There must be perhaps fifty dogs in the village.
All sizes and all temprements.
Just three are overly agressive. A fat black labrador from the other side of Trelawnyd, Dr Barnsley's mongrel Meg ( who for some unknown reason hates the terriers) and a white husky type dog from Erw Wen.
The last two are big dogs and it troubles me somewhat that their owners have real trouble controlling them in the street.
Uncontrollable dogs are dangerous dogs plain and simple.
Last night when I took William and Mary out for their last walk we ran into the white husky.
He was on one side of the main road and we were perhaps sixty feet away on the other. It was very dark so old William with his cataracts was unaware of his presence . Mary however saw him and stopped dead in her tracks.
The husky's owner stiffened and started to wrap it's lead around his hand but the husky on seeing the Welsh terriers lurched forward barking furiously.
I don't know if the lead snapped or it's collar slipped but suddenly the dog burst free and attacked.
In the couple of seconds it took to dart across the road ( stopping the traffic) I managed to position myself between it and the terriers behind me and as it lunged towards them I kicked it hard in the head.
The husky hesitated so I bellowed at it to keep away and stamped at it again and moments later frightened by me, the stopped car's headlights and it's panicked owner the husky galloped off in the direction of home.
We were lucky last night for William and Mary are no match for such an aggressive dog.
Winnie, with her bulk, and intelligence could fend off such an assault but a blind elderly terrier such as William and a delicate juvenile like Mary could well have been seriously injured or even killed.
Large aggressive breeds are often kept as status symbols with little thought given to their potential
I know that this husky has not been socialised with other dogs. It is only walked in the " safety " of deserted night streets by an owner who has not been trained to deal with it.
I aim to tell the owner this when I see him.
I didn't have the chance last night
Hopefully it will be at a time when emotions run just a little calmer.
Oh Jeez! How near a tragedy/disaster was THAT? Poor William - and Mary too! They must have been quaking in their little boots. Glad that you weren't - and were (just) able to rescue the situation, for which we are all ever so grateful
ReplyDeleteYou dont know terriers much raymondo!
DeleteThey are tough battlers , who dont back down when provoked
No, I didn't know that. I wonder if they can give some of us, me included, a tip or two.
DeleteDo you have a register in Wales for potential dangerous dogs?
ReplyDeleteAlthough it's not the dogs fault it's a potential disaster waiting to,happen. In my experience having been am owner of large dogs in the past Eg Rottweilers who are big sooks if raised properly it's usually the owners problem.
I think that this dog's problem is one of socialization
DeleteThe owner needed to take it to dog classes
They say 'fight or flight', and that was definitely fight thanks goodness! I think you need to get Police/Dog Wardens involved, the next persons reaction might be flight, which would be disastrous. I think you definitely deserve scotch eggs today...
ReplyDeleteThere is another dog, a lovely looking setter, who can be agressive when out, i think a few minutes with winnie will do him some good and have told the owner so...he agreed
DeleteYou were brave to intervene. The husky might have easily bitten you. Well done!
ReplyDeleteI think he was more dog orientated than fat human
DeleteNot fat - well-built or sturdy.
DeleteThere is a real downside to dog ownership - quite a few really. If they are not working animals, they are child substitutes or worse - pets. I don't trust anyone who treats them as extensions of themselves. Working dogs include attack ones used by drug dealers.
ReplyDelete....mine are pets......
DeleteNot sure if this still goes on, but a lot of drug dealers in our area put weights around the pit bulls necks to strengthen them. Was weird to see. I feel for that breed, they are feared and hated all because it was used for the wrong purpose which was to attack people and dog fight.
DeleteThere's an old man who walks his husky up our lane, too; he's barely strong enough to hang on to it when it faces up to another dog. And it always wants to have a go. Recently it almost pulled him over when it saw the 2 spaniels in their drive, luckily behind the wide gate, but all 3 dogs barked ferociously at each other through the bars of the gate until the spaniels' owner called them inside. Only then was the husky's owner able to drag his dog away. A bad accident waiting to happen, methinks.
ReplyDeleteYou have to be responsible and control your dog......they are not mini humans with the same feelings and thought processes they are animals who need to know what s expected from them and what is acceptable behaviour
DeleteChrist almighty! What a carry on. The owner of the husky should get the dog trained and quick. let's hope he does otherwise the poor dog might end up being put to sleep and in the meantime other dogs might be injured or killed. Good luck talking to the owner,
ReplyDeleteJean
OMW Thank goodness you averted a tragedy. As you say, the terriers would not back down so it was brave of you to stand between them and the husky. I hope you get the message across to the owner. He sounds in need of dog training too!
ReplyDeleteI have seen a few Huskies attack people and dogs therefore I have a bias against them.
ReplyDeleteI'm so pleased you got that under control!!
I really don't trust huskies which are too independent to be fully under control by anyone who can't dominate the dog.
ReplyDeleteThere is something seriously wrong with the owner if he has to walk the dog at night, when there are few people around. Both the owner and dog need training. All dogs need to be socialised, or they could be a menace. Surprised about the black Lab, but I was once told that black ones are more aggressive and a different temperament to the yellow and chocolate ones. Ours have all been yellow and typically amiable - everyone's best friend.
ReplyDeleteGlad our gorgeous Winnie is up for a fight - you show 'em girl !
What a frightening incident!
ReplyDeleteJesus, scary stuff. Glad you're all ok.
ReplyDeleteOh my . . .
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of one of the most terrifying moments of my life, while on a walk in our neighborhood on a beautiful sunny spring day. I was walking into the sun with our Snickers and could see a couple walking towards us, with a large dog. All of a sudden the large dog broke leash from the couple and lunged at Snickers, grabbing her by the neck, shaking her like a rag doll. I screamed at the dog, tried to push it away. The couple then got hold of the leash and pulled the Great Dane away. Snickers laid on the ground, whimpering. This poor little innocent, eight pounds of fluff, mangled and bleeding. I picked her up, carried her home, and my husband and I cradled her, soothed her. We phoned our vet, closed, sent us on to a neighboring emergency vet hospital an hour away where they cared for her. Puncture wounds on the neck that needed attention . . . other than being severely traumatized she rallied and survived. The couple were parents, visiting their daughter, had never walked with the dog before. Snickers has always been on leash when walked. it took weeks before she would walk that direction. She rallied although lost some of herself through the trauma. This happened when she was a young pup, 2-3. She is eleven years old now, almost twelve.
I hope you have a chat with the husky owner. Mary must have been terrified, Winnie too . . . Thankful you were able to chase the husky away. Terrifying!
Winnie and george were at home....winnie would have stood her ground and is particulary good when confronted with aggressive dogs. She just stands with head held high staring
DeleteHere, you could report such an animal as dangerous and the owner would be fined for allowing it to escape and attack other dogs.....and possibly their owners. Even running at you unrestrained in a threatening manner is not allowed. It would also incur a very large registration fee and have to be walked with a muzzle. One of our dogs in the past hated other dogs but was never a problem as we did not have trouble controlling her but we were always aware and watchful to avoid any problems.
ReplyDeleteThat was a close one John. Thank God you had your wits about you.
ReplyDeleteI love big dogs... i do... always have... German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Golden Retrievers etc.. but they MUST be trained..You shouldn't but you CAN get away without training a small dog but not training a large dog is a hazard to everyone... I'm so glad the situation turned out okay and i hope your conversation with the owner will go well.. My worst fear when dog walking is that someone will not have their dog on a leash ... somehow the leash law does not apply to them because their dog would NEVER do anything aggressive... Or i walk by someones house and they have a fence and the gate is wide open... um... why have a fence?? Hugs! deb
ReplyDeleteWinnie is always off the lead when we go for a country walk. She is delightfully friendly and will be diplomatic with any dog angry with her. The others are always on the lead
DeleteWhat's the difference between a wolf and a husky? There are several wolves in a big compound at our local zoo. I defy anyone to tell the difference.
ReplyDeleteGlad you were able to intervene and that your terriers were not harmed (or yourself). We had 2 dogs, one cross lab and one Cain terrier/jack Russell. When they got elderly I used to be terrified of walking them as so many irresponsible dog walkers let their dogs off their leads and they used to run straight up to our dogs. Our terrier (being a typical terrier) would always try to fight because he felt threatened by this. Even when he had no teeth practically he would never back down - absolutely fearless (or very stupid) as it didn't matter to him how big the other dog was. These situations are frightening to say the least.
ReplyDeleteIt must of frightened the car drivers too, who had to stop as the husky ran amok on the road
DeleteI hope you have opportunity to speak to the owner. The biggest injustice and owner can do to a dog is to not socialize it and train it. And neuter it. And be responsible for it.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. The husky owner has let this dog down big time.
DeleteFor some reason, large male dogs had a problem with my large male dog .. he was a neutered Standard Poodle.
ReplyDeleteAs sweet and friendly as you can get, gentle with all. Ready to play.
But large male dogs of other breeds just wanted to tear him to pieces.
Living in cities, I didn't worry so much, the law is leash your dog.
Living in a suburb/country like setting , he was in a safe well fenced yard.
But there were still times when my Life Time Member of the La Quinta Hotel Group Pup .. met a dog that just wanted to rip his throat out.
That is when Mama stepped in.
I have , much against my husbands wishes, kicked bad dogs in the face and sprayed them with mace.
Funny, I wanted to spray the owner more than the dog.
Mace? !!! Bloody hell
DeleteNote to self! Dont cross that woman
I liked pepper spray before it was outlawed.
DeleteGood for you NFA !
Thanks parsnip :) It was all that was available and commonly done. I never wanted to hurt a dog, a friend said Kick them in the b*lls but you think that is easy ?? kicking an attacking dog in the b*lls ? lol
DeleteWe have leash laws here and you could file a police report. Not that that would solve the problem of the poorly socialized dog. I would suggest to the owner that he acquaints himself with Cesar Milan. He has books available, but videos of his methods are much better to learn from. They helped me quite a bit with my George when I first adopted him from the shelter and he had a ton of behavioral problems. His methods WORK.
ReplyDeleteAlso, for what it's worth, we have a real problem in my neighborhood with small dogs being let out off leash to do their business, and without fail, they will run up to my dogs and try to pick a fight. It's horrible because my dogs are so big and strong and I'm afraid it's going to end badly one day. But since mine are on leashes and properly restrained, and the little dogs always start it, there's not much I can do but tell the owners in no uncertain terms that they need to properly restrain their dogs before something bad happens. It drives me nuts.
An owner will always be in the wrong if their dog is off the lead
DeleteI have been right in the middle of dog fights before: I am fearless and just lose it, then have a heart attack later. After one such attack (all were large German Shepherd mixed dogs, 3 against my one) I called the neighbor and bitched her out (I had to take my dog to the vet with many stitches.)The three dogs disappeared a week later. She asked if I had seen them and I hadn't. I knew they thought I had shot them, but luckily, a nearby farmer came to there house and told them he had shot them and buried them with his tractor. They were on his land chasing cattle. Though I felt sad for the dogs, they should not have been allowed to run free attacking everything. I blamed the owner.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how you feel .. Fearless then a quivering mess afterwards. I agree, the owner should have been shot, not the dogs. This is when I think having to pay for a dog and having to pay for the licenses etc is good. You don't get these morons with too many dogs that are untrained and not safe .. at least if they are bad dogs, you know who to blame ~
DeleteOver the years i can think of around 3 serious dog fights ivebeen involved with.....the terriers battle hard and often make things worse. The bulldogs are much more canny when it comes to conflict
DeleteI went to school with a boy who had the most horrific scar on his face. In those days in North Carolina, kids stared and were rude. ( probably the same these days) .. a dog had attacked him, he lost an eye and had a scarred for life face.
DeleteI grew up with German Shepherds. My grandfather was a Marine, he always had some big honkin German Shepherd.
Family store - I was 2 .. playing on the porch .. with aunt and sleeping dog.
Aunt went into the house for something, I decided to walk into the street.
Inside the house they heard me screaming. Everyone ran out to see the Honkin Big German Shepherd, with my diaper/dress in his mouth, dragging me back into the yard. safe and sound. very indignant.
His name was Duke.
That should be family story ... we didn't have a store :)
Deletea very nasty situation, that could have been so much worse ~ glad you, William and Mary weren't hurt. There are a couple of huskies that we see regularly when walking Matty. One is walked by a chap who obviously has his dog well under control and there is never a problem when we see them. The other is walked by a lady ~ well, actually it's more that the dog walks HER ~ who is pulled along the path by said dog. It is pretty excitable and always wants to play with Matty, who really isn't interested in the slightest. He has told her off a couple of times but she still does it again the next time we see them!
ReplyDeleteIm not a lover of the breed, its the eyes!
DeleteGood luck talking to the owner, I agree a chat well after the event is the best way forward. I'm glad your quick thinking prevented what could have been a tragedy.
ReplyDeleteWe were in Llandudno a few months back and two slim young women were walking two HUGE Mastiff/Great Dane sized dogs. The dogs luckily enough were friendly enough but when they decided they wanted to come over to the other side of the prom to say hello tour dogs they did just that .... literally dragging the women along the ground behind them before they let go of the leads. Leaving it to Alan to grab hold of the big dogs leads whilst I held on to ours. Just another reason that large dogs should be well trained.
I hope the ower is reading all of these comments!
DeleteScary stuff! He should have it on a choke collar or heavy-duty harness! Or keep it in his yard, safely behind a tall fence...
ReplyDeleteMy elderly father was walking his small dog when two dobermans ran out of someone's yard, grabbed the small dog and played toss with her, ripping her up. My dad had a cane and beat on the dobermans and they finally dropped her. He got her to the vet but since she was very old they put her down. It was horible. The police became involved.
ReplyDeleteThese horror stories are begining to worry me
DeleteThere was a husky in my garden back in the summer - I ran to round up chickens and fortunately they flew over the fence to safety before he got them. The owner said the dog was kept in and had escaped. I saw on the local Facebook page the other day that it had got out again - it's not right to keep it in the house all the time, they're big, energetic dogs and need a lot of exercise. Once a dog becomes aggressive, I don't think it's likely to be cured. If people would put a muzzle on their dogs, if they can't control them, it would at least give time to catch them before there's a disaster.
ReplyDeleteA muzzle for this dog may be one answer...a dog psychologist may be another
DeleteJohn I hope you do report this dog as a dangerous dog - what if you'd been a young Mum walking a dog with a toddler by your side and a baby in a pushchair - it doesn't bear thinking about - if people can't control their dogs then they shouldn't be allowed to keep them - glad that you, Mary and George are ok xx
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing about a child.
DeleteI dont think he could be classed as a dangerous dog over here
DeleteProblem with reporting dogs ... there is always a possibility that the dog will be put down. Even if that was the only time he was ever aggressive.
DeleteGlad you gave him a boot. Too bad you couldn't do the same with the owner.
ReplyDeletescary when that happens. I was walking my little rat terrier/chihuahua mix when a neighbor's dog charged at us (they usually have them in the fenced yard and I don't know why this one wasn't) and I did basically the same stamping and yelling at the dog which hadn't come close enough yet for me to kick when another neighbor heard the ruckus and ran out and got between us and chased the dog back. apparently that dog had recently charged at his little daughter.
ReplyDeleteAt least with a tiny dog, you can just pick it up!
DeleteI and my poor children watched, at a park, as a pitbull that was NOT on a leash, attack and killed a little bichon. I will never forget the look on the owners face as she walked from the park to her car in the parking lot. She was in shock....she looked at each of us standing there to, somehow, save her little one. The pit owner grabbed his dog and ran off over a fence but was found later by the police. Heartbreaking and infuriating at the same time.
ReplyDeleteDreadful.....absolutely dreadful
DeleteHow frightening and awful...brave of you to step up John.
ReplyDeleteBeing a nurse, all of your emergency training kicks in without thinking. I am so glad that you were able to stop the husky before he reached your two. Whew!
ReplyDeleteI would definitely have a 'chat' with the owner, and file a report. The community is at risk from that pair.
I think being a responsible dog owner helped more...i read the husky's non verbals and immediately realised he meant buisness
DeleteI'm glad you are all okay, and hope that talk goes well.
ReplyDeleteDogs run free around here. We have ours on a radio fence, but I wish we had a physical fence to keep the other dogs out.
ReplyDeleteThis is so bloody annoying, if people can't control their dogs they should have them removed. Me and our younger mutt were flattened several times by an arse with a doberman. He blamed me as my dog was on a lead and "Wanted to play". My boy did not want to play as he was frozen to the spot with fear! Glad your dogs are ok x
ReplyDeleteI dont think willian even knew it happened
Deletelol, god bless william.
DeleteForget the 'when' I see him John - go and see him now and explain to him that it could be a child next time or if it is your dogs you will make sure you have a very big stick with you that can do a lot og harm. And remember to take it every time you go out at night with the dogs. Better to be safe than sorry.
ReplyDeleteI have acleft finger stick given to me by the red faced welsh farmer..i will take that
DeleteThat is not on and you should report the incident.
ReplyDeleteJohn, as someone whose little terrier was killed when I was walking her aged 14. (Me not our little girl) I would really urge you to take this further than a chat with the owner. Under the dangerous dog act it is an offence to be in charge of a dog "dangerously out of control". I really think you should report it to the police. Totally irresponsible of the owner, why is it not muzzled when out and a decent bloody lead! Makes me furious. Sorry, welling up again when I think of our little dog and it was many years ago. Never left me, still have nightmares and I'm 46 now!
ReplyDeleteGood point well made x
DeleteI have been in this place twice now. I don't think thehamish has really recovered from the bite and tossing around he endured what the airedale did to him.
ReplyDeleteThey said well she just wants to play .... aggressively pulling out of the owner's hand and lead, bullshit !
She could be in a "No pull lead and muzzled". If you are not strong enough if hold your "non-trained' dog train it !
I am so upset to read this.
Do Not Be Nice... tell that owner to control his dog and please report him.
Next time a small child, elderly person could be attacked with their dog.
My stomach is tied in knots as I write this.
cheers, parsnip
My sweet dog has been nearly savaged twice by a neighbours sheba inu, a nasty Japanese dog. Unfortunately she is now frightened of dogs approaching her and instead of flight she's more lightly to fight. She was previously well socialised with other dogs and is still good with family dogs. She is a happy family pet in all other ways and I've managed to socialise her with a friends new pup by regular walks together and she now sees him as no threat.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteComments
Clare Riseley
Clare Riseley I talked to the husky's owner (without Podrick) whilst walking back to my house the other day. He said his dog (girl called Alaska) had been attacked by another in the past and that's why his had issues now with other dogs. I did think though that he's not helping her by not re-socialising it with dogs again. The man was nervous even being near me so sending bad vibes to dog. I hope Podrick never gets attacked, but then again, it might cure his over-the-top love for anything with a heartbeat haha!
Like · Reply · 4 mins
John Gray
John Gray does he have two dogs claire? This was a dog.....i need to have words with him me thinks xx
Like · Reply · 1 min
The above was a comment by a fellow trelawnyd-ite on facebook
DeleteI don't understand why owners of aggressive dogs don't just muzzle them when out walking. At least if they break free they cannot bite. We had a lovely, but damaged rescue greyhound, who was disabled and had issues. Whenever we took him out he was muzzled. So much safer all round.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. That is a win-win, dog gets to go for a walk, humans get to live through it .
Delete:)
Report the dog and owner to the Dog Pound/Warden/whatever you have in Wales for animal control.
ReplyDeleteMy Rough Collie was attacked by a Maltese. OK, stop laughing. He's now terrified of small dogs!
Report the incident to someone. Might not be able to fight it off next time.
I noticed that large dogs are often skittish around the little yapping dogs ... Maybe they think, it looks like a dog but listen to it !! lol
DeleteI grew up with big dogs (German Shepherds). And yes they were trained and socialised. As all dogs should be. Good luck in your discussion with the owner.
ReplyDeleteMy GSD was a US Marine lol ... he did everything but salute.
DeleteI went out tonight but he was no where to be seen
DeleteHuskies are nasty bastards unless worked to death, Dr Barnsley saved my life as an aside therefore qualifies as my hero
ReplyDeleteNice anecdote! Adds to the village colour Adrian
DeleteI have noticed over the years that leashes/leads also cause a lot of tension for both dog and owner. And when two leashed dogs meet chances are there will be trouble because the fear and anxiety the owner is feeling is carried down the leash for the dog to pick up. 90% of the times we have met other dog owners and one or both were on leads always results in some sort of aggression on the part of one or both dogs. Generally if these dogs had met in a leash-free area they would be able to approach each other the way dogs do......sniffing and checking out each other with no tension from the owner. I know there are exceptions to this but in my experience leashes can be the problem if you expect to meet up with other leashed dogs. This happened today on a very narrow boardwalk near the beach. We were halfway down and both dogs had to leashed because that is the law in this particular area (until one gets to the beach). Sure enough the other much younger and bigger dog was trying to break away from owner and growling as we passed by. It would have bitten Sophie had it broke free. So yes, this does happen and I mostly blame untrained dogs on leads. It takes a lot of time and work that most dog owners don't want to spend.
ReplyDeleteAgreed jimbo....
ReplyDeleteWhen i bring home a new dog, i always let them all run riot on the field to get used to eCh other!
but leads are here to stay especially as most of us are not lucky enoughto have miles of peaceful beaches to roam on!
I live outside NYC in a quiet area with miles of empty beaches. Dogs are not permitted on the beach [yes, that's a shame but on the other hand, on a hot July day you re guaranteed to not spread your picnic on a pile of dog poop], but in the winter the beach police often turn a blind eye and allow dogs to be there---leashed. But often very large dogs allowed to run free, totally unsupervised. I love dogs, I m not afraid of dogs, but I am not comfortable being approached by an over excited German shepherd or a Great Dane the size of a horse or other large dogs. They certainly could destroy my pug and the beach is so empty and isolated no one would be near to help. [Owners let the dogs run free for miles.] Of course pugs are not meant for the beach, due to issues of sand in their eyes, and short chubby legs...but I'd like to walk in peace alone. Dogs should be leashed unless they are working dogs on private property, or hunting dogs. We do have an of-leash dog park park in the dunes but since someone let their pitbull kill a terrier there that option is off limits now too.last summer
DeleteOh, I am so sorry this happened. It has happened to me twice. Once a German shepherd had my small dog in its teeth, another time a pitbull nearly killed another one of my small dogs. All happened while simply walking my dogs. The pitbull would have killed our dog if my husband had not been with me on that walk and had not thrown himself onto the pit. My little dog was lucky to survive with severe injuries. It was terrifying.
ReplyDeleteReading the comments this sort of event is not a rare thing!
DeleteA scary experience I know and reading the comments it seems to be a regular occurrence.
ReplyDeleteI have had two of my dogs attacked. One was when we walked past a house and this stocky pit bull type dog came running out of the house straight at my dog who was on a lead. I let go and she rolled into the submissive position but the dog had her by the throat. Fortunately when I hit out at the dog it ran back onto the property. The owner was standing on his balcony watching and did nothing. I reported him to the authorities.
My parents have been on the other side and have had an aggressive dog. She had a split personality and was a big softy around family, but couldn't be trusted with strangers. So when she went out she was always on a well fitting collar and lead and was muzzled at all times.
Your last sentence is worthy of note by the owner me thinks
DeleteThat must have been absolutely terrifying and your quick thinking saved the day. Given that you had that situation so well in hand, my suggestion is just that - a suggestion! Dogs like that can be rehabbed if the owner is willing to do the work. Look for a dog trainer that works on behavioural issues - I am in Australia but if you look up Urban Dog Training in Brisbane, they are the sort of outfit who could really make a difference and will give you a heads up for the kind of language you are looking for from other trainers. Huskies are hard work because their natural instincts are so strong. No one expects a tea cup Maltese to be an excellent guard dog, people are fools when they buy a husky and don't prepare to manage its nature. (Sorry but it is true!) Perhaps approaching the owner on the street with contact details for a trainer and a quiet word about what might have happened if a child had been walking your dogs instead of a middle aged 'Tiger Momma' on steroids! You must have been MAGNIFICENT!
ReplyDeleteI was stunning!
DeleteLike a galleon in full sail
Good job with the swift kick to the dog, seriously. This happened to us once. Our (leashed!)hound dog was elderly, with only one eye (the other removed due to glaucoma swelling) and advanced cancer. The offender was a giant mastiff that broke a string leash. In retrospect I wish I had given a mghty kick to both the dog and owner. I am cat person- I mostly can't stand dogs because of people like these owners. They really give dogs a very bad name.
ReplyDeleteI will also say that when we visited Germany I would frequently see dogs, very well trained, walking behind their owners, waiting outside pubs, or in cafes. It's not like that in the U.S. where people seem to think everyone else should love their precious (untrained) dog. Maybe not everyone but unfortunately in my area.
DeleteThis really annoys me. I have a German shepherd a large one and he was attacked by another. Since then he thinks every dog is out to get him. When you see the owner John tell her you are well within your rights if it happens again to report them to the police as it is in the new dog law that dangerous dogs or any dog that makes you feel vulnerable they can prosecute the owner. Your dogs wouldn't have stod a chance and you could have been terrible injured. What if it had been a child with their little pup. Tell her the Yorkshire way lad how it will be :)
ReplyDeleteSue
A man here was taken to court for carrying a electric cattle prod to protect his little dog after the other was killed by a bigger dog attacking. His very sensible argument was tha a prod would hurt the dog ad scare them away, but not actually harm the, whereas without the prod he would have to kick or otherwise hit the dog and perhaps injure it, because no way was he going to stand by and let another dog of his be mauled. Personally I think he had a point. Dog attack is one reason why I worry about having a smaller dog than a Lab. At least the bigger dogs have a better chance of surviving. Yes to the suggestions of a muzzle and a better lead and collar. Yes to finding a good trainer who can help them overcome this issue. And YES to you kicking the dog to protect your babies. I hope that if it ever happens to my dogs and I that I will have the guts and presence of mind to do the same.
ReplyDeleteI have been the child that was bitten in the face. Good dr healed well. I have no memory of the occassion except for being in the hospital all by myself with a white sheet over my head with a hole where the bite was.
ReplyDeleteI was less than 3. They refused to allow my parents in with me. Mom was a registered nurse. However this did not cure me. I still pet the pups when i see them.
Raised collies. But now have cats. I guarantee you that demon puss would have taken the dog on. Our old cat mudpie would spend his day hunting for dogs to slap. May he rest in peace. Died a happy very old loved cat who would not tolerate an ill mannered hound.
I was bitten in the face as a small child as well. I would love to give Mudpie a pat on the head.
DeleteHe was an amazing animal. Met my dad at the bus stop to walk him home. Would hid in the hedges and slap every dog that dared to pass his hiding place, and would chase a dog to get it out of the yard.
DeleteHoping that the owner of the husky will listen to what you will say and find a way to give his dog some additional training. Surely, local vets might be able to suggest places for such training of dogs that are past the puppy stage? Hope so.
ReplyDeleteMy sister has three Leonbergers who tip the scale at 140-160 lbs. They look like bears. They are purely status symbols for her. She loves it when they stop traffic. They have not been socialized or trained. When one of them knocked down by 88 year old mother, she blamed my mom! They have even gone after her horses. Luckily everyone up till now have gone unscathed. For now...
ReplyDeleteVery surprised to read that one of the hooligans is a Black Lab'. They are usually so calm. It must be the owner!
ReplyDeleteWhile irresponsible dog owners are not helpful, I think it should be said that sometimes things just go pear shaped. My parents had a rescue dog who was never a problem but one day she saw a fluffy, white dog on the street and mum's normally obedient and non-jumping dog went over a fence to get at the other dog.
ReplyDeleteThere were a few occasions after that when she saw a white dog and went ballistic (from inside the house) and we realised that she must have had a bad experience with a white dog. When you dont know a dog's history, they can take you by surprise
So glad you were able to control the situation John and averted the probable dire outcome of a dog confrontation.
ReplyDeleteOur family lost our late fathers dog through being attacked while being walked.. so it was a double whammy as Dad always wanted the best for his little mate and to have him attacked so viscously to have to have Buddy put to sleep was particularly traumatic to say the least.
Our other experience is our Amy the Silky was attending regular Dog Obedience classes and for some reason they always put her near a big dog. We were doing passing and a large dog turned and snapped at Amy biting her on her back! Since that very moment something happened to Amys disposition with other dogs and she HATES them all.. it takes a lot of conditioning with dogs she comes into contact on a regular basis to accept and trust them. This is a little dog that has been socialised and trained and in all other aspects is just wonderful, but we can't trust her on a normal light lead as she will run & attack by nipping the other dogs feet while putting on a screaming banshee act.
We now use a muzzle if she is going to be in close quarters with other dogs and put a harness on her so she cannot spring the clip on her collar.
This huskys owner needs to have a strong halter type harness and lead as well as a choker collar (Chokers are not cruel if applied and used to teach and correct) besides the dog being educated but sometimes like with our little one something has happened in the past to cause the aggression and some are just alpha dogs.
To be frank I would be laying down the ground rules for this fellows use of the streets with his dog and at least he should advise which route he takes and when... seems a bit police like but better that than to have another incident... my rant over for the night :)
Hell's Bells! That was a close call! And what would the outcome have been if, instead of yourself, the person walking dogs had been elderly or frail!! I hate to think! Dog ownership comes with responsibilities, and it's clear that owner is shirking theirs! We have had some very serious injuries when owners try to protect their pooches when attacked, so I found this post quite disturbing. I hope you can get a commitment to undertake training, and meanwhile get a more secure lead and muzzle on that dog.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are all ok. Shaken, but ok.
Bloody Hell! There is an aggressive Dalmatian in the village I give a wide berth to; he terrified Dillon once. Large black male Labradors always square up to Dillon & it results in a nasty snarl off so I try to avoid those situations !
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry that you had to go through all of that John. What was the owner doing while it was all going on? Did they even try to help? x
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine had her dog attacked on the street whilst it was on the lead, a Welsh Terrier. The attacker was a Staffy which was roaming free. The Staffy would not let go of Sophie's head, and Brenda had to wrestle it on the floor to open it's jaws. Some workmen ran across to help her, and a passing couple stopped their car and rushed Brenda and Sophie to the Vets. Sophie survived. Brenda got PTSD. The police did not want to know as there was no "proof" that the Staffy did it. There had been complaints before, but nothing was done.
ReplyDeleteSounds like William and Mary were lucky to escape unharmed. The husky seems pretty dangerous. A good thing you were able to fend it off.
ReplyDeleteAre there wolves in Wales? It's a good story. Have other readers seen a wolf running across the road in your neck of the woods. Maybe there's a pack of them.
ReplyDeleteThis is my dog you are all slating,she is not a status symbol,we can handle her and we are not drug dealers our dog was well socialized and went on organised dog walks until a black lab in our village savaged her she was so traumatized it has taken us over a year to get her past the bottom of our road.She was panicking as she had spotted the dog's across the road I was trying to calm her down when my glove caught on the clip of her lead she panicked and ran in the road then towards the man with the dogs he didn't kick her he just put his foot out and then shouted she ran off she has never bitten anyone and her reaction was shear panic at finding her self of her lead and out of her comfort zone. We have apologised and given a full explanation to the man with the two dogs.And I assure you as some comments suggest we don't need a good kicking accidents happen.This has been blown out of all proportion.
ReplyDeletePeople have a view and they, like you , can, express it here if they and you all wish. My blog was the truth and balanced as was MY follow up comments .
DeleteI am not responsible for what people say
Your dog needs some intensive help that you cannot give it alone- even though I am in no doubt she is loved dearly
I have the contact number of a dog behaviourist that helped another anxious dog in the village if you want it
Ps if you missed it this was my postscript a day or so later
DeleteArrrhhh the power of the blog......this afternoon the owner of the husky called around to the cottage to discuss the dogfight on Tuesday evening.
She had read the blog and wanted to put things straight which was very big of her and we had a frank and open discussion about the incident.
The husky, as I thought, is a somewhat damaged animal. She is clearly cared for by a devoted owner who understands dog psychology but the bitch indeed sounds a bit of a nightmare to care for due to previous abuse and trauma and by the sounds of things the owner has done everything in her power to rectify her problems.
I finally suggested a dog trainer I have heard of who specializes in aggressive large dogs and we parted on good terms.
I wish her and her dog well.
Stephen Pike, I am sorry for the trauma your dog endured. However, she was not in your control, and I don't believe that John would know she was panicking. All he saw was a big dog coming after his smaller dogs. I'm glad you explained your dog's situation to him, but please understand that it was a frightful experience for both he and his dogs!
ReplyDeleteWhat about Albert, when he is out alone? Hope the owners of these large dogs realize that there are a lot of smaller animals (chickens, etc too).
ReplyDeleteWhat about Albert, when he is out alone? Hope the owners of these large dogs realize that there are a lot of smaller animals (chickens, etc too).
ReplyDelete