I wanted to share this story with you, so that if even one person changes their habits as a result of hearing this upsetting tale it could save a life one day. This week in our village the police shot dead a RR who bit a window cleaner--the dog had gone mad seeing the window cleaner on the ladder outside the window, managed to open the door and bit him.

My dog goes crazy when he sees the postman, despite numerous tellings off, and even though we live in a small rural village with very few passers by I always have the doors locked, front and back, even when I'm home with my dogs in the same room. Call me paranoid, but I would otherwise worry that one or other of them might open the door, run into the lane, get hit by a car, etc etc.

If you are in the habit of leaving doors unlocked even when you are in, do think twice about it--of course I feel sorry for the window cleaner, but that poor RR might have thought he was only protecting his people and property, and something as simple as locking the front door could have saved his life.

why would the police shoot him dead if all he did was bite the window cleaner?

Presumably because he was on the loose, no one could catch him, the owner(s) were not around or contactable and, rightly or wrongly, the dog was deemed dangerous to others.

Such a shame for a beautiful dog, but the dog was dangerous and out of control as its owners were not about. Luckily our dogs know our window cleaner well. Bet the poor owners were devastated to come home to that. Plus i feel personally slightly over the top to shoot it dead!

> his week in our village the police shot dead a RR who bit a window cleaner

I wonder why that didn't hit the headlines ? Not an everyday occurrence in the UK pet dogs being shot :-O

>I wonder why that didn't hit the headlines ? Not an everyday occurrence in the UK pet dogs being shot 

If you google 'police shoot dog' it happens more often than one might think.

There was a case a couple of years ago where a young Mastiff had escaped, dog wardens were sent away by the police and the police shot her dead, she hadn't bitten or threatened anybody, she had just been rehomed, escaped and was frightened :(
If the police deem a dog as a threat (it only has to look threatening, ie a big dog) then it would seem they shoot it, rather than allow dog wardens to catch it.

Personally we don't leave doors unlocked as once did accidently and one of our dogs got run over and killed.  Front door is ALWAYS locked even if we are in the house and back door is locked most the time but garden secure and don't have window cleaners.

Im home alone all day and I lock my front door. Im more scared about an intruder as I know my dog's would bark, but still welcome them.

One of my dogs, hate's the window cleaner,,if he see's the ladder or the nosie they make, he's like a dog possesed,,,barking, going mad at the window. When window cleaner is in our street, I put him into the pc room, just to keep him away from the window.

I have invited Peter (window cleaner) into the house and the dog is fine with him, I think its the ladders he hates.

My dogs have never been let into the front garden alone,,but they never jump the fence when they do get out there. They are never out there now.

I am panoid,,I dont like the dogs in the front garden as I have seen one of them by mistake, let out, I was at the car,,my neice opened the front gate and one of my dogs got out ,he ran to me,,a taxi just came into the street,,I ran onto the road and I was clipped by the car,just as I picked up the dog. The taxi was not even going to slow down for the dog,,thats why I ran onto the road,,I was fine,,the dog also,,my neice got grounded and a good telling off.

All the kids at my house learned a lot that day,,It's never happened again, but I prefer the dogs in the back garden.

Couldn't agree more about the scale of the police reaction, Louise DDB, although it occurred to me afterwards that it could be anyone knocking at the door that is potentially at risk. I don't know what got into our older WSS that made him decide the postman was the enemy, but now he barks and races about with anyone knocking at the front door. I've tried hard to correct him, with very little success so far.

>> I wonder why that didn't hit the headlines ? Not an everyday occurrence in the UK pet dogs being shot :-o

(tic) probably because it's not a Staffordshire bull terrier or cross thereof! :-P

Hey!  Is that you in Australia now?  How are you settling in?  Sorry to go off topic but I think we need to know :-)

'Tis indeed!  Just noticed my IP address!!  woo hoo! 

Only temporary at the moment sadly, over to validate the permanent resident visa's, have to return to UK to sell the house!!
Have to say it's been steaming hot, very humid and we had the threat of Cyclone Hamish upon us too!
Thankfully the cyclone conditions have brought some respite from the heat..
Sorry too for going off topic.... :-)