Jogger Attacked By Dogs

[Rebanne]

Fawn dogs are often described as brown by the general public

[Brandiandwe]

OK this came out wrong. If they were greys and unmuzzled, they should have been green collared. But yes to everyone else. I shouldn't post when sick obviously.

I can fully imagine that damage being done by claws. Brandi is a bouncer and adores people. It's been a long hard road to stop her leaping on everyone she meets, waving her paws around and smiling. I obviously don't let her, and move out of the way, but I can imagine it happening accidentally to someone if they don't know or aren't prepared. Because the movement is upwards, not forward, it's harder to stop but doable.

I hope that she's ok, and that they work out who's responsible and what really happened. It's a very different story if someone is attacked by bites to the face compared to someone meeting a quick moving claw from an over enthusiastic greeter.

[kelpiecuddles]

It's really hard to know where the real story sits with this one I think. Maybe the guy genuinely did need to go and pick his kids up(I have no one else that can do that so I'd be very stressed if something happened right before school pick up time), if the lady waved him off once at the car and said she was OK as the first story suggested maybe he didn't realise how bad it was. If it is him that rang up and said they were his dogs it doesn't sound like he's trying to hide from the issue, seems to suggest he just wants to tell his side of the story and sort things out. If a large dog came at my face very suddenly while running I would have no idea whether it was in play or aggressive and whether it was teeth or toenails.

[Brandiandwe]

It's really hard to know where the real story sits with this one I think. Maybe the guy genuinely did need to go and pick his kids up(I have no one else that can do that so I'd be very stressed if something happened right before school pick up time), if the lady waved him off once at the car and said she was OK as the first story suggested maybe he didn't realise how bad it was. If it is him that rang up and said they were his dogs it doesn't sound like he's trying to hide from the issue, seems to suggest he just wants to tell his side of the story and sort things out. If a large dog came at my face very suddenly while running I would have no idea whether it was in play or aggressive and whether it was teeth or toenails.

And, TBH, I wouldn't care whether it was teeth or nails, friendly or otherwise, because of the damage done. As far as the victim is concerned, she was going about her lawful business and wound up in hospital. But it matters because if the dogs are deemed dangerous as a result, it could be a poor outcome for the dog and the breed.

[kelpiecuddles]

Yes, that's all I really mean. I do hope that if it was truly an over-enthusiastic excited dog as opposed to an aggressive one that it is recognised as that. Doesn't take back the pain that the woman has been through but it would be sad for a dog to be deemed dangerous due to a preventable accident.

[Amax-1]

The facts are this regarding dogs IMHO: Given that you can't predict the handler's control or the dog's reactivity levels on approach, my advise for anyone to avoid the pain of a possible attack is to steer around leash range of the dogs in question. Regardless whether or not this dog handler is caught and prosecuted doesn't ease the pain the woman has suffered to her eye and face, but jogging around the dog's leash range would have saved her more than likely. We know that dogs shouldn't be lunging and we know that handler's should have effective control, but if they don't and you don't take preventative measures yourself, these incidents will sadly continue.

Having said that, I can't restrain two GSD's in defence mode effectively, so one person walking two large dogs if something was to happen greatly increases the physical control required to maintain safety.

She is the only victim in this story and it was not her fault.

When an owner knows they can't control their dogs, they are the ones who should be taking these 'preventative measures' you speak of. Expecting people to run in wide circles around every dog they pass just in case they get bitten is ridiculous.

Hazywal, I was wondering the same thing myself.

Unfortunately not being at fault doesn't mend the wounds and ease the pain does it? The point is, you can't afford to assume that someone approaching with two large dogs can handle them effectively and they are not reactive.

[_PL_]

The facts are this regarding dogs IMHO: Given that you can't predict the handler's control or the dog's reactivity levels on approach, my advise for anyone to avoid the pain of a possible attack is to steer around leash range of the dogs in question. Regardless whether or not this dog handler is caught and prosecuted doesn't ease the pain the woman has suffered to her eye and face, but jogging around the dog's leash range would have saved her more than likely. We know that dogs shouldn't be lunging and we know that handler's should have effective control, but if they don't and you don't take preventative measures yourself, these incidents will sadly continue.

Having said that, I can't restrain two GSD's in defence mode effectively, so one person walking two large dogs if something was to happen greatly increases the physical control required to maintain safety.

She is the only victim in this story and it was not her fault.

When an owner knows they can't control their dogs, they are the ones who should be taking these 'preventative measures' you speak of. Expecting people to run in wide circles around every dog they pass just in case they get bitten is ridiculous.

Hazywal, I was wondering the same thing myself.

Unfortunately not being at fault doesn't mend the wounds and ease the pain does it? The point is, you can't afford to assume that someone approaching with two large dogs can handle them effectively and they are not reactive.

FFS seriously? You're sticking to your ridiculous spiel about a victim bearing what.... 50% blame because she should have assumed she would be bitten on the face because of some idiot with uncontrollable dogs. Wake up.

In my suburb I have two options. Be inches from a passing dog or jump out into traffic to avoid them.

There is also dark streets, random drunks, graffiti kids, a few crazies and plenty of trendy off leash unmuzzled greyhounds. All of which I must 'assume' will get me attacked.

Flip a coin next time you step out the door folks. Wear a crash helmet and carry a golf club.

[Cody]

Powerlegs, everyone is entitled to their opinion. No need to be rude.

[_PL_]

I am stunned by the excuses being made for this owner and the theory in some posts that the victim was somehow at fault or that we don't know both sides. How is that being rude, the woman is in hospital and debate is going on that she could have avoided the whole thing if she was more sensible.

eta it was 6.30am and she was jogging through a reserve. Plenty of quiet for the owner to hear her coming and plenty of room for him to turn his dogs away.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Powerlegs

[Loving my Oldies]

I am stunned by the excuses being made for this owner and the theory in some posts that the victim was somehow at fault or that we don't know both sides. How is that being rude, the woman is in hospital and debate is going on that she could have avoided the whole thing if she was more sensible.

So many of these dog attack threads do go along these lines though, particularly if the media, shock horror, says the dogs were pitbulls, or crosses, or whatever.

There'll be a huge rant by a posted and then at the bottom of the post a couple of luke warm words about the victim of the attack.

[VizslaMomma]

I am stunned by the excuses being made for this owner and the theory in some posts that the victim was somehow at fault or that we don't know both sides. How is that being rude, the woman is in hospital and debate is going on that she could have avoided the whole thing if she was more sensible.

eta it was 6.30am and she was jogging through a reserve. Plenty of quiet for the owner to hear her coming and plenty of room for him to turn his dogs away.

Way I read the reports was the whole incident happened one week before being made known to the Press.

Woman in fact was discharged from hospital.

Considering there has been nothing from the dog owner except for an unfounded claim by an unknown person both sides are not entirely known.

Bottom line is this is a horrible event.

[Loving my Oldies]

Powerlegs, everyone is entitled to their opinion. No need to be rude.

Your contributions to this thread are elevating, Cody. One telling me not to be quick to judge when my post wasn't judging anything about the attack and this one telling PL not to be rude.

So many posters aren't giving an opinion so much as blaming the jogger.

[_PL_]

Powerlegs, everyone is entitled to their opinion. No need to be rude.

Your contributions to this thread are elevating, Cody. One telling me not to be quick to judge when my post wasn't judging anything about the attack and this one telling PL not to be rude.

So many posters aren't giving an opinion so much as blaming the jogger.

DDD, now I remember why I bail from these threads!

Maybe it's a rescue thing but I'll never make excuses for dogs who attack people just going about their business. There is no excuse.

[Cody]

The thing is we DON'T know the full story.

[cavNrott]

The story is that this woman was injured by these dogs. Unless she was unmercifully teasing them, which it certainly appears she was not, the person handling these dogs was incompetent.

What more do we need to know?

[Cody]

Powerlegs, everyone is entitled to their opinion. No need to be rude.

Your contributions to this thread are elevating, Cody. One telling me not to be quick to judge when my post wasn't judging anything about the attack and this one telling PL not to be rude.

So many posters aren't giving an opinion so much as blaming the jogger.

You clarified you weren't being rude so I don't understand what point you're trying to make or why you're even bringing it back up again.

Edited April 3, 2014 by Cody

[Brandiandwe]

The story is that this woman was injured by these dogs. Unless she was unmercifully teasing them, which it certainly appears she was not, the person handling these dogs was incompetent.

What more do we need to know?

I guess the question is whether the dogs attacked her (by which I mean went for her in a deliberate attempt to harm her or scare her off) or leapt at her in play/ greeting and injured her accidentally. The outcome for her is the same in either case, because she was injured unnecessarily, but for the dogs it might be the difference between being put down for being aggressive or needing more training and much better handling.

Actually better handling in any case.

[raineth]

The story is that this woman was injured by these dogs. Unless she was unmercifully teasing them, which it certainly appears she was not, the person handling these dogs was incompetent.

What more do we need to know?

I completely agree that the woman is completely innocent here. As dog owners the onus is on us to prevent these things from happening. By understanding your dogs, training them, and managing them.

But I get why people are curious. It is a shocking thing to happen and that makes many people wonder about the circumstances. As you say though it seems pretty clear that the man handling the dogs was incompetent, that seems to be fairly clear.

[HazyWal]

The story is that this woman was injured by these dogs. Unless she was unmercifully teasing them, which it certainly appears she was not, the person handling these dogs was incompetent.

What more do we need to know?

I guess the question is whether the dogs attacked her (by which I mean went for her in a deliberate attempt to harm her or scare her off) or leapt at her in play/ greeting and injured her accidentally. The outcome for her is the same in either case, because she was injured unnecessarily, but for the dogs it might be the difference between being put down for being aggressive or needing more training and much better handling.

Actually better handling in any case.

The question for me is why were these greys not muzzled? If they were greencollared who was the assessor? The standards for rehoming greyhounds have dropped dramatically and someone needs to be held accountable.

[Dory the Doted One]

I'm wondering why someone would ring up and say that they are the owner of the dogs, admit it was them and then would insist that the dogs were greyhounds (or insert any other breed other than the one reported).

Maybe I've become too much of a cynic. Because the thought crossed my mind that they called in to try and divert attention away from their dogs, by claiming them to be some other breed.