Rachael Ray's dog...

JackieG

Well, I don't think I have enough accurate information to even begin to have an opinion.  Like most cases of aggession, there can be many different factors involved and it's almost impossible to judge the situation based on what your may read in the National Enquirer or elsewhere.  

I don't have enough accurate information either. Taking it from the source, radaronline.com (which is much like a Perez Hilton or National Enquirer, yuck, very tasteless, just look at their website), I'm betting the information they posted isn't truely 100% accurate and much of it is probably exaggerated for attention.

Agile

Maybe people shouldn't allow their dogs to go up to strange dogs. Maybe people should keep their dogs confined or restrained. In most places, that is actually the law.

 

griffinej5

And wouldn't that be wonderful!

Like I tell my kids when they are driving "It doesn't matter what the law is or who is in the right if you're killed or injured, Drive like everyone on the road is an idiot!" I feel the same way about aggressive dogs in public, whether they are DA or HA. For the last 8 months of Kobi's life he became very unpredictable around other dogs. Thankfully he never got the opportunity to physically engage another dog but he certainly barked and lunged in full attack mode on more than one occasion. My worse fear was the approach of a loose dog or a dog on a long lead running for a meet and greet. As annoying (and/or illegal) as that might have been for me, I knew it was my dog who had the problem - not their's. It was my responsibility to manage the situation. All dog owners should have their dogs under control in public but as a DA dog owner I believe you totally liable if the unthinkable happens.

denise m

As annoying (and/or illegal) as that might have been for me, I knew it was my dog who had the problem - not their's. It was my responsibility to manage the situation. All dog owners should have their dogs under control in public but as a DA dog owner I believe you totally liable if the unthinkable happens.

 It is my understanding that in a loose dog gets into a "fight" with a dog being walked on leash by their owner, the owner of the loose dog is liable if the dog is off their property.

The dog may not ATTACK a person, but it has already BITTEN a person...the owner, and many dog bites DO occur during dog on dog violence. It IS a smart thing to be concerned about human involvment esp when one lives in such close quarters (city life). And many dogs DO redirect onto people when highly stimulated and prevented from venting that energy. I don't think it is always out of line to say "what if a human gets bitten next"...esp considering when in this story it already HAS occured.

AgileGSD

denise m

As annoying (and/or illegal) as that might have been for me, I knew it was my dog who had the problem - not their's. It was my responsibility to manage the situation. All dog owners should have their dogs under control in public but as a DA dog owner I believe you are totally liable if the unthinkable happens.

 It is my understanding that in a loose dog gets into a "fight" with a dog being walked on leash by their owner, the owner of the loose dog is liable if the dog is off their property.

The law may say that (I'm not sure) but as an owner of a DA dog I would not shift my personal responsibility to a non-aggressive off leash dog owner.  It is a liability I assume, morally if not legally.

AgileGSD what I am saying is if MY dog started to attack other dogs to the point of tearing off an ear, I am not going to spend money on rehabing the dog.  The liability to my neighbors, friends and children are too great.  That is not the same as a behavior issue such as excessive barking, timidness, etc.  I would never feel I could trust the dog again once it shows me that sort of aggression.  A split second attack of that magnitude would do it for me.  If that was my dog that suffered such an attack  I would be devestated.  It's not fair.  That dog would need the behaviorist to trust other dogs again.

My SIL's dog was off leash and attacked by on-leash dogs.  She had multiple puncture wounds, some had to have drains in them.  She did not inflict any defensive wounds on the attacking dogs.  My understanding is that it was a situation where she was walking with my SIL off leash and as they passed the other dogs who were walking on leash, those dogs quickly attacked (not a dog park type situation where all the dogs were running in the open, and not a situation where she charged the on leash dogs).  Since SIL's dog was off leash, I don't think they got anywhere with getting the other dog owner to pay because they threatened to have SIL fined for the dog being off leash.  I DO NOT condone dogs being off leash where there is a leash law but I'm not sure what good a leash would have done.  My leashed dogs have been charged by off leash dogs and my protocol is to drop the leash and at the very least, allow my dog to defend itself while I am kicking off the attacking dog and bitching out the owner.

denise m

AgileGSD

denise m

As annoying (and/or illegal) as that might have been for me, I knew it was my dog who had the problem - not their's. It was my responsibility to manage the situation. All dog owners should have their dogs under control in public but as a DA dog owner I believe you are totally liable if the unthinkable happens.

 It is my understanding that in a loose dog gets into a "fight" with a dog being walked on leash by their owner, the owner of the loose dog is liable if the dog is off their property.

 

The law may say that (I'm not sure) but as an owner of a DA dog I would not shift my personal responsibility to a non-aggressive off leash dog owner.  It is a liability I assume, morally if not legally.

I see both sides of the issue as I have one dog with that is reactive and only likes certain dogs (and does NOT like being run up on by loose dogs) and one dog that LOVES other dogs and would happily run up to every strange dog he saw if I allowed him to (and is non-aggressive).  I can tell you with complete certainty that if I allowed Jack to run loose in a LEASH ONLY area and he ran up on a dog that brutally attacked him I would hold myself 110% responsible.  I was the idiot that broke the law and allowed him to get injured, the other dog owner was following the law.  Even if the law didn't back me up on that (which I'm fairly sure it does), I still would not request that the leashed dog's owner pay or that the dog's owner be cited in any way.  I'm all for personal responsibility of dog owners (which is why Sally does not go to dog festivals, dog parks, the beach when there are tons of dogs there, etc), but that is a two way street and I think it's EXTREMELY important to send that message to ANY dog owner who thinks it's a-okay for their friendly dog "to just say hi" to other dogs without permission.

denise m

It was my responsibility to manage the situation. All dog owners should have their dogs under control in public but as a DA dog owner I believe you totally liable if the unthinkable happens.

What?  No!  I am not totally liable for anything if an unleashed dog runs up to my dog.  There is a leash law.  I could see your point in other situations but not this one.  And, this kind of thinking is what lots of people think which is why this problem of unleashed, impolite dogs with no recall exists. 

losinsusan

If her dog handler couldn't have controlled this then I do feel that the dog should be put down. 

A dog walker or handler shouldn't have been walking this dog to begin with.  And, frankly, probably this dog shouldn't be walking in most areas in the city.  I know there are places I avoid and sometimes I avoid places we go to all the time if I catch them at a time when I feel there are too many people.  I don't think the dog needs to be put down, but maybe Rachel is not the best owner for her with her situation.

Susan, I can see why you are saying what you are saying.  I don't agree with it.  But, I can understand that some people just would not or could not deal with a dog like mine.  That said, I love my dog and I wouldn't be able to just replace her for a dog that is "friendly". 

But, the point is that friendly or unfriendly, they shouldnt' be off leash coming up to you.  It's NOT OK just because the dog is friendly. 

Yeah why would the *other* owner be responsible when their dog is leashed and obeying the law on public property?!  Dogs are not stupid, even pet dogs who have had little socialization or don't live in a pack of dogs know how to "read" a dog that is unappreciative of their approach.  The dog that persists with the approach, IMO *that* is the attacking dog, not the dog on the leash defending itself.

For example, last weekend I was walking Nikon and this chocolate lab came charging.  We were walking on a public sidewalk and Nikon was on a short leash.  The lab was off leash, coming off the property to approach us.  Nikon stiffened and gave a huff/growl.  The lab instantly stopped the charge and stood still, then looked at Nikon like she was trying to "read" him.  He hackled a bit and gave a serious bark.  The lab turned around and went back into her yard.  Other than the lab being off leash and supervised by a 10 year old girl, IMO this is how a dog greeting should work.  The lab had no right to charge, but realized that Nikon had no intention of playing so she quickly stopped and went back.  We walked past without incident.  Now if the dog had continued to charge and made contact with my dog while my dog is leashed on the public sidewalk and even after the stiffening body language, hackling, and warning growl/bark, I'm curious to know why my dog would be liable...

willowchow

But, the point is that friendly or unfriendly, they shouldnt' be off leash coming up to you.  It's NOT OK just because the dog is friendly. 

 

It's also good to keep in mind that some people keep pepper spray on them and will nail an approaching loose dog whether the dog is friendly or not.  I myself am buying some Direct Stop (not pepper spray, but citronella)....

There really isn't any direct quotes from Racheal, so this could all be very sensational news as they love to do with pit bull stories. For all we know, there may be more to the story.

Eh, who knows. Hopefully, Racheal will explain more to this sitaution.

According to an exclusive report in the National Enquirer, the dogs and their handlers were walking by each other in Greenwich Village when the attack occurred.

From what it sounds like, neither dog was loose, they were simply being walked in close proximity. And in New York City, there are very few places where dogs can be walked without passing in close proximity to other dogs. It's not like a suburb where you can just cross the street or stick to less-traveled roads. People and dogs are walking by all the time.

With the way he is right now, I would not walk Rascal in NYC without having him wear a muzzle. And I can't imagine walking a known dog-aggressive dog in NYC without a muzzle.

On a typical afternoon in NYC I pass within inches of at least 5-10 dogs in a 15 minute walk down the street. These dogs are quiet and well behaved, and are typically walking on a loose leash next to their owners. However, they are passing in very close proximity, and I think that absolutely would be a problem for a dog-aggressive dog.

Honestly I think desensitization training would be difficult if not impossible in the city. If it were my dog, I would be investigating options to send the dog off somewhere in the country for training and (potentially) retirement. It sounds like this particular dog is just not suited for city living.

 I get that DA and HA are seperate things, but a seriously DA dog does present a danger to the public...

I agree that, if you have your dog on a lead and someone else doesn;t, you still have a responsibility to manage your dog's behaviour.  If anything DID happen, I would hope the person BREAKING the leash law would get the blame.... But it's like the car analogy, you drive like everyone else is an idiot and make adjustments to your own actiosn for that.... The other driver still might get blamed, but you still don;t want a busted up car or serious injuries to yourself.  There are idiots in the world.... If your dog can ONLY survive and be safe in a completely idiot-free world, he's not suited to this one.  Sorry.  Just my 0.02.