Responsible dog owners are aware of their pet’s personality traits and act accordingly, but what if you’re faced with a temperamental dog and the owner’s nowhere to be seen? Tracy Buchanan, of Monkston, shares her story…

“Each lunchtime, I walk my Jack Russell Archie around our estate and every now and again, I’d notice another Jack Russell wondering about on its own. When I asked around, I was told it belonged to a man on the road I was walking along and it would sometimes get out from his garden. People said just to leave it as it always found its way back indoors so I did – and it always seemed to be happy with that. In fact, when I tried to approach it, it would run off.

“But one day it trotted up to me and Archie before I even knew what was happening, it lunged at him and gripped him around the neck.

“I remember feeling an absolute, pure terror. I adore my pooch and to see him grabbed like that, and to hear the horrible whine that came out from his mouth was terrifying. I envisaged the absolute worst as it looked and sounded so terrible. Then I kicked into action…

‘Plunged its teeth into my finger… I screamed’

“I responded by trying to pull the other dog away. When that didn’t work, I plunged my hand between them both to somehow create a barrier. That’s when one of the dogs – I don’t know which by this point – as Archie was starting to fight back – plunged its teeth into my finger.

“In the end, I don’t know why – Archie’s fightback or my cries – the attacking dog decided he’d had enough and ran off. That’s when his owner came out of a house a few doors away and I screamed at him to keep an eye on his dog as next time, it might be a child.

“I did contemplate going to the police but I know they can’t do much about dog fights unless one is badly injured or a human is badly injured so I just left it, making a promise to myself if I saw his dog on the loose again, I’d do something about it.

Be aware of your dog’s anger issues

“I think some dogs certainly have anger issues – in fact, my Jack Russell can get a bit narky sometimes as he’s blind in one eye and if a dog approaches him from the wrong direction, he can growl and snap. But we keep him on a tight leash and are very aware of this. This is why I believe even more, when a dog has a propensity for violence, you certainly shouldn’t let it off the lead or let it randomly out of the house on its own!

“I’m definitely more wary when walking Archie now and will even pick him up if a dog comes bounding towards him – I’d rather they attack me than him! It’s not just Archie I’m worried about but the other dog too. My dog can put up a good fight so what if it’s all turned around and blamed on him if he injures another dog or owner in the process?

“My main concerns about Archie when taking him for a walk are him running off and him getting into a dog fight. I have recurring nightmares about both, in fact! But I take measures to ensure this doesn’t happen and wish other owners of dogs that have an anger streak did the same!”

Tessa Hallings, from Bedfordshire, attented dog training classes with a British Institute of of Professional Dog trainers instructor. Her dog gained a Good Citizen Gold Award and she’s now training to become an instructor herself. She said a common mistake people make when their dog is attacked is is to touch or drag them away, which often results in injury to the dog or owner.

“Do not touch either dog as they don’t know whether it’s a human or an attacking dog that’s touching them and they will react on instinct and attack the touch. Shouting may work or try to out something like a broom between them to split them up.”

• Did you know the maximum penalty for allowing a dog you own or are in charge of to be dangerously out of control is two years’ imprisonment, or a fine – or both. If you’re faced with a dangerous dog, you can report incidents to Thames Valley Police or MK Dogwatch.

October 2011