Tell me about aggressive Rottweilers and dogs in general

[MotherGoose]

Before I describe my situation, please let me make this caveat so this discussion doesn't veer off course: I do not think all Rottweilers are aggressive or dangerous, and in fact I have known some an extremely sweet one that my dachshunds chased out of our yard. I've known sweet Pitt bulls. I'm not making any generalizations about the breed. I've met aggressive dogs that are of other breeds that aren't stereotyped as aggressive. But in this particular situation, the dog is a Rottweiler, and as they are known to be more aggressive as a breed than others, the stereotype applies in this situation.

 

Anyway...we are buying land (30 acres) on which we plan to build a house. Yesterday we were walking the property line on an area that the neighbors Rottweiler evidently views as his. We met neighbor, who was walking the dog on a leash because neighbor says he can't safely let the dog off a leash and he has to keep him in a pen. Most people let their dogs run and it's not a problem. Dog has a fit, barking, lunging at us, and I asked if it would help if we let him sniff us and make friends. He said, No! Well this is a hundred pound dog and neighbor is in his sixties with bad shoulders, he said, and he really couldn't control dog. Eventually dog gets to us and jumps on us and I'm really quite scared. He jumped on dh too and bit him through his clothes, leaving scratches and bruises. Clearly he didn't bite with all his strength. We leave asap. Neighbor is apologetic and concerned.

 

Here's my question...if we are on our property away from the line, acres away from this neighbor, and the dog gets loose, is he likely to behave so aggressively in an area he doesn't see as his? I have small children. I have always taught them how to meet dogs and make friends with them as we've always had neighbors with big slobbering labs. This dog does not want to be friends. This neighbor shouldn't even have him, as he's clearly not able to manage him. I want my children to be able to run free in the woods. How should any of us handle him? WWYD? To clarify, neighbor does keep him penned up and recognizes the threat, my concern is dog escaping.

[Guest]

An aggressive dog is an aggressive dog- it doesn't matter where. I would assume he would be aggressive in any area. I would worry about the kids and make sure you had a sturdy fence they stayed inside until the dog issue is settled. There's no way I would let them run in the woods knowing that dog could be out.

 

Personally, I would report what happened to you to animal control and hope they picked him up. And I would keep a gun (edited to say: if you know how to use one) on me when outside the fence in the pasture working if the dog isn't dealt with by the authorities. If he crosses your property line and comes at you aggressively, that's your main option. Most women (or men for that matter) can't fight off a dog that size with a bat or some other type of weapon and there's no way 911 will get to you in time.

 

There's no way I would trust the neighbor or the dog with my kids at this point. I know you want them to be able to run, but it's not worth the risk with the situation you describe. A dog like that is as dangerous as an unattended loaded gun in my opinion.

Edited April 15, 2017 by texasmom33

[Guest]

One other thing- ymmv, but I would teach my kids how to try and be neutral to dogs rather than try and make friends. Kids are unpredictable, no matter how much they try not to be, and that can end up getting them bitten. I would try and show them not to run, not to have aggressive posture and not to approach a dog every unless invited by the owner and with YOUR permission. They need to learn to assume not all dogs are friendly. I'm not saying to scare them, but they need to respect them.

[maize]

Definitely report the incident.

[mamaraby]

I would call the non-emergency number of the Sheriff's Office for the county your land is in today and make a bite report. It starts a paper trail if there isn't one already. In my state, that's what Deputies do all the time. Dispatch will know who should take care of it if it is is another agency or is handled differently in your area.

 

As for what to do? Get a fence.

[AimeeM]

As someone else said, an aggressive dog is an aggressive dog.

Most of the time.

 

Our late GSD (Luke) seemed aggressive to outsiders. It turned out he had cancer. It wasn't really on anyone's radar because of his relatively young age (2-ish). He was in pain - and aggressive because of it, but not because he was an aggressive dog, if that makes any sense. Through it all, like your neighbor's dog isn't aggressive toward him, our Luke was never aggressive toward us or our children (in fact, he enjoyed being climbed on by children). 

 

There's no way to know in this situation. Only because of my personal situation, I would be inclined (since there was no serious injury) to first suggest to the owner that he take the dog for a complete check-up, which would need to include describing the incident, but that if he doesn't you will have to report the incident.

Edited April 15, 2017 by AimeeM

[MotherGoose]

One other thing- ymmv, but I would teach my kids how to try and be neutral to dogs rather than try and make friends. Kids are unpredictable, no matter how much they try not to be, and that can end up getting them bitten. I would try and show them not to run, not to have aggressive posture and not to approach a dog every unless invited by the owner and with YOUR permission. They need to learn to assume not all dogs are friendly. I'm not saying to scare them, but they need to respect them.

I agree. The situations we have dealt with in the past have been the dogs coming up and wanting to give them a sniff and a check out, while wagging their tails, and my children wanting to run away in terror. So I've shown them to hold out their hands, palm down, let dog sniff, calm down, and etc. to not run away in terror. Also especially since these dogs are neighbors dogs that we know are okay.

[MotherGoose]

Thank you all for your advice. I've definitely thought I would be within my moral and legal rights to shoot on sight if he's on my property and loose. I do hate to start out our relationship with the neighbor with a police report. I guess if the tables were turned I would probably want the neighbor to come talk to me about it before reporting. Perhaps we should do that first. I have a feeling that we aren't the first people he's done this to. Why on earth do people keep dogs they can't manage?? My in laws have a Great Dane that lives inside their 1200 sq ft house. He barely even gets to go outside because they are in very ill health--and they got him as a puppy recently after they were in ill health. I understand wanting a dog but get something small and manageable. It's cruel to the dog.

[Tanaqui]

I suppose it's not feasible to fence in your entire 30 acres, but you can still fence in an area close to the house, and also along the property line there, can't you? That'd be my very first thought. This dog should be kept in a fenced area when it's not in its pen.

[Pawz4me]

I don't think you can make any valid conclusions based only on what you experienced.

 

An aggressive dog is NOT always an aggressive dog.

 

Leash aggression/reactivity is an extremely common problem, even in otherwise gentle, mild mannered dogs.

 

I'd need to see the dog off leash and away from his owner to even begin to make a guess as to his overall temperament.

 

I'd check my local laws very, very carefully before I decided I had the legal right to shoot a dog for simply being on my property.

 

The man's admissions about the dog certainly ARE worrisome and I'd take those at face value. But honestly many, many people who own dogs are totally clueless (just look how many people believe the stupid and thoroughly discredited alpha theory).

 

I don't know what I'd do in your shoes regarding purchasing the property.

Edited April 15, 2017 by Pawz4me

[StephanieZ]

Honestly, IMHO, this is a life threatening risk.

 

I'd document dh's injuries by going to the DR. I'd report to the DR what happened. The DR should report the bites to authorities, as that's required by law in general. If the DR won't report (ask him to!), then I'd call the cops. 

 

You need this dog gone, IMHO. 

 

I would, personally, buy a gun and learn how to use it, and I'd kill the dog (and bury it) at my first chance.

 

I'm a dog lover. I've never hurt a dog.

 

But, if I were in a situation as you describe, with young children around, I'd kill the dog the first chance I got. To maintain peace, I'd bury it and never mention it to anyone, ever. If you don't want to bury it, and you'd prefer the confrontation with the neighbor, then I'd kill it, call the cops, and tell the cops it was threatening me/my kids/my animals (property or people or pets/livestock), and so I killed it, and ask the police to notify the neighbor to collect the body. 

 

If you really don't want to kill the dog, then I guess there is a 5% chance that talking to the owner, telling him you're fearful and dh was injured already . . . and that he must keep the dog confined 100% of the time . . . MIGHT work. I highly doubt it though. People who are responsible with their pets would not have let happen what already happened. 

 

The one thing I would NOT do is move in and imagine that my kids were going to be safe, at all, as long as the dog was around.

 

 

[gardenmom5]

Thank you all for your advice. I've definitely thought I would be within my moral and legal rights to shoot on sight if he's on my property and loose. I do hate to start out our relationship with the neighbor with a police report. I guess if the tables were turned I would probably want the neighbor to come talk to me about it before reporting. Perhaps we should do that first. I have a feeling that we aren't the first people he's done this to. 

 

I"m confused - this happened in. front. of. the. neighbor.  what's left to talk about?  did the neighbor promise the dog is always contained?  either in a kennel or on a leash?  in an area with that much land - I'd be skeptical.  unless the dog has a record of biting people.

 

I would strongly advise to report the bite - if just to have a paper trail.   my area has a two bite max - then the county will take/get-rid of the dog.  (and that includes areas with multi-acre property)

 

you can't trust the dog to not think where it is isn't his property.  if he'd been freely roaming, you don't know that he doesn't consider your property his.

[MotherGoose]

I"m confused - this happened in. front. of. the. neighbor. what's left to talk about? did the neighbor promise the dog is always contained? either in a kennel or on a leash? in an area with that much land - I'd be skeptical. unless the dog has a record of biting people.

 

I would strongly advise to report the bite - if just to have a paper trail. my area has a two bite max - then the county will take/get-rid of the dog. (and that includes areas with multi-acre property)

 

you can't trust the dog to not think where it is isn't his property. if he'd been freely roaming, you don't know that he doesn't consider your property his.

It did happen in front of the neighbor. What I'm thinking about discussing is the fact that we have young children, are scared of dog, and want him gone for our safety. And that it appears he can't manage him And we are worried he could get away from neighbor while on leash or escape pen and come to us. We will have time to sort this out a bit as we haven't closed on land and is wooded, so a lot of work will have to be done before kids are able to run in the woods. I will check my laws, but as my state has stand your ground laws in regards to shooting people, the same mindset probably extends to animals. I love animals, too. I had an aggressive dachshund, who behaved a lot like this dog, only he was a tiny dog. ETA you can't just randomly shoot dogs On your land that haven't harmed you, I'm talking about a dog that has already demonstrated aggression. Edited April 15, 2017 by MotherGoose

[lllll]

When we lived out in the woods on 125 acres, a Rottweiler and a St. Bernard walked up to our yard one day.  I have NO idea whether they were aggressive or not.  I just called Animal Control and they came out and picked up both dogs and hauled them off.  I never heard anything else about it and never saw the dogs again.  Nice and impersonal.

 

I think I'd try something like that first, while keeping my kids inside until the whole thing is resolved and y'all feel SAFE on your own property.

 

Good luck.  

[BarbecueMom]

Did you get the vibe that the neighbor does not want the property bought and built on? That perhaps he was using the dog to scare you off? There have been two different articles in the paper in the past six months in our area, with people buying and building on property, only to have their neighbors sabotaging their access to try to get them to abandon it. It's scared me off of ever wanting to buy land and build out here. I'm not dealing with that garbage.

[terrafirma]

I am a little confused as to how the interaction played out. Did the dog start acting aggressively and then a conversation ensued about letting the dog sniff & make friends with the neighbor saying he had a hard time wrangling a 100+ pound dog, etc....? I guess what I'm thinking is if a dog is giving warning signs, I would think it be best to move away from a dog immediately rather than pursue a conversation at that time. I can barely wrestle my 12 pound cat when he doesn't want to be held.

 

I agree with a poster above that mentioned leash aggression. My parents rescued a stray chow mix that was very good natured. However, they would sometimes let her outside by leashing her on a stake chain. One day a neighbor came over to borrow something, and the dog bit her ankle. I believe if the dog had been loose rather than chained at the time, the bite never would have happened. I also babysat for a neighbor when I was in high school, so I was over at their house many times. They had a very friendly dog. However, one day I was walking through their yard while that dog was outside leashed up, and it started barking and lunging towards me. I remember being really shocked! Leashes/chains can really change how a dog interacts.

 

That said, dogs the size of a Rott make me nervous! I have a friend who had a 160 pound Rott that was very much the gentle giant, but I could never get comfortable around a dog that I would have no chance "winning" against. But, he was very calm tempered. The only time he showed a sign of aggression was shortly before he passed away, and it was determined that he was in quite a bit of pain. My friend adores the breed and has a new Rott puppy, who is rather rough-and-tumble, but he's only about 16 weeks.

 

Anyway, you said the neighbor was apologetic and concerned. I think I would try to talk to the neighbor first.

 

[Jen500]

I agree with the others that suggested talking to the neighbor first.

[MotherGoose]

I am a little confused as to how the interaction played out. Did the dog start acting aggressively and then a conversation ensued about letting the dog sniff & make friends with the neighbor saying he had a hard time wrangling a 100+ pound dog, etc....? I guess what I'm thinking is if a dog is giving warning signs, I would think it be best to move away from a dog immediately rather than pursue a conversation at that time. I can barely wrestle my 12 pound cat when he doesn't want to be held.

 

I agree with a poster above that mentioned leash aggression. My parents rescued a stray chow mix that was very good natured. However, they would sometimes let her outside by leashing her on a stake chain. One day a neighbor came over to borrow something, and the dog bit her ankle. I believe if the dog had been loose rather than chained at the time, the bite never would have happened. I also babysat for a neighbor when I was in high school, so I was over at their house many times. They had a very friendly dog. However, one day I was walking through their yard while that dog was outside leashed up, and it started barking and lunging towards me. I remember being really shocked! Leashes/chains can really change how a dog interacts.

 

That said, dogs the size of a Rott make me nervous! I have a friend who had a 160 pound Rott that was very much the gentle giant, but I could never get comfortable around a dog that I would have no chance "winning" against. But, he was very calm tempered. The only time he showed a sign of aggression was shortly before he passed away, and it was determined that he was in quite a bit of pain. My friend adores the breed and has a new Rott puppy, who is rather rough-and-tumble, but he's only about 16 weeks.

 

Anyway, you said the neighbor was apologetic and concerned. I think I would try to talk to the neighbor first.

Originally he was just barking, and so I thought, as is often the case, that if we became acquainted t he might calm down. This was the first time we ever met him. So we were shouting introductions over the barking. We actually tried to walk away and continue conversation later.

 

As to whether he was trying to intimidate us, no, I don't think so. He did ask if we were going to develop the land and was relieved when we said we were just Going to put our one house on it, not a subdivision.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I am a bit confused too. If someone ignored me as a dog owner saying that I don't want someone trying to make friends with my dog, I would be really upset if they stayed around to do so anyway. Ignoring a dog owners warnings can make a bad situation worse and it's the dog that loses out every single time.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Harriet Vane]

Thank you all for your advice. I've definitely thought I would be within my moral and legal rights to shoot on sight if he's on my property and loose. I do hate to start out our relationship with the neighbor with a police report. I guess if the tables were turned I would probably want the neighbor to come talk to me about it before reporting. Perhaps we should do that first. I have a feeling that we aren't the first people he's done this to. Why on earth do people keep dogs they can't manage?? My in laws have a Great Dane that lives inside their 1200 sq ft house. He barely even gets to go outside because they are in very ill health--and they got him as a puppy recently after they were in ill health. I understand wanting a dog but get something small and manageable. It's cruel to the dog.

 

Honestly, you have small children. Their safety comes first, not your neighbor's feelings. You need to report this--there must be a record that the dog is aggressive.

[almondbutterandjelly]

I would not buy that property.  I would never feel like my kids would be safe outside unless that dog was gone.

Edited April 15, 2017 by perkybunch

[MotherGoose]

I am a bit confused too. If someone ignored me as a dog owner saying that I don't want someone trying to make friends with my dog, I would be really upset if they stayed around to do so anyway. Ignoring a dog owners warnings can make a bad situation worse and it's the dog that loses out every single time.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's not what we did. When he said no don't do that, we didn't. We tried to walk away but he wanted to talk. Then the dog eventually lunged away from him on the retractable leash toward us. Truly, we did nothing wrong and could've done nothing differently unless we could have predicted that the dog would've behaved in the way he did. ETA and we were twenty feet away during the conversation too until the dog dragged him closer. Edited April 15, 2017 by MotherGoose

[OneStepAtATime]

O.k. I want to make sure I am visualizing this scenario correctly. You and your DH were walking the property, you ran into your potential new neighbor walking his Rottweiler on a leash and you stopped to talk. You were at least 20 feet away. The dog was barking so you asked if letting him sniff you both and get to know you better would help him feel safer and the owner said not at all, not in the least, he may attack and he is not strong enough to control him. You and your DH try to leave but the owner of the dog is trying to communicate with you over the barking. You are still about 20 feet from the owner and his dog. The dog is on a leash but the leash is a long retractable version and the dog manages to run the 20 feet, attacks you and your DH, manages to bite your DH before the owner can get him back under control and the owner at that point expresses concern and apologizes. Did he offer to pay medical bills if it turned out your DH might need stitches? Did he seem to realize how very serious the situation was and how badly it might have ended up?

 

1. I would talk to the neighbor, explaining how concerned you are and why and that you have young children. See what he is willing to do. I agree, it seems a bad idea to start out on a very bad note. I would agree, though, that you should file a bite report. Maybe explain that you feel this needs to be done.

 

2. If I were really attached to buying the property I would immediately put a very sturdy fence up in the backyard of the house that couldn't be chewed through or dug under so the kids could play.

 

3. I would not allow the kids to roam free on the property in case the dog got out.

 

 

I love dogs. In fact, I love all animals. And I have owned a Rottweiler. He was a wonderful dog and I still miss him. So does my family. However, as gentle and kind and loving as he was, even though he was raised around my best friend and I considered them close, he did try to attack her once. Why? We have no idea. As soon as he saw her he started growling, barking and running across the living room to get to her. I was carrying magazines and threw them in his face to slow him down as my friend bolted up the stairs to my room. It happened very quickly. He barked and growled and flung himself at my door until Mom took him outside. No idea why he was upset.

 

My mom's best friend had neighbors with a Rottweiler. It knew her well. She played with it often. She was there during a party. They had the dog around the other people. Not an aggressive dog. Quite friendly. She was playing with the dog's toy. He ripped her face off. She had to have reconstructive surgery.

 

Dogs, just like humans, can be unpredictable. A non-aggressive dog can have a bad day, too. A dog that is KNOWN to be aggressive and that the owner already acknowledges will attack other people and he has a hard time controlling is not a dog to risk being around, especially with young children. If the dog were to come onto your property there is a distinct possibility that he will attack. And now he knows your scent and that of your husband. The encounter was not a positive one for any of you so he may associate that scent with danger. I would be worried.

Edited April 15, 2017 by OneStepAtATime

[Jean in Newcastle]

I can't imagine having a dog like a Rottweiler on a retractable leash.  My own "wild dog" is on a leash made out of climbing rope and has a Gentle leader to help manage him.  And when we meet people or animals he's immediately put on a "sit - stay". 

 

OP - this of course is something you have no control over.  It's just a comment about how I don't think that the owner is making good choices. 

[PrincessMommy]

You say you're going to build a house on the property.  Who is going to build it?  Are they going to be in danger of this dog while on your property?  Who will be responsible if the dog attacks a construction worker on your property?

 

This is in addition to be very concerned for my children.  If I bought 100 acres I would expect my children to have the freedom to roam safely and explore their property (proper ages of course) To me that would be a wonderful benefit of owning so much land.    I would probably walk away from this property, if possible.

 

 

[MotherGoose]

O.k. I want to make sure I am visualizing this scenario correctly. You and your DH were walking the property, you ran into your potential new neighbor walking his Rottweiler on a leash and you stopped to talk. You were at least 20 feet away. The dog was barking so you asked if letting him sniff you both and get to know you better would help him feel safer and the owner said not at all, not in the least, he may attack and he is not strong enough to control him. You and your DH try to leave but the owner of the dog is trying to communicate with you over the barking. You are still about 20 feet from the owner and his dog. The dog is on a leash but the leash is a long retractable version and the dog manages to run the 20 feet, attacks you and your DH, manages to bite your DH before the owner can get him back under control and the owner at that point expresses concern and apologizes. Did he offer to pay medical bills if it turned out your DH might need stitches? Did he seem to realize how very serious the situation was and how badly it might have ended up?

 

1. I would talk to the neighbor, explaining how concerned you are and why and that you have young children. See what he is willing to do. I agree, it seems a bad idea to start out on a very bad note. I would agree, though, that you should file a bite report. Maybe explain that you feel this needs to be done.

 

2. If I were really attached to buying the property I would immediately put a very sturdy fence up in the backyard of the house that couldn't be chewed through or dug under so the kids could play.

 

3. I would not allow the kids to roam free on the property in case the dog got out.

 

 

I love dogs. In fact, I love all animals. And I have owned a Rottweiler. He was a wonderful dog and I still miss him. So does my family. However, as gentle and kind and loving as he was, even though he was raised around my best friend and I considered them close, he did try to attack her once. Why? We have no idea. As soon as he saw her he started growling, barking and running across the living room to get to her. I was carrying magazines and threw them in his face to slow him down as my friend bolted up the stairs to my room. It happened very quickly. He barked and growled and flung himself at my door until Mom took him outside. No idea why he was upset.

 

My mom's best friend had neighbors with a Rottweiler. It knew her well. She played with it often. She was there during a party. They had the dog around the other people. Not an aggressive dog. Quite friendly. She was playing with the dog's toy. He ripped her face off. She had to have reconstructive surgery.

 

Dogs, just like humans, can be unpredictable. A non-aggressive dog can have a bad day, too. A dog that is KNOWN to be aggressive and that the owner already acknowledges will attack other people and he has a hard time controlling is not a dog to risk being around, especially with young children. If the dog were to come onto your property there is a distinct possibility that he will attack. And now he knows your scent and that of your husband. The encounter was not a positive one for any of you so he may associate that scent with danger. I would be worried.

Yes, you are correct that this is how it happened. Those are awful stories! :(. The owner asked if he bit dh, and dh said no because he didn't realize he'd actually bitten him till later. There aren't bite marks or anything, but bruising. Some scratches from him jumping on him.

[Outdoorsy Type]

Yes, you are correct that this is how it happened. Those are awful stories! :(. The owner asked if he bit dh, and dh said no because he didn't realize he'd actually bitten him till later. There aren't bite marks or anything, but bruising. Some scratches from him jumping on him.

I would have huge concerns. One of my greatest pet peeves (no pun intended) is owners who don't take the strength of their dog seriously. A lady in Oklahoma was mauled to death a few weeks ago by loose large breed dogs.

 

Not sure how I would handle except Shoot, Shovel, and Shhhhh if it threatened my kids.

[MotherGoose]

You say you're going to build a house on the property. Who is going to build it? Are they going to be in danger of this dog while on your property? Who will be responsible if the dog attacks a construction worker on your property?

 

This is in addition to be very concerned for my children. If I bought 100 acres I would expect my children to have the freedom to roam safely and explore their property (proper ages of course) To me that would be a wonderful benefit of owning so much land. I would probably walk away from this property, if possible.

I'm going to talk to our real estate agent about this. I'm not sure we could get out of the contract because of this, but, the neighbor is the sellers uncle so that might help the situation.

[lllll]

nm

Edited April 22, 2017 by _ -_-

[Anne in CA]

That would freak me out, but any property in the country is going to have THAT idiot neighbor who is living in the middle of nowhere for creepy reasons. I am telling you, right now, there is a bigger reason he has a dog he can't control. He (or others on his property) are growing pot or making meth or doing something they shouldn't. I'm sorry to be so cynical but that is the new rural living. My reason for pointing this out is that if something happens to this dog he will get another one. Something on his property is worth a big time heist and he's trying to prevent it. 

 

Your kids should carry wasp spray when they are out alone and they should know how to spray the dog. But you should understand that someone who owns a dog like that will probably have visitors with big guns. 

[Spryte]

I would not want to buy that property. Can you look at other options?

[Misha]

We briefly lived in rural Washington and there were four aggressive dogs in our neighborhood that escaped one year on Christmas day. They came into our yard and my husband had to get into our (thankfully) unlocked car and wait them out. They then went to our next door neighbor's farm and killed all of his livestock (4 lambs, 20+ chickens, etc) before our neighbor was able to get his rifle and shoot all the dogs. 
 

As others have pointed out, an aggressive dog is an aggressive dog, regardless of breed. But a dog that size... I would not want to risk an encounter. I would be greatly concerned living in such an area with young children and I would look into an electrical fence or at other properties. If neither of those options were possible, I would not allow my children to run around the property unless I was with them and armed. Even then, I'd be concerned.

Edited April 16, 2017 by Misha

[Guest]

After that incident, I would never give it a chance to attack my children. I would "Shoot, Shovel and Shut up" the very first time it was on my property. Period.

[Catwoman]

I wouldn't buy the property. It's not a safe place for your kids.

 

I wouldn't count on the man getting rid of the dog, and even if he does, what would prevent him from buying another dog just like that one?

 

Even if I loved the property, I would pass on it if I knew there was a large and potentially vicious dog nearby.

[Guest]

That's not what we did. When he said no don't do that, we didn't. We tried to walk away but he wanted to talk. Then the dog eventually lunged away from him on the retractable leash toward us. Truly, we did nothing wrong and could've done nothing differently unless we could have predicted that the dog would've behaved in the way he did. ETA and we were twenty feet away during the conversation too until the dog dragged him closer.

Can I just say I HATE retractable leashes with a burning, purple passion? They are the most impractical things. When I was watching my sister's dog for a week, I bought a good, leather leash and I trained the dog to Heel. How my sister or anyone can stand walking a dog who is darting and weaving and swerving all over the place on that worthless retractable leash is a mystery to me. "Walking" a wild dog on one of those leashes is trying to control popcorn.

[gardenmom5]

I wouldn't buy the property. It's not a safe place for your kids.

 

I wouldn't count on the man getting rid of the dog, and even if he does, what would prevent him from buying another dog just like that one?

 

Even if I loved the property, I would pass on it if I knew there was a large and potentially vicious dog nearby.

 

this.

there is something about how he is training and handling the dog.  and if he's done it once, he will do just as poorly the next time.  as quill said - dogs on a retractable leash are (generally) NOT trained to heel. 

[Guest]

On the fencing- If you properly run (we actually have 2x4) 4x4 horse fence and maintain it, it will keep dogs out. We have found coyotes can jump or climb, but dogs don't. Also, if you keep a donkey or some horses they will help. Our horses will run down any dog (except our own) or other four legged predator stupid enough to cross into their pastures and try to trample them. But you still need a fence and 30 acres of horse fence will cost a pretty penny.

Edited April 16, 2017 by texasmom33

[OneStepAtATime]

I wouldn't automatically give up on this property. There is always a danger of dogs being an issue, as well as other critters, when you live rural (as mentioned up thread). At least in this scenario you know ahead of time. I'd definitely take the danger seriously, though, and look at options to increase safety right away.

 

FWIW, my cat was ripped apart by a pack of wild dogs and we live in a city. Dog attacks can happen anywhere.

Edited April 16, 2017 by OneStepAtATime

[Guest]

That would freak me out, but any property in the country is going to have THAT idiot neighbor who is living in the middle of nowhere for creepy reasons. I am telling you, right now, there is a bigger reason he has a dog he can't control. He (or others on his property) are growing pot or making meth or doing something they shouldn't. I'm sorry to be so cynical but that is the new rural living. My reason for pointing this out is that if something happens to this dog he will get another one. Something on his property is worth a big time heist and he's trying to prevent it.

 

Your kids should carry wasp spray when they are out alone and they should know how to spray the dog. But you should understand that someone who owns a dog like that will probably have visitors with big guns.

Amen.

 

I grew up in the country. There will always be someone with an aggressive dog that they let run. My parents lost 5 cows in one night to 3 dogs that also attacked a neighbor's cattle that night. Shoot, shovel, shut up is the only way to handle aggressive dogs in a rural area.

 

ETA-in the country, dog owners understand that this is how it works. A responsible owner will not allow the dog off the property and they will understand if an escaped dog is shot.

 

I wouldn't give up on this property but you will need to get comfortable with the idea of defending it.

Edited April 16, 2017 by Moxie

[gardenmom5]

On the fencing- If you properly run (we actually have 2x4) 4x4 horse fence and maintain it, it will keep dogs out. We have found coyotes can jump or climb, but dogs don't. Also, if you keep a donkey or some horses they will help. Our horses will run down any dog (except our own) or other four legged predator stupid enough to cross into their pastures and try to trample them. But you still need a fence and 30 acres of horse fence will cost a pretty penny.

 

someone posted video of a horse stomping on an alligator.

 

Amen.

 

I grew up in the country. There will always be someone with an aggressive dog that they let run. My parents lost 5 cows in one night to 3 dogs that also attacked a neighbor's cattle that night. Shoot, shovel, shut up is the only way to handle aggressive dogs in a rural area.

 

ETA-in the country, dog owners understand that this is how it works. A responsible owner will not allow the dog off the property and they will understand if an escaped dog is shot.

 

I wouldn't give up on this property but you will need to get comfortable with the idea of defending it.

 

even in the city - they'll let aggressive dogs run.  dh was knocked off his bike by a pit bull - (VERY fortunately, he managed to stay out of traffic on a busy street.).  the probably owner was outside, but he denied he owned the dog, and dh couldn't tell where he lived.  because he wasn't in front of their house.

[caedmyn]

On the fencing- If you properly run (we actually have 2x4) 4x4 horse fence and maintain it, it will keep dogs out. We have found coyotes can jump or climb, but dogs don't. 

 

I guess it depends on the dog, because the people who used to live behind us had a German Shepherd who would jump our 6 foot privacy fence easily.  There were several times when I saw her going from yard to yard to explore the other properties that border our house, jumping right over all the privacy fences.  Though I will say that I spent several years as a newspaper carrier as a kid and never had a dog jump a fence to get at me, so maybe that German Shepherd was a rare exception

[OneStepAtATime]

I guess it depends on the dog, because the people who used to live behind us had a German Shepherd who would jump our 6 foot privacy fence easily. There were several times when I saw her going from yard to yard to explore the other properties that border our house, jumping right over all the privacy fences. Though I will say that I spent several years as a newspaper carrier as a kid and never had a dog jump a fence to get at me, so maybe that German Shepherd was a rare exception

This reminds me, when I had to leave my dog at a kennel years ago as I was dropping her off the staff had a "break out" . It was a German Shepherd. Turns out this particular dog had gotten out twice before. They finally figured out how the day I was dropping off. It was climbing an 8 foot hurricane fence. Retired cop dog. Do they train them for that? Or did it learn from watching bad guys trying to escape? ðŸ˜

[trulycrabby]

This reminds me, when I had to leave my dog at a kennel years ago as I was dropping her off the staff had a "break out" . It was a German Shepherd. Turns out this particular dog had gotten out twice before. They finally figured out how the day I was dropping off. It was climbing an 8 foot hurricane fence. Retired cop dog. Do they train them for that? Or did it learn from watching bad guys trying to escape? ðŸ˜

They are trained to climb fences. 14/10 would pet. :)

[Guest]

I guess it depends on the dog, because the people who used to live behind us had a German Shepherd who would jump our 6 foot privacy fence easily. There were several times when I saw her going from yard to yard to explore the other properties that border our house, jumping right over all the privacy fences. Though I will say that I spent several years as a newspaper carrier as a kid and never had a dog jump a fence to get at me, so maybe that German Shepherd was a rare exception

Wow! Well I guess if coyotes can, dogs can. Apparently we don't have very motivated dogs around here, I guess. :) Too many people with regular horse fence or barbed wire they can just run through!