My dog jumped up at a woman yesterday and scratched her and she's reported him :(

[Geretrude]

I have an 18 month old Boston terrier. He is very loving and sweet natured normally - no aggression at all. Yesterday when we got home in the dark, we got out of the car and my DS was holding his lead and a woman was walking past the end of the drive as DS came out with the dog. For some reason, he growled at the woman and jumped up at her. I grabbed his lead, pulled him away and apologised profusely.

She's just come round and shown me a scratch on her hand which she said is a bite (it isn't - it's his claw), she's had to have a tetanus shot and that she has reported him.

I've spoken to a friend who is a dog trainer and asked her to recommend a local behaviouralist because obviously this is awful and I need to stop him doing it. I think he was frightened of her but that doesn't make it okay.

But fucking hell :( What's going to happen now?

This happened to us op.
My little terrier scratched a neighbours child when going for the ball. She loves footballs and got excited.
My dd1 and friend were playing in front garden, my dd2 opened the side door to join them and let the dog through.
Dog ran for the football and the little boy picked it up. Dog jumped for the ball and scratched the boys leg.
I took the boy home immediately and apologised. His mum said if it left a mark she would report us.
She did.
Community officer came around and read the riot act. I explained what happened and apologised, I agreed to keep the dog well away from the children and was warned if they get anymore reports about the dog, they will take it further.
I feel awful. My dog isn't aggressive at all. neighbours used to pet her all the time.
Now I don't let her in the front at all. I never let her off the lead when out now. And I'm trying to stop her chasing footballs.
My vets do a behaviour class and I have started taking her. She gets on great with other dogs and doesn't jump at other people.
Still feel bad for the boy and feel very guilty about it to be honest.

I suppose it depends on the person. I got bitten on the hand (well a tooth scratch) from picking up the ball at the same time as the dog at a friends house. Owner wiped it and apologised profusely to my mum who was a bit like . She couldn't care less! It was an accident. Not a killer dog. We could all see that!

Arent boston terreriers really small? How on earth did it scratch her unless she bent down?

Terrier i mean

Just googled it. Id bet money she reports it as a staffy type breed that attacked her.

I can't help with the woman and what Will happen as I have no experience (even though I have owned ridiculous border collie who become paranoid randomly - woman in sunglasses oh no, type thing)
But we use a calming spray in the car. It's got lavender in and it really seems to help
I've used alot of the training techniques in control unleashed based on keeping dogs Under threshold and its really good. There are some YouTube vids on it.

Try not to worry though, I'm sure everything will be ok

It's way too small to be a staff!

I'm not a dog owner and if that happened to me I wouldn't report it if the owner was really apologetic and the dog was just spooked. If the dog purposely did it I would have.

Oh good Lord, you could never mistake a Boston for a staffy!

How precious is this woman? You can't wander through life never being impacted on by anyone or anything?

Who the hell would you report a dog scratch to? You can't get the bloody police out for a burglary these days.

Fully aware I'm going to get a flaming, but jeez. The world's gone mad. Shit happens, ffs.

My Boston. Utterly terrifying, obvs.

And I have no idea why Stephen Fry in comedy breasts turned up there.

But you're welcome to him

Feel for you op.
Your dog should not have growled at her or scratched her but reporting you for that
I lost any sympathy when she lied saying he bit her.
Why did she come back round to tell you she'd reported you?
Wondering if wannabe maybe onto something.

happy so your dog didn't go for the little boy or anything?
Was it just an accident?

Because a dog growls people would assume the owner must be aggressive?
animals do sometimes behaviour in ways that we don't expect.
When i think of boston terriers aggressive owners certainly don't come to my mind

ROFLMAO at the comedy breasts Yvaine. What other photos do you have secreted around your devices?!!

A pp asked why I called the woman 'silly' upthread. Because in a world where Trump is President-elect, migrants are drowning on a daily basis, the JAMs really only just-about managing.... I can't feel any sympathy for a woman who gets her hand scratched by a jumpy - not aggressive - dog and then not only reports it but comes back to complain again.

As ^^ shit happens. Deal with it.

[with the rider that if the dog had been aggressive, or had bitten or attacked the women, I would say differently.]

Well, the police have just rung me. The copper said that he didn't want to frighten me by turning up in a squad car.

I explained what happened and that I had spoken to my dog trainer friend before I knew that the woman had reported the dog and that he is going to training classes.

He said that he has dogs and clearly my dog was just frightened and reacted in a way that an animal does. He is going to speak to the other party but I can consider the matter closed.

user147 - he scratched her because he jumped up. While he is very small (he weighs 10kg and doesn't even come up to my knee), Bostons can jump very high.

Here he is. He doesn't look like a staffie at all but he has got short hair and it was dark.

Your dog is gorgeous Yvaine! Thanks for those tips Owllady - very helpful.

Thanks all for the advice etc.

I hope you can relax now Geretrude, and enjoy your evening

Thank you TwitterQueen. There will definitely be !

I'm so glad they didn't come round - it would have totally freaked DS out

How the fuck does you being white stop you from being threatening? Age, weight, ethnicity, gender do not determine if you are threatening. Racist comments might though.

Lunar - because people make assumptions about people based on their age and ethnicity. It's why young black men are more likely to be stopped and searched than any other group.

Surely you know that though?

YvaineStormhold your dog is adorable! ( but why do you have a pic of blackadder )

I think the woman should bear some responsibility

In what way could she possibly be responsible?

She was walking along the pavement minding her own business. She didn't hide behind a tree and leap out and startle the dog on purpose, she wasn't threatening the dog or child, she wasn't on the OP's property. She wasn't expecting to be attacked and didn't do anything at all to provoke it.

Two beautiful dogs and clearly they're both a massive threat.

Ffs yamadori - "attacked"?!! Get a grip.

If she's that bothered about dogs she should take care not to startle them. Simple.

ODFOD

As the policeman said on the phone, it was the dog equivalent to 'jumping' when surprised.

I don't think it was the woman's fault at all - DS came from round the side of the car (my drive is short as well as narrow, with a very high hedge along the side) with the dog and she wasn't expecting to see the dog any more than the dog was expecting to see her.

It was categorically not her fault. But he didn't attack her.