Dog fight and bite

[ponyparty]

We’re on holiday, staying in a cottage - owners live in their house on site. Owners have a dog, black lab X type thing. Our dog stays on lead all the time here as per the rules, not that I’d let him off anyway as there’s chickens and he hates black labs after several experiences as a puppy.

On the first morning (Sunday), after a TERRIBLE night with our toddler, got up at 6.30ish I think? Took dog straight out, on extending lead (hate them but dog doesn’t like to toilet apart from on grass which is soaking wet). Saw owner and his dog approach on their way to feed the chickens; I recalled mine, so he’s on a short lead right by me. I’ve got my toddler in my arms too as he’s got no shoes on. Their dog goes stiff/aggressive body language and lunges at mine. I can’t really do much with babe in arms and crap extendable lead. I hear a squeal but doesn’t sound like my dog; owner calls his dog off on the third attempt. I’m so exhausted I didn’t even think to check him over fully afterwards - kind of got hands full with little one. Thought if anything it would be the other dog that got hurt - and serves his owner bloody right for letting it do that to a paying guest’s on-lead animal!

Yesterday, I noticed a big scab on F’s neck. Looks suspiciously like a bite he hasn’t had close contact with any other dog, or been through any rough brush that could have scratched him. It MUST be from that altercation. I’m livid. I was already pretty P’d off that he allowed his dog to approach mine on lead anyway. Poor F couldn’t get away and got injured as a result. I know it’s their home, but if their dog is funny with other dogs, he should be on lead too!

Of course I have no way of proving it was the owner’s dog, but there’s nothing else it could be. It’s not deep (To look at) and I’ve cleaned it up, although it’s already healing over really, will keep a very close eye on it for signs of infection. There’s no heat/swelling.

The more I think about it, the more furious I am! I will be raising it with the owner when I see him later today and he’ll be getting the invoice if poor Frank ends up needing veterinary attention. Whether he’d pay it, god knows; as I say, there’s no proof. And I didn’t notice it immediately - owner of the year (!) ? my poor little dude!

 

[emilylou]

I'd be making a pretty significant complaint whether there is a bite or not, totally unacceptable for the owner to allow his dog to attack yours. I'd be expecting profuse apologies from them, its really poor to allow that to even be a possibility

 

[ponyparty]

Yes. I think you’re right actually. I was so half asleep and exhausted, I didn’t really process it properly. Now after a slightly better night and a “lazy” morning spent at the cottage I’ve had time to process it and I’m so angry! I’ll be having words later and they’ll be getting a seriously crap review if I’m not satisfied with their response.

This morning their dog is chained up outside their house so clearly they’ve learnt something from it..!

 

[Bellasophia]

Takes the shine off your plan to relax on a break..but keeping positive,get some betadine from the chemist..rub the area as hard as is comfortable,to debride the new scab and soak as much betadine into the area as possible...
then allow to rescab.
Hopefully a talk with your cottage owners and make sure this won’t happen again and try to enjoy the rest of your break.
Id expect some reduction in your bill to cover this situation and hopefully you can get the best out of your remaining time there.

 

[ponyparty]

Thanks bellsophia. I have sort of done that with an (human) antiseptic wound spray in our first aid kit - it’s in an area he can’t lick it, on his neck below his ear.

Yep definitely will be having a chat with him! Would like assurances that their dog will not be out off lead until we have left, and the dog surcharge waived. It’s not much, but as a good will gesture.

Wondering whether to put something online in a review anyway to be honest, as a way of leaving a record of it happening. There’s nothing stopping them from allowing the same thing to happen again to some unsuspecting owner otherwise. If it’s online they’ll think twice about allowing the dog off lead when guests are there with their dogs. Or put a fence area up for it, or enclosed areas for each cottage or something. There are many simple things they could do to prevent it to be honest.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Poor you, and poor F. Since you say you can't prove it was their dog that caused the damage, I don't know if there is much you could do about it, more than be upset about it.

I can understand if an owner gets shocked if their dog truly doesn't have a habit of behaving badly, and that people doesn't always behave sensibly when unexpected things happen. But since you're a guest in a cottage they own, I don't understand why they didn't come over later in the day on Sunday, when things had calmed down, to apologise, and ask if your dog + you where okay.
I really don't like that 2 days later, their only response this far seems to be that they've now put their own dog on a chain.

Sorry that I can't offer any help with the situation, but please try to not feel bad about not noticing the damage immediately. Hindsight can only help us learn to try to not make the same mistake again.
You're still a good dog owner, so what that you're not perfect, nobody is that.

Hope F heals quickly {{{{{{vibes}}}}}}.

 

[ponyparty]

Yes FL I think you’re right. The lack of response is as bad as the event itself.
Actually, while I was getting dressed yesterday morning (before I found the bite), I heard OH talking to the guy and he didn’t ask if F was ok or apologise or anything. Just some recognition that it was out of order and won’t happen again would be good!

ETA thanks for the vibes - he seems completely unperturbed by it all thankfully. He’s behaved impeccably with all other dogs he’s met, and he can be a bit of a funny bigger sometimes, so it doesn’t seem to have knocked his confidence or negatively affected his attitude. Bet he hates black labs even more now though!

 

[deb_l222]

If you don't get a good enough response from the owner of the cottage, leave a crappy review. Places like this live and die by online reviews. Give him the opportunity to redeem himself first though

If you're expected to keep dogs on a lead, they should too. Or they shouldn't be interacting with visitors dogs at all, in my opinion.

Totally off track a bit but I've been away a couple of times recently (with the caravan) where both places had a VERY strict lead rule for dogs. There is however always that one person who believes their dog is a saint and these rules don't apply to them. I honestly don't know what people have against sticking their dog on a lead, it baffles me.

Hope your pooch is OK.

 

[Bellasophia]

deb..you should try walking in Italy..you can regularly encounter a big,determined “listed “ dog coming towards you ,off lead and owner( on his cell) will shout to you from a distance..
”is yours a male?mine only has problems with males”

“er yes...my onlead dog IS a male.”......Drumroll.....just awful.

 

[ponyparty]

Update: A big scab was hanging off Frank’s wound and I could see yellow ooze underneath so I gently helped it off as was worried that there was a pocket of infection underneath. The wound actually doesn’t look too bad, but after flushing with antiseptic spray again and giving it a squeeze to check no pus deeper inside, you can clearly see it’s a round puncture wound from a bite. He didn’t flinch when I was prodding around, bless him; he got a tasty sausage as a treat afterwards! It’s looking nice and clean this evening.

I still havent seen the owner since. I have to wonder if he’s avoiding us, as he did say he’d be around every morning originally. I WILL collar him, hopefully tomorrow.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

I‘d be bloody incandescent! Last bite I saw festered for weeks until I demanded they excise the whole area. If you need antibiotics etc, I’d be demanding payment from the owner. What is he thinking, allowing his aggressive dog to approach yours? He can’t say dogs are allowed if his isn’t reliable. What an idiot. ?

 

[ponyparty]

I hope it doesn’t end up like that CT; but if there are any vet bills as a result of this he’ll be getting the invoice. We’re meant to be going out this morning, but I want to collar the guy before we go. As FL said above it’s the total lack of response that’s really annoying me. Kicking myself for not kicking off more when it happened, I just wanted to get everyone back in the house safe away from the dog though, I was half asleep still!

The first photo is the day after it happened when I first noticed it. The second is last night so the light isn’t very good, will take another today.

It’s exactly where his collar sits so he hasn’t been able to wear that all holiday, just the crappy harness I have for in the car to clip him into his seatbelt. He can back out of it so having to be super careful!

 

[ponyparty]

Collared him this afternoon. He said he had no idea why his dog did that, he’s never shown signs of aggression before. I do believe him - I mean you’d have to be pretty thick to let your known dog-aggressive dog off lead when paying guests with their dog are there! He still wasn’t exactly profusely apologising though, or asking after F’s welfare. Weird. I’d be falling over myself to check they were ok/offering to pay any vet bills incurred, in that situation!

The wound still looks good and clean, and has scabbed over again. He’s done 12 miles along the Tarka Trail alongside my bike today. He was good as gold - cantered along next to me like he’s always been a “bike dog”, bless his little heart ?