Who was wrong in this dog fight that happened today?

Question

i had my little westie on his lead in my front garden earlier,when all of a sudden he snatched it out of my hands(yes?a westie).he went chasing after two Dalmatian's,he only barks at them,but the dalmatian's turned on him and nearly tore my dog in two,we manager ed to get him out of there mouths and there owner starting shouting and swearing at me,but i know its not the first time the dalmatian's have set about other dogs and when i mentioned this the owner started to look concerned and walked off still swearing.if you are wondering,my westie did not have a scratch on him,how?i dont know,i thought he was a goner,tough little dogs arnt they?who is too blame?

Answer 1

You don't say whether the dalmatians were on a lead.

Your dog wasn't, whether it was down to him running away or not, so I'd have to say it's your fault.

Answer 2

The real question should be - did you take your poopy bad along. Some mess after that altercation I bet !!

Answer 3

were the dalmations not on leads???

if this is not the first time then it should be a Police matter or a telephone call to the RSPCA, ask their advice.

Thank goodness your dog was ok.....xx

Answer 4

My dog has no nose

how does he smell?

terrible... XD

Answer 5

Sorry, but you are all to blame. The owner of the other dogs can rightly argue that your dog would not have been attacked if it had not have been running at the Dalmatians. They thought that your dog was going to attack so they retaliated. If the other 2 dogs were on leashes then you have no argument, your's was the aggressor. Maybe the Westie has learnt a lesson, but I doubt it. You must make sure that he is not able to escape like that as the next time he could well be killed.

Answer 6

even though the dog was leashed it wasnt restrained so its on you, your dog was the instigator.  

Answer 7

the owner of the dalmations, he has not trained them properly and the  worry is, one day they will meet a dog of their own temperament and a major fight will follow, with possibly injury to one of the dogs be it his or the other. If you know who this person is I strongly recommend that you report it to the RSPCA these dogs have to be rehabilitated so that they are not a danger to others,either big or small. You also need to train your westie not to go off barking at other dogs, you should be able to recall him if he runs off, stop him from barking at other dogs and generally socialise him so other dogs don't bother him. Dog trainig classes are where you need to go

Answer 8

Were the dalmations walking around freely?  Were they in their yard?  Honestly I think it is not so important to place blame, the important thing is that none of the dogs were seriously injured.  

Answer 9

Your dog starteed it. I hate to have to tell you that, but if your dog got away and chased down the otheres, he is at fault

Answer 10

maybee theey weree just playing around,

i know dogs bite one another lightly wheen

plaayingg, lmaoo but next timee keep a

tight grip on the leash, = )

Answer 11

No doubt, you were at fault.  And in fact this guy could have called the cops on YOU for not controlling YOUR DOG.  He had his dogs on a leash, was minding his own business walking down the street, when your dog attacked his dogs.  They responded the way any normal dogs will respond when they think they or their owner is going to be attacked.  It does not matter that your dog is the smaller one. What matters in this case is your dog got away from you, whether it was accidental or not.    

Answer 12

Honestly, both of you guys. You should of had a better hold on your dog. I don't know much about the Dalmatians. Were they on a lead or just walking around? If the owner knew he had dog aggressive dogs, he should have taken extra precautions. On the other hand, in dog language, your Westie could have very well been challenging the Dalmatians. If they were on a lead and your Westie wasn't, it's your fault. If they were free as well, both of you are at fault.

Answer 13

Were the Dalmatians on leads?  If so, then I would say it's your fault.  It would also be your fault if your Westie went into their yard.  Other than these scenarios, it would be the fault of the Dalmatians owner for not keeping his dogs properly controlled.  Remember, that even though your dog wasn't attacking, it was still displaying, what other dogs would deem, aggressive behavior, by running after them and barking.  And let's face it, if the Dalmatians had wanted to kill him, he would have been dead.

Answer 14

Were they off the lead ?

Why don't you have a fence round your garden so he can't get out ?

If they were on the lead (and technicaly under the owners control) and your westie was loose then you are in the wrong.

If they were all loose then it's just unlucky.

Answer 15

why do people with small dogs not see that if your dog was as big as the other dog your dog would of attacked and possibly have killed the other given the chance,.You need to address your dogs behaviour as that is what's wrong not the other dog who had the size to defend itself. My doberman cross has had a number of jack Russell's attached to her face in the park, it is only the size of her that she is able to throw them off herself and pin them down. If this continues she will hate small dogs and then fight back, will it be her fault NO,

Take your dog to training classes as this will make it more tolerable with other dogs.

If your dog was bigger and attacked the other dog yours could of been put to sleep under the dangerous dog Act in England if the other owner complained.

Answer 16

If the dalmation(s) was on leash and your dog wasn't, then you are at fault.

You are very lucky that Westies are sturdy little dogs and did not get hurt.  

To be honest, the dalmation wasn't in the wrong, most dogs do not like unknown dogs running at them.  It is considered a rude behavior in K9 ettiquite.  

Answer 17

sorry but you hadnt got control of your dog as it managed to escape you. it approached the other dogs in a threatening manor an its only natural for the other dogs to protect them selves and their owner. i cant see exactly what the other owner has done wrong, like you say your dog  hadnt a mark on it.  

Answer 18

You are at fault, your westie felt he was protecting "his" territory. A very well-trained dog wouldn't have turned around and bit him but the majority of the world's dogs aren't that well-trained.

Just think, if you had a dalmatian that ran out and attacked a westie your dog would still be at fault.

Even little dogs can cause huge messes.

Answer 19

the owner...he did not have control over his dogs...right?

Answer 20

Barking and charging is a sign of aggression and the other dogs reacted accordingly (as any dog would when charged at.) You're supposed to have control over your dog at all times. If he bolted out of your yard then that's your fault.

The only time another dog is at fault is if they charge at you - the way you have it worded it sounds as if they were minding their own business while out on a walk.  

Answer 21

well, in a way, both of you are.

you, because you let the Westie slip your mind. Westies are very intelligent and hyper-active dogs. when they want something and they cant get it the first time, they figure out ways to get it the second time. which is what your little Westie did. he figured out a way to get to the two Dalmations. when owning a Westie, you need to constantly have your eye on them because they are cunning and slick. and their prey drive is incredible.

the Dalmations owner, because he/she allowed them to fight. and those two Dalmations must be abused because Dalmations dont attack for anything. they dont just try to rip apart a small little dog for no reason, even if the other dog attacked them first. did he/she do anything to stop his/her dogs? either way, you're both kinda responsible for it.

another thing, your Westie may not have any external cuts/bruises or anything like that, but Dalmations are really big compared to a Westie. so i suggest bringing him to the vet anyway in case of any internal bleeding/bruises.

you're welcome! :]

Answer 22

You and the other owner to an extent. Westie was not at fault, Dalmations were not at fault. Its always people that are at fault.

I'll explain -

Neither of your dogs were socialised enough or controlled enough.

You -  You should have had the lead more secure in your hand so that a tiny Westie cannot pull it from you. Your dog should have been corrected for barking at dogs - you're the boss, you say when he barks at dogs and when he dosn't. More importantly, if the dog did get free you should have been able to call him back easily without a fuss.

Dalmation Owner - I assume his dogs were on the lead? He should have been able to prevent the dogs attacking yours. He's the leader, he says when his dogs attack and when they don't BEFORE they attack. When a dog is in full blown attacking, especially with another dog on his side too, its very hard to stop them because their drive is so high. Corrections usually do not work and they have to be pulled apart. Bear in mind though, his dogs were on the lead, and were probably caught completly by surprize, so he can't really be blamed for this incident. Although so much abuse is quite unnessesary

I know having a perfectly trained, ideal dog is very difficult, especially if you don't have all the resourses, but it is possible.

I have to say, I would be pretty angry too if a little dog came running up to my Dobe barking and mine attacked. So many little dogs have been aggressive towards my dog that it really upsets him when any dog barks at him.

The main thing here is that you asked who is at fault so as to better learn for next time.

Go to leerburg.com, its a great site, has everything you need to know.

Answer 23

your fault for not being able to controll a little dog lol.  

Answer 24

Your dog decided to take on the other two dogs and was the aggressor.  Just because your dog came out the loser does not make it the victim.  The other dogs were the victim in this.  The owner of the other dogs must feel terrible and this is down to your dog.  I have found that there are two types of dog in this world regardless of size.  Those that are Red zone fighters and those that are passive.  My Akita is passive but when a dog attacks he strikes back and up to date he has not lost a fight.  That said he has never started a fight.  Your dog started the fight the others just protected themselves.  

Answer 25

It is your dog's fault. He should've known not to mess with a bigger dog. To me it sounds like he has quite the chihuahua complex. Dalmatians and any other big dog if provoked will attack. And they were well provoked. Next time you see another dog in the vicinity keep a good hold on your pups leash because as an animal they will not hesitate to put him in his place. The dog is to blame. You weren't prepared, but it's your dog who started it by giving the other two a challenge. Just be prepared in the future for your dog's sake and your own as you seem very attached.

Answer 26

Well, even though the Dalmatians attacked, it was your dog that was off lead and essentially started the whole scuffle. So, you are at fault, not the owner of the Dalmatians. It doesn't matter if those dogs are aggressive as having an aggressive dog is not illegal as long as it is always under control. Your dog was the one that wan't under control by its owner.  

Answer 27

If your dog was in your garden whether on the lead or not then the other dogs owner is to blame.  If his dogs were on leads then there wasn't a lot he could do if your westie set about them.

Just be thankful your dog wasn't hurt at all.