What if...

[weecalf]

When out for my early morning walk ..Going up a tree lined pathway what was standing ther but a big alsation dog ..I just froze its dark no one around .It just stares at me so back track down the pat .Luckily he does not follow me ..I intend to go home and forget the walk .then I thinks why should someone elses dog stop me from going about my lawful and enjoyable walk .So with determination I decide to go about my walk .I see him in the distance but continue on .He goes over the wall back into his owners garden .so I continue .Later on the same day Im again up the road passing the owners house .I drew his attention and pointed out that the dog was on the road earlier that morning .I ask would he bite .The owner say well he does not like strangers .As these people have just moved in this house they would not be known to me so yes I would be a stranger to the dog .What can I do because I am not going to give up my early morning walk .what if he bites me .Now I know that the dog is on the road which might bite me would it be construed that I was reckless in going for the walk and putting myself in danger .

[Eve]

I get a lot round here, probably as I'm right by a large park and there are a couple of regulars. I report them to the Dog Wardens.

Try and do it in office hours if possible as ours are difficult and say they won't come out unless you have the dog restrained/captured out of hours and I've spent up to half an hour on hold before now by which point the dog is goodness knows where! I'm sorry but not a chance as you just never know.

Some of them can be quite aggressive. Once caused a fair bit of damage trying to get to next door's dog to the effect they had to replace an entire fence section and get their dog done just in case. I've also had them poo on my front lawn and scuff it up and felt quite threatened - one particular regular was squaring up to a massive bull mastiff (thankfully on lead with owner but if that dog wanted to go then the owner would never have been able to hold it back, it was huge) not long ago.

I call the wardens for a number of reasons, not just the safety of people, especially young children out (especially with the park) and animals - one of my aunt's cats was killed by a dog let run loose - but also the dog itself as who knows what could happen to it on roads or coming into contact with other dogs. For those on the loose I do it so their owner has a chance of tracing them.

There was a nasty incident in the park recently when a loose bull mastiff killed a dog and badly injured a woman trying to protect her young children. You just don't know what even a normally passive animal might do if it feels threatened.

[starone]

I was under the impression that dogs had to be kept on a lead. What was it doing out loose?The dog warden around here picks up any stray dogs and takes them to the dog pound and it costs a pretty penny to get them back out again. (Haven't used that expression for yonks - a pretty penny - expressive though isn't it!)

[Ann]

I'm scared of loose dogs too, even though we had a dog for 18 years when I was growing up - luckily we rarely see any loose ones roaming around these days (is it against the law now?) I definitely would take a few biscuits with you and throw one to it while you are a way off, do the same on the return journey and it will remember you as someone who brings treats and is non-threatening.

[weecalf]

Update as promised .Tuesday morning no dog ..Thanks for all the replies .I dont really want to bring the dog biscuits ect .What if I for got some morning .I dont want it to remember me at all .