Woman Attacks Finn

[~Annie~]

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I am so cross. My dogs aren't perfect, they don't always come back the moment they are recalled if they've found another dog to play with. But they are two of the gentlest, softest whippets on the planet and would simply never harm another dog or a person.

Today on our walk on the hills a woman was coming towards me walking a lurcher and a terrier, both off lead so I didn't bother to call my two to me. They took off at a trot to investigate these new dogs and when this woman saw my boys coming she grabbed her lurchers collar. I then called mine back and Tyg came back to me, but Finn was nose to nose with this lurcher by now, both dogs tails wagging, no growling, no barking. Finn was so busy making friends I really don't think he knew I'd called. But this crazy woman started shooing at him and the more she flapped the more interested in her and her lurcher he got. Meanwhile her terrier is circling and barking it's head off. No way was it under her control but all the while (no more than a minute or two, start to finish) she's yelling at me to get my bloody dog under control when all mine is doing is greeting hers in normal doggy fashion. I'd nearly caught up to her and I called Finn away again and as he started to move away from her she threw her walking pole at him ... she actually took aim and threw it point first like a javelin and it hit him hard. If my dogs had been behaving aggressively, if hers had been on leads or behaving as if they were frightened ... but she attacked my dog with no care for the damage she might do simply because he said a doggy hello to hers. I was so angry I was speechless ... wish now I'd really had a go at her but at the time I was too busy making sure Finn was ok.

He seems uninjured apart from a bruise but he's very subdued ... I just can't believe another dog lover would behave in that way toward a dog that was so clearly no threat. It's really shaken us both.

Annie

 

[Esty]

Totally understand how angry you are - I'd be the same. Then your mind races with all the things you wish you'd said! Some people call themselves animal lovers but have no understanding of animal language at all. You'd hope that someone with a lurcher would know how other sighthounds are! Thing is, if I'd have seen them coming I'd have taken mine OFF the lead because they are much more balanced that way - if an excited dog comes at them and they are on the lead they pull away and tie themselves in knots, not to mention could hurt their necks. If they are off lead they just sniff and have a little run, much more sociable and they have to option to run if the other dog turns snarly.

You'll have to console yourself by knowing you didn't do anything to make the situation worse, she just did all the wrong things, silly woman. Makes you livid, though. That could have been a nice encounter and she made it horrible, dangerous even. Think I'd have said something if she'd have done that to my dogs - I'm normally a pacifist but think I might have had a little javelin go at HER!!

 

[FifeJillandIan]

Aw, poor Finn :huggles: and poor you too, you must be feeling quite shaken up after such a horrible encounter.

Jill

 

[Nicola]

Don't you just despair at other dog owners at times??? Fancy throwing her stick like that. :angry:

My Fred usually goes up to other dogs to say hello, and being quite elderly now (and deaf), he's always very friendly. I'd hate to think someone would throw something at him...it's so obvious from his body language he means no harm, and if he did, he wouldn't be off lead around other dogs.

 

[Julie D]

Gosh, stupid woman, she needs to watch 'The dog whisperer'

(isn't Ceaser so cute ?)

I really hope your Finn is only a little bruised and not scared to go out now, she must be mad, love to Finn, poor boy XXXX

 

[jinx and rubys mum]

Love to you all

Barmy Old Bat xxx :angry:

I can never think of good retorts in situations but that was well out of order xx

 

[Janimal]

God hope you are all ok.....bloody maniac... :unsure: :wacko:

Ive met some real weirdos on walks too... honestly is there any need to act like this...

think Id have picked her stick up and thrown it back towards her... :angry:

 

[annie2]

I am sorry to hear such a story. I despair how careless and thoughtless some people are, and to throw a stick what was she thinking about. My best guess is she was frightened as she had very little control over her dogs.

I hope you are all feeling a little less shocked now and Finn is ok.

annex

 

[jinnyfizz]

Annie, that's awful!!!!!

I'd be tempted to try and see her again and give her a talking to - she obviously has no concept of dog behaviour whatsoever :rant:

I do hope Fynn recovers quickly - poor lad :huggles:

 

[bones1380]

think Id have picked her stick up and thrown it back towards her... :angry:

I don't think i'd have thrown her stick back at her, would of shoved it up her **** :angry:

 

[fallenangel]

what is with people I am trying my best to fined a way to shoo of a biting dog cos i dont want to hurt it and you have your frenly dog meeting another frendly dog and the owner is the one thatsneed to be on a lead and muzzled. why dont peoepl spend time getting to know there dogs it drives me mad. if i am outin a dog walking ariea like you mine guys are off lead going saying hellow to other dogs and beging dogs. I think its the owner who needs socilisation classes you et a stick then if you see her you can through it at her and see what she thinks

 

[Hula]

I think there is more and more "dog rage " going about . Last week another dog owner (a woman ) kicked my little poodle pup , she is 13 inches tall . Her crime - she wanted to play with the womans cocker spaniel :angry:

 

[~Annie~]

Thanks for all the well wishes guys ... it felt silly to be shaken so much but I just kept thinking what if she had hit his head or his eye ... and I felt as if I had let him down by not being able to protect him from her.

We're both fine this morning apart from Finn's bruise. He had arnica last night and extra sardines (big treat), and OH made me abandon my diet for the evening and opened a bottle of wine and fed me prawn fried rice, so the day ended well.

Not sure what I'll do if I see her again ... confront her or avoid her in case she throws something at us again.

Annie

 

[Esty]

I would try and speak to her if you see her again - the way she is acting she will actually make dogs aggressive and some poor dog could end up being put down because it bites her, all totally her own fault. Ask her why she reacted like that to a friendly dog? And tell her that behaving like that will MAKE other dogs get wound up around hers. She sounds quite dim! She needs to learn that you don't ''flap'' around dogs, and you certainly don't throw stuff at them until you want it thrown back... :-

 

[rls22]

How absolutely awful Annie. I'm glad Finn is ok apart from the bruise.

I think if I saw her again I would be inclined to speak to her and tell her that she had injured Finn and how her behaviour was completely irrational.

Prawn fried rice and wine - yummy!!! :lol:

 

[hely]

OH MY GOD...thats bloody shocking.........im not sure i would have been able to control myself if that had been gypo.......nasty spiteful bitch :angry:

hope finn is ok xx

 

[caitlin]

There are some strange dogs around and some even more peculiar owners!! :angry:

We've all been there with these freaks - wish you all the best and hope Finn is o.k now. I don't think you were doing anything wrong in letting him go up to the other dogs.

 

[TTT]

In my experience it is wrong to always assume that strange dogs will be friendly. Ok, we have all watched the Dog Whisperer and feel that we know our own dogs and can read the body language of other dogs..........until the s"&t hits the fan and a dog/person gets injured. If your dog is not responding to recall and is out of your reach/not on a lead where it is under control, causing annoyance to other people/dogs I believe the owner is not being responsible.

 

[~Annie~]

On the whole I agree with you. Sure it's an unwritten rule that owners keep unreliable dogs on leads but of course that's no guarantee that off lead dogs are friendly, however this one clearly was. Equally, having apparently misread the situation and assumed that this woman was happy for the dogs to meet, a scenario that's played out repeatedly on our walks, I briefly lost control of one selectively deaf dog, something for which I would have been humbly apologetic had this woman not attacked my dog ... and she really did attack him, I'm not talking about an irate swipe at him but a deliberate act of calculated violence, hence my post. I myself have grumbled many a time about dogs that appear out of nowhere with no owner in sight to issue a command, but my dogs were within 30 feet of me (always are) and one failed to respond to a first command but responded to a second ... ok, not perfect, but hardly irresponsible.

As for Cesar Milan, lets just say I'm not a fan, rather the opposite. After over 25 years of multiple dog ownership and having grown up around dogs I don't need Cesar Milan's help to read a dog's body language. I obviously do need someone's help though in learning to recognise the crazy people.

Annie

 

[Esty]

In my experience it is wrong to always assume that strange dogs will be friendly. Ok, we have all watched the Dog Whisperer and feel that we know our own dogs and can read the body language of other dogs..........until the s"&t hits the fan and a dog/person gets injured. If your dog is not responding to recall and is out of your reach/not on a lead where it is under control, causing annoyance to other people/dogs I believe the owner is not being responsible.

That would mean no-one could ever let a whippet off lead except in a dog park on its own....... :-