Biting dog

[Cacknanty]

Last summer my son was bitten by a large dog in the centre of our small village.

At the time we accepted the profuse apologies from the family that owned the dog and their offer to replace the lads torn trousers.

Since then we have learnt that the same dog has bitten 4 other people, including the Mayors secretary! It would appear that nothing has been done about the dog or it's owners.

Is this normal or should the owners be reported to some authority, if so which one?

We are mindful of the fact that as we are only there in the holidays we don't want to cause any ill feeling amongst the community, at the same time none of us want to become the equivalent of a few tins of PAL.

Thanks for any help.

[Teamedup]

Unless someone goes to the gendarmerie and does a porte plainte then nothing will get done. If it happens to you or yours again, then do this. I'm afraid that their apologies are just not enough.

[David584]

And I doubt that you would be very popular with the owners if you shot their pride and joy

Incidentally the Velodog is still available in the USA for the princely sum of US $275.00 NOT that I would ever think of purchasing one.
I can just imagine the response here in the UK if I was ever to use one - being surrounded by officers from every Police armed response vehicle available in the county aiming Heckler and Koch weapons in my direction. The words "No Thanks" come to mind.

 

 

[val douest]

I can recommend a dogdazer device. My daughter was issued with

one when she was carrying out rights of way surveys in the depths

of the countryside and found that it deterred even the most aggressive

dogs. I think they are fairly widely obtainable but one company that

sells them by mail order is www.sunflowerbooks.co.uk/dogdazer. The

device doesn't harm the dog at all but the closer it gets to you the

more unpleasant the ultrasonic sound becomes for it. It is not cheap

(£35-40) but it lasts for many years and may be a small price to pay

for peace of mind without starting a village feud. Maybe the dog will

start to associate you and your family with the nasty noise and leave

you well alone after a while!

Good luck,

Val

[Cacknanty]

On our last visit we heard that a village dog had got into a field and killed 17 sheep. The owner of the dog has had to pay the farmer for the sheep, the dog is still alive but kept inside or outside on a chain.

The owner of the dog that bit my son has had to put his dogs in a 'run'.

Strange how it takes a dog to kill another animal for something to be done in the village.

Thanks for all the info and advice.

Regards

[Later]

Perhaps you should do as my father did.

When I was in my early teens we had a Rhodesian Ridgeback called James who used to get very excited when my father rode off on his motorcycle to do this or that on the farm.  One day James bit my father on the ankle as he rode past.  That night Dad waited until James was fast asleep at his feet in front of the fire and leaned down and bit him on the back leg.  Never again did James bite another human being.  Strangely enough Dad didn't do the same to my parrot when it savaged his ear lobe - very cunning birds parrots - not having ear lobes n'all. 

[Tom]

If the bite breaks the skin, you should consider going to the doc for some antibiotics and a tetanus jab.

[letrangere]

 That night Dad waited until James was fast asleep at his feet in front of the fire and leaned down and bit him on the back leg.

John, this is really weird.  When I was a child my father used to threaten our naughty dog that if he bit anyone, my father would bite him back.  He never did, baring his teeth and sort of growling at him was sufficient to calm the dog down.  At the time, I thought it was just my father being a bit strange but it certainly worked.  How interesting that your Dad did the same thing albeit going one step further.  My own dog has a tendency to nip visitors' ankles.  Perhaps I should consider our fathers' course of action???  M

[Later]

Perhaps if Noel Coward had met our Dad's, his famous song would be Mad Englishmen and Dogs ...

[letrangere]

I'm not attempting to be a dog psychologist but when dogs are not domesticated they live in packs.  And each pack has one animal as its leader.  Pack leader keeps the others in check and if another dog steps out of line, the leader puts it in his place.  You can see this if you watch dogs in the wild.  And doesn't he do this by biting him, which perhaps is doggie speak for, get back in line matey, I'm in charge?  So it could be argued that our fathers had the right approach and were merely showing the dog who's boss?  (Tho' I have no intention of trying to confirm this for myself!)  And isn't this possibly what's wrong with the dog in the original posting, no one has any control over him, he thinks he can do whatever he wants?  It's often said there's no such thing as a bad dog but there are plenty of bad owners.  It could be true.  M

[Later]

Very sound point.  I shall go and bite my dogs to reassert my position in the pack.  I wonder if it works on children too?