Alison03

That poor women she'll never get over it, that horrible scene replaying in her mind over and over. : ( People have to realize that when they bring a dog into their house, it can under the wrong circumstances turn into a killer, this incident is a very hard way to learn that lesson. That poor innocent little girl, it's very sad. : (

Oh yes I do the voice of God too along with making myself look bigger by opening my free arm, it's worked so far, with one notable exception, which knocked me sideways for a while but now I'm back in the saddle. A cousin of mine has had a bad time with her dog, he thinks he's boss, she's had to resort to picking his struggling 10 kg body up and staggering away from any dog that sets him off. He particularly doesn't like Labs for some reason only known to him. She tells me apart from being exhausting it's very embarrassing. If I have his leash I can stop him if I see the Lab first by making him sit, then standing in front of him, facing him, but all bets are off if he sees the Lab first. It's like he reaches a certain pitch then there's no turning back.

Thanks Hankdog :) The "no flight option" makes a lot of sense, I'd never thought of it that way. It gives me more of an understanding of why some dogs get very worked up when we meet them on a walk. My dog does not react on leash at all, that seems to make a target of her too, I could understand it if she was a frustrated greeter. She does move behind me if a dog with less than friendly intentions tries to get to her, that might be seen as submission I'm guessing. She does a lot better with other dogs off leash, at best I assist by running interference, which works very well with most dogs. :D

We have a chicken run on the other side of our fence, so there are a lot of rats and mice, my Shihtzu cross has a great time. She brings me large dead but still warm and twitching rats while I'm hanging the washing out, so proud of herself. She left me one on the back doorstep that I almost stepped on, had to do one of those flying leaps to avoid it. :

I think that's true Aussie, people who write anonymous notes are usually afraid of repercussions, or just doing it to be nasty. It's a cowardly way to make a point. They wouldn't want their name coming out.

I've noticed the target problem with on leash dogs, particularly the ones under control of their owners, not out in front on extender leashes. Perhaps other dogs see that as weakness, I'm just brain storming here. I live in a guide dog training area and have seen some dogs go silly when they see a guide dog. My cousins Westie just goes daft trying to get to the guide dog, unless I've got hold of his leash, he doesn't do that act with me. That's the question do other dogs, especially when off leash, view on leash dogs in a different way????

Just leaving my dog to go shopping is hard enough for me. She has a pet door into the laundry where her bed and food are, but I still worry. It's not uncommon for people to leave their dogs however, I know of several who get someone to feed their dogs every day, while they are away.

It's easy to fall into a false sense of security, especially when you've had so many good experiences with the neighborhood dogs, it's a pity it only takes one bad experience to wipe out the good ones It happens to most dog owners eventually. Like Haredown Whippets I don't let unknown dogs interact with my dog, I stand in front of my dog to stop any shenanigans before they start. I avoid off leash parks like Mumof4 too. It's not the attacking dogs fault they are doing what is natural to a predator, it's the ineffectual owners fault, the ones that just stand there while you deal with their dog. Its scary that these owners don't seem to be aware of what their dogs can do, it seems never to have occurred to them to give their pets the proper training and guidance. Try to move on from this and enjoy your dog, just be watchful. :)

You did the right thing contacting the council, you've done your best to stop it happening to someone else and that's all you can do. Glad your dog is ok, it's a very scary thing to happen. Pity the dogs owner didn't try to help you, some people have no shame. : (

Good question, Alison. I don't know if statistics from decades ago would be available. And I don't know if the authorities would think that fatal dog attacks occur often enough today, to warrant setting up an expert Investigation Unit, like for fatal car accidents. There's lots more fatal car accidents. But the deaths & serious injuries from dog attacks involve those at higher risk .... the very young & the very old. That's what breaks people's hearts. Even if a group with expertise in the research on dog behaviour, had the job of setting up a list of factors that police needed to investigate. Like I read research on one aspect.... the dogs that attack/bite their owner already have a different behavioural profile to those that attack another person that's not familiar to them. Knowing what to look for, might help prevent incidents. I wonder if there's something like that already, somewhere in the world? ADDED: Only found one researcher's summary of investigating dog attacks for 20 years. Her findings fit with American Veterinary Association. Don't look at the pics in the Appendix. http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/Delise%20Research%20&%20Investigation%20Methodology.pdf I think you are right it's unlikely they'd set up an investigation team and they'd need dog behaviorists and experts to be part of it, not sure how that would work. I know local councils keep a list of bite incidents and the breed of the dog responsible. That can be illuminating as to the breeds that bite the most. It's not the ones the media would have us believe. That photo in the appendix was fairly harrowing and shows the dangers of not socializing dogs correctly. Not the dogs fault. I'm not sure what the solution is or how to stop the deaths without over policing the issue. It's heartbreaking when a child dies for want of a bit of training on the dog owners part. : (

If children keep dying I'm sure there will be a Special Team Investigation, was it this bad 30 years ago, did children get killed and injured by the family pet this often back then? I don't remember it being this bad. : ( I remember a baby being killed by the family dog in this area about 25 years ago but that's about it and that was horrifying enough.

Kids have a way of finding stuff out whether they were told directly or not, mine always seemed to know everything, so don't beat yourself up over that. You were told in front of your kids so that's not your fault either. Seeing as the neighbour knows that you know, he may not repeat the behavior, mentioning the word "trespassing" might put him off too. If you padlock the gate and he gets in, it will be breaking and entering.

as it's many many years ago, and ended well.... both dogs and I survived with minor injuries .. A GSD entire male, a Lab entire male .. a gate which I forgot to latch in a kennel run ..... the next little while was most interesting. Luckily I was strong and fairly fit back in my youth .. as all I could do was grab each by the scruff ..and hold them apart (mostly) as they reared up on their hind legs . I figured 2 legs each on the ground was better than 4 . After a few minutes of yelling, someone heard me , and came to help - thankfully ....... That's what my husband does, he reckons if you get them by the scruff of the neck they can't get their heads around to bite and cuts their air off a bit too, I guess being strong and having big hands helps a lot. I wouldn't attempt this method myself.

Just watched the video, good God why would anyone expose their baby to that kind of danger, I know the dog was playing but just one nip in the wrong place or knocking the baby backwards so it bangs it's head and there's another tragedy. I've got a small dog and I would never allow her to have that kind of freedom with any child. These types of dog owners aren't retards they just don't see the danger, perhaps they see the dog as an almost human member of the family. Big mistake. My girl is absolutely part of my family, she's like a child to me but like my own human children she minds what I say, she's no more equal to me than my kids were.

How horrible the parents must be beside themselves. : (

Another victim of dog owners who aren't aware of their pets capabilities. Very sad and tragic for all concerned. : (

"Short nose breeds that huff and puff" I've got a Shihtzu cross, she seems to be a target, I thought it was because she just stands next to me in silence when another dog approaches but it also could be because other dogs can't read her expression. I never thought of that. Food for thought. Thanks : )

Excellent advice Haredown : )) My husband does the grab and lift, which is grabbing the skin on the back of the neck and near the rump and lifting the dog up and away, it works on medium sized dogs, having had to lift a few off his GSD in the past. He's a big guy though. Preventing a fight is always easier and safer. : )

I just love the "Don't worry he won't bite " comment. I was walking with a friend, we both have small dogs, when we saw hurtling towards us a large Doberman, it wasn't going to stop for a sniff, it was on a hit and run mission, having been knocked for six by a large dog (I have a back and knee problem, so wasn't risking a collision) before, I used my citronella spray, and that dog stopped on a sixpence and started prancing, our dogs just stood behind us, no barking or whining. Finally after a few minutes two young girls ran up to us shouting the dogs name, said dog took off up the road with the girls running behind, one of them shouted to us "We just can't train him, he escaped through the front door". We were left to wonder if he'd literally run through the door or it had been left open. :-)))

My dogs behavior is very different off leash, she is more natural, not aggressive but assertive, she's only small but stands her ground if she needs too, I only take her to small dog off leash areas, she has never had a problem, she is more than happy to repel any aggressive small dog. She has never been the aggressor. She isn't aggressive about toys or food with other dogs either. When she's on leash, she is super non reactive, I think that makes her a target, I've done that to her I know. I've never allowed her to be out of control on leash as a puppy, mainly because I can't stand small dogs that carry on like loonies when they see another dog, desperately trying to get at them. That whole extender leash fiasco with small dogs drives me nuts. The consequence of me making my dog behave herself while on a walk has painted a target on her I think, other dogs see her as very submissive. If we get rushed by other dogs while walking, which happens more often than I'd like, she just stands next to me or behind me silently. Other dog walkers comment on how non reactive she is, no matter what the loose dog is doing. Have I made a rod for my own back??? I'm not suggesting you let your dog off leash in a dog park, that's up to you, I'm just pointing out that some dogs are very different on and off leash. If your dogs recall is not good, the dog park may not be for her, however you could be pleasantly surprised like I was if you try it. Perhaps go early when there aren't many dogs about. Good luck. : )

I couldn't watch all of it, the terrible lengths people will go to for the love of money. Most if not all of the monsters on this earth, walk around on two legs. : ((

It is very sad I agree. A lot of dog owners don't do a lot of research into the puppy they are buying or where it has come from, some seem to pay a lot of money for their puppy and end up with problems. Pet shop puppies are definitely a lottery, I would never buy one. A friend of mine breeds standard poodles, she tells me horror stories of pedigree dogs that have been bred "down the line" and consequently have genetic issues but do very well at the Easter Show. I got my Shihtzu cross from a friend who has a pedigree Shihtzu, that mated with her sisters dog who was a Maltese/Shihtzu. I bought her because I'd seen both parents who seemed very healthy. My cousin bought a pedigree (with papers as she says) West Highland Terrier that cost $1600 it seems to have a neck and jaw problem, tends to choke a lot too and has a peculiar gait. My little Shihtzu cross runs rings around him, he can't catch her, he can't seem to do the stretched out position when he runs. My cousin says he's moves like a cart horse and is very clunky when he runs. Her vet just shrugs and says she sees all kinds of problems with all breeds. Researching the breeder is just as important as researching the breed. For my next dog, I'll be going to a registered pedigree breeder, I'm happy with my girl, she's healthy (apart from the one suspect knee) and has a lovely temperament, I think I was just lucky when I found her. : )

http://m.theage.com.au/victoria/dog-attacks-go-up-but-conviction-rates-nipped-20130907-2tcdk.html An interesting article, that actually makes sense, read it to the end, it states banning certain breeds is not working.

My opinion is if you buy a puppy and something goes wrong with it, the buyer beware rule should apply, genetics is a strange thing in everything with a heartbeat, there will be issues, not might be, will be, with any breed. It's different if someone is selling puppies they know to be genetic disasters. It's up to the buyer to do some research too. I researched Shihtzu's and Maltese dogs before I bought a Shihtzu cross, a lot of them get luxiating patella's I found out, I still got the puppy and guess what, she has a wonky knee, so I'll deal with it. It's not the breeders fault. You can get litter mates, one with an issue the other one fine. I don't know any dog owner whose dog doesn't have some kind of problem from allergies to wonky hips or knees. My cousin bought a Maltese cross, he got a hip problem I've forgotten the name of (starts with a p) she spent $2000 on his op's without blinking. I'd do the same. He lived in good health until he was 16, didn't run very fast but he was as happy as a clam. If anyone is allowed to start claiming back from the breeder, they'll have to get insurance policies and that cost will be added to the puppy price. If someone spends $5000 on a dog, it's their choice, they shouldn't bellyache about it afterwards.

I rest my case. : ))