Another case of child killed by a dog.

[Bargepole23]

Terrible tragedy.

 

As a Patterdale owner myself (and as Pats go, it's a big one at 40 lbs), wrong dog for the environment by the sound of things.

 

Patterdales are a high-energy, high-prey drive breed that needs a lot of exercise, not to be left to their own devices in a small garden. Ours gets at least 2 hours' worth of walking every day without fail, plus playtime, and that's the lower limit.

 

They can also exhibit jealousy and be pretty aggressive at times, but never to humans in my experience - unless the humans are positively threatening. Only ever instance with mine over 5 years, was a jogger that thought he was being clever "playing chicken" with us on a field path. Dog was on a short leash (4-ish ft) but still managed to jump and grab his sleeve just as that guy was about to collide with us and 'dodged'. Brought the jogger down like a sack of potatoes. Dog was only doing his job protecting me (was still suitably chastised, of course).

 

I guess the public hysteria that usually follows such tragedies will result in putting the breed onto the "dangerous dogs" list now

I very much doubt killing an infant is what Patterdales, or any other breed for that matter, have been trained to do.

 

Can't say much about the breeding argument though, because their prey drive is unrivalled, and that has its own inconvenient/consequences. From ownership experience, level with wirehaired dachshunds (and these were bred for the exact same purpose, down-hole fox & badger hunting, in Germany). Once they bite (to kill, not to play), they'd sooner die than let go.

 

Do you think the actions of your dog were acceptable behaviour, because you seem to be blaming somebody for not moving out of the way?

 

Personally, I don't.

 

What actions have you taken to ensure that a similar situation doesn't happen again?

[L00b]

Do you think the actions of your dog were acceptable behaviour, because you seem to be blaming somebody for not moving out of the way?

You would be correct on both points.

 

I was stationary on the path while my dog was sniffing a hedge, long before this person came into view, and my dog was still sniffing until this running person was mere feet away from us and a couple seconds from colliding, at which point the dog's attention shifted from the hedge and he instantly perceived the guy as a threat (that's how close the guy came to us running before 'dodging').

 

I wasn't moving, the jogger was. Why should I have moved?

Personally, I don't.

And I should care what you think because...?

What actions have you taken to ensure that a similar situation doesn't happen again?

Asked the jogger to wind his neck in, be more careful around dogs and their owners, and next time around be more considerate about stationary path users instead of ploughing on, expecting them to move as if he owned the place, and resorting to intimidation attempts.

 

My post was to give some insights into the breed involved in the OP, not my merits or otherwise as a dog owner. Feel free to start a thread if you want to take a pop.

Edited June 23, 2015 by L00b

[medusa]

Dogs in general, and dogs with a high prey drive mostly against small squeaky animals in particular, can be really unsettled by a new baby. I know of quite a few Patterdales or Pat crosses that get very excited when very small babies cry, and I know that most of the owners of dogs that get agitated when their babies cry are now going to be even more worried than they were before.

 

It just goes to show that babies are incredibly fragile little things with no way of defending themselves and even a moment alone with a dog (any dog) can be too much.

 

If I was either parent here I'd be too wracked with guilt over the whole situation to ever forgive myself, but then if I was either parent the dog would not be in the position to do this damage.

[Vegas1]

 

 

Update.. a man has been arrested ....as yet the mother has not. They both knew that they had a dog... so why why have they not been charged yet? They could have been in court and jailed by now.

.

/

 

You want people to be arrested, charged, up before a court and be found guilty in less than 11 hours?

 

Your expectations are rather high.

[tinfoilhat]

You want people to be arrested, charged, up before a court and be found guilty in less than 11 hours?

 

Your expectations are rather high.

 

Give him some slack, he's polished his pitchfork and everything. And do you know how hard it is to organise an angry mob?

[Cyclone]

Even a working dog is potentially dangerous.

I see no point in the existence of any others.

Other than of course than to massage the egos of their 'owners'.

You suffer from a severe lack of empathy and imagination then don't you.

 

http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/pets-depression

 

Dogs are good for peoples mental health, they also help people to get exercise and provide companionship.

The only real purpose of most pet dogs is to get their 'owners' to buy food and associated paraphernalia and spread disease when the so called 'owners' don't confine their dogs defecating to their own property.

I don't even understand how you could consider this to be a purpose. You're a bit mental. One of the other posters today would have you incarcerated for it, I'd say not, unless you start being a danger to others.

[Timeh]

Give him some slack, he's polished his pitchfork and everything. And do you know how hard it is to organise an angry mob?

 

Its easy, apparently everyone meets up at the nearest Paediatricians house and they take it from there

[Bargepole23]

You would be correct on both points.

 

I was stationary on the path while my dog was sniffing a hedge, long before this person came into view, and my dog was still sniffing until this running person was mere feet away from us and a couple seconds from colliding, at which point the dog's attention shifted from the hedge and he instantly perceived the guy as a threat (that's how close the guy came to us running before 'dodging').

 

I wasn't moving, the jogger was. Why should I have moved?

And I should care what you think because...? Asked the jogger to wind his neck in, be more careful around dogs and their owners, and next time around be more considerate about stationary path users instead of ploughing on, expecting them to move as if he owned the place, and resorting to intimidation attempts.

 

My post was to give some insights into the breed involved in the OP, not my merits or otherwise as a dog owner. Feel free to start a thread if you want to take a pop.

 

Whoa, is that how you normally react when somebody asks a question?

 

It's a forum, where people ask questions, and offer opinions, and threads develop.

 

Here's my opinion. Somebody ran too close to you, your dog physically attacked him. Your dog needs to be controlled more closely by you, and if that isn't possible then you shouldn't own the dog. There's fault on both sides.

[L00b]

Whoa, is that how you normally react when somebody asks a question?

It is, when the loaded character of the question is clear as a nose on a face:

Here's my opinion. Somebody ran too close to you, your dog physically attacked him. Your dog needs to be controlled more closely by you, and if that isn't possible then you shouldn't own the dog. There's fault on both sides.

see, you could have saved yourself the typing effort, I knew your opinion from your question alone

It's a forum, where people ask questions, and offer opinions, and threads develop.

I know, that's why I refrained from asking you to wind your neck in. I'm still sorely tempted

[Obelix]

Give him some slack, he's polished his pitchfork and everything. And do you know how hard it is to organise an angry mob?

 

I thought all you needed was a shiny pitchfork and a paediatrician that votes Tory...... that gets the mob on here going every time...