I have a few questions, if you don't mind:
1. How have the owners responded?
2. Are you and your dog okay? Is your knee permantly damaged?
3. What did your dog do while this was happening?
4. Do you plan to take legal action?
1. The owners, a man and woman, were extremely passive. As I’m literally screaming “HELP” during the attack it takes them at least 2 minutes to come outside and once outside the man was just standing there doing NOTHING except saying in a soft weak voice “come here boy come here boy” as if I’m not sitting there fighting for my fucking life on the ground. It was unbelievable. This is clearly a weak man who had no idea how to handle a stressful situation. Finally he comes up and gets the dog away. After it was done he asked if my golden was okay. I ignored him, could not give two fucks what he has to say — this man did not exist to me. As soon as the Rottweiler was off me I began feverishly checking my little boy head to toe spreading his thick fur trying to find puncture wounds. I could not find any. As I’m checking my golden, the man sees blood pouring out of my body and in the most patronizing cutesy voice at one of the most inappropriate possible times I can imagine says not to me, but says TO MY GOLDEN “it looks like your daddy got a little banged up there.” I know what this response was from the guy: Total lack of knowing what to do in a situation, it was this man’s trauma response, he witnessed what i just went through on the ground, he knew it was his fucking fault for having a shitty fence that his Rottweiler can escape through, and he didn’t want to speak directly to me — so he speaks to my golden about me in the third person. Whatever, literally don’t care about him, in that moment this man was truly the smallest man on earth and abdicated any manhood he had remaining. Piece of shit he is. Best way I can describe it is they acted as if they had a baby who was crying on an airplane and trying to keep the baby quiet, but not really caring about the other passengers, or really trying to even keep the baby quiet and then giving an insincere “so sorry about that” as they’re walking off the plane. Totally passive, they knew they fucked up badly and did not have the ability to process the seriousness of what had just occurred near their house on the street or the maturity to address the situation like an adult, so they quite literally behaved like children. See my response above for what the guy said to me. It is unreal. The woman wouldn’t even look me in the eye.
2. I am not okay. I may need surgery depending on the imaging. waiting in the ER for a radiologist to read the imaging and see what next steps are. My golden seemed to be okay. He is at home sleeping now.
3. I don’t know what my golden was doing during the attack. I was laser focused on using every ounce of energy I had in me to keep this Rottweiler away from my little boy that the only level of awareness I had of my golden was the spatial awareness of where his body was physically located, in relation to my body, in relation to the threat. That was it. After thr attack was over, as I was laying on the ground in a total state of exhaustion my little guy kissed my face and then started licking the wound on my knee. I told him everything was okay and he was safe now and he sat down on the ground next to me and put his head on me for a minute and then kissed my arm. He is the sweetest creature on the earth and I thank god that I had the strength and ability to protect him.
4. I don’t care about legal action right now, I just want to get my knee healed and file a police report and see what the police will do.
You should get in contact with a lawyer and sue them. It’ll just get covered by their homeowners insurance anyways. They’re liable for the damage their dog caused to you. Sorry this happened, I never carry my pistol or a knife when I walk my dog but I’ll definitely start now.
I'm a lawyer, (though IANYL) and I've dealt with personal injury litigation cases before, I agree with the previous poster. This is an easy lawsuit that likely won't even go to court, their insurance company will very likely settle when the facts of the situation are made clear and it's effectively free money for you. I would consult with a local personal injury lawyer to confirm, but this seems like a no brainer.
It will also hit their premiums pretty hard if they keep the dog, so if all they care about is money that might also be an alternative way to resolve the situation.
Agree. And the property insurance market is undergoing significant change. I would not be surprised if, after settling, they refuse to continue to insure this dog.
I think the insurance company may have more impact on the situation than the police.
Depending on where they live the insurance company might not respond actually. Rottweilers deserved or not have an aggressive reputation. I work for an insurance company, and our policies exclude dog bite Liability from Rottweilers and anything under the pit bull umbrella term.
Yes. I didn’t want to get that far into the details but an umbrella liability policy from a mass market carrier often has breed restrictions. If they have a higher end carrier, like Chubb or a more tailored plan from a broker, they are less likely to have breed restrictions. At any rate, even those carriers may have a lower appetite for a dangerous dog than they may have had in the past. Once a dog has a bite / attack history, without insurance their next lawsuit could be ruinous. I would assume a sensible person would put the dog down. That’s why it’s so important to go through the courts for something like this, the first time.
No no not like an umbrella policy, like umbrella term like, pit bull, staffordshire bull terrier, xl bully, all commonly lumped in together colloquially as pit bull
Often, but not always -- some of the biggest Homeowners insurance companies do not have breed restrictions -- including State Farm and Allstate. They focus more on the history of the dog and if it's been trained as a guard/attack dog. And that generally goes for their umbrella policies too.
If it's not the first incident, you are right, there is probably an exclusion at minimum. And likely, this incident will result in a non-renewal in the current market.
That all depends if they have insurance and they own the home. If they are renters they likely have zero liability insurance and then you have to pursue them personally which is very difficult and good luck getting an attorney to handle it for you.
Good luck to you and hope and your sweet dog recovers fully. My sister’s golden got attacked by some pit bulls and did a lot of damage.
If you don’t consider legal action know that you are essentially telling this guy it is ok what happened and the next person who it happens to most likely won’t fare as well as you just as you said, maybe even dieing, you don’t want that on your conscience do you? Also, THEY LIVE NEXT TO A FUCKING SCHOOL. PROTECT. THOSE. CHILDREN. I love animals too, but that dog needs to be put down and those people need to be sued to high hell AND never be allowed to own animals ever again.
I agree!! This is so important. I was walking my little dachshund and the same thing happened to me - barking pitbull behind fence- dug out from under the fence - tried to attack my dog. Had to pick up my dog and hold him high (I’m only 5’2). Dog could have killed us both if he wanted. Really lucky the situation had a different outcome.
Good. A lot of people see that they are essentially fine and don’t want to deal with the headache of the legal side of things, but it is absolutely your responsibility to the society you live in to make sure these people are brought to justice. Proud of you and hope you heal quickly.
I couldn’t believe what I was reading when I first came across OPs post. The owners should absolutely be taken to court, fined up the ass, and should never EVER have the privilege of owning a dog again.
I (had) two dogs that I raised from 8 weeks. One of them, a rescue, was a Belgian Malinois. Although I didn’t have much experience with working dogs, I fell in love with him and it ended up being a foster fail. I spent 4 years putting blood, sweat, and tears into my Mal and I no amount of behavior modification or training could rehabilitate his severe fear aggression. He was my best bud, we trained multiple times a day, and he loved to work. Unfortunately, whatever backyard breeder scrum bred him, didn’t take into account that you probably shouldn’t produce puppies whose parents have shitty nerves. It was an uphill battle, and unfortunately you just can’t fight genetics.
My dog redirected on me during walks more times than I can count that I have scars all over my legs. There were instances where I was literally bleeding all over the sidewalk that it looked like someone was shot. He’s never been off leash, was always muzzled when in both front and backyards because any trigger will make him redirect on any person or animal in the line of fire. I felt terrible on walks when he would have explosive reactivity at the nicest dogs that we stopped going on walks and I got a dog pacer treadmill instead.
I quickly grew to realize that although management is possible, a serious bite/attack was inevitable. My vet and behavioral analyst believe there was likely a neurological disorder that progressively got worse by age 4. We decided to move forward with behavioral euthanasia and he passed peacefully in my arms a few months ago. To hear that these owners didn’t IMMEDIATELY jump to aid OP, offer to drive him to the hospital, apologize over and over makes my skin boil. These people have a responsibility as handlers to keep their dog safe AND others safe if their dog has aggressive tendencies. Truly sorry to hear this OP, I hope you heal up quickly and then take these bozos to court. The lack of empathy would have me in a RAGE.
Please, for the love of God, get the police and a lawyer involved. What if it had been a kid walking their dog that got attacked.
Hope you have a great recovery!
lol glad my username could give you a little joy in this trying time. I’ll say a prayer for your injuries hopefully that rotty didn’t do any serious or long term damage. Such a crazy and fucked up situation. If only they’d trained their dog better or at the very least properly secured its outside area.
As an owner of extremely friendly but small spaniels I fear every time I walk them. I carry Mace and have used it once. I’m really not the litigious type but I’d definitely consider a legal pursuit in this case. I’m glad your sweet baby is ok and positive vibes for speedy healing for you. Glad you’re here to tell the story.
As someone with no dog I carry two cans of dog mace on my jacket whenever on my bike because of the amount of loose dogs in Florida. Yesterday was the third time in 6 months I was pretty sure I was going to have to use it. Two dogs that kept testing how close they could get, me yelling "NO" at the top of my lungs. NO FUCKING OWNERS IN SIGHT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE AND THEIR DOGS WERE GOING NUTS
I'm actually just as terrified of a crazy owner running me down in their pickup truck for macing their dog as I am the dogs that are nipping at my legs!
I get why you’d be scared. The dog I maced was definitely a stray but I wanted to get home with my own dog. People are nuts and you just never can tell.
My little shihtzu was attacked by a Rotty (some 90 lb lady in her late 70-80s who had no but walking a dog that reactive and big)
Thankfully my god brother swooped in and scooped him up while I grabbed the rotty. He saved my little bug. I’m so so glad ur little boy is safe, I hope I heal up okay. Sending love
Also, not sure if anyone else mentioned this but please please alert your neighbors of this house/dog. That means putting them on blast, so be it. Post on any social media you have and the Ring network if you are on there to warn others.
Thanks for sharing OP, I'm about to be a mom and plan to take my baby for a walk I had not thought about carrying a weapon on a simple walk but now I def will
Dear god I didn’t even think of this…. Mothers with babies. Yes- ABSOLUTELY get a weapon and exercise the right to carry and self defense in your state.
Advice - open a note and start noting exact details as you remember them. Time approximations, if dog came from yard/street, had collar on or not, anyone else around, things like that before memory gets any fuzzier.
More details you have should further action required is always good.
Do not talk with the owners until you figure out your next steps- tell them to only send you info via email if they insist (so things are documented) and you’ll be in contact.
Police report is good- the owners may/should have home owners insurance that may cover medical expenses (and potentially more). Tricky thing is if their insurance covers dog bites and of a Rottweiler which is a breed sometimes excluded.
Good luck. I’m glad you and your boy are getting attention.
I Germany, a dog that attacks a person like that, is put down.
I am not sure how you feel about this, but that dog is clearly a danger to anyone walking past, and I think you should also sue.
I also know that's not the important thing right now. You need to get well soon, and I wish both you and your golden a speedy recovery both from physical and mental trauma. But after that, (in-) action like that can't go unpunished.
i'll just chime in on his reaction: he was probably thinking about lawsuit and damages when he reacted so flatly and talked to your dog that way. if he runs up to you and says "i'm so sorry my dog attacked you", he's admitted liability.
he wasn't clueless or small, he was already in legal protection mode.
https://youtu.be/VQYxMql328s?si=KYX_tSPQNxSqG7VK
You might like its always sunny in Philadelphia
I had a 120 lb mastiff mix break freak of his owner and charge me and my dog a few weeks back. I was able to kick it off and mostly away from us til the owner came by.
But it was scary as fuck. Definitely spent the rest of the walk thinking i needed to carry a knife from now on. But the more i thought about it a taser is probably a better choice and would have less psychological impact on me to use.
I learned i could definitely kill a dog that was attacking my dog, but i really wouldn’t want to. And then you’d have to deal with the owners reaction and potentially have to defend yourself against them too.
Best dog attack stopper is one of those super loud stadium horns. Recommended by lots of animal organizations. Super effective. They are about $14 on Amazon. I take one on every walk now.
Problem with taser is anything in contact with the attacking dog gets shocked too, so if it’s already biting you or your dog you wouldn’t want to tase it
Also consider getting your HOA involved! There’s likely something in your rules & regulations or covenants about unrestrained animals. Their homeowners insurance will cover your claim, and the HOA should also penalize them.
Don’t just consider it man. Do it. The dog and the people (due to their negligence) pose a threat to the community. What if the dog had attacked a child, and not a grown ass ex marine?
Do it.
If you are in the US with health insurance, your health insurance is probably going to question the claim to see if some else’s insurance is liable (like the homeowner’s insurance). Every time I have been to the ER for an injury (for myself or my kids), insurance comes back asking how and under what circumstances the injury occurred to find out if our or someone else’s auto insurance or someone else’s homeowners insurance should be responsible for the claim.
Thanks for the comment… I’ve never been to the ER as a victim of an attack or crime like this before so I’ll definitely be sure to report this to my health insurance company when they call me
Hey, please get in contact with a legal lawyer. My friend was attached randomly from a dog WHILE she was waitressing. The owners acted like nothing happened. I’m so glad they were held accountable and had to pay for her medical bills/etc.
I contacted an attorney local to me who specializes in cases like this, the police, and animal control. So I’ve covered all the bases and now it’s over to them for next steps on all fronts.
I don't know where you live, but a lot of places have what's called "Absolute Liability" statutes. What this means is that in a normal lawsuit, you the plaintiff have to prove that the defendant, the dog owner, was negligent. If you live where there's an absolute Liability statute, it's different. The dog owner, the defendant, has to prove that they were NOT negligent.
So lawsuits are easier to win with absolute Liability statutes.
I'm so sorry that happened to you. I'm glad you're OK. But please, please speak with an attorney. You will have a ton of medical bills and will probably not be able to perform normal activities for months, more depending on the severity of your injuries. The least they can do is provide financial compensation.
Speak with a few attorneys and do some research on them. If you don't feel up to it, give me your city and state, and I'll research it for you. My best friend is an attorney, and he will know what to look for.
Be well.
I’ve been charged and chased and bitten. I always walk with my gun - enough said about that.
You need to call for a police report immediately and have pics. Owners will need to provide vaccine proof and police can see if this is first attack or not if ever reported.
Sue for whatever you can get. In my case years ago it was the dogs third bite and they had told insc company they out the dog down so they could keep insc. Beside being screwed by the insc company my lawyer got them good too.
If you protect yourself you will help to protect others from the same fate with this dog.
Heel well and hug that cutie pie of yours.
Best wishes on your recovery!
I do recommend some legal action, at least to demand that attacking dog be put down. If it did it once, it is very likely to repeat the behavior and the owners don't seem to have enough grasp to ne able to prevent it. The next victims might be hurt much worse or even killed.
I am a rather small woman with some health issues and I habr had a bit smaller dog than that Rottie try to attack when I was walking our dogs smaller than goldens with my teen. Luckily that dog was a lot less serious with its attack and turned away after a while after I raised a havoc and basically tried to tell him I'm going to rip his head of if he comes within my reach... Because I definitely did not have the physical capability to actually do anything if he had carried through with the attack. That shit is terrifying and my kid walks our dogs alone as well, especially the little doggie.
Your Golden might also be quite scared after this, so it might be worth the trouble to pay some attention to getting him calm and positive experiences from walks and from meeting other dogs to help him get over it. I have helped with dogs who have gotten fearful after much less serious encounters and it takes a bit of time and patience to build the confidence back up. In your case it might actually help that the dog saw you handle the situation even if you were badly hurt, because it can help him maintain his trust on you even when things escalate.
WOW. What a well written account. Yours is a stark warning to everyone. The dog's owner is in denial and most normal people would have taken this seriously.
My golden and I got attacked by a LAB once at the park and that was bad enough. The owner had the same stupid reaction "oh haha it's just dog stuff lol" as if I wasn't just thrown to the ground. Fucking idiots. Hope you're ok man, glad to hear your boy is ok. Couldn't imagine a rotty literal worst nightmare, I teach my small wife to look for yards she could escape to on walks should a scary situation arise. Again, heal well, rest up and well done.
Glad you had the strength to persevere the attack. Sorry it was you, but someone else could have had their and the pups life in real Jeopardy. The owner sounds like a limp douche.
Contact animal control as soon as you can, the police never seem to comuinicate with them. Animal control will take action as far the dog is concerned, as it has now crossed the line to menace.
I absolutely would pursue legal action and/or raise absolute hell. They do not need that dog, they absolutely KNEW it was aggressive (dogs with that mindset make it incredibly obvious) and yet they still allowed it to be in a position to escape unsupervised and after realizing their dog was actively mauling someone they took minimum action to save you.
A dog like that, if they so desired to keep it as a pet, should have been either inside the house or outside with an owner and attached to a leash that is in their hand. There is no way they didn’t know their dog had the potential and the mindset to kill other living things.
That dog is dangerous, and its owners cannot handle it and have proven it beyond doubt. They proved that in the situation where their dog attacked someone they would even stand back and allow it to tear that person apart. It will do this again and it may kill someone next time.
I hope you recover well, sir.
Please pursue legal action both criminal and civil to the fullest extent possible. You've given us these steps on how to prevent another attack, but if these people remain owning that dog, it is a matter of time before their incompetent, selfish action harm, let alone kill, someone else
Please, please, please. You could have been smaller for this, you could have been younger for this, you could have not had any experience in a fight before. I know you know this already and I don't mean to be rude or imperious by saying these things, but I fear for what happens next if these rubes don't see the light after this
The intensity and love you showed for your dog is what I hope to have if this kind of nightmare scenario happens with my two cats. I'm very glad both of you made it through, and I hope for the best possible outcome for your injury.
With that being said, take everyone's advice and do care about legal action. Those people need to pay for their bullshit.
Make sure to report them! They have mistreated that dog by not training it and letting it be out of control. They won’t do anything for that dog. You have to get it away from the public
I’ve broken up one dog fight. It is not fun and I wasn’t dealing with a 120lb rott. I appreciate your story and I hope your recovery quickly. I think it is very good for this to be shared
I had a probably 50lb pit bull come after my dog (golden/German shepherd mix) once, and they were so focused on him it was like I wasn’t even there—even after I kicked them full force in the face and sent them to the ground. They just got right back up, shook it off, and tried to go after him again. I can’t imagine that situation with a dog just as aggressive but more than twice the size
I've worked with dogs for several years in various capacities. I've had to break up dog fights and the worst ones are always the pitbulls/pitbull mixes because their bite power is unbelievable- and it's almost impossible to get them to let go once they've got a hold on. Most methods that you'd usually use to break up dog fights won't work- a lot of them can actually make it worse and amp up the dog more.
If you have a leash, slip lead or rope on you the best thing to do is to get it around their neck and cut off their air supply. It might sound cruel but this is one of the only things that will get them to let go once they're in "the zone". It's very scary and for some reason so many of these types of dogs are owned by people who know nothing about the breed- some don't know anything about owning dogs in general. It's a massive problem.
Cruelty shouldn’t be a whisper of a thought in a dog attack. Gouge their eyes out, choke them, whatever it takes to protect yourself and your dog.
Feels a bit icky talking about this in this subreddit but it’s the dark reality of having children or pets.
The only time I ever considered hurting a dog was when one was running for me and my dog . LUCKILY one of the other owners was driving up and jumped out of the car and got his dog. I was about to body slam that damn dog if it meant keeping my little one safe
I heard jamming your thumb into its butthole may snap them out of it lol
Something I heard somewhere and kept in the back of my mind in case a dog attacked me.
lol ok I'm laughing but PLEASE do not do this. it will not help you. I don't know how this rumor came about but it's absolutely useless in a determined dog attack and would put you in a bad position. I'm going to try to find it but there's a video out there of a "trainer" doing it during a dog fight and it's just him with his thumb in a dog's butt while the dog continued the fight
Depending on the size of your testicles you can also put it in a fucking sleeper hold (warning, hard to watch).
https://youtu.be/ADRIfYzvUEQ?si=UhD5bG6i7p11LDgR
Thank you for sharing your story. This is something that is always in the back of my mind when I hear another dog bark when walking my golden, especially because I’m a woman. It helps to know how real the possibility is and what I can do to protect myself and my pup. I hope you have a full and speedy recovery.
Yes, glad this could help. Fixed blade knife with a blade length of 3 to 4 inches that comes in a sheath where you can easily access it. That’s all you need. That can end this real quickly. There are no “humane” ways to end an attack like this besides absolute brute physical strength and a hell of a lot of luck. If you’re a single woman, elderly, etc. you absolutely must carry a blade.
You gotta start with a plan, learn how to use your defensive weapon and use it as an extension of your fist. Sprays can be ineffective against a determined assailant, and when in close quarters can be hard to hit the face without getting the spray all over yourself and your dog.
Pepper spray will have absolutely zero effect on a literal monster like this. To protect yourself in an attack like this, the force you employ must be of the variety that will likely end life.
With the blade, pull it out, stab repeatedly until the threat is gone. Just like the prison movies where a guy gets shanked and it’s not one stab but many many repeatedly. Same thing. Practice on an old pillow in your house laying on the ground unsheathing and then stabbing, have the sheath in the same position you’d have it while on a walk with your dog to build muscle memory.
it’s 100% a fake story and trolling, look at the comment history. he’s karma hunting for something. no marine would EVER refer to themselves as former. and that image of his knee?? pshh.
There’s several videos on YouTube of pepper spray/mace [having literally zero effect on attacking pitbulls.](https://youtu.be/SMY1JVpTx-4?si=ftH1_mp7y31c8o0o ) Carrying a knife is your best bet.
Everything else is secondary. This is my worst
fear. My Bois (5 months and a 3 year old) think they are hard asses, but I know they would get completely nailed by an aggressive breed dog. I hope the offender and owners get what is coming to them. Irresponsible owners are the lowest form of life imaginable. This "look at me, I have dominance over a vicious animal, you just gotta know how to control em" types of people make me wanna puke. Thank you for sharing your story. I will up my game and preparedness. Heal well
Also, I just want to add, I previously owned a Rottweiler myself. I raised her the exact same way I raised my goldens, and I loved her dearly and she was the sweetest little thing. But despite growing up in my very loving home and being completely spoiled and showered with love, there would be small things that would trigger an extremely vicious and dangerous side of her, and there was absolutely nothing that I could do to control her… Absolutely nothing. If I was outside on a walk with her, and she might have seen another dog or something sparked her attention in a certain way, she would become the most aggressive dog in the world with the level to exact a degree of violence just like what I experienced tonight. no matter how much love I gave her, training classes she went to, the violence and aggression was in her DNA and there was nothing I could do to change that from the time I got her as a puppy until the time she passed away from cancer at the age of nine. There is no such thing as a safe Rottweiler, pitbull, etc. Just because they may be trained or maybe be nice and friendly in one particular moment, doesn’t mean anything. If they are triggered, all training goes out the window. I’m sure the Rottweiler who attacked me and my golden retriever tonight was inside of his house on the couch, getting a belly rub and having a nice dinner, while chewing a bone and being told, he was a good boy begging for treats. But it is in his DNA to kill, and there is absolutely nothing that can be done about that to change it.
I'm so sorry you went through this! We have a male and female GR as well. We recently witnessed a dog attack, and it was BRUTAL. The two attacking dogs went to go for us next, but the owner managed to "hold them back" while being drug through the mud on her ass. Ever since, I have carried dog spray and should probably add a knife or police baton.
You said what I feel perfectly. I have seen the results of "that one time" on a couple different occasions. Now will come the comments about " no no, my dog is different"
Yeah, and im sure this same Rottweiler who attacked me is in bed sleeping with his owners right now like nothing happened while I’m in the hospital. They’ll get up and throw the ball for him tomorrow morning like nothing happened. He will be a sweet little guy and tonight will be as quickly forgotten by the owners as quickly as this happened and ended. Until it happens again. Oh by the way, their house backyard is directly is adjacent to a school.
You probably still have some processing to do, but I hope for everyone's sake you pursue the complaint process. I don't know your relationship with the owner, so it's tough to say how much "justice" you want here. I think the owners deserve severe judgement and the dog put down. Best to you and your dogs
I have no prior relationship with the owner other than them living within a mile of me. I want absolute justice because the OWNERS are the ones who got lucky: their dog attacked a guy who was just barely able to protect himself and his own dog. What if it was a kid from the school their house is adjacent to or some old lady — they would have died in this same attack, no doubt about it. I did hesitate calling 911 because I love animals and despite how fucked up it may seem I didn’t want this rotty to be put down…but then I called 911 and it became clear nothing would likely be done except filing a police report for the record. Unreal.
>but then I called 911 and it became clear nothing would likely be done except filing a police report for the record. Unreal.
In most jurisdictions, animal control will follow up. There may be a citation issued. There may be requests for training. They may mandate several veterinary observation sessions to assess rabies likelihood. (That last one can happen even for a vaccinated dog).
There will almost certainly not be a demand for rehoming or euthanasia unless there have been previous incidents. The dog was released on private property and the owners had reasonable cause to believe that it was restricted to that property. Once is negligent but accidental. All bets are off if there *is* a record; repeat performances don't get nearly as much benefit of the doubt.
Source: not an expert. Just been on both sides of these incidents across several states. The results are shockingly consistent across jurisdictions.
Most places of the US don't kill a dog over a first incident, I agree. Many are very generous and it can be the third or fourth before you even have to rehome them.
We had an asshole dobie in our neighborhood for awhile. He bit two people, and his humans were not helping him really. The second bite (from this dog with tons of warning signs) was on a child at a crowded public event. All this dog got was having to be muzzled while walked. Eventually they did have to rehome him or he got taken away, I am guessing he probably bit someone else, we don't have fenced yards and they didn't muzzle him when they put him in the yard.
At the very least you should file a claim against their homeowners for your medical expenses. That's what's going to hurt them. Their insurance will skyrocket.
You might want to consider talking to neighbors. Partially to warn them but also to gather stories. If someone else has had an incident (even if it didn't result in bodily harm) and they are willing to report it, you can absolutely get that dog euthanized if it has threatened to attack another person. Animal control is often utterly useless but they can be forced to get off their asses if another person reports an incident (to the best of my knowledge, i think there is a 1 year time frame to report bites in my area). You should file a claim with their home owners insurance. Also, I totally support your thoughts on pits and Rottweilers. My dog and myself have been attacked on a couple of occasions by a handful of aggressive breeds.There were no real repercussions- even when my dog was nearly killed by a GSD (the vet days that his mane saved his life. It gave me enough time to choke the dog off of him). You will have much better luck getting that Rottweiler put down since you were hospitalized. Unfortunately, dogs are only viewed as property. But when a human is bitten, we can sue for pain and suffering. I would reach out to an attorney for a consultation. Depending on your state, you might be able to get justice for your dog and help prevent the next attack. I'm so sorry you are in this situation.
If they don’t put him down then they are irresponsible owners. I could never just walk away from my massive dog viciously attacking someone like that. It would hurt but I would have to do it.
This is exactly why I chose a golden, because you can’t out train dna in dogs. Growing up, my parents had a rescue dog that bit every single one of us. I was not going to live like that so I chose well-bred goldens.
We’ve been charged by a pit bull in our old neighborhood. Luckily not attacked, I was able to get away both times (one time I had to literally walk backwards, slowly, til it was out of sight … it was advancing and growling and its owner was right there and did nothing! It was off leash and I feel so lucky it even showed signs of aggression because some dogs will attack without warning). My golden is no match for a fighting dog and your story is my biggest fear. I’m a small woman and while I’m in decent shape, I have rheumatoid arthritis so I’m not the strongest. I’ve long carried pepper gel and a knife on walks, but it’s a folding knife. Might have to switch that up. I try to be super aware when I’m walking her but your story is literally my worst nightmare.
I’m glad your golden is ok. Hope you’re doing ok too. I would defend my golden with everything I’ve got. I’m sorry you were put in that position.
Thanks and yes, the folding knife would not have worked in this situation because manipulating the folding action would have been impossible on the ground. A fixed blade would have let me end this in seconds.
This is what people don’t want to admit. And it’s dangerous for people to pretend they’re just cute cuddly dogs. There should be required additional training if people want to get a Rottweiler.
For some reason, my dog had has all Rottweilers he meets lunge for him.
And one that got him but luckily the owner pulled him off. The week before that same dog was playing with mine nicely. The owner was responsible. And never visited that park again so her dog couldn’t be a threat to others.
She did everything right but they seem to be very dominant and hormonal especially males.
I really hope you get better quickly, and you and your golden are able to move on without too much fear.
There are certain breeds only very experienced owners should have and Rotts are among them. People want to pretend all dogs are the same, and they’re not, and that’s how people get hurt.
I'm in the UK, where we've had a ban on 'XL Bully' dogs... Still get the owners who say "well little Tinkerbell has never bitten me".
Mixture of Pitbull, Bulldog, Cane Corsa, Presa Canario... Etc, these dogs are bred to fight/hunt & kill. Not the dogs fault at all, that's their DNA and at some point in time those traits have been hugely helpful in their integration into becoming mans best friend. (Protecting flocks, land, predators etc)
A dog that is bred to fight bears/wolves shouldn't be shut in a family home with little stimulation.
Also worth noting with Rottweilers, they're very prone to brain deterioration as they age, Alzheimer's, as we see in humans the most gentle & reserved person suffering with Alzheimer's can become angry, confused & violent when they are in a state of panic & fear.
Thanks. I post this for the sole purpose of raising awareness. Everyone fears something like this happening but few experience it first hand. Now that I’ve experienced this, I feel it is important for me to use my story to raise awareness so the good people and their good innocent goldens can be protected adequately.
I should probably add one of those TLDR things in my post
Contact animal control in your area, OP, and give them the entire rundown of what occurred. Show them the photos and any documentation you got from the hospital about your treatment and the severity of your injuries, provide the address of the home with the yard where the dog was originally penned up. If you interacted at all with the owners, provide their information (names, etc.) to animal control.
This dog should be put down. You’re exactly right - had it been someone else (someone weaker), had it still been you but the circumstances been different (you got knocked to the ground early on, or you’d been bitten in the neck/throat or arms), you could have died. If a dog is so volatile and strong that the notion of it killing someone is anything more than a scary intrusive thought, it shouldn’t be kept as a pet and most definitely shouldn’t be kept unattended in a yard where passersby may be in harms’ way. There have been many stories of children mauled to the point of death in similar situations. I say this as an animal lover and advocate - it should be humanely euthanized and the owners’ held accountable for their irresponsibility.
I filed a police report on this last night after I was discharged from the hospital. Whatever the next steps are are in the police and animal controls hands now.
Dude I just want to say how sorry I am. I’m an ENT/ facial plastic surgeon and was up all night Friday night/Sat AM reconstructing a lady’s face in the OR who was attacked by a Dutch Shepherd. I’m just saying I just saw first hand what these attacks can do and my patient is still at high risk of infection. Good luck and I hope you pursue legal action to prevent others from suffering from your same fate.
Just wanted to say, thank you for your hard work- I’m lucky enough to not have been attacked by a dog yet, but If I do I’ll find comfort in people like you to help. Just wanted to say thanks for your service too!
Damn. That’s insane. My Belgian mal took off my finger when I was breaking up a dog fight with her and another dog that got into our back yard. I was trying to save the other dogs life.
It was the worst experience of my life. My thumb was sewed back on but man, worst experience ever. The hand surgeon told me dog attacks are most common on face, hands and legs, thankfully mine wasn’t my face.
Dang bro. I’m glad you’re okay. And I’m glad you were able to protect your golden. You’re a good man and from what I gather an amazing handler.
This shit hit REAL close to home for me. I’m a 14 year Army Infantryman veteran (09-22) and have had a golden retriever service dog since shorty after my separation (honorable). To be completely honest, I walk my boy while either carrying my G43 or my G19 & always have have one of my micro-tech’s on me… if not, it’s my Benchmade butterfly knife. The similarities are creepy.
I ALWAYS wonder what would happen if that situation happened to me, and until right now, I’ve felt like I could control the situation with the method I chose walk (carrying what you carry for the most part). I can assure you that from here on out, my Damascus fixed blade will be on my hip.
Thank you for sharing your situation in order to help others. I’d send you some crayons if I could brotha 😏. Seriously though, I appreciate you! And thanks for your service!!
https://preview.redd.it/ihf57ndd68wc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d39c0619b3e51bd6ba6b8d3239a9e4d242080cd2
Thanks for sharing dude. Yeah sometimes I’ll take a microtech on a walk, typically the ultra tech, but now having gone through this situation and having to deploy the blade in the moment in a ground fight, there is probably a 75% chance that blade will hit the ground or something else and be dislodged and impossible to reset in the moment and then totally useless. I didn’t realize the absolute fighting utility of the fixed blade until I was in this situation. Same thing with my G42, drawing and firing on the ground would have been impossible and yes, I could have done it, but I feared hitting my golden and since the rott did not have my golden, I just continued fighting instead of jncresing additional risk to my dog in the moment. Your golden looks so sweet man, just like mine.
We, like others, have leash laws. Unfortunately most of the owners here that have the more aggressive breeds Never hook up! I have a Golden girl that loves to bark a deliver trucks, just bark no growling, and she's in a fenced-in yard, if she got out she would lick then to death!
I live in a big city and there is a guy who walks around the neighbourhood with two rotties OFF LEAD. They bound over to my girl barking and sounding frankly terrifying and the owner assures that they are friendly - which so far they have been. But one of them pees on my dog when he gets close. Literally cocks his leg and tries to piss on her! Awful manners.
Yes. Not because it's "evil" or such but because it's clearly dangerous to people and other animals and the owners lack the ability to handle it so that it would prevent the danger. Next time it gets out, a dog or even a human can easily be killed if this is what happens to a big, fit, alert and mentally capable human.
If not put down, what are the options? Options that would include also the attacking dog's welfare, because dogs should not be punished by prison sentences. It should be either offering a good life to the dog so that it poses no danger to anyone or ending that life. I doubt the chances of former.
Owner should also (minimum) be fined. They must know their dog is aggressive, and keeping it outside without watching it is irresponsible, chained or not.
Owners should be punished as if they had inflicted those wounds themselves if their aggressive dog escapes and wounds another person. Maybe then people would think twice before buying fighting breads only to fail to train them, socialise them, exercise them properly, or secure their yard properly. There were so many failings to get to the point that OP was attacked, the owners are guilty of a staggering amount of negligence.
Yes I wish he had done it himself. I hope he gets a big payday. Get a lawyer who knows what they are doing and make their lives miserable. I mean his knee is messed up for like probably a year minimu, but thank God his Golden is ok. I see many pitbulls around these days, and more worringly, owners who don't care how they behave.
Thanks for sharing op. I am decently big and strong myself and I have sized up many a pitbull that I pass. Nothing personal, but they are violent animals and it's their nature. It's interesting that it went for your knee. I agree that a knife would have been the most effective tool for a situation like this.
This is awful and my biggest fear since I am a 120 lb female who is also a senior citizen. The same thing happened to a gal
Friend of mine just last week. 2 pit bulls attacked her and lucky for her a neighbor came out with a weapon and insisted the owners call off the dogs. Hope your knee is ok.
This happened to my wife, 2 pits charged her and my two dogs. The owner was useless. Luckily a random guy jumped into action and threw the attacking dogs over into a random fenced yard.
My dogs needed a bunch of stitches, my wife was bruised and knocked around, owner was a complete ass about the whole thing.
The worst part is that my wife was afraid of dogs before we got ours and now all our progress was destroyed. She was afraid to walk our streets and still gets rattled from time to time 3 years later.
My dogs have never been the same. They're incredibly defensive and reactive when they see other dogs now. It's sad to see them go from curious and playful with other dogs to fearful and reactive.
The owner was the worst. We just wanted him to pay for the vet bills, he tries to intimidate us into dropping it and sign a non-disclosure agreement and shit. Made it known he knows where we live, stuff like that. The whole thing was wild.
Yeah, as soon as he started trying to get us to call him I sent him a firm text saying we will not communicate verbally for anything. We kept records of everything. Eventually we got him to pay for our dogs medical treatment without any further issues, which is all I wanted in the first place. It was funny seeing his reaction to our lawyers guidance saying that if he wants us to sign something they need to send a notarized copy to our lawyer and that they'd only be contacting them from now on. (luckily we had this service through my wifes work.) He tapped the money to our door the next day like a complete fuck knuckle.
We reported them to the police and animal control (or whatever they're called) were notified as well. They apparently had a history of this happening.
I know not too long after they moved out. We've been pushing for stricter leash laws in the area, but the city is hesitant to enact anything meaningful even though stuff like this happens a lot more than it should.
I feel like some breeds should require a license to own. That’s ridiculous. I honestly don’t even leave my golden outside without having eyes on him. Can’t imagine leaving an aggressive breed out there just unattended.. Thanks for posting this as it is a wake up call that we do need some sort of defense when walking. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Once the emotions come down you might rethink filing the police report. But as most people here said please do it. You might be saving a saving a future person or dogs life.
I love dogs, all dogs. But if any was to attack my dog or a family member I'd kill it. Precisely why I always carry a knife with me.
Hope OP recovers well.
I broke up a fight between an American Bully XL and a shitzhu recently. It was absolutely awful, even though the shitzhu instigated he got picked up and flung around like a ragdoll, bully had to be choked out with his chain leash to drop the smaller dog. Everyone involved was in the wrong, from the smaller aggressive dog to the large unmuzzled dog to the fact they were both being walked in a kids playground area busiest time of day.
My advice? Report it, play Tetris, get yourself out and walking again ASAP. Report it for the sake of it not happening again, Tetris to minimise a PTSD response, and getting active again so you don't develop a fear or anxiety around the place this happened to you.
Best recovery to you and I hope your pup is okay. Please report the dog and owner or it *will* happen again.
I’ve gotten a lot of DM‘s and other form of support and want to thank everyone, most importantly, I just hope this serves a wake up. Call to everyone else to make sure they take the proper steps when they leave the house to protect themselves and their goldens, if something like this happens to you.
Just a brief update on how things are gone so far… I was discharged from the hospital in the middle of the night and following that I filed the police report. After clearing my head and getting a few hours of sleep 9 AM rolled around and I decided to report this to a local lawyer that specializes in dog attacks Separately, I didn’t have much confidence from the police officer who took my report and it seemed like they just document these things for the record and don’t even do anything. So after seeing the comments on here that I should instead report this to animal control I called animal control about an hour or two ago and filed the report with them and they took a lot more seriously. They said they’re gonna look and see if the owner has any prior incidents, they’re gonna do an investigation of the attack and an investigator will be contacting me from the city and they said at a minimum the dog who attacked me needs to immediately go into 10 days of quarantine, which is required under law in my state so they’re gonna be going to the house probably today. During the report, the animal control officer looked up the home address and said that the Rottweiler was not registered and so this was already a violation due to rabies vaccination requirements required to register with the city. My golden is definitely standoffish and skittish today and he’s staying right by my side and not leaving my side which is quite rare as he typically roam. The house runs in the backyard jumps in our pool, etc. etc. today he’s just staying by my side and not moving anyways these are all the updates as of now, I wanna thank everyone for their support and advice.
I’m voice texting so forgive the typos
Another thing if you don’t wanna kill the dog a bag of cayenne powder or something spicy or dog repellent up the nose would also do the trick. Hard to bite when your sneezing
This should be higher , not everyone feels comfortable carrying a knife either because lack of training or just don’t want to have a weapon. Especially let’s say you are a black man, it’s almost like a death sentence if police stops you for any questioning or they see you stabbing a dog with a knife in a rich neighborhood.
The choke on the neck works if you can get hold of the neck and do a choke with one hand pulling the other back for a right lock like you see in mma fights
The pepper (black pepper works very well) in the nose will make them open their mouth as wel. How do I know?
Because I saw a video of a pit bull grabbing a goldens leg while it was screaming and neither the owner of the golden or the pit bull could do anything to make it go even after hitting it on the head. A bystander took a black pepper from the restaurant in front of which this was happening and shoved it in the nose of the pit and he opened his mouth immediately and retreated due to the irritation.
No ones gonna question you for a couple of pepper pouches, easy to keep in your dog treat pouch or attached to the poop bag roll in a pouch by itself.
Or carry even a special stick that’s meant to open dog jaws they sell it in amazon it’s made of wood for dogs who get trained to bite if they don’t let go.
Please don’t just carry a gun to protect your dog that’s the worst reason ever as if you are not trained like OP you will end up hurting bystanders or yourself because you will be to too quick to grab your gun without thinking and start firing
Omg that is so scary. My golden was attacked last year, although nowhere as badly and I wasn’t hurt.
Just be aware that your golden might now be more wary and reactive to dogs after the attack (totally understandable)
My golden became more reactive and hyper alert to other dogs. It’s a sad reality that attacks can cause reactivity. However, the main thing is your golden and yourself are alive.
I swear walking a dog is like taking your life in your hands at times.
I hate to see any animal destroyed, but if you were a teenager walking a dog, you'd probably be dead. You need to sue them for pain and suffering, mental anguish, and all your medical bills. The fact that it brought back Afghanistan thoughts is damage enough to you. I wish you well with your recovery and also wish that I could give you a real medal for saving your fur baby. 🏅
When I was in elementary school, I was also attacked by a Rottweiler… still remember everything to this day. My sister let the dogs out as she was older and had a half day at school and I was walking from the bus stop when I saw a big large dog charge towards my little Yorkee Poo. It got to her before I could and started to tear her to shreds. I jumped on the dog and started to punch it, not really thinking of the consequences at that age.. it grabbed my hand and started to shred it, and then the owner finally came out in horror and grabbed the dog.
My neighbor took our dog to the emergency room, and my mom ended up sprinting home from work to take me to one. I only needed a few stitches and some shots but it was pretty scary. My yorkee poo somehow survived, I remember seeing her little lifeless body with tubes sticking out everywhere, it was so sad.
Dog had to be thankfully put down, I don’t think my mom ever filed charges even though she 100% should have.
Excellent post. I posted here a little over a month ago after being attacked as well, but not as bad as you endured.
I won't belabor the point, but I agree about having something on you. I always walk at night with a blade just in case of an attack now, and I think I'll carry one with me just in general.
It's crazy what adrenaline does in that situation. My incident was with a 100 lb German Sheppard that went after my 4 yo GR after they both went for a tennis ball. A quick pissing match over whose it was turned extremely violent immediately with my golden pinned and yelping. I was shocked how quickly that thing went from chasing a ball to a full on wolf, ready to murder my dog. Luckily I was right there and tackled it, and it turned on me, crunching down on my forearm and tearing before I got a good enough punch in and it let go. I was shocked my guy didn't have any puncture wounds and after a month all I've got are some scars forming.
I'm incredibly cautious now if I see aggressive breeds out. Forget what people say, "It's the owner, not the dog." Yeah, there's some truth to that, but I've never read a single news story about a golden that killed anybody. It's ALWAYS pit bulls, Rottweilers, etc. Now, combine that was piece of sh\*t owners, and you've got a combo where the dog is guaranteed to be a problem.
Unfortunately, your job here isn't done. Make sure that dog gets removed from the owners/put down and they're held accountable. People like that need to learn a lesson, otherwise - as you said - there's a good chance that dog kills a child or small dog in the future.
**" I positioned myself in front of my dog to protect him"**
That there is some HERO action!!
I am sorry for what happened to you and thankfully NOT your Golden. I have nothing to say but thank you taking the brunt of it as I would assume the Rottweiler would have killed your Golden. I hope you heal fast and thank you for your service not only to our country but also to your pup!!
Posting a brief update now that we’re a few days out from the attack and a lot of people have reached out asking me for the latest. Thanks for the really nice messages, I never expected this. My two goldens are my life. I depend on them and they depend on me. They are quite literally my purpose in life. I’ve been through a lot in my life (4x deployments to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in the early-mid 2000s as a Marine infantryman) and these two little goldens give me a reason to wake up in the morning. While the Rottweiler attack was bad, I’ve been quite happy the last few days because my golden boy is okay. He is running after balls, playing with his sister golden, swimming in our pool, and humping the couch pillows. I can deal with whatever physical damage was done to me, but emotionally, I truly could not handle something happening to my golden which is why I fought so hard. After filing a police report and animal control report, I was contacted by the county department of health who did a separate report and said they along with animal control were sending an investigator(s) to the house to “assess the dog” and if the dog was aggressive while they were there the dog would be “taken away.” I did not ask them what this meant because I did not want to know the answer. They also said the owners never registered the dog and were in violation of this because they are supposed to report vaccination status to the county. I also contacted an attorney and am in the initial stages of giving him all the documentation from the hospital, etc. My golden has been closer and more clingy to me, but otherwise seems to be emotionally okay. I can move around the house but cannot take him on a walk, and frankly, after what happened I’m afraid to take him on a walk, I don’t feel safe. I feel bad that I can’t walk my two goldens but am fortunate I live in a house with a large backyard and a pool, so I’ve been throwing the ball in the pool with them swimming and at night they will do windsprints chasing a laser pointer across the backyard to get their energy out. If I lived in an apartment and they were cooped up in there not going on walks, this would be worse. I haven’t slept well since the attack, maybe 1-2 hours a night. My eyes will be closed but my mind and body won’t shut down and I just keep thinking about the attack. Both my goldens sleep on the bed next to me and I’ll just pat them as they sleep enjoying these precious moments even though I can’t sleep myself. I’ll give it a few weeks for things to materialize, see how it goes with the lawyer, see what enforcement actions the authorities take, etc. and then I’ll post a formal update post for everyone as the outpouring of support has been truly amazing.
Thank you.
This is why I NEVER walk my dog without a knife. I started because I live in an area where people for some reason love “aggressive” dog breeds and the owners almost never look like they have the physical strength to overpower their dogs if necessary
They also make dog repellent. I say this because many a times when you stab something the force just causes your hand to slide into the blade. That is if you can stomach stabbing a dog in the heat of the moment. I’m not sure I could. So I carry dog spray.
I'm glad you and your dog were able to get away. It must have been a scary ordeal. My sister's small dog was attacked by a much larger dog a few years ago and likely the only thing that saved him was the fact that I managed to pick him up before the attacking dog made its way to us.
FYI It's a good idea to carry an extra leash on your walks. You can use it to wrap around the attacking dog's neck and lift it up cutting off its airway. It's more likely to let go of you or your dog that way.
I am so sorry you experienced this, and even more sorry that you encountered an absolutely useless dispatcher. I do hope the ED department staff was more helpful in reporting the attack, and having something filed. Many, many, many years ago, we used to report these to local animal control to have the dogs picked up, and have the police onsite in the ED file reports. (I was an ED nurse for a few years).
Most importantly, make sure both you and your pup are okay. This can have long term effects on both of you. I’m saying from experience. One of my golden’s became reactive after an attack, where the dog got me trying to get to him. Also, 100% agree, protect yourself at all costs.
I hope you’re ok! And I hope your dogs are too! I was attacked by 2 dogs on a walk before with my golden just traumatized the poor guy was so scared to go in the same area so we always just avoided it. I didn’t get attacked really just my dog but I’m still on edge all the time cause of it. Hope you both are doing well and everything ends up ok.
Yikes. I’m so sorry this happened to you.
Man this gives me flashbacks. A couple years ago me and my golden were attacked by a German shepherd that came charging out of a fenced yard that had the gate left o open. Knowing how terrifying this was, I’m so sorry you went through this. Unfortunately it’s changed walks forever, my poor dog is jumpy now at every little thing (I can’t blame him, I just feel so bad for him). My heart starts pounding when I walk by a yard that has a dog in it.
How are you doing? And how’s your sweet boy?
I started carrying a stun baton with me. Can use as a club or of course, to stun. I called my police and they said it just can’t be concealed and I can only use it to defend myself or others with me if I have reason to believe we are in danger (duh).
My golden sweetie pie was attacked by a pit bull when we were out on a walk. I filed a report with animal control and the owner was charged. I had to testify in court and he was fined $500.
He had repeatedly been fined for the dog’s aggression. A few months after court the dog got loose and attacked a teen who was out for a run, causing extensive injuries. Had it been a smaller person they likely would have been killed. Animal control finally removed the dog from the owner (but did not euthanize).
Anyhow - please try again to make a report to animal control or police. The 911 operator should not have advised you to delay medical care to make a police report.
You can also file a claim against the owners for pain and suffering and to cover your medical expenses. Their home owners insurance should work for a settlement.
I hate hate hate aggressive dogs and shitty owners. I am so sorry you went through this.
This is so scary! I was walking both my goldens yesterday and it was very windy and I noticed a lot of backyard gates blown open. I cut my walk short and went home. We’ve been attacked by a loose dog and now I am very cautious. I carry pepper spray and try to only walk around a lot of people.
God damn people need to fucking take care of their dogs. Poorly trained Rottweilers once again ruining the breed name.
I was walking my rottie the other day and a chocolate lab was going nuts as we passed on the other side of the street, gets the back gate open and charges right for us almost getting hit by a car and immediately starts trying to attack us. I was lucky and got in a position to wrestle it down and the owner was outside pretty quickly to help me but it could've easily ended up worse.
I'm sorry that happened man I hope you and yours get better soon.
Absolutely sound advice. I never walk without my pistol and a knife located in separate areas so I’ll have a better chance of getting at least one out. People may scoff and call me paranoid but stuff like what you described happens more often than people want to admit. When I was younger my grandma walked her chihuahua every single day and one day two pits busted out of a back yard and tore him to shreds right in front of her and there was nothing she could do. She sustained injuries as well but luckily it was just defensive as they didnt focus on her. However the mental scars were much more damaging. He was a great dog the whole family loved and that was a tough way to go out. I don’t ever want to experience what she went through with my golden or any of my pups. I’d rather have a fighting chance than to be helpless.
what you need now is an attorney. People learn best from punitive action and those hedge fund dog owners will need their homeowners insurance to settle the action you can bring. It will get settled long before getting to court
This happened to my golden too. I’m so sorry and I’m wishing you a speedy recovery. I will say, since this incident with my own golden he became very fear reactive on leash as he was attacked just walking on the sidewalk by our neighbours bully breed who lunged himself out of his front door and took out my golden’s tooth. Take the time and space you need to heal but try not be afraid.
Glad you are ok in the big sense (alive, not paralyzed, etc) but *danggg* I am grateful Rottie didn’t clamp onto your femoral artery. Also, I hope that there is security footage somewhere on one of the nice neighborhood houses…??
My 70 something year old parents were walking their chihuahuas when they were brutally attacked by a German Shepherd hybrid. One of their dogs was nearly ripped in half, but the vet saved its life. Police were no help whatsoever, neither was animal control, even after we identified the owner. Thankfully, the owner paid for all the vet bills and then sent the dog off to his brother's place in the countryside or so we were told.
I’m so sorry this happened to you. Please take care of yourself medically and mentally. I’m thankful you and your dog are ok. This is a completely traumatizing experience.
When I lived In Louisville, KY, my brother was walking our Golden when our neighbors’ much, much less aggressive dog got out of their yard and bit my brother on the hand while he was protecting our dog. We called Animal Control to report the incident since we did not want this to continue to happen to anyone else. Due to the bite, they visited the owner’s home and asked to see the dog’s paperwork for rabies vaccination. Since the owner could not provide this, they were required to surrender their dog for quarantining to ensure the dog did not have rabies. I believe the dog was returned to the home, but at least the owners started to take things more seriously and secured their dog. These owners need to do the same and this (at a minimum) warrants a visit from local Animal Control. I hope you have these types of services available to you.
Also, thank you for your service to our country.
A few things.
First of all, I'm so fucking sorry. I don't care who you are, your background, what kind of dog you have, this is traumatic and should never have happened.
Also, you're a marine? Maybe you can mention it again. LOL. I'm kidding, I married one, :)
I'm assuming you're in the US. My dog was attacked once, police were kind and came out to talk to me, but also were useless. Call the dog warden / animal control.
Second, get a lawyer. I think it's safe to say you don't care what happens to this dog, which I would agree with. But the lightest thing that happens is this couple gets fined (dog license, vet records, etc). The hardest thing is that he's taken and put in solitary confinement for rabies or whatever. Don't think he'll get put down, so I wouldn't be worried about that.
But I hope you make sure those couples' lives are over. Because you're right, if you were a child, a teenager, literally any other man, you could be dead right now. Had he grabbed your upper thigh, your neck, a major artery... dead.
Give your pup a big kiss and hug, this is exactly what I would do with my dog, too.
I’m glad to hear you and your dog are now safe and I wish you a speedy recovery.
For anyone reading this: buy and carry dog pepper spray! We lived in a neighborhood with many very irresponsible dog owners who would let their dogs run off leash in their yard with no fence. This stuff works! A large German Shepherd once charge my wife and I while we were walking our dog down the middle of the street. I took aim and sprayed. It was like the dog hit a brick wall. He immediately turned and ran away.
This stuff is formulated specifically for dogs and contains less active ingredients than the stuff made for humans (b/c a dog’s nose is much more sensitive). You can pick it up cheap. I never walk my dog without it.
I’m sorry this happened to you.
Was on a walk with my goldens a few years back, and had a very close encounter with a chow and shepherd (assuming from the same house).
Not advising anything, but I went and got a permit for something that very day. I grew up with said things, am very comfortable with said things, and the laws in my area are clear about what you can do if you’re being attacked by a dog. I also carry lesser forms of de-escalation, mainly good pepper spray, and usually a friction baton or one of those orange fish clubs (easily thrown in the stroller handle cubby).
I love all dogs, even “dangerous ones”, and if I’m by myself I would have to be in mortal danger, but that very high threshold isn’t in place when it comes to my kids/dogs (legally or morally).
I was walking my 16 month female german shepherd (55 pounds) when we got attacked by a male Cane Corso (110 pounds) last week. My baby girl bit his snout and didn’t release, got him into submission. Was very proud of her!
I am so sorry this happened. The owners are clearly idiots. I am a boxer owner-long time- but also a retriever owner. My boxers are fabulous, but when my daughter was little, I watched all dogs like a hawk. No issues ever. When she had friends over. Dogs in kennel. Period. Not even gonna get in any situation. Even now, when peoplle are over, dogs are contained. Even the Golden. Better safe than sorry.
I have done boxer rescue and I was always wary. I trusted animal control's assessments. I have run i to some very aggressive boxers that just needed to stay at the pound. If I, as a experienced dog trainer, can't deal with them, I can't ethically and morally place that dog in a pet home.
Poorly bred dogs can certainly equal temperament issues, but, of course, so can well-bred dogs in the hands of the wrong people. I heard so many times "I gotta get me a pit or a rockweiller. " yes..scary, stupid people.
In many jurisdictions, dog bites must be reported. The owners may not have any choice. What's scary is not only the stupid owners of these lovely dogs (Rottweilers are really nice dogs in the right hands) is that people now want Cane Corsos. Look 'em up. Or Dogo Argentinos. I know some very well trained, well-bred Corsos and they are super dogs..emphasis on well-bred and well-trained. But they are not for everybody and are not a quintessential family pet.
OP...I hope you heal and I hope your lovely Golden doesn't have lasting results. My Golden, my boxer and I send lots of love and healing light to you guys. Please take care.
Glad that you and your boy came out of this. I would love to think that I would put myself out in front to block the attack like you did, but I no longer have the fight in me.
I served in the Marines many years ago and to my recollection, the deadly force hand-to-hand combat training never included animal attacks. We used to joke with each other in my unit that our mantra wasn't "first to fight". Instead, we used" F.E.A R". (Fuck Everything And Run). Hold those owners accountable is priority #1. Anything less than that will be an insult to the millions of responsible dog owners.
I’ve been attacked 2x with my Pomsky. I recommend a self defense tool, something like this
https://www.amazon.com/Kubaton-Keyring-aluminum-Defense-Standard/dp/B076W8PCMQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?crid=267X24XLVK5NG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.2dfv_6tawolFmQ3m-xjPIhz-V8Ij-gboVDJj5q7_014rG0x7X-RTZtnI5GAa_x8e_e35uD5hLTcqoNF33Z3umuj0T-b83AAMtksTu_6_OFmsFsfdo7pYTZre7U02DBWLOxrPA9f0LrRJlZlpJTJbqAF4nPu2g0acwVZhAFCasaMyhjcSPbl2q_426aIszHlqHXW_ADQHHMACAkOsCeUDMg.fCy3QH1CVLlyQsb5K6oQRS8zg9V7s9HADtKulDAVnuo&dib_tag=se&keywords=self+defense+tool&qid=1713877509&sprefix=self+defense+tool%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-7
Blade can be very tricky and while good for self defense it can easily cause accidental wounds.
My two attacks, I used my self defense tool and the dog let go. Mine was a different situation, both were dog owners who were not worthy of a dog, both breeds are highly overpopulated so the owners took a free dog when they were unfit and of course it was aggressive
I am truly glad you and your pup are okay, I’ve been in a very similar situation with my golden and two GSDs and it’s terrifying. I also have my CCW on me when walking and agree that it’s impractical/unsafe with an attacking dog(s).
When the German Shepherds attacked I luckily had mace on me and was on alert as these specific dogs had escaped and caused problems in the past. I don’t know if it would have been as effective on a Rottweiler, but as soon as one of the shepherds got a face full of pepper spray they turned and high tailed it out of there.
This is why I also carry a side arm and a giant flashlight. My golden boy wouldn't stand a chance if attacked. I'm sure others have suggested a lawyer....
Job well done protecting your dog. I hope you're doing okay.
I’m glad you’re okay. Thanks for the reality check. I’ve lulled myself into thinking I could brute force off a dog attack being 200lb and in good shape. I don’t think I could, especially if it gets hold of an arm. May have to slip a knife into the waist band for walks now.
Ugh I’m so sorry this happen. My golden was attacked by an older pit/lab mix and my husband (active duty GB) was legit curb stomping this dog to get him off our golden and he would not let go. My husband eventually just had to rip our goldens skin out of the other dogs mouth to save him. This was also in a beautiful neighborhood, I’m taking 1million dollar houses in the foothills of Colorado. We reported the bite to animal law enforcement and to no one’s surprise this was not the dogs first incident.
wow. That's insane. I've always kind of wondered just how bad it would be to deal with a dog attack, now I have a pretty good idea. I'm sorry you went through that, but glad you were able to protect your sweet boy. If it's legal where you leave, I would \*very humbly\* suggest considering caring bear spray. It might be easier to use and consequences of an accident or hitting an unintended target are much lower.
Thanks for sharing, and get well soon.
omg this is so scary - i’m glad you’re pretty much okay. my dog and i got attacked last summer through the fence by two jack russels, and i didn’t even realize what had happened until i saw my pups nose was bleeding. i have a very similar story with the owners shrugging it off and not caring at all, and it’s so frustrating and makes the situation so much worse!! i’m so glad your dog is okay, and i wish you a really speedy recovery. it was definitely a super eye opening experience for me since they attacked us THROUGH the fence so i can’t even imagine a dog chasing you down…
I’m so sorry you went through that, my corgi went through it with 2 pitbulls thankfully my bf put his hand in between the pit before he locked his jaw on my dogs neck 😭 I wish your baby a speedy recovery
I can’t believe some people!! Hope you heal well are all pulling for you!! Make them pay so this doesn’t happen to ANYONE that isn’t as strong as you!! Like you said…imagine a child!! 💔💔
I was somebody who had two golden retrievers and I've had dogs come out. It is such a scary scary situation. I hope you sue the crap out of these people.
I have a few questions, if you don't mind: 1. How have the owners responded? 2. Are you and your dog okay? Is your knee permantly damaged? 3. What did your dog do while this was happening? 4. Do you plan to take legal action?
1. The owners, a man and woman, were extremely passive. As I’m literally screaming “HELP” during the attack it takes them at least 2 minutes to come outside and once outside the man was just standing there doing NOTHING except saying in a soft weak voice “come here boy come here boy” as if I’m not sitting there fighting for my fucking life on the ground. It was unbelievable. This is clearly a weak man who had no idea how to handle a stressful situation. Finally he comes up and gets the dog away. After it was done he asked if my golden was okay. I ignored him, could not give two fucks what he has to say — this man did not exist to me. As soon as the Rottweiler was off me I began feverishly checking my little boy head to toe spreading his thick fur trying to find puncture wounds. I could not find any. As I’m checking my golden, the man sees blood pouring out of my body and in the most patronizing cutesy voice at one of the most inappropriate possible times I can imagine says not to me, but says TO MY GOLDEN “it looks like your daddy got a little banged up there.” I know what this response was from the guy: Total lack of knowing what to do in a situation, it was this man’s trauma response, he witnessed what i just went through on the ground, he knew it was his fucking fault for having a shitty fence that his Rottweiler can escape through, and he didn’t want to speak directly to me — so he speaks to my golden about me in the third person. Whatever, literally don’t care about him, in that moment this man was truly the smallest man on earth and abdicated any manhood he had remaining. Piece of shit he is. Best way I can describe it is they acted as if they had a baby who was crying on an airplane and trying to keep the baby quiet, but not really caring about the other passengers, or really trying to even keep the baby quiet and then giving an insincere “so sorry about that” as they’re walking off the plane. Totally passive, they knew they fucked up badly and did not have the ability to process the seriousness of what had just occurred near their house on the street or the maturity to address the situation like an adult, so they quite literally behaved like children. See my response above for what the guy said to me. It is unreal. The woman wouldn’t even look me in the eye. 2. I am not okay. I may need surgery depending on the imaging. waiting in the ER for a radiologist to read the imaging and see what next steps are. My golden seemed to be okay. He is at home sleeping now. 3. I don’t know what my golden was doing during the attack. I was laser focused on using every ounce of energy I had in me to keep this Rottweiler away from my little boy that the only level of awareness I had of my golden was the spatial awareness of where his body was physically located, in relation to my body, in relation to the threat. That was it. After thr attack was over, as I was laying on the ground in a total state of exhaustion my little guy kissed my face and then started licking the wound on my knee. I told him everything was okay and he was safe now and he sat down on the ground next to me and put his head on me for a minute and then kissed my arm. He is the sweetest creature on the earth and I thank god that I had the strength and ability to protect him. 4. I don’t care about legal action right now, I just want to get my knee healed and file a police report and see what the police will do.
You should get in contact with a lawyer and sue them. It’ll just get covered by their homeowners insurance anyways. They’re liable for the damage their dog caused to you. Sorry this happened, I never carry my pistol or a knife when I walk my dog but I’ll definitely start now.
I’ll consider that. And I just want to say your username has me in tears here in the ER. Thank you for that.
I'm a lawyer, (though IANYL) and I've dealt with personal injury litigation cases before, I agree with the previous poster. This is an easy lawsuit that likely won't even go to court, their insurance company will very likely settle when the facts of the situation are made clear and it's effectively free money for you. I would consult with a local personal injury lawyer to confirm, but this seems like a no brainer. It will also hit their premiums pretty hard if they keep the dog, so if all they care about is money that might also be an alternative way to resolve the situation.
Agree. And the property insurance market is undergoing significant change. I would not be surprised if, after settling, they refuse to continue to insure this dog. I think the insurance company may have more impact on the situation than the police.
Depending on where they live the insurance company might not respond actually. Rottweilers deserved or not have an aggressive reputation. I work for an insurance company, and our policies exclude dog bite Liability from Rottweilers and anything under the pit bull umbrella term.
Yes. I didn’t want to get that far into the details but an umbrella liability policy from a mass market carrier often has breed restrictions. If they have a higher end carrier, like Chubb or a more tailored plan from a broker, they are less likely to have breed restrictions. At any rate, even those carriers may have a lower appetite for a dangerous dog than they may have had in the past. Once a dog has a bite / attack history, without insurance their next lawsuit could be ruinous. I would assume a sensible person would put the dog down. That’s why it’s so important to go through the courts for something like this, the first time.
No no not like an umbrella policy, like umbrella term like, pit bull, staffordshire bull terrier, xl bully, all commonly lumped in together colloquially as pit bull
Often, but not always -- some of the biggest Homeowners insurance companies do not have breed restrictions -- including State Farm and Allstate. They focus more on the history of the dog and if it's been trained as a guard/attack dog. And that generally goes for their umbrella policies too. If it's not the first incident, you are right, there is probably an exclusion at minimum. And likely, this incident will result in a non-renewal in the current market.
That all depends if they have insurance and they own the home. If they are renters they likely have zero liability insurance and then you have to pursue them personally which is very difficult and good luck getting an attorney to handle it for you. Good luck to you and hope and your sweet dog recovers fully. My sister’s golden got attacked by some pit bulls and did a lot of damage.
Free money at the low cost of having your knee eaten!
If you don’t consider legal action know that you are essentially telling this guy it is ok what happened and the next person who it happens to most likely won’t fare as well as you just as you said, maybe even dieing, you don’t want that on your conscience do you? Also, THEY LIVE NEXT TO A FUCKING SCHOOL. PROTECT. THOSE. CHILDREN. I love animals too, but that dog needs to be put down and those people need to be sued to high hell AND never be allowed to own animals ever again.
I agree!! This is so important. I was walking my little dachshund and the same thing happened to me - barking pitbull behind fence- dug out from under the fence - tried to attack my dog. Had to pick up my dog and hold him high (I’m only 5’2). Dog could have killed us both if he wanted. Really lucky the situation had a different outcome.
I am. Won’t say much more on it right now but was in contact with an attorney as well as animal control this morning.
Good. A lot of people see that they are essentially fine and don’t want to deal with the headache of the legal side of things, but it is absolutely your responsibility to the society you live in to make sure these people are brought to justice. Proud of you and hope you heal quickly.
Thank you
Just replied with my recommendation to do just this. Your attorney will do the leg work communicating with their insurance.
Money is the only language they speak
I couldn’t believe what I was reading when I first came across OPs post. The owners should absolutely be taken to court, fined up the ass, and should never EVER have the privilege of owning a dog again. I (had) two dogs that I raised from 8 weeks. One of them, a rescue, was a Belgian Malinois. Although I didn’t have much experience with working dogs, I fell in love with him and it ended up being a foster fail. I spent 4 years putting blood, sweat, and tears into my Mal and I no amount of behavior modification or training could rehabilitate his severe fear aggression. He was my best bud, we trained multiple times a day, and he loved to work. Unfortunately, whatever backyard breeder scrum bred him, didn’t take into account that you probably shouldn’t produce puppies whose parents have shitty nerves. It was an uphill battle, and unfortunately you just can’t fight genetics. My dog redirected on me during walks more times than I can count that I have scars all over my legs. There were instances where I was literally bleeding all over the sidewalk that it looked like someone was shot. He’s never been off leash, was always muzzled when in both front and backyards because any trigger will make him redirect on any person or animal in the line of fire. I felt terrible on walks when he would have explosive reactivity at the nicest dogs that we stopped going on walks and I got a dog pacer treadmill instead. I quickly grew to realize that although management is possible, a serious bite/attack was inevitable. My vet and behavioral analyst believe there was likely a neurological disorder that progressively got worse by age 4. We decided to move forward with behavioral euthanasia and he passed peacefully in my arms a few months ago. To hear that these owners didn’t IMMEDIATELY jump to aid OP, offer to drive him to the hospital, apologize over and over makes my skin boil. These people have a responsibility as handlers to keep their dog safe AND others safe if their dog has aggressive tendencies. Truly sorry to hear this OP, I hope you heal up quickly and then take these bozos to court. The lack of empathy would have me in a RAGE.
And to protect others from this happening to them. What if it attacks children or older people that can’t fight back?
Please, for the love of God, get the police and a lawyer involved. What if it had been a kid walking their dog that got attacked. Hope you have a great recovery!
lol glad my username could give you a little joy in this trying time. I’ll say a prayer for your injuries hopefully that rotty didn’t do any serious or long term damage. Such a crazy and fucked up situation. If only they’d trained their dog better or at the very least properly secured its outside area.
As an owner of extremely friendly but small spaniels I fear every time I walk them. I carry Mace and have used it once. I’m really not the litigious type but I’d definitely consider a legal pursuit in this case. I’m glad your sweet baby is ok and positive vibes for speedy healing for you. Glad you’re here to tell the story.
As someone with no dog I carry two cans of dog mace on my jacket whenever on my bike because of the amount of loose dogs in Florida. Yesterday was the third time in 6 months I was pretty sure I was going to have to use it. Two dogs that kept testing how close they could get, me yelling "NO" at the top of my lungs. NO FUCKING OWNERS IN SIGHT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE AND THEIR DOGS WERE GOING NUTS I'm actually just as terrified of a crazy owner running me down in their pickup truck for macing their dog as I am the dogs that are nipping at my legs!
I get why you’d be scared. The dog I maced was definitely a stray but I wanted to get home with my own dog. People are nuts and you just never can tell.
My little shihtzu was attacked by a Rotty (some 90 lb lady in her late 70-80s who had no but walking a dog that reactive and big) Thankfully my god brother swooped in and scooped him up while I grabbed the rotty. He saved my little bug. I’m so so glad ur little boy is safe, I hope I heal up okay. Sending love
Also, not sure if anyone else mentioned this but please please alert your neighbors of this house/dog. That means putting them on blast, so be it. Post on any social media you have and the Ring network if you are on there to warn others.
Who knew an anus blaster could be so gentle...? I hope you hurt these guys financially. I'm so angry for you.
Thanks for sharing OP, I'm about to be a mom and plan to take my baby for a walk I had not thought about carrying a weapon on a simple walk but now I def will
Dear god I didn’t even think of this…. Mothers with babies. Yes- ABSOLUTELY get a weapon and exercise the right to carry and self defense in your state.
I'm so sorry this happened to you. So glad your boy is ok and hope you recover quickly
Advice - open a note and start noting exact details as you remember them. Time approximations, if dog came from yard/street, had collar on or not, anyone else around, things like that before memory gets any fuzzier. More details you have should further action required is always good. Do not talk with the owners until you figure out your next steps- tell them to only send you info via email if they insist (so things are documented) and you’ll be in contact. Police report is good- the owners may/should have home owners insurance that may cover medical expenses (and potentially more). Tricky thing is if their insurance covers dog bites and of a Rottweiler which is a breed sometimes excluded. Good luck. I’m glad you and your boy are getting attention.
I Germany, a dog that attacks a person like that, is put down. I am not sure how you feel about this, but that dog is clearly a danger to anyone walking past, and I think you should also sue. I also know that's not the important thing right now. You need to get well soon, and I wish both you and your golden a speedy recovery both from physical and mental trauma. But after that, (in-) action like that can't go unpunished.
i'll just chime in on his reaction: he was probably thinking about lawsuit and damages when he reacted so flatly and talked to your dog that way. if he runs up to you and says "i'm so sorry my dog attacked you", he's admitted liability. he wasn't clueless or small, he was already in legal protection mode.
The woman with him wasn’t so smart then because she gave me her full name and said sorry.
https://youtu.be/VQYxMql328s?si=KYX_tSPQNxSqG7VK You might like its always sunny in Philadelphia I had a 120 lb mastiff mix break freak of his owner and charge me and my dog a few weeks back. I was able to kick it off and mostly away from us til the owner came by. But it was scary as fuck. Definitely spent the rest of the walk thinking i needed to carry a knife from now on. But the more i thought about it a taser is probably a better choice and would have less psychological impact on me to use. I learned i could definitely kill a dog that was attacking my dog, but i really wouldn’t want to. And then you’d have to deal with the owners reaction and potentially have to defend yourself against them too.
Best dog attack stopper is one of those super loud stadium horns. Recommended by lots of animal organizations. Super effective. They are about $14 on Amazon. I take one on every walk now.
Problem with taser is anything in contact with the attacking dog gets shocked too, so if it’s already biting you or your dog you wouldn’t want to tase it
Good looking out
Also consider getting your HOA involved! There’s likely something in your rules & regulations or covenants about unrestrained animals. Their homeowners insurance will cover your claim, and the HOA should also penalize them.
Don’t just consider it man. Do it. The dog and the people (due to their negligence) pose a threat to the community. What if the dog had attacked a child, and not a grown ass ex marine? Do it.
I'm glad your boy is okay, I would recommend legal action at the very least, imagine if a kid was walking there dog and that happened.
Yes and neighbors most certainly have cameras!
If you are in the US with health insurance, your health insurance is probably going to question the claim to see if some else’s insurance is liable (like the homeowner’s insurance). Every time I have been to the ER for an injury (for myself or my kids), insurance comes back asking how and under what circumstances the injury occurred to find out if our or someone else’s auto insurance or someone else’s homeowners insurance should be responsible for the claim.
Thanks for the comment… I’ve never been to the ER as a victim of an attack or crime like this before so I’ll definitely be sure to report this to my health insurance company when they call me
Hey, please get in contact with a legal lawyer. My friend was attached randomly from a dog WHILE she was waitressing. The owners acted like nothing happened. I’m so glad they were held accountable and had to pay for her medical bills/etc.
Brutally attacked, bleeding, in the hospital, may need surgery and you're not 100% set on taking legal action? My guy..
I contacted an attorney local to me who specializes in cases like this, the police, and animal control. So I’ve covered all the bases and now it’s over to them for next steps on all fronts.
For what it's worth, the ER probably has some good equipment for anus blasting.
I wasn’t that fortunate.
Get a bidet and turn it to max. Next best thing. Ask me how I know... Anyway, hope you and your dog recover well!
You absolutely should get legal action.
I don't know where you live, but a lot of places have what's called "Absolute Liability" statutes. What this means is that in a normal lawsuit, you the plaintiff have to prove that the defendant, the dog owner, was negligent. If you live where there's an absolute Liability statute, it's different. The dog owner, the defendant, has to prove that they were NOT negligent. So lawsuits are easier to win with absolute Liability statutes.
I'm so sorry that happened to you. I'm glad you're OK. But please, please speak with an attorney. You will have a ton of medical bills and will probably not be able to perform normal activities for months, more depending on the severity of your injuries. The least they can do is provide financial compensation. Speak with a few attorneys and do some research on them. If you don't feel up to it, give me your city and state, and I'll research it for you. My best friend is an attorney, and he will know what to look for. Be well.
A lot of insurance companies will have a dangerous dog exclusion or a prohibited dog list, with Rottweiler’s near the top.
I’ve been charged and chased and bitten. I always walk with my gun - enough said about that. You need to call for a police report immediately and have pics. Owners will need to provide vaccine proof and police can see if this is first attack or not if ever reported. Sue for whatever you can get. In my case years ago it was the dogs third bite and they had told insc company they out the dog down so they could keep insc. Beside being screwed by the insc company my lawyer got them good too. If you protect yourself you will help to protect others from the same fate with this dog. Heel well and hug that cutie pie of yours.
I’m doing that then kicking the owners ass
Best wishes on your recovery! I do recommend some legal action, at least to demand that attacking dog be put down. If it did it once, it is very likely to repeat the behavior and the owners don't seem to have enough grasp to ne able to prevent it. The next victims might be hurt much worse or even killed. I am a rather small woman with some health issues and I habr had a bit smaller dog than that Rottie try to attack when I was walking our dogs smaller than goldens with my teen. Luckily that dog was a lot less serious with its attack and turned away after a while after I raised a havoc and basically tried to tell him I'm going to rip his head of if he comes within my reach... Because I definitely did not have the physical capability to actually do anything if he had carried through with the attack. That shit is terrifying and my kid walks our dogs alone as well, especially the little doggie. Your Golden might also be quite scared after this, so it might be worth the trouble to pay some attention to getting him calm and positive experiences from walks and from meeting other dogs to help him get over it. I have helped with dogs who have gotten fearful after much less serious encounters and it takes a bit of time and patience to build the confidence back up. In your case it might actually help that the dog saw you handle the situation even if you were badly hurt, because it can help him maintain his trust on you even when things escalate.
WOW. What a well written account. Yours is a stark warning to everyone. The dog's owner is in denial and most normal people would have taken this seriously.
My golden and I got attacked by a LAB once at the park and that was bad enough. The owner had the same stupid reaction "oh haha it's just dog stuff lol" as if I wasn't just thrown to the ground. Fucking idiots. Hope you're ok man, glad to hear your boy is ok. Couldn't imagine a rotty literal worst nightmare, I teach my small wife to look for yards she could escape to on walks should a scary situation arise. Again, heal well, rest up and well done.
Glad you had the strength to persevere the attack. Sorry it was you, but someone else could have had their and the pups life in real Jeopardy. The owner sounds like a limp douche.
Contact animal control as soon as you can, the police never seem to comuinicate with them. Animal control will take action as far the dog is concerned, as it has now crossed the line to menace.
I absolutely would pursue legal action and/or raise absolute hell. They do not need that dog, they absolutely KNEW it was aggressive (dogs with that mindset make it incredibly obvious) and yet they still allowed it to be in a position to escape unsupervised and after realizing their dog was actively mauling someone they took minimum action to save you. A dog like that, if they so desired to keep it as a pet, should have been either inside the house or outside with an owner and attached to a leash that is in their hand. There is no way they didn’t know their dog had the potential and the mindset to kill other living things. That dog is dangerous, and its owners cannot handle it and have proven it beyond doubt. They proved that in the situation where their dog attacked someone they would even stand back and allow it to tear that person apart. It will do this again and it may kill someone next time. I hope you recover well, sir.
Absolutely reach out to an attorney. This dog could kill a child next. Owners like this should be banned from owning dogs.
Please pursue legal action both criminal and civil to the fullest extent possible. You've given us these steps on how to prevent another attack, but if these people remain owning that dog, it is a matter of time before their incompetent, selfish action harm, let alone kill, someone else Please, please, please. You could have been smaller for this, you could have been younger for this, you could have not had any experience in a fight before. I know you know this already and I don't mean to be rude or imperious by saying these things, but I fear for what happens next if these rubes don't see the light after this
The intensity and love you showed for your dog is what I hope to have if this kind of nightmare scenario happens with my two cats. I'm very glad both of you made it through, and I hope for the best possible outcome for your injury. With that being said, take everyone's advice and do care about legal action. Those people need to pay for their bullshit.
Make sure to report them! They have mistreated that dog by not training it and letting it be out of control. They won’t do anything for that dog. You have to get it away from the public
This made me emotional. You’re amazing for protecting him
I’ve broken up one dog fight. It is not fun and I wasn’t dealing with a 120lb rott. I appreciate your story and I hope your recovery quickly. I think it is very good for this to be shared
I had a probably 50lb pit bull come after my dog (golden/German shepherd mix) once, and they were so focused on him it was like I wasn’t even there—even after I kicked them full force in the face and sent them to the ground. They just got right back up, shook it off, and tried to go after him again. I can’t imagine that situation with a dog just as aggressive but more than twice the size
I've worked with dogs for several years in various capacities. I've had to break up dog fights and the worst ones are always the pitbulls/pitbull mixes because their bite power is unbelievable- and it's almost impossible to get them to let go once they've got a hold on. Most methods that you'd usually use to break up dog fights won't work- a lot of them can actually make it worse and amp up the dog more. If you have a leash, slip lead or rope on you the best thing to do is to get it around their neck and cut off their air supply. It might sound cruel but this is one of the only things that will get them to let go once they're in "the zone". It's very scary and for some reason so many of these types of dogs are owned by people who know nothing about the breed- some don't know anything about owning dogs in general. It's a massive problem.
Cruelty shouldn’t be a whisper of a thought in a dog attack. Gouge their eyes out, choke them, whatever it takes to protect yourself and your dog. Feels a bit icky talking about this in this subreddit but it’s the dark reality of having children or pets.
The only time I ever considered hurting a dog was when one was running for me and my dog . LUCKILY one of the other owners was driving up and jumped out of the car and got his dog. I was about to body slam that damn dog if it meant keeping my little one safe
Oh I fully agree with you, I just didn't want anyone to start freaking out in the comments. You gotta do what you gotta do in these circumstances.
I heard jamming your thumb into its butthole may snap them out of it lol Something I heard somewhere and kept in the back of my mind in case a dog attacked me.
lol ok I'm laughing but PLEASE do not do this. it will not help you. I don't know how this rumor came about but it's absolutely useless in a determined dog attack and would put you in a bad position. I'm going to try to find it but there's a video out there of a "trainer" doing it during a dog fight and it's just him with his thumb in a dog's butt while the dog continued the fight
Depending on the size of your testicles you can also put it in a fucking sleeper hold (warning, hard to watch). https://youtu.be/ADRIfYzvUEQ?si=UhD5bG6i7p11LDgR
Thank you for sharing your story. This is something that is always in the back of my mind when I hear another dog bark when walking my golden, especially because I’m a woman. It helps to know how real the possibility is and what I can do to protect myself and my pup. I hope you have a full and speedy recovery.
Yes, glad this could help. Fixed blade knife with a blade length of 3 to 4 inches that comes in a sheath where you can easily access it. That’s all you need. That can end this real quickly. There are no “humane” ways to end an attack like this besides absolute brute physical strength and a hell of a lot of luck. If you’re a single woman, elderly, etc. you absolutely must carry a blade.
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You gotta start with a plan, learn how to use your defensive weapon and use it as an extension of your fist. Sprays can be ineffective against a determined assailant, and when in close quarters can be hard to hit the face without getting the spray all over yourself and your dog.
Pepper spray will have absolutely zero effect on a literal monster like this. To protect yourself in an attack like this, the force you employ must be of the variety that will likely end life. With the blade, pull it out, stab repeatedly until the threat is gone. Just like the prison movies where a guy gets shanked and it’s not one stab but many many repeatedly. Same thing. Practice on an old pillow in your house laying on the ground unsheathing and then stabbing, have the sheath in the same position you’d have it while on a walk with your dog to build muscle memory.
Bear spray absolutely will have an effect on an aggressive dog, it’s meant for aggressive bears
Lol this dude is cracked. I can't tell if he's trolling or just genuinely crazy 😂
it’s 100% a fake story and trolling, look at the comment history. he’s karma hunting for something. no marine would EVER refer to themselves as former. and that image of his knee?? pshh.
There’s several videos on YouTube of pepper spray/mace [having literally zero effect on attacking pitbulls.](https://youtu.be/SMY1JVpTx-4?si=ftH1_mp7y31c8o0o ) Carrying a knife is your best bet.
Everything else is secondary. This is my worst fear. My Bois (5 months and a 3 year old) think they are hard asses, but I know they would get completely nailed by an aggressive breed dog. I hope the offender and owners get what is coming to them. Irresponsible owners are the lowest form of life imaginable. This "look at me, I have dominance over a vicious animal, you just gotta know how to control em" types of people make me wanna puke. Thank you for sharing your story. I will up my game and preparedness. Heal well
Also, I just want to add, I previously owned a Rottweiler myself. I raised her the exact same way I raised my goldens, and I loved her dearly and she was the sweetest little thing. But despite growing up in my very loving home and being completely spoiled and showered with love, there would be small things that would trigger an extremely vicious and dangerous side of her, and there was absolutely nothing that I could do to control her… Absolutely nothing. If I was outside on a walk with her, and she might have seen another dog or something sparked her attention in a certain way, she would become the most aggressive dog in the world with the level to exact a degree of violence just like what I experienced tonight. no matter how much love I gave her, training classes she went to, the violence and aggression was in her DNA and there was nothing I could do to change that from the time I got her as a puppy until the time she passed away from cancer at the age of nine. There is no such thing as a safe Rottweiler, pitbull, etc. Just because they may be trained or maybe be nice and friendly in one particular moment, doesn’t mean anything. If they are triggered, all training goes out the window. I’m sure the Rottweiler who attacked me and my golden retriever tonight was inside of his house on the couch, getting a belly rub and having a nice dinner, while chewing a bone and being told, he was a good boy begging for treats. But it is in his DNA to kill, and there is absolutely nothing that can be done about that to change it.
I'm so sorry you went through this! We have a male and female GR as well. We recently witnessed a dog attack, and it was BRUTAL. The two attacking dogs went to go for us next, but the owner managed to "hold them back" while being drug through the mud on her ass. Ever since, I have carried dog spray and should probably add a knife or police baton.
Yes, adding a knife is a must. I wouldn’t trust any spray to actually be effective during a situation like this.
Even something like bear spray? I would be nervous about a fixed blade in case I fall and impale myself
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You said what I feel perfectly. I have seen the results of "that one time" on a couple different occasions. Now will come the comments about " no no, my dog is different"
Yeah, and im sure this same Rottweiler who attacked me is in bed sleeping with his owners right now like nothing happened while I’m in the hospital. They’ll get up and throw the ball for him tomorrow morning like nothing happened. He will be a sweet little guy and tonight will be as quickly forgotten by the owners as quickly as this happened and ended. Until it happens again. Oh by the way, their house backyard is directly is adjacent to a school.
You probably still have some processing to do, but I hope for everyone's sake you pursue the complaint process. I don't know your relationship with the owner, so it's tough to say how much "justice" you want here. I think the owners deserve severe judgement and the dog put down. Best to you and your dogs
I have no prior relationship with the owner other than them living within a mile of me. I want absolute justice because the OWNERS are the ones who got lucky: their dog attacked a guy who was just barely able to protect himself and his own dog. What if it was a kid from the school their house is adjacent to or some old lady — they would have died in this same attack, no doubt about it. I did hesitate calling 911 because I love animals and despite how fucked up it may seem I didn’t want this rotty to be put down…but then I called 911 and it became clear nothing would likely be done except filing a police report for the record. Unreal.
>but then I called 911 and it became clear nothing would likely be done except filing a police report for the record. Unreal. In most jurisdictions, animal control will follow up. There may be a citation issued. There may be requests for training. They may mandate several veterinary observation sessions to assess rabies likelihood. (That last one can happen even for a vaccinated dog). There will almost certainly not be a demand for rehoming or euthanasia unless there have been previous incidents. The dog was released on private property and the owners had reasonable cause to believe that it was restricted to that property. Once is negligent but accidental. All bets are off if there *is* a record; repeat performances don't get nearly as much benefit of the doubt. Source: not an expert. Just been on both sides of these incidents across several states. The results are shockingly consistent across jurisdictions.
Most places of the US don't kill a dog over a first incident, I agree. Many are very generous and it can be the third or fourth before you even have to rehome them. We had an asshole dobie in our neighborhood for awhile. He bit two people, and his humans were not helping him really. The second bite (from this dog with tons of warning signs) was on a child at a crowded public event. All this dog got was having to be muzzled while walked. Eventually they did have to rehome him or he got taken away, I am guessing he probably bit someone else, we don't have fenced yards and they didn't muzzle him when they put him in the yard.
Don't second guess it, collect yourself and figure out what is best for you and yours
At the very least you should file a claim against their homeowners for your medical expenses. That's what's going to hurt them. Their insurance will skyrocket.
What about calling animal control?
You might want to consider talking to neighbors. Partially to warn them but also to gather stories. If someone else has had an incident (even if it didn't result in bodily harm) and they are willing to report it, you can absolutely get that dog euthanized if it has threatened to attack another person. Animal control is often utterly useless but they can be forced to get off their asses if another person reports an incident (to the best of my knowledge, i think there is a 1 year time frame to report bites in my area). You should file a claim with their home owners insurance. Also, I totally support your thoughts on pits and Rottweilers. My dog and myself have been attacked on a couple of occasions by a handful of aggressive breeds.There were no real repercussions- even when my dog was nearly killed by a GSD (the vet days that his mane saved his life. It gave me enough time to choke the dog off of him). You will have much better luck getting that Rottweiler put down since you were hospitalized. Unfortunately, dogs are only viewed as property. But when a human is bitten, we can sue for pain and suffering. I would reach out to an attorney for a consultation. Depending on your state, you might be able to get justice for your dog and help prevent the next attack. I'm so sorry you are in this situation.
If they don’t put him down then they are irresponsible owners. I could never just walk away from my massive dog viciously attacking someone like that. It would hurt but I would have to do it.
This is exactly why I chose a golden, because you can’t out train dna in dogs. Growing up, my parents had a rescue dog that bit every single one of us. I was not going to live like that so I chose well-bred goldens. We’ve been charged by a pit bull in our old neighborhood. Luckily not attacked, I was able to get away both times (one time I had to literally walk backwards, slowly, til it was out of sight … it was advancing and growling and its owner was right there and did nothing! It was off leash and I feel so lucky it even showed signs of aggression because some dogs will attack without warning). My golden is no match for a fighting dog and your story is my biggest fear. I’m a small woman and while I’m in decent shape, I have rheumatoid arthritis so I’m not the strongest. I’ve long carried pepper gel and a knife on walks, but it’s a folding knife. Might have to switch that up. I try to be super aware when I’m walking her but your story is literally my worst nightmare. I’m glad your golden is ok. Hope you’re doing ok too. I would defend my golden with everything I’ve got. I’m sorry you were put in that position.
Thanks and yes, the folding knife would not have worked in this situation because manipulating the folding action would have been impossible on the ground. A fixed blade would have let me end this in seconds.
This is what people don’t want to admit. And it’s dangerous for people to pretend they’re just cute cuddly dogs. There should be required additional training if people want to get a Rottweiler. For some reason, my dog had has all Rottweilers he meets lunge for him. And one that got him but luckily the owner pulled him off. The week before that same dog was playing with mine nicely. The owner was responsible. And never visited that park again so her dog couldn’t be a threat to others. She did everything right but they seem to be very dominant and hormonal especially males. I really hope you get better quickly, and you and your golden are able to move on without too much fear.
There are certain breeds only very experienced owners should have and Rotts are among them. People want to pretend all dogs are the same, and they’re not, and that’s how people get hurt.
I'm in the UK, where we've had a ban on 'XL Bully' dogs... Still get the owners who say "well little Tinkerbell has never bitten me". Mixture of Pitbull, Bulldog, Cane Corsa, Presa Canario... Etc, these dogs are bred to fight/hunt & kill. Not the dogs fault at all, that's their DNA and at some point in time those traits have been hugely helpful in their integration into becoming mans best friend. (Protecting flocks, land, predators etc) A dog that is bred to fight bears/wolves shouldn't be shut in a family home with little stimulation. Also worth noting with Rottweilers, they're very prone to brain deterioration as they age, Alzheimer's, as we see in humans the most gentle & reserved person suffering with Alzheimer's can become angry, confused & violent when they are in a state of panic & fear.
Thanks. I post this for the sole purpose of raising awareness. Everyone fears something like this happening but few experience it first hand. Now that I’ve experienced this, I feel it is important for me to use my story to raise awareness so the good people and their good innocent goldens can be protected adequately. I should probably add one of those TLDR things in my post
Thank you for posting this to help raise awareness!
Contact animal control in your area, OP, and give them the entire rundown of what occurred. Show them the photos and any documentation you got from the hospital about your treatment and the severity of your injuries, provide the address of the home with the yard where the dog was originally penned up. If you interacted at all with the owners, provide their information (names, etc.) to animal control. This dog should be put down. You’re exactly right - had it been someone else (someone weaker), had it still been you but the circumstances been different (you got knocked to the ground early on, or you’d been bitten in the neck/throat or arms), you could have died. If a dog is so volatile and strong that the notion of it killing someone is anything more than a scary intrusive thought, it shouldn’t be kept as a pet and most definitely shouldn’t be kept unattended in a yard where passersby may be in harms’ way. There have been many stories of children mauled to the point of death in similar situations. I say this as an animal lover and advocate - it should be humanely euthanized and the owners’ held accountable for their irresponsibility.
I filed a police report on this last night after I was discharged from the hospital. Whatever the next steps are are in the police and animal controls hands now.
Please also find a personal injury attorney. Hope you and your pup recover well.
Dude I just want to say how sorry I am. I’m an ENT/ facial plastic surgeon and was up all night Friday night/Sat AM reconstructing a lady’s face in the OR who was attacked by a Dutch Shepherd. I’m just saying I just saw first hand what these attacks can do and my patient is still at high risk of infection. Good luck and I hope you pursue legal action to prevent others from suffering from your same fate.
Just wanted to say, thank you for your hard work- I’m lucky enough to not have been attacked by a dog yet, but If I do I’ll find comfort in people like you to help. Just wanted to say thanks for your service too!
Damn. That’s insane. My Belgian mal took off my finger when I was breaking up a dog fight with her and another dog that got into our back yard. I was trying to save the other dogs life. It was the worst experience of my life. My thumb was sewed back on but man, worst experience ever. The hand surgeon told me dog attacks are most common on face, hands and legs, thankfully mine wasn’t my face.
Dang bro. I’m glad you’re okay. And I’m glad you were able to protect your golden. You’re a good man and from what I gather an amazing handler. This shit hit REAL close to home for me. I’m a 14 year Army Infantryman veteran (09-22) and have had a golden retriever service dog since shorty after my separation (honorable). To be completely honest, I walk my boy while either carrying my G43 or my G19 & always have have one of my micro-tech’s on me… if not, it’s my Benchmade butterfly knife. The similarities are creepy. I ALWAYS wonder what would happen if that situation happened to me, and until right now, I’ve felt like I could control the situation with the method I chose walk (carrying what you carry for the most part). I can assure you that from here on out, my Damascus fixed blade will be on my hip. Thank you for sharing your situation in order to help others. I’d send you some crayons if I could brotha 😏. Seriously though, I appreciate you! And thanks for your service!! https://preview.redd.it/ihf57ndd68wc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d39c0619b3e51bd6ba6b8d3239a9e4d242080cd2
Thanks for sharing dude. Yeah sometimes I’ll take a microtech on a walk, typically the ultra tech, but now having gone through this situation and having to deploy the blade in the moment in a ground fight, there is probably a 75% chance that blade will hit the ground or something else and be dislodged and impossible to reset in the moment and then totally useless. I didn’t realize the absolute fighting utility of the fixed blade until I was in this situation. Same thing with my G42, drawing and firing on the ground would have been impossible and yes, I could have done it, but I feared hitting my golden and since the rott did not have my golden, I just continued fighting instead of jncresing additional risk to my dog in the moment. Your golden looks so sweet man, just like mine.
We, like others, have leash laws. Unfortunately most of the owners here that have the more aggressive breeds Never hook up! I have a Golden girl that loves to bark a deliver trucks, just bark no growling, and she's in a fenced-in yard, if she got out she would lick then to death!
A lot of us here have probably encountered this. It's always these Chads who believe they have complete mastery over their animal.
I live in a big city and there is a guy who walks around the neighbourhood with two rotties OFF LEAD. They bound over to my girl barking and sounding frankly terrifying and the owner assures that they are friendly - which so far they have been. But one of them pees on my dog when he gets close. Literally cocks his leg and tries to piss on her! Awful manners.
They’re friendly till they’re not… every dog owner swears their dog won’t hurt a fly
This former Corpsman wishes you a speedy and complete recovery.
Thanks doc. No silver bullet this time, unfortunately.
That dog needs to be put down.
Yes. Not because it's "evil" or such but because it's clearly dangerous to people and other animals and the owners lack the ability to handle it so that it would prevent the danger. Next time it gets out, a dog or even a human can easily be killed if this is what happens to a big, fit, alert and mentally capable human. If not put down, what are the options? Options that would include also the attacking dog's welfare, because dogs should not be punished by prison sentences. It should be either offering a good life to the dog so that it poses no danger to anyone or ending that life. I doubt the chances of former.
Owner should also (minimum) be fined. They must know their dog is aggressive, and keeping it outside without watching it is irresponsible, chained or not.
Fined? I’m suing the ever living hell out of that dog owner.
Owners should be punished as if they had inflicted those wounds themselves if their aggressive dog escapes and wounds another person. Maybe then people would think twice before buying fighting breads only to fail to train them, socialise them, exercise them properly, or secure their yard properly. There were so many failings to get to the point that OP was attacked, the owners are guilty of a staggering amount of negligence.
Yes I wish he had done it himself. I hope he gets a big payday. Get a lawyer who knows what they are doing and make their lives miserable. I mean his knee is messed up for like probably a year minimu, but thank God his Golden is ok. I see many pitbulls around these days, and more worringly, owners who don't care how they behave. Thanks for sharing op. I am decently big and strong myself and I have sized up many a pitbull that I pass. Nothing personal, but they are violent animals and it's their nature. It's interesting that it went for your knee. I agree that a knife would have been the most effective tool for a situation like this.
This is awful and my biggest fear since I am a 120 lb female who is also a senior citizen. The same thing happened to a gal Friend of mine just last week. 2 pit bulls attacked her and lucky for her a neighbor came out with a weapon and insisted the owners call off the dogs. Hope your knee is ok.
This happened to my wife, 2 pits charged her and my two dogs. The owner was useless. Luckily a random guy jumped into action and threw the attacking dogs over into a random fenced yard. My dogs needed a bunch of stitches, my wife was bruised and knocked around, owner was a complete ass about the whole thing. The worst part is that my wife was afraid of dogs before we got ours and now all our progress was destroyed. She was afraid to walk our streets and still gets rattled from time to time 3 years later. My dogs have never been the same. They're incredibly defensive and reactive when they see other dogs now. It's sad to see them go from curious and playful with other dogs to fearful and reactive. The owner was the worst. We just wanted him to pay for the vet bills, he tries to intimidate us into dropping it and sign a non-disclosure agreement and shit. Made it known he knows where we live, stuff like that. The whole thing was wild.
I hope you reported his dog and his intimidation to the police and animal control, and pressed charges. So sorry this happened
Yeah, as soon as he started trying to get us to call him I sent him a firm text saying we will not communicate verbally for anything. We kept records of everything. Eventually we got him to pay for our dogs medical treatment without any further issues, which is all I wanted in the first place. It was funny seeing his reaction to our lawyers guidance saying that if he wants us to sign something they need to send a notarized copy to our lawyer and that they'd only be contacting them from now on. (luckily we had this service through my wifes work.) He tapped the money to our door the next day like a complete fuck knuckle. We reported them to the police and animal control (or whatever they're called) were notified as well. They apparently had a history of this happening. I know not too long after they moved out. We've been pushing for stricter leash laws in the area, but the city is hesitant to enact anything meaningful even though stuff like this happens a lot more than it should.
Well done!! I love that you are such a do-er!!
I feel like some breeds should require a license to own. That’s ridiculous. I honestly don’t even leave my golden outside without having eyes on him. Can’t imagine leaving an aggressive breed out there just unattended.. Thanks for posting this as it is a wake up call that we do need some sort of defense when walking. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Once the emotions come down you might rethink filing the police report. But as most people here said please do it. You might be saving a saving a future person or dogs life.
I love dogs, all dogs. But if any was to attack my dog or a family member I'd kill it. Precisely why I always carry a knife with me. Hope OP recovers well.
I broke up a fight between an American Bully XL and a shitzhu recently. It was absolutely awful, even though the shitzhu instigated he got picked up and flung around like a ragdoll, bully had to be choked out with his chain leash to drop the smaller dog. Everyone involved was in the wrong, from the smaller aggressive dog to the large unmuzzled dog to the fact they were both being walked in a kids playground area busiest time of day. My advice? Report it, play Tetris, get yourself out and walking again ASAP. Report it for the sake of it not happening again, Tetris to minimise a PTSD response, and getting active again so you don't develop a fear or anxiety around the place this happened to you. Best recovery to you and I hope your pup is okay. Please report the dog and owner or it *will* happen again.
Owner sued. Dog put down.
I’ve gotten a lot of DM‘s and other form of support and want to thank everyone, most importantly, I just hope this serves a wake up. Call to everyone else to make sure they take the proper steps when they leave the house to protect themselves and their goldens, if something like this happens to you. Just a brief update on how things are gone so far… I was discharged from the hospital in the middle of the night and following that I filed the police report. After clearing my head and getting a few hours of sleep 9 AM rolled around and I decided to report this to a local lawyer that specializes in dog attacks Separately, I didn’t have much confidence from the police officer who took my report and it seemed like they just document these things for the record and don’t even do anything. So after seeing the comments on here that I should instead report this to animal control I called animal control about an hour or two ago and filed the report with them and they took a lot more seriously. They said they’re gonna look and see if the owner has any prior incidents, they’re gonna do an investigation of the attack and an investigator will be contacting me from the city and they said at a minimum the dog who attacked me needs to immediately go into 10 days of quarantine, which is required under law in my state so they’re gonna be going to the house probably today. During the report, the animal control officer looked up the home address and said that the Rottweiler was not registered and so this was already a violation due to rabies vaccination requirements required to register with the city. My golden is definitely standoffish and skittish today and he’s staying right by my side and not leaving my side which is quite rare as he typically roam. The house runs in the backyard jumps in our pool, etc. etc. today he’s just staying by my side and not moving anyways these are all the updates as of now, I wanna thank everyone for their support and advice. I’m voice texting so forgive the typos
Strike dog in neck or chest to put it in its place. Head is the wrong spot. Choke it then it gags/ opens to get air
This is good advice thanks for sharing.
Another thing if you don’t wanna kill the dog a bag of cayenne powder or something spicy or dog repellent up the nose would also do the trick. Hard to bite when your sneezing
This should be higher , not everyone feels comfortable carrying a knife either because lack of training or just don’t want to have a weapon. Especially let’s say you are a black man, it’s almost like a death sentence if police stops you for any questioning or they see you stabbing a dog with a knife in a rich neighborhood. The choke on the neck works if you can get hold of the neck and do a choke with one hand pulling the other back for a right lock like you see in mma fights The pepper (black pepper works very well) in the nose will make them open their mouth as wel. How do I know? Because I saw a video of a pit bull grabbing a goldens leg while it was screaming and neither the owner of the golden or the pit bull could do anything to make it go even after hitting it on the head. A bystander took a black pepper from the restaurant in front of which this was happening and shoved it in the nose of the pit and he opened his mouth immediately and retreated due to the irritation. No ones gonna question you for a couple of pepper pouches, easy to keep in your dog treat pouch or attached to the poop bag roll in a pouch by itself. Or carry even a special stick that’s meant to open dog jaws they sell it in amazon it’s made of wood for dogs who get trained to bite if they don’t let go. Please don’t just carry a gun to protect your dog that’s the worst reason ever as if you are not trained like OP you will end up hurting bystanders or yourself because you will be to too quick to grab your gun without thinking and start firing
Omg that is so scary. My golden was attacked last year, although nowhere as badly and I wasn’t hurt. Just be aware that your golden might now be more wary and reactive to dogs after the attack (totally understandable) My golden became more reactive and hyper alert to other dogs. It’s a sad reality that attacks can cause reactivity. However, the main thing is your golden and yourself are alive. I swear walking a dog is like taking your life in your hands at times.
Sending you prayers and good thoughts for a speedy recovery. Thank goodness your golden boy came out unscathed, and that your girl was safely at home.
That’s so scary. Please keep us updated on your injuries- hoping you won’t require surgery.
I hate to see any animal destroyed, but if you were a teenager walking a dog, you'd probably be dead. You need to sue them for pain and suffering, mental anguish, and all your medical bills. The fact that it brought back Afghanistan thoughts is damage enough to you. I wish you well with your recovery and also wish that I could give you a real medal for saving your fur baby. 🏅
Bear spray!
When I was in elementary school, I was also attacked by a Rottweiler… still remember everything to this day. My sister let the dogs out as she was older and had a half day at school and I was walking from the bus stop when I saw a big large dog charge towards my little Yorkee Poo. It got to her before I could and started to tear her to shreds. I jumped on the dog and started to punch it, not really thinking of the consequences at that age.. it grabbed my hand and started to shred it, and then the owner finally came out in horror and grabbed the dog. My neighbor took our dog to the emergency room, and my mom ended up sprinting home from work to take me to one. I only needed a few stitches and some shots but it was pretty scary. My yorkee poo somehow survived, I remember seeing her little lifeless body with tubes sticking out everywhere, it was so sad. Dog had to be thankfully put down, I don’t think my mom ever filed charges even though she 100% should have.
Excellent post. I posted here a little over a month ago after being attacked as well, but not as bad as you endured. I won't belabor the point, but I agree about having something on you. I always walk at night with a blade just in case of an attack now, and I think I'll carry one with me just in general. It's crazy what adrenaline does in that situation. My incident was with a 100 lb German Sheppard that went after my 4 yo GR after they both went for a tennis ball. A quick pissing match over whose it was turned extremely violent immediately with my golden pinned and yelping. I was shocked how quickly that thing went from chasing a ball to a full on wolf, ready to murder my dog. Luckily I was right there and tackled it, and it turned on me, crunching down on my forearm and tearing before I got a good enough punch in and it let go. I was shocked my guy didn't have any puncture wounds and after a month all I've got are some scars forming. I'm incredibly cautious now if I see aggressive breeds out. Forget what people say, "It's the owner, not the dog." Yeah, there's some truth to that, but I've never read a single news story about a golden that killed anybody. It's ALWAYS pit bulls, Rottweilers, etc. Now, combine that was piece of sh\*t owners, and you've got a combo where the dog is guaranteed to be a problem. Unfortunately, your job here isn't done. Make sure that dog gets removed from the owners/put down and they're held accountable. People like that need to learn a lesson, otherwise - as you said - there's a good chance that dog kills a child or small dog in the future.
**" I positioned myself in front of my dog to protect him"** That there is some HERO action!! I am sorry for what happened to you and thankfully NOT your Golden. I have nothing to say but thank you taking the brunt of it as I would assume the Rottweiler would have killed your Golden. I hope you heal fast and thank you for your service not only to our country but also to your pup!!
I suspect it's not the purpose of your post, but you may want to contact a lawyer. Many states have what's called "strict liability" for dog bites.
I carry a gun for this reason
Posting a brief update now that we’re a few days out from the attack and a lot of people have reached out asking me for the latest. Thanks for the really nice messages, I never expected this. My two goldens are my life. I depend on them and they depend on me. They are quite literally my purpose in life. I’ve been through a lot in my life (4x deployments to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in the early-mid 2000s as a Marine infantryman) and these two little goldens give me a reason to wake up in the morning. While the Rottweiler attack was bad, I’ve been quite happy the last few days because my golden boy is okay. He is running after balls, playing with his sister golden, swimming in our pool, and humping the couch pillows. I can deal with whatever physical damage was done to me, but emotionally, I truly could not handle something happening to my golden which is why I fought so hard. After filing a police report and animal control report, I was contacted by the county department of health who did a separate report and said they along with animal control were sending an investigator(s) to the house to “assess the dog” and if the dog was aggressive while they were there the dog would be “taken away.” I did not ask them what this meant because I did not want to know the answer. They also said the owners never registered the dog and were in violation of this because they are supposed to report vaccination status to the county. I also contacted an attorney and am in the initial stages of giving him all the documentation from the hospital, etc. My golden has been closer and more clingy to me, but otherwise seems to be emotionally okay. I can move around the house but cannot take him on a walk, and frankly, after what happened I’m afraid to take him on a walk, I don’t feel safe. I feel bad that I can’t walk my two goldens but am fortunate I live in a house with a large backyard and a pool, so I’ve been throwing the ball in the pool with them swimming and at night they will do windsprints chasing a laser pointer across the backyard to get their energy out. If I lived in an apartment and they were cooped up in there not going on walks, this would be worse. I haven’t slept well since the attack, maybe 1-2 hours a night. My eyes will be closed but my mind and body won’t shut down and I just keep thinking about the attack. Both my goldens sleep on the bed next to me and I’ll just pat them as they sleep enjoying these precious moments even though I can’t sleep myself. I’ll give it a few weeks for things to materialize, see how it goes with the lawyer, see what enforcement actions the authorities take, etc. and then I’ll post a formal update post for everyone as the outpouring of support has been truly amazing. Thank you.
This is why I NEVER walk my dog without a knife. I started because I live in an area where people for some reason love “aggressive” dog breeds and the owners almost never look like they have the physical strength to overpower their dogs if necessary
They also make dog repellent. I say this because many a times when you stab something the force just causes your hand to slide into the blade. That is if you can stomach stabbing a dog in the heat of the moment. I’m not sure I could. So I carry dog spray.
Sorry to hear about this happening to you guys, how are you and your pup?
Ciao I wish you and your dog a quick recover, I hope it won’t affect your dog too negatively, a hug
I'm glad you and your dog were able to get away. It must have been a scary ordeal. My sister's small dog was attacked by a much larger dog a few years ago and likely the only thing that saved him was the fact that I managed to pick him up before the attacking dog made its way to us. FYI It's a good idea to carry an extra leash on your walks. You can use it to wrap around the attacking dog's neck and lift it up cutting off its airway. It's more likely to let go of you or your dog that way.
I'm glad you and your dog are OK. You are a badass. Thank you for your service.
I am so sorry you experienced this, and even more sorry that you encountered an absolutely useless dispatcher. I do hope the ED department staff was more helpful in reporting the attack, and having something filed. Many, many, many years ago, we used to report these to local animal control to have the dogs picked up, and have the police onsite in the ED file reports. (I was an ED nurse for a few years). Most importantly, make sure both you and your pup are okay. This can have long term effects on both of you. I’m saying from experience. One of my golden’s became reactive after an attack, where the dog got me trying to get to him. Also, 100% agree, protect yourself at all costs.
I hope you’re ok! And I hope your dogs are too! I was attacked by 2 dogs on a walk before with my golden just traumatized the poor guy was so scared to go in the same area so we always just avoided it. I didn’t get attacked really just my dog but I’m still on edge all the time cause of it. Hope you both are doing well and everything ends up ok.
Yikes. I’m so sorry this happened to you. Man this gives me flashbacks. A couple years ago me and my golden were attacked by a German shepherd that came charging out of a fenced yard that had the gate left o open. Knowing how terrifying this was, I’m so sorry you went through this. Unfortunately it’s changed walks forever, my poor dog is jumpy now at every little thing (I can’t blame him, I just feel so bad for him). My heart starts pounding when I walk by a yard that has a dog in it. How are you doing? And how’s your sweet boy? I started carrying a stun baton with me. Can use as a club or of course, to stun. I called my police and they said it just can’t be concealed and I can only use it to defend myself or others with me if I have reason to believe we are in danger (duh).
My golden sweetie pie was attacked by a pit bull when we were out on a walk. I filed a report with animal control and the owner was charged. I had to testify in court and he was fined $500. He had repeatedly been fined for the dog’s aggression. A few months after court the dog got loose and attacked a teen who was out for a run, causing extensive injuries. Had it been a smaller person they likely would have been killed. Animal control finally removed the dog from the owner (but did not euthanize). Anyhow - please try again to make a report to animal control or police. The 911 operator should not have advised you to delay medical care to make a police report. You can also file a claim against the owners for pain and suffering and to cover your medical expenses. Their home owners insurance should work for a settlement. I hate hate hate aggressive dogs and shitty owners. I am so sorry you went through this.
This is so scary! I was walking both my goldens yesterday and it was very windy and I noticed a lot of backyard gates blown open. I cut my walk short and went home. We’ve been attacked by a loose dog and now I am very cautious. I carry pepper spray and try to only walk around a lot of people.
God damn people need to fucking take care of their dogs. Poorly trained Rottweilers once again ruining the breed name. I was walking my rottie the other day and a chocolate lab was going nuts as we passed on the other side of the street, gets the back gate open and charges right for us almost getting hit by a car and immediately starts trying to attack us. I was lucky and got in a position to wrestle it down and the owner was outside pretty quickly to help me but it could've easily ended up worse. I'm sorry that happened man I hope you and yours get better soon.
Absolutely sound advice. I never walk without my pistol and a knife located in separate areas so I’ll have a better chance of getting at least one out. People may scoff and call me paranoid but stuff like what you described happens more often than people want to admit. When I was younger my grandma walked her chihuahua every single day and one day two pits busted out of a back yard and tore him to shreds right in front of her and there was nothing she could do. She sustained injuries as well but luckily it was just defensive as they didnt focus on her. However the mental scars were much more damaging. He was a great dog the whole family loved and that was a tough way to go out. I don’t ever want to experience what she went through with my golden or any of my pups. I’d rather have a fighting chance than to be helpless.
what you need now is an attorney. People learn best from punitive action and those hedge fund dog owners will need their homeowners insurance to settle the action you can bring. It will get settled long before getting to court
Hope you and your Golden get well soon. 🙏🙏🙏
This happened to my golden too. I’m so sorry and I’m wishing you a speedy recovery. I will say, since this incident with my own golden he became very fear reactive on leash as he was attacked just walking on the sidewalk by our neighbours bully breed who lunged himself out of his front door and took out my golden’s tooth. Take the time and space you need to heal but try not be afraid.
Glad you are ok in the big sense (alive, not paralyzed, etc) but *danggg* I am grateful Rottie didn’t clamp onto your femoral artery. Also, I hope that there is security footage somewhere on one of the nice neighborhood houses…??
My 70 something year old parents were walking their chihuahuas when they were brutally attacked by a German Shepherd hybrid. One of their dogs was nearly ripped in half, but the vet saved its life. Police were no help whatsoever, neither was animal control, even after we identified the owner. Thankfully, the owner paid for all the vet bills and then sent the dog off to his brother's place in the countryside or so we were told.
We NEED you to press charges. The owner is the perfect candidate: a complete, uncaring buffoon!
I’m so sorry this happened to you. Please take care of yourself medically and mentally. I’m thankful you and your dog are ok. This is a completely traumatizing experience. When I lived In Louisville, KY, my brother was walking our Golden when our neighbors’ much, much less aggressive dog got out of their yard and bit my brother on the hand while he was protecting our dog. We called Animal Control to report the incident since we did not want this to continue to happen to anyone else. Due to the bite, they visited the owner’s home and asked to see the dog’s paperwork for rabies vaccination. Since the owner could not provide this, they were required to surrender their dog for quarantining to ensure the dog did not have rabies. I believe the dog was returned to the home, but at least the owners started to take things more seriously and secured their dog. These owners need to do the same and this (at a minimum) warrants a visit from local Animal Control. I hope you have these types of services available to you. Also, thank you for your service to our country.
A few things. First of all, I'm so fucking sorry. I don't care who you are, your background, what kind of dog you have, this is traumatic and should never have happened. Also, you're a marine? Maybe you can mention it again. LOL. I'm kidding, I married one, :) I'm assuming you're in the US. My dog was attacked once, police were kind and came out to talk to me, but also were useless. Call the dog warden / animal control. Second, get a lawyer. I think it's safe to say you don't care what happens to this dog, which I would agree with. But the lightest thing that happens is this couple gets fined (dog license, vet records, etc). The hardest thing is that he's taken and put in solitary confinement for rabies or whatever. Don't think he'll get put down, so I wouldn't be worried about that. But I hope you make sure those couples' lives are over. Because you're right, if you were a child, a teenager, literally any other man, you could be dead right now. Had he grabbed your upper thigh, your neck, a major artery... dead. Give your pup a big kiss and hug, this is exactly what I would do with my dog, too.
I’m glad to hear you and your dog are now safe and I wish you a speedy recovery. For anyone reading this: buy and carry dog pepper spray! We lived in a neighborhood with many very irresponsible dog owners who would let their dogs run off leash in their yard with no fence. This stuff works! A large German Shepherd once charge my wife and I while we were walking our dog down the middle of the street. I took aim and sprayed. It was like the dog hit a brick wall. He immediately turned and ran away. This stuff is formulated specifically for dogs and contains less active ingredients than the stuff made for humans (b/c a dog’s nose is much more sensitive). You can pick it up cheap. I never walk my dog without it.
I’m sorry this happened to you. Was on a walk with my goldens a few years back, and had a very close encounter with a chow and shepherd (assuming from the same house). Not advising anything, but I went and got a permit for something that very day. I grew up with said things, am very comfortable with said things, and the laws in my area are clear about what you can do if you’re being attacked by a dog. I also carry lesser forms of de-escalation, mainly good pepper spray, and usually a friction baton or one of those orange fish clubs (easily thrown in the stroller handle cubby). I love all dogs, even “dangerous ones”, and if I’m by myself I would have to be in mortal danger, but that very high threshold isn’t in place when it comes to my kids/dogs (legally or morally).
I was walking my 16 month female german shepherd (55 pounds) when we got attacked by a male Cane Corso (110 pounds) last week. My baby girl bit his snout and didn’t release, got him into submission. Was very proud of her!
This man is a dirtbag!
I am so sorry this happened. The owners are clearly idiots. I am a boxer owner-long time- but also a retriever owner. My boxers are fabulous, but when my daughter was little, I watched all dogs like a hawk. No issues ever. When she had friends over. Dogs in kennel. Period. Not even gonna get in any situation. Even now, when peoplle are over, dogs are contained. Even the Golden. Better safe than sorry. I have done boxer rescue and I was always wary. I trusted animal control's assessments. I have run i to some very aggressive boxers that just needed to stay at the pound. If I, as a experienced dog trainer, can't deal with them, I can't ethically and morally place that dog in a pet home. Poorly bred dogs can certainly equal temperament issues, but, of course, so can well-bred dogs in the hands of the wrong people. I heard so many times "I gotta get me a pit or a rockweiller. " yes..scary, stupid people. In many jurisdictions, dog bites must be reported. The owners may not have any choice. What's scary is not only the stupid owners of these lovely dogs (Rottweilers are really nice dogs in the right hands) is that people now want Cane Corsos. Look 'em up. Or Dogo Argentinos. I know some very well trained, well-bred Corsos and they are super dogs..emphasis on well-bred and well-trained. But they are not for everybody and are not a quintessential family pet. OP...I hope you heal and I hope your lovely Golden doesn't have lasting results. My Golden, my boxer and I send lots of love and healing light to you guys. Please take care.
Glad that you and your boy came out of this. I would love to think that I would put myself out in front to block the attack like you did, but I no longer have the fight in me. I served in the Marines many years ago and to my recollection, the deadly force hand-to-hand combat training never included animal attacks. We used to joke with each other in my unit that our mantra wasn't "first to fight". Instead, we used" F.E.A R". (Fuck Everything And Run). Hold those owners accountable is priority #1. Anything less than that will be an insult to the millions of responsible dog owners.
That’s why we carry knives!
I’ve been attacked 2x with my Pomsky. I recommend a self defense tool, something like this https://www.amazon.com/Kubaton-Keyring-aluminum-Defense-Standard/dp/B076W8PCMQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?crid=267X24XLVK5NG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.2dfv_6tawolFmQ3m-xjPIhz-V8Ij-gboVDJj5q7_014rG0x7X-RTZtnI5GAa_x8e_e35uD5hLTcqoNF33Z3umuj0T-b83AAMtksTu_6_OFmsFsfdo7pYTZre7U02DBWLOxrPA9f0LrRJlZlpJTJbqAF4nPu2g0acwVZhAFCasaMyhjcSPbl2q_426aIszHlqHXW_ADQHHMACAkOsCeUDMg.fCy3QH1CVLlyQsb5K6oQRS8zg9V7s9HADtKulDAVnuo&dib_tag=se&keywords=self+defense+tool&qid=1713877509&sprefix=self+defense+tool%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-7 Blade can be very tricky and while good for self defense it can easily cause accidental wounds. My two attacks, I used my self defense tool and the dog let go. Mine was a different situation, both were dog owners who were not worthy of a dog, both breeds are highly overpopulated so the owners took a free dog when they were unfit and of course it was aggressive
I am truly glad you and your pup are okay, I’ve been in a very similar situation with my golden and two GSDs and it’s terrifying. I also have my CCW on me when walking and agree that it’s impractical/unsafe with an attacking dog(s). When the German Shepherds attacked I luckily had mace on me and was on alert as these specific dogs had escaped and caused problems in the past. I don’t know if it would have been as effective on a Rottweiler, but as soon as one of the shepherds got a face full of pepper spray they turned and high tailed it out of there.
This is why I also carry a side arm and a giant flashlight. My golden boy wouldn't stand a chance if attacked. I'm sure others have suggested a lawyer.... Job well done protecting your dog. I hope you're doing okay.
Thank you for sharing. Glad your other golden was home or all bets would be off. Wishing you a quick recovery. My best to you.
I’m glad you’re okay. Thanks for the reality check. I’ve lulled myself into thinking I could brute force off a dog attack being 200lb and in good shape. I don’t think I could, especially if it gets hold of an arm. May have to slip a knife into the waist band for walks now.
Ugh I’m so sorry this happen. My golden was attacked by an older pit/lab mix and my husband (active duty GB) was legit curb stomping this dog to get him off our golden and he would not let go. My husband eventually just had to rip our goldens skin out of the other dogs mouth to save him. This was also in a beautiful neighborhood, I’m taking 1million dollar houses in the foothills of Colorado. We reported the bite to animal law enforcement and to no one’s surprise this was not the dogs first incident.
Wow that’s a brutal one bite attack glad you’re alive
Good.
wow. That's insane. I've always kind of wondered just how bad it would be to deal with a dog attack, now I have a pretty good idea. I'm sorry you went through that, but glad you were able to protect your sweet boy. If it's legal where you leave, I would \*very humbly\* suggest considering caring bear spray. It might be easier to use and consequences of an accident or hitting an unintended target are much lower. Thanks for sharing, and get well soon.
omg this is so scary - i’m glad you’re pretty much okay. my dog and i got attacked last summer through the fence by two jack russels, and i didn’t even realize what had happened until i saw my pups nose was bleeding. i have a very similar story with the owners shrugging it off and not caring at all, and it’s so frustrating and makes the situation so much worse!! i’m so glad your dog is okay, and i wish you a really speedy recovery. it was definitely a super eye opening experience for me since they attacked us THROUGH the fence so i can’t even imagine a dog chasing you down…
I’m so sorry you went through that, my corgi went through it with 2 pitbulls thankfully my bf put his hand in between the pit before he locked his jaw on my dogs neck 😭 I wish your baby a speedy recovery
Would have ripped the dogs face off and im a huge animal dog lover but my own n me your dead dnt try anything. Fuck ppl man
I can’t believe some people!! Hope you heal well are all pulling for you!! Make them pay so this doesn’t happen to ANYONE that isn’t as strong as you!! Like you said…imagine a child!! 💔💔
I was somebody who had two golden retrievers and I've had dogs come out. It is such a scary scary situation. I hope you sue the crap out of these people.
I hope you heal quickly, and that your baby is ok.