One week ago, new neighbours moved in. With them, they brought a kelpie cross dog. Most weekends if the weather is warm enough, we leave our front and back doors open. We have a front yard with a gate that is always closed so Ted can’t roam the street. Yesterday was a beautiful day so the doors were open. We were home and no matter where we are in the house, we can hear when the front gate is opened. I had given Teddy a treat and taken him out the back so he could eat it in the sun on the grass and not on the rug like he wanted to. Steve and I were getting ready to head out and both went upstairs at the same time to get changed. I heard my neighbour calling his dog (also called Teddy) and thought nothing of it until I heard a dog yelping and crying out in pain. It was the same noise I heard when Teddy was mauled a few years earlier and while I knew the front gate was closed, I also knew it was my dog being attacked and I flew down the stairs to find him.
At first, I thought he had somehow gotten out the front of gate, but he wasn’t out the front when I checked and I realised the noise was coming from the backyard. I raced out the back to see my Teddy cowering on the ground and the neighbour’s dog was standing next to him. I picked Teddy up straight away not even thinking that the other dog could have a go at me. Lucky it didn’t and lucky Steve was right behind me and yelled at the dog to get out of the backyard.
The owner told us that the dog had been outside off lead and had gotten scared when another dog barked at it. The dog then jumped our front fence, went through our house and straight out to my backyard where it attacked Ted. Ted was ok, he had a bite to his ear that was only a graze (I know it was a bite as there was slobber on it). He was terrified and curled himself up in to a ball for a long time until I could calm him down.
The guy apologised profusely and said ‘I didn’t know he would do that’. Neither did the last two owners of the dogs that attacked Teddy. The attack was unprovoked (just as the last two were). My dog was eating his treat in his own backyard when he was attacked. The guy said that he was babysitting his housemates dog and wasn’t aware the dog was vicious. That’s not my problem in the slightest. I don’t care if you weren’t aware. I don’t care that the dog got a fright. The actions of the dog after that followed are what I care about. If I had a child in my house or in my backyard, that situation could have been a hell of a lot worse.
We reported the dog to the council, knowing nothing will be done this time, but that it will be on record. We’ve made the mistake twice before of not reporting the dogs and the first time, the owner continued to walk the dog off lead and around children knowing the dog had mauled another dog before. That time was a lot worse, the guy himself was bitten when he tried to get Ted out of the dogs mouth.
I am not saying Teddy is perfect. But I know Teddy and I know his personality. I know he is uneasy around small children (he has not been exposed to many) and that if caught unaware, he will growl at them. Since I know that, I am super vigilant when there are children around. I always tell the child’s parent that Ted is not good around children and can you please make sure your child stays clear. I know that isn’t always easy, so I don’t let my guard down and I am always between Ted and the child. Do I think he would attack a child? No. I know he wouldn’t. He might growl and put his teeth on a child, but he would never bite. Do I assume that because I think he would never bite a child that I can use that as an excuse if he did? No. Dogs are unpredictable and my dog is no different. What I do know is that Ted would never jump a fence and go and attack another dog. I know that when called, he will come. I know that when he is told to stop, he will stop. I know when he is told to heel, he will heel. So he is allowed outside, off lead. Because I know I can control him and if I see children or a cat or danger ahead, I can tell him to stop and he will so I can put a lead on him.
The reason for this post is to tell people to not assume their dogs won’t bite. If your dog is hard to handle off lead, if your dog is easily spooked (by as little as a dog barking at it!), if your dog is unpredictable – do not let it off lead and free to roam the street. If that dog had run down our street, it could have run in to a number of children that live there. In fact, on the other side of that neighbour is a house with a 1 year old and they leave their door open often too. I hate to think what could have happened if the dog went the other way.
Please be aware of your dog’s behaviour and please learn your dog’s personality well. It might just save a child or dog from being attacked in future.
