Our dog was attacked :(

[youfancy]

Last night when DH was walking our dog (shepherd/lab mix, 50 pounds) another dog got free from its owner and charged our dog completely unprovoked. DH tried to get the dog off (German shepherd, DH estimated 100 pounds), and said there was about a 5-10 second window before the other owner finally got there and was able to get her dog off of ours.

We immediately took our dog to the vet. She has some nasty scratches and ended up with a bite that required a staple. She has to wear an e collar until the staple is removed next week and they are treating her with antibiotics. Fortunately, it could have been much, much worse. The other dog goes to our vet and we were able to confirm she is up to date on all of her shots and the owner paid for our visit last night.

I'm still feeling incredibly unsettled this morning. Our pup is pretty distraught and obviously confused by the whole situation. Is there anything else we should do? Should we report it? I would hate for this to happen again or involve a person next time. The owner did mention she travels internationally a lot which makes me wonder why she would own a dog in the first place.

[pamela]

Our dog was attacked in our fenced backyard (neighbor pit bulls jumped the 8' wood fence) and had an open wound (and they killed our min pin). The vet didn't want to staple the wound for fear of closing in any infection. Then rx abx and a painkiller for the likely muscle tears from the fight (our big dog was trying to protect the min pin). The neighbor didn't offer anything and we filed a report with the police. And I was working on figuring out how to contact their landlord when we relocated out of state for work.

[everam01]

It looks like the owner behaved responsibly. She paid for your visit, maintains the dog's shots, and was walking it with a leash. I would not report it.

[thedutchgirl]

I'd report it simply because if the dog does it again, at some point, the dog may end up being put down. If it is aggressive, these incidents should be tracked. And if it is a one-time strange, out-of-character incident, one incident won't matter that much.

I'm glad it looks like your dog will be ok!

[chessie]

I would report. I know in my area the vet would of already called the dog warden in the area to report it, since anytime a dog punctures/breaks any skin the dog is suppose to go under quarantine.

[jennistarr1]

personally I would ask your vet their opinion of if you should report or not, my inclination is to say no

[krisandgrace]

Jan 9, 2013 9:48:37 GMT -5 thedutchgirl said:

I'd report it simply because if the dog does it again, at some point, the dog may end up being put down. If it is aggressive, these incidents should be tracked. And if it is a one-time strange, out-of-character incident, one incident won't matter that much.

I'm glad it looks like your dog will be ok!

I agree with this. The owner did do the right thing but it sounds like the dog can't be controlled even on a leash. Your poor pup!

[ssmjlm]

I would just make sure your vet didn't already report it and then if not I would.

At least it appears the owner is acting responsibly since they did pay for your visit and you were able to get records. I'm really sorry for your dog. I can't imagine.

[LoveTrains]

I am so sorry that this happened. How scary! I would probably just google around to see what the protocol is in your town for dog bites and what would happen if you do report it.

[Deleted]

Jan 9, 2013 9:53:47 GMT -5 krisandgrace said:

Jan 9, 2013 9:48:37 GMT -5 thedutchgirl said:

I'd report it simply because if the dog does it again, at some point, the dog may end up being put down. If it is aggressive, these incidents should be tracked. And if it is a one-time strange, out-of-character incident, one incident won't matter that much.

I'm glad it looks like your dog will be ok!

I agree with this. The owner did do the right thing but it sounds like the dog can't be controlled even on a leash. Your poor pup!

I'd like to know more about how the dog got away before declaring the dog can't be controlled on leash. I know I have accidentally dropped my dog's leash when he has bolted at something unexpectedly and i was distracted. He has also made incredible Houdini-like escapes from his harness in the past that I am still not sure how he managed. I am a good dog owner and have corrected whatever issues led to these previous escapes, but if something had happened in either incident I would be hate to be labeled as not in control of my dog because of a one-time thing. It sounds like the owner is a good guy and otherwise did all the right things so unless he was overtly unable control his dog I would probably give the benefit of the doubt.

[Deleted]

I would not report it. It sounds like she is a responsible owner and this was an accident. Lots of dogs are leash aggressive... my dog definitely is. If we see another dog on our walk I have to be very careful to avoid it and/or keep my dog under control. I am very careful but it is always possible something weird could happen at some point and he could break loose. I would feel awful if that happened and do everything i could to prevent it from happening again. Based on her actions this time i would give her the benefit of the doubt she is similar to me.

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[Deleted]

Jan 9, 2013 10:39:29 GMT -5 @buckybells said:

I would not report it. It sounds like she is a responsible owner and this was an accident. Lots of dogs are leash aggressive... my dog definitely is. If we see another dog on our walk I have to be very careful to avoid it and/or keep my dog under control. I am very careful but it is always possible something weird could happen at some point and he could break loose. I would feel awful if that happened and do everything i could to prevent it from happening again. Based on her actions this time i would give her the benefit of the doubt she is similar to me.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using proboards

I agree with this as well. My dog is extremely protective and leash aggressive. He goes to daycare all the time and is BFFs with all the dogs there, never had a problem, but if he's on leash or around me, my husband, or my daughter, and we run into another dog, he turns into Cujo. We don't walk him unless we are as certain as we can be that he is under our control and will stay that way, but like I said in my earlier post, the unexpected happens sometimes.

[cosmowife]

It might have been a one-time thing but it shouldn't matter. You are lucky that your dog is of decent size! I can't imagine what would have happened if you had my dog instead (a 12 lb pomeranian). A dog that will run up to another dog and attack is aggressive, period. Most dogs would run up to another dog and sniff or bark. I would report.

My pom and I were actually attacked by a boxer. The previous county that I lived in didn't have leash laws and these people never used a leash. I yanked up my pom by her leash and protected her in my arms the best that I could because this dog came out of nowhere and was going for her before I even saw her. I was 6 months pregnant, too! Luckily the boxer did not break her skin, but we did take her to the e-vet to be checked out. The owner paid for the appointment. I did not report this because the owner immediately began using a leash and we moved shortly thereafter. However, if this dog was already on a leash and could get away that easily, that is a different story in my mind.

This is why I never trust anyone when they want their dog to go up to my dog and they say, "Oh, he's really friendly, don't worry" about their own dog. This boxer was a "nice" dog, too, and had "never" done anything like this before. Until he did.

[youfancy]

Thank you for all of the input.

Again, I don't have all the information, but it was a very stressful evening and our priority was focusing on our dog and not the owner's. She mentioned to DH that the dog has aggression issues (did not elaborate) with other dogs and she has to be careful. DH said she was petite, so it makes sense that this dog might be too much for her at times. I understand that dogs can get worked up when on the leash, but attacking another dog completely unprovoked was what concerned me. There are also a ton of families in our neighborhood, and I would hate to see this happen to a child. I do agree that she acted responsibly and we were very appreciative. We will check with the vet and see what they recommend.

[thedutchgirl]

Of course you were concerned about your dog! Totally understandable.

Given the follow up, if the vet hasn't reported, I really think you should.

[minpin]

sorry that happened to you, OP and Pamela too. I'm glad the owner took responsibility for her dog.

[bunnysmom]

I'm glad your pup is ok! The owner seems responsible so I'm not sure if I'd report it.

[dexteroni]

I'm so sorry; I'm glad your dog is going to be ok. Dexter was attacked at the dog park many years ago, and even though he only sustained the tinest of cuts, the image of another dog going off on him still haunts me.

After I read your OP I was thinking I probably wouldn't report it, but after your update, I would. The owner knows there's an aggression issue, so there should be no leash slips. She should take a much higher level of precaution than the average dog owner. One of my neighbors has a dog with aggression issues, and she uses leash with some sort of extra strap on it, and keeps a muzzle on him. Hopefully a visit from animal control would result in this owner doing something similar.

[Roc A Bee]

I'm sorry to you and your pup. This is honestly a huge fear of mine. Our area has tons of stray animals, and I don't really feel safe walking my own dogs.

[everam01]

If the dog has known aggression issues and she has trouble handling him, he should be muzzled when they walk. I would see if your vet recommends reporting.

[denise]

I'm sorry to you and your pup

[midnightmare81]

I am so sorry to hear about your pup. I would be hesitant to report it since the owner was apologetic and did pay for the injuries. I would first talk to the owner, see her reaction, and suggest training and maybe a muzzle if the dog has these issues. If she does not comply, then I would consider other actions. Do you see her out often? If so, is the dog always hard to control? I am wondering if maybe she normally doesn't take the dogs out but thought she might try and learned a lesson and will never do it again. I would ask your vet for their advise, and if they know of this ever happening with this dog before.

FWIW, where we live is a strict no-tolerance area. One bite to dog OR human and the dog is ordered to be put down immediately. It would really suck if you reported and her dog was put down for a one time accident and would never have had the chance to happen again...

[Deleted]

It's up to you what you do but I asked DH about it (he deals with this stuff) and it really depends on your city. Where he works, it doesn't matter if the dog attacks another dog; it only matters if it attacks a human.

However, if leash laws, etc. were violated, you could report it and the owner could be fined. If concerned that the owner doesn't take the necessary precautions, this could persuade her to do a little extra.

My friend's dog was attacked by a dog who got away from their owner and the only thing required was a fine and observation for both dogs. Pet control was called but my friend said later she wished she hadn't because her dog was put under forced observation as well as the other dog and at the end of it all, nothing came of it and she never had issues with her neighbor's dog again.

My childhood dog was attacked and it was really bad so I won't go into all the horrid details but I understand how horribly upsetting it is but even after that Jazz fully recovered and never changed behavior towards any animal.

[dexteroni]

Jan 9, 2013 23:50:38 GMT -5 midnightmare81 said:

FWIW, where we live is a strict no-tolerance area. One bite to dog OR human and the dog is ordered to be put down immediately. It would really suck if you reported and her dog was put down for a one time accident and would never have had the chance to happen again...

Oh gosh, yes, it would. I wasn't thinking of that. OP, if your area has this law, it would be best to talk to the owner first and give her a chance to do the right thing.

[isabel]

Jan 9, 2013 9:35:42 GMT -5 pamela said:

Our dog was attacked in our fenced backyard (neighbor pit bulls jumped the 8' wood fence) and had an open wound (and they killed our min pin). The vet didn't want to staple the wound for fear of closing in any infection. Then rx abx and a painkiller for the likely muscle tears from the fight (our big dog was trying to protect the min pin). The neighbor didn't offer anything and we filed a report with the police. And I was working on figuring out how to contact their landlord when we relocated out of state for work.

Not to diminish OP's dog attack, but WTF? Did you ever find out what the outcome was? How horrifying!

[youfancy]

Jan 9, 2013 23:50:38 GMT -5 midnightmare81 said:

I am so sorry to hear about your pup. I would be hesitant to report it since the owner was apologetic and did pay for the injuries. I would first talk to the owner, see her reaction, and suggest training and maybe a muzzle if the dog has these issues. If she does not comply, then I would consider other actions. Do you see her out often? If so, is the dog always hard to control? I am wondering if maybe she normally doesn't take the dogs out but thought she might try and learned a lesson and will never do it again. I would ask your vet for their advise, and if they know of this ever happening with this dog before.

FWIW, where we live is a strict no-tolerance area. One bite to dog OR human and the dog is ordered to be put down immediately. It would really suck if you reported and her dog was put down for a one time accident and would never have had the chance to happen again...

This was actually the first time DH had seen this dog in the neighborhood which is strange as there's the same group of us that are always out walking our dogs, so we are thinking she may have just recently moved here.

I absolutely would hate for the dog to be put down. That is the last thing we want. DH called the owner yesterday and left her a message just explaining that they might want to look into a muzzle and further training so the situation doesn't repeat itself again. I am planning to call the vet this morning, to see if they have any other suggestions or guidance.

Thank you to everyone for your support and input. Just to update, our dog seems to be feeling much more like herself today. She was very excited to see some of her "dog friends" on our morning walk and is getting adjusted to her e collar which she still has to wear for the next few days.

[sunny]

I'd see what the vet says. Muzzle is a good idea, but honestly if this owner is doing her best and this dog still overpowers her and attacks unprovoked....no bueno. I would lean towards reporting just so something is on record.

[schrodinger]

I'm sorry to hear this happened to your pup. My dog was attacked two months ago by an off-leash pit bull while we were walking on an on-leash trail. The owner was apologetic and paid our bills, but we reported it anyways. Turns out it was the third time that their dog had attacked another dog. It never should have been off-leash, and they were forced to attend (and pass) a dog training course to be allowed to continue owning it. If they don't pass, they would have 30 days to remove the dog from the county.

I'm sure I'm jaded by my experience, but I would report. You have no idea what the dog's history is, and no idea if its likely to do this again. The fact that she made a comment about her dog being aggressive is pretty telling.