Evening everyone, I'm posting this while still in a bit of shock.
I've just got back from a walk with my dog, a one-year-old Akita Inu. I was walking him around my housing estate, which has plenty of green space. My dog was, of course, on his lead. Then I saw another dog (a Spitz, weighing about 22 lbs I'd say) charging at us aggressively, and obviously it wasn't on a lead. In the blink of an eye, mine fought back and, given the weight difference, I was absolutely terrified when I heard the Spitz yelping in my dog's mouth. The Spitz's owner arrived after the dust had settled—it was a child, who was just as frightened (at least as much as I was) by what had just happened. The Spitz didn't seem to have any serious injuries, but I was really shaken. The child's father then turned up and explained that most of the dogs in the estate are let off their leads.
The question I'm asking myself is, who is at fault:
-Walking a dog off-lead?
-Not muzzling a dog (even if it's not a restricted breed)?
If, god forbid, the Spitz had been hurt, would it be my fault? I suspect so, but what am I risking? And what would happen to my dog?!
Thanks in advance.
Translated from French
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Given the situation, you shouldn't have to pay a single penny ;)
And when it’s our own dog at fault, third-party liability insurance covers the lot (as long as you’ve declared the dog to your insurer beforehand).
I’ve been in the same boat myself, except it was my dog who attacked (the other one spent six weeks at the vet hospital, so I was very glad the insurance paid out).
Right, that makes sense about your insurance; mine told me the exact same thing.
Anyway, you can tell when a dog is being aggressive, and our dogs pick up on it through their own body language. In my case, the little dog didn't have time to get a hold of mine, as she’s more reactive.
As for the fact it was a child walking the dog, that’s obviously down to the parents' responsibility.
Thanks for your replies. To follow up, I ran into the dog and its owner again (on a lead this time). He explained that the dog has bruising all over its body and a gash in one place. He’s had to pay a £215 vet bill and the vet told him that MY insurance could cover it. Is that true?
When we had the same mishap, the dog stayed at the vet’s, and by that evening the bill was already £110 for six bite wounds, so...
Don't let them rattle you, but I would have gone to the police station to log a report and explain what happened. Contact your insurance company quickly to explain; they’ll open a pending claim. Make sure you tell them your dog was on a lead—the truth, basically!—and that the other one wasn’t!
Don't you have any witnesses? It would be really out of order for the owner to make such a song and dance about it. I'm telling you, this kind of behaviour makes my blood boil! Hang in there.
Actually, yes, there are witnesses—at least one. And the person walking the dog was a child; he wouldn't lie... I think! Poor kid, he already looked pretty traumatised... :/
As for the question I was asked, when I say he approached aggressively, he barked, growled and bit first... but obviously, given the dogs involved, mine came away without a scratch...
I’ve checked with my insurer and they won't cover anything. On the basis that the other dog wasn't on a lead, it's up to their insurer to contact mine to take things further!
Thanks for your replies. Just as an update, I ran into the dog and its owner again (on a lead this time). He told me the dog had bruises all over its body and an open wound in one spot. He’s had to pay a bill of about £215 and the vet told him that MY insurance could cover it. Is that true?
When we went through the same ordeal, the dog stayed at the vet's, and by that same evening, the bill was already £110 for 6 bite wounds, so...
Don't let him rattle you, but I would've gone to the police station to log a report and explain what happened. Contact your insurance as soon as possible to explain; they'll open a claim. Make sure you tell them your dog was on a lead—just the truth!—and that the other one wasn't!
Do you have any witnesses? It would be really out of order for the owner to kick up such a fuss. I swear, this kind of behaviour makes my blood boil!
Keep your chin up!
You told us that this dog ran up "aggressively", but what exactly does that mean? Did he growl?
Was your dog actually injured?
You’re trying to frame it as a reaction to aggression, a case of self-defence... but for people to listen and for your story to be credible, the response has to be proportionate. In my opinion, to justify causing wounds and bruising, he would have had to suffer a real attack that resulted in a trip to the vet.
Otherwise, it’s just a case of a dog approaching (maybe with poor social skills, but that’s a separate issue) and your dog attacking him.
Remind him that he’s responsible for his dog’s actions, even when it’s roaming, and because of that, insurers would hold him solely liable, so he’d be the only one having to foot the bill.
Thanks for your replies. Just as an update, I bumped into the dog and its owner again (on a lead). He explained that the dog had bruising all over its body and a cut in one place. He's had to pay a bill of about £215 and the vet told him that MY insurance could cover it. Is that right?
Most of you seem dead set against using a muzzle... but do any of you actually deal with socialisation issues with your dog?
My dog can bark at anyone or anything depending on his mood that day, who he takes a dislike to, etc. With other dogs, it’s a given. As soon as they lock eyes, Jango just barks and barks and barks. We’ve been walking him in a muzzle for a while now because, even though he’s never actually bitten (only 'nipped'), you can never be too sure, and I know that if a child ever comes up behind him to give him a pat, or if a stray or an off-lead dog runs up to him, things could go south.
In himself, my dog isn't 'nasty'; he’s just very fearful and highly reactive to movement, which can come across as aggression.
At the training club, we now put his muzzle on when he’s playing with other dogs because he tends to be a bit too 'mouthy' when communicating, and not all dogs appreciate that. It allows him to learn and practice doggy social cues without putting anyone at risk, and obviously the long-term goal is to eventually be able to take it off.
And honestly, I couldn't care less what people think when they see my dog in a muzzle. I’d much rather they think he’s dangerous or aggressive than try to 'look the part' without a muzzle, only for there to be an accident and have my dog put down. I’m not scared of my dog (or I should say, I’m not scared of him anymore), but his reactions to the unknown are quite unpredictable, so I’m never going to risk losing him just for the sake of appearances or 'what the neighbours might think'. Safety first.
I also agree with @Celineo; you can get muzzles that still allow a bit of freedom. I’ve got two, and the second one gives him more room; he can still nip with the front of his mouth but can't get a proper grip to bite down.
But in the case of a stray, who do you blame? The dog wandering about on its own without an owner? This is where you have to look at the bigger picture. Yes, an off-lead dog should have a basic idea of how to handle encounters, but you’ll always come across people who just don’t think, so it’s better not to push your luck. To me, it’s the same with a dog on a lead—a stray can still approach. Back when I was in Martinique, I often saw mums with their pups, and they were rarely sociable when they crossed paths with another dog. It’s not really about finding someone to blame, as it’s usually six of one and half a dozen of the other, but the dogs that cope best are the ones that know how to communicate and not escalate a conflict when they could just walk away. Owners play a huge part too; they often make the conflict worse without even realising it. I think that’s mainly why my mum’s dogs didn't get on with the other dog—shouting and yanking on the dogs to get them to let go doesn’t stop the fight, even if I get that it’s an instinctive reaction in the moment.
If you’re looking for someone to blame, then yes, it’s probably that owner walking their dog off-lead. But at the end of the day, once you’ve found the culprit, you have to accept that we don’t always live amongst responsible people, and I don’t believe in waiting for others to be responsible before I act responsibly myself. If everyone kept dogs that are a bit reactive on a lead (though I prefer a long line), then fine, no worries. But in the end, if a dog gets killed or seriously injured, what’s the point in looking for someone to blame? If my dog had bitten every dog that’s barged into him on a walk while growling or whatever, there would have been a serious incident a long time ago.
