Very upset - my dog accused of biting an elderly man

[Becky]

Jumping is ill-mannered. I don't like it when my dog or anyone else's participates in this behavior.

However, I certainly agree with Pam's statement that it's a hard thing to break when well-meaning but clueless people interact with a jumping dog. If my dog is jumping up, please don't touch him, talk to him, or even make eye contact. It reinforces the very behavior that I'm working to break.

[smilingcat]

+1 with dogmama. Get a written statement from the animal control officer to the effect of what he said, "Looks like a scratch not a bite". Get things in order for a strong defense and sit tight with the information.

Just laying low will not cut it. Like Irulan said, some people do not like animals!! Hiding is no defense should someone decides to pursue legal recourse. That scratch can turn into serious condition for an elderly person. A scratch can turn into a long lasting oozing wound.

I'm not trying to scare you Emily, but I would err on side of caution. Getting the certification sounds like a good thing too. Geeze, I can just see.

How did you get the wound on your arm?
That vicious dog attacked me without provacation!
The VICIOUS DOG ATTACKED YOU?
Yes Sir
But there is a certification saying otherwise. Do you still wish to claim that the dog is vicious?
....

I think having the certification after the fact is still very relevant and getting ASAP would be much better than later.

[Dogmama]

I think having the certification after the fact is still very relevant and getting ASAP would be much better than later.

In our city, and possibly elsewhere, if somebody sticks their hand in my yard and my dog bites it, I am responsible. Having a "Beware of dog" sign can be misinterpreted as knowing that you have a problem & warning others to stay away.

The law is NOT on the side of the dog owner. I'm sure Emily feels terrible - I would too. But, my point is that she needs to gather evidence NOW in case this should escalate. I feel it is my responsibility as a dog owner to protect my dog.

[withm]

I feel it is my responsibility as a dog owner to protect my dog.

Are you saying that the dog's welfare is more important than the person he injured?

[Dogmama]

Are you saying that the dog's welfare is more important than the person he injured?

Oh fercryinoutloud - did I say that? Go back & read my posts.

[tulip]

Emily, I'm sorry to hear about this situation. I feel for you and the gentleman; whatever the dog did or did not do, it was perceived as aggressive and that's really all that matters.

As a dog owner, I'm very nervous about something like this happening. I am training my dog for the Canine Good Citizen certification. It's difficult with him because he's a rescue from an abusive situation and there's alot of doggie baggage to get through. He dislikes most children because he was abused by them, but if he ever went after a kid, that would be the end of him regardless of the reasons, history, or even if it wasn't really aggressive. It's all about perception.

When a dog jumps, the best thing to do is simply turn away and walk away. Eventually the dog will figure out that jumping is not going to result in attention. This is what you should do for training. Especially with small dogs, people tend to encourage jumping without realizing it because they bend down and talk in baby-dog talk (I can't stand that, but it happens). When you get home, don't reward the jumping by bending down and petting and talking to the dog. Turn away and ignore the dog until he stops jumping and calms down. Then approach the dog and praise him, but only if he remains unjumpy.

Best wishes for getting this sorted out, Emily!