Having Aggressive Animals Around People

[guywithashovel]

For the life of me, I simply cannot understand why people do this.

Maybe they like the attention. Maybe they just like to annoy other people. Maybe they don't care. Maybe they're in denial or oblivious to the matter. It could be a whole host of things. But at the end of the day, it's just flat out annoying.

Take this dog that my two aunts babysit sometimes. He's a Chihuahua/Yorkie mix. He's also one of the worst dogs on the planet. I kid you not, whenver I go over to their house and knock on the door, I pray that I won't hear barking (indicating that he's there). Whenever this dog sees me or anyone else other than his owner or my aunts, he barks, growls, and charges at them and proceeds to try to chew on them. Now, I'm not scared of him, as he's only slightly bigger than a coffee can, but this is flat out irritating. It's irritating to have an animal attaching itself to your leg with its teeth every time you make a move.

Now, this dog will eventually get used to me or anyone else being in the house---as long as we sit still. If I'm sitting on the couch not making a move, he'll be fine, but if I start to get up, he goes crosseyed and charges at me trying to attack me. And once again, it's not a scary thing, as he's not big enough to do any harm. It's just a royal pain the butt.

Also, it's not just that people seem to think it's fine to have these types of animals around other people. It's their overall attitude towards it. For starters---and this is my observation---but people who have animals like this almost always seem to want to insist that "Oh, he's really a very nice doggie" or that "he wouldn't hurt a fly" or "he's just playing." Um, no. A "nice doggie" is one that wags his tail and pants happily when someone approaches him. It's not one who tries to gnaw off your limbs when you come close to him.

Here's another issue. Many people seem overly inclined to take the animal's side on this. Basically, yes, the dog's launching an attack, but if I get irked or try to defend myself, *I'm* the bad guy, and *I* am the one who needs a talking to. Now, I wouldn't try to hurt the animal in return, but if a dog is trying to bite me, I am going to take the necessary measures to stop him.

I could think of other examples, but I don't feel like typing any more right now. I'll put them up later, maybe.

[DrFaroohk]

lol animal rights. Why don't we protect ant rights too. And poop rights. I'm sure there's living things in my poop. Gotta protect them too!

People > non-people.

Dog attacks you, defend yourself. Those same idiots yelling at you for defending yourself from the dog are the same idiots who think someone who defends himself in a fight should be punished. Idiots, I tell you. The world is full of them. Sometimes I think I'm one of the few reasonable people left alive.

[Racket_Man]

Dog attacks you, defend yourself. e.

I get this all the time during the course of my job. I am a pizza delivery driver. people THINK their dog is the most wonderful, loving, peaceful creature on the Earth. NOT so when a "stranger" knocks on the door. the dog goes into full protection mode and raises such a stink, growls and barks and makes threatening motions.

at least most of my customers get it and keep that kind of dog out of the way or have learned to control the dogs actions.

BUT any dog that starts to bite or chew or attack on me WILL get smacked on the head with my Maglite with enough force to get them to stop NOW. Then I get to sue the owner, claim workmens comp and maybe sue my employeer when they fire me.

I am good, in general, with dogs. most of the time they are curious and SMELL the pizza comin in the door.

[jackfaire]

This is why we tell our customers that their dogs are not allowed to be out when our technicians get there and I get, "But they would never hurt anyone"

You know what we don't know that hell you don't know that. Your dog could smell rival dog on tech and dog decides enemy.

It's better for both sides to just make it a non issue.

[Teysa]

My dog tends to get a bit over excited with people. Which is why when someone comes over to fix something, we put her in the bedroom so the repairperson can work without over eager puppy getting underfoot.

[jackfaire]

One time I got yelled at by our neighbor for kicking at their dog that was attacking my dog after it broke through hole in their fence to get into our yard to attack our dog.

[BlaqueKatt]

And once again, it's not a scary thing, as he's not big enough to do any harm. It's just a royal pain the butt.

and this is why the behaviour was allowed to continue, it's "cute", aww wookit the lil' doggie trying to be mean, who's a pweshis lil' baby?

Except the dog is big enough to seriously harm a small child, and behaviour like that should NOT be tolerated from and domestic animal.

[Racket_Man]

and this is why the behaviour was allowed to continue, it's "cute", aww wookit the lil' doggie trying to be mean, who's a pweshis lil' baby?

Except the dog is big enough to seriously harm a small child, and behaviour like that should NOT be tolerated from and domestic animal.

a dog like that may be able harm a small child but in my situation those little bitty SHARP teeth could pierce my pant leg and sink into my ankle still causing me to either shake the little thing off or if the situation gets out of hand, stomp on that purse dog.

unless you are talking about a Yorkie type dog that looses its teeth then you are talking about sever bruisuing at the very least.

I do not want to look like I am in any way advocating harm to animals but when some prewis cute little (or not so little) thing is trying to take a chunk out of my leg or hand or whatever, sorry my safety comes first.

people need to be able to corral or control their dogs.

[Mishi]

When I know that I have a technician or a repairperson coming over, I put the dogs outside just before they're due to arrive. We have large dogs and most people find them intimidating even though they're very friendly and quite calm. They do answer the door with me when I have random visitors, I've had someone try to push past me before and it was a half-grown Danny that scared him off.

What I really can't stand is when people teach puppies to jump up on people and then complain about it when the dog is fully grown. If you don't want an 80+ pound dog flattening you or scratching and snapping at your face, then don't teach it to jump up and act like that while it's little and cute.

[AdminAssistant]

I admit that I love it when my 70 lb. baby back home crawls in my lap, but he'll only do that to me.

Of course, you also have people that don't listen. We had a 60 lb Australian Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler) mix that was very protective. We had Beware of Dog signs up and the whole bit. We would tell people that if they came over, they needed to stay in their cars until we got Jake and put him up. Then once the person was in, we'd let Jake out and introduce them and he'd be fine. But no, people would just jump right on out and Jake would go into Full Burglar Attack Mode.

[guywithashovel]

and this is why the behaviour was allowed to continue, it's "cute", aww wookit the lil' doggie trying to be mean, who's a pweshis lil' baby?

Except the dog is big enough to seriously harm a small child, and behaviour like that should NOT be tolerated from and domestic animal.

That's a good point. I read somewhere that one of the causes of "small dog syndrome" is people letting small dogs get away with things they wouldn't let a big dog get away with, like jumping on people and charging at them, just because they think it's cute.

Fortunately, this dog has not been at their house the past several times I've been there.

[blas87]

Bear the dog is getting so arthritic and slowing down so much, she barely even cares if people come over anymore.

The only time she ever gets like a pup again is when there's food. Then, she's your best buddy.

[bex1218]

*bump*

I have 2 mini dauchs. One is very very loud when a stranger comes in. But he doesn't try to bite anyone, then he hides behind me. The other will follow suit but will be all lovey after the initial shock.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I had a paper round as a kid. Often, I would hear dogs barking from inside the house when I was putting the paper thru the letter box, but only once did a dog attack me.

This was a minature Yorkie, and the door opened just as I was walking away. I can either be generous to the owners and say they didn't know I was still there, or I can assume now as I did then that they thought it was funny to let their vicious mutt out to run at the thirteen year old paper girl. The second seems most likely as I'd only just put their paper thru and I can't teleport so it was logical to realise I was still on the premises.

The Yorkie ran out and sank its teeth into my leg. Luckily for me (and for them, as my mum would have ripped them a new one had I been seriously bitten) I was wearing my baggy jeans at the time and the dog's teeth didn't meet in my ankle, but in the baggy denim material. Even so, I reacted instinctively by kicking the dog off my leg. It flew up in the air, hit the pavement with a smack then ran inside yelping with its tail between its legs. The owners tried to have a go at me for kicking their dog, but when I pointed out that I could have their dog destroyed for attacking me, they backed off.

My bet is that the dog that the OP posted about is much the same as the one I just posted about; a small, cute dog that has been allowed to run riot without correction due to its small stature. While I wouldn't advocate kicking dogs, if it runs at me and bites my leg, it's going up in the air.

[anakhouri]

I read once about a woman whose kids were playing in the yard when a stray dog approached and growled and lunged at the kids. The woman retrieved her husband's pistol and shot the dog in the chest, killing it. She received death threats for, you know, protecting her children from a strange, aggressive animal.

I am dog lover of the higest order, but if an animal threatens my child I will do whatever I have to do to protect him, including strangling it with my bare hands.. I love animals but am also pragmatic about it. They're not 'furbabies', they're animals with the instincts and intelligence of animals.

Our neighbors two doors down have this damned Pomeranian that barks at us every minute we all happen to be outside together (no fences). I ignore it most of the time but if that little furball ever gets out and tries to attack Khan I am going to boot it down the ravine out back.

Aggressive animals should be kept in a separate room or put outside while guests are over. That's all there is to it. It's horribly unfair to expect you to put up with it.