Alright /an/, can you explain to me what happened here?
>Go to petsmart w/ mum to pick up cat from grooming session
>Waiting in grooming area when in walks a woman with two dogs
>Mum is chatting w/ girl behind counter when one of the two dogs starts growling and attacks my mum
>Managed to bite through her jacket, her shirt, and into her skin
>Took about a quarter-sized chunk of skin out of her arm
>Wtf.jpg
>My mum literally did nothing to provoke this attack, I'm dumbfounded, my mum is bleeding, the owner is apologizing profusely, and the woman behind the counter ushers us into the back
>Mum ended up not needing stitches (thank God) but still had to go to the hospital (tetanus shot, needed to check for nerve damage, ended up with a ruptured blood vessel)
So I guess more or less I'm asking what the actual fuck happened? The breed (a Vizsla) is apparently supposed to be calm and gentle and this fucker tried to rip my mums arm off for seemingly no reason?
Before anyone asks, the only thing my mum is seeking is damages for the hospital visit, however in our state if that dog bites another person they WILL put it down. This is (apparently) the first time it's bitten someone but still. Is it a problem with the owner? I know they're hunting dogs but I never thought a jacket/5'1" woman <110lbs would be considered threatening when completely ignoring the animal in the first place.
Oh, and the other dog she had was a puppy, also a Vizsla. Was nothing like the one that attacked (it was 2 years old, 60lbs), but ffs.
Pic related is the dog breed
>>2029378
Without actually seeing the interaction, there's not much I can tell you.
Several factors might have led to the bite. The dog may have been stressed about being at the groomer. Lots of dogs get stressed/afraid about it and they can smell that stress and it can make them uneasy. This could contribute to the dog being on edge.
There could have been something small or something everyone missed that upset or scared the dog when they walked in.
The dog could have a particular aversion/phobia of a certain type of person, clothing, etc. that caused it to feel afraid or threatened by your mom. This kind of aversion/phobia is often a result of the dog either having a bad experience with said type of person/clothing and building an association based on that, or the dog not being socialized thoroughly enough so something that is foreign to them can be scary.
Really, unless you have a slow-motion recording of the interaction and bite, and unless you know the dog personally, there's no way to tell for sure why it happened, unfortunately.
I hope your mom's doing all right.
>>2029385
We reviewed the footage; to make a long story short the dog just walked in, saw my mum, and attacked. She's doing alright, thankfully, if not a bit shaken. She's owned dogs her whole life and really hasn't had a negative interaction, but I know she's going to be much more wary when around strange dogs--not to say that she hasn't always been. Just that it's probably going to be even more ingrained now.
The owner was freaking out, saying that her dog never hurt anyone, never bit anyone (children included) and that this behavior was out of line for it. I know the breed has separation anxiety sometimes but to attack someone just seems odd, especially if its been groomed before. I know she probably had it going through her head that my mum wanted to put the dog down (which couldn't be further from the truth), but it made me think that the owner might be the problem. I know the breed can be high-energy if not exercised, so maybe that's it? With pent up energy+separation anxiety could that potentially cause an attack? The amount that the woman was freaking out really made me think that this dog had done something before (she was near-tears panicking, no matter how much my mum reassured her she didn't want any harm to come to the dog), which brings me back to the 2-bite rule in our state.
I should also mention--I don't know whether or not their dog was fixed. We have a dog of our own (Aussie/St Bernard mutt we adopted) but she wasn't with us, so I can't really even imagine her scent setting the dog off, and if so why the Vizsla didn't go after me. I guess I'm just frustrated and trying to understand what the fuck was up this dogs ass. Someone recommended we try to get the dog removed from the woman (if she is the problem), but I don't know. I just don't want this to happen again, and if I can, avoid this in the future. Though I don't know how much better to do that than simply staying away from dogs I don't know (which is what I already do as it is).
>>2029393
Well honestly the owner being so freaked out sounds more like she was honestly just shocked and upset her dog would do something like that, than her trying to cover it up.
>pent up energy+separation anxiety could that potentially cause an attack?
Not likely, but it could contribute to overall stress which could in turn have pushed the dog over the edge when it was triggered by something else.
That said, it's not fair to just claim the owner is the problem without having further info or evidence to support this.
There are also physical reasons for unexplained/sudden violence in dogs--things like brain tumors can cause them to act this way. That may be something to look into.
>people have so little control over their dogs that it manages to close the gap and attack someone
I swear I'm the only person on earth that can restrain a dog properly. As soon as a dog tries to start shit or behave aggressively you need to shut that bullshit down immediately.
>>2029398
Again, from the footage alone it looks completely unprovoked, but I'll suggest that. A few years ago a kid in my neighborhood got bit by his dog, turns out it had kidney problems which made it's mood on edge the entire time. I'd be surprised if petsmart hasn't informed the vet of this woman already to be honest. The only other thing I can think of could possibly be if the dog was heavily inbred? I'd never heard of a Vizsla before today, maybe there's a chance that it was and it's so inbred that it's fucked in the head? I don't know. It's two years old; you'd think itd have shown some aggression before this if that were the case? I don't want the dog to be hurt, and neither does my family, but this random attack needs to be understood for it to be fixed.
Also--the puppy. I thought maybe jealousy over a new dog could have caused it as well, but then again i'd question why it'd attack a stranger over the pup? I don't know, I'm just looking for answers I guess. I don't WANT to blame the owner by any means, I just have nothing else to go on; it was just a conclusion I drew, didn't mean to make it seem accusatory.
>>2029400
My mum had to push the dog off of her--the woman just stood there shocked until my mum realized she was bleeding. THEN she grabbed the dog. And I know what you mean--our dog is very friendly and socialized; never given anyone trouble. I just hope this woman realizes how to shut down the aggression, so maybe a lab test will help with that?
>>2029405
Definitely the dog should be checked out by a vet to check for any physical causes.
Being heavily inbred is not something that would alone cause an attack like this.
As for jealousy about the new puppy, that doesn't make a lot of sense contextually. If it had anything to do with the puppy it would more likely have been a defensive/protective reaction.
>>2029408
Yeah I guess; I really am just looking at answers. When we talk to the woman next, we'll recommend the vet if Petsmart hasn't already. It's just so...weird.
I mean, I've heard of dogs attacking but that's usually around food or if the dog was provoked. In this case though, neither of those events happened.
I'm just gonna go with a potential neurological issue that doesn't show until adulthood, I guess.
I read on this website (http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/vizslas.html) the following:
Health problems: Seizures and epilepsy are major problems in Vizslas. Also occurring are hip and eye disorders, bleeding disorders, skin diseases, and cancer. Could the thing have had a seizure and attacked or something (???) Generally when I think seizure I think foaming at the mouth on the ground and shaking, not attacking something, but maybe it's different in dogs?
>>2029409
There are many different types of seizures. So that could be it too,
>>2029378
>Took about a quarter-sized chunk of skin out of her arm
>Mum ended up not needing stitches
absolute bullshit
>The breed (a Vizsla) is apparently supposed to be calm and gentle
a supposed breed standard is a vague guide at best of how the dog will turn out
>in our state if that dog bites another person they WILL put it down
if you're America then this isn't really true. typically a dog would have to commit a level 4 bite for euthanasia to be considered. sometimes even multiple times if it's a level 3. it's hard to tell what level bite this actually is due to your conflicting descriptions
if a dog truly does bite unprovoked without a serious physical cause, then they are an untreatable danger and have to be euthanized, which it sounds like this was
you're wasting time trying to rationalize because of breed, because you really can't. it's either some abnormality in the dog's head or being raised in a subpar way. doesn't matter, because either way they did bite at a very serious level that makes the too much of a danger to the public, from the sound of it
>>2029413
In my state after the first bite the dog CAN be considered a 'dangerous dog'. If it bites again after that there is a hearing or whatever to determine if it should be put down. My friend's own dog bit the fuck out of him and he did need 9 stitches and had to register his dog as dangerous. Since then it has bit him a good four or five more times, but he didn't go to the hospital because he was afraid they would but him down.
>>2029413
By quarter sized I meant that the circumference of skin taken off was about the size of a quarter, not that it was a quarter inch deep. It was very shallow (imagine scraping your knee very hard--that's what it looked like--the skin was raw). It was a 3a, I'd say.
And I know the breed thing is vague, I was just trying to understand if these dogs have had violence issues known among them is all.
In Illinois we have a "two-bite" rule due to a case where a dog bit a toddler. It couldn't be said whether the attack was unprovoked or not because there was the chance that the toddler was pulling on the dogs ears, so for fairness reasons we have a two-bite rule. Look it up if you don't believe me.
Again, my guess is that it was either raised poorly, or that it had a seizure and for whatever reason confusedly attacked my mum. At least if it's due to the owner it can be rehomed to someone who can train it well, and if it is because of a seizure or medical issue it can be medicated. If not, then it's a waiting game to see who the dog freaks out on next.
>>2029405
You would need an animal behaviorist. There are small things that change, combinations of signs, etc. If it truly was completely unprovoked, there is no way it could have been the owner's, or anyone's fault. A completely unprovoked attack points to medical issues like brain tumors or sudden rage syndrome
>>2029428
>two bite rule
your first post implied it was one bite then the animal is PTS. and that's only accurate if you're in pre-20th century or something. it's outdated in favor of dog bite statues
this is an overview for the law in Illinois
http://www.alllaw.com/articles/nolo/personal-injury/dog-bite-laws-liability-illinois.html
>>2029378
Might have been mental possibly. My friend a couple years ago had a Doberman who had problems with seizures. During one of them (onset?) it attacked his roommates girlfriend and he had to put the dog down.
>>2029441
Sorry if I didn't make that clear; what we were told (by the petsmart manager) was that if the dogs bites twice its put down. Again, we want to avoid that so getting the dog checked and making sure the owner brings it to a vet seems key at the moment.
>>2029447
Yeah, I'm leaning towards seizure/mental disorder. I'm just confused as to why it's start showing when the dog is 2 as opposed to when it was younger, but that more or less entertains the idea of a tumor or something. We'll see; hopefully the owner will get her dog checked asap.
My neighbor has two vizlas, worst dogs imo, they have extreme seperation anxiety, loads of energy so always hyper, and dumb as fuck. When i see them interacting with anyone including the owners, they are savage, always jumping and biting and attacking each other. Im amazed they havent been sued over a dog attack yet, those are ljterally the craziest dogs i have ever seen, im not suprised to hear ops mother was attacked by that breed.
>>2029613
>I have had bad experiences with that breed so every one of them is bad
Every viszla I've met has been friendly although hyperactive as fuck.
In a situation like this, generalizations don't help at all.
It's possible the dog could've suffered a traumatic brain energy in the past.
My neighbors had this cat whose head got slammed in a door on accident. Before this, it was friendly and had no issues. Afterwards, it would be friendly and chill, but had random outbursts of vicious aggression.
>>2029378
was your mum partially or completely hidden from the dog? did she make a sudden movement at all? was the puppy the biting dogs offspring? did it growl/bare its teeth or have its hekkels up before the attack? is your mums jacket cheap nylon shit that makes swishy squeeking noises?
more importantly are you on an animal and nature forum presenting zero evidence asking for a verdict?
>>2029632
These dogs need a 2-3 mile run every day; they are hunters. They are very hyper to begin with and lack of exercise only makes it worse.
I've got 3 dogs, been around dogs all my life and actually, there are people they don't care for for no apparent reason.
>>2029641
Not Hidden at all
No sudden Movements
No
Yes
No
More or less just want opinions
Was the cat present when the attack occurred?
>>2029885
No, he was still in the back
>>2029889
The dog should have been on a leash.
I don't fuckin' care if it's petsmart.
>>2029897
The dog was on a leash, the owner couldn't control it/wasn't paying attention when it attacked my mum
>>2029897
Let me rephrase: our cat (that we were picking up) was still in the back when the dog attacked my mum. The dog WAS leashed, but the owner wasn't really paying attention and didn't control the dog when it attacked my mum. Apparently he's jumped on people before to greet them but this was the first time he's bitten someone, hence the owners shock/lack of paying attention.
Sorry for all involved.
Owner of dog is liable for sure.
Was she on a cell phone?
Just curious.
>>2029912
Thanks friend
And yeah, the hospital will go after petsmart, and petsmart will go after the owner. She's definitely liable here. And nah, she wasn't; she just wasn't really paying attention to her dogs body language I guess. She seemed like the jumping part was normal because she didn't really balk when it happened, only when she was bitten.
>>2029425
shit owner if I've ever seen one, what is he waiting for? for it to kill a child?
>>2029916
Why doesn't your mom go after petsmart ffs ?
Happened on corporate premises.
Settlement time !!
$$$
>>2029949
I guess she could, but there's not much she could fault them for. They took appropriate action, filed the report (of the dog attack), took info down, and helped her in general. Unless the had been antagonizing the dog (which they didn't) there's really not much to go after them for. It's the owner that were seeking damages from considering it's their dog, and if it's 2 years old it should at least be well enough trained to not attack strangers randomly.
>thinking breed matters
The owner sounds like a moron
This is what happens when someone buys an inappropriate breed from a BYB, what's sad about this situation is its OP's mom and the dog who paid the price.
>>2030358
It's because of situations like these that I refuse to get a dog from a breeder. Every single time I hear of a problem dog it's always a specific breed. The inbreeding just fucks with their head.
>>2029441
if a dog bit a statue I don't think it counts
>>2029916
I bet the dog was still intact, this is why you chop their balls off when theyre young.
