Dogs are often considered man’s best friend and their numbers certainly rose as a top choice of pet during the coronavirus lockdowns. But while our canine friends may be the perfect walking companions, what should you do if your dog attacks, or is attacked, by another dog, and what are your rights in this situation?
Puppy sales were estimated to have reached an all-time high in 2020, with experts claiming that 34 per cent of UK households had at least one dog last year, LancsLive reports. According to the Government, it’s against the law to allow your dog to be dangerous or out of control anywhere such as in a public place, in private, as in a garden or a house, or even in its owner’s home, and this applies to all dogs.
A dog is considered "dangerously out of control" if it injuries someone or makes someone worried that it might injure them. If a dog attacks someone’s animal, or if an animal owner fears being injured if they try to intervene to stop your dog attacking their animal, a court could decide your dog is dangerously out of control. It’s also worth noting as well that a farmer does have the right to kill your dog if it is worrying their livestock.
The penalties for having a dog deemed dangerously out of control include unlimited fines, a six-month prison sentence, or even both. If this happens, you may not be allowed to own a dog in future and your dog could be destroyed.
Similarly, if you let your dog injure someone, you could go to prison for up to five years, or be fined, or both, while if you deliberately use your dog to injure someone, you could face charges of "malicious wounding". Furthermore, dog owners who allow their dogs to kill someone could go to prison for up to 14 years, face an unlimited fine, or both, and those who allow their dogs to hurt an assistance dog could go to prison for up to three years, face fines or both.
Meanwhile, UK law bans people from owning certain dogs, including Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosas, Dogo Argentinos and Fila Brasileiro dogs, with a ban on the sale, abandonment, giving away or breeding of banned dogs as well. Animal veterinary charity the PDSA says there are clear signs of aggression in dogs, such as growling, snarling, snapping, baring teeth and lunging. They advise dog owners to ask another owner before you or your pet interact with their pet, and monitor the situation.
Their advice if your dog is attacked is to not panic and not try to separate the dogs yourself, but try to distract the other dog from a distance, call your dog away, report the incident to police by calling 101 and report it to your council’s dog warden. You should also get the owner’s contact details and any witnesses, get a photo of the other dog if you can and a photo of your dog’s injuries, and check if the owner has third-party insurance for their dog.
It goes without saying that their advice also includes taking your dog to the vet, even if their injuries seem superficial. If your dog attacks another dog, again the advice is to stay calm, distract your dog from a distance, try to get them back on the lead but be careful not to get injured yourself, and the charity also advises that a slip lead may be safer.
Meanwhile, they also advise taking steps to avoid similar incidents in future, such as asking your vet if there’s any medical reason, and working with an accredited behaviourist where necessary. They say it’s a good idea to muzzle train dogs anyway, and add that if your dog is aggressive, a basket muzzle may be necessary in public as well as adjustments to the times you walk your dog.
Top tips for avoiding dog aggression include socialising dogs, training with positive, reward-based training, keeping them on leads in unfamiliar places, being aware of other dogs and watching for signs of aggression. For more information on the law, visit the Government website here, and for advice on what to do in such situations, visit the PDSA's website here.
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