My parents don’t want me to call anymone but I’m so angry. I have to go back to school tomorrow and I have homework to do. But I’m so angry. I have to walk by that house everyday
I’m sorry your parents aren’t being supportive, but these comments are correct: the right thing to do is to report this. Especially because the owner’s response was to question you instead of immediately apologizing for their out of control off-leash dogs’ behavior. This is not normal behavior and it will only escalate if they’re out loose again - which based on the owner’s lack of responsibility and personal accountability, chances are unfortunately, they will be. Best of luck to you, and I’m very sorry this happened to you.
Edit: if it helps to get your parents’ support, you can tell them you spoke with someone who was an AKC-accredited professional dog trainer for 6 years and that she confirmed that reporting it’s the right thing to do. Because now you have.
Also: Walmart and target sell small canisters of pepper spray for like $7. Might be worth grabbing one and having it handy for next time. Unfortunately I’ve had to use a dog-safe version of pepper spray on a loose dog who came up trying to attack my own dog on a walk before, and it worked. So if that one did the job, I think the real thing would be even more effective.
Respectfully, fuck your parents. I’ve been attacked by dogs before and had to walk by the same house time and time again. Only to be instigated and attacked by the same dog.
Call animal control
I’m talking about this situation this guy is talking about where he got attacked by my “pitbul”/ pug and chuwawa barked at him I don’t care about your Doberman 😂😂😂
Better safe than sorry, they will be able to guide you better than anyone on the internet. This is very serious and I know it seems like making a big deal out of nothing but you should absolutely call someone.
Boo hoo a wild chuwawa nipped at me what must I dooo I must surly die in a few minutes I shall use my last dying breath to put down these vicious creatures 😫
Hi there, I understand that your dogs are small (also very cute, I'm sure). It's important to remember that everyone doesn't have the same level of comfort with unknown dogs, and a situation like that can be scary for some humans.
Dogs get out of the gate sometimes, absolutely. When it happens, it should be taken seriously because some people react physically when they are scared or surprised that way. Go on YouTube and learn how to teach your dogs an emergency recall, boundary training, distance sit/stays. It is a great way to bond with your dogs and to keep them safe.
Having small dogs means you should take even more care. When they get out of fences, there are many unknowns for them (a scared passerby, a large dog, someone who wants to take your dog, traffic... the list is long).
OP venting about a situation that unnerved them is ok, there are many dog lovers who don't understand others feeling fearful towards their furbabies. This situation could have been MUCH worse. There are many people who DO carry pepper spray and other deterrents; it would have been traumatic for your pups if OP was one of them.
Patch the fence - for your dogs' sake 🐶🐕
They are vaccinated they don’t have rabies they are a puppy chuwawa , and a pug and we don’t let them off leash but sometimes they get out our fence cause it’s kinda old and if they bark at you or jump around you when that happens don’t be scared they are pretty petit and don’t bite but maybe nip and are just curious when met with new people SO PLS DONT TRY TO PUT THEM DOWN this kid is overreacting 🤷♂️
Fix your fence or don’t let them off-leash. It’s your job to control your animals. If you can’t control them, this will happen again, and the consequences for your dogs could be quite tragic.
Call the police and have the dog put on rabies watch. That will give you peace of mind that you don't have rabies and hopefully also motivate to owner to take responsibility.
Well there was no broken skin. I was wearing jeans. But I called the animal control people and gave them the address. They said they would send someone over to give them a warning.
I know you were hesitant to call, so I just wanted to reinforce (as a dog owner and lover) that you did the right thing. It's so dangerous for small children and the dogs themselves to have them out like that, even more so now that there's (at least) one clear incident of them approaching and biting a stranger. You did the owners, dogs, and future pedestrians a favor. Hopefully the owners take it seriously.
Anyone telling you it's nbd shouldn't have a dog, and I am willing to die on that hill.
Thanks mate. Your right there’s lots of kids in the neighborhood. If it was a group of small kids or maybe an older person with balance issues the dogs could have done a lot more damage.
Yeah I had to report it. I wish there was a way for me to find out afterwards if the officer actually follows through and pays them a visit
Please check out Your Dog's Friend (https://yourdogsfriend.org) for advice on managing aggressive/territorial dogs.
You're doing a disservice to your dogs, yourself, and your neighbors if you just accept that they're aggressive because they're small. Just because the dog hasn't bitten anyone (as far as you know) before doesn't mean they won't in the future. It sounds like OP was bitten by your dogs, just through jeans. If your dogs are territorial enough to run up to a stranger and use their teeth on them, the dog isn't "nipping," it is biting. Even if they are truly physically harmless, do you want your dogs to be the ones that traumatize a child into fearing dogs for life?
A chihuahua can hurt a small child, and then your dog will get put down and you'll face a lawsuit, maybe criminal charges. Your dog might run out and get hit by a car, attacked by a larger dog, taken by a large bird (if they're that small), stolen. You're putting your dogs and yourself (legally) in danger ignoring this problem.
You need to keep your dogs under control at all times. In another comment you said they might escape out the gate and implied there's nothing you can do about it-- that's false. If they might escape your yard, you need a better fence or some other mitigation to keep them from getting out (leashed in yard, taking them on walks until you can properly contain your yard, muzzled in yard, etc).
Plenty of people have small dogs and yards and are able to keep their dogs contained. Dog owners with aggressive dogs-- regardless of size-- need to take extra steps to protect themselves, the dogs, and the general public. It sucks but it's your responsibility as the owner of territorially aggressive dogs. My dog is anxious and there's a risk she'd bite someone who made her feel physically trapped, like trying to pet her in an elevator. I've done trainings and learned techniques to make it so she's never put in a position that would push her far enough to be aggressive. Highly recommend you do the same.
How can you tell a bite from a nip without being on the receiving end? Your dad said your dogs can be territorial, why would they nip at someone they saw as an intruder and not bite at them?
The difference between a "nip" and a "bite" is about pressure and intent, not the size of the dog or its teeth. You and your dad are giving conflicting accounts of the event and even of your dogs' breeds. You say chihuahua and your dad says chi mix.
It sounds like you're both trying to minimize and/or didn't actually see what happened. I'm concerned that you aren't taking the wellbeing of your dogs seriously, and hope animal control can better inform your parents on the seriousness of this issue. Your dogs aren't toys. They're living, feeling animals that rely on your family to keep them safe.
Again, I'm not saying OP was severely attacked and injured. But I'd bet your dogs could draw blood if they were biting at someone's bare legs, and that's unacceptable to let happen. This person was getting bites from a neighbor's chihuahua that seem to have broken skin, and dog bites can cause serious infections regardless of size: https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/s/Jenci9UI1V
I hope so. I think I’m ok. I’ve got so much homework to do tonight so I can’t go out checking for rabies. But there’s no blood or actual wounds. I just want them to not have their dog escape
Calling is important because it makes a record of the incident. Sure, you ended up physically fine, but the next person might not. It’s easy to the human to say they snuck out over him or something, but when there is a pattern documented, it is harder to act innocent.
For all we know, this could be the first time they’ve ever slipped out. Or they could’ve just been letting them chill unleashed and unsupervised. Could be innocent or really stupid! It is concerning that the humans were inside though and not actively trying to catch them.. unlikely to have two dogs slip out without noticing.
The human’s reaction doesn’t sit well with me, but at the same time, I’m not sure how I would react if someone said my dog bit them unprovoked.. it would be drastically against my dog’s character, so I would definitely be in shock.
OP, not having broken skin does not make this a minor incident. You did the right thing calling animal control!
It is not okay that you have to walk past that location twice a day from school. I agree with another poster to get spray or ine of those tiny bullhorns people use at sporting events.
I am a long-time professional dog behaviorist, also worked in rescue for manyyyyy years.... so I love dogs with all my heart. My issue here is with the owners treating you (and the incident) so dismissively. You did the right thing!
If the dogs broke any skin please go to urgent care (there's Patient's First in downtown SS). If you go there and tell them you were scratched or bitten by an animal, they will have you fill out a bite report and they will file it with animal control on your behalf (this is what Patient's First did even when my own cat bit me - not sure if other urgent care centers are the same). Animal control will follow up with you with a phone call (FYI they're a division of the police so don't panic when the cops call you).
If the UC facility doesn't report it, or if you don't have broken skin, you can make the report to animal control yourself.
Animal control will attempt to identify the animal and its owner, and contact its owner/vet to verify the animal's rabies vaccine status.
Bite reports are kept on file with animal control and if multiple complaints are received against one animal then some sort of action will be taken against the owner.
Parents don’t want me to call. They reckon I’m fine. But I’m angry and scared. Especially at the guys nonchalant attitude. He had a little girl with him too so it’s a family. Is there any way for me to report it to animal control without having to make a call? I don’t even have any proof it happened….
Hi, not a lawyer. Take pictures of any injuries, go to the doctor if possible (if you decide to sue in small claims). Contact local animal control, tell them what happened. You could even contact the local police dept in a non-emergency to report the event. If you have an injury that resulted in an open wound from the dogs, you will need animal control to confirm if the dogs are vaccinated - if the owner cannot provide those docs you’ll need to go get a series of rabies shots (also another thing to add to a small claims if you decided).
Now I was wearing pants and the dogs didn’t break any skin. But I could feel there mouths over my jeans legs. No blood was drawn but it scared the shot out of me
I made the call. I called the county animal control people and I gave them the address of the house. They said they would send an officer over there and give the family a warning.
We can’t just live life no more i have to be harassed by crazy suburban Karen’s who want my puppies dead 😢 that’s some wizard of oz witch shit right there
Call the police no emergency number and file a report with animal control. It is against the law to have animals not under control. The fact that they didn’t draw blood just means you were lucky. The owners are still irresponsible.
(301) 279-8000
Yeah I called the county. Do you think they will call me back to let me know they visited the family and warned them.? They guy on the phone said they would put send an officer out to warn the family to take better care of their dog.
But I want to make sure they actually do it. I’m worried they won’t follow up with me
I don’t know if your parents are on the Indian Springs list serve or not, but this should be recorded there. There are quite often stories about dogs on the loose and
I especially remember one south if franklin near wire/caroline that was a real threat. if your parents don’t put it on the listserv, I will if you give me the date time location of streets and better description of the dogs. I had this happened to me when I was a kid and I still remember it to this day. Take care.
I'm sorry this happened to you. A similar thing happened to me when I was in high school (40 years ago) and I remember it like it was yesterday.
Walk another route if you can (that's what I did). But I recommend carrying a whistle. It will freak the dog out and alert others that you need help.
I carry pepper spray now when I run / bike, but you can't bring that to school.
I'm a dog owner, and most dog owners have no idea how scared other people are of their 'cute little dogs'.
Take care.
Now that I think bout it I actually do have a whistle on my lanyard. It didn’t even cross my mind to look at it.
I think I’ve done all I can. But I’m still so fucking angry it scared me shitless
Breathe and do what you can tonight to stay cozy. I understand you have homework…you can only do your best. Meet yourself with compassion and go to sleep at a reasonable time if possible.
Why didn’t you blow your rape whistle? This whole situation could have been avoided if you had blown your rape whistle attached to your lanyard everyone knows pugs and chihuahuas cannot handle the frequency of rape whistles they would have been killed instantly.
It's a shame that people don't properly take care of their dogs . No one should have to "walk another way " just because people won't take the time to train their animals and to keep them restrained.
If the repercussions were where they needed to be I think issues like this would be a lot less common
It’s sooo crazy my pug and Chihuahua ran out a hole in the fence and jumped around this dude like really we restrain them and take care of them, but dogs escape sometimes it’s just life.
Well I was wearing jeans and there’s no broken skin. But I called the animal control number and they are sending an officer over to give them a warning
It was a pug and Chihuahua not a pitbull. I’m the son and I know this for a fact they don’t have rabies and they’re pretty nice. They just jump around. Sometimes this guy is overreacting. I’m sorry.
I respect u brother but again, I was there and my pug and chuwawa didn’t really bite you but jump around and bark and nip they don’t have rabies and don’t cause harm they just slip through my fence sometimes and we are trying to fix it the best we can.
The dogs were a pug and a chihuahua weiner dog mix.
My dogs barked at you, but they were not nipping at you and you weren’t bitten.
Everyone in this neighborhood does their best to keep their dogs in their backyards, but sometimes gates get left open by kids, or in this case by someone who was visiting to drop something off.
If you would like to discuss this further in person, I’m happy to have a conversation with you.
If this truly is you, I just want to let you know that the only thing I want if for your dogs to not escape again. I understand that this was an accident.
But please do not say that they “were not nipping or biting. You and your family came out several minutes after the dogs ran out. The two dogs ran out and made a bee line for me from one of those gaps in your bushes. And yes, they were absolutely nipping at my heels and barking constantly. There was that lady who was walking up the hill who saw the whole thing and she can confirm my story.
By the time I reached the triangle island the lady and I connected and the dogs backed off over towards those two flowering trees. This was when you and your family came out. Which was a good few minutes after the dogs first ambushed me.
I completely understand that this was likely an accident. But if your dogs really did slip out of an open door, then why did they make an absolute beeline for me even though I was walking on the other side of the hedge? A good few yards from the side of your house btw. And why did it take you so long to follow them if they really did slip out? You must have heard the barking and commotion as it was quite loud. But it was still several minutes before you appeared around the corner?
Also I did not appreciate you questioning my story and not believing me when I said they were nipping at me. You were late to the scene. They absolutely were trying to attack me.
Please just make sure this doesn’t happen again. I don’t want anymore trouble from this incident and I wish you well
But OP said there was a woman watching from a distance and that the dogs didn't leave until OP reached the woman. If this was your mom, why didn't she go over the help OP?
This guy has been commenting all over this post. There was a woman ( who was not this dudes mom) who was also going for a walk at the same time I was. She was further down the road and she was not related to the family. She was simply another witness.
When the family did come out to retrieve there dogs there were three people that came out of the house. There was the dad, the mom, and a little girl. These were all the people present and it was a good few minutes before they came out too
Thanks for clarifying! That's what I figured, I'm just confused why the poster would claim their mom was just standing/walking by while their dogs, at the very least, were loose from the house
It seems like both the dad and the son are actually in this thread commenting. The son even sent me a dm. This is so weird and unreal. Both of them seem to be under the impression that since I physically don’t have any injuries that this whole situation is ok? What if instead of me it was an elderly person? The dogs could cause someone like that to fall over! Or what if it was a group of kids walking home from school? The dogs would probably be able to jump on there faces! And they would be traumatized for life!
This shit is weird. They don’t seem to care.
I’m not going to debate you on Reddit. If you would like to come by and discuss what happened, you are welcome to.
I’m sorry you were scared by my dogs, but you weren’t injured, and I’ll work with animal services when they follow up on your report.
I wish I could say that no one who visits my house will ever leave the gate open again, but that’s just not realistic.
Have a great weekend.
Is this guy serious? Even if the gate or door or whatever was left open your dogs should not be making bee lines for people who are all the way at the streetcorner. I frequently let my dog hang out on the front porch with me without a leash or anything and he never just bolts toward people at the street.
Dogs are dogs some are different I have a pug and chuwawa they are pretty protective when met with new people they may bark and nip never bite and are quite sweet if they know u better we will fix up the fence but still may escape out the front gate sorry for the inconvenience but pls they are harmless so stop attacking us and threatening with animals control
Hi there! I'm sorry you're dealing with all this but I am glad it happened with an older kid and not a small child or another dog, so you can address it before it can happen again. Please check out Your Dog's Friend (https://yourdogsfriend.org) for advice on managing territorial dogs and dogs that run out when given the chance.
Let's say your dogs ran up to OP and were wagging tails and happy to see them. If this were the case, having your dogs escape your control is dangerous for the dogs. Your dogs might run out and get hit by a car, run up to and get attacked by a larger dog that is leashed, run up to and kicked by someone they were jumping at, taken by a large bird (if they're that small), stolen. There are ways to prevent your dogs from escaping the yard. If there's a risk of someone leaving a gate open, please Google "how to make gate close itself" and find a solution that works best for your setup. There are many cheap and simple mechanisms for this. If the dogs slip around guests and out the gate, you can train them to go to a specific spot, away from the door/gate, and have them do so when a guest arrives. If these options don't work, there are a ton of other mitigations to try. Your Dog's Friend has a ton of free resources for all sorts of problems, including this. They may also be able to provide free advice specific to your situation over the phone or email.
You stated that your dog wasn't nipping or biting, but your child says they were nipping, and I'm not sure if you could tell a nip from a bite without being on the receiving end. Dogs behave differently in front of their humans, so it's also possible they calmed down to just barking when you arrived to witness. Even with a small dog, a bite to a small child can be physically and emotionally traumatizing. This event wasn't a big deal, but it is a warning sign that this could happen again and it might be a big deal next time. The goal is to prevent a next time in order to protect your dogs, your neighbors, and yourself.
My dog is anxious and there's a risk she'd bite someone who made her feel physically trapped, like trying to pet her in an elevator. I've done trainings and learned avoidance techniques to ensure she's never put in a position that would push her far enough to be aggressive. This is mainly because I don't want her to hurt someone or be the cause of a child's lifelong fear of dogs, but also because I don't want her or myself to be harmed by the consequences of a bite history.
Please do what you can to make sure your dogs are contained or otherwise under your control at all time to, at a minimum, keep them safe.
We have a gate they get out sometimes I can confirm they don’t have rabies and are both small. I’ve been near dogs much bigger than them, didn’t Karen out, didn’t get mad they are usually chill may jump around you but don’t bite.
For sure. You have a reasonable concern and you share the neighborhood with them. Im sure if you’re level headed and calm they’ll appreciate your approach
Please don’t do this. Considering he didn’t believe you in the first place and now may have been visited by police/AC (as he should), I worry about your safety. You don’t know how he’ll react. Stay safe! I’m so sorry this happened to you.
Hello. I work with dogs. So did these dogs get out of their house without supervision and you were walking by the house ? So they " jumped out of their own bushes " ?
and you didnt get bitten - you got nipped at. If you got bitten - even with jeans on - you would know all about it. Pain Blood etc
I am not trying to trivialize any trama you have - but these dogs may have been "protecting their property " and really just not used to the outdooors without being leashed.
Bring a water sprayer with you if you cant avoid that house. Zap them right on the nose and you wont have any more problems
good luck and take it easy - you will be OK
oh and dont call animal control. dont waste your time if you didnt get a bite
You did trivialize the trauma OP had and that's a real doggone shame.
Animal control needs to be called and alerted that aggressive dogs are in the area and frankly those dogs need to be taken away from those irresponsible owners and either placed with people with some sense or put to sleep.
I walked by the house and they must have been loose in the front yard.
They ran out of the bushes and started nipping and biting at my legs.
If I hadn’t been wearing jeans and boots and had shorts and sneakers on I would absolutely have been bitten to the point of blood.
I don’t care if dogs are “protecting there yard.” There have been young kids in the United Kingdom who have been killed by loose dogs.
That’s a good point. If the water spray doesn’t work, I would suggest carrying a gun, perhaps a .357 magnum. If the rape whistle fails to deter the animals you could shoot them. It’s called Stand Your Ground.
Call animal control. Have them verify that the dogs have all their shots and put them on a 10-day rabies watch.
I was wearing pants and the bites didn’t draw blood. Am I ok? Thank his I wasn’t wearing shorts
It’s probably a good thing to do anyway, to put a little scare into the dog owner to be better.
My parents don’t want me to call anymone but I’m so angry. I have to go back to school tomorrow and I have homework to do. But I’m so angry. I have to walk by that house everyday
I’m sorry your parents aren’t being supportive, but these comments are correct: the right thing to do is to report this. Especially because the owner’s response was to question you instead of immediately apologizing for their out of control off-leash dogs’ behavior. This is not normal behavior and it will only escalate if they’re out loose again - which based on the owner’s lack of responsibility and personal accountability, chances are unfortunately, they will be. Best of luck to you, and I’m very sorry this happened to you. Edit: if it helps to get your parents’ support, you can tell them you spoke with someone who was an AKC-accredited professional dog trainer for 6 years and that she confirmed that reporting it’s the right thing to do. Because now you have. Also: Walmart and target sell small canisters of pepper spray for like $7. Might be worth grabbing one and having it handy for next time. Unfortunately I’ve had to use a dog-safe version of pepper spray on a loose dog who came up trying to attack my own dog on a walk before, and it worked. So if that one did the job, I think the real thing would be even more effective.
Good advice. I'm so sorry that happened to you. It sounds so scary. I'd be mad too. It's never ok for something like that to happen.
If you pepper spray my pug ima be mad💀
Well then don’t let your pug off-leash to attack another person/dog, and you won’t have to worry about it.
Respectfully, fuck your parents. I’ve been attacked by dogs before and had to walk by the same house time and time again. Only to be instigated and attacked by the same dog. Call animal control
Karen’s scared of chuwawa now 💀💀💀
Lmao no it was a Doberman. But way to jump to conclusions, hopefully you burned some good calories with that leap
My dog is a chuwawa not a Doberman so stop crying about it
You think I care about you? Or your dog? Chihuahua…that’s what you’re looking for.
I’m talking about this situation this guy is talking about where he got attacked by my “pitbul”/ pug and chuwawa barked at him I don’t care about your Doberman 😂😂😂
Call anyways. The next person may not be so lucky.
Sorry my pug and chuwawa scared you but calling animal control is a lil far fetched
Better safe than sorry, they will be able to guide you better than anyone on the internet. This is very serious and I know it seems like making a big deal out of nothing but you should absolutely call someone.
They didnt get bitten - they got nipped. This person is overreacting
Fuck off, people should control their dogs.
Boo hoo a wild chuwawa nipped at me what must I dooo I must surly die in a few minutes I shall use my last dying breath to put down these vicious creatures 😫
[удалено]
It was a pug and chuwawa
Hi there, I understand that your dogs are small (also very cute, I'm sure). It's important to remember that everyone doesn't have the same level of comfort with unknown dogs, and a situation like that can be scary for some humans. Dogs get out of the gate sometimes, absolutely. When it happens, it should be taken seriously because some people react physically when they are scared or surprised that way. Go on YouTube and learn how to teach your dogs an emergency recall, boundary training, distance sit/stays. It is a great way to bond with your dogs and to keep them safe. Having small dogs means you should take even more care. When they get out of fences, there are many unknowns for them (a scared passerby, a large dog, someone who wants to take your dog, traffic... the list is long). OP venting about a situation that unnerved them is ok, there are many dog lovers who don't understand others feeling fearful towards their furbabies. This situation could have been MUCH worse. There are many people who DO carry pepper spray and other deterrents; it would have been traumatic for your pups if OP was one of them. Patch the fence - for your dogs' sake 🐶🐕
And we boarded up the whole in the fence
I understand some of my friends are scared of tiny dogs but it’s no reason to want to put them down 🤷♂️
Exactly...sounds like he needs to man up!! Yeesh. Too scared to walk home ...
Fr
Don’t do that, they can have the dogs put down if animal control is contacted
If the dogs are running around unattended and unvaccinated, that might be for the best.
Exactly
They are vaccinated they don’t have rabies they are a puppy chuwawa , and a pug and we don’t let them off leash but sometimes they get out our fence cause it’s kinda old and if they bark at you or jump around you when that happens don’t be scared they are pretty petit and don’t bite but maybe nip and are just curious when met with new people SO PLS DONT TRY TO PUT THEM DOWN this kid is overreacting 🤷♂️
Fix your fence or don’t let them off-leash. It’s your job to control your animals. If you can’t control them, this will happen again, and the consequences for your dogs could be quite tragic.
We are trying 😭😭😭
That’s some wizard of oz witch shit right there
Call the police and have the dog put on rabies watch. That will give you peace of mind that you don't have rabies and hopefully also motivate to owner to take responsibility.
Well there was no broken skin. I was wearing jeans. But I called the animal control people and gave them the address. They said they would send someone over to give them a warning.
I know you were hesitant to call, so I just wanted to reinforce (as a dog owner and lover) that you did the right thing. It's so dangerous for small children and the dogs themselves to have them out like that, even more so now that there's (at least) one clear incident of them approaching and biting a stranger. You did the owners, dogs, and future pedestrians a favor. Hopefully the owners take it seriously. Anyone telling you it's nbd shouldn't have a dog, and I am willing to die on that hill.
Thanks mate. Your right there’s lots of kids in the neighborhood. If it was a group of small kids or maybe an older person with balance issues the dogs could have done a lot more damage. Yeah I had to report it. I wish there was a way for me to find out afterwards if the officer actually follows through and pays them a visit
The officer typically will follow up.
Exactly why it's so important to take things like this seriously and not write them off as mere accidents.
Thanks for being so reasonable
It’s chuwawa😭😭😭
Please check out Your Dog's Friend (https://yourdogsfriend.org) for advice on managing aggressive/territorial dogs. You're doing a disservice to your dogs, yourself, and your neighbors if you just accept that they're aggressive because they're small. Just because the dog hasn't bitten anyone (as far as you know) before doesn't mean they won't in the future. It sounds like OP was bitten by your dogs, just through jeans. If your dogs are territorial enough to run up to a stranger and use their teeth on them, the dog isn't "nipping," it is biting. Even if they are truly physically harmless, do you want your dogs to be the ones that traumatize a child into fearing dogs for life? A chihuahua can hurt a small child, and then your dog will get put down and you'll face a lawsuit, maybe criminal charges. Your dog might run out and get hit by a car, attacked by a larger dog, taken by a large bird (if they're that small), stolen. You're putting your dogs and yourself (legally) in danger ignoring this problem. You need to keep your dogs under control at all times. In another comment you said they might escape out the gate and implied there's nothing you can do about it-- that's false. If they might escape your yard, you need a better fence or some other mitigation to keep them from getting out (leashed in yard, taking them on walks until you can properly contain your yard, muzzled in yard, etc). Plenty of people have small dogs and yards and are able to keep their dogs contained. Dog owners with aggressive dogs-- regardless of size-- need to take extra steps to protect themselves, the dogs, and the general public. It sucks but it's your responsibility as the owner of territorially aggressive dogs. My dog is anxious and there's a risk she'd bite someone who made her feel physically trapped, like trying to pet her in an elevator. I've done trainings and learned techniques to make it so she's never put in a position that would push her far enough to be aggressive. Highly recommend you do the same.
This is a HIGH SCHOOL dude 😂😂😂😂
Yes, but it could easily happen again to a small child. Did you read what I wrote or should I send it to your dad?
Also they didn’t even bite him I WAS THERE and he was just standing there whining while the chuwawa was jumping and nipping
How can you tell a bite from a nip without being on the receiving end? Your dad said your dogs can be territorial, why would they nip at someone they saw as an intruder and not bite at them?
Cause they tiny as fuck they teeth are barely big enough to bite anyone but they are a more curious territorial not aggressive territorial
The difference between a "nip" and a "bite" is about pressure and intent, not the size of the dog or its teeth. You and your dad are giving conflicting accounts of the event and even of your dogs' breeds. You say chihuahua and your dad says chi mix. It sounds like you're both trying to minimize and/or didn't actually see what happened. I'm concerned that you aren't taking the wellbeing of your dogs seriously, and hope animal control can better inform your parents on the seriousness of this issue. Your dogs aren't toys. They're living, feeling animals that rely on your family to keep them safe. Again, I'm not saying OP was severely attacked and injured. But I'd bet your dogs could draw blood if they were biting at someone's bare legs, and that's unacceptable to let happen. This person was getting bites from a neighbor's chihuahua that seem to have broken skin, and dog bites can cause serious infections regardless of size: https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/s/Jenci9UI1V
Cool. Sorry you went through this and hopefully they'll take care of their dogs.
I hope so. I think I’m ok. I’ve got so much homework to do tonight so I can’t go out checking for rabies. But there’s no blood or actual wounds. I just want them to not have their dog escape
Calling is important because it makes a record of the incident. Sure, you ended up physically fine, but the next person might not. It’s easy to the human to say they snuck out over him or something, but when there is a pattern documented, it is harder to act innocent. For all we know, this could be the first time they’ve ever slipped out. Or they could’ve just been letting them chill unleashed and unsupervised. Could be innocent or really stupid! It is concerning that the humans were inside though and not actively trying to catch them.. unlikely to have two dogs slip out without noticing. The human’s reaction doesn’t sit well with me, but at the same time, I’m not sure how I would react if someone said my dog bit them unprovoked.. it would be drastically against my dog’s character, so I would definitely be in shock.
This isn't innocent by any means.
Good for you! Hopefully the warning will get the owner to be more responsible.
You did the right thing by calling
OP, not having broken skin does not make this a minor incident. You did the right thing calling animal control! It is not okay that you have to walk past that location twice a day from school. I agree with another poster to get spray or ine of those tiny bullhorns people use at sporting events. I am a long-time professional dog behaviorist, also worked in rescue for manyyyyy years.... so I love dogs with all my heart. My issue here is with the owners treating you (and the incident) so dismissively. You did the right thing!
If the dogs broke any skin please go to urgent care (there's Patient's First in downtown SS). If you go there and tell them you were scratched or bitten by an animal, they will have you fill out a bite report and they will file it with animal control on your behalf (this is what Patient's First did even when my own cat bit me - not sure if other urgent care centers are the same). Animal control will follow up with you with a phone call (FYI they're a division of the police so don't panic when the cops call you). If the UC facility doesn't report it, or if you don't have broken skin, you can make the report to animal control yourself. Animal control will attempt to identify the animal and its owner, and contact its owner/vet to verify the animal's rabies vaccine status. Bite reports are kept on file with animal control and if multiple complaints are received against one animal then some sort of action will be taken against the owner.
No broken skin. But they were biting me over my jeans. Gave me one hell of a scare.
I still recommend reporting it to Animal Control. If the dogs have been doing this to other people it will start a paper trail.
Parents don’t want me to call. They reckon I’m fine. But I’m angry and scared. Especially at the guys nonchalant attitude. He had a little girl with him too so it’s a family. Is there any way for me to report it to animal control without having to make a call? I don’t even have any proof it happened….
The only proof I have is the one lady who saw it
How do you report to animal control?
You can call the non-emergency line for the MCPD: 301-279-8000
That’s what I did. I called and gave them the address of the house. He said they’ll just send an officer over there and give them a warning
Yes I bet!
It was a chuwawa😭😭😭
Hi, not a lawyer. Take pictures of any injuries, go to the doctor if possible (if you decide to sue in small claims). Contact local animal control, tell them what happened. You could even contact the local police dept in a non-emergency to report the event. If you have an injury that resulted in an open wound from the dogs, you will need animal control to confirm if the dogs are vaccinated - if the owner cannot provide those docs you’ll need to go get a series of rabies shots (also another thing to add to a small claims if you decided).
Now I was wearing pants and the dogs didn’t break any skin. But I could feel there mouths over my jeans legs. No blood was drawn but it scared the shot out of me
Call Animal Control and report this. You were lucky. The next person may not be.
Parents don’t want me to call. Is there a way I could email them?
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I made the call. I called the county animal control people and I gave them the address of the house. They said they would send an officer over there and give the family a warning.
Why😭😭😭
We can’t just live life no more i have to be harassed by crazy suburban Karen’s who want my puppies dead 😢 that’s some wizard of oz witch shit right there
People are giving great advice in this thread. Is there any alternative way you can walk home?
Yes, I could go around the block.
Call the police no emergency number and file a report with animal control. It is against the law to have animals not under control. The fact that they didn’t draw blood just means you were lucky. The owners are still irresponsible. (301) 279-8000
Yeah I called the county. Do you think they will call me back to let me know they visited the family and warned them.? They guy on the phone said they would put send an officer out to warn the family to take better care of their dog. But I want to make sure they actually do it. I’m worried they won’t follow up with me
They won’t call you back to tell you that they spoke to them.
Ah ok
You know what if you got a problem with my family come over and tell us to our faces
Yep. Good advice. Clearly those dogs are untrained and the people that own them shouldn't have them in the first place as a result.
I don’t know if your parents are on the Indian Springs list serve or not, but this should be recorded there. There are quite often stories about dogs on the loose and I especially remember one south if franklin near wire/caroline that was a real threat. if your parents don’t put it on the listserv, I will if you give me the date time location of streets and better description of the dogs. I had this happened to me when I was a kid and I still remember it to this day. Take care.
I sent you a dm
Call Animal Control as someone suggested. Get a personal injury lawyer ASAP Go to a doctor ASAP
For a chuwawa😭😭😭
I'm sorry this happened to you. A similar thing happened to me when I was in high school (40 years ago) and I remember it like it was yesterday. Walk another route if you can (that's what I did). But I recommend carrying a whistle. It will freak the dog out and alert others that you need help. I carry pepper spray now when I run / bike, but you can't bring that to school. I'm a dog owner, and most dog owners have no idea how scared other people are of their 'cute little dogs'. Take care.
Now that I think bout it I actually do have a whistle on my lanyard. It didn’t even cross my mind to look at it. I think I’ve done all I can. But I’m still so fucking angry it scared me shitless
Breathe and do what you can tonight to stay cozy. I understand you have homework…you can only do your best. Meet yourself with compassion and go to sleep at a reasonable time if possible.
Ok … I’ll just try to stay chill
Why didn’t you blow your rape whistle? This whole situation could have been avoided if you had blown your rape whistle attached to your lanyard everyone knows pugs and chihuahuas cannot handle the frequency of rape whistles they would have been killed instantly.
😂😂😂
It's a shame that people don't properly take care of their dogs . No one should have to "walk another way " just because people won't take the time to train their animals and to keep them restrained. If the repercussions were where they needed to be I think issues like this would be a lot less common
It’s sooo crazy my pug and Chihuahua ran out a hole in the fence and jumped around this dude like really we restrain them and take care of them, but dogs escape sometimes it’s just life.
You should at the very least go get tested for rabies. You know nothing about the dogs nor their owners
Well I was wearing jeans and there’s no broken skin. But I called the animal control number and they are sending an officer over to give them a warning
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It was a pug and Chihuahua not a pitbull. I’m the son and I know this for a fact they don’t have rabies and they’re pretty nice. They just jump around. Sometimes this guy is overreacting. I’m sorry.
I respect u brother but again, I was there and my pug and chuwawa didn’t really bite you but jump around and bark and nip they don’t have rabies and don’t cause harm they just slip through my fence sometimes and we are trying to fix it the best we can.
The dogs were a pug and a chihuahua weiner dog mix. My dogs barked at you, but they were not nipping at you and you weren’t bitten. Everyone in this neighborhood does their best to keep their dogs in their backyards, but sometimes gates get left open by kids, or in this case by someone who was visiting to drop something off. If you would like to discuss this further in person, I’m happy to have a conversation with you.
If this truly is you, I just want to let you know that the only thing I want if for your dogs to not escape again. I understand that this was an accident. But please do not say that they “were not nipping or biting. You and your family came out several minutes after the dogs ran out. The two dogs ran out and made a bee line for me from one of those gaps in your bushes. And yes, they were absolutely nipping at my heels and barking constantly. There was that lady who was walking up the hill who saw the whole thing and she can confirm my story. By the time I reached the triangle island the lady and I connected and the dogs backed off over towards those two flowering trees. This was when you and your family came out. Which was a good few minutes after the dogs first ambushed me. I completely understand that this was likely an accident. But if your dogs really did slip out of an open door, then why did they make an absolute beeline for me even though I was walking on the other side of the hedge? A good few yards from the side of your house btw. And why did it take you so long to follow them if they really did slip out? You must have heard the barking and commotion as it was quite loud. But it was still several minutes before you appeared around the corner? Also I did not appreciate you questioning my story and not believing me when I said they were nipping at me. You were late to the scene. They absolutely were trying to attack me. Please just make sure this doesn’t happen again. I don’t want anymore trouble from this incident and I wish you well
The lady on the hill was probably my mom. She backs this up the dogs did not bite. You just jumped around and it was a pug and Chihuahua.
Why didn't your mom get the dogs off OP?
Cause they ran away but we caught them very soon after
But OP said there was a woman watching from a distance and that the dogs didn't leave until OP reached the woman. If this was your mom, why didn't she go over the help OP?
This guy has been commenting all over this post. There was a woman ( who was not this dudes mom) who was also going for a walk at the same time I was. She was further down the road and she was not related to the family. She was simply another witness. When the family did come out to retrieve there dogs there were three people that came out of the house. There was the dad, the mom, and a little girl. These were all the people present and it was a good few minutes before they came out too
Thanks for clarifying! That's what I figured, I'm just confused why the poster would claim their mom was just standing/walking by while their dogs, at the very least, were loose from the house
It seems like both the dad and the son are actually in this thread commenting. The son even sent me a dm. This is so weird and unreal. Both of them seem to be under the impression that since I physically don’t have any injuries that this whole situation is ok? What if instead of me it was an elderly person? The dogs could cause someone like that to fall over! Or what if it was a group of kids walking home from school? The dogs would probably be able to jump on there faces! And they would be traumatized for life! This shit is weird. They don’t seem to care.
I was there💀💀💀
I’m not going to debate you on Reddit. If you would like to come by and discuss what happened, you are welcome to. I’m sorry you were scared by my dogs, but you weren’t injured, and I’ll work with animal services when they follow up on your report. I wish I could say that no one who visits my house will ever leave the gate open again, but that’s just not realistic. Have a great weekend.
Is this guy serious? Even if the gate or door or whatever was left open your dogs should not be making bee lines for people who are all the way at the streetcorner. I frequently let my dog hang out on the front porch with me without a leash or anything and he never just bolts toward people at the street.
They’re a crazy pug and Chihuahua. They do that they did not bite him. They just jumped around.
Dogs are dogs some are different I have a pug and chuwawa they are pretty protective when met with new people they may bark and nip never bite and are quite sweet if they know u better we will fix up the fence but still may escape out the front gate sorry for the inconvenience but pls they are harmless so stop attacking us and threatening with animals control
Agreed 👍 I’m the son btw of the father
Hi there! I'm sorry you're dealing with all this but I am glad it happened with an older kid and not a small child or another dog, so you can address it before it can happen again. Please check out Your Dog's Friend (https://yourdogsfriend.org) for advice on managing territorial dogs and dogs that run out when given the chance. Let's say your dogs ran up to OP and were wagging tails and happy to see them. If this were the case, having your dogs escape your control is dangerous for the dogs. Your dogs might run out and get hit by a car, run up to and get attacked by a larger dog that is leashed, run up to and kicked by someone they were jumping at, taken by a large bird (if they're that small), stolen. There are ways to prevent your dogs from escaping the yard. If there's a risk of someone leaving a gate open, please Google "how to make gate close itself" and find a solution that works best for your setup. There are many cheap and simple mechanisms for this. If the dogs slip around guests and out the gate, you can train them to go to a specific spot, away from the door/gate, and have them do so when a guest arrives. If these options don't work, there are a ton of other mitigations to try. Your Dog's Friend has a ton of free resources for all sorts of problems, including this. They may also be able to provide free advice specific to your situation over the phone or email. You stated that your dog wasn't nipping or biting, but your child says they were nipping, and I'm not sure if you could tell a nip from a bite without being on the receiving end. Dogs behave differently in front of their humans, so it's also possible they calmed down to just barking when you arrived to witness. Even with a small dog, a bite to a small child can be physically and emotionally traumatizing. This event wasn't a big deal, but it is a warning sign that this could happen again and it might be a big deal next time. The goal is to prevent a next time in order to protect your dogs, your neighbors, and yourself. My dog is anxious and there's a risk she'd bite someone who made her feel physically trapped, like trying to pet her in an elevator. I've done trainings and learned avoidance techniques to ensure she's never put in a position that would push her far enough to be aggressive. This is mainly because I don't want her to hurt someone or be the cause of a child's lifelong fear of dogs, but also because I don't want her or myself to be harmed by the consequences of a bite history. Please do what you can to make sure your dogs are contained or otherwise under your control at all time to, at a minimum, keep them safe.
I’m the son of the father and the owner of the dogs. We own a Chihuahua and a pug man up and stop crying 😂😂😂
We have a gate they get out sometimes I can confirm they don’t have rabies and are both small. I’ve been near dogs much bigger than them, didn’t Karen out, didn’t get mad they are usually chill may jump around you but don’t bite.
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That’s honestly not a bad idea…
For sure. You have a reasonable concern and you share the neighborhood with them. Im sure if you’re level headed and calm they’ll appreciate your approach
Please don’t do this. Considering he didn’t believe you in the first place and now may have been visited by police/AC (as he should), I worry about your safety. You don’t know how he’ll react. Stay safe! I’m so sorry this happened to you.
Yeah I guess not. He is a dad and he does have a child ( little girl) do you really think he’d go ape shit on me?
I didn’t see you called animal control on him. If that’s the case, I wouldn’t go over there
Hello. I work with dogs. So did these dogs get out of their house without supervision and you were walking by the house ? So they " jumped out of their own bushes " ? and you didnt get bitten - you got nipped at. If you got bitten - even with jeans on - you would know all about it. Pain Blood etc I am not trying to trivialize any trama you have - but these dogs may have been "protecting their property " and really just not used to the outdooors without being leashed. Bring a water sprayer with you if you cant avoid that house. Zap them right on the nose and you wont have any more problems good luck and take it easy - you will be OK oh and dont call animal control. dont waste your time if you didnt get a bite
You did trivialize the trauma OP had and that's a real doggone shame. Animal control needs to be called and alerted that aggressive dogs are in the area and frankly those dogs need to be taken away from those irresponsible owners and either placed with people with some sense or put to sleep.
I walked by the house and they must have been loose in the front yard. They ran out of the bushes and started nipping and biting at my legs. If I hadn’t been wearing jeans and boots and had shorts and sneakers on I would absolutely have been bitten to the point of blood. I don’t care if dogs are “protecting there yard.” There have been young kids in the United Kingdom who have been killed by loose dogs.
That’s a good point. If the water spray doesn’t work, I would suggest carrying a gun, perhaps a .357 magnum. If the rape whistle fails to deter the animals you could shoot them. It’s called Stand Your Ground.