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
The forum content is sometimes translated from another language, and posts may concern countries with different animal laws. Do your research before making any decisions.
Since the forum is translated by AI, the translations may contain errors.
That’s what I’ll be doing from now on. But it’s still such a shame that it’s come to this. He’s trying everything he can to get the muzzle off because it's bothering him so much. It’s honestly heartbreaking to watch! And all the while, irresponsible owners are still walking their dogs off-lead. So in the end, by stooping to this, I’m just letting them get away with it. It’s sad. And really, he’s only dangerous if he’s being attacked. It’s never unprovoked.
I must admit, I don’t really get it... Yes, there’s the issue of responsibility and it’s important to be clued up on that, but it’s also a matter of basic safety. Are you likely to come across other dogs off-lead? It’s happened before and it can happen again. So why not muzzle your dog, given that he’s currently a danger to others? Some muzzles allow dogs to communicate, breathe properly, and drink... and they keep everyone safe.
I’ve got an Akita too and they definitely have a reputation for being a dominant breed!! It’s true that she tries to be the boss at puppy classes, but the adult dogs soon put her in her place with a growl or a bark!! So, at the end of the day, doggy social cues actually work pretty well!!
Keep your dog on a lead and just hope that everyone else does the same!!
I agree with ***** and peritos! And don’t worry about your dog! Those stories about them getting a taste for blood are just myths! The most important thing now is your own behaviour. Let me explain!
Because you were shaken up by what happened, you’re going to tend to be tense on walks, which will make your dog anxious! So be careful! Try to stay as natural as possible. Your dog had a normal and justified reaction! It’s the other dog’s owners who should be blaming themselves.
I completely agree! I had the same thing happen with Génésys on the lead in the street and a neighbour’s dog (which was always out wandering alone). Génésys caught him—the little dog had approached aggressively—and he ended up with six stitches, each over 2cm long. But he’s fine, considering he kept coming back for ages afterwards to taunt mine at the gate! It went on until the day I spoke to the woman (who was one of my bosses), telling her I was fed up with trying to hold my dog, manage the gate, fend off her dog and get my lad out the door to catch the bus. Apparently, I was "disrespectful" (which is why I was sacked)! Erm, who’s the one being disrespectful there then??
You have nothing to feel guilty about! And even if the dog had been injured, it’s the owners’ insurance that would have to cover the vet bills, not yours!
Since then, Génésys certainly can't stand the sight of that dog, and strangely, she’s even aggressive towards their other dog now. They’re not as daft as they look!
Hang in there and don’t beat yourself up!
Thanks for your replies.
But anyway, in principle, in this case my dog is only responding... But he does have a tendency to be generally ultra-dominant (the PC way of saying 'aggressive'...). Typical Akita for you!
And besides, I’ve heard that if a dog gets a taste of blood, they become dangerous, even to their own family.
That’s a total myth, straight out of people's imaginations! Don’t worry, you’ve got absolutely nothing to fret about. Your dog was just defending himself; he’s not going to start attacking people out of the blue to devour them. 😌
When your baby arrives, just remember to keep everything positive with your dog. Don’t tell him off, and later on, you can teach your little one how to behave around him. You won't have any issues at all.
By the way, huge congratulations to you! And well done @Darkphoenix—if your dog is on a raw diet, I bet the lucky lad is absolutely loving it!
As for the scrap, I can tell you now, your dog wasn't to blame. I just hope the other owner learns to keep their dog on a lead and works on that aggressive behaviour properly, though I highly doubt they will... Poor thing, stuck with yet another irresponsible owner.
Don't worry about your future child, my dog's been on raw feeding for 5 days now so he's had a taste and he hasn't slit my throat in my sleep yet—it's all just urban legends ;-)
Anyway, I'm with the others on this: your dog was on a lead and the other one wasn't, so you've got nothing to feel guilty about.
