Four Dogs Pull Man Off Mobility Scooter

[OSoSwift]

I have 2000 acres. I can contain my dogs. I have also contained Dobes, Staffords and Rottweilers.

It can be done.

I feel so deeply for this poor young man, terrifying would not begin to describe what he has been through.

Good on the neighbour, had he gone in on foot they both could have been dead or severely injured. He was thinking.

[OSoSwift]

If he couldn't fence the entire property adequately then he should have adequately fenced a smaller area.

He has had them since they were young, what are their ages now??? Maybe now they are old enough and mature enough to finally go that extra step.

Edited July 14, 2014 by OSoSwift

[megan_]

If you can't contain a dog, you shouldn't get a dog . When you own more than one, they can act as a pack and your management of them needs to be taken up a notch. I ooked at getting a giant schnauzer at one stage. Even though I have 6 ft fencing , part if my budget for the dog was getting colour bond to at least. 7ft. ( which would require council approval). These were my prerequisites for buying a large dog that could clear a 6 ft fence .

With great dog, comes great responsibility.

[Little Gifts]

Even on larger properties or if renting an owner has the option of containing dogs in portable runs and crates inside the property if perimeter fencing is an issue. You could even dig in large paving blocks to mimic a concrete floor of a run for diggers, which could then be re-filled and turfed when you then have to vacate the property.

My backyard was full of heavy concrete garden edging when I bought it. When I got my 6 foot timber fences installed (the same week I moved in) I then dug trenches and wedged those edges under the timber fence so my dogs can't dig out. When I ran out of edging (and behind the shrubs and trees) I forced rio offcuts vertically into the ground. I check all the fences here every week for any issues. So far so good after 14 years, but that doesn't mean I wont still check regularly. So even if you are renting you could do the same for diggers and for strong dogs who might be prone to damaging fences with their nails or teeth. Buy the stuff you need second hand even and DIY it all. There are always options - it boils down to willingness.

[RuralPug]

The owner was in shock too. He had raised those dogs from puppies, but didn't for an instant consider that the type of barking (and more than likely fence chasing) that was happening when that poor soul tootled past every day or so was a danger signal that someone more experienced with dogs could probably have spotted. If he had realised it, he would have taken a great deal more care with containing them and hopefully, attempting to retrain them to not see the scooter as either prey or a threat.

Again, we have an example of multiple dogs being owned by someone who has not been properly educated in their care and upbringing and creating damage and chaos in the community. I am leaning more and more to the view that people should not have a pet until they have proven that they have a basic knowledge of how to correctly raise, train and keep them.

[Little Gifts]

I know he was shocked RP - what normal human wouldn't be. But he, like so many other owners aren't really worried about keeping their dogs contained. If the dogs get out, they get out. If they end up in the pound they might have to fix the fences up because they don't want to pay the fines, but apart from that they just round up their wandering dogs and stick them back in the yard and make a dodgy fix up job of where they escaped. In my street I have two households like that. Been like it for years and what's worse there is one dog at each location that does rush up on you. They want a dog but don't really want to have to spend much money to care for it.

Containment is as much about the safety of the dogs as it is the safety of the community. The percentage of dogs hit by cars because they have escaped confinement would have to be very high. And on the flip side the number of innocent dogs and people attacked by dogs who have escaped their confinement (which would include yards, cars and leashes/collars) would have to be even higher. So we have a risk factor pattern, even if we don't know why previously good natured dogs suddenly attack. Less loose dogs would have to equate to less attacks and less injured dogs (as well as less dogs in pounds). So here is a simple idea - they made pool fences compulsory for pool owners so why not have certain types of fencing or containment compulsory for dog owners? That might put off a few unplanned new pet purchases too and put a dent in the BYB and puppy farmers pockets.

I wonder how much land the rotti owner is on? There is a two pet rule for standard house blocks in the council he lives in so I wonder if he had more land or had approval for four large dogs on a suburban block? That area does tend to have a mix of property sizes but I bet he was breaching how many dogs he could have. I do hate all the council by-laws that exist for stuff like this but here is evidence of why such rules might be needed - people don't use their own common sense and others suffer for it.

[Staffyluv]

Here we are again, discussing the lack of understanding and education of a dog owner..

Sadly at the expense of a terrified young man and the poor neighbour, that thankfully thought quick enough to get his car.

Maybe we should be pushing for some form of licensing to own a dog - whereby you sit a quick test, to see if you are competent to own an animal.. Then that would have to be policed..

Sad really isn't, most of these 'horror stories' are due to lack of understanding on the owners behalf..