal threats.

He is clearly a nob who lacks a knob.

thready - I was walking on the forest where there are loads of bridleways. Saw a couple approaching in the distance with a retriever who then went off up another path. We turned off into the woods and just before we emerged the other side, their retriever came in from the opposite direction and started growling at my dog (a frequent reaction from medium-sized dogs to our Great Dane), so I put him on the lead and we carried on walking. The retriever then came hurling in, teeth barred and repeatedly launched itself on my dog. I couldn't get it to leave and the owners were nowhere in sight. The DCs were scared and getting caught up in the middle, so I let my dog off it's lead, and moved the DCs to a big oak tree for safety and then went back to the dogs. By this time, my dog had (as I knew he would), pinned the retriever down flat and was waiting for me (all strength & never teeth, he's an utter star). Finally, the retrievers owners come rushing up and naturally it's all my fault, I have a dangerous dog, they have an expensive pedigree (how PFB!), they'd taken another path to avoid us (ie. they knew their dog was obnoxious). He then threatened me but as I'd called my dog off and he'd got hold of his, I had the protection of 11 stones of very fucked-off dog. Oh yes, and my eldest, who was 5 at the time and very eloquent, was called a liar when she said "your dog ran into the woods and started fighting" (or something like that).

I went over and over it for days despite knowing that he was a complete idiot and that if he had laid a finger on me, my dog would have swallowed him whole.