Snarling, Growling Dog =/= Nice Puppy.

[Seshat]

Not to mention that if the dogs are inside good solid well-maintained fences, a reasonable magistrate or judge is going to take that into consideration in any lawsuit that might occur.

[Lala]

Gah, those people are morons. How can you look at a snarling growling dog and think "cute puppy", and any dog will bite youif you piss it off enough. Even our great big fluffy couch warmer has snarled at the kids when they've decided to pin him to the floor.

My stepkids recently got a dog from a family friend. The dog had bit someone and either had to leave the county or be put down. The kicker was the kid she bit had previously thrown a BRICK at the dog, so I'm pretty sure he brought it on himself.

[Hyndis]

All animals, including humans, will defend themselves with violence if provoked enough.

If it were some idiot kids pelting me with snowballs after repeated warnings to stop, the temptation to become violent would be a mighty strong one, though I'd probably only respond in kind.

....albeit snowballs with ice cores.



At the risk of going off on a tangent, I think people these days are overly coddled. If something bad happens, its always someone else's fault. Kids are so protected that they're immune to the consequences of their own idiocy.

However, one way you might be able to get around this is to have the authorities visit these kids. Set up some photography equipment, preferably video, and get them on film next time they visit. Catch them in the act. Then march right down to the school and ask to speak to the school admin, stating that a certain group of students is repeatedly vandalizing your property and abusing your dogs, and you have video proof of this.

The school admin should be able to identify the students from the video (or call in a teacher or other person who can), and the situation could end right there. As vandalism and cruelty to animals are serious offenses, the school probably won't dick around with this. They will most likely be called to the main office and get a stern lecturing. Parents will probably be involved as well as a way to impress the gravity of the situation upon the kids. Point out that you do not want to get the police involved, but if this happens just one more time, you will.


They need their protective bubble to be shattered. They know you cannot lay a finger on them because they're so protected, so they feel free to taunt you and your dogs all they want, making your life hell with absolute impunity. That illusion must be shattered, because in the real world, things don't work like that.

[Hyndis]

Gah, those people are morons. How can you look at a snarling growling dog and think "cute puppy", and any dog will bite youif you piss it off enough. Even our great big fluffy couch warmer has snarled at the kids when they've decided to pin him to the floor.

My stepkids recently got a dog from a family friend. The dog had bit someone and either had to leave the county or be put down. The kicker was the kid she bit had previously thrown a BRICK at the dog, so I'm pretty sure he brought it on himself.

A while back there was a person (local, IIRC) hired as animal control, and this person had absolutely no idea on how to read animals.

He was mauled by a dog after flagrantly ignoring all of the warning signs, such as ears back and teeth bared. He apparently just thought it was a lost puppy or some such. It wasn't even a wild or vicious dog. It was just someone's pet that felt cornered and attacked by a stranger.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Here's what my dad did to get rid of pesky teenagers in our yard.

[PepperElf]

a super soaker

filled with watered down hot sauce of course

[LillFilly]

Ah, yes. I had the same experience walking my mom's grumpy and elderly pug. Woman wanted to let her son pet Max. I told her no, he was old and grumpy and might bite. I turn around and hear the kid start crying. Yes, she let her son pet Max anyway. She demanded to know if Max had had his shots, etc. I pointed to the tags on his collar. She said I should have said the dog would bite Ummm....

As for putting a muzzle on him (when knowingly taking a 'vicious' [15lb dog missing half his teeth] animal out in public)... He was a pug! He had no muzzle to muzzle!

[Bella_Vixen]

Here's what my dad did to get rid of pesky teenagers in our yard.

I don't know how I managed to miss that story the first time around.

Those were the days.

[Kitten in the box]

no wonder they are the way they are...I would be too. One time when I was a kid me and my dad had a wof/hybrid pup. Well some kids would aways poke at him and get him riled until one day I yelled at them to stop...they did it again and ran off. I chased after them and grabbed one boy by his hair and pushed him to the ground....he started to scream and cry so big brother doubled back ready to kick the living shit out of me....what he DID NOT expect to see was a snarling 40 pound pup come running up on him chasing both brothers down the street to their house. Me and my dad chased down our dog and confronted the boys' dad who then proceeded to yell at those boys saying that he wished our dog had bitten them and bit them good. After appologizing profusley to us we went home. Keep in mind this "pup" was half grown and had gotten rather agressive after that around people he didn;t know.