I've just been bitten by a dog :-(

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Went for a run, and approached two men coming towards me walking a small spaniel-type dog. I nodded hello, and all of a sudden felt the dog bite me on the leg as I was passing. No bark, no growl, just a silent bite.

It's not a bad bite - it broke the skin but only a little bit of blood, although I can see it starting to bruise. At the time I was too shocked to do or say much, and one of the men said "sorry about that". But here's the thing that worried me - they didn't seem unduly concerned, or even surprised. And a minor bite on an adult would be much worse on a child.

I'm starting to think I should have said or done something but I don't know what

Are you ok? You probably should have done more at the time but you were in the moment .
Who could you report it to ?

Is your tetanus up to date?
Also keep an eye on it in case of infection.

I don’t know what you can realistically do, if the owners just walk away. I quite understand that you were shocked.

I would report to the police on the 101 number as this dog was out of control. If you can give a description of what happened and of the dog/men. That might help.
It is also worth getting the bite checked at your GPs, they may give you a course of antibiotics just in case

Thank you, I will keep an eye on it, but it's really not a bad bite and I think my tetanus is current, although I'll check. I'm more worried about the potential for it happening again, except worse, perhaps to a baby in a pram (the thought of a dog lunging for my baby girl's face is horrible).

But then again, reporting it seems a little dramatic. I can see the men fobbing it off as just a nip. Or if it really was just a one-off, what if the poor dog gets put down? Arrrrgh I just don't know!

It’s not dramatic, it’s the responsible thing to do.

You need to report them to the Dog Warden.

And the police.

It could well have been a child. So yes. U should report this

I've messaged our PCSO to get his advice on what to do - thanks, everyone.

You do need to report. The dog won't likely be PTS (from what I understand from similar local news dog attack stories), but there will more likely be a talk to the owners about how they can stop this happening again and some sort of protection order put into place.
Most dog owners know that a jogger is seen by dogs as an aggressor, so they should have prepared by tightening his lead. Cocker Spaniels, as adorable as they are, in rare cases can show Sudden Onset Rage.

please report - first to 101
then also to the local dog warden.
Google your council + dog warden to find the right person.

If you think they’ll fob it off as “just a nip” (if they’re identified), take a photo today and as the bruising develops. Keep an eye out for infection. I got a nip from a puppy last week and had a bit of a localised infection and that was just a pin prick to the skin.