It will degrade into mud slinging and insults. Do we need to do it all again??
FFS this has been discussed ad nauseum a dozen times or more on here.
Mud fights would be fun. Can you set up an event? Will this be in Zurich?
Are dogs allowed to watch? Leashed of course.
True enough.
Nonsense. Or rather, nonsense in this situation. My dog doesn't come consistently on command yet, so he doesn't go off the leash outside except to swim; that much is true. However, if he had aggressive tendencies, he wouldn't come off the leash at all; the owner is liable for anything the dog does and needs to act like it.
Did you read the part where he said the other dog attacked and bit his dog? There is no question about what to do in this situation; you have the bites checked by the vet, and then report it to the police (pending the caveat in my next paragraph).
OP:
If the bite didn't draw blood or anything like that, then you're just over-reacting and need to man up, but if - as I interpreted your panicky post - they were real bites, you need to report the woman. The chew toy could just as easily be a small child next time. Dogs are great, but they are just animals, and obviously that one's training is lacking. The owner needs to be made aware of the consequences.
On 1st February last, my little JR cross Rookie, who is always on a lead when he is outside, no matter what the circumstances, was savaged by a Boxer. I immediately took him to the vet who gave him antibiotics, and the following day, cortisone. For the first couple of days, it was touch and go whether or not Rookie would survive. A month passed before he no longer had residual pain. Thus, I understand only too well what you and your pup are going through.
I am a firm believer that dogs should be on a lead at all times, and the owner of the two dogs you met was clearly irresponsible, and I feel that you would be perfectly within your rights to report this matter to the police. However, in your original post you state "I spotted them, and was just bending down to put the lead on my dog". So, without wishing to add to your distress, were you not doing almost exactly the same as the other dog owner? I repeat the first sentence of my second paragraph "I am a firm believer that dogs should be on a lead AT ALL TIMES".
The next time I am in Crassier or the woods close by, I'll look out for you and your pup! I wish you both well.
Out of interest, next time, would you react differently, or be able to react differently if a similar attack looked to be impending?
Hmmmmmm
Versus
Doesn't seem like they were doing the same thing at all. One was walking a known to be well behaved, consistently non-confrontational dog, off leash.
Whilst the other was walking a known to be aggressive, consistently launching itself, snarling dog to get at other dogs when passing, off leash.
The attack took place in a restaurant. Rookie was sitting under my chair, to which he was attached, when the Boxer, who was completely out of control, ran across the restaurant and mauled him. The fact that Rookie was attached to the chair made it more difficult to free him. Fortunately, people around us immediately came to our aid.
When walking Rookie, if I see a dog which is not on a lead and which may create a threatening situation, I usually stop and ask the dog's owner to leash his dog.
Thanks for the candid answer.
Do you think it would it be wrong for myself as a parent to ask a dog owner to do this if I had my young children with me?
P.S. I'm glad your dog's okay !
Then why keeping a dog in a flat or even in a house? Isn't that prison enough for an animal whose nature is not for living in a flat? I guess this point is bad enough for an animal before discussing about keeping it on leash or not in order to "free" him because this is his right..
Well, I personally DO NOT WANT TO PLAY WITH A DOG! I think this is the point that some dog owners like you don't want to understand. I don't have a problem with dogs, but I'M SCARED if a dog is running to me or trying to attack me for ANY reason. And, as I know this, I stop jogging and start walking calmly.. And this is not over reaction, is it?
I understand your point. . . and yes you’re right. My dog is very well behaved . . because I put the work in.
If I found myself under attack from a dog, yep, I’d do whatever was necessary to protect myself or protect my dog.
Anyways, I have said in other threads that I am anti-weapons. (I don’t think we should walk around with weapons on us) It’s my personal opinion, I’m not looking to debate it. If you carry knifes and stuff fine. For me, personally, it is a no-go.
Yes, I think that is a perfectly reasonable request. . . . though I don’t think you should have to ask in the first place.
Definitely not. It is what I do. I ask politely and explain that my son is autistic which means his reactions are unpredictable and that when he is either happy or anxious, he can make abrupt physical movements (hand flapping, jumping, making loud noises) which could cause an excited dog to react badly.
I do this now because I am fed up of our country walks (one of the few things I can calmly and happily do with my son) being ruined by barking, jumping ... sometimes even growling ... dogs with their inept owners trailing behind saying "oh he's just trying to be friends" as my child spins off into a screaming meltdown - either distressed by the dog or by the fact that I have had to firmly grab hold of him and prevent him from whirling around making loud noises as he enjoys to do when out in the forest for walks. I hope to shame them into realising that what they consider "friendliness" can be deeply distressing to my disabled child.
Dog owners take note - just as your pet can be unpredictable, so can some humans. Letting an unpredictable pet off the lead and relying on him or her not encountering any unpredictable human behaviour is just an accident waiting to happen. If you cannot 100% trust your dog, leash him or her the moment another person looms into sight.
PS by doing this though, we have encountered some really friendly, interesting people. Most dog friendly people seem to have little idea as to how their dog's jumping and barking comes over .. although to the person this summer in Noirmont who tried to claim that his growling dog was just being nice ... you need some training, not just your dog.
However, to be honest, it's not really a problem in this country. I've only been bitten once and only one of my kids has been bitten and we couldn't have avoided either incidence by asking for the dog in question to be leashed (although one of the incidents could have been prevented with the dogs being on a leash, the other was on a lead but the dog was hidden behind a wall and leapt out.
Dog owners here seem to have their dogs really well trained. The system seems to work really well even though it's a hassle and expense for the owners.
In the U.K. in the summer it was a nightmare - but with snarling dogs behaving aggressively and every footpath was a dog toilet.
I much prefer it here so not really any complaints, it was more a hypothetical question in case such an incidence came up - which from past experience seems unlikely.
Don't group us all together like that; there are members of that group with some pretty idiotic thoughts that I'd prefer not to be associated with.
This is stupid. Many would die, domestic dogs are not the wolves of their ancestors. Homes are safe places.
Just because dogs need exercise, to utilize their senses in terms of smells, sounds etc, their natural instincts and behaviours doesn't mean they can survive outside.
A dog wont play with you if you dont play with him.
A dog that is running is not a dog attacking. Are you attacking when you are running?
What you say there is not an over reaction, wanting every dog leashed is.
This subject gets me, because I love Switzerland for the tolerance towards dogs. But I have never met and encountered so many idiots towards dogs, and I am not referring to you here,EDIT: but seems you could be one actually. I have had a woman kick my dog for looking at her when shes accidentally kicked stones at him and startled him by running up and stopping behind him, I have had another pin herself to a fence screaming, another shield her pushchair like I was walking a snarling lion. These people are beyond insane and need help with their issues.
That said, you have every right to expect an owner to recall their dog if it is running towards you, and you have every right give the owner a piece of your mind if they do not or it does not work. Though you have no right to expect every dog to be on a leash as most are not badly behaved.
And before you post more illogical BS about why dogs dont live outside or imply I am a bad owner and make any further accusations, my dog attends a school daily, is with a pack of 8 dogs a day, has never hurt a thing or attacked a thing or bitten any dog or anyone, despite being kicked and screamed at by people like yourself, and attacked by several dogs off leash like the OP's, and yes, I still have my opinons that not all dogs should be on a leash.
You're right, sorry!
Edited my post..
For many kids, abrupt movements and flailing around are very normal too. I should be able to walk with my toddler son by my side as he excitedly points to things and squeals without fear of some dog attacking us.
Once he's old enough to understand, I plan to show him some really good picture-heavy books recommended here by Meloncollie about understanding animal behavior. I consider it the equivalent of defensive driving for pedestrians when it comes to dogs.
It's also important for kids to understand the responsibility that comes if THEY approach a dog. But that being said, when we're minding our own business and approaching nobody, we can't all tiptoe and whisper down the path in fear that an off leash dog might misinterpret our movements.
Er. Yes. I only shoot dogs that are attacking. For some breeds it is quite obvious - the growling, teeth baring and general displays of aggression are usually a bit of a hint.
Yep. I shoot the dog, then shoot... er... shout at the owner.
No, but you can go 50-50. Computer - take away one right answer and one wrong answer.
Tom, the onus is on the dog-owner to ensure that the dog behaves correctly, and of course you should feel free to ask the owner to control his/her dog if you are uncomfortable with a situation, even more so if you have children.
Sometimes when I am walking Rookie, children will ask me if they can pet him. I always reply that if their Mum is OK with that, then so am I. I then show the child how to approach him in order that neither they nor Rookie are frightened by the encounter, which usually produces smiles all round!
Thanks for your good wishes. Rookie is fine now, but the attack was very upsetting at the time.
Next thing you'll be telling me that's not my Rottie on the sofa snoring and it's not my Rottie laying across my bed while I'm the in the shower? And that, when she doesn't want to go out in the rain, should I starve her and put the 3-year-old out there?
Honestly, the odd bad owner does not all owners bad make.
Next thing you'll be telling me is all black people are gangstas, all Italians are crooked and all Arabic people are terrorists. Right?
Our eldest got bowled over by a couple of big "playful" dogs off the leash when he was a toddler and for a few years he was terrified of them but now he loves them and, with the owners' permission, will happily play with a dog for hours.