Number Six Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 The child could be frightened by a large, boisterous but otherwise friendly dog. It will likely be even more frightened at the sight of that dog (and, perhaps, its owner) responding to a violent, painful act committed by its parent. I don't think I've ever disagreed with you before! I've had large, boisterous dogs run up to my child before. She was only 18 months old on the occasion I'm thinking of, and the dog was as tall as her. It charged over toward her but I was able to pick her up quickly enough for it to run under her. No doubt it would have flattened her had I not done so. I've also picked her up to avoid a big slobbery dog getting her in the Botanical Gardens. The owner seemed most put out - "He's only being friendly" and so on. I prefer not to take chances. My dad was with us that day - he'd been to the car to get his camera. He came back with dog spittle all over one arm of his (fortunately thick coat). He'd been bitten by the very same 'friendly' dog. I don't know enough about the situation as described by the OP to know if there was anything else I would have done - but ultimately, if your dog is threatening my child it'll get booted from me, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number Six Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I think anyone carrying out a physical attack on a defenceless animal(human or canine) should be reported to the police for being a pathetic excuse of a human being. I think in this case, as in almost any other, the dog had all it's natural defence mechanisms intact - big teeth, legs for running, claws, all it's senses and so on. It wasn't defenceless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimba Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Sorry Moonbird if my post seemed over defensive, but all people have done on here is state that they too agree that you have the right to lash out at a dog if you feel it threatens you, and the owners opinion of if they think it is threatening or not is irrelevant because its relative to how you yourself perceive the situation. This opinion has seemingly not gone down with the dog loving fraternity on here that seem to think that their dogs have as much rights as human beings when it comes to the freedom of open spaces. You implied that we (who would be willing to kick a dog) are in some way making it out to be more than it is and there is no justification for our stance that you should have the right to try defend yourself if you deem a dog not in control by its owner, and perceive a threat from it. That's all Im saying, I was not, and neither were others, trying to look hard in what we were saying. I tried to even back it up with evidence of why you have to be vigilant, but even that was not enough, because dog lovers do not wish to even look at the evidence and are in denial that although we bring our dogs up to be the loving domestic animals that they are, at the end of the day they have no higher understanding, rely on instinct and are in all intent and purposes animals, that you cant give 100% trust to. Sorry if I sounded like I was just putting my feelings on your toes but it was your post that I was replying to to try once again get the point across. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I don't think I've ever disagreed with you before! ... [snipped for space] In the post you quote I stated that the child might indeed be frightened by a boisterous dog, and stated elsewhere that the parent should remove the child from the situation. My point was that responding to the child's fear with a hard kick to the dog's face might provoke the aggression which had been absent until that point, resulting in a situation both frightening and dangerous to both parent and child. Add to that the response of an indignant dog owner, and you have a genuinely nasty situation. I agree that you should be wary of strange dogs in public places. I'm not a huge fan of them and would prefer to encounter them on leads. I don't believe that intrinsic to that wariness should be the use of an act of potentially inflammatory violence in an ambiguous situation. Anyhow, as this thread has more than a faint whiff of the GordonBennetts about it, I suggest you digest it with more than a slight sprinkling of salt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number Six Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I would be ashamed to brag about my strike first ask questions later mentality on here (if I had one) but others seem to think it makes them look hard in some way...really it doesn't, really its a bit sad, not aimed at anyone in particular, just saying. Of course one has to assess the situation - which as we've both said in other posts we can't do here because we don't know enough. In general though, I think we're coming at it from different angles. You're assuming that the "threatening dog' of the title isn't actually being very threatening, in which case attacking it is over the top and unnecessary. I - and others it seems - are assuming that when the OP described the dog as 'threatening' they meant that, er, it was being threatening. I wouldn't dream of waiting and seeing if it bit my child first before acting. If I thought it was going to I'd take every action to make it go away. Thing is, dogs and some people don't do 'reasoning' very well. They're pack animals. To get a dog to do what you want you have to show it that you're the alpha - or higher ranking than it. Dogs do this by posturing, and if that doesn't work, by fighting. That's basically what I'd do - threaten it, and if it didn't back off, fight it. What the man described by the OP did is no different to what would happen between two wild dogs - it wasn't a sustained attack, just enough to assert dominance. Of course if the dog isn't threatening, none of this matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotar Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Don't think any mention was made of the dog circling aggressively ? if it was yes kick it.. if it wasn't and just wanting to play if it was my dog, the guy would have known about it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crookesey Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I didn't say that I didn't want it discussed at all, I was just suggesting that it may not be all that it seems and may not be worth getting het up about. Fair enough if you think it worth getting worked up about an hypothetical question thats up to you. The only thing that "gets me" about the people that would kick the dog is that there may have been no need and they may actually end up causing the very thing that they are afraid of, I really don't know how I can say that any more clearly. Not looked yet no, but then I bet lots of other people posting haven't either. Fair enough I did that, but at the other side of the coin people were also coming across very strongly about kicking dogs or it read that way to me, it came across as really aggressive, just didn't seem necessary. Depends what they are about, obviously everyone will decide that for themselves. Where did I say that? I don't think that I did, where as I get the distinct impression that I should shut up and go away for daring to express mine. Oh good. I have not belittled anyone's opinions as far as I am aware, merely said that I don't agree. I am definitely not in denial about dogs and I have a hell of a lot of experience with them, if I perceived that a dog was dangerous I would certainly take precautions. I have never said or even thought that you were making it up to make a point, as I said before I have seen statistics myself, I know that it happens. Ok! I had to have a kip half way through that lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebasher Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Don't think any mention was made of the dog circling aggressively ? if it was yes kick it.. if it wasn't and just wanting to play if it was my dog, the guy would have known about it... Unlikely that most dog owners could objectively judge as to whether the dog was being playful or aggressive. Of course, if the owner had kept the dog on a lead in the first place this never would have happened. Irresponsible owner is responsible for the whole situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Total Chaos Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I did. Infact i was bit twice. Both dogs off the leash, i went up to stroke them and before you know it SNAP!!!! Bloody hurt but taught me a valuable lesson. Dogs are cute, dogs a cuddly but dogs have teeth and sometimes an attitude. Yeah it hurts, i got bit by a sausage dog once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holly11 Posted August 10, 2011 Author Share Posted August 10, 2011 This is an interesting thread - i did agree with the man kicking the dog but wasn't sure if it was the right thing to agree with. Looks like I'm not the only one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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