Alsatian dog attack

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Debs
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Alsatian dog attack

Post by Debs »

Just phoned the local police to report a dog attack that happened to me yesterday afternoon.

Yesterday riding [alone in a very rural location] along an minor road which ends at a T junction B road [national speed limit] i join this B road by turning left onto it.

On the corner of this junction there is what looks like a council depot, which is enclosed in serious looking high security fencing, with big locked gates at the entrance on the B road.

As i cycled along the minor road i could see and hear an Alsatian dog that was behind the security fence, it was barking very aggressively at me, my thought at the time was that it's lucky the high fencing was there in-between us, or i'd be in trouble!

After turning left onto the B road, the barking dog continued around behind the security fence perimeter corner and still barking loudly and jumping about. As i continued along the B road which passes the depot entrance, the dog suddenly disappeared from my view and fell silent, a few seconds later i noticed that the gates where wide open [they are usually locked],and that the Alsatian had run around a back way to come around and though the open gates and onto the B road in order to confront me!

The Alsatian was now right by my side barking louder that ever, it didn't bite but got too close, jumping up, touching my hip with a paw i wobbled and ended up trying to cycle away from it in middle of the road on the white lines.
An oncoming car narrowly passed me with inches to spare, he blew his hooter as he steamed though at around 60mph.

The dog continued to loudly bark and harass me only inches away as i cycled as quick as i could along the B road, another car traveling in my direction overtook me and again with a blast on the horn that i think was intended to get me out of his way. I continued to cycle as fast as i could and feeling terrified of the prospect of getting bitten any second.
After a couple of hundred meters the wolf suddenly stopped by side of road still barking but let me ride on.

Total time duration of attack was around 15 seconds [but felt longer.]
My heart rate monitor usually records my cycle ride MAX heart rate to be around 160 bpm - give or take a couple.
But yesterday during the dog attack my heart rate monitor recorded a MAX of 177 bpm - attributed mainly to stress rather than physical exertion.

Today i phoned 101 and was put though to the local police area who took the details [above] and gave me an incident number.
However a few minutes later he phoned me back to ask if i could come in to the local Police Stn [appointment made for Wednesday] to give a proper statement, so they seem to be taking it quite seriously.

Hopefully the police will check the depot out for it's guard dog arrangement - if that's what it is...
thirdcrank
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Re: Alsatian dog attack

Post by thirdcrank »

If this is a guard dog, then this type of thing is the subject of the Guard Dogs Act 1975

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1975/50/contents

Note that in layman's terms, a guard dog must always be either under the control of a capable handler or fastened up. Fastened up does not include being allowed to run loose within premises ie "somebody else must have left the gate open" does not wash.

IMO, it's one of the few bits of mutt legislation that has, er, teeth. Measured by the reduction in the number of mutts which used to roam free within premises like scrapyards I'd say it has worked quite well in achieving its aim.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Alsatian dog attack

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Maybe the horns were for the dog?
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
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pwa
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Re: Alsatian dog attack

Post by pwa »

It is no consolation to you, but that dog does not seem to have been in full attack mode. It would have bitten you if that had been its mission. It was trying to dominate, to intimidate. Which is a frightening thing to experience when you are dealing with a big dog.

Several years ago I had several similar experiences with a doberman than would rush out of an open gateway in a mock attack. Now I worked out that the "attacks" were mock, and I am quite big myself, so after a few such episodes I decided to turn the tables on the dog and do my own mock attack. As I approached the gate I could see the dog eyeing me up, and as soon as it began to move forward I cycled vigorously towards it yelling at the top of my voice and with real anger. The dog turned (stumpy) tail and retreated. I followed that up a few more times, but after that the dog's heart wasn't in it. It had been humiliated and knew it. Dogs like that are seeking status. When they know you are above them the aggression ceases.

But what if the victim were a child?

You were right to report it and I hope you get a result.
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Alsatian dog attack

Post by Cyril Haearn »

You should have dialled 999 immediately, if the dog was free it could have attached others
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Bonefishblues
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Re: Alsatian dog attack

Post by Bonefishblues »

Cyril Haearn wrote:You should have dialled 999 immediately, if the dog was free it could have attached others

I agree.
pwa
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Re: Alsatian dog attack

Post by pwa »

Cyril Haearn wrote:You should have dialled 999 immediately, if the dog was free it could have attached others


I did think about it and can't remember why I didn't. On reflection, yes, it would have been a good idea.
brooksby
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Re: Alsatian dog attack

Post by brooksby »

Glad you're OK, if a bit shaken up I imagine.

I remember being bitten by an Alsatian guard dog myself, years ago. After dark, walking home from work and passing a building site. As I went past the open entry gate, a guard dog lunges and bit my arm. Guard (holding the dog on a lead, mind) says sorry but the dog thought that the empty drink bottle I was carrying (lucozade IIRC) was a weapon, nothing to be done... I was a bit in shock, I think in hindsight, and just carried on home (turned out the dog had actually broken the skin: bite marks on my forearm).

I phoned the non urgent police number and they said it counted as private property (?) so nothing they could do.

After I'd come back from having tetanus shot at A&E i did some googling and then phoned the site manager office the next morning. Sorry, no, don't know who was on duty last night; no, we changed our security company this very morning, so nothing can be done, sorry bout that...

(I started taking a different route home after that little experience).
Last edited by brooksby on 10 Feb 2018, 10:49pm, edited 1 time in total.
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Alsatian dog attack

Post by Cyril Haearn »

I would not have been confident of outpacing the dog, I might have stopped and put the bike between me and it
If I were driving by I would have stopped to help
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Debs
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Re: Alsatian dog attack

Post by Debs »

Cyril Haearn wrote:I would not have been confident of outpacing the dog, I might have stopped and put the bike between me and it
If I were driving by I would have stopped to help


The minor road that ends at the T junction is uphill, so i'm in some oxygen debt as i turn the corner on the B road, and yesterday the B road direction for me was against the wind, so by the time the dog was out; i was only good for 15 - 17mph at best. It was awkward looking back at the dog and trying to keep the bike on course.

Stopping riding a bicycle while a hungry wolf is running up so close beside, is easier said than done, it would involve slowing down, unclipping a foot and lifting it over the bike which could look like a tempting thing to bite for an aggressive dog, and when stopped the situation is static and confrontational with dog one side of bike and rider the other. It was better to jam along the road away from the dogs territory, and as it turned out the dog didn't actually bite me, despite having every opportunity to do so, as if it was herding me away from the premises - it is a shepherd dog after all.

But i did okay because the incident resulted in no injury. i don't carry a mobile phone so a 999 call wasn't possible, not before getting home in which case it would be better to report it in non-emergency.

thirdcrank wrote:If this is a guard dog, then this type of thing is the subject of the Guard Dogs Act 1975

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1975/50/contents


Thanks for posting that!
The police do appear to be interested, and i'm sure the local Police "Dog Legislation Officer" will be visiting the premises very soon.
ossie
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Re: Alsatian dog attack

Post by ossie »

Debs wrote:
Cyril Haearn wrote:The police do appear to be interested, and i'm sure the local Police "Dog Legislation Officer" will be visiting the premises very soon.


No such thing. It will be someone who has probably never dealt with a dangerous dog incident in their life.

That said Insist they deal with it properly. The owner should be interviewed and reported. The Magistrates will decide the punishment.
mercalia
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Re: Alsatian dog attack

Post by mercalia »

You need Steve Gibson PORTABLE DOG KILLER

listen to the blog

https://twit.tv/shows/security-now/episodes/592

48 minutes in

and if you want to make one

https://www.grc.com/tqc/thequietcanine.htm
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The utility cyclist
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Re: Alsatian dog attack

Post by The utility cyclist »

Terrifying I bet, 35 years on from my paper round and I still remember the 2 dogs at 2 different houses on my round (both in my street). One was a small jack rustle type thing that literally used to yank the paper out my hand as soon as it poke through the letterbox and rag it to bits, the other was a pretty big dog, only once in the 5 years I did the round was it ever loose in the garden.

Behind the door it sounded like it would have ripped my throat out given half a chance, the one time I did see it in the front garden I just chucked the paper over the gate, and yes it did bark.snarl at me something chronic but at least didn't jump over the small picket fence.

Have long since learnt how to treat these types of animals.
Best of luck getting this sorted, on another day this could have ended far, far worse given the other animals that you encountered.
pwa
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Re: Alsatian dog attack

Post by pwa »

The utility cyclist wrote:Terrifying I bet, 35 years on from my paper round and I still remember the 2 dogs at 2 different houses on my round (both in my street). One was a small jack rustle type thing that literally used to yank the paper out my hand as soon as it poke through the letterbox and rag it to bits, the other was a pretty big dog, only once in the 5 years I did the round was it ever loose in the garden.

Behind the door it sounded like it would have ripped my throat out given half a chance, the one time I did see it in the front garden I just chucked the paper over the gate, and yes it did bark.snarl at me something chronic but at least didn't jump over the small picket fence.

Have long since learnt how to treat these types of animals.
Best of luck getting this sorted, on another day this could have ended far, far worse given the other animals that you encountered.


I've got similar memories of being afraid of a barking dog when I was a kid. I've since come to like and understand dogs and there are very few that would cause me to be afraid if they came at me. I mostly just find it really annoying now. But I always remember my fear as a child and imagine what it would be like for a child in that threatening situation.
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cyclemad
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Re: Alsatian dog attack

Post by cyclemad »

The offence(s) of. ' Allowing a dog to be dangerously at large'' ( Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 ) applies now in both PUBLIC and PRIVATE locations.
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