Another fatal dog attack

twiggy2

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LGB are there to protect their pack/flock from any potential threat, be that human or any other perceived threat, it is worrying that I am frequently seeing people suggesting these breeds as an answer to dealing with sheep being attacked by dogs in the UK.
For a LGB ti be efficient at its job livestock have to be managed in a completely different way to how they are currently when kept on wide open land/spaces in the UK, in countries such as Portugal where these dogs are still widely used they are not socialised with other dogs or humans outside of those they live and work with and they are not nice to come across.
 

Red-1

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I can't see anything wrong in this training environment. Dogs are well spaced out and appear to be focusing on their owners.
Poster has no idea whether they have permission to train there and just assumes they have not.
And yes- I have trained dogs in several disciplines under these kind of conditions.
Just a query... If I allow use of my premises for the keeping and training of horses, commercially, it is oft said on this forum that the land owner would be responsible/liable for any injuries/bad practice. I presume this would be the same for dogs?

Was it a cricket club, as in private, I wonder, or a council rec field?
 

Morwenna

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Our friends got Anatolian Shepherds for their remote farm in Canada. They could not be approached by strangers.
A friend of mine grew up in rural South Africa and has just got a dog here and said it’s a different world. In SA the dogs live outside and are there to guard the property. They played with their dog in the garden but it never came in the house, was never walked and you never approached another person’s dog. I don’t think many of the people who get these breeds here are aware of what they can do or how best to manage them as they are not the kinds of dog you can take for a pootle round the park once a day. He has just got a rescue cockerpoo as much as he loves the breeds he grew up with he would never have one here.
 

CorvusCorax

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A friend of mine grew up in rural South Africa and has just got a dog here and said it’s a different world. In SA the dogs live outside and are there to guard the property. They played with their dog in the garden but it never came in the house, was never walked and you never approached another person’s dog. I don’t think many of the people who get these breeds here are aware of what they can do or how best to manage them as they are not the kinds of dog you can take for a pootle round the park once a day. He has just got a rescue cockerpoo as much as he loves the breeds he grew up with he would never have one here.

The LGDs I saw in Spain were cropped and docked had inverted pinch collars around their necks with the prongs facing outwards, I presume to discourage other dogs or wolves from going for their necks.
 

DabDab

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We're probably all aware of the pitfalls of overhorsing ourselves
But people don't seem to appreciate the perils of overdogging themselves, which in many ways is more dangerous especially if innocent third parties get caught up in the mayhem

Oh I think plenty of people still over horse themselves, but with dogs the problem is just several times the magnitude because there are so many more dog owners than horse owners, and I also think the horsey community in general are better at (sometimes rather matter of factly) pointing out to someone that they have over horsed themselves. Plus, moving on a horse that you don't have the skills for is eminently possible, whereas moving on a reactive, unruly dog....as many rescues know only too well, it's a minefield.

And like you say, the liklihood of an out of control dog causing damage to third parties is much higher than an unruly horse. Which also makes me consider that third party insurance amongst horse owners is relatively common, but amongst dog owners it must be vanishingly small. Is it included in general dog insurance packages? I have no idea
 

CorvusCorax

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Oh I think plenty of people still over horse themselves, but with dogs the problem is just several times the magnitude because there are so many more dog owners than horse owners, and I also think the horsey community in general are better at (sometimes rather matter of factly) pointing out to someone that they have over horsed themselves. Plus, moving on a horse that you don't have the skills for is eminently possible, whereas moving on a reactive, unruly dog....as many rescues know only too well, it's a minefield.

And like you say, the liklihood of an out of control dog causing damage to third parties is much higher than an unruly horse. Which also makes me consider that third party insurance amongst horse owners is relatively common, but amongst dog owners it must be vanishingly small. Is it included in general dog insurance packages? I have no idea

I've had third party for mine but there are plenty of exemptions. For example, if the dog injures someone in your family or someone you are travelling with. We must have third party if travelling abroad or taking part in competitions in Europe, you have to send the policy document as part of the entry.
 

DabDab

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I'm quite happy to let my lot socialise with known dogs and even new ones-met a 20 week old cockerpoo yesterday, a 3 legged Bosnian rescue (just why?!) plus some others who were all friendly. It isn't a 'rule', but if you go to the big woods, you expect off lead friendly dogs, although mine now happily go past if directed to do so. There was a nervous dog (owner was more nervous!) on lead the other day. We put ours on the lead and took them past, I know how it is to have a reactive dog. I just think it's a funny choice, we stopped going to those woods with Zak because it is very well known for loose dogs. I know they have to be walked somewhere and in an ideal world, everyone's dog would be under 100% close control, but you definitely can't guarantee that is hundreds of acres of woods.
Tbf the forest by me is similar. Most dogs are loose and because there's lots of space it is generally alright, plus most people are pretty good at putting their dogs on leads to pass others. It's more of an issue on horse back tbh, because if a dog spots you and locks on before the owner does a fair few find their recall suddenly failing.

I had a cracker a couple of weeks ago actually - I was ambling along the main forest track at about 7am and gradually become aware that I can hear jingle bells 🤔. As the sound got closer I stopped because neither me nor the horse could work it out. And then crashing out of the undergrowth in front and to the right of us came a dog (the size of a standard poodle but with the colouring of a springer) with the sort of bells you give to a kid in a nativity play attached to its harness. Fortunately it didn't notice us initially and bounded across in front and up a hill on the other side. Then appeared the owner who saw me, held up his hand and shouted "give me a sec!!" At which point the dog noticed us and came flying in our direction. Arty held her nerve initially but then span, more because of the bells than anything (they know to stand in that situation and usually she's unflappable with lary dogs). I shouted at the dog and it stopped and then responded to it's owner's recall, he put it on a lead and I tentatively walked past. As I passed he said "sorry about the bells, he chases the deer so I put bells on him to give them an advance warning"

WTAF?!? That is not a suitable answer to your dog chasing deer. I was genuinely dumbfounded.
 

Titchy Pony

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Tbf the forest by me is similar. Most dogs are loose and because there's lots of space it is generally alright, plus most people are pretty good at putting their dogs on leads to pass others. It's more of an issue on horse back tbh, because if a dog spots you and locks on before the owner does a fair few find their recall suddenly failing.

I had a cracker a couple of weeks ago actually - I was ambling along the main forest track at about 7am and gradually become aware that I can hear jingle bells 🤔. As the sound got closer I stopped because neither me nor the horse could work it out. And then crashing out of the undergrowth in front and to the right of us came a dog (the size of a standard poodle but with the colouring of a springer) with the sort of bells you give to a kid in a nativity play attached to its harness. Fortunately it didn't notice us initially and bounded across in front and up a hill on the other side. Then appeared the owner who saw me, held up his hand and shouted "give me a sec!!" At which point the dog noticed us and came flying in our direction. Arty held her nerve initially but then span, more because of the bells than anything (they know to stand in that situation and usually she's unflappable with lary dogs). I shouted at the dog and it stopped and then responded to it's owner's recall, he put it on a lead and I tentatively walked past. As I passed he said "sorry about the bells, he chases the deer so I put bells on him to give them an advance warning"

WTAF?!? That is not a suitable answer to your dog chasing deer. I was genuinely dumbfounded.
I'm sorry, but that had me in stitches.
Perhaps they were originally a cat owner. They often get told to put bells on their cats to stop them hunting effectively.

*Wanders off wondering if putting bells on monster would be any use seeing as the wildlife around here seems to have a death wish*
 

Cinnamontoast

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Tbf the forest by me is similar. Most dogs are loose and because there's lots of space it is generally alright, plus most people are pretty good at putting their dogs on leads to pass others. It's more of an issue on horse back tbh, because if a dog spots you and locks on before the owner does a fair few find their recall suddenly failing.

I had a cracker a couple of weeks ago actually - I was ambling along the main forest track at about 7am and gradually become aware that I can hear jingle bells 🤔. As the sound got closer I stopped because neither me nor the horse could work it out. And then crashing out of the undergrowth in front and to the right of us came a dog (the size of a standard poodle but with the colouring of a springer) with the sort of bells you give to a kid in a nativity play attached to its harness. Fortunately it didn't notice us initially and bounded across in front and up a hill on the other side. Then appeared the owner who saw me, held up his hand and shouted "give me a sec!!" At which point the dog noticed us and came flying in our direction. Arty held her nerve initially but then span, more because of the bells than anything (they know to stand in that situation and usually she's unflappable with lary dogs). I shouted at the dog and it stopped and then responded to it's owner's recall, he put it on a lead and I tentatively walked past. As I passed he said "sorry about the bells, he chases the deer so I put bells on him to give them an advance warning"

WTAF?!? That is not a suitable answer to your dog chasing deer. I was genuinely dumbfounded.
There used to be several husky owners who’d belled their dogs, you could hear them a mile off. Apparently it was to do with the dogs disappearing in the woods. I have no idea how they thought that would help given the vastness of the area! 🤣 There’s a dogwalker who has one on her beagle, who trails along beside her. Really not sure why she bothers!
 

DabDab

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I'm sorry, but that had me in stitches.
Perhaps they were originally a cat owner. They often get told to put bells on their cats to stop them hunting effectively.

*Wanders off wondering if putting bells on monster would be any use seeing as the wildlife around here seems to have a death wish*

I think it was one of those laugh or cry things. I genuinely spent the next couple of days wondering if this was a thing now...was it something that had just passed me by? Do people really put bells on their dogs to give the unwitting victims of their over-enthusiasm a head start??
 

TheresaW

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There used to be several husky owners who’d belled their dogs, you could hear them a mile off. Apparently it was to do with the dogs disappearing in the woods. I have no idea how they thought that would help given the vastness of the area! 🤣 There’s a dogwalker who has one on her beagle, who trails along beside her. Really not sure why she bothers!
We have huskies as you know. They are never off lead unless in a secure area. I’m quite sure bells would be absolutely useless!
 

rabatsa

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I used to have a bell on my last GSD. She had been known to run up behind you and take your knees out in passing, the bell gave us warning when it was likely to happen.
 

DabDab

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Well yes, using bells so that you personally can hear where your dog is is one thing, but using bells as sole mitigation for allowing your dog to crash through the undergrowth, past the 'delicate ecosystem in this area, please stick to the path' signs, and terrorise the local wildlife in its own habitat...not really OK is it
 

CorvusCorax

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Can I say that if your dog isn't deaf and your dog wears a bell to training, in a big fenced field where it never goes out of sight and it moves around a lot, that or even multiple jangling tags is VERY ANNOYING.
 

Tiddlypom

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And must be so annoying for the dog, too.
That's what I was thinking. Dogs have very sensitive hearing, so be forced to hear a jingling bell close up all the time must be verging on intolerable.

A bell might have its uses in certain short term limited situations as the lesser of many evils, but permanently? No.
 

Jenko109

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Well yes, using bells so that you personally can hear where your dog is is one thing, but using bells as sole mitigation for allowing your dog to crash through the undergrowth, past the 'delicate ecosystem in this area, please stick to the path' signs, and terrorise the local wildlife in its own habitat...not really OK is it

We dont have a path. We are on an open common.

My dogs dont hassle the cows or the ponies or the donkeys, including when they have a calf or foal at foot. Or the pigs when they're about. All of which are turned out on the common.

I am however quite happy for them to try and catch a rabbit. Nothing better than a dog with a fresh rabbit for his breakfast 🤷‍♀️

**runs for cover**
 

skinnydipper

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I assume the bell is attached to a collar. Unless it is a break-away collar then leaving a collar on an unsupervised dog, or even worse multiple dogs, is not a great idea. It's a safety issue (strangulation).
 
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Goldenstar

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My father had aload on crotal bells he has got from some where .They are lovely things and go from the very utilitarian to the pretty and decorative .
He put them on the dogs we probably had six or so at the time they soundEd great us kids loved it my Mum vetoed them and I found them when I was clearing the house in a drawer by his bed full of bits and pieces from our childhood .
I used one on Sky who came to us as an very overdramatic spooky bully . I attached one to the neck strap it worked a treat and this of course was one of their original reasons for use.
 
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