Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

dog just been attacked - what to do?

26 replies

PiggyMad · 01/02/2012 12:02

I' so shaken and can't stop crying.
Was out with y shih tzu on lead walking and a big great dane type dog came running over and I heard the owner shouting after it and running over. At first the dog was just sniffing my dog, who wasn't interested and was trying to sit down and get away and then he just grabbed him by the neck and was biting him and lifting him by the neck and my dog was squealing. It was awful and I was just screaming as didn't know what to do and am 30 weeks pregnant so didnt intervene.
The man grabbed his dog and pulled it off and I was just hysterical screaming at him to get away as his dog was still trying to get to mine. I didn't get his details or name etc but I want to report him. What can I do?

I can't calm down but my dog seems fine and doesnt seem injured.

OP posts:
3cutedarlings · 01/02/2012 13:03

Sad oh god how awful! you can still report him to your local dog warden, give your dog a good check over, the chances are he is fine but its obviously best to be on the save side.

mousymouseprice · 01/02/2012 13:08

call the environmental health team of your council, they usually deal with this kind of thing.
write down now what you can remember (date, time, kind of dog, description of the handler, witnesses)

Original poster
PiggyMad · 01/02/2012 13:10

I've written the details and got the number - just waiting until I can talk about it without my voice breaking!
Dog is fine and snoozing on the sofa. Just so angry this dog was off lead and the owner obviously couldn't control him and my dog was on his lead, not doing anything.
What could I have done to stop the other dog and break it up? Felt so vulnerable and useless.

OP posts:
fishie · 01/02/2012 13:17

poor you and poor dog. Its really frightening when dogs attack and even more so as you feel extra vulnerable when pg. Yes give a good description and you might find they already know the dog / man. My dog was attacked in the dark so dh not able to give any sort of info, that was extra upsetting. He had to kick it loads to get it off our dog, the owner was hiding.

Be aware that your dog might be wary around others for a while afterwards, mine was and he's absolutely gigantic. Don't over encourage it, but make sure he feels safe to get confidence back.

3cutedarlings · 01/02/2012 13:21

Tbh there isnt an awful lot you could have done, i always shout a loud sharp NO!!! which help, but tbh if a dog is fixed on having a pop at yours then there is little you can do.

Personally i would always drop my lead to at least give my dog a chance to escape, but by the sounds of things in this situation there was little you could have done. Without sounding harsh, i doubt very much that this dog meant your dog harm (not that what happened was in anyway ok), as bad as it will have looked and sounded if this dog had wanted to really hurt your dog it would have done Sad.

Scuttlebutter · 01/02/2012 13:40

You poor thing - sending best wishes to you and to your little dog.

I'd definitely recommend getting your dog checked carefully by a vet - there could be soreness or even a puncture wound that you can't see at the moment and you don't want these getting infected. If there are any signs of injury, it's important the vet documents these as well in case you are ever able to track down the idiot, or in case of legal action, either by you or by the Council.

Ephiny · 01/02/2012 14:06

Could it have been overly-rough play from the other dog rather than aggression? Not that it makes a big difference, obviously a little dog like yours could have been badly hurt either way, and the owner should never have allowed it to happen. Just thinking that if a dog that size attacked him and meant it, the outcome would probably have been a lot worse :(

Agree you could report to the dog warden. There might not be much they can do without details, but if you give a description, you never know if they might have been reported by someone else and already known to the warden.

As for what to do - I definitely wouldn't intervene or try to grab my dog in a fight situation, that's a very good way to get yourself bitten, and with a dog that size, you might have been knocked over or hurt, even if there wasn't real aggression there. You did the right thing IMO.

Original poster
PiggyMad · 01/02/2012 14:20

Thanks for all your kind words.
I'm feeling a bit calmer now. I agree if the dog wanted to do major damage then it easily could have, which is why I think I was so panicked at the time. It's just made me a bit wary of going out on walks in the woods on my own with the dog. Probably pregnancy hormones as well!
I'll try to take Fred out later and catch his little friend that he always plays with to give him a bit of confidence back.

OP posts:
Original poster
PiggyMad · 02/02/2012 08:53

Just wondering if carrying something like a pepper spray or rape alarm would be of any help in stopping a dog fight? I feel like I need to have some sort of measure in place so I can actually do something if it were to happen again.

OP posts:
mousymouseprice · 02/02/2012 08:56

wrt pepper spray: it is classed as an offensive weapon in the uk and if stopped by the police you will get a criminal record.

marriednotdead · 02/02/2012 09:13

Pepper spray (mace) is classified as a firearm in the UK! Be careful what you choose.

Original poster
PiggyMad · 02/02/2012 09:15

Really? Had no idea about that! Wondering if something like that (some sort of legal alternative!) would actually be effective though?

OP posts:
mousymouseprice · 02/02/2012 09:31

a policeman who gave a talk on safety at my work recommended either hairspray or lemon juice (the one in the squirty lemon bottle).

Solo2 · 02/02/2012 12:48

Poor you - and your dog! This happened to mine a few days ago - the first time he's ever been attacked. The owners were calling back their dog but didn't seem that concerned and hadn't got it on a lead. So I didn't think there'd be any problem. Poor Rollo was then attacked and was cowering and whimpering and cos he wears a muzzle (to stop him eating things when he's out and about) he couldn't bite back.

The man finally got his dog to come back to him and the woman said it had never attacked anything before but whilst I was talking with her, the man was whipping his dog with the lead - which was almost more upsetting that Rollo getting attacked! After I'd talked at length with the woman and examined Rollo to see if his skin was punctured, the man then started to whip his dog again! Clearly, that's why the dog is aggressive! Anyway, it was v upsetting.

Fortunately, Rollo has been fine since then - just a tiny bit more anxious and uncertain when we meet another dog.

Hope your dog is OK soon - and you too.

readyveg · 02/02/2012 13:35

Practise shouting, makes the owners take their dog and go if nothing else. Whilst hauling off a dog off my screaming lady last night I shouted , Fuck the fuck off!" I got in between them and roared again and off it went. I think shouting is a realistic thing to manage whilst spending your life waiting hairspray in hand for a really bad dog is self defeating. Most aren't that bad, the dane thing wasn't or you'd have had real damage. the dog last night was not really up for trouble. Just twatty owners actually if you could spray them...

Original poster
PiggyMad · 02/02/2012 14:35

Dog was fine out today seeing other doggies - I clearly have been more traumatised than him by the whole experience!
I agree it is twatty owners who have their dogs offlead that cannot control them who are the problem. I'm avoiding the area I saw the man in and sticking to pavements/roadsides when I' on my own until I've had the baby I think.

OP posts:
ExitPursuedByaBear · 02/02/2012 14:50

I am that dog owner. Blush. Well, not that dog owner, but my Springer suffers from dog on dog aggression and it is awful. He never causes any harm, it is more handbags at five paces, but people get very cross with me. Fortunately his recall is brilliant and I only let him off the lead now when I can see clearly in all directions. I spend my whole life apologising for him. It is such a shame as he is lovely in every other way.

Disclaimer - I do not whip him and have no idea why he started being this way, other than that he was frequently savaged by other dogs when he was a puppy. Strangely, I always thought that was my fault as well.

G0ldenbrown · 02/02/2012 15:00

Oh god, how awful. Pleased your little one is ok. In regards to what you can do have you considered a correction spray? I know some people are against them but our dog trainer suggested them as an 'in case of emergency' sort of thing. You can get them at pets at home and the squirt air which makes a horrible sound that is meant to grab the dogs attention. You don't spray it AT the dog it's just to make the sound and give the dog a bit of a shock. Just a possibility

Original poster
PiggyMad · 02/02/2012 15:27

I might look into the correction spray - just want to have something on me 'in case', more for my own peace of mind really!

OP posts:
3cutedarlings · 02/02/2012 18:09

Sorry ExitPursuedByaBear but i dont see how you spend your entire life apologising and have a dog with excellent recall thats only let off lead when you have a good view Hmm.

Now dont get me wrong im not having a dig at you, but its when dogs act like yours that it screws up others training and socialising.

Scuttlebutter · 02/02/2012 18:16

Exit, am genuinely curious as to why you need to keep apologising for him? Presumably he is on the lead and under close control on your walks, so even if he is a bit noisy when he sees other dogs, this shouldn't be a problem. Could only see a need to apologise if he is kicking off, off lead?

What may be useful as a back up is to consider a secure off lead area? Lots of greyhound owners (including us) do this - many greyhound charities have a field or similar that you can use, or it's worth talking to a local riding school/livery yard. Indoor schools for horses are perfect.

3cutedarlings · 02/02/2012 18:28

SHIT!! exit Im so sorry i didnt actually think! (lack of sleep 2YO with blardy sicky bug) that you were talking about on lead walks, totally agree that you have no need to apologise.

I was getting my knickers in a twist as i routinely bump into a lady on our walks with 2 terriers one of them is horrid snappy little bugger, that snaps in my dogs face EVERY time he sees us Angry drive me insane. Its never on a lead and has no recall! it has a habbit of springing out on us from nowhere (swear it hides behind trees waiting for us). My dog now growls at most small dogs as they approach him! Sad thankfully its nothing more that a curl of his lip, but im now apologising for my dog, when is the psycho terriers thats made him this way!! GRR

ExitPursuedByaBear · 02/02/2012 23:04

I have to apologise when I recall him, put him on the lead, and the other dog owner lets their dog wander up to him and sniff his bits, saying "Oh don't worry, he/she won't do anything." Err, no, but mine might. Some then try to tell me that perhaps if I let him off the lead he wouldn't be a problem. Hmm. I am sometimes tempted to say, "OK then" and let him off the lead. Sometimes he is fine, sometimes he isn't, but I always think that dog protocol says, dog on lead, keep yours away.

Scuttlebutter · 03/02/2012 13:31

Exit, that's awful! Shock It sounds as though you are doing exactly the right thing. Sigh. Some people are just numpties.

We have a similar problem with one of our three. So she is kept on the lead, wears a muzzle and we make a point of walking well away from other dogs. Mysteriously however she must have an invisible "twat-magnet" so from three fields away, a bouncy Lab will appear, cannonball into her and then fail to be retrieved by idiot owner in wellies and Drizabone coat thinking they are filming for fucking Countryfile. Grr.

ExitPursuedByaBear · 03/02/2012 13:35

I always feel I can adopt the moral high ground though, if my dog is on the lead and the other dog isn't.

His bark is much worse than his bite, and some owners are fine. But there are numpties in all walks of life. Have just put some pics of BastardDog on my profile.