I Am Never Walking My Dogs In This Neighbourhood Again.

[lucknow]

can anyone really tell what they would do ie. save their dogs or a random stranger?

I think not.

You have to be in the situation to know how you would react.

I can - I would save my dog first, as I said above there is NO point in adding to a problem with an extra person and an extra dog. Secure yourself and your animals before deciding if your assistance is needed.

Might sound heartless or like an issue to some people but think of the alternative. Originally one dog being attacked by two dogs and 2 "humans" in the midst. If the OP had run in all guns blazing you then have 5 dogs and 4 humans in the middle of a potentially volatile situation. This is without factoring in the 10 other people ahead of the elder gentleman.

I agree no one ever knows how they will react in a specific situation until faced with it but surely this is common sense?Secure the scene first.

I was taught it in school, I was taught it at home, I was taught it at work.

Whatever action you take dont add to the injury list. (and adding uncontrolled/unprotected dogs into the equation could have catastrophic repurcussions).

I would hope, as much as I love my dogs, that human life and safety would always take precedence but taking the initiative to not cause further problems for victims, rescuers or bystanders/passers by ideally takes precedence.

[Akayla]

First off I want to say I think the OP did the right thing so not adding to negative vibes for them.

Second I am almost 100% I would help the baby. I just dont think I could not? If there was a tree the dogs could be tied to it. If not put in a stay and bloody well better stay there! The baby just needed to be removed from the immediate danger of the two dogs. The two dogs "may" go after your dog aggressively they may not so not an immediate danger in the same sense. So yes Id risk it. I also trust in myself to help the baby AND then defend my dogs if I have to.

Still its as others have said. You dont know exactly what you would do as it would be tiny subtle instincts and enviromental stimuli that would direct you. Not only that but there is no way the same thing would happen to any of us it would be a whole new set of issues.

I feel for the OP as it must have been a horrific thing to witness. I would be furious with the owner. Glad you got away safely.

[Henrietta]

Tying a dog to a tree in this situation would not be a good idea I think. If the attacking dogs did decide to target yours, yours would have no opportunity for a flight response and would have to fight to defend themselves. If you had to leave your dog, I'd be putting them in a stay/wait and getting back to them asap.

One day I was walking my girl and someone was lying face down on the footpath about 15 metres away. I tied her to a fence. She would not have liked this strange situation and I would need to concentrate on what I had to do in the event of an emergency. I still managed to keep an eye out for her whilst I ran over to the guy (turned out to be a teenager sleeping outside his house - he was fine, but very startled because I woke him up. ) and assessed the situation, but there was no imminent danger to her at this time.

[Diva]

Tying a dog to a tree in this situation would not be a good idea I think. If the attacking dogs did decide to target yours, yours would have no opportunity for a flight response and would have to fight to defend themselves. If you had to leave your dog, I'd be putting them in a stay/wait and getting back to them asap.

I agree, and they would be at a disadvantage in the fight too being tied up. Having been attacked previously, I know mine would not hold in a stay without me and only metres from a dog fight. Maybe that's a training issue, but I don't blame them, they have been through it and remember. With other people to help already there I'd have done what the OP did - get them out of there. If no-one else had turned up it would be different. It's very unfair to try and second guess what people decide in those circumstances, you do the best you can at the time.

[Henrietta]

Tying a dog to a tree in this situation would not be a good idea I think. If the attacking dogs did decide to target yours, yours would have no opportunity for a flight response and would have to fight to defend themselves. If you had to leave your dog, I'd be putting them in a stay/wait and getting back to them asap.

I agree, and they would be at a disadvantage in the fight too being tied up. Having been attacked previously, I know mine would not hold in a stay without me and only metres from a dog fight. Maybe that's a training issue, but I don't blame them, they have been through it and remember. With other people to help already there I'd have done what the OP did - get them out of there. If no-one else had turned up it would be different. It's very unfair to try and second guess what people decide in those circumstances, you do the best you can at the time.

Oh yes, I agree. I think the OP did the right thing in these circumstances. There were other people to help. I didn't mean for it to sound like I think she should've done things any differently. It certainly would've been a much more tricky situation if she were the only person around. I was more responding to Akayla's suggestion to tie the dog up, moreso than what the OP did or didn't do, I should've used the quote function.

I have no doubt that my dogs wouldn't stay in a stay/wait if being threatened either. But I don't mind that at all, I'd rather give them a chance to get away from the attacking dog. Worst case scenario, I would hope because I wouldn't leave them unless absolutely necessary.

[Silvawilow]

How awful for that poor baby and old man. Hopefully the child was young enough not to remember the horrible event.

[Diva]

There were other people to help. I didn't mean for it to sound like I think she should've done things any differently. It certainly would've been a much more tricky situation if she were the only person around. I was more responding to Akayla's suggestion to tie the dog up, moreso than what the OP did or didn't do, I should've used the quote function.

It's OK, you didn't sound critical, with that last comment I was more responding to some of the earlier highly judgemental posts.

[Bjelkier]

Because animal life regardless if you agree or not is not equal to human life.

Is that your personal opinion or a philosophical absolute? If it is the latter, I would love to hear the logic that leads to this conclusion.

No matter how passionate we all are about our animals, human life should always take precedence over animal life, always.

And that again is a personal opinion not backed by logic. I disagree. So far I have not come across any convincing reason why a human life is more valuable from a philosophical perspective. And I don't believe in the religious dogma that humans are superior because they have souls and animals don't.

If I am in a risky situation, my first priority always will be what I value most. So my family (including animals) and then everyone else. And that is my opinion which I would not force on others or declare as an absolute. But I do think most poeple would do the same. The difference is only that I put a higher value on my dogs and consider them truly part of my family than perhaps those who disagree.

I agree with you OG.

[Jimmay]

For those worried about the baby, she was all smiles when I had returned, I think she was enjoying all the attention. All she had was a little scratch on her nose.

[Casster17]

To be honest I commend the OP...

I have 2 very difficult excitable dogs to handle. If I had been in the situation, neither myself nor my partner would have been able to handle both dogs whilst that was going on...

I believe the OP made the best decision she could in the circumstances.