Bit of a fright with greyhounds this evening....

Lobsterlady

I live in the countryside, surrounded by fields. Instead of my usually road walk, tonight I decided to walk my dog, a mix (Bichon/Cavalier) up a small laneway and back across the field to our house instead of taking the lane back. She was on lead.

I wasn't 2 minutes in the field when I heard a thundering noise and saw 2 greyhounds making a beeline for us - they were on my dog in a blink of an eye . Both were muzzled - if they hadn't been, it would have been a blood bath. The two greyhounds pummelled and stomped on my dog for what seemed like an eternity, an all out frenzy...I was terrified the muzzles would come off one of them. My dog was yelping and furiously trying to get away, whilst I was trying to pick her up but couldn't get a hold as the two greyhounds were on top of her. They were large ones, hip height. I saw the owner in the distance and was screaming at her to come and help. I finally managed to pick up my dog after a bit of kicking...they were large and strong, being racing greyhounds. There was foam and mud over me and my dog, and she....bless her....poo'ed herself and was mudd'ied. We were both quite shook.

It was a mercy they had their muzzles on, but I sometime see them out in the field behind our house....as they occasionally break out from their owners.

Could these dogs actually pound a dog to death, even if muzzled? Should they be on lead at all times if they aren't on their own property? We've always kept our dog on lead, even out in our garden as we know that the greyhound owners aren't the best at keeping them in. Just so paranoid now.

Victor

Whose field?

In a public place, dogs should be 'to heel'. On someone else's land, the should also be to heel. On their own land might be another matter.

ganmo

Control of greyhounds.


10.—(1) A person shall not permit a greyhound to be in any public place unless such greyhound is being led by means of a sufficiently strong chain or leash.


(2) A person shall not lead or cause or permit to be led by any one person more than four greyhounds at a time in any public place.
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1986/act/32/enacted/en/print#sec10

if the greyhound owners own the land they mightn't be considered in public

Lobsterlady

No, the greyhound owners do not own the land but use it daily when the cattle aren't in the field.

DBB

Unless it's a field that the public ordinarily have access to and use of, then it's not a public place. So... If it's a typical field, it's not a public place. If it's a field with a public right of way through it, or any other circumstance that gives the public the use of it, that would make it a public place. I'm assuming the field is not a public place, but the dog owner has permission to be there... And the dog control laws only apply to public places.
To be perfectly blunt op, yes the dogs could pummel your little dog to death... There's many a hare killed on the coursing fields even by muzzled dogs, and I've heard cases of cats and small dogs being killed by large muzzled dogs that were breeds other than greyhounds. Their owner needs to take much more care, and I'd be asking her nicely to pay the vet bills arising from this incident.
I hope your little dog is ok, both physically and mentally after this. That would've been a terrifying ordeal for her.

Lobsterlady

It's just a regular field I guess, our land backs onto it. I was just taking a shortcut home.

No vet bills, my dog was badly shaken (as was I) but all ok. Just a scary experience. They only started muzzling the dogs when we got ours....otherwise they use to let them run around unmuzzled to chase the rabbits. Some of their greyhounds prior to being muzzled have killed a neighbours dog, in that very field. These were different greyhounds to the ones that went for mine.

I guess I've learned my lesson and will never walk the field with my dog again. Just hope their dogs don't break out and come onto our land.
Thanks for replies.

Graces7

Lobsterlady wrote: »

It's just a regular field I guess, our land backs onto it. I was just taking a shortcut home.

No vet bills, my dog was badly shaken (as was I) but all ok. Just a scary experience. They only started muzzling the dogs when we got ours....otherwise they use to let them run around unmuzzled to chase the rabbits. Some of their greyhounds prior to being muzzled have killed a neighbours dog, in that very field. These were different greyhounds to the ones that went for mine.

I guess I've learned my lesson and will never walk the field with my dog again. Just hope their dogs don't break out and come onto our land.
Thanks for replies.

Well done but this does not sound a safe situation? Are they not supposed to be under control?

Flibble

What a horrible experience for you both
Thank f*ck it wasn't a worse outcome.
What did the owner say/do, when she came over?? Was she at all apologetic? Make sure any vets bills are presented to her. I suppose she's in the habit of allowing her dogs out in this field & is unlikely to change that. Make sure your own lands are very secure with no gaps they'd be able to get through easily if they took a notion, and give your pup lots of tlc.

It's going to be important, I'd imagine, for your dog to be exposed to good experiences with big dogs in the coming days/weeks, so that she doesn't develop a fear or become reactive around dogs. Even just walking her near other dogs in public and feeding her tonnes of treats in their presence, or arranging for someone with an older, calmer dog to come visit a few times would probably help.

Don't let this experience scar either of you or take the enjoyment out of your walks together.

Dubl07

Lobsterlady wrote: »

It's just a regular field I guess, our land backs onto it. I was just taking a shortcut home.

No vet bills, my dog was badly shaken (as was I) but all ok. Just a scary experience. They only started muzzling the dogs when we got ours....otherwise they use to let them run around unmuzzled to chase the rabbits. Some of their greyhounds prior to being muzzled have killed a neighbours dog, in that very field. These were different greyhounds to the ones that went for mine.

I guess I've learned my lesson and will never walk the field with my dog again. Just hope their dogs don't break out and come onto our land.
Thanks for replies.

She may be quite sore today and that in itself might play into her developing an aversion to bigger, faster dogs. I'd tend to agree with Flibble. If you have any opportunity to meet with friendly large dogs today and over the next few days at least, I'd grab it and try to dissociate the large dog/fright connection that would be only normal after such a nasty experience.

I've the same cross myself and she's a smart little thing but remembers where 'bad things' happen and will avoid those areas like the plague when I or anyone else has her out.

Lobsterlady

I took my dog for a walk today in a populated area, so we could purposely meet some dogs. All the dogs we met were small, she was ok to meet them and sniff and I made a point to have a quick chat with owners so she could be near a dog for a bit. She was a little timid, which was to be expected as she's normally mad for socializing and so so friendly to a fault. Will be going for a walk again shortly down the road where there are dogs that come out to greet her and she knows (a large retriever is one of them so will make a point of greeting and saying hello etc.


The incident happened all so fast that I just wanted to get the hell out of there once I got a hold of my dog. I remember saying 'I didn't see you in the field...I wouldn't have come in otherwise' or something to that effect. The owner asked if she was alright but I just hurried away....she didn't leash the dogs as I walked away....she said they would follow her...which they did begrudgingly.

Anyway just glad it was me that had the dog, and the kids hadn't taken her up the lane for the walk as they wouldn't have stood a chance of getting the dogs off her, had the dogs seen them from the laneway. The kids never go into the field. Cattle should be back in the field really soon now, which will stop them running their dogs there for a while. I'll only have the bull to deal with then:eek:

retro:electro

Your poor little mite plenty of cuddles in order! That makes me sad. Fair play to you for handling the situation so well, I probably would have turned the air a dark shade of blue with profanities.

DBB

Flibble wrote: »

It's going to be important, I'd imagine, for your dog to be exposed to good experiences with big dogs in the coming days/weeks, so that she doesn't develop a fear or become reactive around dogs. Even just walking her near other dogs in public and feeding her tonnes of treats in their presence, or arranging for someone with an older, calmer dog to come visit a few times would probably help.

Sage advice! The good news is that in the big scheme of things, dogs tend to get over an incident like this remarkably well on a behavioural level, as long as they were okay with other dogs to start with, and as long as the owner quickly takes steps to remediate things gradually and with bagloads of very tasty treats involved
It sounds like you're doing just this, I just wanted to support you! Don't overdo it though.
Also, to be absolutely honest, I think I'd get her checked out with your vet just to be sure everything is okay. At the very least, some painkillers would be no harm for a few days, as she's likely to be quite bruised.

Lobsterlady

Thanks everybody for the replies, DBB and Anna080 et all. I guess I just needed to get it off my chest....it's been rather cathartic posting this out.

Had a long evening walk, didn't meet the larger dogs that I was hoping to, but friendly Ms Jack Russell mix greeted us as normal and my dog was delighted with a playmate and friend to walk us back along the road. Lots of sniffing and rough and tumbling, on the retractable lead. All good.:)

Latatian

Be careful about rough and tumble with retractables, they can cause some bad injuries!

Glad to hear your poor pet is feeling better. With the god weather you might be seeing more large dogs out soon.

razorblunt

Whatever about the greyhounds being to heel, sounds like the owner of them needs to be brought to heel to.

Graces7

razorblunt wrote: »

Whatever about the greyhounds being to heel, sounds like the owner of them needs to be brought to heel to.

Been thinking that too. Surely this is not allowable? Thought dogs had to be under control at all times unless on HER property?

DBB

Graces7 wrote: »

Been thinking that too. Surely this is not allowable? Thought dogs had to be under control at all times unless on HER property?

By the letter of the law, the law only applies to public places, so it means owners can run their dogs on private lands that don't necessarily belong to them... But, then another set of laws come into play... They should have permission of the landowner to be there.
But that's only in relation to the keeping dogs under effectual control/on lead/muzzled laws (latter 2 are dependent on breed).
When it comes to your dog causing harm to anyone else's property, whether on public or private lands, with or without permission, the damaged party is perfectly entitled to take a civil case against the dog owner for recompense.
I would be calling the dog warden regardless, because although strictly speaking no laws have been broken (under the dog control legislation at least), the warden could pre-emptively warn this reckless owner about the risk of her dogs going on to public land, or worrying livestock. As it stands, they can't fine her, but it might be enough to make her cop on. At least the wardens would also have a record of previous incidents.
She may also be in breach of the wildlife legislation if her dogs are open-coursing hares.

razorblunt

It's also been stated the owner had previous greyhounds that have killed a dog on that land (not this set of dogs).

Graces7

razorblunt wrote: »

It's also been stated the owner had previous greyhounds that have killed a dog on that land (not this set of dogs).

That was what alerted me and that the OP is worried in case they get into her garden?

Lobsterlady

So a little update. Our dog has now for the last 2 nights started barking in the middle of the night, which she never ever did before.
She sleeps upstairs with us and just starts up barking like mad, obviously hears the greyhounds or something up the road. I've read a few of the old threads on this. I want to nip this in the bud now if possible. Not sure if we should or how we should react to her barking. She has definitely become more anxious since the incident. The whole of the back of our house is glass floor length doors which over look the fields where the greyhounds are walked. If she sees them during the day she go nuts.

I've been walking her lots, and meeting dogs and that's all going grand but it's the sudden barking during the night that's so hard to deal with. She's edgy. Do I scold her, react to it etc etc? Maybe it will settle in time. Any advice greatly appreciated.