Quite frankly I am glad to see the back of 2004 as I have decided things couldnt get any worse but to really take the biscuit my youngest bc got attacked on New Years Eve by a GSD.  I have nothing against GSDs and in fact love them as my friend has two.  Unfortunately we came over a blind hill and didnt see or hear the other people on the other side, they didnt put either of their dogs on the lead and my youngest had gone ahead alittle.  The GSD just laid in to him.  I have never heard a dog scream so much.  He tried running and I tried shouting and in the end just caught him and held him while fending the other dog off.  I'll give the chap his due he got his dog straight back on the lead as soon as he could catch him and did ask if mine was ok.  I did check and thought he was but have since found a 6 inch gash to his neck which I have cleaned out and is now covered in antiseptic powder.  A visit to the vets to be checked over on Tuesday and any bill will be sent to the people.  All I wish is that people who have dogs who are not ok with others are put on a muzzle or kept on a lead just for safetys sake.  I did when my older BC was going through a stage of not being great. 

Sorry for the long post just needed to get it off my chest.  Just hope there not going to be any lasting effects from this.

Claire

Know exactly what you mean! There is a staffie cross who is walked in fields near here, knowing it had a go at my puppy, the last time we met, I saw it coming and put all my dogs on their leads. The owner made no attempt to check or control her dog in any way and it approached us with hackles raised, it didn't do anything this time, but it is annoying still. It was with another terrier type belonging to a friend of the woman who walks it and this terrier did dive around us growling.

Every time i see another dog when i take mine anywhere i always hope they are friendly especially when people just let them wonder up to mine. Ollie went through a stage of being quite snappy with other dogs before he was neutered and we use to muzzle him i knew he wouldnt go to them but id hate to see anoter dog run to him and get snapped at. Thankfully he's fine with any dog now. My friends GSD got bit by a beagle the owner told her it was soft as anything. There just seems to be so many un socialised dogs about.

Surely a visit to the vet's today would be more in order rather than waiting until Tuesday when any infection - from the other dog's mouth - could have set in?    If the GSD's owners are footing the bill then surely it is necessary?

Sorry to hear about this attack, Claire. Trust your little dog will be OK.

I agree Christine, I took my two dobes to local woods on New Years Day - after a great walk we were heading back to the car, there was a couple walking towards us with a gsd and a v. elderly ?gsd x (on leads). Me and hubby called Jude and Seth back, clipped on their leads and carried on walking toward couple. When we reached them we said morning etc. then out of nowhere the young gsd lept forward and grabbed Seth on the face :( Luckily not too much damage done - except a puncture wound right through his lip, just under his nose. No apology was given - they said she's only a puppy!?*!!! Funny that!! 'cos Seth is only 14 months!! Well, to get to the point went straight to vets for ab inj + short course of ab's - I didn't want to risk the chance of a nasty infection/abscess. A 6" gash would certainly warrant an immediate visit to the vet for stapling/suturing if you wait 'till Tuesday they certainly won't be able to do anything without debriding the wound - making it more expensive and also the chances are that the dog will have to be at least sedated or even anaesthetized. Hopefully everything will be ok, in the meantime I would clean the wound with a saline solution (1tsp/1pint) and wash out all that antiseptic powder.

Angela :)

Same here - my two are always on the lead and there is a staff x lab which has had a go at my bitch twice now (it is always off the lead) - after the second time when I was less than complimentary to the owners I was told that it doesn't like husky type dogs but as there is hardly any around where they walk they don't see the need to keep it on a lead! I must admit I did have a right go at them when I heard this. Having spoken to several people where I walk it isn't just huskies it dislikes so now people just avoid walking at the time they know these people will be about!!! But it really annoys me as now my bitch does growl at some small dogs, particularly those which look like this cross :(

I am sorry to hear about the attack on your dog......not a good start to the new year for him.    I trust that he will be O.K.    I am always on gaurd when walking my dogs because I always live with the fear that they will be attacked.    My nine year old was set on when she was a pup and the panic I felt as stayed with me ever since.

Hope your little one is OK. Have to agree with you about the lead thing.
Tracy

ahhh so sorry your dog got hurt, know how i would feel if it was my boy, hope the little one is ok now,
big hugs coming your way ((((((((((((((((((hug))))))))))))))))))))

Best wishes Heidi

That's terrible, I do believe any dog should be leashed when you see another approaching, if only because you don't know how that other dog will react. Emily is quite the terror, you wouldn't believe i'd socialised her at all, but because she's small people tend to let their dogs wander up and poof, she turns into the beast of Walsall on the end of her lead with me telling her no whilst attempting to apologise profusely to the other owner >_<

I hope nothing comes of it though and that your dog will be alright.

My freinds lab was attacked by a gsd- she also had her young gsd with her but it ignored her. Her dog had a couple of holes where a tooth penetrated.

The two women with the gsd  also said "she's just a puppy".

My friend took their car number and reported it to the local police who visited them and reported back to my friend that they admitted they were having a few problems with the dog and were  taking her  to training classes. The police told them to keep the dog on the lead in future.

I put my dalmatian on the lead and keep him behind and to the side away from another dog when we pass other dogs as he does not like dogs approaching him. I also now give the other party a wide berth as recently he was standing quite quietly with my husband as elderly couple passed with a small terrier off the lead. It ignored my retriever but as it passed my husband - who was between it and the dalmatian- with a four feet gap it suddenly launched itself at my dalmatian. Of course" she had never done that before"

I honestly believe that there should be fines of £250 for having your dog running off lead and out of control. Fair enough many many dogs are perfectly well behaved in public and on quiet secluded walks  but there is still the risk of them being hurt by any number of passing dogs in the same situation. You never can tell what is cmming round the corner.

Whatever the breed i never, ever let my dogs off the lead where other people can pass my dogs and risk a fracas. I am fortunate enough to have the facilities to run my dogs in a secure field with bolted gates and 6ft fences. If councils could provide this in other areas for everyone else such incidents could be avoided.

I had a bust up with a neighbour once because her dog jumped the fence and my bitch was not impressed and bit it. Funnily enough the very same dog i mentioned having been picked up by the dog warden lol. She telephoned the police, the dog warden and the RSPCA and i was under investigation for my dog being it its own garden and hers being out of control in a residential area.

If the laws was made a little tighter and more people were fined for having their dogs running riot in public we would have less vet bills, wouldnt be wasting so much police time and life would be much less stressful on the walking front.

Just my opinion of course.
GM

Thanks to everyone for their very kind thoughts, just a shame that everyone has a story to tell.  I can report that he is completely on the mend.  Did have a visit to the vets very shortly thereafter (not as late as Tuesday) and has had the usual abs.  Luckily it hasnt gone as deep as we first thought so is healing very well on its own.  Also luckily it is in a place that he cant worry it so it looks like it should heal very quickly.

He doesnt seem to be mentally scared by the experience at the moment but I will be keeping a close eye on it. 

I do see the dog who did it virtually everyday as I can see into the people's garden when up at the field and this week the dog appears to be shut in all the time whereas the BC is out all the time.  It looks like they have taken some action but shame it being shut up at home and not being put on a leash outside. 

Not sure whether to go and see them as they dont know that their dog actually caused damage to Jai.  Maybe this would just make things worse.

Claire