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My mutt was walking off leash at the park with me last week. The back of the park borders some backyards, which is where we were walking when a toy poodle came bounding out from one of the yards. It left its yard and ran right up to Ace, barking. Ace was busy looking for a stick, and the dog startled him. Both dogs were friendly, so there were no issues. I pulled Ace along on our walk, and a man came out and got his dog after unsucessful coaxing from the door.
But this situation could’ve gone a lot differently had it been two different dogs. It made me think about who is to blame when a dog bites another dog. If my bigger dog had felt threatened and bit this little dog, would it be my fault?
Both dogs were off leash, neither were 100 percent under control, and the smaller dog was the one provoking the bigger dog. Let’s say the little dog bit my dog on the leg, enough to draw blood. But then my dog bit back, hurting the little dog more severely or even killing it. My dog would be the one labeled a dangerous dog, when the smaller dog was the one who attacked in the first place, unprovoked.
I guess the moral of the story is you can only be responsible for your own dog. I can’t control the fact that some idiot leaves his poodle alone without a leash in a nonfenced yard. But I can control my dog’s response, and if I can’t trust him 100 percent, then he shouldn’t be off leash for his own safety as well as others’. I worry about that little dog, because who knows what kind of trouble it could get itself into. It shows no fear, and not all big dogs are gentle like my mutt.
(Photo by http://mcbrooklyn.blogspot.com)
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April 24th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
I agree … not everyone is gentle like my lab either and the tiny dogs are serious yappers. So dogs need to be leashed.
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April 24th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
OOOH how appropo! I had the same thing happen just this morning only I had my four labs on a leash and a little mop came charging down the driveway at them.. Had my dogs been attacked and bit back, even though I had them on lead would they be at fault since obviously they were not “under control” It poses a very interesting question!
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April 24th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Yeah - I have a scar on my cheek from holding my leashed Sheltie away from a loose Rottweiler when I was about ten years old. It was really scary and, looking back, I’m very lucky I wasn’t seriously injured!
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April 25th, 2008 at 1:33 am
They will of course blame the larger dog even if the poodle did started it even if the larger dog is a gentle one.
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April 25th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Very good post. My dog got nipped yesterday at agility training. It was both of our faults though. Dogs too close. Lots of energy. And mine wasn’t hurt at all (he just yelped) with his thick fur. So the rest of the time we just paid special attention to that dog and they even got really close to each other throughout class and did fine.
I hate when dogs are labeled as dangerous just for reacting naturally especially when provoked. *sigh*
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April 27th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Ahh at the moment this one drives me nuts… I am trying so hard with Chels, walking & socialising as she will be a massive girl one day.
One of the biggest hassles for me is small dogs running at her from unfenced yards… not an owner in sight … I doubt Chels will ever bite anything except through a fear response & I’m thinking a nip from a scared Dane could damage.
Ironically we have no trouble at the beach, where although dogs are off leash owners put them on as they pass each other and stop to talk. Its in suburbia where the problems for me are.
I guess it comes down to us all being responsible for our own dogs, accidents do happen and its up to us to minimise the risk, both to our dogs and others.
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