Terrified I'll get in trouble

madvixen

I am the first to admit that the new wording on the dangerous dog act has me really, really concerned. I have a large breed which is often portrayed by the media as a dangerous breed and I work really, really hard to keep him under control. Tonight I ordered a takeaway (not very MSE I know) and when the delivery arrived he was good as gold. Lay nicely by the door and made no attempt to move towards the door or the delivery man. The delivery man popped back to his car to get some change and as he stepped back onto my drive, dogbert shot past me and out the door. I had grabbed him in seconds but he had already had a good sniff of the driver who looked really scared. I've apologised profusely and he's said that he's absolutely fine and not to worry but I'm really scared that I'm going to get into trouble for dogbert being out of control.

I understand the need to keep dogs under control but all people have to have now is a perception that a dog is out of control and this is the bit that worries me.

I think I'm more worried because he's a big breed and people already have preconceptions about them. Plus, as he's a rescue dog, I doubt he'd be given a second chance.

zaksmum

madvixen wrote: »

I am the first to admit that the new wording on the dangerous dog act has me really, really concerned. I have a large breed which is often portrayed by the media as a dangerous breed and I work really, really hard to keep him under control. Tonight I ordered a takeaway (not very MSE I know) and when the delivery arrived he was good as gold. Lay nicely by the door and made no attempt to move towards the door or the delivery man. The delivery man popped back to his car to get some change and as he stepped back onto my drive, dogbert shot past me and out the door. I had grabbed him in seconds but he had already had a good sniff of the driver who looked really scared. I've apologised profusely and he's said that he's absolutely fine and not to worry but I'm really scared that I'm going to get into trouble for dogbert being out of control.

I understand the need to keep dogs under control but all people have to have now is a perception that a dog is out of control and this is the bit that worries me.

I think I'm more worried because he's a big breed and people already have preconceptions about them. Plus, as he's a rescue dog, I doubt he'd be given a second chance.

Can't see how you can get into trouble because the dog just had a sniff of the delivery guy!

How ridiculous is the wording of the new legislation though to have us worried like this?

My dogs always bark like mad when the postman comes, and the postman is scared of them despite my many reassurances.

And I hate it when I'm out with both dogs on lead and a foreign person with a couple of kids acts like she's just seen an escaped lion! Panicking and gathering the kids to her so they end up screaming and terrified while the dogs look on totally bewildered.

Going by the letter of the law, that someone is in fear of being attacked, we'll all end up in trouble for no valid reason at all!

Feral_Moon

Scared people invoke fear in a dog, hence will antagonise them further!

Prime example ... my puppy is friendly to everyone, she loves people and wants attention ... on a recent walk we met a couple who suddenly behaved strangely upon meeting her. They backed off, despite no threat, so then she got worried and started growling. This then provided the ideal opportunity for them to accuse me of having a vicious dog.

She's a 16 week old puppy for !!!!!!!!! She's still being socialised and has never growled at a soul until she met this pair! They scared her by their reactions :mad:

It's frightening that she could be condemned by the actions of ignorant non-dog owners

Free_Spirit_31

zaksmum wrote: »

And I hate it when I'm out with both dogs on lead and a foreign person with a couple of kids acts like she's just seen an escaped lion! Panicking and gathering the kids to her so they end up screaming and terrified while the dogs look on totally bewildered.

I have a large breed dog also and when I walk him, on his lead of course, there was one woman who put her child in the pram in front of her to protect herself. The dog was not out of control she probably was shocked to see a big dog and assumed it was wild and uncontrollable. I also encountered a foreign woman give me a dirty look because I was walking my dog and her and her friend where on their pram parade taking up all the pavement and I could not pass.

OP.. I would not worry, dogs will be dogs, they are very inquisitive and like to sniff other people. It does make me laugh when the door knocks and the dog thinks it is for him and wants us to let his guest in!

meritaten

Dogbert could smell the delish takeaway and wanted a better sniff?
this new dog legislation makes me glad I don't have dogs now!
I shouldn't worry - the dog was just having a sniff, didn't bark, growl or jump on the guy. I bet he has forgotten it already!

madvixen

Thank you all for your reassurances. I'm very glad I'm not the only one who finds the new legislation worrying. Dogbert is pretty upset with me as he didn't get any of the takeaway. Maybe that will teach him

zaksmum

It's actually worrying to think that just having someone in fear of being attacked by our dogs - even if that fear is irrational - can have the police questioning us and put our dogs at risk.

Crazy.

Rev

I feel your pain. I have two staffys. One is fear aggressive.

I am terrified whenever I walk him even though I take every precaution. Muzzle, short lead. Go our when it's quiet. Avoid people as much as possible (he is a rescue and hit and miss with both strange dogs and hoodie types). Follow the behaviourist advice. Zylkene etc.


But still I'm terrified because people automatically assume he is being aggressive and not because he's scared.


My other boy is daft as a brush but still. I am on edge whenever I take them out because people only have to look at them and they form the wrong impression.

Free_Spirit_31

Rev wrote: »

I feel your pain. I have two staffys. One is fear aggressive.

I am terrified whenever I walk him even though I take every precaution. Muzzle, short lead. Go our when it's quiet. Avoid people as much as possible (he is a rescue and hit and miss with both strange dogs and hoodie types). Follow the behaviourist advice. Zylkene etc.


But still I'm terrified because people automatically assume he is being aggressive and not because he's scared.


My other boy is daft as a brush but still. I am on edge whenever I take them out because people only have to look at them and they form the wrong impression.

I feel your pain Rev! I tend to walk him when the kids are at school and I avoid the school run because of his size people think he is aggressive and vicious and he really pants when I walk him. Any toy dogs that go by tend to have a go and bark at him, my dog just ignores it and plods along.

gettingready

meritaten wrote: »

this new dog legislation makes me glad I don't have dogs now!

and so will a lot of other people - shelters will be even more full and more dogs will be pts as less people will be willing to adopt

Energize

In reality dogs are not being executed because people irrationally fear them, the law in the letter and the law in practice are two very different things.

A dog gate or inner door would stop your dog getting out of your house and potentially running into the road too. I would not allow my dog a route straight out of the house. Animals are not predictable in their behavior any more than humans are.