Can anyone help me on the powers a dog warden holds before I take a matter further.

Every so often I bump into a mature lady on the way back from my walks (at which point I am on the main road) everytime I see her & the dog (a mix breed but the size of a RR) he pulls,snarls,growls,lunges,barks and takes her off her feet to get to myself and Kez (who does not react).

Previously I have just turned around and walked away.I always carry a pet correcter just in case it breaks free

However today it was pouring down and just wanted to get home instead of walking the long way around I was with my OH and my neighbours little girl who is six and see this owner & dog - again same reaction told my partner to just walk on, The dog dragged the women towards me with the same reactions as previously. It was at this point I saw the dog as a threat to all of us and action needs to be taken she quoted " he is really friendly just barks and growls" which got my back up even more and walked away in amazement at the comment. I had a child with me this time and it scared me.

I just feel she needs talking to, ie to put a head collar on it to have more control or muzzle it ???? What can the warden do ????

Firstly do you know where she lives as the dog warden will need those details as they won't have time to hand around to see if she walks her dog in the area you have seen her.

Secondly if he does finally make contact yes they can go round and warn the woman that she must keep good control of the dog but they may also say that unless the dog has actually attacked anybody they maybe powerless to do anything :)

Might be worth ringing the local police as well ?

Lucy
xx

I know where she lives, the house number and road name, I also have other friends who have experienced the same problems when they are walking out with their dogs, so I am aware it is not an isolated incident and me being over senstive LOL. Just think she needs help (still trying to be kind even though it scared the life out of me)

Thanks Lucy

xxxxx

I think some dogs and people just act like that. Some dogs act like that but are really very friendly and some act like that and want to tear you up into little chunks.  What do other locals think about this dog..normally the ones who are dangerous have a well known reputation. 

Dogs do have to be under control..being on a lead can be seen as under control providing the dog doesn't actually come up to you and attack you. I you think a dog is not under correct control and is a danger you can report it and then at least you have passed the responsibility onto the right department. I bet they woud just issue a warning or something but I don't know.

btw... What is a pet correcter?

Other dog owners who I talk with locally know of the dog and experienced the same problems as me :rolleyes: I was more concerned about the main road and little girl I had with me, she was frightened by it. Normally when I am on my own I would just rise above the whole situation and walk away from her.

I brought a pet correcter after my dog had been attacked last year, it had a write up in Your Dog by one of the trainers, it is a spray - makes to noise of a geese/swam when they are angry, it is suppose to deter bad behaviour. No harm comes to the dog. It goes everywhere with me for peace of mind

such a shame that you have to experiance this.  I would talk to the dog warden and ask if they could have a word with the dog owner.  Mention about how you walk your dog with a young child aswell and how it upsets you.

On a side track though...I wonder if carrying a pet correcter for your own safety (ie against humans) would be considerd the same as mase/pepper spray

Nothing comes out of the pet correcter but noise, it is sold in main stream pet shops and on the internet so I cannot see it being classed as mase/pepper spray. I don't use it for my safety I am a whimp and given half the chance run in the other direction rather than face confrontation LOL I use it for peace of mind when walking the dog, incase he is attacked again it would deter the situation

I take one on my walks to a particular field as I am fed up of people letting their dogs up to mine and it isn't always friendly. Be careful though!! I had to use mine recently when a dog was running straight at my dogs and it was not in any way friendly so I sprayed the can. I didn't even point it towards the dog just towards the floor but the dog turned it's agression onto me Was not a pleasant experience. Nothing actually happened other than it growling and bearing its teeth at me before it ran off. The owner was (like usual) no where to be seen
GG

Oh no that sounds like a awful situation. Must drive you mad.

oh it uses shock sounds.... I think the pet corrector would scare my own dog more than it would scare off a dog intent on attacking him...he would shake with fear after that..but he is quite calm and relaxed and  happy if a dog has attacked him! Aren't they strange little chaps!

Seriously if mine ran up to a dog and that dog attacked them I would be fine about it and my dog would learn a natural lesson in life. Dogs understand dogs.  But if he ran to a dog and the owner 'pet corrected ' him it could seriously screw him.  My dog is not aggressive but fast and he is young and can forget himself  not all people read dogs very well. You obviously only keep it  for confidence and in case you really do need to break up a fight but other people might over use these...... it worries me all these products on sale to use on dogs and that they are considered safe..not all dogs will react the same way to the sound. 

The kindest safes option and most constructive for the dog concerned is to report it to the authorities... but I think they might not be interested in what a dog might have done..if they were none of us would ever dare to take out dogs out in public.... so you'd need to explain that only by your own evasive actions was an incident prevented.

I've seen a child run in front of a car because she saw a dog and was terrified..and the dog wasn't doing anything at all. So a dog looking dangerous being out of control  like that could have terrifying consequenses.  The warden should take it seriously especially as there have been several other complaints.

The pet corrector I have is made by company of animals, which is a reputable company. It only makes a loud hissing noise, which is surprising, but not terrifying. It is meant to distract the dog for the moment it takes to get it back under control - not sure it would work against a determined aggressor.

RReeve, that is the one I own from the Company of Animals

I think this post has slightly gone off track to the orginal subject

I would never ever use the pet correcter around other dogs and their owners ie in the park etc. That would be irresponsible of me as a dog owner.

Like you I would be horrifed if someone were to do it to Kez and like yourself if Kez were to run over to another dog and get bite/attacked then it would be his lesson to be learnt.

Unfortunatly he has been attacked on several occasions on his lead by dogs where there has been no owner to be seen in sight :rolleyes: therefore I have one for peace of mind.

sorry I was just intersted in knowing what it was because it sounded like it might be useful but I think it would be no use to me because if it is loud like that... and no doubt I wouldn't have it with me when I needed it! 

I just find it gives me a little bit of peace of mind while outwalking with him Like you said though some people would over use it for no reason, thankfully I have not yet used it and hope it stays that way

Wizard

A complaint can be made under the dogs act 1871

This section allows a Magistrates Court to hear a complaint that a dog is dangerous and not kept under proper control.  The Court can order that it be kept under proper control  by the owner or be destroyed and can disqualify the owner from having custody of a dog.

Dangerous - is not limited to people.  It can include livestock, birds and other dogs and can include private property where people have a right of access. 

A local dog warden can request a person to attend court re this. 

Jill

Thank you Jill

But the dog is on a lead - so is under control surely!

One of my dogs reacts to other dogs like this too, despite years of training and two respected behaviourists. He still jumps up and down growling and barking at other dogs. He will never get loose to get to them though, therfore is under control no matter how frightening other people may think he looks.

As I understand it this dog has never actually bitten or attacked another dog, I don't think that the police, dog wardens or courts would have any interest in it.

I can see where you are coming from chaumsong and I can see the dog is under control to a certain extent so therefore nothing might not be able to be done. Not sure we even have a dog warden in our area

I have also met other dogs like this in the past but owners do have had full control over the situation but this dog drags her off her feet towards us,she cannot hold him back by any means and he is a huge dog for a more mature lady,I have seen him drag her into a main road before now to get to another dog.

I really think she needs some advice rather than action ie head collars etc for her to enable her to hold it back and the sad thing is I would not be able to get close enough to her to offer this advice. Yesterday just concerned me more than normal because I had a child with me and it got within cm's of us still reacting the way it did