The law stinks, Rottweilers under threat?

Question

An attempt to break into my home last night has outraged me as to how the law works. Someone climbed over the back fence to steal my sons motorcycle but failed to lift it over the fence due to its weight, also the attempt to take the 3 pedal bikes but without avail, once again due to the height of the fence. What im angry over is we have 2 Rottweiler dogs who are trained as responsible owners to be sociable in public and towards other persons, agressive they are not. Once we called the police first thing this morning we were informed that a police officer was coming to my home as there had been a complaint minutes prior to my call by the person involved trying to steal our belongings because our dogs had chased them up the garden and showed aggresive behaviour??? As we can do the same for them tresspassing and attempted theift. Can someone please tell me how on earth I can get into trouble when I have done nothing wrong and my dogs done what dogs do! Protect their property???

My dogs are not a threat to anyone. No im not joking when i said that the theif has reported me to the police because my dogs chased him up the garden and showed aggressive behavour towards him. He should NOT have been in my garden to begin with??? This is private property. Besides the fact he tried to steal our belongings and breaking trees as he went it seems the law is on his side. Will keep people who requested outcome informed.

I live in UK

Answer 1

Is this really true?

Are you telling me that a robber who failed is actually admitting to the police that he tried to steal from on on the off chance you will get a telling off?
I can understand if he was caught and is trying to counter claim, or if he was injured and is suing.

Maybe it it wasn't the robber but somebody else who also feels threatened by your dogs.

Answer 2

The only offence that they could possibly attempt to charge you with is failing to control a dangerous dog.

But to do that they would have to prove that (a) your dogs are dangerous, and in practice that means they have to have bitten someone, and (b) that you failed to control them.

Now if someone breaks into your property, and that includes the grounds of your house, at night and in order to commit a criminal offence then they do so at their own risk.

No reasonable person can be expected to sit up all night, every night of the year, on the off chance they may have to call off their dogs should burglars call. Neither is there any law that says dogs must be confined inside the house at night.

Be polite, but firm.

Your dogs were under control and confined to your premises, and also enquire if your visiting thieves have been charged?

But whatever you do, even if the police threaten you with prosecution, do not admit any responsibilty whatsoever for your dogs chasing the burglars. It's known as the cause and effect law. If they hadn't climbed over your fence your dogs would not have chased them.

Answer 3

I sympathize with you. I am in the US. I have 2 dogs, a German Shep mix & a pitt bull. My neighbor's kids have thrown rocks at my dogs (in a fenced-in back yard) and called the police because they thought my pit was a threat. He's the sweetest dog. He's a lap dog trapped in a pit body. The other one would bite someone first. Neither one has. All I can tell you is that life is not fair. Our dogs are in the back yard, in the house or on a leash. They have shots & are licensed. We don't bother anyone. If they bark, we bring them in. A guy came around trying to sell security devices the other day. I told him that the dogs are my alarm & my guns are my protection (all registered & legal).

Answer 4

I have a doberman and the law states that I can get done if he attacks a burglar UNLESS I have a sign visible for people to see that I have a dog in the house.

In my window at the front of my house and in the window at the back of my house I have a picture of a doberman for all to see. The police said that anyone who shouldn't be on my property cannot do anything if the dog attacks them as there is a warning.

EDIT: I live in the UK

Answer 5

I am not a lawyer, but I do know that you have nothing to worry about; there is no law against "dogs showing aggressive behaviour", least of all to intruders.

HOWEVER, MAKE SURE, BEFORE PLOD TURNS UP, THAT YOU HAVE SIGNS UP ON YOUR GATES WARNING OF THE DOG. "Beware of the Dog" is enough. You don't need to have one up on your fences, because you cannot reasonably expect anyone to enter your property by climbing over a fence.

You are perfectly entitled to keep dogs of any breed unleashed on your own property; your duty of care is a) to make sure they cannot pose any threat to members of the public. And b) to post appropriate warning signs at the entrances to your properties that there are dogs on the premises. (Not all uninvited visitors come to steal property, like postmen, milkmen, and they need to know of any potential risk).

As an animal isn't conversant with the law, a dog cannot be held responsible for defending its own territory in a manner dictated by its instincts. That's why, if you walk across a field with a bull in it, they won't prosecute the farmer if the bull attacks you - provided he put up a "Beware of the bull" sign.

Answer 6

Yes its ridiculous!! BUT,I think you will find that even in your garden,in the event of a would be intruder,you must still do everything in your power to control your dog/s. We as dog owners,by law,must not deliberately set the dogs onto intruders. If we are asleep or away from the property,and we have a sign which says "DOGS LOOSE" ("beware of dog" sign, suggests/admits the dog/s is a danger) and the intruder ignores it and enters your property, you cannot be held responsible.Put a "dog/s loose" sign up as soon as possible.Good luck.

Answer 7

The law always seems to come down on the side of the criminals and their human rights these days. You could say that the dogs were under undue stress due to a stranger being on your property and trying to protect you.

Or that your dogs were just being playful but because this little junkie thief doesnt know them they cant tell the difference.

Good luck - I am not a dog lover especially big dogs, but theives like this make my blood boil.

Answer 8

i'm conservative and am no longer calling for any impeachment precise now. would Joe Biden be any greater advantageous? additionally that's fullyyt achieveable that Obama became no longer in the back of any of those scandals plaguing the administrative branch of government precise now. As of now, there's no longer something on which to question him. He would must be stumbled on responsible of extreme crimes (felonies) and misdemeanors. you're making a blanket fact while that's in simple terms the some distance precise wing of the party that are calling for impeachment, no longer those people properly versed in political technological understanding.

Answer 9

Saw a programme the other night about the dangerous dogs act and to be honest i think its stupid. I am sure that even if your dogs were jack russels they would have attempted to do the same thing, only as they have different capabilities to a rottweiler it wouldn't have been as effective!!

Answer 10

I agree with you 100% they are protecting there property.I own 2 Staffies and if someone tried to break in to my property, I wouldn't have a problem with my dogs seeing them off in what ever manner they choose ,as you say you didn't go looking for this they encroached on you.