Three times on the calf muscle, drawing blood. Nips though, not bites as such.

We were hiking on the wanderweg between Salhöhe and Kienberg. It goes through a farm. A dog approached us barking. I stood still looking as harmless as possible, but nonetheless as we moved on, it ran at me from behind and nipped me three times in the calf. It didn't back off until my wife through a rock near it.

No other humans were about - we called loudly for them.

Once we'd got away, I did see the farmer and explained what had happened. He apologised, excusing it as the action of a young dog.

So...

We've got the photos. Should I just see a doctor for treatment and send the bill to the farmer or what. Or just return to the farm and shoot it. ��

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does the farmer sell puppies? i could use a dog like that stationed on the path that goes through my land. should stop the germans gawping at my garden....

This is a wanderweg. Public right of way. If you keep dogs that bite, they get destroyed and you get fined. Which is sad as it should be the other way around.

Edit: just read that the law is that all dog bites must be reported to the Cantonal authorities.

Did you ask the farmer, if the puppy is vaccinated? If it is, then nothing happened. It's all within the normal realities of life, once you're outside your home.

If the puppy wasn't vaccinated, you might want to get yourself a rabies shot, if you're worried.

Why? There's no rabies in Switzerland.

Umm, no. What happened was people were on a public walkway and an untrained dog bit them. It is not the "normal reality of life" to be bit by a dog outside of your home, because with proper training and monitoring it shouldn't happen. Plus, there are direct medical costs associated with it.

Hence why the authorities ask you to report it. What if next time it is a small child and not a nip on the calf?

Wrong.
Further, a bill for medical treatment isn't nothing. The comment about shooting it was in jest. HTH.

I'm glad we didn't have to injure it to make it stop. Would have been embarrassing to say to the farmer "your dog bit me, so we'll killed it".

In case anyone is concerned I'm not anxious or angry. Just a bit sore, but wondering what the correct procedure is. Now I know I must report it, if I can be arsed to go to the docs.

given that dogs are the holy animals of EF, it must have been your fault. best to apologize to the dog.

You need a tetanus /tetanus booster shot. And the farmer should pay. Plus the dog is dangerous and not under control and must be reported...

Wash the wounds with hot soap water. Disinfect them too. Keep an eye on them.

Why would that have been embarrassing? Such is exactly what will happen to a dog that takes a run at my 2yrs old.

However, if you haven't had a tetanus in years I'd personally go get one, and present the bill to the farmer. (or just soak it up if it's only a few bucks.)

As for reporting, such is up to you, if it is just a puppy who did not go in all aggressive and the farmer is friendly and will train it you could let it slip, the choice is yours.

Just got home and done that. The nip where the little tyke didn't break the skin is the one that actually hurts. Very colourful bruising. Unless I have to go to the docs, I'm not reporting it. I've had more painful horsefly bites.

One dog we saw today was massive. But we adopted the correct stance and behaviour and he escorted us cheerfully through the farm. If he'd have been aggressive I doubt a few rocks would have helped.

Farmers who keep dogs are responsible for them just as any other dog owner is. You were not trespassing.

Go to a doctor. The doctor will report the incident to the authorities.

They really can smell fear can't they, you should do some work on yourself re dogs.


and apologise to the dog and why not the farmer while you are at it.

Dog bites should be covered by antibiotics

I didn't mean it bad, sorry

OTOH animals are still animals and not configurable machines. They can spook/panick/baulk at anything anytime, no matter how well trained they are and how well you know them. Dogs bite, horses kick, cows kick even sideways, wolves might have you for lunch on a sunny day, heaven knows what rambunctious adolescent puppies can do. That's what I meant with "realities of life". You could have scratched your leg on a piece of rusty barbed wire from that same farm; much more worryingly infectious imo

We humans (generalising) have mostly lost the ability to live together with animals, judge their behaviour and adjust our behaviour accordingly. Yet we make the world around them including wanderwege, it's not theirs anymore. So we (including your farmer) have to bear the lion's share of responsibility for that world and the creatures in it.

A good scolding of the farmer was definitely in order and I think, you have surely handed that to him.

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You should acquaint yourself with the habit of some dogs.

My son was bitten by a dog here. There was no fear on the part of my son. He was waiting on a train platform for a train. The dog and it's owner came up the stairs from the underpass and the dog leapt up at him.

Whether the dog has been ill-treated, badly trained or for other reasons is neither here nor there.

Not as a matter of routine, no. Only if there is an actual infection.

Clearly, amputation is called for.

Tom

Clearly, some people are total wimps, and don't understand accident insurance.

Tom