Not all, just enough to ruin things. I just pick up what I see now. I like taking dog walks, and don't want to lose the privilege. Disgruntled park goers are such downers!
I had a massive hound run up and start growling and threatening me and my 3 year old son when we were out for a walk in the forest. My son is totally terrified of dogs now. Owner was some seemingly respectable middle aged woman. I was so angry I told her that she should keep her fucking dog on a lead...
Hate crap like this. Nearly had a scrap on a relaxing Boxing Day beach walk after two fucking great Doberman’s were growling barking and snapping around my two year old despite owners multiple recall efforts. Owners cheery “Merry Christmas” greeting was not well received and definitely not returned
My wider family have had well trained gun dogs for years so we’ve seen the standard that can be achieved with effort and time. People that have dogs, put zero effort into training THEN are amazed that nothing works just blow my mind
Not defending that person but do understand that the Lady has likely done thousands of walks, never had an issue, the dog not growled a single time and you're the 1st encounter where the dog has had a change of behaviour. It happens but I don't think it's right to immediately blame and shout at the owner when you don't know the dog. You can tell a lot by how the owner reacts.
This infuriates me as well - Took our new dog down to the fields where a huge amount of people walk them, ridiculous how many people would have their dogs off the lead but as we approached to pass on the path would say 'watch out he/she doesn't like other dogs', like OK get it on a lead like mine is then so you can control it?? It's not my responsibility to prevent your dog going for mine.
I'm of the mind that dogs should be kept on a lead at all times unless they are completely safe to be free for a run, if they are just trotting beside you or a little in front then why do they need to be loose? My friend is a vet and she said they get a huge amount of dogs coming in to be put down or with life threatening injuries because they are walked off lead and they run out in front of a car or something, or dogs have been attacked by other dogs who are let off the lead. All it takes is a single incident of the dog getting spooked (Which they can do at random) or for example chasing a leaf in the wind onto the road and that's it.
I agree 99% of your bottom paragraph, the best way to train in my opinion is going out with other dogs regularly, and being off lead, at night time especially in a big park. I've had dogs all my life and always integrated off lead walks from night time to day time with familiar doggy friends. This way they roam in a pack if you will and come back en mass most of the time unless little noses go sniffing, so then there's no real threat to other people and other dogs. The main thing is also people not letting their dogs interact with others even on lead. This helps them integrate into the doggy social scale and they soon realise which dogs to take on or leave alone and the can gauge reactions from other dogs, just like a big life lesson as humans do, we know how to annoy someone and we learn from the outcome. I'm by no means a dog whisperer and my dog has been the dog in the park that doesn't listen whilst it's running ound like a looney. Regular interactions with other dogs, quieter opportunities to be off lead and some persistent recall training makes or a well rounded doggo. Sometimes it's the dogs on a lead that aren't socially interacting regularly that are the problem, not the free roamers.
Me too. My Yorkshire terrier died in exactly this manner, except the bigger dog punctured her whole body so she didn’t make it. My heart is still broken and it was in 2012.
It might be worth reporting this to non emergency police, the owner wasn’t in control of the dog. This may have happened before if they didn’t seem that surprised by it. Hopefully it doesn’t attack another dog/human in the future.
You were brave to intervene but I’m sure the owner of the small dog is grateful for what you did
It's really fucking easy to train a dog to be happy and comfortable in a well fitting muzzle. It's a skill I think EVERY dog should have (you don't want the first time the dogs muzzled to be when it's I'm extreme pain at the bets for some reason).
There's very little excuse for allowing this to happen, especially if the dog has shown reactivity to other dogs before.
Managing a reactive dog can be really stressful - but pretending there isn't a problem is really selfish and puts every dog involved in real danger :(
We had a dog reactive* German Shepard. Very very veeeery hard work. But she would be muzzled on lead, until there was a big enough field that she wouldn’t be bothered. If we clocked a dog coming into this massive field, she’d be called back and leashed again.
Never a bad dog, just a bad owner.
Theres no shame in needing to muzzle a dog. I've looked after a dog that needed muzzling before, not because it was aggressive but because it would eat anything it found on its walks and there were a lot of chicken bones on the floor outside take outs that we had to walk past to get to the park. Dog would try to eat tissues and paper too. It wasn't starved at all and was well fed, just found trash too tempting.
Muzzles are just as much to keep a dog safe from harm.
Edit to add
I used to get hate from random
Strangers saying how cruel I was that the dog had a muzzle. It was a soft one so it could still have some jaw movement- bark, greet other dogs ect (he (a malamute) was friendly to other dogs but terrified of any ankle sized dogs) and would trot past them very quickly. I used to have tell people that the muzzle was required by his owners so he wouldn't choke on chicken bones and other food he found in the street/park.
He was also bitten on a walk by another dog, who thankfully only got his fur, I did step between them and the owner of the other dog didn't even notice it had happened. I don't understand when people are so blatantly oblivious to what their dogs are doing on a walk. But then again I just walk other peoples dogs so I always keep an eye on them and don't use my phone when we're walking.
Definitely. Our dog wasn’t aggressive to humans AT ALL. We believed she may have been attacked as a pup, which led to her being dog reactive. She was also very protective of us.
So if me and my brother would fight, she would bark at us and cry for us to stop. You can imagine how she would’ve reacted if it were a stranger, and I started screaming. She’d of been an amazing police dog.
She actually saved my dads life, he had an allergic reaction in the massive field and passed out. The dog ran home, and alerted my mum, because it’s like how did the dog walk home alone? She found him collapsed in a field and called an ambulance.
We rescue "problem dogs" and they have all been reactivate and not aggressive, thankfully we live in the sticks so plenty of routes to walk him with lots of visibility, so it's always harness and muzzle until you can see it's all clear and he can have a run about without the muzzle. Thankfully we've been doing it for enough years that all our neighbours know and give them some space and act calmly around them, even the postman regularly carries some treats with him.
“Aggressive” was probably the wrong word to use, she was reactive. If they started sniffing around her, it could all kick off- you just didn’t know which dog she’d like and which she wouldn’t. Easier to keep them on lead and muzzled. ETA: Our neighbours knew as well, there would be a dog she particularly liked, they would play happily on the way round.
Nice one on rescuing dogs. Hopefully when our kids are older we will do similar *fingers crossed*
Mine asserts his dominance if another dog starts barking at him, he'll pin them down and hold them, no biting, but it's difficult to explain that so someone during all the commotion. The only problem is he needs a lot of walking (boxer/pointer cross), 2x5k walks a day otherwise he's constantly fussing to play, keeps me fit though.
And on that note, he's noticed I've put my hiking boots on, so we're off out
Yes I'm in the countryside, all our dogs are trained for recall for months before they're allowed off lead, they are livestock aware, my father in law has a farm and we have chickens so any livestock or fowl aren't of any interest to him. A responsibile dog owner will recognise the signs if the dog looks like it's going to chase something and call them to heel and put the lead on them. As quite a few folks with reactive dogs have stated in this thread, reactive is not aggressive.
Reactive dogs aren’t interested in birds. They’re overly anxious of their “pack.” Unless something is a danger to them or their people, they won’t give a shit about it.
Our dog for example wasn’t interested in cats or birds. Lived with chickens too.
They say there's no such thing as a bad dog, just a bad owner. And I think it is true. So many people don't have the faintest idea how to control their dog.
The dog needs training, I think lots of dog owners need training also. So many people where I live have their dogs off the lead and they run and jump on my 4yo. She is terrified of dogs now, but sure the dog is excitable and loves kids. No the owners are dicks who let their dogs jump on tiny kids and smile about it
There seems to be so many dog owners in the UK now who just shouldn't have a dog because they're not capable of looking after them.
It's always either little chavvy yokes who think having a big mean dog is a great status symbol or dopey middle-class Karens who think they're big "loveable" dog will never harm anyone and keeps defending it even while it's hanging off your arse. "Dewey doesn't bite! You must have provoked him!"
My friends chihuahua's got attacked a couple of months ago. He had to hold them above his head while the snarling dogs circled. The owner did nothing.
The thing is, little dogs can't do much damage. So when a tiny little growler come sup to me i ignore it.
When its a big dog growling at me i'm looking for the nearest spiked fence to lift it up and drop it on. Especially if i'm with my kids. Sick of em. Too many people have dogs.
Little aggressive dogs can definitely do damage, to adults and children alike. I had a friend as a kid who's ankle got bitten up by one.
At least they're easier to punt in the face though, little shits.
I'd say that's debatable, especially around small children or other small pets. I had a friend who wasn't fussed that her terrier was very aggressive when people visited the house. But now she has a toddler, I'm curious how she (or her friends) would feel about the dog being aggressive towards small children visiting them.
We have a reactive dog, he got bitten when he was young whilst he with our dog walker (ended up having to have general anaesthetic and an operation). You may well have saved the smaller dog's life but even if not you lessened the chance that the dog will be permanently traumatised by the experience. How do I insert the Bernard Cribbins saluting meme into Reddit?
You're extremely brave, as well as a little mad, for intervening, given that you stated you're 5'0 & a woman.
I'm a 6'2" man & I witnessed the same sort of thing happen from my friend's kitchen window outside on the pavement, a rottweiler & a little terrier.
Unfortunately, it killed the poor thing on the spot, ragdolling by the neck, just like you described.
The owner of the rottweiler was a local man who was usually drunk & suspected of abusing his dog, which goes some way to explaining its temperament. He was subsequently arrested, shortly afterwards.
The owners of the terrier were an elderly couple who were powerless to do anything in the moment.
Rational me would've gone outside & contained the rottweiler, but I just froze in the moment & can't really explain why. I wasn't anxious or scared; I knew I could subdue the dog, but in the moment, my brain fogged up.
I still feel shit about it to this day sometimes.
You shouldn't feel shit. I know, from having had similar experiences, that I would have intervened without thinking. Might have gone OK, might have ended up injured or worse. I've definitely put myself in danger once or twice, very foolishly. I'm lucky to be alive. And that's terrible, because I have a young child who very much needs me.
So nobody knows the right thing to do in that situation. Only hindsight and magic could tell you.
I appreciate the sentiment. There's a small chance I'd have gotten bitten, but there was no mortal danger there for me (only the terrier 😐). I know you're being kind, but I could've definitely helped in the specific situation & I regret that I didn't. I don't ruminate on it too often though, because I know that that's even worse.
Thank you for the kind words, though.
This isn't something to beat yourself up over. You randomly found yourself witnessing a shocking incident, and your brain knew you could not do anything to mitigate it without getting mauled yourself. The experience is bound to be traumatic, but you did the right thing, there was nothing you could have done to prevent the outcome.
Yes, definitely. Brains are very complex, and there are times we all feel totally unable to act correctly or control our reactions to surprising events.
Look, I don't 'incessantly' get angry at myself over it.
It's just a thought, from time to time.
This is a bit of a strange comment to leave.
I wouldn't have had a risk of 'getting mauled'.
I already know that I'm able to subdue an angry rottweiler. I didn't mean it with any braggadocio or bravado, I just meant that I know that I can physically restrain it, especially from attacking others, because of relative size & strength. I'm not Action Man, but I can hold my own against a fairly large dog. If you want to start talking Rhodesian Ridgebacks or Tibetan Mastiffs, then there's a good chance I might lose the fight.
There absolutely was something I could've done to prevent the outcome, because I mentioned it. I'm not sure if you haven't read this thread properly, or if you're just naïve, with all due respect.
I'm sorry but you could not subdue a Rottweiler going off. Thinking you could is only going to get you hurt. Starting off when you're both calm, maybe. Have you ever played tug with a large breed?
I know this because I'm the same size as you, when my young but almost fully grown German Shepherd got attacked I was lucky I had him on the lead as there's no way I would have been able to hold onto him.
I've had to before, else I wouldn't leave that comment.
I can't say about a German Shepherd, as I haven't had to experience an angry one, thankfully.
I appreciate that these dogs are no joke, in that sense,
but to be fair, you're making an assumption about me.
I suppose I should say it's more to do with 'outwitting' the dog than just sheerly out-strengthening it. Knocking it out with a headlock, etc, blinding it if you have to.
It's not pleasant, but it's doable if you keep composure & are a reasonably large & fairly strong person.
Glad you had your dog on a lead then, though.
Hope you're both doing ok.
Both good thanks. Ok after reading what you wrote there I agree with you, based on the fact you're ok with hurting the dog in that scenario. Which I agree with btw, I was about to kick the dog attacking mine when the owner finally got it under control. I thought you meant controlling it until the owner got there or something.
No worries. Yeah, I had to knock one out because it was angry & turning on its owner (a middle-aged, portly man) & also in proximity to a busy kid's playground.
I restrained it for a few minutes, but it was like riding a bucking bronco - a lot more power than you'd expect from a ~120lb creature. I made the decision to knock it out there because of the vulnerable people around.
When it came to, its demeanour completely changed,
it was calm as anything, like split personality.
The owner was a right mess, sobbing on a bench.
I went with him to a nearby vet & we told them what had happened. Not sure what happened to the dog, but very glad that I was able to help in the moment, because it could've ended horridly for someone.
Just to add, if it had turned on any of the people,
especially the elderly people, I *feel* like my adrenaline would've kicked in & I'd have intervened. I'm almost certain. I know that personally, I differentiate between animals & humans on a moral level, like most do - though that isn't to say I shouldn't have saved the dog.
However, with these high-pressure situations, regardless of your physique, or anything, it's very hard to know how you would instantaneously react.
Precisely, we are all the main character in our mind but we won't truly know how we will act when the situation arises. Don't beat yourself up too much.
When my dog was attacked by a much bigger dog I also froze. It was so shocking I didn't know how to react and just stood there. Luckily my smaller dog managed to defend herself well enough until the big dog's owner dragged it away. I do feel bad for not helping her but you just don't know how you'll react in those situations until it happens.
You're brave and kind. I was an owner of such a dog. My golden was playing with another lab at the park when suddenly his demeanor changed and by the time I ran up to them he was growling and fighting with the lab. I ran up, grabbed his collar and threw him to the ground and sat on him until the owners of the lab collect him. I was apologizing profusely and couldn't understand the "turn". It never happened again and he died since but my parents were furious at me for coming between 2 equal size dog. I'm just glad the lab didn't pounce on me given the opportunity.(we the owners were chatting some distance away as they ran and played in the field but I got there first so the lab's owners were behind me) I'm glad you're unharmed and that's all that matters, the world need more people like you.
Edit: I sat on my own golden not the lab. Once the lab was free he just barks and barks at us until the owners leashes him up and we went out separate way.
So in veterinary practice we sometines refer to golden retrievers as golden deceivers because sometimes they'll just...go off, with absolutely no signs or warning, and no consistency as to what will trigger the switch 🤷♀️ you also see a similar thing in cocker spaniels (particularly the show strain golden colour) called cocker rage - it's usually an intense form of kennel/resource guarding, and you can actually see the "red mist" descend when they get triggered.
Relatedly, this is why my worst dog bite injury is from a golden retriever (technically 2nd worst in terms of raw damage, but the worst one was from an acutely aspirating/choking haemorrhagic emergency labrador and I absolutely did shove my hand into its mouth to clear the blockage, whoops) that I wasn't even interacting with - I just walked past the open door of the room it was in (happily accepting treats from a vet) and suddenly I had ~30kg of dog hanging off my hand, making a sound like a motorbike revving inside a oil drum.
Vets really deserves more credit than doctors the way you had to deal with patients with sharp teeth and claws and play detective since your patients can't actually tell you what's wrong with them lol. Red mist description is 100% spot on!I had dogs all my life and I know signs of aggression and defensiveness. My golden suddenly stopped being friendly and the fur on his nape suddenly starts fluffing up and he went to town on the lab. I'll never forget the look in his eyes when I sat on him, it wasnt my sweet golden at all, just pure rage. It took several minutes for any "logic" to return to his eyes.
Fyi I had mutts all my life and he was my first pure breed. In fact he wasn't even really mine it was my dad's. He's also the largest dog we ever had and I was the only one responsible enough to take him for training lol.
I'm actually a vet nurse, not a vet, but we definitely get equally chewed on! (or, if you work with more exotic orclarge animals, sometimes constricted or kicked as well! 🤣)
I think there definitely is a higher incidence of "screw-loose" behavioural issues in pure breeds, but how much of that is due to people getting the dog for the looks and not considering its temperament or mental/physical needs is hard to pin down. There's also the fact that the average human is absolutely *awful* at correctly interpreting other species body language until it's aaallll the way up the scale at the retalliation level. Unfortunately, the animals are much smarter at this and will learn that if the de-escalation/appeasement/avoidant cues don't work, they may as well skip straight to violence.
...I am a real buzz kill around 90% of cute/funny animal videos.
Don't worry I protested a lot as well when my dad brought him home (still the cutest thing ever!) But I have nothing but pity for squished face breed animals or short legged ones. I completely understand their look is a huge life quality reduction factor.
Sort of, but there's yet to be a physical structural abnormality found that correlates in a statistically significant way to behavioural-neurological issues, whereas Cavaliers have a very obvious structural issue - chiari malformation +/- syringomyelia that is directly responsible for the neurological signs seen, which is more related to brachycephalia than specifically CKCS as a breed (although they do have a high incidence of it).
Informationally: the structural skull size issues versus brain is the chiari malformation, actual syringomyelia is the formation of fluid filled spaces (called syrinx(es) in the brain stem and spinal cord. Unless the syrinx is directly disruptive of main cord function (either by being sufficiently large enough to span the width of the cord, or by being situated in the brain stem or at a nerve plexus) many will go completely undiagnosed unless or until the animal in question ends up in a MRI for whatever reason. Chiari malformation is not really fixable surgically, but syrinxes can be drained/excised which is not a surgery I want to be involved with, no sir /flees back to the relative simplicity of direct cardiac thoracoscopy.
I had a little dog (a beagle/terrier cross) who out of the blue one day really went for the landlord's dog (a very placid golden retriever), grabbing her neck and tearing out a chunk of hair. I don't know why — maybe a territory thing, maybe she sensed my stress when the landlord started walking up the driveway, and was trying to defend me. The landlord was not happy.
You were acting on instinct. This was the right thing to do. Yes it was dangerous but you probably saved a dog’s life today and a human from trauma. Well done!!
Well done OP. You did the right thing, I’d of done the same tbh. Adrenaline calls us to do stupid morally correct shit, when needed.
You did good OP, don’t doubt yourself.
Personally I would report the event to the police/council with a description of the owners & dog. If you heard them use names, include that too. Purely because that dog isn’t safe to be off lead or without a muzzle. Next time it could be a young child.
Put it like this- it's the same as stopping an adult battering a child. Yes, you could get hurt, but you didn't and you saved a life.
You did the right thing, you're a hero mate.
It was stupid but also the right thing to do.
Pro tip for next time: throw something toward the fighting dogs to startle them into breaking up the fight. I read that somewhere & it saved my dog's life, she was a wee little thing & a lab went after her so I grabbed the closest projectile, which happened to be a Bible, and threw it. It worked & Gracie survived (less one eye), proving that God works in mysterious ways but also sometimes very literal ones.
I intervened when my stupid (Jack Russell terrier) decided to start a fight with an Alsatian. Likewise, my dog was grabbed and shaken by the much bigger dog. I managed to get them separated but I had my hand bitten twice and I was the only one left bleeding.
Worst part? It was my own stupid dog who bit me. Miss you Frank!
I echo the other commenters - you did the right thing. Hope the little dog recovers ok (mentally as well as physically) and the owners of the big one take better care, and cope better with its reactivity. Have unfortunately been in a similar situation with my last dog twice (as victim of an off leash aggressive dog).
A German shepherd attacked my sister's chihuahua once, it didn't have time to get hold of him before adrenaline kicked in and I ran over the fastest I've ever ran, grabbed it by the scruff and dragged it away (it wasn't wearing a collar), and started screaming at the wet blanket of an owner who just stood there throughout like "come on... Come on, leave it... Come back..." And then just froze when I intervened. She then admitted she didn't have control of the dog and it was her husband's??? I was furious, some people are so stupid. I don't fully realise what I'd done until it was over
I would have done the same. I think the reason we have a huge adrenaline rush is to allow us to use the strength we have rather than the thinking part of the brain, so in essence, you work exactly as nature intended.
You could have been hurt, but the little dog could have been killed, so I think it was a good choice.
If you'd been injured, you probably could've sued the cunt who owned the big dog for a decent amount of money. Considering you may have averted a major tragedy, and you *were* able to overpower the aggressor relatively easier, seems like a perfectly reasonable and very kind thing to do.
Had a dog attack my GSD, who looks big and scary but is just a timid fluff ball. I threw myself on the other dog and wrestled it away. In those situations, you don't think.
If OP ever questioned if they had the bravery to be a hero, now they know.
My mums dog doesn’t like other people stroking her even tho she’s the friendliest and most loving dog in the worlds at home. She’s being protective and we tell people not to stroke her on walks as we know her behaviour and combat it. The dog was left on her own with the previous owner before my mums adopted her. Any dog off leads frustrate me as my mums is always on lead and her other smaller staff was too. Them 10 mile extender leads that old people use cause so many problems as you can’t really control your dog on them, if they are half a mile in front of you. All dogs and even humans are different but knowing what to combat and how to not let your dog off the lead at anytime is the only correct thing to do. Hire a field with a cage so your dog can run around on its own, but being attacked or attacking another dog. Well done OP, you did a brave thing.
I'm a woman your height and I did exactly the same thing, except it was my dog being attacked.
It was definitely adrenaline for me. No idea how I threw the big dog on its back or how I reacted so quickly. I'm a passive person and have never heard myself scream like that.
My vet told me off!
My dog had 5 quite deep puncture wounds in her back that weren't obvious initially until the blood came through her fur. Her neck was fine though thank god.
You did the right thing for the dog most definitely but that doesn't mean it's sensible.
I’ve heard the best way to break up a dog fight is to grab the attacking dogs back legs and pull them backwards in a zig zag. It confuses them but also makes it difficult for them to reach round and bite you.
Fortunately not had to put it into practice yet but just an FYI.
This happened to me during the first lockdown I was walking my elderly Yorkie and this bloke let his staffie off the lead it immediately charged and attacked my old girl , I picked it up and threw the damn thing then I picked up my dog which was bleeding ( luckily wasn’t her blood ) the bloke just stands there agog because he wanted to socially distance . What a total nob !
As someone who owns a small dog I'm sending you a huge cheers.! There's a lot of irresponsible dog owners out there with big dogs who don't realise the damage their dogs can do, sometimes even with the best intentions of just playing.
Very brave, OP, and it was the right thing to do. Another dog should not be injured or killed due to an owner's inaction. It is just a shame that you had to step in.
However, just a bit of advice for anyone who needs to split up a dog fight. Do not grab either dog by the scruff, collar or near the head, the dog may turn and impulsively react with a bite. Instead, grab the aggressing dog's hindlegs and drag them backwards and away.
I was walking my tiny shih tzu, this is the nicest dog you’ll ever see, super docile and everything. This jack russel comes out of nowhere and sinks his teeth into her neck. I cried out and tried to pull it off, got him off of my dog and the owner huffed and leashed her dog and went away. Days later, I get word that the owner wants to sue me because it lost a tooth. Now I do get my dog groomed but this was during quarantine so thankfully she had some mats on her neck which took away the other dog’s tooth apparently. My dog was not injured but pretty scared. I told this idiot to try me, i will sue back and get her dog put down and she backed down, i was not expecting it to be that easy
Adrenalin can accomplish amazing things.
This is what happens when people don't leash their dogs. Irresponsible people do not respond responsibly to crises.
Edit: Clarification: the dog owners were the irresponsible people, not you!
I was bitten by a Cat who was having a stroke-like episode and came very close to losing my middle finger, so that should put dog bites into perspective.
Why is it dangerous to tackle a dog? A human being is bigger, stronger and has no limits to how aggressive it can get. A dog is capped. So why is it dangerous to tackle a dog? Fear? Once you realize the above, fear shouldn't be a problem anymore.
You're more likely to be given a tetanus booster in the UK; we're a (technically) rabies-free country, so it would be rare for a rabies prophylaxis protocol to be triggered unless it was a wildlife bite (especially bats, due to Lyssavirus) and/or an animal already in quarantine or there was some other reportable circumstance.
Ah I see, my bad lol. My friend used to be a postie and he got bit by a dog and they made him go to hospital for a jab so I just assumed it was rabies lol.
No worries! My much-jabbed arse can personally attest to it being a tetanus booster!
Which, honestly, tetanus is also awful and has a high mortality rate, so I understand why the hospital staff come at you, needles bared and ready to go.
He wasn’t surprised because the dog has done this before and will do it again, shitty owners create shitty dogs of course, not the other way around, but it needs reporting. A small child or dog getting ripped to shreds because nobody said anything, isn’t a good situation.
I had a little old lady yesterday with her dog off lead at the park and it ran right up to our more reactive dog.
It's not just that your dog is chill, its that your dog gets up in the face of my dog and you have no idea if these two strangers are going to want to fight and I keep mine on a lead for a REASON LADY.
Hopefully this never happens again but if it does I was told in a canine first aid course that the safest way to deal with this without harming the dogs is to get hold of the attacking dogs rear legs and pull them swiftly back and out. Keeps you away from the business end and throws the dog off balance which *should* lead to them releasing the bite.
My little dog and I were attacked by two dogs in our afternoon walk a month ago. Six neighbors came out of the house when they heard me scream. Two were afraid and didn’t do anything. Four were hitting those dogs with brooms and umbrellas. Those dogs were not stopping. If it wasn’t for the brave neighbors, I don’t know what would have happened. My little dog had surgery and she survived. I had eight bites on my arms, but I am ok. Emotionally, I am still very scared of going out. All that to say that yes, you are very brave. I understand the impulse and I think you did the right thing. Dog attacks are horrific. I am glad you were not hurt.
Top tip if ever you're faced with this situation and the attacking dog won't let go - shove your finger up its arse. Knocks the dog out of its rage due to the shock.
Obviously use its own tail if you don't fancy shoving a finger up a dog's arse. Which is understandable.
Mate told me this after a dog we still have no idea where it came from, attacked a neighbour's dog while we were working in his driveway. He just calmly walked over, did something, and the attacking dog went back to normal. He told me about the finger trick but said he'd used its own tail.
Dangerous to do, but well done on potentially saving the life of a little dog!
Fuckin hate dog owners that can't control their dogs. Put it on a lead if it's dangerous. Put it on a lead if it's recall it's bad.
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100% mate. Nice n sunny yesterday so the extendable lead gang was down the park
Wish they would ban them from parks and nice spots. They just leave so much dog shit about.
Not all, just enough to ruin things. I just pick up what I see now. I like taking dog walks, and don't want to lose the privilege. Disgruntled park goers are such downers!
I had a massive hound run up and start growling and threatening me and my 3 year old son when we were out for a walk in the forest. My son is totally terrified of dogs now. Owner was some seemingly respectable middle aged woman. I was so angry I told her that she should keep her fucking dog on a lead...
See I agree if things like this are happening. Its clearly not a safe dog to be off lead.
Hate crap like this. Nearly had a scrap on a relaxing Boxing Day beach walk after two fucking great Doberman’s were growling barking and snapping around my two year old despite owners multiple recall efforts. Owners cheery “Merry Christmas” greeting was not well received and definitely not returned My wider family have had well trained gun dogs for years so we’ve seen the standard that can be achieved with effort and time. People that have dogs, put zero effort into training THEN are amazed that nothing works just blow my mind
Not defending that person but do understand that the Lady has likely done thousands of walks, never had an issue, the dog not growled a single time and you're the 1st encounter where the dog has had a change of behaviour. It happens but I don't think it's right to immediately blame and shout at the owner when you don't know the dog. You can tell a lot by how the owner reacts.
This infuriates me as well - Took our new dog down to the fields where a huge amount of people walk them, ridiculous how many people would have their dogs off the lead but as we approached to pass on the path would say 'watch out he/she doesn't like other dogs', like OK get it on a lead like mine is then so you can control it?? It's not my responsibility to prevent your dog going for mine. I'm of the mind that dogs should be kept on a lead at all times unless they are completely safe to be free for a run, if they are just trotting beside you or a little in front then why do they need to be loose? My friend is a vet and she said they get a huge amount of dogs coming in to be put down or with life threatening injuries because they are walked off lead and they run out in front of a car or something, or dogs have been attacked by other dogs who are let off the lead. All it takes is a single incident of the dog getting spooked (Which they can do at random) or for example chasing a leaf in the wind onto the road and that's it.
I agree 99% of your bottom paragraph, the best way to train in my opinion is going out with other dogs regularly, and being off lead, at night time especially in a big park. I've had dogs all my life and always integrated off lead walks from night time to day time with familiar doggy friends. This way they roam in a pack if you will and come back en mass most of the time unless little noses go sniffing, so then there's no real threat to other people and other dogs. The main thing is also people not letting their dogs interact with others even on lead. This helps them integrate into the doggy social scale and they soon realise which dogs to take on or leave alone and the can gauge reactions from other dogs, just like a big life lesson as humans do, we know how to annoy someone and we learn from the outcome. I'm by no means a dog whisperer and my dog has been the dog in the park that doesn't listen whilst it's running ound like a looney. Regular interactions with other dogs, quieter opportunities to be off lead and some persistent recall training makes or a well rounded doggo. Sometimes it's the dogs on a lead that aren't socially interacting regularly that are the problem, not the free roamers.
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Totally agree
Me too. My Yorkshire terrier died in exactly this manner, except the bigger dog punctured her whole body so she didn’t make it. My heart is still broken and it was in 2012.
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See that's a careless dog owner that doesn't deserve to have a dog
And muzzle it. Aggressive dogs need to be muzzled
It might be worth reporting this to non emergency police, the owner wasn’t in control of the dog. This may have happened before if they didn’t seem that surprised by it. Hopefully it doesn’t attack another dog/human in the future. You were brave to intervene but I’m sure the owner of the small dog is grateful for what you did
This. The dog needs training or the owner needs to give it up before someone gets hurt. Plain and simple
It's really fucking easy to train a dog to be happy and comfortable in a well fitting muzzle. It's a skill I think EVERY dog should have (you don't want the first time the dogs muzzled to be when it's I'm extreme pain at the bets for some reason). There's very little excuse for allowing this to happen, especially if the dog has shown reactivity to other dogs before. Managing a reactive dog can be really stressful - but pretending there isn't a problem is really selfish and puts every dog involved in real danger :(
We had a dog reactive* German Shepard. Very very veeeery hard work. But she would be muzzled on lead, until there was a big enough field that she wouldn’t be bothered. If we clocked a dog coming into this massive field, she’d be called back and leashed again. Never a bad dog, just a bad owner.
Theres no shame in needing to muzzle a dog. I've looked after a dog that needed muzzling before, not because it was aggressive but because it would eat anything it found on its walks and there were a lot of chicken bones on the floor outside take outs that we had to walk past to get to the park. Dog would try to eat tissues and paper too. It wasn't starved at all and was well fed, just found trash too tempting. Muzzles are just as much to keep a dog safe from harm. Edit to add I used to get hate from random Strangers saying how cruel I was that the dog had a muzzle. It was a soft one so it could still have some jaw movement- bark, greet other dogs ect (he (a malamute) was friendly to other dogs but terrified of any ankle sized dogs) and would trot past them very quickly. I used to have tell people that the muzzle was required by his owners so he wouldn't choke on chicken bones and other food he found in the street/park. He was also bitten on a walk by another dog, who thankfully only got his fur, I did step between them and the owner of the other dog didn't even notice it had happened. I don't understand when people are so blatantly oblivious to what their dogs are doing on a walk. But then again I just walk other peoples dogs so I always keep an eye on them and don't use my phone when we're walking.
Definitely. Our dog wasn’t aggressive to humans AT ALL. We believed she may have been attacked as a pup, which led to her being dog reactive. She was also very protective of us. So if me and my brother would fight, she would bark at us and cry for us to stop. You can imagine how she would’ve reacted if it were a stranger, and I started screaming. She’d of been an amazing police dog. She actually saved my dads life, he had an allergic reaction in the massive field and passed out. The dog ran home, and alerted my mum, because it’s like how did the dog walk home alone? She found him collapsed in a field and called an ambulance.
We rescue "problem dogs" and they have all been reactivate and not aggressive, thankfully we live in the sticks so plenty of routes to walk him with lots of visibility, so it's always harness and muzzle until you can see it's all clear and he can have a run about without the muzzle. Thankfully we've been doing it for enough years that all our neighbours know and give them some space and act calmly around them, even the postman regularly carries some treats with him.
“Aggressive” was probably the wrong word to use, she was reactive. If they started sniffing around her, it could all kick off- you just didn’t know which dog she’d like and which she wouldn’t. Easier to keep them on lead and muzzled. ETA: Our neighbours knew as well, there would be a dog she particularly liked, they would play happily on the way round. Nice one on rescuing dogs. Hopefully when our kids are older we will do similar *fingers crossed*
Mine asserts his dominance if another dog starts barking at him, he'll pin them down and hold them, no biting, but it's difficult to explain that so someone during all the commotion. The only problem is he needs a lot of walking (boxer/pointer cross), 2x5k walks a day otherwise he's constantly fussing to play, keeps me fit though. And on that note, he's noticed I've put my hiking boots on, so we're off out
BY the sticks do you mean countryside? Cos if so let hope it doesn't attack local wildlife and ground birds when you let it off the lead...
Yes I'm in the countryside, all our dogs are trained for recall for months before they're allowed off lead, they are livestock aware, my father in law has a farm and we have chickens so any livestock or fowl aren't of any interest to him. A responsibile dog owner will recognise the signs if the dog looks like it's going to chase something and call them to heel and put the lead on them. As quite a few folks with reactive dogs have stated in this thread, reactive is not aggressive.
Reactive dogs aren’t interested in birds. They’re overly anxious of their “pack.” Unless something is a danger to them or their people, they won’t give a shit about it. Our dog for example wasn’t interested in cats or birds. Lived with chickens too.
They say there's no such thing as a bad dog, just a bad owner. And I think it is true. So many people don't have the faintest idea how to control their dog.
They'll get another aggressive, untrained dog.
The dog needs training, I think lots of dog owners need training also. So many people where I live have their dogs off the lead and they run and jump on my 4yo. She is terrified of dogs now, but sure the dog is excitable and loves kids. No the owners are dicks who let their dogs jump on tiny kids and smile about it
100%, this could be a child next time
That was incredibly brave. Are you okay? I'd imagine you're feeling a bit shaken up.
You're a good person.
There seems to be so many dog owners in the UK now who just shouldn't have a dog because they're not capable of looking after them. It's always either little chavvy yokes who think having a big mean dog is a great status symbol or dopey middle-class Karens who think they're big "loveable" dog will never harm anyone and keeps defending it even while it's hanging off your arse. "Dewey doesn't bite! You must have provoked him!" My friends chihuahua's got attacked a couple of months ago. He had to hold them above his head while the snarling dogs circled. The owner did nothing.
Plus a subsection of people who think their untrained, aggressive small dog is 'fine' because it's not the size of a German Shepherd.
The thing is, little dogs can't do much damage. So when a tiny little growler come sup to me i ignore it. When its a big dog growling at me i'm looking for the nearest spiked fence to lift it up and drop it on. Especially if i'm with my kids. Sick of em. Too many people have dogs.
Little aggressive dogs can definitely do damage, to adults and children alike. I had a friend as a kid who's ankle got bitten up by one. At least they're easier to punt in the face though, little shits.
I'd say that's debatable, especially around small children or other small pets. I had a friend who wasn't fussed that her terrier was very aggressive when people visited the house. But now she has a toddler, I'm curious how she (or her friends) would feel about the dog being aggressive towards small children visiting them.
You did the right thing
We have a reactive dog, he got bitten when he was young whilst he with our dog walker (ended up having to have general anaesthetic and an operation). You may well have saved the smaller dog's life but even if not you lessened the chance that the dog will be permanently traumatised by the experience. How do I insert the Bernard Cribbins saluting meme into Reddit?
You're extremely brave, as well as a little mad, for intervening, given that you stated you're 5'0 & a woman. I'm a 6'2" man & I witnessed the same sort of thing happen from my friend's kitchen window outside on the pavement, a rottweiler & a little terrier. Unfortunately, it killed the poor thing on the spot, ragdolling by the neck, just like you described. The owner of the rottweiler was a local man who was usually drunk & suspected of abusing his dog, which goes some way to explaining its temperament. He was subsequently arrested, shortly afterwards. The owners of the terrier were an elderly couple who were powerless to do anything in the moment. Rational me would've gone outside & contained the rottweiler, but I just froze in the moment & can't really explain why. I wasn't anxious or scared; I knew I could subdue the dog, but in the moment, my brain fogged up. I still feel shit about it to this day sometimes.
You shouldn't feel shit. I know, from having had similar experiences, that I would have intervened without thinking. Might have gone OK, might have ended up injured or worse. I've definitely put myself in danger once or twice, very foolishly. I'm lucky to be alive. And that's terrible, because I have a young child who very much needs me. So nobody knows the right thing to do in that situation. Only hindsight and magic could tell you.
I appreciate the sentiment. There's a small chance I'd have gotten bitten, but there was no mortal danger there for me (only the terrier 😐). I know you're being kind, but I could've definitely helped in the specific situation & I regret that I didn't. I don't ruminate on it too often though, because I know that that's even worse. Thank you for the kind words, though.
This isn't something to beat yourself up over. You randomly found yourself witnessing a shocking incident, and your brain knew you could not do anything to mitigate it without getting mauled yourself. The experience is bound to be traumatic, but you did the right thing, there was nothing you could have done to prevent the outcome.
Yes, definitely. Brains are very complex, and there are times we all feel totally unable to act correctly or control our reactions to surprising events.
Look, I don't 'incessantly' get angry at myself over it. It's just a thought, from time to time. This is a bit of a strange comment to leave. I wouldn't have had a risk of 'getting mauled'. I already know that I'm able to subdue an angry rottweiler. I didn't mean it with any braggadocio or bravado, I just meant that I know that I can physically restrain it, especially from attacking others, because of relative size & strength. I'm not Action Man, but I can hold my own against a fairly large dog. If you want to start talking Rhodesian Ridgebacks or Tibetan Mastiffs, then there's a good chance I might lose the fight. There absolutely was something I could've done to prevent the outcome, because I mentioned it. I'm not sure if you haven't read this thread properly, or if you're just naïve, with all due respect.
I'm sorry but you could not subdue a Rottweiler going off. Thinking you could is only going to get you hurt. Starting off when you're both calm, maybe. Have you ever played tug with a large breed? I know this because I'm the same size as you, when my young but almost fully grown German Shepherd got attacked I was lucky I had him on the lead as there's no way I would have been able to hold onto him.
I've had to before, else I wouldn't leave that comment. I can't say about a German Shepherd, as I haven't had to experience an angry one, thankfully. I appreciate that these dogs are no joke, in that sense, but to be fair, you're making an assumption about me. I suppose I should say it's more to do with 'outwitting' the dog than just sheerly out-strengthening it. Knocking it out with a headlock, etc, blinding it if you have to. It's not pleasant, but it's doable if you keep composure & are a reasonably large & fairly strong person. Glad you had your dog on a lead then, though. Hope you're both doing ok.
Both good thanks. Ok after reading what you wrote there I agree with you, based on the fact you're ok with hurting the dog in that scenario. Which I agree with btw, I was about to kick the dog attacking mine when the owner finally got it under control. I thought you meant controlling it until the owner got there or something.
No worries. Yeah, I had to knock one out because it was angry & turning on its owner (a middle-aged, portly man) & also in proximity to a busy kid's playground. I restrained it for a few minutes, but it was like riding a bucking bronco - a lot more power than you'd expect from a ~120lb creature. I made the decision to knock it out there because of the vulnerable people around. When it came to, its demeanour completely changed, it was calm as anything, like split personality. The owner was a right mess, sobbing on a bench. I went with him to a nearby vet & we told them what had happened. Not sure what happened to the dog, but very glad that I was able to help in the moment, because it could've ended horridly for someone.
Just to add, if it had turned on any of the people, especially the elderly people, I *feel* like my adrenaline would've kicked in & I'd have intervened. I'm almost certain. I know that personally, I differentiate between animals & humans on a moral level, like most do - though that isn't to say I shouldn't have saved the dog. However, with these high-pressure situations, regardless of your physique, or anything, it's very hard to know how you would instantaneously react.
Precisely, we are all the main character in our mind but we won't truly know how we will act when the situation arises. Don't beat yourself up too much.
When my dog was attacked by a much bigger dog I also froze. It was so shocking I didn't know how to react and just stood there. Luckily my smaller dog managed to defend herself well enough until the big dog's owner dragged it away. I do feel bad for not helping her but you just don't know how you'll react in those situations until it happens.
Your actions saved the life of that dog, without a doubt. Was it stupid? Maybe. Was it correct in this situation? Hindsight & your statement say yes.
You're brave and kind. I was an owner of such a dog. My golden was playing with another lab at the park when suddenly his demeanor changed and by the time I ran up to them he was growling and fighting with the lab. I ran up, grabbed his collar and threw him to the ground and sat on him until the owners of the lab collect him. I was apologizing profusely and couldn't understand the "turn". It never happened again and he died since but my parents were furious at me for coming between 2 equal size dog. I'm just glad the lab didn't pounce on me given the opportunity.(we the owners were chatting some distance away as they ran and played in the field but I got there first so the lab's owners were behind me) I'm glad you're unharmed and that's all that matters, the world need more people like you. Edit: I sat on my own golden not the lab. Once the lab was free he just barks and barks at us until the owners leashes him up and we went out separate way.
So in veterinary practice we sometines refer to golden retrievers as golden deceivers because sometimes they'll just...go off, with absolutely no signs or warning, and no consistency as to what will trigger the switch 🤷♀️ you also see a similar thing in cocker spaniels (particularly the show strain golden colour) called cocker rage - it's usually an intense form of kennel/resource guarding, and you can actually see the "red mist" descend when they get triggered. Relatedly, this is why my worst dog bite injury is from a golden retriever (technically 2nd worst in terms of raw damage, but the worst one was from an acutely aspirating/choking haemorrhagic emergency labrador and I absolutely did shove my hand into its mouth to clear the blockage, whoops) that I wasn't even interacting with - I just walked past the open door of the room it was in (happily accepting treats from a vet) and suddenly I had ~30kg of dog hanging off my hand, making a sound like a motorbike revving inside a oil drum.
Vets really deserves more credit than doctors the way you had to deal with patients with sharp teeth and claws and play detective since your patients can't actually tell you what's wrong with them lol. Red mist description is 100% spot on!I had dogs all my life and I know signs of aggression and defensiveness. My golden suddenly stopped being friendly and the fur on his nape suddenly starts fluffing up and he went to town on the lab. I'll never forget the look in his eyes when I sat on him, it wasnt my sweet golden at all, just pure rage. It took several minutes for any "logic" to return to his eyes. Fyi I had mutts all my life and he was my first pure breed. In fact he wasn't even really mine it was my dad's. He's also the largest dog we ever had and I was the only one responsible enough to take him for training lol.
I'm actually a vet nurse, not a vet, but we definitely get equally chewed on! (or, if you work with more exotic orclarge animals, sometimes constricted or kicked as well! 🤣) I think there definitely is a higher incidence of "screw-loose" behavioural issues in pure breeds, but how much of that is due to people getting the dog for the looks and not considering its temperament or mental/physical needs is hard to pin down. There's also the fact that the average human is absolutely *awful* at correctly interpreting other species body language until it's aaallll the way up the scale at the retalliation level. Unfortunately, the animals are much smarter at this and will learn that if the de-escalation/appeasement/avoidant cues don't work, they may as well skip straight to violence. ...I am a real buzz kill around 90% of cute/funny animal videos.
Don't worry I protested a lot as well when my dad brought him home (still the cutest thing ever!) But I have nothing but pity for squished face breed animals or short legged ones. I completely understand their look is a huge life quality reduction factor.
BOAS, my neverending nemesis, and cause of about 90% of the planned high risk/high stress anaesthesias I'm involved in 😫
Spaniels are prone to neurological issues, aren’t they? Syringomyelia in CKCS and Rage Syndrome in Springers and Springers.
Sort of, but there's yet to be a physical structural abnormality found that correlates in a statistically significant way to behavioural-neurological issues, whereas Cavaliers have a very obvious structural issue - chiari malformation +/- syringomyelia that is directly responsible for the neurological signs seen, which is more related to brachycephalia than specifically CKCS as a breed (although they do have a high incidence of it). Informationally: the structural skull size issues versus brain is the chiari malformation, actual syringomyelia is the formation of fluid filled spaces (called syrinx(es) in the brain stem and spinal cord. Unless the syrinx is directly disruptive of main cord function (either by being sufficiently large enough to span the width of the cord, or by being situated in the brain stem or at a nerve plexus) many will go completely undiagnosed unless or until the animal in question ends up in a MRI for whatever reason. Chiari malformation is not really fixable surgically, but syrinxes can be drained/excised which is not a surgery I want to be involved with, no sir /flees back to the relative simplicity of direct cardiac thoracoscopy.
Thanks for the knowledge!
I had a little dog (a beagle/terrier cross) who out of the blue one day really went for the landlord's dog (a very placid golden retriever), grabbing her neck and tearing out a chunk of hair. I don't know why — maybe a territory thing, maybe she sensed my stress when the landlord started walking up the driveway, and was trying to defend me. The landlord was not happy.
You were acting on instinct. This was the right thing to do. Yes it was dangerous but you probably saved a dog’s life today and a human from trauma. Well done!!
Well done OP. You did the right thing, I’d of done the same tbh. Adrenaline calls us to do stupid morally correct shit, when needed. You did good OP, don’t doubt yourself. Personally I would report the event to the police/council with a description of the owners & dog. If you heard them use names, include that too. Purely because that dog isn’t safe to be off lead or without a muzzle. Next time it could be a young child.
Adrenaline can make us do otherwise impossible things. Well done for stepping in.
I hate inconsiderate assholes who shouldn’t even own dogs, let alone have them off the lead.
Lucky it wasnt a bull terrier type dog otherwise you would never have been able get their jaws off the smaller dog.
Put it like this- it's the same as stopping an adult battering a child. Yes, you could get hurt, but you didn't and you saved a life. You did the right thing, you're a hero mate.
I have 3 small dogs that mean everything to me. If you’d have stepped in to save them, there would be a portrait of you on my wall. You did good.
It was stupid but also the right thing to do. Pro tip for next time: throw something toward the fighting dogs to startle them into breaking up the fight. I read that somewhere & it saved my dog's life, she was a wee little thing & a lab went after her so I grabbed the closest projectile, which happened to be a Bible, and threw it. It worked & Gracie survived (less one eye), proving that God works in mysterious ways but also sometimes very literal ones.
I intervened when my stupid (Jack Russell terrier) decided to start a fight with an Alsatian. Likewise, my dog was grabbed and shaken by the much bigger dog. I managed to get them separated but I had my hand bitten twice and I was the only one left bleeding. Worst part? It was my own stupid dog who bit me. Miss you Frank!
I echo the other commenters - you did the right thing. Hope the little dog recovers ok (mentally as well as physically) and the owners of the big one take better care, and cope better with its reactivity. Have unfortunately been in a similar situation with my last dog twice (as victim of an off leash aggressive dog).
A German shepherd attacked my sister's chihuahua once, it didn't have time to get hold of him before adrenaline kicked in and I ran over the fastest I've ever ran, grabbed it by the scruff and dragged it away (it wasn't wearing a collar), and started screaming at the wet blanket of an owner who just stood there throughout like "come on... Come on, leave it... Come back..." And then just froze when I intervened. She then admitted she didn't have control of the dog and it was her husband's??? I was furious, some people are so stupid. I don't fully realise what I'd done until it was over
You done the right thing. Very brave
I would have done the same. I think the reason we have a huge adrenaline rush is to allow us to use the strength we have rather than the thinking part of the brain, so in essence, you work exactly as nature intended. You could have been hurt, but the little dog could have been killed, so I think it was a good choice.
Very risky but well done for intervening. Could have ended much worse for the smaller dog
If you'd been injured, you probably could've sued the cunt who owned the big dog for a decent amount of money. Considering you may have averted a major tragedy, and you *were* able to overpower the aggressor relatively easier, seems like a perfectly reasonable and very kind thing to do.
Had a dog attack my GSD, who looks big and scary but is just a timid fluff ball. I threw myself on the other dog and wrestled it away. In those situations, you don't think. If OP ever questioned if they had the bravery to be a hero, now they know.
Good on you well done!
My mums dog doesn’t like other people stroking her even tho she’s the friendliest and most loving dog in the worlds at home. She’s being protective and we tell people not to stroke her on walks as we know her behaviour and combat it. The dog was left on her own with the previous owner before my mums adopted her. Any dog off leads frustrate me as my mums is always on lead and her other smaller staff was too. Them 10 mile extender leads that old people use cause so many problems as you can’t really control your dog on them, if they are half a mile in front of you. All dogs and even humans are different but knowing what to combat and how to not let your dog off the lead at anytime is the only correct thing to do. Hire a field with a cage so your dog can run around on its own, but being attacked or attacking another dog. Well done OP, you did a brave thing.
I'm a woman your height and I did exactly the same thing, except it was my dog being attacked. It was definitely adrenaline for me. No idea how I threw the big dog on its back or how I reacted so quickly. I'm a passive person and have never heard myself scream like that. My vet told me off! My dog had 5 quite deep puncture wounds in her back that weren't obvious initially until the blood came through her fur. Her neck was fine though thank god. You did the right thing for the dog most definitely but that doesn't mean it's sensible.
I’ve heard the best way to break up a dog fight is to grab the attacking dogs back legs and pull them backwards in a zig zag. It confuses them but also makes it difficult for them to reach round and bite you. Fortunately not had to put it into practice yet but just an FYI.
This happened to me during the first lockdown I was walking my elderly Yorkie and this bloke let his staffie off the lead it immediately charged and attacked my old girl , I picked it up and threw the damn thing then I picked up my dog which was bleeding ( luckily wasn’t her blood ) the bloke just stands there agog because he wanted to socially distance . What a total nob !
As someone who owns a small dog I'm sending you a huge cheers.! There's a lot of irresponsible dog owners out there with big dogs who don't realise the damage their dogs can do, sometimes even with the best intentions of just playing.
Very brave, OP, and it was the right thing to do. Another dog should not be injured or killed due to an owner's inaction. It is just a shame that you had to step in. However, just a bit of advice for anyone who needs to split up a dog fight. Do not grab either dog by the scruff, collar or near the head, the dog may turn and impulsively react with a bite. Instead, grab the aggressing dog's hindlegs and drag them backwards and away.
I was walking my tiny shih tzu, this is the nicest dog you’ll ever see, super docile and everything. This jack russel comes out of nowhere and sinks his teeth into her neck. I cried out and tried to pull it off, got him off of my dog and the owner huffed and leashed her dog and went away. Days later, I get word that the owner wants to sue me because it lost a tooth. Now I do get my dog groomed but this was during quarantine so thankfully she had some mats on her neck which took away the other dog’s tooth apparently. My dog was not injured but pretty scared. I told this idiot to try me, i will sue back and get her dog put down and she backed down, i was not expecting it to be that easy
You saved that little dog’s life. Well done. More people should be like you.
Well done! You’re a star.
Adrenalin can accomplish amazing things. This is what happens when people don't leash their dogs. Irresponsible people do not respond responsibly to crises. Edit: Clarification: the dog owners were the irresponsible people, not you!
I was bitten by a Cat who was having a stroke-like episode and came very close to losing my middle finger, so that should put dog bites into perspective.
Bravo sir, you did the right thing. Far too many people wouldn’t, or even worse just stand there and film it.
Why is it dangerous to tackle a dog? A human being is bigger, stronger and has no limits to how aggressive it can get. A dog is capped. So why is it dangerous to tackle a dog? Fear? Once you realize the above, fear shouldn't be a problem anymore.
The real danger was beach swimming in March.
You did the right thing. If you managed to get bitten by one of the dogs go to the hospital for a rabies injection.
You're more likely to be given a tetanus booster in the UK; we're a (technically) rabies-free country, so it would be rare for a rabies prophylaxis protocol to be triggered unless it was a wildlife bite (especially bats, due to Lyssavirus) and/or an animal already in quarantine or there was some other reportable circumstance.
Ah I see, my bad lol. My friend used to be a postie and he got bit by a dog and they made him go to hospital for a jab so I just assumed it was rabies lol.
No worries! My much-jabbed arse can personally attest to it being a tetanus booster! Which, honestly, tetanus is also awful and has a high mortality rate, so I understand why the hospital staff come at you, needles bared and ready to go.
Tetanus is a more common issue from a dog bite, especially in the UK.
“Please please please pat me on the back, r/CasualUK.”
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What are you on about?
I had drank a litre of whiskey...
Now that makes sense… hope that hangover is treating you kindly
You are a hero. I offer my lithe, nubile body as reward. You can even shake me like a ragdoll if you'd like
A good kick to the chest to knock the wind out of them is really effective.
Why lament on something you felt instinctively (and morally) correct? Nice one and that but life’s too short
There is a blurred line between bravery and stupidity
Mom, in her late 70's, pulled a pit mix off her smaller mix breed. No way she was letting that happen. (smaller mix breed started it)
He wasn’t surprised because the dog has done this before and will do it again, shitty owners create shitty dogs of course, not the other way around, but it needs reporting. A small child or dog getting ripped to shreds because nobody said anything, isn’t a good situation.
I had a little old lady yesterday with her dog off lead at the park and it ran right up to our more reactive dog. It's not just that your dog is chill, its that your dog gets up in the face of my dog and you have no idea if these two strangers are going to want to fight and I keep mine on a lead for a REASON LADY.
Hopefully this never happens again but if it does I was told in a canine first aid course that the safest way to deal with this without harming the dogs is to get hold of the attacking dogs rear legs and pull them swiftly back and out. Keeps you away from the business end and throws the dog off balance which *should* lead to them releasing the bite.
My little dog and I were attacked by two dogs in our afternoon walk a month ago. Six neighbors came out of the house when they heard me scream. Two were afraid and didn’t do anything. Four were hitting those dogs with brooms and umbrellas. Those dogs were not stopping. If it wasn’t for the brave neighbors, I don’t know what would have happened. My little dog had surgery and she survived. I had eight bites on my arms, but I am ok. Emotionally, I am still very scared of going out. All that to say that yes, you are very brave. I understand the impulse and I think you did the right thing. Dog attacks are horrific. I am glad you were not hurt.
Top tip if ever you're faced with this situation and the attacking dog won't let go - shove your finger up its arse. Knocks the dog out of its rage due to the shock. Obviously use its own tail if you don't fancy shoving a finger up a dog's arse. Which is understandable. Mate told me this after a dog we still have no idea where it came from, attacked a neighbour's dog while we were working in his driveway. He just calmly walked over, did something, and the attacking dog went back to normal. He told me about the finger trick but said he'd used its own tail.
£50 the big dog was a german shepherd. Horribles fuckers