New dog law - implications for country owners.

pennyturner said:
Anyone have police or legal views on whether warning signs protect an owner from vexatious claims of intimidation / collision / tripping up by a well-meaning dog?
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Your best action is to have one of those signs that says "Jack Russell lives here". That way you are stating fact, without admitting that your dog is dangerous as you are with the sign "Danger, lose dogs". It has been proven in court before that signs purporting danger are admitting liability to owning a dangerous dog/quarry/building/pond etc
 
Regarding going to court, who you be able to get statements?

It doe worry me that someone would say R is dangerous being a french mastiff but she has made a difference to so many kids/adults in the park that have been scared of her looks, Tell them shes friendly and keep hold of her and she then has a new friend...

When i walk her so many people say good morning/afternoon to her and its lovely but one idiot could take it all away! (not without me putting up a fight though!)
so would statements back up the nature of you dog(s) from neighbours, fellow dog walkers, ect.. ?
 
Simplest solution is to ensure the dogs are securely fenced off (tight and high fencing) away from access to the front door so that they can not come in contact with anyone.
 
blazingsaddles said:
Its all a bit ridiculous isn't it? All these signs warning folks about loose dogs.. I prefer no warning signs & anyone with ill-intention will have the surprise of their life when six dogs come charging towards them. Only one might bite (!) & quite frankly, if you're in my garden without permission then I hope she gets you in the privates.
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What about someone with good intentions? Will the one that might bite know not to in this case?
 
fburton said:
What about someone with good intentions? Will the one that might bite know not to in this case?
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Agree. What about innocent strangers asking for directions, delivery drivers etc?

We get a lot of lost people round here (out in the sticks), they can come to our padlocked front gate and talk over that, whilst the dog is safely contained in the garden.
 
we have a five bar gate. the post box is on it. if people want to come closer they are confronted with two exuberant lab girls who are very interested in them. where does that leave me?
 
Tiddlypom said:
Agree. What about innocent strangers asking for directions, delivery drivers etc?

We get a lot of lost people round here (out in the sticks), they can come to our padlocked front gate and talk over that, whilst the dog is safely contained in the garden.
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No issue with having to securely fence a vicious (or excitable) dog. All owners should be responsible for the ACTIONS of their pet. Ours greets delivery drivers etc happily and politely, so there is no REASONABLE need to prevent her meeting visitors. Postie loves her. No complaint will come from any regular visitor. The issue is that the way the law is drafted gives a visiting stranger greater rights than the resident dog owner over use of private land, and enables someone to claim harm by way of fear, regardless of the behaviour of the dog.
 
We have a Schnauser that are well known for being 'vocal'. He always barks at visitors, generally as a friendly greating but would never bite anyone. We also have a footpath across our paddock. A couple of years ago I was poo picking with my dog and a walker came past. The dog barked at her and she absolutely freaked as she was petrified of dogs even though she was in absolutely no danger. I called my dog and held him by his collar until she had passed. It bothers me that someone like this could prosecute under the new law as they feel 'threatened'.
 
Janah said:
we have a five bar gate. the post box is on it. if people want to come closer they are confronted with two exuberant lab girls who are very interested in them. where does that leave me?
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Same place as me , let's hope we never find out .
 
JohnParfit said:
We have a Schnauser that are well known for being 'vocal'. He always barks at visitors, generally as a friendly greating but would never bite anyone. We also have a footpath across our paddock. A couple of years ago I was poo picking with my dog and a walker came past. The dog barked at her and she absolutely freaked as she was petrified of dogs even though she was in absolutely no danger. I called my dog and held him by his collar until she had passed. It bothers me that someone like this could prosecute under the new law as they feel 'threatened'.
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You're right to be bothered this law started off as a reaction to the awful case of the teenager killed by the dogs of a family she was staying with and no action could be taken against them .
As ever nice law abiding people stress about the states intrusion into their affairs while the toe rags don't give a s**t .
 
We have a footpath running through our land which cannot be fenced off, our two very friendly but noisy dogs run free when I am at home and I don't always see walkers before they do - what would happen if someone misinterprets their friendliness?
The footpath is difficult to manage at best of times, people are very inconsiderate and think they can wander where they like, this is another problem to try and manage.
This has not been thought through properly.
 
In the country, dogs need to be kennelled if not under the immediate supervision of their owners. Landowners also have a duty of care to visitors, whether invited or not, under Common Law. Man traps have been illegal for a while and razor wire is only permitted if above eight foot from the ground and in plain view and in some circumstances i gather it may need planning permission. Of course an owner should be held responsible for the actions of their dogs and no dog can be considered safe in all circumstances. They are animals and as such are unpredictable.

My new neighbour was at my door the other day looking for his two dogs that had strayed. I think this is the third time in a year this has happened that I know of. I've had the same number of straying incidents here in over 30 years! I managed to persuade him that the dogs would almost certainly be shot. I see he now has some nice new shiny kennels.
 
TallSue said:
We have a footpath running through our land which cannot be fenced off, our two very friendly but noisy dogs run free when I am at home and I don't always see walkers before they do - what would happen if someone misinterprets their friendliness?
The footpath is difficult to manage at best of times, people are very inconsiderate and think they can wander where they like, this is another problem to try and manage.
This has not been thought through properly.
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In an impossible situation. We're the only country to have public footpaths, for the landowners to be accountable not only for invited guest's safety but also to trespassers, burglars and undesirables. If someone feels threatened by my JRT whilst they steal the diesel out of the yard then I am in trouble - how stupid is that?
 
The bit of the legislation which seems utterly stupid is that people may sue for being "frightened" by your dog, while they are looking in your outbuildings without permission! Presumably now, if I hear/see someone stealing from the yard, I cannot let the Rotters out, but must either ring the police (very slow response time here, when two gangs met to fight the local nick declined to attend as there was only one PC available) or at 5'6" and nine stone go into my fenced, locked yard and suggest they leave!
 
YorksG said:
The bit of the legislation which seems utterly stupid is that people may sue for being "frightened" by your dog, while they are looking in your outbuildings without permission! Presumably now, if I hear/see someone stealing from the yard, I cannot let the Rotters out, but must either ring the police (very slow response time here, when two gangs met to fight the local nick declined to attend as there was only one PC available) or at 5'6" and nine stone go into my fenced, locked yard and suggest they leave!
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Presumably the circumstances will be taken into account for any potential prosecution? At least, one would hope so.
 
I'm so glad I live in Ireland! Here, if someone decides to brave the dogs, geese, goat, etc. they have a selection of sticks to choose from to make it down the driveway.
 
YorksG said:
The bit of the legislation which seems utterly stupid is that people may sue for being "frightened" by your dog, while they are looking in your outbuildings without permission! Presumably now, if I hear/see someone stealing from the yard, I cannot let the Rotters out, but must either ring the police (very slow response time here, when two gangs met to fight the local nick declined to attend as there was only one PC available) or at 5'6" and nine stone go into my fenced, locked yard and suggest they leave!
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This! My default reaction to hearing noises at night is to let the dogs out and lock my door, I suppose I might have to consider a shotgun from now on?
 
I think in an intruder scenario, you have enough protection in law under existing 'reasonable force' in defence of property. This presumably includes taking the dog with you to see what just smashed the window of your tackroom.

But what about the random chancer who turns up whilst you're out playing in the garden and decides to make an issue of a loose dog?
 
This is yet again an urban law, which has been draughted by people who have no concept of life beyond a semi-detached house on a housing estate!
I wonder how manyAnti-hunt groups will be "frightened" by packs of hounds?
 
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martlin said:
This! My default reaction to hearing noises at night is to let the dogs out and lock my door, I suppose I might have to consider a shotgun from now on?
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Being new to owning big scary dogs I opened the door and let them out last night when they were going ballistic at "something". Then I thought "Blimey, that was stupid! If I were someone wanting access to the house I'd wait till they opened the door to let the dogs out and get inside quick".
 
jemima*askin said:
Being new to owning big scary dogs I opened the door and let them out last night when they were going ballistic at "something". Then I thought "Blimey, that was stupid! If I were someone wanting access to the house I'd wait till they opened the door to let the dogs out and get inside quick".
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You shouldn't worry, it's unlikely the intruder would get past the dogs... ;) I've got 3, two of them set off to investigate and the third stays by my side.
 
I live in rural Wales and a couple of days ago some cows got out. I went to the Farm that owns them, but couldn't get to the house due to the really aggressive lab, lying down low and growling at me through the gate to the farm yard. If the path to the front door had been fenced off I could have let them know that the cows were out. Sadly the house was too far away for them to hear my calls even though someone was in. I gave up.
 
my horses are kept on an ex-working farm- lots of the barns now have gardening, roofing and building companies stuff- multiple times gardening machinery has been stolen and there is no big security gates as a public footpath and bridleway goes through it. there is the landlords house and a few others. but sometimes i am up on my own quite late at night and i must admit i think i feel safer having a GSD with me- even though he is not a protection dog and has never shown aggression to people. but i would get in trouble if he ran over to a stranger who should not be on the farm. the many men that work for the businesses there know him and would never accuse him of frightening them. my dog surely has a right to be free around the farm, not my fault if a stranger walks through my yard area and is scared of a GSD. (although i am very careful to not have him lose near the footpath where members of the public have a right to walk without him flying towards them!)

i agree the law seems to only consider the very obvious urban house set up- no dogs lose in front garden and must watch them in the back encase a kid kicks a football over and climbs in! (sorry but kids fault and they should ask you to come in or you throw it back if you like them or dog has not eaten it :P )
 
In rural Ireland, it was not unusual for a railway crossing keeper to close the gates of the crossing when he went to bed. We came across one after coming home late from a wedding. It was my job to go and wake up the keeper who lived in an adjacent cottage.

As I got the the cottage door, a huge black dog rose from the doormat and looked at me. I stood rigid to the spot, scared out of my wits and knowing I hadn't a hope in hell of getting back to the car before the dog got me. Then the bloody goat bleated and walked off! Talk about being relieved!

Never did wake the gate keeper so we just opened the level crossing gates ourselves and closed them again after we'd gone through. Maybe the new dog law should be extended to goats and other livestock??
 
Dry Rot said:
In rural Ireland, it was not unusual for a railway crossing keeper to close the gates of the crossing when he went to bed. We came across one after coming home late from a wedding. It was my job to go and wake up the keeper who lived in an adjacent cottage.

As I got the the cottage door, a huge black dog rose from the doormat and looked at me. I stood rigid to the spot, scared out of my wits and knowing I hadn't a hope in hell of getting back to the car before the dog got me. Then the bloody goat bleated and walked off! Talk about being relieved!

Never did wake the gate keeper so we just opened the level crossing gates ourselves and closed them again after we'd gone through. Maybe the new dog law should be extended to goats and other livestock??
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Funny you should say that, I have 2 free range goats that are much more likely to confront people coming up my drive than my dogs, as the dogs know not to run down to the gate. In daylight, that is, as the goats are in at night and the dogs get let out if I hear a noise.
 
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