Aggressive dog attacking our lab - what to do?

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Petrie

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Yesterday was the 4th time it's happened, and we need to do something about it now, but not sure what we can do.

Our 18 month old black lab bitch has been attacked 4 times out walking round our village by a male yellow lab. Each time, it's been totally unprovoked, and yesterday, he ran at her from 50 yards away while she was hiding behind my husband. She doesn't retaliate at all, and as you can imagine, it really frightens her. So far, we've managed to get the dog off and she's been unhurt, but yesterday she had a small bit mark on her leg.

Each time, the woman walking it (not it's owner, I believe) has disappeared off the scene sharpish. Yesterday, she ran off with it into her house - we waited around for her to come out and apologise, but she didn't emerge!

Anyway, we think we know who actually owns the dog, and we feel we ought to speak to them about it, but we're not sure how to go about it.

Do we have any legal rights? One of us could get bitten trying to defend our own dog, and if it does it to ours, a young totally submissive female, then I'm pretty sure it does it to others, some of which could be with children.

But I don't want to issue a death warrant! (Although, actually, if it does it again, I'm getting my shotgun out...)
 
God how annoying is that!! Your poor doggy!!

Umm, not sure on legal rights and stuff, I’d go round and have a word with them, try to be nice because if you get their backs up then they probably won’t be very helpful. They might not be aware that this is happening when this woman takes it out for a walk? Just explain that it has happened a few times and that it has really frightened your bitch and it’s getting to the point where you are worried every time you go for a walk in the village and suggest that they keep him on a lead in future?

Good luck!
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You must speak to the owners as soon as possible. This dog sounds like a liability. I would be quite tough with them and say that if it happens again you will report them to the police. I understand you don't want to be responsible for the dog being put down but something needs to be done. As you say if a male will attack a submissive female if will no doubt attack others as well.
 
That's horrid
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My dog trainer always takes a spare slip lead on walks with her... then puts it around the dog and hands it back to the owner... in fact she did it for me when we were out and an out of control flat coated retriever started attacking my boy (11 month old black lab).

The only thing I would say is please don't put yourselves at risk...
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but at least if you had the dog, you would have to speak to the owner...

In terms of legal stuff am sure others know more, but my understanding is that dog to dog agression/ attacking does not usually end up with a death warrant - more likely muzzling in public. If the dog attacked people it would be different..
 
Quite frankly someone needs to speak to the owner and or walker sharpish. Walking an aggressive dog off the lead is simply ludicrous and will quite likely end in someone being seriously hurt.
When I was about 11 I used to walk my dog alone and if said dog had run up and attacked my dog there would have been a chance I would have been injured too.
Its simply not acceptable.
 
I like the idea of a spare lead, if we could get that round the attacking dogs neck, we would be able to pull it off our dog, and get to the owner/walker before she runs off.

And no, I've never seen it on a lead. And the woman who walks it, doesn't even tell it off, just scarpers while we're still reeling from shock.

It's so sad because our litte girl is so sweet, she's the one that puts her tail between her legs, lies on her back, and sometimes does and upside down wee wee when other dogs come up to sniff her! She's completely submissive, and has never shown any signs of aggression.

I'm so angry about it, if it happens again, I will seriously give it a boot, and I don't care what the owners say. It's their fault anyway, as far as I'm concerned.

We do need to sort it out straight away, and I plan to go round to their house tonight to speak to them about it.
 
If you just get a cheap slip lead - you can make the neck loop quite wide and sort of lassoo it over the dog.

But definately speak to them - the dog should be on a lead an wearing a muzzle really. Could you threaten to report them to the police? I would have thought what they are doing is breaching the dog control order?
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You need to sort it out before you little dog starts either getting defence aggressive or frightened of going out
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Good Luck x
 
Ring your local council and get the number for the dog warden - if a dog attacks in a public place (ie out of own home boundaries) there are grounds to do something about it. In our area, the dog warden would visit the owners and ask her to sign something (can't remember the exact name) where she agrees to keep the dog under control at all times - she would also be adviced to muzzle the dog when out in public.
 
That's great, Ravenwood, thanks for that. I have just got the dog warden's number, so I'll give him or her a ring, see what can be done.

In a way, it might be better to get the dog warden to go visit them instead of us, that way scaring them into doing something about it, and avoiding a personal confrontation.

Not that I'm scared of confronting them, quite the opposite, actually, I'm a bit worried that I'll lose my temper! I'm just trying to think of what will have the most impact, and actually get them to put it on a lead and/or muzzle it, which is all we want.
 
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like the idea of a spare lead, if we could get that round the attacking dogs neck, we would be able to pull it off our dog, and get to the owner/walker before she runs off.

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Just thinking about this - spare lead is a great idea. And if the walker scarpers then you can just take it to the nearest police station - hand it over with your complaint and leave.

Sorted!
 
Oooh, spray, what a great idea. Not sure if we can get pepper spray here in the UK, but you can buy 'bitch' spray!! Bet a squirt of that in its face would sort it out.
 
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Lets just remember that its not the dogs fault its the owners so try not to be cruel to it uneccessarily!

*hides*

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I *adore* dogs. But if I was out walking and my dog was being mauled, I would not hesitate to employ most means to halt an attack.

Last year I was out walking with Stella in rural CT, only to be met by two snarling Labs. They had run out of their property onto a footpath. Luckily, they were all bluster, but had they tried to attack Stella, yes, they would have gotten a spray. I don't think that's being cruel--just using common sense.
 
Well yes thats why I wrote 'try not to be cruel to it uneccessarily' What you describe above clearly means that it would be neccessary and therefore my statement doesn't apply.
 
I have had dogs try attack my whippet before...needless to say it didnt get within a foot of her...cos it couldnt get passed me...lol
I have used a spare leash to tie a wolfhound to a fence that was attacking a ladies dogs.....I left it there...and went off to inform who I thought may have owned it...and told them they where damn lucky it wasnt my dogs it tried to attack...cos it would have been a dead dog
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I have seen the devastation caused by dogs being mauled by random out of control dogs...and how distressing it is for the owners to stand by and watch...totally agree with the pepper spray to.....I would have no hesitation using it if I needed to protect my own dog...as it is my foot seems to do the trick.....or my rather large Akita and Rotti walking beside the smaller more defensless dogs
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I would report the dog or throttle the owner....and tell her next time I wont be so leanient on her dog either
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You can definately get proper repelant sprays for exactly this thing. Not sure what they spray at the dog, but they are for dogs, might be worth you looking on the internet. Other people take umbrellas out with them then put them up in the direction of the dog when it gets too close.

I had my 3 out when we had a german shepard had a go at us, but it didn't actually hurt them It was in an unsecure garden. The same day my OH took the dogs out and the same thing happened, this time there were a couple of teenage lads, one ended up throwing himself over a high fence and the other ended up on a car! We called the police and the came out and spoke the the owner., who then put a proer fence up. I would definately speak to the dog warden at least.
 
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