Something puzzles me:

If the dog were in "attack mode", it seems like he would have done more damage, & he would have kept on "attacking".

It's a scary thing to have happened but it sounds like an accident resulting from over-rambunctiousness.

There are levels of dog attacks and this could be rambunctious. Hard to say. Could be that the dog meant to bite as a warning.

What is clear is that the dog is not trained to not jump on people. Definitely owner error.

"If the dog were in "attack mode", it seems like he would have done more damage, & he would have kept on "attacking"."

I agree Silvia, it doesn't sound like a full on attack.

"I think the man may have bent over in front of the dog to pat him or give him a treat."

I think most likely the dog just freaked momentarily and this was a stress/nervous reaction.

I don't think anyone is necessarily to blame. The owners may never have seen this type of behaviour before and not realised how all those people might make the dog more stressed or nervous. The guy who got bit likely inadvertently triggered the dog and it reacted. I suspect the owners will be a lot more cautious in future letting him/her interact with guests in future though. What a terrible thing to happen at a xmas party.

Well, the owner is to blame, but surely this wasn't flat out negligence (assuming the dog never did this before). This is why every dog owner should get professional training.

Beyond, "sit, down and stay", training assesses a dog's triggers and level of reactivity, and you will know if your dog gets stressed and in what situations.

I'd be a puddle of shame, guilt and remorse if this happened in my home. I don't know if I could have pulled it together to host the party after that.

"Well, the owner is to blame, but surely this wasn't flat out negligence (assuming the dog never did this before)."

The owner is probably like most people and just didn't see this coming, otherwise I'm sure that dog would have been locked away somewhere during the party. It sounds like from the invitation the owners knew that the dog was perhaps a bit hesitant with strangers "pat him so he thinks he knows you", but probably never imagined it would react this way. If they had seen this type of behaviour before then yes they would be to blame for it, but I don't think every situation has to have some blame attached to it. I imagine the owners are mortified that his happened.Now if you're talking legal blame, then yes they likely would be held accountable for any medical bills etc simply because it was their dog who injured someone. I just doubt they ever suspected the dog would behave this way.

I agree. We have a rescue dog we "inherited" from our daughter. Not my choice of a dog, but things happen. He has come a long way, and we have come to love him, but I would never trust him to behave in the situation that the owner put his dog in.

I agree, there must have been issues for them to put Henry's name on the invitation.

Was it expected to sit in one of the chairs and join in the chitchat? Maybe next year they can add a pet tiger to the mix.

*****

Well, a bit of hyperbole, but I get your point!

Our rescue is a 1 1/2 yo yellow lab who is a love. We've had guests in our home and introduced everyone outside to say hello, then we all welcome them in. It's worked out so well that it's brought tears to my eyes.

However, I couldn't let her free to roam during a party. Just no. We've only had her since September, and while I think she had a pretty good life before (based on a lot of things), I just am not confident to rule out her getting frightened and reacting.

I would be a mess worrying about my dogs, too. Where are they? Did one of them run out the door when someone walked in? Did our rescue lab take the spiral ham from the counter?

;-)

For the sake of my nerves, my dogs would be in our room for the night. Besides, our bichon would wind up peeing on something from excitement, and I just don't need that!

Yes, Henry should have been put in a safe place. I feel bad for him! Izzi on the other hand usually hides under the dinner table waiting and hoping for a hand out. She is a Pomeranian, doesn't bark a lot, likes kids and people. I hope things work out for all.

Sue

Sounds like a great Pom, marily_sue!

Our local humane society does NOT recommend putting your hand out for a dog to sniff. That can be threatening (how would you like it if a stranger put their hand in your face). Just standing there is fine. A dog can smell you from a little ways away, or sniff your knee, or foot, etc.

Offering your hand to smell, should the dog choose to come and sniff, is fine. Just to be clear, no one is saying to thrust one's hand into a dog's face.

A dog can smell you from a little ways away, or sniff your knee, or foot, etc.

Unfortunately, it is usually the etc. that dogs chose to sniff. ;)

It is they etc.! Snouting the groin is a definite faux pas!

That dog needs to be put down. When I was in my 30s, I was bitten in the face and almost lost my eye when I bent down to pet a dog (Sheltie, pure-bred, not a rescue) who was visiting in MY HOUSE with his owner. Found out later I was his third bite, and he bit at least two more people after me, including a 4-year-old child.

To this day, I don't like dogs and don't trust any of them.

Hindsight says ways I should have sued the pants off that dog's owner.

Everyone here making excuses for the dog just blows my mind. Dogs are predators.

" I think the warning in the invitation makes it clear they saw the dog as a loose cannon based on past experience"

I think that's reading a lot into it. Why would anyone deliberately sabotage their own party by having an aggressive dog around their guests? As the OP said:

" So many of them have met and interacted with Henry regularly. Since
this was a party there were several spouses of members of the group that
had not -- including me. But at last year's Christmas party, he was
there, and young and rambunctious, but everything was fine."

yes it was somewhat poor judgement to have him loose if he was a bit nervous around strangers but based on previous behaviour he hardly sounds like a loose canon and has interacted fine with people in the past.

" Did our rescue lab take the spiral ham from the counter?"

lol, I owned a lab for many years and this gave me a chuckle :)

Oh I hope everyone is ok, the man who was attacked and henry's owners - how awful for them.

I walk my nieces dog, a Shiba Inu and he was attacked by a dog who got out of his locked yard. The attacking dog was a Mexican rescue dog and the owner has no idea of it's background. Fortunately she heard me screaming and came running and when she called her dog he came off immediately. She was almost inconsolable. Fortunately my nieces dog was eventually ok but I wouldn't trust a rescue dog under any circumstances. Mind you, I'm more of a cat person.

I usually walk the dog along the river and there are a couple of daycares in the area that go down there. When we walk by a group the dog is on a short leash under my control.

People may say that their dogs and cats are part of their family but they are still animals and they may say Love me, love my dog/cat, but no, they are still animals who live with the ancient DNA of flight or fight. Even our cats aren't allowed out when we have company.

"Our local humane society does NOT recommend putting your hand out for a
dog to sniff. That can be threatening (how would you like it if a
stranger put their hand in your face). Just standing there is fine. A
dog can smell you from a little ways away, or sniff your knee, or foot,
etc."

As mimipad said, there is no need to shove your hand in a dog's face, you simply offer your hand to them, and it's up to the dog if they accept the invitation. IMO it's not just about letting the dog sniff you, it's a way to make first contact without being threatening or getting in a dog's personal space, unlike patting a strange dog.

I've done it countless times over the years at dog parks etc and never had a negative reaction from a dog, it also gives you the opportunity to read the dog better, and often a dog will warm to you after that initial contact and let you pat them happily. If you just stand there, the dog doesn't see it as an invitation to engage or trust you. I'm just a sucker for dogs though, whether I know them or not I just love engaging with them but I'm always conscious of reading their body language and not doing anything that might make them feel uncomfortable, and even nervous or hesitant dogs respond well to this type of introduction.

"Everyone here making excuses for the dog just blows my mind. Dogs are predators."

I'm sorry for your experience. I think Henry should have been crated. I do not think the Sheltie should have been brought to your house and I would have sued the pants off that owner because of the prior bites.

Dogs are wonderful, rewarding creatures. But it is the owner's responsibility to make sure that they are not put into situations where they can hurt others.

I guess I seemed to be making excuses for the dog, but more to try to understand what provoked the incident so we can learn from it. There is NO EXCUSE for what happened.

Here's what happened to me at the dog park this morning: I was intently watching a lab who was resting and panting on the ground in front of me. This probably sounds silly, but I was admiring her clean, white teeth. (I've had dental problems with my dog and so am interested in canine dental health.) The lab jumped up to place both feet on my shoulders and ricocheted off me to run away. No harm done, and it was not a threatening move, but apparently she didn't like me staring.

Edited: It's possible that the bitten man was innocently staring at the dog, or appeared to be staring.

And talking about dogs just wandering around the neighborhood, today my dog and I ran into a small dachshund by it's self. It could have gotten run over by a car, or attached by a coyote.

I have seen this dog out before and this time I decided to talk to the owner. They are fairly new. I told her my concerns and she said, "Oh, he's a rescue." What did this mean? That he's a rescue and that is why he is out alone across the street from where he lives? That it's okay? I was flabbergasted. So I just repeated my concerns and how bad I would feel if something happened to her dog and I didn't say anything.

haha socks, labs are one breed I just can't believe have an aggressive bone in their body. I grew up around labs and never saw it. My brother and SIL had a rescue lab and one christmas after lunch at their house, DH and I were standing out the front of the house getting ready to leave. My sil came out the side gate to see us off and the lab bolted out the gate in front of her. This dog was supposedly aggressive towards visitors and would bail people up so was kept in the back yard when visitors were there.
I heard my SIL yelling after the dog to come back and then I saw this dog come tearing around the side of the house, growling and hackles up. It saw DH and I out the front and started barreling towards us, still growling with hackles up, SIL trailing behind trying to catch up. You know what though, I wasn't buying it, and I know from experience labs can do a good job of bluffing aggression. As the dog got close I said hello to it in a really friendly voice and the dog stopped in it's tracks, totally confused! By the time SIL caught up to it, I was patting the dog and saying something like "yes, you're a big mean doggy aren't you?" in a babying voice, lol. The look on SIL face was just priceless. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. This dog had them convinced for a long time she was this aggressive dog, but I just couldn't believe a lab would attack me and I called its bluff. It's still funny when I think of it.

Given that the man was bitten on the lip, I wonder if there was a tasty morsel involved -- a party snack that "Henry" thought had his name on it?

I vote that we give every one and every dog ONE pass, followed by remedial training.

Do we know an equivalent human mental age for dogs?

trancegemini -- My DS and DIL had a male and a female boxer when they were first married. The dogs 'guarded' from a to-the-floor kitchen window at the front of the house. One day I was dropping off a note in the mailbox when no one was home. The dogs gave it their all, barking and growling and charging the window. They couldn't 'smell' me, and I was walking right up to *their* house! They could hear me, however. When I called them by name, shook my head and wagged my forefinger at them, they stopped barking, looked at one another, and I swear I could see them thinking, "Oh-oh, she knows our NAMES!"

Chisue, Oski is 40. Can you believe it? He's older than my own kids!

lol, chisue that story is just gorgeous. Dogs are so damn funny, and yes sometimes they really try it on don't they? haha, I can just imagine seeing that expression shift with the boxers, OMG, how does she know our names! what the heck is going on! lol. love it.

Rescue dogs become "rescue" dogs, rescued by someone, because of the way they were treated as puppies/young dogs. They can come with food aggression issues because they've had to fight for their food, they can come with abandonment/unsocialized issues from being chained up day after day or running wild, they can come with behavioural aggression issues from being physically abused. Unless those issues are identified and dealt with when they are so-called rescued no one can really know when or how, the issues will manifest themselves. Dogs can't talk - they can only act out.

The dog that attacked us will be given a second chance, however I'm doing my part, as is my niece, by not walking by that house again.

Just like I wouldn't go to Henry's house again. Why put him in a position of lashing out to someone or something either in play or fear when he really doesn't understand.

If Henry is put down, that is probably going to be the decision of his owner. I really do think many people do not consider all the things that can go wrong, having a dog around a lot of people that it doesn't know. Henry could have jumped just out of enthusiasm and thinking he was going to get a treat. Perhaps others had offered him a treat that evening and in his excitement, he jumped up to grab it and got the man's face instead. I am not a dog person...per se. You wouldn't know it because I have several dogs. Where I live, dogs are a necessity, and I have 3 rescues...dogs that were dumped out nearby, and I have a Catahoula, because we always have a Catahoula...my husband's favorite breed. But I train them, starting as pups...not to jump up, not to bark unless they are letting me know there is another dog on the place or a person comes up. They can't bark all the time and they can't bark at other animals. They learn the basics...like walking on a leash, sit, down. Oh, and "shut up!" You have to be consistent, but most animals...and especially dogs, will do what you want, if they understand what you want. However, almost all the dogs I know that belong to others, are not well trained in any way. They are loved and doted on but they have no training except being house broken. A friend of mine encourages her big dogs to jump up on her. She thinks they are happy and greeting her. It is (to a dog) showing that the dog is dominant....the "top dog". No. Not at my house. I am the top dog. My dogs don't jump on me or anyone else. They aren't little people in fur coats. It is not mean to make sure your animals are trained. Like children...it makes them a whole lot nicer to live with.

I have seen so many strange behaviors out of dogs at the dog park, dogs that you think that you know will sudden do some crazy thing...maybe suddenly get really aggressive toward his best buddy at the park. Anytime a dog is not 100% trustworthy, they should not be at a party like that...for future references, in case anyone is reading this and wondering. There are some dogs that are totally safe...I've owned them before, don't have an aggressive bone in their body. Right now my dog is barking her head off at the neighbor...HAHA! Wouldn't trust her EVER! HA!

"There are some dogs that are totally safe.."

My opinion is different. For instance, I would never leave a dog and a toddler together alone no matter how calm and behaved the dog appears.

We'll agree to disagree...a toddler should never be left alone anyway...period...so that's not a valid argument.

I would not leave an awake toddler alone, but almost everyone leaves a sleeping toddler alone at night. I would not have a dog in the room even then.

Even the most even tempered dog can harm someone whether child or otherwise that is hurting or frightening it, or if it is somehow injured or ill. 'Total safety' in a living critter is simply not 100% reliable.

Dogs all need to put away during those times or brought to someone's house or even put in vets for the night if their vets take them in and board them. Be safer and now its going to be spread what happened and proof on the guys face, not good at all. I couldn't trust that dog at all after that and would leave.

kathy

I imagine the man bitten will need to sue to recoup medical expenses, including plastic surgery. The homeowners' insurance company will probably have stipulations placed on the policy holder to continue coverage, along with increased rates. Unfortunately, the dog may be made to pay for the carelessness of its owners. Any dog big enough to reach a standing man's lip is too big to mix with unfamiliar company.

Instead of trying to train people how to react to an aggressive dog, I think owners need to be bettter trained on how to handle their dogs. Many if not most dog bites could be prevented if people didn't put their animals in situations that feel threatening to them, like a party.

The the one caveat to adopting is you don't know the dog which is typically at least a year old, it's history or it's breeding. But if it was mandatory to run a DNA test prior to adopting (which are no longer very expensive to do) knowing a dog's breed can help a new owner understand better what their new dogs limitations and personality traits might be like. It should also be manditory for new dog's family to take a class to learn about their new dog's needs, different behaviors and proper handling before they are even able to bring it home. When it comes to adopting, we may not be able to know prior history but understanding more about the breed(s) of a dog and proper handling is half the battle.

I don't agree that aggression is breed specific lukkiirish.

I do agree that it is the owners responsibility to take all necessary precautions (like keeping the dog in a safe room) during parties or when guests are in the home.

While I think that there are things that humans can do to avoid triggering some responses in dogs, it ultimately is the owner's responsibility to control their dog.

I don't agree that aggression is breed specific either, but in many respects, knowing a dog's breed is crucial in knowing what to expect behaviorally-wise and for knowing what that dog needs to do well in your home. If the needs (exercise, mental stimulation, training) are not met, the dog will have problems. And that is not really the dog's fault. I don't think enough people put enough thought and planning in before they get a dog.

All good points. My real concern, in reviewing this thread again, was the "warning" put on the invitation about Henry. Obviously the owners had some hesitation of the dog being in a party situation, other wise why even mention it?

Why mention it? Maybe because the owner wanted people to feel comfortable with a dog at the party and to put their minds at ease. Maybe she never imagined this bite happening. Maybe she thought her dog is a tad shy and had no idea how that could play out in a stressful situation.

I wouldn't assume the owner had the least inkling that anything of this sort could happen.

Any way that I personally slice it, the owner is responsible and probably not negligent.

But, I'm not judge, jury or dog whisperer. Mostly, I hope that the victim heals without complication and obvious scaring. I also hope the victim heals psychologically, that the dog's owner won't be financially in peril, and that the dog is evaluated and dealt with by highly-experienced professionals.

please re-read my post I did not specify that biting is breed-specific. What I said is that it's important to know what the traits are for the breed(s) of dog you have. Some are more high strung than others, some require more exercise than others. Some breeds are not recommended for families with children while others may thrive better when kids are present and some are more protective and/or just prefer not to be around a lot of people. The bottom line is people need to understand the breed of dog that they're getting and not just say oh that dog is cute I want that one without knowing anything about the breed.

Also (again depending on the breed) some dogs can become more aggressive when they haven't been properly exercised and/or don't have enough stimulation.

>>the owner is to blame, but surely this wasn't flat out negligence >>

I disagree. One of my issues with dog owners is that most have very little knowledge of canine instincts/reactions. That includes long-time owners - I happen to know one. She is a perfectly nice woman, but she is incompetent with controlling her dog.

She thinks loving a dog is the cure for all faults. She, too, has a rescue dog (her latest in a long line of dogs, but her first rescue dog). It now has to have a muzzle when she walks it, because it will attack anything it finds frightening or threatening. The problem is, it encounters many things in those two categories. Five years has not been enough time to make this dog a safe one around most situations - it is likely never going to be able to truly change its instinctive reactions.

Dogs are pack animals. That means they are hierarchical. ALWAYS. To train a dog you, the owner, must be "the Top Dog". I have noted her tone of voice is completely wrong to command a dog (yes, she has taken him to training school. For years now.).

I love both cats and dogs, although I mostly have had cats which are better adapted to an urban apartment life. Our friends used to be amazed that I could train my cats. Not stupid tricks, but real-life training. They were allowed on the table, for example - but NOT when dining, and never when guests or a tablecloth was on the table.

If I wanted them off I snapped my fingers, and they got off immediately! I could stop them from across the room from doing something I didn't want to....by using a 'command' tone of voice. Even cats will respond to such a verbal command if you are consistent with training.

As for staring at a dog - again, that is WRONG. Staring is a direct challenge in hierarchical society. Only those above that dog's 'rank' are allowed to stare intently. If you are a stranger, you are not equal; you have not proven you deserve to be dominant.

Nothing wrong with that dog in question, except for an ignorant and thoughtless owner who has no business owning a dog they can't really control.

We agree to disagree, and that's ok because what we all think doesn't really matter when it comes to the legal ramifications and what rises to the level of legal/criminal negligence.

We should all be as worthy.

Jakkom, like you, our cats are trained. They know right from wrong, just from the way I say their name. If Roxie is terrorizing her brothers, or doing something wrong, like jumping on the table. I just have to say "Rox!" and she stops what she's doing.

BTW, it's always Roxie that's the pest. :-)

We're all in agreement that the homeowner was responsible, but I believe some negligence was involved as well simply because the homeowner was too complacent with her dog. Granted maybe this was the first time something like this has happened but regardless of how often groups of people are in the home, every group is new (to the dog) and the homeowner failed to properly introduce and/or supervise (or from my point of view protect) the dog with this group of people.

I'm not saying that the person that got bit was a bad person, but there was obviously something he did or (even about him) that the dog didn't like. If the homeowner had been watching the dog and how it was feeling with all the guests, maybe the bite could have been prevented. And I think that's where a lot of people go wrong. They believe that because a dog is social and has done well with one group of people, it will do equally well with all groups of people, which isn't the case.

Whenever a dog feels threatened their body language will let their owner know there is a problem. My dog will usually refuse to go to a person and come stand by me instead, nervously licking her lips. I see that as my queue to either put her on a leash if we're say, in the garage or somewhere else in the house where she'll feel safer. I also tend to trust my dog's instincts, she is seldom ever afraid of a stranger so if she doesn't like someone, I know there is a reason why and I usually don't get too comfortable either another reason to just leash her but keep her close. Typically, when someone comes to our house, she will be on guard with her hair raised until she's introduced and told "it's ok". After that, she will happily go up to the person relaxed with her tail wagging to say hello. If she still acts hesitant, I trust there is a reason why and will say she's not feeling social for some reason. There have been times I've had to ask the stranger to leave her alone because they've refused to accept her rejection. It's all about watching your dog and responding accordingly to their needs.. Everyone is different so there is always the chance that the dog's reaction to a new stranger will be different too.

haven't read all the responses, so I apologize if I'm repeating someone.

The guest will not "have to sue" to recover medical expenses if the dog's owners have homeowners insurance.

There's a provision in the policy for situations like this one, under which the carrier will pay medical costs without proof or acknowledgement of liability, very handy if someone falls through your porch or a bee stings someone in your garden.

There's also a "physical damage to the property of others" clause, in case your child accidentally hits a ball through a neighbor's window, etc.

Checking back in. I haven't heard any more about the situation since then because I left town and went to Florida for the holidays. My wife went down a few days earlier, and I had directions to the B&B we are staying at. I arrived at dusk and wasn't 100% sure I was at the right place since there is no sign. As I parked, an intimidating-looking Rhodesian Ridgeback walked up to the car and stared at me through the driver's side window.

After the experience with Henry, I wasn't about to just hop out of the car. About a minute or so later (although it seemed like more), the owner showed up and called the dog over. It turns out the this dog "Diesel" is just a big sweety.

I did see a message from the man's wife:

He just returned from the doctor follow up and was pleased with the report. The doctor said he looks much better than he expected and may not need further surgery. His next appointment is in February. They will decide then whether he needs to be more beautiful. The bandage is off and the pain is very little, Tylenol working fine for the usual aches he occasionally had before. He can do just about anything he wants to pretty comfortably.

So that sounds about as good as could be hoped for.

That sounds very positive, Bob. I'm so happy that the gent is doing so well. Any news from the other party involved?

Henry continues to remain mum on the subject.

That's good news Bob. He's extremely fortunate.

Rhizo, I'm so glad you mentioned your dog licking his lips when he's agitated. I've seen dogs that are laying down, and toddlers use them as bean bag chairs and ponies. The dog starts licking his lips, but no one does anything, or know that the dog is upset.

Not me with the dog, Sherry; Lukkiirish mentioned it.