Dog attack

[john_374342067]

Hi all

Just thought id post this, my 5yr old son was attacked by a dog at the weekend on one of the local sites i use alot. Luckily he got away with a cut just above the eye and a black eye also scrapes to his torso. He managed to free himself and the dog being tied up couldnt carry on the attack, id like to thank some boys he came to his aid and brought him to us in the van and let us know wot happened and again later came back to see if he was ok(wtg parents of those kids).The part which really still annoys me and is grinding away at me is the fact when i aproached the owner to let them know wot happened i got verbally attacked by the lady owner who told me " I told the kid to stay away earlier" with a few fn and jeffing to go with it. No concern was given as to my boys state or the fact that it had happened @ all. I let the PSNI know who said it wasnt there concern and then gave me a number to contact which i did i have now reported this to the dog warden and will be persueing it further i couldnt live with the fact this could happen again maybe worse next time ! and a thank u to the site owner who swiftly removed the owners and dog from the site bcuz its a family site with lots of kids.

John p

 

[Damian]

Hi John,

Really sorry to hear about your son being attacked by a dog, I hope he is recovering well and not too traumatised by the experience.

It is good to know that site wardens will take swift action in such events and of course the help given by the other young people is to be applauded.

Sadly it is the kind of owner of dogs such as you have had dealings with which tend to brand all dogs and owners as the same.

I think it worhtwhile to bear in mind that there are generally many more good owners and dogs than bad ones.

 

[john_374342067]

Thx Damian

Id like to think im one of the good ones i too own a dog and would b mortified if my dog attacked someone and i sure would not be blaming a 5yr old. We had an inncident a few years ago with another well loved dog who bit a 15yr old so with a broken heart we had him put to sleep and apologised greatly with the boy and his family,

John p

 

[cara89]

That was not good, John. How is your wee boy? How is he feeling? Terrible thing to happen, you are right, you cannot blame a 5 year old. There is no excuse for an attack. I do know responsible dog owners in my family. One of my children is very wary of dogs, the other loves them,which is so nice at times. It can be scary for a parent. A child is more important than a dog.

It is very difficult getting balance on many subjects in life. Lets hope `responsible owners` and responsible people can help this one.

p.s. personal opinion(slightly off-topic) some dogs on sites are taking sneaky pees on pitches where they are staying. Grass is lovely on sites (when its dry and even more when its sunny!)and children see grass and want to play, barefoot and all. This is making hubbie and I angry if we see it one more time.

 

[LMH]

Hi John

So sorry to hear that your five year old son was injured on a camp site and I wish him a speedy recovery.

You say the dog was tied up. Had your son approached the dog without its owner being present?

Did you ask your son if what the woman said about her asking your son to stay away earlier was true?

What's the 'PSNI'?

I'm not making any judgements or anything, I'd just like a bit more information.

Many thanks.

Lisa

 

[john_374342067]

Hi Lisa

PSNI is the police service of N Ireland and yes i did ask son and he said she did, but he love dogs and this dog was sited on the main through way, my son loves dogs maybe a lesson to be learned here but still no excuse letting a dog with a violent nature on a family site with 100,s of kids running around.

the police said they wont come out to dog attacks yet last night i seen yet another attack near where we live and this police officer standing up condenming it as he said they come out to these when i child gets hurt, someone needs to tell them they need to be consistant.

Hope that helps lisa

John P

 

[Dustydog]

Hi John

I hope this bad experience doesn't put you and your son off dogs forever. Scary but I'd hate your son to grow up with a phobia, not good for him.

I've always had dogs and must say dog attacks are totally unacceptable. There are reasons why a tied up dog will attack, usually defending what it sees as its territory. I suspect this dog had not been correctly trained and if indeed it was used as some sort of domestic guard dog then it should never have been left unattended. Very poor show and selfish irresponsibilty on the owners part.

What breed of dog was it?

I only ask before all the do gooders pick on the wrong breed and give a dog a bad name!

The lady owner sounds a very nasty person and damn stupid. It's people like her who cause us dog owners all the bad criticism. I hope she gets a good bollo**ing.

Cheers

Dustydog ( soft as a brush)

 

[john_374342067]

Hi Dusty

Thx for your concern as a dog owner i too dislike owners who dont take responsibility for there dogs and there behaviour. My son knows only too well now there are bad dogs(bad owners) out there now. The dog was a rotweiler which i belive should of been muzzled at the very least.

Thx again all for your concerns i will keep u updated as to how its going.

John P

 

[LMH]

Was the dog tied up in sight of its owners?

Lisa

 

[john_374342067]

the dog was tied up outside by the door so the answer is no.

John P

 

[LMH]

Hi

Thanks for the reply. I take it the owners were not inside the van then, or they might have heard the commotion and come out and helped your boy?

Lisa

 

[john_374342067]

Unfortunately they where in the van and didnt bother to come out as there dogs barked at all passers by, thats why i had to knock and let then know wheich they didnt like to say the least !

John P

im off for another weekend in my van now have fun all and b careful

 

[glake]

Hi John,

i too have children who love dogs, and no matter how much i drum it into my youngest that she must not go up and stroke any dogs unless the owner is with them and says its ok, cos not all dogs are as friendly as ours she still does it.

I got bitten badly by an alsatian last year, my eldest daughter was with me I new this dog well and was passing its house when it put its head over the fence i went to stroke it! i should have known better and learnt a painful lesson!

even with my own dog who is as soppy as they come i would always be with her if children want to stroke her!

No one can blame your lad, he's only five. if a dog is potentially a threat then the owners should not let it out even tied up on it's own!!!!!

 

[Icemaker]

quote "p.s. personal opinion(slightly off-topic) some dogs on sites are taking sneaky pees on pitches where they are staying. Grass is lovely on sites (when its dry and even more when its sunny!)and children see grass and want to play, barefoot and all. This is making hubbie and I angry if we see it one more time".

you really can not be serious caroline ?, should dog owners now start to carry sponges as well as poop scoops ? what about all the wild animals that cross the grass esspecially at night ? rabbits foxes deer mice rats etc etc do they not relieve themselves on the grass ?.

i really dont think that even with the best intentions and the patience of a saint that any dog owner will be able to teach theire animal to tell them it needs to go to the designated dog walk for a pee, to a dog grass is grass and soil is soil it makes no difference where it is.

really, what is this world coming to ? people will complain about absolutely anything.

 

[LMH]

Hi John

'the police said they wont come out to dog attacks yet last night i seen yet another attack near where we live and this police officer standing up condenming it as he said they come out to these when i child gets hurt, someone needs to tell them they need to be consistant'.

_______________________

The attack to which you refer which was on the news was a Bull Masstiff and it attacked a child who was playing in the street and broke his arm.

That dog was running loose and the police arrested the owner for assault while the dog warden dealt with the dog.

The difference in your case is that the rottie was tied up at its owners location and your son had already been warned to stay away from it.

So I think (only my opinion) that this will actually be classed as your son's fault and that's probably why they decided not to interviene.

That's working on the assumption that you did tell the police that your son had previously been told not to approach the dog.

Sorry if this sounds a bit harsh but it's just my take on it and your posting should remind us all to always keep a close eye on our young children and instill in their minds what can happen, whether they love dogs to bits or not.

Lisa

 

[SteveW77]

Exactly, as far as the dog attack is concerned, why is a dog owner irresponsible for leaving a dog tied up outside their caravan, but a parent is not for allowing a 5 year old child to wander around unsupervised?

Steve W

 

[glake]

Having just got back from Dornafield it was great to see lots of kids enjoying the relative safety of the caravan site! I agree that your kids should be kept an eye on but to wander around following their every step doesn't even allow for you to pop into the van to get a drink and give the children that bit of freedom that they don't get at home!! I always ensure my kids are safe however, things can happen in a split second and i dare say the dog that bit John's boy was not on the other side of the site!!!

 

[LMH]

Hi Gareth

Yes it is good to see kids playing on a campsite we loved it when our daughter was little as there is a certain amount of safety on a campsite.

However, the poster didn't actually say that his son was bitten by the dog, he said he'd sustained a cut above the eye, a black eye and scrapes to his torso.

Sorry to be soooo pedantic.

Even if that dog had simply nipped the boy, you'd see something substantial.

I'm really going to stick my neck out here and you can all shoot me down in flames but it sounds to me like the dog knocked him over rather than actually carried out an 'attack'.

Lisa

 

[marlot]

At the risk of abuse from everyone else...

If your 5 year old insists on approaching strange dogs even after he's been asked not to, you need to train him. If he managed to 'escape' from the dog attack on his own, and with some bruises and abrasions I'd suggest that it wasn't really a dog attack as such, and your reaction seems pretty strong (though we can understand it).

Dogs find young children quite threatening - they can lunge suddenly, make lots of eye contact (threatening to the dog), lots of noise, show lots of teeth, pull fur etc. Even a well socialised dog can find the experience frightening, especially if the dog is tied up.

 

[Dustydog]

Come on Timothy,

The lad was only 5 years old; below the "age of reason".

Don't tell me you were a goodie two shoes at that age?

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[marlot]

Put the child on a lead then!

 

[AlexC]

Hi Timothy,

If your description of how a dog behaves towards being approached by a child is correct, they should be caged and not allowed anywhere near children.

Just to clarify, I don't agree that this is the way dogs behave.

Alex.

 

[AlexC]

Put the child on a lead then!

I really hope you are joking.

 

[marlot]

Hi Timothy,

If your description of how a dog behaves towards being approached by a child is correct, they should be caged and not allowed anywhere near children.

Just to clarify, I don't agree that this is the way dogs behave.

Alex.

This is quite a good guide

http://www.saferpets.co.uk/DogSafetyForKids.html
Some snippets ...

# Teach them not to run or scream around dogs - these behaviours can trigger the prey drive in many dogs and incite them to chase and "hunt". Terriers, in particular, can get very excited by high squeaky noises.

# Tell them not to stare a dog in the eye - this is very challenging in canine body language and can make the dog feel threatened enough to attack.

# Children should not hug a strange dog. If it is the family dog, it may have learnt to tolerate being hugged gently by the children but in general, dogs find hugging a very threatening behaviour.

# Teach children to leave dogs alone when they are sleeping or eating, and also if they are tied up. A dog that is restrained may feel that it cannot escape and therefore has to bite to defend itself if it feels threatened.

 

[marlot]

http://www.saferpets.co.uk/DogSafetyForKids.html...

Children and dogs can be a wonderful combination and with care and common sense, you can ensure a safe and happy relationship between them. Remember, however, that any dog - regardless of breed, age or type - can bite if they feel threatened and no matter how friendly they normally are, they can never be completely predictable around children. Dogs are animals and will always respond instinctively first, no matter how much training and socialisation has been given. However, very few dogs bite without provocation and almost all will give plenty of warning first so preventing children from teasing dogs and teaching them to recognise the warning signs will go a long way to preventing a tragic accident.

Dog-proofing Your Kids

* Teach children to have respect for all other living creatures and in particular, to be gentle and respectful around dogs.

* Show them how to stroke a dog gently on the head or chest and remind them not to pull the dog's tail or ears, poke it in the eye or tease it in any other way.

* Teach them not to run or scream around dogs - these behaviours can trigger the prey drive in many dogs and incite them to chase and "hunt". Terriers, in particular, can get very excited by high squeaky noises.

* Tell them not to stare a dog in the eye - this is very challenging in canine body language and can make the dog feel threatened enough to attack.

* Children should not hug a strange dog. If it is the family dog, it may have learnt to tolerate being hugged gently by the children but in general, dogs find hugging a very threatening behaviour.

* Teach children to leave dogs alone when they are sleeping or eating, and also if they are tied up. A dog that is restrained may feel that it cannot escape and therefore has to bite to defend itself if it feels threatened.

* Make sure children always ask for permission before approaching a strange dog or trying to pat it.

* If they are allowed to meet a dog, tell them to hold their hands out for the dog to sniff first and to keep all movements slow and gentle.

* Teach children to recognise the danger signals - such as growling, stiffening of the body, raising of the hackles, staring eyes, cringing away in fear, tail between the legs - and to act promptly when they see them by leaving the dog alone.

Kid-proofing Your Dog

* Always buy from a reputable breeder who cares about good reliable temperament. While most dogs will not attack unless provoked, bad genetics can sometimes produce nervous or dominant individuals who have a lower threshold of tolerance and are quick to use aggression to deal with a situation.

* Socialise your dog from early puppyhood with as many children as possible - take him to the local playground or school (if they will allow it) and let him get used to children running, screaming and playing around him. This is especially important if you have no children of your own and no close friends or relatives with young children to socialise your puppy with.

* Teach your dog to behave well when around children - eg. walking politely past children waiting for the school bus or sitting quietly while watching children run and play in a playground. Do not allow it to jump up, lunge, bark or get excited in any other way.

* Remember, to a dog's eyes, children behave very differently from adults - they move in sudden, unpredictable ways and make high-pitched noises which can be very disturbing for some dogs.

* Teach your dog basic obedience. A well-trained dog who knows his place within the pack is less likely to use dominating behaviour on others. Beware though that even a well-trained dog may not regard children as figures of authority - mostly, they see them as littermates or puppies that may need to be put in their place by a "***". Also, even the best-trained dog in the world can bite out of fear. However, a dog with good training will be easier to control around children and this will make the interaction more successful.

* Give your dog a safe place, such as a bed or crate, to retreat to when the children's attention becomes too overwhelming. Often, if the dog has the option to retreat, it will not use aggression to deal with the situation.