Did I do the right thing reporting this dog?

[SkinnyGirlBethany]

Hi,
I live in the countryside but on an estate. To get to the estate you have to drive down a windy road. I also run regularly. There are a row of houses on the road.

I am a keen runner and whilst running down said road a large (pitbull type) dog runs up to me and scares the shit out of me barking etc (must have escaped from one of the houses).

Anyway I edge round it and never run that way again- however since then I have seen said dog loose on the same road (nearly getting run over) 4 times in 6 months.

So when I saw it last week nearly get run over again I called the police (as it could belong to 1 of 3 houses and I don't know which)

Was that the right thing to do?

I read it as that the OP reported the dog as being a PBT type. Apologies if I have that wrong of course?

But she didn't tell the police it was a pit bull. She says she described it as a "big black dog".

I didn't tell police it was a pit bull type. The reason I told the police was because I thought they would go round and have a word. I would not try to catch a dog which was growling at me and barking.

Will get the council number in phone for next time.

Thanks for the advice re running- so you stop and walk- do you turn your back when you do this? How long before you run again? Until out of sight? What do you do if they go up to the pram? Fwiw I have never ran down the road since but there are dogs on my other run routes - usually sheep dogs which occasionally get interested.

Wish I lived in the city sometimes

Yup, apologies then Redwing.

That leaves us with a dog at risk of harm regardless, because of the traffic danger, the straying and the Intelligence Report.

Plus a PSCO who doesn't understand basic neighbourhood legislation.

Plus an OP who has assumed that the dog was a Pit type which, even if it was, which at hip height it ain't, is irrelevant BUT the insinuation is already there - it was barking, a BIG stray... I KNOW it was a Pit type because my friend has one. All adding to the breed racism which is already out there.

Plus, somewhere out there in Cheshire, there is some dickhead going around claiming they have Pit Bulls when they don't. The fact that they aren't will be of no help whatsoever to the dogs if, on the strength of the owner's peculiar claims, a Plod gets wind of it and decides to seize the dogs.

It's not looking too good overall, is it?

The bit that worries me is that the PCSO doesn't know how things work. At least now the OP knows who to call next time.

I can understand not wanting to knock on the doors and find out who the dog belonged to. If I felt threatened by the dog, I wouldn't do that either. (If the dog was friendly, then I would).

SkinnyGirlBethany, I would stop running and slow down to a walk. Ignoring a dog (i.e. not even making eye contact with it) can really help. If you're out on your own you can also fold your arms, but obviously this isn't an option if you are pushing the pram. I wouldn't start running again until I felt that there was a safe distance between me and the dog.

General advice: Don't run, face the dog but NO direct eye contact - look over his shoulder or at his tail, whilst of course being alert to potential danger.

Make yourself "big", legs astride, shoulders back. In some situations a really bellowed, confident command word "NO! NO!" works.

There's lots of general advice but it's hard to give any exact recommendations unless you are there yourself and can "read" the situation (NOT that I am a behaviourist or expert, I'm only an owner and rescuer). TBH though, reading a dog comes, IMHO, with experience. You don't really think about it, you just do, IYSWIM.

Round my way the PSCO knows everyone, and I expect would know who the dog belongs to. A quick word from the PSCO would avoid a pointless call to the council and another 58207425472 pointless calls after that if one didn't lose the will to live before that.

You can't even get a bin round these ways, letalone get somebody to get off their arse and catch a dog.

Katharine, I agree that the DW service is at best... erm... variable. Additionally I;m told by a DW who is also a rescuer (the BEST DW in the world imho!) that they are now instructed not to waste time and resources chasing strays BUT the DW service and the housing team (if the owner is in social housing), possibly also the ASBO officer in the council are very likely to know who the dog belongs to if he keeps escaping as chances are that he's been reported to or rounded up by them before. Most DWs, unless they are truly crap, know the escapers on their patch so it is definitely in the OP and everyone's interests to call them - even if only so that they have info for future calls.

The owner lives in a massive house and is def not in social housing. The estate I live on is like a 'gated community' and the pcso had a poster in the communal club house for any concerns etc. That's why I called- I'm going to put up the number for the council now thou. Even thou the dog isn't on the estate we get the occasional collie on the park owner free. It's friendly thou and usually is walked back to the local farm.