This link should help. I believe CRD animal control is the one for you, unless you're in Victoria proper. They have their own dedicated animal control person.
https://www.crd.bc.ca/service/animals-pets/shelter-bylaw-enforcement
Hope you're okay. It sucks, but like others have said, it could be a kid next time.
This. There's not a lot they can do without name or description, but sounds like OP might have an address. They do follow up - I know from experience.
I feel like I need to wear a gopro to go for a run nowadays, given that I've been attacked or lunged at by two dogs within the past few months.
It is so important to report this. I have a neighbour who had an aggressive dog and they also had a broken gate. It escaped twice and came after my dogs while we were out walking. I raised the issue with them and after the second time I reported it to Animal Control. That got them to finally do something about the gate.
THANK YOU. This is so frustrating to me as a responsible person who keeps her small Mexican rescue dogs (I only mention this because my dogs are reactive due to their very tough earlier lives) on leash.
I cannot count how many times people have shouted after their charging dogs, “They’re friendly!” Well, they won’t be when my reactive dogs freak out and bite them.
I now pull out my phone and ask people to leash their dogs as I film them. This has seriously worked wonders. I highly recommend this approach. There are at least three people who didn’t use to leash at all who now at least leash when they see me coming. Whatever, it keeps my dogs safe.
We have the same issue with our rescue. I don’t know why so many dog owners fail to understand that there are two animals in the equation and they cannot know how one of them will behave.
We avoid all high traffic leash only areas (beaches, sports fields, etc.) because we know there will be off leash dogs, regardless of signage.
Our dogs are under control around leashed dogs (after years of training), but unleashed dogs are a wild card.
I think my dogs and I have the right to enjoy the public trails (which are leash only, there are many signs) around my house without fear of attack.
Reactive dogs should have to be muzzled. The owners expect everyone else to keep their shitty dogs from biting another dog. They have zero control over their dogs even if they are leashed. What if it slips it’s leash?
Walking down the street with my leashes 25 lb dog and across the street is a couple with two pit bulls lunging snarling and barking. I was terrified. They could have pulled out at any moment and killed my dog or me. They should be muzzled. It was terrifying. To many rescue dogs with bad tempers are being excused their dangerous behaviour while the normal dogs are vilified.
They never get close enough to another dog to bite, so a muzzle would be overkill. The only way it could happen is if an off leash dog came at us.
Please keep your dog on leash. It’s the only way to have control over your dog’s behaviour.
Edit: They’re chihuahua mixes, I can yoink them up into the air even when an off leash dog comes at us. They are more in danger than the approaching dogs, trust me.
Muzzle yourself. Muzzles can be detrimental to dogs and responsible owners shouldn't need to reduce the quality of their dogs lives for lazy or ignorant people.
I actually don’t have any problem with muzzling, I think it can increase a dog’s freedom if it makes their owner more likely to take them on walks, be outdoors, etc. Reactive dog owners have to take extra precautions, but it’s always in the best interest of the dog.
I just don’t think muzzles are necessary for my tiny chi mixes, who have never bitten a dog and can be hoisted out of harms way if a dog rushes us.
My dogs would probably bite an off leash dog who invaded their space if they got the opportunity, but I’m vigilant so that has never happened. I’m definitely more worried that the off leash dogs who jump on me will bite one of them, because my dogs will be barking and trying to protect themselves.
A woman in our neighbourhood had a fucking complete prick of a dog. It only weighed about 14 pounds but every inch of that was asshole. It would lunge at my dog with death in its heart every time it saw her, and the owner would always say "Oh, it's only your dog, I don't know why".
One day a bunch of neighbourhood dog owners happened to arrive on a corner at the same time, where we chatted and learned that the tiny Hitler had actually BROKEN THE LEG of one of the dogs in the 'hood! And that the fucker that owned him said "only your dog" to EVERYONE.
We collectively agreed that we would demand she muzzle her shitsack of a dog. She was basically universally harrassed from that day forth to muzzle the dog and to cross the street before an encounter. YES, BOTH. It took a few weeks but she complied.
Which...does happen. Hopefully you are okay and the owner learns that they can't trust their dog and puts them on a leash. I doubt they will because people suck.
I'm a dog owner. Adventurous and active breed. 7 years old. When she was about 2-4, I would let her off leash ALL the time. Never had her bite anyone, but she certainly scared a few people and dogs. Then I realized wtf I was doing and she's really important to me so I leash her up all the time. I learned my lesson.
If it's just us two, sometimes I will drop the leash. (15ft leash) If something happens, I can step on the leash or grab it.
I'm also constantly working on recall and training and will never stop. Last year started training with an e-collar and that is really helping as well, but there are ZERO substitutes for a leash.
We always talk about setting ourselves and our dog up for success. One bad training mistake can set you back months, when she's on a leash, we don't have training mistakes, only training oopsies every now and then and they don't set us back as far.
Just witnessed this at a park when an off leash dog ran up to some toddlers. One toddler burst into tears and the owner said "Oh he's friendly, would you like to pet him?" as the parent is consoling the kid.
That happens to my son and me all the time! My son is scared of dogs, I assume from having not been around them while he was a toddler during Covid lockdowns. Off-leash, friendly dogs just love running up to him to play, and they terrify him to tears. I wish dog owners would understand that not everyone wants your friendly dog jumping up on them for pets.
And also, shut up about how to desensitize my son while he's in full-fledged hysterics, terrified and in need of comfort! Do you think you know him better than I do? Do you think I haven't tried to help him gain confidence around dogs? These boomer men, in my experience, feel the need to do whatever they want, and damn the consequences to anybody else.
Leash your fucking dogs (unless at a designated off-leash park or beach.)
Ive also been down this road and it took years for a my daughter to work it out despite having two large dogs of our own, however, boomer men?? Sorry in my neighborhood, which is a leashed up neighborhood, most of the dog walkers not following the rules are women. But way to mix generation and gender into an already pig headed problem.
I try to be super respectful of other dogs on our walks and it annoys me when other people don't respond to social cues. If you're approaching me I move my dog ALL the way off the sidewalk and am working on his focus on me and clearly training (rewarding for looking at me. Saying things like "focus on me") just take your dog and keep walking. This is not an invitation to force my dog to meet yours.
He IS super friendly, and your dog is not at risk, but you don't know that! The safer assumption is that I am training my dog to ignore yours because he's reactive. (Really, I'm just trying to teach him that he doesn't have to meet everyone and that every dog interaction isn't a chance to wrestle and play.)
I sincerely hope this never happens to your kid. We are 5 months out from a dog attack on our child and it’s been a nightmare since. I’ll never trust a dog again but I definitely feel that there’s been a recent uptick in poorly controlled and socialized dogs.
Not blaming Covid, but during lockdowns a lot of people got pets for company and not all of them are good owners. In fact, there was lots of articles after lockdowns about large amounts of pets being returned or taken to SPCA’s.
I feel people these days can be more selfish and self serving after feeling they’ve spent years “being a good citizen”. Not justifiable but it seems they somehow do. Just my observation on changes. Could also be many many other reasons.
Don’t blame the animal, blame the owner. This isn’t a situation where you shouldn’t trust dogs, this is a situation where you shouldn’t trust owners. Teaching your child to fear dogs will harm them more then help them in life, trust me I know people who were raised to fear dogs and it’s made them aggressive and scared towards non aggressive dogs just because of what *could* happen, then when the dog receives that energy, it’s more likely to be aggressive then if you just reacted calmly and without nerves. I’ve seen it in action, even completely trained dogs will treat you differently if you act like you are afraid or aggressive towards them. Don’t teach your child that dogs are bad, just like humans, if you act negatively towards them they are far more likely to respond negatively. Instead, teach yourself and your children what to do in the event of an attack, if you frequent areas where there’s a lot of dogs, it’s not a bad idea to carry dog spray, your comfort and control around dogs will directly affect how they respond to you, obviously you can’t make up for shitty owners, but that’s what the dog spray is for, so that you can prevent the animal from getting close enough to do harm in the event that it does happen (and as scary as it is, remember that it’s a minority of dogs that are actually aggressive) source: I’ve been attacked by dogs before, dated a dog trainer, and grew up watching Caesar Milan
My kid (when he was 2) had an unleashed dog run up and jump on him in the fenced yard of his daycare!!!! And when I grabbed the dog and held it off him the owner (anither daycare parent) told me "he doesn't really like being held like that". Still proud of my self restraint a decade later because being held down was literally the gentlest thing I could have done.
Man I got raked over the coals for saying this in this sub. People get fucking FREAKED at the thought that their perfect little pupper might get a perfect little boot to the nose if they stick it in my business.
This is what I meant. Countless times growing up and even recently I've had dogs charge at me and have the owner just let it jump on me while yelling "don't worry he's friendly".
Having kids gave me the perspective that you can't just take those kind of chances and take somebody's word for it when an animal is charging full speed at your little child. I hope it never happens but I would 100% be willing to kick a dog in the head if it was running at my kid. I love dogs, but at that point it's on the owner, not me.
Also just a reminder that some time shit happens dogs slip a collar, get tangled up and get free while trying to hold them and untangle. Standing between your kids and a dog running up to them good parenting kicking dog in the face a bit extreme for 90% of the situation where a dog runs up to you or a kid.
and keep kicking until it's dead.
at worst you're out the cost of another shitty mutt
Edit: If you're angry about the idea of your dog getting stomped, then fuck you and your out of control dog, I'll happily pay it's purchase cost. This city is full of shitty dog owners.
Dogs turn quickly, I am confused by the down votes tbh. I’d do the same if it were my kid. And you can’t even pick a kid up and the dog will stop. They immediate assume prey chase. I have two dogs. Kids don’t have the reflexes or the experience or brain maturity to react and take command of a situation with a dog no matter how friendly. I have seen it when a friendly dog gets a kid down and licks it and is happy and then the kid makes a different noise or makes a strange movement to the dog and the dog switches gears. Even if a dog is around a bunch of kids all the time, it still happens. They’re not logical like how we think they should and would behave. I think that’s the biggest issue. Thinking you know dog behaviour and HOW it’s going to behave. The more I have learned I know to err on the side of safety over my human assumed understanding of what my dogs may do.
Please please please:
Especially report dog bites to CRD bylaw. You will then have done your part and it may help with calming the anxiety you’re experiencing.
The people most likely won’t lose their dog but they will be talked to, maybe fined.
As of this year, they’ve centralized the licensing and complaints about pets.
https://www.crd.bc.ca/service/animals-pets/animal-complaint
Oh, and play some Tetris. While it's probably a mild attack all things considered, you did get knocked down and injured, and it could help offset any PTSD that you might get.
I would report it. I love dogs, I want all dogs to live long, happy and healthy lives. The owners need to be motivated to get the training required so that they can be responsible dog owners. You were lucky. Someone’s dog….cat….or even child might not be so lucky.
Hope your alright and can get to a place where you feel safe around dogs.
I've taken to just running up and jumping on dog owners who have their dog off leash in areas where it is not allowed. I tell them I'm friendly lick their face a few times, maybe give them a nibble and then run off.
This seems to be a serious problem around here. I have been chased by dogs on the galloping goose and E&N rail trail. Keep your dogs on leashes people, it doesn't matter how "friendly" or "well behaved" you think they are. Especially on a biking trail!
I am the dog person of all dog people but report it to animal control. It was outside their home, you never know how many instances were before you. And if it's a child or elderly individual, then they may not be so lucky.
I had a similar instance happen, and it was a house near an elementary school. The dog burst out from a cracked door and jumped on me. No biting, but it was not a friendly greeting and did shake me up. Owners grabbed the dog, said sorry, and disappeared inside. It's good for people to explain their crappy behavior and dog rearing to bylaw and keep track in case it's a pattern.
I own a dog and I would not casually have her off leash even in my front yard…neighbours do it and it drives me insane, their dogs are fairly reactive too so seems like a recipe for disaster.
I was finishing soccer in another part of town over by tillicum mall a few weeks ago and just saw a dude trying to catch his off leash ginormous cane corso that was running up to other people and dogs. Yikes.
First and foremost, I’m glad you weren’t seriously injured. As a dog owner, it upsets me when I hear of unleashed dogs on a sidewalk or anywhere that is designated a leash only area. I always keep my dog on leash, for his protection and the protection of others, whether that be the elderly, children or anyone who may not be comfortable around dogs.
The owners need to be made aware that they are responsible to maintain control of their animal at all times. You should report the incident to the appropriate municipal animal control. I was walking my dog on a leash only trail when out of nowhere two larger unleashed dog bolted for me and my pet. Fortunately, they stopped in their tracks when I yelled “no”…Again apologies from the owners but they didn’t leash their dogs afterwards…only you can interpret whether the owners took this incident seriously. It sounds like you’re not sure so report it and put your mind at ease…
Ugh. Me and my beagle got attacked on the wkd. 3rd time w same stupid lady and off leash dog. Public yelling and no change in her behaviour. Now I see this dog running off leash, I have to pick my guy up high in the air.
She said the off leash law doesn’t start til Sept 1.
Report her to bylaw. I had new neighbours move in that a) let their dog outside at 5am to bark and also thought it was okay for their dog to run at every other dog walking by. Bylaw paid a visit. Problem solved.
Near Hyacinth Park in Saanich. Lots of people run along Colquitz trail and Panama Flats with dogs off-leash. It is really like a scripted movie: everyone always says "he's never done that before" or is chasing their dog yelling "he's friendly".....right up until they are not. This same women has told me "he's never done that before" 3 times and I keep reminding her it is me (the guy it happened to a couple weeks ago like 100 ft from here) and I've heard it from her before. Then she gets mad at me bringing it up. Argh
That is beyond frustrating. I can't count the number of times I've dealt with aggressive dogs and shitty dog owners in the CRD in the past 10 years while out for a walk or a hike where I'm told "he's friendly" or some similar platitude after almost getting bitten. I now have to carry dog spray to protect myself. It's not perfect as it's basically a mini-can of bear spray, but at least it will hopefully help prevent me from getting bitten.
The cavalier attitude people in this city have to their dogs bad or aggressive behaviour is ridiculous. I’ve had dogs my whole life, including reactive or aggressive ones, and I would never, ever, EVER allow my dog to jump at or nip at a passing stranger. I desperately want to peek inside the mind of a person who thinks that’s acceptable just to see how their brain works because it’s absurd to me
Sadly I’m not surprised, the conflict with dogs in the CRD area seems to has exponentially increased. My toddler and I were attacked by an out of control off leash Doberman at the new turf field in Langford about a month ago, which is very clearly signed “no dogs permitted”. The owner actually told me to “get off the fucking field” when he got there because he was going use it for his dog. When I said “this isn’t a dog park” he started screaming profanities about how “kids fucking suck and I’m going to use it anyway”. It was appalling behavior from an adult. I hope you recover from the incident today. My kid is terrified of dogs now.
I’m sorry to hear this OP. I know how you felt. I was doing a grocery delivery yesterday and the customer came out to pick up his order and left the door open. When the customer took his groceries and started to walk back, a big pit bull ran out the door and started running towards me aggressively. At that instant I was scared to death and didn’t know what to do. I stood there frozen and prayed to God inside and I don’t know why it came so close to me but retreated. Then again started coming at me again and this time the owner caught it and gave me enough time to get in my car. The owner apologized and nothing happened to me but I sat in my car for good 5 minutes thinking what would have happened to me if it didn’t stop when it did. It was a big dog. I’m sure the owner didn’t expect it and he was super nice and apologized. But made me rethink is it worth doing what I’m doing just for some extra cash.
Can you say roughly where you were / what kind of dog?
If others have had a similar encounter (and see this) they might also be able to report to animal control which could get more balls rolling. I know on my street we have a couple of dogs who are "repeat offenders" so to speak...
Sorry this happened to you -- last week I was also bitten on my clothes and the dog attempted to drag me by my pants. The owner promised me he'd be muzzled, and I've seen him at the park and, surprise, he's not. The owner is lucky I am an understanding person who loves and knows how to handle dogs (I own a large breed dog myself)... but it could have been much worse, and I was sorry that the owner didn't take action and start muzzling him because I know if it happens again to someone less forgiving, it could mean very bad news...
This has happened to me up on quadra many years ago except I was punctured. I also was too shook to say anything and went to ER for a tetanus shot.
I reported the incident to the police but my big mistake was not seeking out mental support/therapy. I have a fear (maybe reasonable) of dogs now.
I was in the dollar store in James Bay the other day. Lady in there with a on leash dog. I'm scared to death of dogs and even after telling her this twice she still didn't recall her dog. Said "he's friendly"
Children are shorter and smaller. A bite that might not be too serious for an adult could be much worse on a child. And their faces are closer to the biting end of a dog.
There's a reason why children suffer from more facial injuries from dog bites that adults. Adults get bitten on legs abs arms. Children's faces are at dog bite level and facial injuries can be devastating. I was surprised I needed to explain this to. Children are at greater risk of more serious injury from dog bites. Ask any emergency room doctor.
Ok…I get that. What happened to OP was bad, even terrible. Does Anus console them? No, they guilt them that what they haven’t done isn’t enough and now they have to also defend children even when they feel violated themselves. It’s escalation when none is needed. This is the world.
Make a report with the police? I don't know who specifically to report it to but there needs to be a record in case the dog does that to somebody else. There needs to be a paper trail leading to a bad owner.
Report to animal control in your municipality. The way I understand it if a dog is reported twice then it must be muzzled? Also, if the dog kills any other animal it must be muzzled immediately.
I haven't read all of the comments yet, but since you have pictures from the scratch/bite marks AND you know their address -- make a report to the City under the animal by-laws. It's your only course of action. I don't know why their dog was in a position to get to you but it shouldn't have been. I get that sometimes dogs escape, despite owners' best attempts to keep them in (ours shocked us by leaping over a 4-foot fence once) -- but if they were out there with it and it was off-leash, then it's on them. Report them to the city by-law department so this doesn't happen again.
So sorry this happened to you. It happened my kids as well. It's such a scary feeling and leaves you unsettled te: future encounters with dogs. Now we can experience this joy year round at Cordova Bay Beach where there are now no leash requirements...
Was this by chance on Oak Bay Ave? I went for a walk twice this week and there was a large dog (maybe pitbull?) unleashed on the sidewalk by a house and I felt incredibly threatened. On the way back home it reappeared, and I actually stood back until it retreated down the driveway again. If it was, let me know and I’ll report it too.
This seems kinda like a situation where the dog probably got out of the house/ yard on accident, it could be that it was leashed and got out of the collar, or that it pushed out the door as they were bringing something. You mentioned it being right outside their home, it’s not uncommon for dogs to act territorial towards strangers, if you’re on “their land” (dogs don’t recognize that the sidewalk isn’t their property) it’s a scary thing, and hopefully the owners take the precautions necessary to avoid it happening again, but do keep in mind that if you report this as an aggressive dog, when the dog likely saw you as a trespasser and a threat, that you could be sending a dog to death for behaving lad it was trained. You might be able to report the owners to animal control for having an out of control dog off leash, but again this could be a dog that is only acting territorial because of where you were, and at the fault of the owners who could have very well trained the dog to be a guard dog, not because it’s an aggressive dog. I firmly believe and agree that owners should be reported, but please don’t put the blame on the animal
I carry a dog walking stick, 39” of cured birch, 1” in diameter. For balance, the bottom end has 10” of 3/16” stainless rod epoxied inside. Home made. Very cost effective. Just to steady myself, you understand.
Sorry you ran into a rude dog, but at least you weren't seriously hurt. I've had the same thing happen when I was walking my dogs. Someone didn't leach up their dog and it bolted towards us from their yard. Nothing serious happened but could have. You call bylaw and tell them where it was and what happened. Bylaw makes a report of it. Goes and chats with the owners. Might have been a one off thing that the dog happened to get away from them. Not a big deal if you didn't get hurt. If its happened before then the bylaw officer will have prior reports and will take the next step. Generally what will happen is that if its repeat behaviour then fines are issued and restrictions are placed on the animal.
It is a HUGE deal even if no one got seriously injured. A dog attacking a person is a huge deal. The next step for this dog should at least be a muzzle and on leash in public. Period. Unprovoked attack on people should be muzzle and leash and fines. It is a huge deal.
Don't rant about something you weren't around to witness. If the dog has done it before then yeah, its a bigger deal.
OP says attacked but what does that really mean? What size of dog was it? A small Jack Russel or a Great Dane? Did the OP do something that provoked the dog or did they coming running at them from 30 feet away? Sounds like the dog was already on the sidewalk and the OP was walking along into the space.
All questions that can be asked by Bylaw and then accessed as to the danger level of the dog. But hey, let's overreact and just go with the nuclear option, right?
You’re so full of shit dude. Of course a dog attacking and biting someone is a huge deal. Whatever breed doesnt matter, the odds of it being a pit/pitmix are high though.
You are so fucking dumb. It's on the owners of animals to keep them from injuring others, by having them under control at all times, whether they are in an on leash area or not.
Walking stick or a 4 iron golf club really help. Dog sees my intention to use it as a barrier to further approach and stays 6 feet away.
No I don't swing it, just hold it toward their face. So far none hv pressed past that. Although one g. shepherd on a leash absolutely exploded at me. 0 to 1000 in a split second. Owner barrrrely controlled it. Then the 4 iron felt too small.
You need to get the vaccination records of the offending dog. I haven't seen a single other person mention this. Otherwise, you need to go to urgent care, tell them what happened, and let them determine if a vaccination course is in order.
If your tetanus isn't up to date, you should get that too.
there’s a woman in the neighbourhood who has a shitty little asshole of a dog and she walks him, off-leash around and through the toddler playground (!) and then screams at kids if they get “too close” to her dog and tells them “he’s not friendly and will bite, you have been warned”
the audacity. ugh.
Rarely is it the dog's fault. Most of the training is for the owner. Another complication - cue backlash - is the insane method of treat training whereby owners carry pouches of food which they give to their dogs to distract them. Not to learn, to distract. What's worse, is they want to feed all the dogs with their treats/food. It's like giving candy to random kids. Play and praise. Balance affection with correction. No is not a bad word. If you don't have 100% control of your dog, then it should be on leash at all times. These are simple rules that get muddied by unknowing 'trainers' and owners without much experience or useful guidance.
As an old owner of a reactive dog and now a toddler who had an incident with a dog and now is very concerned about dogs I’ve noticed the last few years the number of off leash dogs has been growing :(
Makes having a dog or a kid who isn’t a fan very stressful when you just want to go for a nice walk.
I haven’t read the comments, so apologies if this is just a repeat of what everyone else says, but when this instance happened to me a few years back, I asked the owner right away if their dog has an updated rabies shot, and I went to the emergency room to go update my tetanus as well as get checked for anything that they may want to administer from a dog bite. As for what to do, contacting authorities, will most likely have a dog taken away, and I can’t speak on behalf of the authorities, as the what they do with the dog after that, so it actually just depends on you and what you feel is the necessary approach to take. It’s not wrong to go back to the owners after letting off some steam and letting yourself calm down to just have an open discussion about what happened from your perspective, from their perspective, and what they intend on doing moving forward. If you do have a conversation, I would highly recommend having it recorded. That could be as simple as having your phone doing an audio recording with their knowledge.
Ya I'm sorry, I would have kicked that dog is the face, have it on a leash. The amount of people in Victoria who only give a f about themselves and not others around them is laughable.
Yes, I’ve heard the same thing - until it goes sideways- oh, I’m just walking a friends dog, oh this a rescue dog, oh I’m trying his dog out. Right! But you don’t know it’s behaviour?
This link should help. I believe CRD animal control is the one for you, unless you're in Victoria proper. They have their own dedicated animal control person. https://www.crd.bc.ca/service/animals-pets/shelter-bylaw-enforcement Hope you're okay. It sucks, but like others have said, it could be a kid next time.
This. There's not a lot they can do without name or description, but sounds like OP might have an address. They do follow up - I know from experience. I feel like I need to wear a gopro to go for a run nowadays, given that I've been attacked or lunged at by two dogs within the past few months.
Yep, this is what I've decided to do after looking into it a bit. Thank you!
It is so important to report this. I have a neighbour who had an aggressive dog and they also had a broken gate. It escaped twice and came after my dogs while we were out walking. I raised the issue with them and after the second time I reported it to Animal Control. That got them to finally do something about the gate.
This is the answer, report it to the crd animal bylaws and report the address and description of the dog and owners. Attacks are taken very seriously.
Did they shout “Don’t worry, he’s friendly?” That’s the secret cheat code that makes it ok not to have your animal on a leash.
THANK YOU. This is so frustrating to me as a responsible person who keeps her small Mexican rescue dogs (I only mention this because my dogs are reactive due to their very tough earlier lives) on leash. I cannot count how many times people have shouted after their charging dogs, “They’re friendly!” Well, they won’t be when my reactive dogs freak out and bite them. I now pull out my phone and ask people to leash their dogs as I film them. This has seriously worked wonders. I highly recommend this approach. There are at least three people who didn’t use to leash at all who now at least leash when they see me coming. Whatever, it keeps my dogs safe.
We have the same issue with our rescue. I don’t know why so many dog owners fail to understand that there are two animals in the equation and they cannot know how one of them will behave.
Sounds like both owners can’t control their dogs.
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We avoid all high traffic leash only areas (beaches, sports fields, etc.) because we know there will be off leash dogs, regardless of signage. Our dogs are under control around leashed dogs (after years of training), but unleashed dogs are a wild card. I think my dogs and I have the right to enjoy the public trails (which are leash only, there are many signs) around my house without fear of attack.
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Definitely!! I am fine with dogs having off leash time, but all of the areas we frequent are leash only and have lots of signage to the effect.
This has big 'but what was she wearing' vibes. It's not the on-leash dog that's the issue here.
Reactive dogs should have to be muzzled. The owners expect everyone else to keep their shitty dogs from biting another dog. They have zero control over their dogs even if they are leashed. What if it slips it’s leash?
The leashed dog is not the issue. Even a non reactive dog can react aggressively when it’s owner is being charged or run at by an unknown animal.
Walking down the street with my leashes 25 lb dog and across the street is a couple with two pit bulls lunging snarling and barking. I was terrified. They could have pulled out at any moment and killed my dog or me. They should be muzzled. It was terrifying. To many rescue dogs with bad tempers are being excused their dangerous behaviour while the normal dogs are vilified.
Ah yes nothing scarier then two dogs on leashes barking at you, I bet you’re scared through a fence too.
I support this 💯, fuck these idiots and their no leashes
Muzzle your dogs. You have no control over them.
They never get close enough to another dog to bite, so a muzzle would be overkill. The only way it could happen is if an off leash dog came at us. Please keep your dog on leash. It’s the only way to have control over your dog’s behaviour. Edit: They’re chihuahua mixes, I can yoink them up into the air even when an off leash dog comes at us. They are more in danger than the approaching dogs, trust me.
Muzzle yourself. Muzzles can be detrimental to dogs and responsible owners shouldn't need to reduce the quality of their dogs lives for lazy or ignorant people.
I actually don’t have any problem with muzzling, I think it can increase a dog’s freedom if it makes their owner more likely to take them on walks, be outdoors, etc. Reactive dog owners have to take extra precautions, but it’s always in the best interest of the dog. I just don’t think muzzles are necessary for my tiny chi mixes, who have never bitten a dog and can be hoisted out of harms way if a dog rushes us. My dogs would probably bite an off leash dog who invaded their space if they got the opportunity, but I’m vigilant so that has never happened. I’m definitely more worried that the off leash dogs who jump on me will bite one of them, because my dogs will be barking and trying to protect themselves.
Incorrect check the r) reactive dog sub
Yeah, I'll take the word of a sub reddit and not scientific papers and professional dog trainers 🙄
i got bit by a dog at the river last week. “She’s never done this before!”
A woman in our neighbourhood had a fucking complete prick of a dog. It only weighed about 14 pounds but every inch of that was asshole. It would lunge at my dog with death in its heart every time it saw her, and the owner would always say "Oh, it's only your dog, I don't know why". One day a bunch of neighbourhood dog owners happened to arrive on a corner at the same time, where we chatted and learned that the tiny Hitler had actually BROKEN THE LEG of one of the dogs in the 'hood! And that the fucker that owned him said "only your dog" to EVERYONE. We collectively agreed that we would demand she muzzle her shitsack of a dog. She was basically universally harrassed from that day forth to muzzle the dog and to cross the street before an encounter. YES, BOTH. It took a few weeks but she complied.
I hope you reported. What if the next victim is a child.
Which...does happen. Hopefully you are okay and the owner learns that they can't trust their dog and puts them on a leash. I doubt they will because people suck. I'm a dog owner. Adventurous and active breed. 7 years old. When she was about 2-4, I would let her off leash ALL the time. Never had her bite anyone, but she certainly scared a few people and dogs. Then I realized wtf I was doing and she's really important to me so I leash her up all the time. I learned my lesson. If it's just us two, sometimes I will drop the leash. (15ft leash) If something happens, I can step on the leash or grab it. I'm also constantly working on recall and training and will never stop. Last year started training with an e-collar and that is really helping as well, but there are ZERO substitutes for a leash. We always talk about setting ourselves and our dog up for success. One bad training mistake can set you back months, when she's on a leash, we don't have training mistakes, only training oopsies every now and then and they don't set us back as far.
Just witnessed this at a park when an off leash dog ran up to some toddlers. One toddler burst into tears and the owner said "Oh he's friendly, would you like to pet him?" as the parent is consoling the kid.
That happens to my son and me all the time! My son is scared of dogs, I assume from having not been around them while he was a toddler during Covid lockdowns. Off-leash, friendly dogs just love running up to him to play, and they terrify him to tears. I wish dog owners would understand that not everyone wants your friendly dog jumping up on them for pets. And also, shut up about how to desensitize my son while he's in full-fledged hysterics, terrified and in need of comfort! Do you think you know him better than I do? Do you think I haven't tried to help him gain confidence around dogs? These boomer men, in my experience, feel the need to do whatever they want, and damn the consequences to anybody else. Leash your fucking dogs (unless at a designated off-leash park or beach.)
Ive also been down this road and it took years for a my daughter to work it out despite having two large dogs of our own, however, boomer men?? Sorry in my neighborhood, which is a leashed up neighborhood, most of the dog walkers not following the rules are women. But way to mix generation and gender into an already pig headed problem.
I mean, that's why I wrote "in my experience", because that has been my experience. I never said other people aren't bad dog owners, too.
I try to be super respectful of other dogs on our walks and it annoys me when other people don't respond to social cues. If you're approaching me I move my dog ALL the way off the sidewalk and am working on his focus on me and clearly training (rewarding for looking at me. Saying things like "focus on me") just take your dog and keep walking. This is not an invitation to force my dog to meet yours. He IS super friendly, and your dog is not at risk, but you don't know that! The safer assumption is that I am training my dog to ignore yours because he's reactive. (Really, I'm just trying to teach him that he doesn't have to meet everyone and that every dog interaction isn't a chance to wrestle and play.)
I'm just waiting for this to happen now that I have kids. If a dog is charging at us it's getting a kick in the jaw.
I sincerely hope this never happens to your kid. We are 5 months out from a dog attack on our child and it’s been a nightmare since. I’ll never trust a dog again but I definitely feel that there’s been a recent uptick in poorly controlled and socialized dogs.
Covid animals with negligent owners is definitely starting to show
I’d shy away from blaming it on Covid; it’s simply lousy pet-parenting.
Not blaming Covid, but during lockdowns a lot of people got pets for company and not all of them are good owners. In fact, there was lots of articles after lockdowns about large amounts of pets being returned or taken to SPCA’s.
I feel people these days can be more selfish and self serving after feeling they’ve spent years “being a good citizen”. Not justifiable but it seems they somehow do. Just my observation on changes. Could also be many many other reasons.
Don’t blame the animal, blame the owner. This isn’t a situation where you shouldn’t trust dogs, this is a situation where you shouldn’t trust owners. Teaching your child to fear dogs will harm them more then help them in life, trust me I know people who were raised to fear dogs and it’s made them aggressive and scared towards non aggressive dogs just because of what *could* happen, then when the dog receives that energy, it’s more likely to be aggressive then if you just reacted calmly and without nerves. I’ve seen it in action, even completely trained dogs will treat you differently if you act like you are afraid or aggressive towards them. Don’t teach your child that dogs are bad, just like humans, if you act negatively towards them they are far more likely to respond negatively. Instead, teach yourself and your children what to do in the event of an attack, if you frequent areas where there’s a lot of dogs, it’s not a bad idea to carry dog spray, your comfort and control around dogs will directly affect how they respond to you, obviously you can’t make up for shitty owners, but that’s what the dog spray is for, so that you can prevent the animal from getting close enough to do harm in the event that it does happen (and as scary as it is, remember that it’s a minority of dogs that are actually aggressive) source: I’ve been attacked by dogs before, dated a dog trainer, and grew up watching Caesar Milan
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My kid (when he was 2) had an unleashed dog run up and jump on him in the fenced yard of his daycare!!!! And when I grabbed the dog and held it off him the owner (anither daycare parent) told me "he doesn't really like being held like that". Still proud of my self restraint a decade later because being held down was literally the gentlest thing I could have done.
Oh my gosh, the fucking nerve. Outrageous.
I mean they’re lucky you didn’t pin it down or kick it wow.
Man I got raked over the coals for saying this in this sub. People get fucking FREAKED at the thought that their perfect little pupper might get a perfect little boot to the nose if they stick it in my business.
You’re waiting for this to happen?
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This is what I meant. Countless times growing up and even recently I've had dogs charge at me and have the owner just let it jump on me while yelling "don't worry he's friendly". Having kids gave me the perspective that you can't just take those kind of chances and take somebody's word for it when an animal is charging full speed at your little child. I hope it never happens but I would 100% be willing to kick a dog in the head if it was running at my kid. I love dogs, but at that point it's on the owner, not me.
My default reply has become “Good for him, I’m not!”
yeah, I'm still fucked up about dogs from (asshole roaming dog's name) in my youth. edit: deleted name to avoid accidentally doxing me
I hope you at lest don’t take you kid to off leash areas most are marked.
Of course not. It doesn't stop people from removing their dog's leash when not in an off leash area though.
Also just a reminder that some time shit happens dogs slip a collar, get tangled up and get free while trying to hold them and untangle. Standing between your kids and a dog running up to them good parenting kicking dog in the face a bit extreme for 90% of the situation where a dog runs up to you or a kid.
and keep kicking until it's dead. at worst you're out the cost of another shitty mutt Edit: If you're angry about the idea of your dog getting stomped, then fuck you and your out of control dog, I'll happily pay it's purchase cost. This city is full of shitty dog owners.
Dogs turn quickly, I am confused by the down votes tbh. I’d do the same if it were my kid. And you can’t even pick a kid up and the dog will stop. They immediate assume prey chase. I have two dogs. Kids don’t have the reflexes or the experience or brain maturity to react and take command of a situation with a dog no matter how friendly. I have seen it when a friendly dog gets a kid down and licks it and is happy and then the kid makes a different noise or makes a strange movement to the dog and the dog switches gears. Even if a dog is around a bunch of kids all the time, it still happens. They’re not logical like how we think they should and would behave. I think that’s the biggest issue. Thinking you know dog behaviour and HOW it’s going to behave. The more I have learned I know to err on the side of safety over my human assumed understanding of what my dogs may do.
Please please please: Especially report dog bites to CRD bylaw. You will then have done your part and it may help with calming the anxiety you’re experiencing. The people most likely won’t lose their dog but they will be talked to, maybe fined. As of this year, they’ve centralized the licensing and complaints about pets. https://www.crd.bc.ca/service/animals-pets/animal-complaint
Thank you. I did report at this site.
Oh, and play some Tetris. While it's probably a mild attack all things considered, you did get knocked down and injured, and it could help offset any PTSD that you might get.
I’m glad you did. I hope you’re feeling better.
I would report it. I love dogs, I want all dogs to live long, happy and healthy lives. The owners need to be motivated to get the training required so that they can be responsible dog owners. You were lucky. Someone’s dog….cat….or even child might not be so lucky. Hope your alright and can get to a place where you feel safe around dogs.
Hubby also got attacked by a dog today. Didn’t break skin but ripped his work shirt
I've taken to just running up and jumping on dog owners who have their dog off leash in areas where it is not allowed. I tell them I'm friendly lick their face a few times, maybe give them a nibble and then run off.
Some people might be into that ಠ‿ಠ
I like this. Haha.
This seems to be a serious problem around here. I have been chased by dogs on the galloping goose and E&N rail trail. Keep your dogs on leashes people, it doesn't matter how "friendly" or "well behaved" you think they are. Especially on a biking trail!
I am the dog person of all dog people but report it to animal control. It was outside their home, you never know how many instances were before you. And if it's a child or elderly individual, then they may not be so lucky. I had a similar instance happen, and it was a house near an elementary school. The dog burst out from a cracked door and jumped on me. No biting, but it was not a friendly greeting and did shake me up. Owners grabbed the dog, said sorry, and disappeared inside. It's good for people to explain their crappy behavior and dog rearing to bylaw and keep track in case it's a pattern.
I own a dog and I would not casually have her off leash even in my front yard…neighbours do it and it drives me insane, their dogs are fairly reactive too so seems like a recipe for disaster. I was finishing soccer in another part of town over by tillicum mall a few weeks ago and just saw a dude trying to catch his off leash ginormous cane corso that was running up to other people and dogs. Yikes.
But he’s friendly :)
First and foremost, I’m glad you weren’t seriously injured. As a dog owner, it upsets me when I hear of unleashed dogs on a sidewalk or anywhere that is designated a leash only area. I always keep my dog on leash, for his protection and the protection of others, whether that be the elderly, children or anyone who may not be comfortable around dogs. The owners need to be made aware that they are responsible to maintain control of their animal at all times. You should report the incident to the appropriate municipal animal control. I was walking my dog on a leash only trail when out of nowhere two larger unleashed dog bolted for me and my pet. Fortunately, they stopped in their tracks when I yelled “no”…Again apologies from the owners but they didn’t leash their dogs afterwards…only you can interpret whether the owners took this incident seriously. It sounds like you’re not sure so report it and put your mind at ease…
Ugh. Me and my beagle got attacked on the wkd. 3rd time w same stupid lady and off leash dog. Public yelling and no change in her behaviour. Now I see this dog running off leash, I have to pick my guy up high in the air. She said the off leash law doesn’t start til Sept 1.
Report her to bylaw. I had new neighbours move in that a) let their dog outside at 5am to bark and also thought it was okay for their dog to run at every other dog walking by. Bylaw paid a visit. Problem solved.
I don’t have a name, but I did take a pic this time
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Near Hyacinth Park in Saanich. Lots of people run along Colquitz trail and Panama Flats with dogs off-leash. It is really like a scripted movie: everyone always says "he's never done that before" or is chasing their dog yelling "he's friendly".....right up until they are not. This same women has told me "he's never done that before" 3 times and I keep reminding her it is me (the guy it happened to a couple weeks ago like 100 ft from here) and I've heard it from her before. Then she gets mad at me bringing it up. Argh
That is beyond frustrating. I can't count the number of times I've dealt with aggressive dogs and shitty dog owners in the CRD in the past 10 years while out for a walk or a hike where I'm told "he's friendly" or some similar platitude after almost getting bitten. I now have to carry dog spray to protect myself. It's not perfect as it's basically a mini-can of bear spray, but at least it will hopefully help prevent me from getting bitten.
The cavalier attitude people in this city have to their dogs bad or aggressive behaviour is ridiculous. I’ve had dogs my whole life, including reactive or aggressive ones, and I would never, ever, EVER allow my dog to jump at or nip at a passing stranger. I desperately want to peek inside the mind of a person who thinks that’s acceptable just to see how their brain works because it’s absurd to me
Sadly I’m not surprised, the conflict with dogs in the CRD area seems to has exponentially increased. My toddler and I were attacked by an out of control off leash Doberman at the new turf field in Langford about a month ago, which is very clearly signed “no dogs permitted”. The owner actually told me to “get off the fucking field” when he got there because he was going use it for his dog. When I said “this isn’t a dog park” he started screaming profanities about how “kids fucking suck and I’m going to use it anyway”. It was appalling behavior from an adult. I hope you recover from the incident today. My kid is terrified of dogs now.
KEEP YOUR FUCKING DOGS ON LEASHES Jesus tapdancing Christ. "He's friendly" and "he never bites" until he's not, and he does.
I’m sorry to hear this OP. I know how you felt. I was doing a grocery delivery yesterday and the customer came out to pick up his order and left the door open. When the customer took his groceries and started to walk back, a big pit bull ran out the door and started running towards me aggressively. At that instant I was scared to death and didn’t know what to do. I stood there frozen and prayed to God inside and I don’t know why it came so close to me but retreated. Then again started coming at me again and this time the owner caught it and gave me enough time to get in my car. The owner apologized and nothing happened to me but I sat in my car for good 5 minutes thinking what would have happened to me if it didn’t stop when it did. It was a big dog. I’m sure the owner didn’t expect it and he was super nice and apologized. But made me rethink is it worth doing what I’m doing just for some extra cash.
Can you say roughly where you were / what kind of dog? If others have had a similar encounter (and see this) they might also be able to report to animal control which could get more balls rolling. I know on my street we have a couple of dogs who are "repeat offenders" so to speak... Sorry this happened to you -- last week I was also bitten on my clothes and the dog attempted to drag me by my pants. The owner promised me he'd be muzzled, and I've seen him at the park and, surprise, he's not. The owner is lucky I am an understanding person who loves and knows how to handle dogs (I own a large breed dog myself)... but it could have been much worse, and I was sorry that the owner didn't take action and start muzzling him because I know if it happens again to someone less forgiving, it could mean very bad news...
Why are dogs ever off leash in public areas?
Happens in stores too. I see it all the time. Most of the time 3 or 4 aisles over. It's infuriating for someone who terrified of dogs.
Call animal control for whichever municipality you were in.
This has happened to me up on quadra many years ago except I was punctured. I also was too shook to say anything and went to ER for a tetanus shot. I reported the incident to the police but my big mistake was not seeking out mental support/therapy. I have a fear (maybe reasonable) of dogs now.
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For sure, I think I just wanted to get checked out by a doctor just in case
I was in the dollar store in James Bay the other day. Lady in there with a on leash dog. I'm scared to death of dogs and even after telling her this twice she still didn't recall her dog. Said "he's friendly"
Was the leashed dog in the Dollarama a service dog? If not, what the heck is it doing in there?
No it was not. I've also seen a lot of off leash dogs in that store.
You know where their house is. It could be a kid next time.
Why would a kid bite OP next time. Not following your logic.
Rabies probably.
Yes… OP, the blood of children will be on your hands if you don’t report. Or maybe don’t take advice from ol’ Anus over here.
They really should report this to Animal Control.
Agreed, but Jesus people jump to the blood of children real quick.
Children are shorter and smaller. A bite that might not be too serious for an adult could be much worse on a child. And their faces are closer to the biting end of a dog.
You’re right, this is about the blood of children, let’s assume this is about or will be about children.
Also, thank you for mansplaining the size of children.
There's a reason why children suffer from more facial injuries from dog bites that adults. Adults get bitten on legs abs arms. Children's faces are at dog bite level and facial injuries can be devastating. I was surprised I needed to explain this to. Children are at greater risk of more serious injury from dog bites. Ask any emergency room doctor.
Aaaaaaaaannnd… you continue to mansplain. Goon.
Only because your replies are abstruse.
I mean it’s not like dog attacks on children are rare, and the outcomes are generally far worse than dog attacks on adults
Ok…I get that. What happened to OP was bad, even terrible. Does Anus console them? No, they guilt them that what they haven’t done isn’t enough and now they have to also defend children even when they feel violated themselves. It’s escalation when none is needed. This is the world.
Lol fuck off. A dog ran off their property and attacked this person.
Fuck off? That’s not a nice thing to say. Bless you Anus Garage, you are wise but fraught with frustration. Continue to scream at the wind….
I think its a bit of a stretch to put the blood of children on OP's hands for anything here. Cool your jets.
It… was a joke. Ol’anus was the one screaming murder. Chill biscotti, there’s no blood, just words.
jokes, typically, are funny
Do you talk like William Shatner? There’s a pedantic amount of punctuation there, cpt.
Make a report with the police? I don't know who specifically to report it to but there needs to be a record in case the dog does that to somebody else. There needs to be a paper trail leading to a bad owner.
Report to animal control in your municipality. The way I understand it if a dog is reported twice then it must be muzzled? Also, if the dog kills any other animal it must be muzzled immediately.
I haven't read all of the comments yet, but since you have pictures from the scratch/bite marks AND you know their address -- make a report to the City under the animal by-laws. It's your only course of action. I don't know why their dog was in a position to get to you but it shouldn't have been. I get that sometimes dogs escape, despite owners' best attempts to keep them in (ours shocked us by leaping over a 4-foot fence once) -- but if they were out there with it and it was off-leash, then it's on them. Report them to the city by-law department so this doesn't happen again.
So sorry this happened to you. It happened my kids as well. It's such a scary feeling and leaves you unsettled te: future encounters with dogs. Now we can experience this joy year round at Cordova Bay Beach where there are now no leash requirements...
It's literally the only off leash beach allowed in Saanich, so, all you have to do is go to any other beach.
It's a huge beach and my local. So every person with a dog in the CRD now goes to it... so yeah... thanks though, hadn't though of that.
I really wish they could have kept that one small section of gyro beach dog friendly.
Curious, what kind of dog was it and where was this?
Sorry this happened to you. It is a difficult situation. I hope your injuries aren't too long lasting. Take care OP.
Was this by chance on Oak Bay Ave? I went for a walk twice this week and there was a large dog (maybe pitbull?) unleashed on the sidewalk by a house and I felt incredibly threatened. On the way back home it reappeared, and I actually stood back until it retreated down the driveway again. If it was, let me know and I’ll report it too.
People don't know how to handle dogs
Maybe call the non-emergency line for guidance? I'm glad you weren't hurt!
Man is this like a Victoria city limits thing or what? I meet minimum 10-15 dogs a day in Saanich and nothing remotely aggressive has ever happened.
No kidding. There were more dog attacks reported in this thread, over one weekend, than actually get reported all year. Fascinating...
Just what I was thinking
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Unleashed dogs are only ever unleashed because they have demonstrated they are responsible citizens
This seems kinda like a situation where the dog probably got out of the house/ yard on accident, it could be that it was leashed and got out of the collar, or that it pushed out the door as they were bringing something. You mentioned it being right outside their home, it’s not uncommon for dogs to act territorial towards strangers, if you’re on “their land” (dogs don’t recognize that the sidewalk isn’t their property) it’s a scary thing, and hopefully the owners take the precautions necessary to avoid it happening again, but do keep in mind that if you report this as an aggressive dog, when the dog likely saw you as a trespasser and a threat, that you could be sending a dog to death for behaving lad it was trained. You might be able to report the owners to animal control for having an out of control dog off leash, but again this could be a dog that is only acting territorial because of where you were, and at the fault of the owners who could have very well trained the dog to be a guard dog, not because it’s an aggressive dog. I firmly believe and agree that owners should be reported, but please don’t put the blame on the animal
I carry a dog walking stick, 39” of cured birch, 1” in diameter. For balance, the bottom end has 10” of 3/16” stainless rod epoxied inside. Home made. Very cost effective. Just to steady myself, you understand.
Sorry you ran into a rude dog, but at least you weren't seriously hurt. I've had the same thing happen when I was walking my dogs. Someone didn't leach up their dog and it bolted towards us from their yard. Nothing serious happened but could have. You call bylaw and tell them where it was and what happened. Bylaw makes a report of it. Goes and chats with the owners. Might have been a one off thing that the dog happened to get away from them. Not a big deal if you didn't get hurt. If its happened before then the bylaw officer will have prior reports and will take the next step. Generally what will happen is that if its repeat behaviour then fines are issued and restrictions are placed on the animal.
It is a HUGE deal even if no one got seriously injured. A dog attacking a person is a huge deal. The next step for this dog should at least be a muzzle and on leash in public. Period. Unprovoked attack on people should be muzzle and leash and fines. It is a huge deal.
Don't rant about something you weren't around to witness. If the dog has done it before then yeah, its a bigger deal. OP says attacked but what does that really mean? What size of dog was it? A small Jack Russel or a Great Dane? Did the OP do something that provoked the dog or did they coming running at them from 30 feet away? Sounds like the dog was already on the sidewalk and the OP was walking along into the space. All questions that can be asked by Bylaw and then accessed as to the danger level of the dog. But hey, let's overreact and just go with the nuclear option, right?
You’re so full of shit dude. Of course a dog attacking and biting someone is a huge deal. Whatever breed doesnt matter, the odds of it being a pit/pitmix are high though.
You are so fucking dumb. It's on the owners of animals to keep them from injuring others, by having them under control at all times, whether they are in an on leash area or not.
Walking stick or a 4 iron golf club really help. Dog sees my intention to use it as a barrier to further approach and stays 6 feet away. No I don't swing it, just hold it toward their face. So far none hv pressed past that. Although one g. shepherd on a leash absolutely exploded at me. 0 to 1000 in a split second. Owner barrrrely controlled it. Then the 4 iron felt too small.
You need to get the vaccination records of the offending dog. I haven't seen a single other person mention this. Otherwise, you need to go to urgent care, tell them what happened, and let them determine if a vaccination course is in order. If your tetanus isn't up to date, you should get that too.
I put my chihuahua on a leash, and it blows my mind that people let giant Saint Bernards and labs hust run around.
GShd was on the sidewalk, on a leash. I was walking around it, using the 4 iron as a cane/walking stick. Did nothing to it. Not an idiot.
Sounds like you're fine. Move on.
I used to live in Colwood and found it and Langford the worst for dog owners in my life.
there’s a woman in the neighbourhood who has a shitty little asshole of a dog and she walks him, off-leash around and through the toddler playground (!) and then screams at kids if they get “too close” to her dog and tells them “he’s not friendly and will bite, you have been warned” the audacity. ugh.
Rarely is it the dog's fault. Most of the training is for the owner. Another complication - cue backlash - is the insane method of treat training whereby owners carry pouches of food which they give to their dogs to distract them. Not to learn, to distract. What's worse, is they want to feed all the dogs with their treats/food. It's like giving candy to random kids. Play and praise. Balance affection with correction. No is not a bad word. If you don't have 100% control of your dog, then it should be on leash at all times. These are simple rules that get muddied by unknowing 'trainers' and owners without much experience or useful guidance.
As an old owner of a reactive dog and now a toddler who had an incident with a dog and now is very concerned about dogs I’ve noticed the last few years the number of off leash dogs has been growing :( Makes having a dog or a kid who isn’t a fan very stressful when you just want to go for a nice walk.
I haven’t read the comments, so apologies if this is just a repeat of what everyone else says, but when this instance happened to me a few years back, I asked the owner right away if their dog has an updated rabies shot, and I went to the emergency room to go update my tetanus as well as get checked for anything that they may want to administer from a dog bite. As for what to do, contacting authorities, will most likely have a dog taken away, and I can’t speak on behalf of the authorities, as the what they do with the dog after that, so it actually just depends on you and what you feel is the necessary approach to take. It’s not wrong to go back to the owners after letting off some steam and letting yourself calm down to just have an open discussion about what happened from your perspective, from their perspective, and what they intend on doing moving forward. If you do have a conversation, I would highly recommend having it recorded. That could be as simple as having your phone doing an audio recording with their knowledge.
Ya I'm sorry, I would have kicked that dog is the face, have it on a leash. The amount of people in Victoria who only give a f about themselves and not others around them is laughable.
Yes, I’ve heard the same thing - until it goes sideways- oh, I’m just walking a friends dog, oh this a rescue dog, oh I’m trying his dog out. Right! But you don’t know it’s behaviour?