English bull terrier

[winkywinkola]

I was looking after an miniature English bull terrier. A friend of a friend's dog. He was meant to be staying four nights with us.

He is three years old. Very energetic. Very friendly. He's a bit smaller than my Labradors.

I took him and my two labs for a walk this am and the BT attacked me.

He was biting me, tearing my clothes. He pulled me down and was just biting and coming back for more. I was screaming and whacking him on the nose with my phone and kicking him but he was relentless.

Some dog walkers pulled him off me in the end and he was going for them. H came running into the field as I managed to call him and the dog tried to go for him too.

The owner is really shocked and has cancelled his trip away and has come to get the dog. I have four really nasty bites - seen doctor, got antibiotics and tetanus.

But this owner has a baby. I reported the dog to the police. The owner is so upset and said the dog has never behaved like this before.

I too am shocked and a shaken. If those other dog walkers hadn't been there then I don't know what would have happened. He was so determined to get at me. If I wasn't wearing a big jumper then I do not know how much worse my injuries would have been because he kept grabbing mouthfuls of jumper 80% of the time.

Are these dogs normally aggressive? My research says not. I'd met the dog before and he seemed fine, biddable and friendly.

I'm now a jumpy nervous wreck but it only happened this morning so I guess that's to be expected.

I don't think it's a breed thing I think it's an individual thing sadly.
Is it an older dog?

I bet it has shown signs of aggression in the past but has either learned to not display them or is hard to read.

If it was mine I would have it PTS today but I don't know if you can force it or how it would work.

I hope your feeling better soon

I love those dogs; but I'd have no hesitation in reporting this to the police and forcing them to have it put down.
It'll do it again (and in fact has probably done it before)

How awful. I too wouldn't hesitate to pts of I was the owner. I hope the police take it seriously, you did the right thing reporting it. Hope you're OK and not too shaken up.

Has the owner picked the dog up?

bloody hell, the owner should be bloody grateful he knows what the dog is capable of before it goes for the baby.

Yes. Owner picked dog up. He was mortified. And very upset and shocked. He bought a muzzle. He's taking it to dog behaviorist.

Begged us not to tell the police but we did anyway. I can't know that about a dog that does that and not take appropriate action.

The dog is 3. I am taken aback by its power. And its determination to get to me even when it was being held back by two men!

It sliced through h's jeans in a flash when he arrived. All out of the blue. For us anyway.

H and one of the walkers got it back to the house (and its traveling crate) by putting two leads on it and each man holding a lead taut on either side.

God. I feel utterly sick. What if it had got to one of my dcs? None of them wanted to walk with me today. Thank god. It's very hard to get s dog off you or someone else.

You were right to report what happened to the police. They can decide the bets way forward, but if I was the owner, I would be horrified and very concerned if my dog behaved like that.

I hope you feel better soon.

You did the right thing reporting.

Hope you are ok

You did the right thing op.imagine if the dog attacks the baby in the future,you would never forgive yourself if you hadn't reported it.
I have an English bill terrier,she is so large and muscular,I can imagine how scared you must have been.but on the plus side she is the most docile dog I have ever met.but with dc's in the house,I wouldn't hesitate to have her pts at the first sign of aggression.I hope you are ok ok

You definitely did the right thing.

I have to say though if it was so out of character, surely the first place he would've taken the dog was to the vets? Because you'd think there was something seriously wrong (brain tumour etc) if this was really so out of character behaviour. It'd be the first place id go! I r3qlly don't think they're being completely honest, I bet there have been warning signs before.

That is terrifying Winky. I hope you heal quickly. I would not hesitate to have him pts and I don't say that easily. My first thought was something like a brain tumour or illness. My mum's JRT became aggressive after being diagnosed with liver disease.

I feel sorry for the dog now. There is obviously something wrong with him. He is much loved and cared for. I want to contact the owner again to check if they are both okay (in case dog turned on owner!) but I think I should just leave it.

I keep getting the fear with my Labradors now. My boy dog keeps staring at me. That means he wants to go outside but I feel like he's going to go for me. They had a crap short walk today because of all this drama and they are pissed off! Poor hounds.

My mini bull was the gentlest, most lovely dog I have ever known - but there is one line in this breed which has had behavioural problems. The person who bred them did so for show and they had - about 20 years ago - a male dog who was spectacuiar to look at. And conformed to the Breed Standard so well they continued to breed from him even after his horrible (and rare for a BT - I've had them all my life) personality came to light.

I kjnew nothing of this until the breeder of my dog bred a litter from her and one of my gentle, kind hearted, lovely, dog's pups turned out to be an absolute monster. Only then did the breeder admit to me they had bred from this dog and he was used at stud, so he still has descendants out there. I can't recall the kennel name, nor could I out them here, but I would know it again if I saw it.

Our dog's lunatic pup should have been PTS but I later found out the breeder wanted to show him, but later sold him to an American trainer who went on to show him where he won his class at the most prestigious show in the US. Someone told me he was indeed PTS a year or two later - after he bit a judge during a show... (Presumably meaning they could no longer cover it up).

My own dog was like every BT I have ever known - a sweetheart. But apparently her grandad was vile and widely bred from. Bear in mind that often only 100 odd mini bulls are even born per year in the UK. A lot of them will be related to this bad bloodline.

Will be honest and say the only dogs who ever went for me - and I have worked in kennels as well as walked my own bull terriers everywhere for a lifetime - were bloody black labs. So I always assume they are bad natured. Don't assume all BTs are bad but there was this one problematic male MINI bull (not standard) that a lot of breeders used in the 1990s - who now has descendants in the UK and US. I'm told my own dog was one of the best ever shown and her sister is often regarded as the best mini bull who was ever shown, anywhere. But some of the dogs even from her breeder (who is now dead and whose kennel no longer exists) were related to this very dodgy bloodline. Same pattern - attacked with zero warning.

This is not common at all in any BTs. And very rare in minis. But I am willing to bet you that dog is related to this bloodline I was told about.

Should add, its not on the Dangerous Dogs list so I doubt the coppers will bother, unless it's a slow news day.

Joffrey, that is totally fascinating. It was a mini bull terrier that attacked me! Just turned on me.

Do you have the name of the bad tempered granddaddy of them all?

The police came. I think they were most concerned t hear the dog lives with a baby.

They are going to call the owner when he gets back from holiday.

The dog has to visit a vet to check for physical problems and then had to visit a police dog trainer for evaluation.

I'm healing beautifully. Had some spectacular bruises too which were almost pretty! But in one area where I was bruised particularly badly there is a weird hardening under the skin. Back to the GP I guess.

Ah sorry. You did say you couldn't remember and nor would you be able to say.

Winky if you could ever talk to your friend about this, and he doesn't mind, if you PM me some time in the future when he's back, I'd definitely recognise the kennel name if I saw it. As that might help. I was told this by the breeder of my dog who is now dead. Thing was, she was almost laughing about it when she told me (shows you the irresponsibility of people who breed pedigree dogs and here you're talking people who've won certificates at Crufts and all the top shows, not just a random backstreet breeder). She told me casually, along the lines of "Hah! Ah that would be so-and-so (named kennel), her grandfather") and later I heard a little more from someone else about it - that a certain heavily-used stud dog had a known bad temprement. Minis only but it may affect a few as they are a very uncommon breed.

It's why I have a mongrel from rescue, now. ;o)

That said our mini was a gentle, quiet, sweet little soul and as time goes on, I'm guessing this will be bred out, even from the lines that have it. Although the last I heard the kennel in question were still going, that was several years back and they may not be now.

ETA: I just wanted to add that as it may be of some comfort to your friend, if they have to take a certain decision. And at least may arm them with info if they don't. The dog breeding world is a very closed shop kinda place in my experience and the people involved WILL keep quiet about things like this (as they did when dogs were discovered with a genetic condition, lens luxation - my beautiful, gentle, sweet mini went blind aged 4). For a long time there was no database online, or hard info for people buying dogs, and not of that dog breeding world, to access. They were reluctant to register dogs - before DNA testing for conditions came about, this is - because it would obviously make their dogs worthless. They carried on selling. This is not unique to breeders of minis - it is absoltuely how the world of dog breeding works.