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?

Seriously? A woman walks along the parent when a dog growls at her and jumps towards her, breaking her skin, and that's A) not an attack and B) her fault for startling him?

I like dogs, but that was not the woman's fault in any way, and it must have been terrifying.

I completely understand that accidents happen, and that you are doing what you can to prevent this from happening again. That's fine. I think that a check to make sure that you were dealing with it was probably the right outcome. But it's not fine to minimise what happened to her, or to blame her for being attacked. For what? Provocatively walking along the pavement?

Terrifying?

Really?

I'm glad I'm not her. She must shit herself on a daily basis.

Fair enough if the dog bit but jumped up? It's a claw scratch

Terrifying? 😂😂

I'm not blaming her. But it wasn't an attack. If she had been attacked, the police would have taken it seriously.

They didn't consider it an attack.

It was a dog jumping up. He didn't bite her or try to bite her. That would have been an attack.

I can explain the Stephen Fry pic.

Just give me a minute.

Er...

I do think it was an accident, not an attack.
Dog was startled, he didn't mean to hurt. An attack would be with intent.

It's not a nice thing to happen and I'm sure the woman was not at fault. It just happened. Also, the dog was on a lead.

It's just very unfortunate.

It must depend on the area. My old next door neighbour had a horrible little terrier, it ran in to my garden & bit me on the leg for no reason. They then had the audacity to 'comfort' it as I must have frightened it! I phoned police & dog warden who just gave her a warning.

We've gone from a scratch to attack to a bite now.

My DH was out for a walk one day when a random dog ran up to him and bit him on the leg. Deep puncture, doctor, tetanus jab, antibiotics, police etc.

The woman yell said it was DH's fault he got bitten because he had been wearing a kagoule and the dog didn't like coats with hoods.

Oh, of course - that's OK then, he should have taken his kagoule off when he saw the dog coming!

Bloody hell dodo, that's awful.

My brother runs and has been attacked by dogs more than once. Horrible.

Some dog owners are utterly shit. I'm not one of them though.

This will turn in to a general dog bashing thread though.

No, not dog-bashing, they are just doing what comes naturally.

I'm not afan of kagoules either.

Awful lot of blaming the woman going on here.

Op, you sound sensible. Tbo if a dog jumped up at me like that and it resulted in broken skin, I would be alarmed and expect the owner to take preventative steps. If I thought I had been bitten, I would also report. I would consider it to be in everyones best interest to do so. I presume a vet can confirm if something is a dog bite or not?

As to what happens now, depends on whether she did actually report. I think regardless you are right to take steps to stop this happening again. For your dog's benefit if nothing else.

She hasn't been bitten she was scratched.

So she's lied to the police

The op sounds like she has plenty sympathy for the women. If it was me I would of shrugged it off. Granted I'm not scared of dogs but even if this women was it's a bit much to actually lie about it.

I'm not afan of kagoules either.

I love my Kagoule, I pretend that I am in the Peak District when I am trudging round our local streets.

I didn't mention it before because I didn't want to be seen as minimising but the scratch was less than 1cm long.

It was very obviously not a bite. It would be impossible (particularly with a dog with a Boston's dentition) to have made the tiny scratch with a tooth

Would have potentially made me leap out of my skin in the dark like that especially as jumped up growling and I adore doggies. With experience would have realised dog was startled too and owner very apologetic and dog actually fine. But tjats with experience so I can see how people who dislike dogs or a terrified of them (including many children) shouldnt have to encounter any interference from dogs.
It doesnt bother me at all if little dog with dorty paws jumps at me but I dont think we can expect anyone else to be ok aboit it. Having said tha OP you have gone far further than most about responsible citizenship for your dog with the certs of training he already has. Commendable indeed.
I think she would have blurted out atthe time 'ow...he bit me' she's justvery resentful and not happy around dogs. Scary threats amd so glad your local police dealt with this so matter of factly! Stuff like tgis can get so twisted in the wrong hands!
So glad you got good outcome amd a warning tobus all I reckon

How do any of you know that the woman was not bitten? A PP mentioned getting a 'tooth scratch' which would have looked the same as any scratch and which, if the things mouth came into contact with my hand, I would perceive as a bite. The OP said it was dark so she probably wouldn't have seen it. So this woman provoked the dog by startling it and lied as well as a MNer's dog could not possibly be aggressive could it .

Cross post OP - does your dog have marshmallow teeth then?

TheCursedOne

The police have determined the dog did not attack her or bite her.

If she had been bitten, I can absolutely guarantee you that they would have come round to see me and investigated further.

This is going to be like cancel the fucking cheque all over again, isn't it?

I'm increasingly coming to the view that the dog house and litter tray should be opt in options like SN.

kali110
No, my dog was going for the football not the little boy.

Well unless they forensically tested the scratch Geretrude they cannot be certain and nor can you.

Typical of one of those delusional dog owners to accuse a person who their dog bit (she had to go to the trouble of getting a tetanus jab so I am sure a doctor agreed that she needed one) of lying. Of course, your doggy woggy mutt wouldn't deliberately hurt anyone OP .

What possible reason would she have for lying? Doggy hater? She even took the trouble to knock on your door to tell you she felt that she had to report it and warn you that you may have contact from the police regarding it.

It sounds to me like she was very shaken by being attacked, saw you had children and was concerned that it may happen to someone else.

Wow. You sound a bit unhinged now.

Do you want to have a word with the police and tell them that in your considered opinion, having heard my evidence on the internet, that my dog bit the woman, whatever they may think?