Hey guys i had a question regarding my dog attacking my neighbors dog. Yesterday evening my dog nolan which is a pitt mix was on his walk. As we were walking up the driveway our neighbor was walking down. For whatever reason nolan started freaking out and some how got out of his harness and bites our neighbors dog. The neighbors dog was hurt and needed stiches but is still alive. I know i am on the hook for the vet bill at the very least, and i know i will have to register nolan on a dangerous dog list. My question is what can i expect next, can my neighbor sue me for everything im worth and can they put my dog down for this?
Any lawyers on here need help with my dog
- Thread starter hchon3
- Start date
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With large breeds, I always recommend a prong collar and a minimum 11/4 inch leather leash. I hope things work out for you.
Squaregrouper
Kragaphile
Whenever our dogs (Bullmastiff and Pit Mix) go off property, they are in 3 point harnesses, so slipping out is next to impossible.
On whose property did this take place? If it was on your property, pay the vet bills and walk away. If it was on their property or public area, you should contact your insurance company.
My MIL's Dalmatian has hospitalized my (late) Lab mix and my wife's cousin's Chihuahua as well as attacking our Bullmastiff and Pit mix. Our dogs will never see that dog again. We all know that when one of my "evil" dogs finally injures him, animal control will blame the "evil" Pit or Bullmastiff- regardless of the Dalmatian's documented extensive history of attacking other dogs.
.
On whose property did this take place? If it was on your property, pay the vet bills and walk away. If it was on their property or public area, you should contact your insurance company.
My MIL's Dalmatian has hospitalized my (late) Lab mix and my wife's cousin's Chihuahua as well as attacking our Bullmastiff and Pit mix. Our dogs will never see that dog again. We all know that when one of my "evil" dogs finally injures him, animal control will blame the "evil" Pit or Bullmastiff- regardless of the Dalmatian's documented extensive history of attacking other dogs.
.
Squaregrouper
Kragaphile
I won't muzzle my dogs. We keep them on 3 point harnesses and take up all the leash's slack when other dogs get near. My wife and I are both capable of physically controlling our bully breed dogs while harnessed.
Regardless of breed, the dog under the owner/handler's control is rarely found to be at fault. I'm willing to bet >95% of dog vs. dog issues involve at least one of them being off a leash or a handler not being able to secure them.
The incident occured on our shared drive way. I was going to pay his vet bill regardless but he said he wants to hold off untill he figures out what he wants to do, which i take it to mean he plans to sue me. To what extent he is able to i am unaware. Both dogs where on leashes but our dog slipped his. He has a vest type harness and when he started freaking out we lifed him up on the harness to get him in the sitting postion and i guess he got lifted just high enough to where he was able to slip out like he was taking a shirt off. And to CMOS i dont know what kind of history you had with pitbulls or why you dislike them enough to want them put down, but your last remark was not necessary nor did it bring anything to this discussion.
IX-3
Active Member
Be VERY careful while using an e-collar with this sort of behavior in mind. You have to think about it from the dog's point of view. He sees the enemy dog, starts to get his hackles up ... and then The Angry Gods inflict pain on him. What does he associate? I experience pain when I see that dumb neighbor dog. That can make the problem far worse, not better. Further: when a dog goes on high alert, the adrenaline starts flowing, and the gentle poke of a lower-setting e-collar suddenly becomes utterly sense-invisible to the dog. I've watched bird-crazy dogs run right through maximum shock output and never even twitch, once something gets them in K-9 missile mode. And that's prey drive. That pales compared to Must Kick That Other Dog's Ass drive, which is far more powerful. Don't use an e-collar unless you are 100% abso-freakin'-lutely positive you understand the pros, cons, and proper use of that tool. Those tools will NOT NOT NOT stop your dog from attacking another dog, and may actually inspire more of it. E-collars are for working with your dog when it's off lead, beyond your reach - and well after you've already spent months working on long check cords, etc.
If your dog is lapsing in to a fit of seemingly out of blue attack mode, it's because that dog thinks IT'S IN CHARGE and is on duty, defending you and/or its territory. The main solution to this problem is to make the long, tedious investment in all of the relationship training you need to make the dog think you're the alpha and that he's on vacation. May be too late with your dog, but that's where it all begins and ends.
For what it's worth, I've had more than one pit-style dog get loose from its handler and run fifty yards at me at full throttle to attack my dog. Still can't straighten out one of my fingers (thankfully, not my trigger finger!) because a pit bull that tore out of its owner's control attacked me, and crunched two knuckles on my left hand. The owner was screaming "Just kick him! Just kick him!" followed by, "He's never done anything like this before ..." Yeah. Great. I had to eat $4000 in medical bills because he took the dog to a friend's house in Virginia and told MoCo animal control the dog died the same day it attacked me, and the guy refused to pony up.
Sorry, don't mean to rant on - but this is a painful (literally) topic for me. I'm so careful that my bird dog(s) never, ever get the opportunity to hurt another dog or person that I get a little wound up when I hear about this happening with fighting breeds. Ultra care is required, and too many wrong steps are casually taken by people who try to modify the weight of that baked-in programming. Please be careful, and consider getting a pro trainer involved to try to save your future time with that dog. Best of luck ... but you make your own luck, when it comes to dogs on leads.
If your dog is lapsing in to a fit of seemingly out of blue attack mode, it's because that dog thinks IT'S IN CHARGE and is on duty, defending you and/or its territory. The main solution to this problem is to make the long, tedious investment in all of the relationship training you need to make the dog think you're the alpha and that he's on vacation. May be too late with your dog, but that's where it all begins and ends.
For what it's worth, I've had more than one pit-style dog get loose from its handler and run fifty yards at me at full throttle to attack my dog. Still can't straighten out one of my fingers (thankfully, not my trigger finger!) because a pit bull that tore out of its owner's control attacked me, and crunched two knuckles on my left hand. The owner was screaming "Just kick him! Just kick him!" followed by, "He's never done anything like this before ..." Yeah. Great. I had to eat $4000 in medical bills because he took the dog to a friend's house in Virginia and told MoCo animal control the dog died the same day it attacked me, and the guy refused to pony up.
Sorry, don't mean to rant on - but this is a painful (literally) topic for me. I'm so careful that my bird dog(s) never, ever get the opportunity to hurt another dog or person that I get a little wound up when I hear about this happening with fighting breeds. Ultra care is required, and too many wrong steps are casually taken by people who try to modify the weight of that baked-in programming. Please be careful, and consider getting a pro trainer involved to try to save your future time with that dog. Best of luck ... but you make your own luck, when it comes to dogs on leads.
Thanks for the advice which i greatly appreciate. I definitely need to put in my due diligence and research e collars till my eyes bleed. Reading what you wrote put a whole new spin on my preception of e collars. Dog training is something that is high on my priorities with nolan, and hopefully it is not to late. I dont know if him being a rescue from a bad situation make it to late to bring him back but i am hoping not.
Squaregrouper
Kragaphile
Well said- stating your point/opinion and not calling for the eradication of all dogs that could be remotely called "Pit Bulls".
I will be buying you a beer at some point.
kaliroger
Active Member
It is possible your dog had a "flush back," some rescue dogs were used in dog fights, or were abused. If you do go for the training, make sure you let your neighbor know that you are investing time and money so it does not happen again. Maybe your neighbor will let it go at that.
I don't think he can sue you for much more than the cost of the med bills, specially if his dog recovers....
Cant be sure but if he was ever a fighting dog. I talk to the neighbors and understandably they were still very angry. I want to and i will pay for his vet bill. I am just concerned about what will happen to my dog and how bad it will be for me if he decides to take me to court.
Squaregrouper
Kragaphile
OP- I am experienced in owning bully breeds. Another member, Robar35, is much more versed than I.
The best one minute advice I can give is to let the dog understand you are the boss and they are your buddy. They need to understand they don't need to protect you, because you are a badass. You also need to understand they are instinctively wired to protect their pack (you, and the family) from invaders- meaning other dogs. Our Pit mix is very protective of my wife, but doesn't feel the need to "protect" me.
Always be prepared for the above described reaction in an interaction with another dog.
The best one minute advice I can give is to let the dog understand you are the boss and they are your buddy. They need to understand they don't need to protect you, because you are a badass. You also need to understand they are instinctively wired to protect their pack (you, and the family) from invaders- meaning other dogs. Our Pit mix is very protective of my wife, but doesn't feel the need to "protect" me.
Always be prepared for the above described reaction in an interaction with another dog.
Alan3413
Ultimate Member
- Mar 4, 2013
- 17,078
Maybe that's all they'll get, but their lawyer will prolly try to convince them mental anguish is on the menu.
Squaregrouper
Kragaphile
Legally, there isn't much to worry about, as Maryland laws consider pets property, not family. (See examples of cops shooting dogs in their fenced in back yards) Neighborly happiness is your concern at this point.
Had your dog been "roaming the neighborhood", you might have concerns.
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