Very upset - my dog accused of biting an elderly man

[Crankin]

It doesn't sound like he was "bleeding," you know, profusely or anything, if all he had was a scratch, not a bite. It's unfortunate this happened, but in the end, this situation is causing Emily more trouble than the man.
I know nothing about dogs or animal behavior and generally don't care that much for any animals. But, I know that Emily is a responsible owner and must be really upset.

[Dogmama]

Couple of things -

Does your dog have a CGC (Canine Good Citizen)? If not, look it up & see about getting one. A dog that passed the CGC is more likely to be looked upon kindly. I know that pit bull owners often get CGC's to protect their dogs against the county.

I would be concerned about a "dog bite" being on record. The animal control officer said, verbally, that it appeared to be a scratch but did he write that is was a bite? I'd get in touch with him/her immediately and ask him to make a statement to that effect. You said you have a one-bite forgiveness in Boston. Then what?

Obviously, being a dogmama, I do react strongly to anything that threatens my dogs - including the county laws. If there was even a remote chance that another incident could mean that my dog was quarantined at the pound or even put to death, I'd have a lawyer involved & have the animal control officer deposed. I'd also get pictures of the "bite" and have it examined by a medical professional.

My DH is a private investigator & routinely sees incidents that get blow out of proportion & end up in courts. For that reason, I would take absolutely no chances, even if people thought you were going overboard. I think erring on the side of caution is better than saying later, "If only..." I'd do it quickly - before the animal control officer forgets what he said and before the scratch heals up.

Just my $.02.

[Irulan]

I guess I'm the only one who feels bad for the old man. He was just walking in his home, not bothering anyone, and suddenly he's bleeding. He probably feels pretty vulnerable anytime he goes out, because of the way he walks. And if that scratch becomes infected, it could be a serious problem for an elderly person.

um yes, I hope th is doesn't have to me a "me too" thread. First of all I am a dog person, and I've gone through my malemute "attacking" someone and having to go to court about it. Maybe it was just a scratch, maybe the guy got terrified, maybe he was coached, maybe not....I've also had the skin broken by dogs and dog lover or not, it's scary as hell. There is some good advice here on how to follow the system and see what happens.

Jumping up is the one bad habit she has because she's so little and friendly, and most people don't mind a bit, though I try VERY hard not to let her do it, and she's always on leash, but she can move fast.

This is my issue: jumping up is a horrible scary thing, and it's a terrible habit for a dog owner to permit. I certainly mind it ... and I am dog person. I don't know where you'd get the idea that "most people don't mind a bit". They are probably embarrassed to tell you that the minimum it's annoying, at the maximum it's terrifying. Certainly if the dog has a beeper collar ( what is that anyway? a shock collar??) you can break this.