[Closed] Dog

Blackmail? Lovely. The police will find that most amusing. Possibly phone the police yourself?

As above. Call the police and explain the situation. It sounds like they are more bothered about the iPhone rather than the daughter.

Be careful!! a very similar thing happened to me, my dog was startled by some one putting out there hand to stroke my dog completely uninvited and without warning, my dog was on the lead but still nipped the man. Big wimp went to the A&E department, as such the police got involved the end result was I got a caution, had to write a letter of apology and cough up £40 for the guys taxi fare from the hospital. The law on dogs is imminently due for a change and may even have changed? the new law will mean that regardless of your dog being on a lead if it bites someone you will be deemed guilty of the offence of 'having a dog out of control in a public place'

Did the girl actually drop her phone when bitten? If she did and it was damaged then you should pay up. After all your dog did bite her. You should ask to see the damaged phone and take it to an apple store and find it how much it'll cost to repair. It'll certainly be cheaper than a new one.

The phone fell onto grass in a field,the phone is not the problem,I'm actually worried about the dog , my wife is pregnant and our first child ? now we are contemplating the worst?

I can't imagine that there will be any action taken against the dog, unless of course it was a serious attack, which judging by your post it wasn't. You would be responsible for any damage though.

If I'd have been out with my daughters and someone's dog bit one of their arms, there would be a serious problem...

At the very least I'd involve the police, my guess is that I'd have gone for both dog and owner before I'd had the opportunity though.

Anyone's dog bites a child then IMO it's definitely a police matter. If I had a dog which bit a child is probably report it myself. Absolutely no excuses.

What did the girl do to provoke your dog? Does your dog normally interact with kids? Its a big dog and kids are smaller, unpredictable, noisy and probably scared of a dog like that on first acquaintance so may react suddenly.

My kids are certainly cagey around dogs they don't know. It's natural. Confidence around dogs is a skill to learn that you can't expect young kids to have yet.

As loddrik said, probably a police matter too.

Take a look at this website for up to date information on what to do. Possibly you might need to muzzle your dog for 6 months till you can prove the dog is now safe. A qualified behaviourist review would be useful, but be careful with who you go with if you go down this route. I'd advise on looking for someone who works with a positive approach.

One good piece of advice though is to inform your insurance company immediately and certainly don't admit any liability.

[url= http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/controlling-your-dog-in-public ]http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/controlling-your-dog-in-public[/url]

Report it to the police, you are the responsible owner and that you have taken steps (muzzle/training). Tell them exactly what happened including contact with the mother and ask their advice.

Not a lawyer or a dog owner or a polis or a parent or a dog or a child or a baby robin.

Control your dog.
People have the right to go about their daily business without being bitten by dogs whose owners can't or won't keep them under proper control.
I'm fed up of dog owners forcing ME to change MY decisions when all I want to do is take a walk or ride a bike with or without the kids due to "pet" animals jumping up, barking & $hi££ing everywhere I look.
Control your dog.

nightmare. if it were me i'd buy a muzzle, get their agreement that they won't report it, then write a cheque.
if you have a little one on the way then you may have some tough choices to make.
horrible situation.

We made our decision , we got a little one on the way.As for the phone ill send off to get repaired.

Well done for making a tough decision.

You can't win.

Did the dog break her skin? If an Irish Wolfhound bit her in earnest, I'm be surprised if she still had her arm.
Sounds like the dog was warning her off to me.

I'd replace the iPhone but expect to get the old "broken" one.

loddrik handing his own dog over to the police.

Sad story. When you say you've made a decision, are you having him rehomed?

Take a look at this website for up to date information on what to do. Possibly you might need to muzzle your dog for 6 months till you can prove the dog is now safe. A qualified behaviourist review would be useful, but be careful with who you go with if you go down this route. I'd advise on looking for someone who works with a positive approach.

One good piece of advice though is to inform your insurance company immediately and certainly don't admit any liability.

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/controlling-your-dog-in-public

Useful link but it's for Northern Ireland. Not sure where the OP is based.... I'm guessing that the principles are similar but as it also refers to dog licences there are probably some differences.

Another concern now might be how your dog interacts with your newborn. Some dogs can become quite jealous of a new entrant into their lives. Given he has nipped a little one I'd be extra vigilant when the little one starts crawling etc. Thankfully mine is OK with ours but you can tell he gets a bit peed off now and again.

Taking him to dogs trust for re homing- My father died 2 months ago and he is actually my mums dog , so i reckon he is just a bit over protective at the moment, he was startled whilst going through a gate as the girl just pushed through whilst my wife was opening the gate. Dogs trust can find him a home - he is not bad natured never has been but just doing his job. Any way , we don't want the risk with the newborn or him jumping at strangers as my mums 74 and if he pulls either my mother or wife over could be super serious. I am taking him to Leeds to day . Sad day saying good by to a bezzy friend ?

A wise decision trevron, sorry to hear about your father. The dog will be effected by that too they do pick up emotions and routines being changed also effects them. I'm sure he'll be happy in his new home.

As sad but courageous decision. Well done. Kids are just too important to risk as you'll soon find out.

Thanks for advice.. tough decision but cannot be on pins every time we take for a walk. Police have said no crime has taken place as the dog did not set out to harm. Insurance company can take care the phone if a claim is to be made ... tough call ,hard decision ............very sad.

Sadly we're in exactly the same situation except the police are involved and wether you like it or not it's a criminal offence, ours is always muzzled when he goes everywhere precisely because he's a scary big dog, in this instance a kid alleged he was bitten, we haven't seen 'proof' yet they want my Mrs to go to the Police station to be interviewed under caution.
Allegedly the dog rushed out bit a passing kid (we live near a school) then rushed back in again, she didn't see it happen and I wasn't at home, there were folk viewing the house, (it's on the market).
However it's a Doberman, it's never bitten anyone before and I'm sure if it had attacked a kid it would be unlikely the kid would have survived so I suspect it's the usual story, it barked and scared the kid who then claimed it bit him, but I can't be sure so doubt has crept in and the rehoming route seems appropriate.
My advice would have been buy the iPhone and don't involve the police, they are only interested in these sort of events as an easy score and solvable crime for their stats so they will prosecute a soft target which you are.
So we're now likely to lose a member of the family over the word of a scared kid (understandably) and a police force governed by targets.

My advice would have been buy the iPhone and don't involve the police, they are only interested in these sort of events as an easy score and solvable crime for their stats so they will prosecute a soft target which you are.

Or maybe not as it seems.

I assume the rehoming place knows the history?

My father died 2 months ago and he is actually my mums dog

That's hard. Sorry to hear that, sounds like no easy choices.

Taking him to dogs trust for re homing-

we don't want the risk with the newborn

A wise decision

As sad but courageous decision

I have to say that I don't think this is a wise decision and it certainly isn't a courageous one. All you're doing is foisting the problem onto someone else who may not be aware of the full history. If the dog is safe enough to keep then you keep him. If you don't think he is safe to have around kids then you should be doing the courageous thing and having him put down or sent off to work on a Pyrenean sheep farm or something.

Once he's gone to the dog's home, which will presumably unsettle him more, and then off to a chain of new owners after that; whose going to know what he's done in the past ?

It really seems like you're ducking responsibility , when you should be dealing with it yourselves. Either the dog is safe or it's not. You clearly don't think it is safe, so why on earth are you sending it off so the same thing could happen all over again?

Courageous decision...not necessarily and apologies if it appeared I was scare mongering. You have to be vigilant with all dogs around kids no matter how good or bad natured they are. They have good days and bad days just like humans. My dog can take the hump with our little one due to less attention...however he doesn't hesitate to ward off other dogs when out with little one in his buggy and is mightily protective. Take a bit more time to make the decision IMO.

I'm intrigued by how exactly the little girl "startled" your wife and dog - seems to be the little girls fault.

I'm surprised by how the dog managed to bite the girl if on a short lead and therefore presumably under control?

It wasn't muzzled because it had been off the lead playing with a ball - as it was now on a "short lead" surely it should have been muzzled?

The phone was dropped and the owner wanted it replaced - bloody faced cheek to ask for the damage that your wife was responsible for to be sorted!

Its a family pet, I get that but its all typical dog owner denial rubbish that we hear all the time. Some mitigation in your case because of the sad circumstances in which you inherited the dog but better decision making from dog owners is needed. A heavily pregnant wife and a dog like that are never a sensible option.

A heavily pregnant wife and a dog like that are never a sensible option.

I'm intrigued by how exactly the little girl "startled" your wife and dog - seems to be the little girls fault.

bloody faced cheek to ask for the damage that your wife was responsible for to be sorted!

All you're doing is foisting the problem onto someone else who may not be aware of the full history.

You're just making stuff up.

Its a family pet, I get that but its all typical dog owner denial rubbish that we hear all the time.

to be fair - the op has made a positive decision to deal with this - get rid of his dog, has contacted the police and has taken steps to compensate the girl. We don't know the extent of the injuries to the girl, but the phone seemed to be a bigger issue. I'd say that the op has taken all the right steps after a very unfortunate incident.

Whether the dog should be put down or not is a different matter now and probably need a animal behaviourist to determine. I have no idea whether it would make a good future pet, or whether there is any doubt and it should be put down.

I have to say that I don't think this is a wise decision and it certainly isn't a courageous one. All you're doing is foisting the problem onto someone else who may not be aware of the full history. If the dog is safe enough to keep then you keep him. If you don't think he is safe to have around kids then you should be doing the courageous thing and having him put down or sent off to work on a Pyrenean sheep farm or something.

Nope, the Dogs Trust are brilliant in cases like these - if they know a dog has behavioural problems or particular triggers, they let potential owners know. When we were looking for a dog, there were a couple that we looked at that had issues (a few with food aggression, and one who had been put for rehoming who had always been bad with children and ended up biting the owner's grandchild who came to live with them). It doesn't mean a dog needs putting down, it just means that a lot of care needs to be taken in rehoming and ownership.

From what's been said it sounds like the OP's wife opened a gate and was about to walk through when the girl pushed through unexpectedly. Obviously the dog's response was bad, but sometimes dogs can be overprotective and act badly when startled (the only time I've had a dog go for me on a bike was when I was passing a walking family and surprised a Jack Russell). Sounds a bit like the girl has had a bit of a harsh lesson in manners...

WTF?

Some of you need to get a bit of perspective here, the way you're going on it's as if the dog was running free and tossed the kid like a ragdoll. It's quite clear little or none of you have experience of "a dog like that" or you would know that they are, ordinarily, very placid and affectionate big buggers. Definitely not a dog I'd expect to be on a muzzle (in fact I'd argue that unless they have a good reason they shouldn't have one at all) so where this expectation comes from I have no idea especially since it has no previous history.

Sounds like the mother is trying it on, if she was that concerned she would be going to the police regardless, I know I would be.

As for recommending the dog be destroyed, get a ****ing grip. It nipped a kid, that's hardly a reason to impose a death sentence. It won't be "foisting the problem onto someone else who may not be aware of the full history" as I'm sure the OP will make the rehoming centre more than aware of why it's being given up and the person who takes it will more than have experience of such dogs (they don't just give these dogs away to anyone).

OP - try these guys as well, they will be far more experienced with wolfies and will be better equipped to find a suitable new owner. If you're in doubt you are doing the best thing despite what these numpties are saying.

http://www.wolfhoundrescue.org.uk/

FWIW - not (current) dog owner but grew up with them, had my fair share of deserved nips and a small scare with my own daughter (stupid dog got excited and soft mouthed her). It's easy to cry foul when you have no idea what the dog is like from personal experience.

seems to be the little girls fault.

Sharkbait - The OP referred to the danger of his wife being pulled over whilst pregnant, 3 months or heavily pregnant makes no odds (I thought I had read an imminent arrival on the baby scene but was wrong). If the dog is big enough to pull her over - its not a sensible combination.

Why does the other stuff not make sense? A grown woman and dog being startled by a small girl?? Its the phraseology of dog owners' - always someone else's fault.

Mrs Toast - harsh lesson in manners! Really? Maybe you should get bitten every time you forget to say please or thank you. Moronic thing to say.

What are the downsides to muzzling a dog in public? If its muzzled in public it can't bite members of the public and these issues would never occur. Is it cost that is the problem or cruelty to the dog?

Del - The OP implies that in the terminology he uses. The girl "startled" my dog and wife. No she didn't, she just happened to be in the same public space and the dog bit her.

No she didn't, she just happened to be in the same public space and the dog bit her.

Ermmm! Yes but he's describing what happened he didn't blame anyone.

Yes, it's ALWAYS the dogs fault.

Of course if the mother had taught the child not to go running up to strange dogs...

End of the day the dog was on the lead, nothing was expected to happen. Child was probably running along oblivious to dog and, yes, startled it. Shit happens, no real harm was done, action is being taken. What more do you actually think needs done?

If the dog nipped then it ultimately thought it was defending the pack or was being attacked - it's hard to judge from the description in the original post.

What may be going on is that with the death of a previous owner and a new home it may not be clear to the dog that it's not the pack leader and that's the thing to focus on - dogs only get territorial when the owners don't give it confidence they are in charge / control.

It sounds like a storm in a tea cup - Irish wolfhounds are pretty placid and the original poster tells us the dog has never been a problem before.

Some simple changes like gesture eating, ignoring the dog when the OP comes home etc will show the dog it doesn't need to be on guard / protective and avoid the distress of a dog being re-homed with the unpredictable outcome that carries (including that some re-homed pets subsequently land up being used in organised dog fights).

There's no reason to re-home the dog unless the OP isn't up for getting some advice from a behaviourist and then making some simple changes that would cost nothing apart from effort and would normally be the sort of thing any reasonable person would do for a "best mate".

There are far too many "problem" dogs sent for re-homing where the only problem is a lack of effort on the part of the owners in doing the very simple things that dogs need to see in order know their place.

The OP referred to the danger of his wife being pulled over whilst pregnant

It sounds like a storm in a tea cup

If it had been one of my daughters who had been bit, it would most definitely not be a storm in a teacup. I suspect most parents of young children would see it in the same way...

But was it a bite, or was it just a fright?

Doesn't sound like any skin was broken.

I have a wolfhound, and the reason I like them is their reliability and lovely temperament.

I just wish I could offer a home to this poor dog. It doesn't sound like a bad dog, just a bit lost with the death of its owner.

Sharkbait - read the OP's latter contributions. Being pulled over is mentioned.

These days you need to very careful about having your dog in public, one mistake it's either the dog's life or a lawsuit facing you.

Think of it this way. You cannot read the dog's mind so there is no way you can be 100% certain that the dog will not be accused of being dangerous in public.

Where I come from in the far east most of the local stray dogs (actually a kind of local breed) are slowly being wipe out by the local council dog catchers because there were considered stray. Worst still religion come into play especially those of the muslamic kind.

Seems to me that this is a pretty clear case that the apparently aggrieved party isn't taking responsibility for her actions, the OP is taking responsibility for what happened and is trying to move forward in the best interests of the dog and his family. It seems it's the OP that's getting a raw deal off the majority of folk here.

I find it kind of odd the way society is moving.... 🙄

dog should be put down. end of.

I've a colleague who is interested in getting a wolfhound as a rescue. I think though, at 8 years old and with a life expectancy of 7 for the breed, a rehome may be difficult. (personally I wouldn't rehome the dog I'd keep hold of her - squirrelking / robdixon on the right track ).

Some of these comments are bloody outrageous, if we'd have got rid of every dog that nipped me or my sister when i was growing up as a child we'd have had no dogs! Despite them only playing they can be pushed too far/get over excited and some occasions accidentally draw blood. Even startling the most friendly dog in the world will get a negative response.

On a side note, I've been bitten harder and worse by a bloody rabbit than any dog I've owned, right through my damn finger.

OP you have acted calmly and responsibly with whats happened, and specially whats going on. Some real anti-dog people on here.

[i]dog should be put down. end of.[/i]

Is that a joke....if so its not funny! There are obviously a few issues here, but sounds like the problem would be solved if the dog wasn't taken into strange environments with kids running around near it and secondly if he was muzzled.

As for having it in the house with a new born...I think not!

Re homing somewhere with lots of space and it would be fine.

Some real anti-dog people on here.

Maybe just parents of young kids who are all too well aware of a potential danger and future incidents.

Maybe just parents of young kids who are all too well aware of a potential danger and future incidents.

I have young kids and a dog. I'm more realistic though and see that this wasn't a vicious mauling and that the OP has taken a hard but wise decision.

if we'd have got rid of every dog that nipped me or my sister when i was growing up as a child we'd have had no dogs!

Some real anti-dog people on here.

Or maybe they're just people who don't regard it as reasonable to keep unpredictable animals as pets that randomly bite people for no apparent reason.

Just a thought…. 🙄

Or maybe they're just people who don't regard it as reasonable to keep unpredictable animals as pets that randomly bite people for no apparent reason.

You can't say that about kids, that's terrible.

On a side note, I've been bitten harder and worse by a bloody rabbit than any dog I've owned, right through my damn finger.

the amount of apologists for dogs biting people.

Theres a whole new language! "nipping" "soft mouthing" "accidentally draw blood" etc etc

Maybe just parents of young kids who are all too well aware of a potential danger and future incidents

We were all kids once, was our generation bubble wrapped like they are nowadays, i'm no condoning it in anyway what so ever but children nowadays are wimps. H&S is well over the top, banning triangle shaped flap jacks some to mind...

Apparently dogs bite people, so we should all just accept that, should we?

Its nothing to do with acceptance, I've always thought it was a good idea for a dog license but that's a different story, they are animals at the end of the day, we've domesticated them for our own uses/enjoyment/companions yet when they act out of "character", we kill them.

Or maybe they're just people who don't regard it as reasonable to keep unpredictable animals as pets that randomly bite people for no apparent reason.

All animals are unpredictable, people more so but we keep them too. Children are even more unpredictable, even your own little ones.

Killer Bunny sketch is just fantastic.

If my dog bit someone he'd have to go. Ultimately a dog should never bite a person unless it's attacked itself. Startled and biting is not acceptable.

surfer - Member
Theres a whole new language! "nipping" "soft mouthing" "accidentally draw blood" etc etc

I think like with humans, intentions comes into it.

If I give my wolfhound a can of dogfood and tell her to eat, she'll chomp right through the can. That's a bite.

If I ask her to bring it here, she'll pick it up with her teeth and give it to me. There won't be a scratch on the can. That's not a bite, that's how dogs hold things.

In this case it sounds like the wolfhound was startled and grasped her. If it was a bite there would have been holes in the girl. There's no doubt the girl got a fright because kids don't drop their iPhones. It doesn't sound like an attack to me.

I have got rid of a dog in the past (Ridgeback) that snapped at a kid. Didn't touch him, but it was a warning of intention, so I gave it to a friend on a farm.

We were all kids once, was our generation bubble wrapped like they are nowadays, i'm no condoning it in anyway what so ever but children nowadays are wimps. H&S is well over the top, banning triangle shaped flap jacks some to mind...

I remember being bitten by dogs when I was a kid. Because I was doesn't mean my kids should have to put up with the same. I like that my kids are wimps if it is a result of them not needing to be wary of dogs etc. I also remember dogshit everywhere, and smoking in cinemas blah blah blah...

Some things no longer happen for good reason.

And dog apologists, there is just no way to justify that a dog 'nips, bites, snaps', or whatever you want to call it, a strange child in any context whatsoever. Children are by nature trusting and are brought up to assume that a dog is friendly and can be approached without fear of being bitten.

banning triangle shaped flap jacks some to mind...

Children are by nature trusting and are brought up to assume that a dog is friendly and can be approached without fear of being bitten.

This is part of the problem.

Responsible parents would teach their kids to ask the owner first if it's ok to go up to a dog and make a fuss of it in exactly the same way you'd ask a farmer if it was safe / ok to "pet" a farm animal. Dogs aren't there for the entertainment of other people's children and shouldn't be seen as such.

Sounds a bit like the girl has had a bit of a harsh lesson in manners...

Really? By being bitten by a dog. Nice line of justice there. Wow.

It doesn't sound like an attack to me.

I suspect it would have to be very violent indeed to constitute an "attack" to you, Judging by the rest of your post.

Responsible parents would teach their kids to ask the owner first if it's ok to go up to a dog and make a fuss of it in exactly the same way you'd ask a farmer if it was safe / ok to "pet" a farm animal.

You dont tend to get many of them walking down the street do you? Anyway you have succeeded in blaming the child so job done.

Responsible parents would teach their kids to ask the owner first if it's ok to go up to a dog and make a fuss of it in exactly the same way you'd ask a farmer if it was safe / ok to "pet" a farm animal. Dogs aren't there for the entertainment of other people's children and shouldn't be seen as such.

Responsible dog owners, who seemingly know there is a chance their dog could bite someone, should keep them muzzled and on a lead at all times.

Works both ways.

are brought up to assume that a dog is friendly and can be approached without fear of being bitten.

Mine never have and even though they love dogs always ask if it's Ok to stroke or approach a dog. Funny exactly like I was by my parents.

And mine too, but most kids, mine included, will just assume a dog is friendly.

So it's ok to have a dangerous animal,because parents are responsible for assessing the risk of a dog they have never seen before?

surfer - Member
I suspect it would have to be very violent indeed to constitute an "attack" to you, Judging by the rest of your post...

I wasn't there. Might help if the OP could tell us if it actually was a bite. Dogs use the mouths to grasp things, as I said intentions are important.

And I would have no tolerance for a dog which even made a threat to a human.

epicyclo you are making excuses for an aggressive dog.

So it's ok to have a dangerous animal,because parents are responsible for assessing the risk of a dog they have never seen before?

No but as a father I also have a duty to warn my kids of dangers. One is to be careful around strange dogs.

And when you've warned them,and they are bitten,then whose fault is it?

Maybe there isn't always someone to blame when all reasonable precautions have been taken. Some people are too eager to blame others.

With drac on this. Drummed into my kids heads you keep a respectful distance away from dogs you do not know, much the same as you would teach your kids about strangers...as my parents taught me. May not stop them being bitten in situations say where a kid runs round a blind corner into one...but does mitigate it a whole lot better than letting kids either think there are no dangers or by letting them learn for themselves with unfortunate results.

Mine never have and even though they love dogs always ask if it's Ok to stroke or approach a dog. Funny exactly like I was by my parents.

No but as a father I also have a duty to warn my kids of dangers. One is to be careful around strange dogs.

this^^

I don't think it's an actual bite because a bite will have proper punctured wounds. Very different.

I grew up with street full of strays and also fierce "guard" dogs (more like dogs let loose in the compound or street).

As a kid we learned whether a dog is friendly or not by calling out to the dog, then see if it comes running around wagging its tail with ears down, or tongue out "greeting" us (posture - its body is relax and not tense). We don't immediately pat the dog but let them see our palm or hand before patting them on their heads.

A non-friendly dog will start barking either standing their ground or side way prepare to run (if there is only one) but if they are a few of them, once you get one barking, the rest will team up and probably start moving toward you (tense body and very alert). They will show their K9 teeth with ears standing up (alert) and tail straight up. In this case, we either move slowly or not make eye contact but keeping alert of where they are. You will get a few behind you sniffing your legs. The really bad ones will bite at the moment you turn around. My boy racer mate got bitten many times but no big deal as he would go to the hospital for jabs and the owner(s) got told off.

After that we would go back to put the aggressive dogs in their place by beating the crap out of them, not injuring them or to kill them btw, so they would not try to bully us again but others would hate us until they die. That's how we got chased by dogs everyday. A way of life. No big deal. However, if you get an aggressive mastiff like dogs (my friend's dog that can be rather temperamental, a bit psycho ...) then you better be prepared for a fight and for us we carry metal pipe(s) with us ... the dogs know that and would not dare come close to us. 😆

We had encountered Rottweiler size dog (think it's mixed) as well as a pack of say 10 or more aggressive ones. For big dogs it would be Mexican standoff ... 😆 Never run or turn your back on them.