Dog Attack - - - Advice Needed, Please.

[gemspan]

Hi Questioner

 

I was very sorry to read this thread. I hope you are feeling better now.

 

As a dog behaviourist I know that it is often the dogs that don't warn before striking that are the most dangerous. I have to say though that I have never heard of this ever happening before but it is something that I will remember and keep at the back of my mind if I have clients who have dogs that like to tear up the mail. A simple cage at the back of the door would solve the problem and obviously would have stopped this horrendous event happening.

 

I don't think that a warden has any legal right to demand the owner put up a sign or have a cage installed but it may be that this is what they advised the owner to do in case, as you say, a child puts its hands through the letterbox at some stage in the future. That would be terrible!

 

I have never thought about the dangers of leaflet delivering, nor indeed the dangers that our postmen and woman face each day in light of your thread. I will put a warning on some of the dog forums I moderate on to let people know the dangers if their dogs are aggressive to callers (ie postmen, delivery people etc.,). At least I can then feel I have done something to stop this happening again.

 

I do hope you feel better in the future and, I have to say, that if one of my dogs had carried out such an attack (but they're all softies - more likely to lick your hand than bite it!) I would be beside myself with worry about you. The owner does nothing to promote responsible dog ownership.

 

I do think that this would be a very difficult case to prove but perhaps if you had received more concern from the owner initially you wouldn't be feeling like this now. It is horrible for this to have happened and I will do my best to warn other dog owners about the possibility.

 

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 

Best wishes

Gemspan