What would you do?

Question

There is a young man lives near me and he has a 5 month old English Bull Terrier. It's never on a lead but he won't let anyone pet it. Not only that but when it approached my dog as all puppies do, he snatched it up and smacked it across the nose.
When I asked him why his reply really shocked me. "I don't want it being friendly with other dogs".
The dog looks well cared for and is friendly, (or would be given the chance) but I hate to think how dangerous it will be in a few months time.
Friends have tried telling him he's doing wrong by the dog but he doesn't care! I tried and got a load of personal abuse thrown at me!

JR > I own Shepherds I know what training is.Believe me when I say what this guy knows about dogs and training could be written on a postage stamp and still leave room to write the National Anthem!

Answer 1

Sounds like he's going to train it to be a fighting dog, report your concerns to the police & RSPCA.

Answer 2

Sounds to me like he has been reading the leerberg website and taking everything on board! This guy trains proper full on gaurd dogs and teaches you not to let your dog be petted by strangers (although should stay friendly but aloof!) and also teaches you not to let your dog be near other dogs... even so far as saying 'if another dog approaches your dog warn the owner to get it away, if he doesnt hit his dog with it with a big stick or spray mace in the other dogs face!' I would just steer well clear if the pup looks loved and looked after, i very much doubt that he will use it as a fighting dog as these dogs are usually kept chained up and tormented etc. If you think he is being trained for fights i would call the rspca and the police. Check out the free e-book section on 'who should pet my puppy' and 'dog parks: why they are a bad idea'

Answer 3

You could alert the local humane/aspca of your suspicions and what you witnessed, but I doubt if it would warrant any action on their part. Keep a close eye on this idiot though, and maybe keep a journal of what you observe and hear? Might come in handy later, especially if you give the authorities a heads up now.

This moron is up to no good. More than likely he wants the dog for fighting...A few months back, there was a rash of all types of dogs disappearing from their owners yards across a 3 county area. You'd hear about this one one week, a few weeks later, yet another. Come to find out, they were being stolen and used as bait dogs. So, you might want to keep your eyes and ears open and keep your own dogs under a close watch.

My hope is that somehow the puppy could "escape" and somehow end up with a caring individual that would see to it that it got a loving home.

Answer 4

Call animal control, you witnessed him hitting his dog which is abuse, they may only give him a fine, but if you call every time you see him do something wrong, he will get tired of paying the fines and either give the dog to someone who will care for it properly or animal control will take it. An English Bull Terrier will not have a problem finding a home so don't worry about that.

Answer 5

I would do exactly as I have done in the past when confronted with somene hitting a dog. I called the local animal services office and had an animal cruelty investigator come out and observe. In my case, the person abusing the puppies lived close enough to me that the officer could observe from my property. Then he went over and spoke to them and removed the puppies. Its never okay to hit an animal no matter what your reasoning.

Answer 6

He probably just doesn't want anyone to get near his dog. I doubt it is a case of animal abuse but it would not hurt to report it. Plus if the man was abusive don't you think the dog would try and run away or something. A swat on the nose probably won't make the ASPCA bat an eye. Plus, I would think he would have kicked or really hit the dog hard if he was abusive. I would never touch my dog in a negative reinforcing manner but some people are not like me. He may just be training him to be a guard dog or something and does not want the dog to think it's ok to just walk up to something and be nice to it. Maybe it is just a mean dog and the owner knows it and he didn't want it to hurt your puppy. If you really want to know, you should go ask the man. He will probably be honest with you. I wouldn't assume anything if I were you.

Answer 7

I think you need to contact the SPCA. They can advise you on how to handle this. If he is smacking the pup across the nose in public, who knows what he is doing to it in private.

But you are right, this is a disaster in the making. He sounds like a terribly irresponsible dog owner, and his wee dog is going to have a difficult life without socialisation and training.

The the very best with this. Thank goodness you, at least, are looking out for the pup.

xx

Answer 8

Not everyone takes good care of their animals and not everyone gets them vaccinated. He may be afraid that someone elses dog will cause his to become sick with Parvo or something. He may be afraid that his dog will be attacked or that his dog might attack someone elses dog if he allows him to become friendly. His dog may be a humper and he doesn't want to be embarrassed. He may be very antisocial himself and not want his dog to bring attention to him. There could be many reasons why he doesn't want his do to associate with other dogs.
When my chihuahua was small, we took her to the park. A bigger dog that seemed really friendly started sniffing at her and without any warning he jumped on her and almost broke her leg. I was leary about letting her around other dogs after that. Although she thinks shes human because she hasn't ever been around many other animals, she has adapted quite well. No problems. We have had her 10 years. She is Queen!!!

Answer 9

That's a disaster waiting to happen, especially if he insists on walking the dog off lead. Since he won't listen to reason there is little you can do other than avoid him and the dog at all costs. If he doesn't socialize the dog properly it will end up biting another dog, or even a person.

Answer 10

Oh dear! You might want to call the RSPCA and ask for some advice. The bull terrier is a lovely dog and like all dogs,if treated cruelly will grow to be vicious.

Answer 11

I would file an official report with ASPCA, your local humane society, or animal control (whichever is available to you in your town) that way they have an official record of him, and can be wary of him in the future. Keep an eye out for possible dog fighting and further abuse with this guy. Sounds very suspicious.