Hi - last night me and tony were saying how pleased we are that tilly already barks loudly when people come to the door or she hears noises at night, which led me on to wonder what would happen if someone did break in, and your dog attacked them? I know that if she attacked someone out on the street we'd be done for having a dangerous dog... but is it different if the person is tresspassing? I'm remembering that incident with the man who attacked a burglar and got done for it!
Anyone know where the law stands on this? Not that i'm paranoid about being burgled! And i think shes too soft to go for someone anyway. Just interested.
Lynz and Tilly x

Given the crazyness of our legal system I'm sure the criminal would be able to sue or something

I know a burglar sued when a guard dog bit him at the factory he was attempting to rob because there were no signs up telling him there were guard dogs on patrol
AND HE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I read somewhere on this site that if your dog does attack just claim that the burglar hit your dog first. Dont know how you that stand up in court but it would be worth the try. Its just not fair the legal system. One is allowed to use reasonable force I believe to defend yourself, why shouldnt a dog..

crazy legal system is an undertatement isnt it. As far as i'm concerned, if someone enters your property uninvited, what happens to them between your 4 walls should have nothing to do with the law. It might sound little bit OTT but they shouldnt be in your house!! and they know it! and the law knows it. Ah well, lets all hope none of us ever need to find out how the law stands. Personally if some scumbag was looting my house and tilly wanted to bite him or tony wanted to clock him one, i'd be turning a definite blind eye! or i'd join in ;)
Lynz and Tilly x

With you all the way with this Lynz! If I don't invite them in, then it's their lookout.

I was advised to put up signs that said "dog on premises" to warn people that -- yup, there's a dog. I was told not to use the sort of warning signs you sometimes see, like "attack dog on premises" or "beware-dog" and so on. If you use a sign which indicates there is a potential danger, then from the Court's point of view you were aware that you had a dangerous animal on your property and you did not secure it to protect innocent robbers from harm.

Pretty sick world when we have to worry about a dog biting an intruder, but that's the way it is these days. My husband was once sued by a postman who claimed his border collie bit his finger when he put mail through the door. My husband won the case - without a lawyer. Besides the fact that the postman's story was full of holes, it didn't hurt that the judge owned two border collies. The opposition did not help themselves by claiming that a border collie was a potentially dangerous animal. :-)

Stacey

My partner keeps show Koi,which he got from Japan,we have a massive pond thats 5'
deep with a complex filter system,we will be installing cctv over this and the kennels.
We are also going to put up a brick wall and was told you can't put up decorative spikes
in case an intruder accidetly caught himself when climbing over the 6ft wall and you
would liable.In my opinion he should'nt be climbing the wall in the first place.
Also if an intruder fell into my pond when attempting to steal fish I wpuld also be liable
Having said that because we have children the pond is made safe ,but if you did'nt have children
you are liable so i'm told.
So whats the point in trying to protect your property when the crimial gets
away with it.
So does anyone have any good ideas that they use or suggest to keep intruders out
without breaking the law??

Regards Briony :-)

Mad as it sounds but you hve a "duty of care" to prevent anyone on your property from injuring themselves !!! :)
I'm sure the courts would find in the burgalars favour anyway :(
Lel

Urgh, doesn't it drive you mad?

What is the world coming to??

I don't know what I'd do if someone were to try and break into my house.
On the one hand, I wouldn't want to have to go to court to prove that my dogs are not dangerous, and risk losing. I think thats a very frightening thought for most dog owners.
On the other hand, I imagine I'd be so damn angry that someone had the nerve to try and break in that I'd let all 7 of my dogs at 'em!! Just kidding, but you know what I mean!!

I have a big sign on my gate saying 'dogs running free, do not enter' because you have to be so careful with what kind of signs you have. I used to have one with 'guard dogs' on it, but was told by several people in my area, that by saying there were guard dogs on the property, I was admitting to having dangerous dogs. Even though they are big softies!!
It's just ridiculous, and seems like dog owners can't win what ever we do.

I read in one of the dog mags once, that a man had an OES (I think) and he had signs on his gate, warning people that there was a dog loose. A policeman stopped to ask for directions, and the dog owner was in the garden. He shouted to the policeman to stay outside the gate because the dog was out. Mr policeman completely ignored him and went in anyway, whereupon the dog bit his arm. The policeman had to have stitches and spent the night in hospital. The last I read about it, the owner was going to court and in danger of having his dog pts, all through the sheer arrogance, and stupidness of this policeman.
Just thought I'd tell you this!!!

It just annoys me so much :(

Take care

Lisa

it was a St Bernard, and the dog was taken away, and fortunately later the owner got it back, but restrictions were imposed.

Hi Brainless,

Thanks for clearing that up....sorry if anybody was offended by my mistake, I didn't mean it!!

I hate things like that, so had to mention it.

I'm so glad the owner got the dog back though. It must have been awful for owner and dog.

Brainless, any idea what kind of restrictions?

Take care

Lisa

I think you will find that you can put things on the top of walls etc but again you have to a sign displayed clearly at regular intervals. I went to a security exhibition at the NEC a couple of years ago and they had some superb anti intruder fittings for the tops of fences/walls.
Better still is if you can grow spikey bushes on either side of the wall to prevent people from climbing up the wall.

Can't u ask for the police to come and do a security check over - was part of their scheme to cut back on burglaries - not sure if they still do - or who you would ask - probably local police station, then take their advice over it - if they recommend something and then (god forbid) you did get burgled and the burglar made a claim against you - you would have evidence to say the police recommended whatever hurt him/her. (I'm sure i've seen this scheme on tv or in the news)

Just a thought!

Nikkix

Ps one of the things they definitely recommend are the very spiky bushes just inside your boundaries, anyone climbing over will get spiked.

Just a thought....do you then get sued for not having a warning saying 'SPIKEY BUSHES.. YOU COULD GET SCRATCHED/SPIKED'
Seems you almost have to put out a red carpet and say burglars welcome:( :(

liberty

P.S. I seem to recall the dog and policeman story, the dog 'got off with it '. But amazingly only after a lengthy appeal !!!

Nikki,

I didn't know about the spiky bushes thing.

Luckily we've just planted loads along our fields.

Thanks for that.

Lisa

Doesnt this just open up eveything then ?
If someone puts vandal grease on their drainpipes for example doesnt this mean an intruder or tresspasser could then claim for damages as the person who put the VG there willingly and intentionally wanted to cause damage
I think anyone who hasnt had an invitation onto your property with the intention of comitting an illegal act souldnt have a leg to stand on - unfortunately these d**n cheeky idiots have the b***s to go to court for damages :(
Bring back public flogging I say :D ( if only)
Lel

My mum went to buy a patio set out of the paper, When she got to the house they had a 3 foot 'german shepherd lives here!' sign.
My mum joking asked why the sign was so big only to be told that they'd recently been robbed and the German Shepherd had biten the thief's finger off and swollowed it! It only turned up (the finger) when the dog threw up in the morning!
The police told him that because he did not have a sign for the dog the Thief could sue if he wanted to. He never did though.

but thinking about it, couldn't you just have a sign saying ' warning, enter at your own risk. owners can not be held responsible for damage cause to person or property'.
Like in car parks? just a thought

good idea inuit. But its so bad that we as LAW ABIDING people have to protect ourselves from dodgy laws rather than from toerags who probably should be in jail anyway. That you should have to put up a sign to warn burglars not to enter your property!
Laughable isn't it
Lynz and Tilly x

We got robbed when our 2 GSD pups were only 12 week old. I'd only gone shopping so they'd been watching the house. I really couldn't care about anything they took (which was a lot as we'ed only just moved in and we'ed saved up for stuff) I was more concerned about my pups. They both hid under the sofa but they'd kicked Nanook and bruised her ribs. I don't think anyone would risk trying now with 8 big dogs. My neighbours on both sides haven't been robbed since we moved in and they have alerted us to other break in's behind us. The trouble is that the police take soo long to turn up. We phoned them one time at 10pm to say they'd broken a window, again at 10.30pm to say they were in the house, again at 11.30pm to ask why they hadn't been and that they were still in the house. T hey turned up at 11.10am, yes AM, the next day!!!!!!!!
I was told that if they enter your child's room you can use force on them.

I dont know about the laws over there (or here for that matter), but living in the US I know my obedience instructors dog bit someone who broke in and he is sueing her. She has two trained Sch rotts, and her husband has an untrained ridgeback. The intruder came in the basement window and the dogs were sitting in front of him growling. The ridgeback came up and bit him. Her house was the forth i believe he hit that night. She has loads of signs saying beware of dogs and stuff. It is still in court right now. I think it is totally rediculus(sp) that the courts even allow him to sue her! If you come on my property, let alone in my house, and my dog does something i believe you should be arrested, and you deserve what you get! I hope you have a scare for life.