Owner arrested after dog attacks woman

“I did command him not to, but the dog bit that woman of his own accord.”

Yes and the police "command" you to leash the dog and you did not of your own accord.

Now you pay.

the dog bit that woman of his own accord.

That man isn't fit to own a dog. He'd been warned about it before, and still had his shiba - a breed known for thinking it knows better than its owner - off lead in public. Never, ever, ever, have a dog off lead in public, except in an appropriate place like a dog park.

And he commanded the dog not to bite the woman?? How does that work? The dog should be trained not to bite anyone under any circumstances, not on a case-by-case basis depending on what the owner says. Stupid owner there.

Shibas do, as Moonraker says, tend to think they are the boss until taught otherwise - and it isn't an easy lesson. The shiba is in fact the most popular dog breed in Japan, despite all the mini dachs, poodles and chihuahuas you see running around and being carried about in bags - and there is nothing of the 'cute puppy' in an adult shiba. It's the basic Japanese dog.

Dogs are treated as if they are two year-old human children, almost without exception. They are not disciplined as dogs. The dogs struggle to understand what is happening to them, having in their heads a dog brain and not a human one. This often seems to result in some kind of dog confusion and madness. Plus, they interpret most of their human owner's behaviour as indicating they - the dog - are the boss, free to discipline any human in a way that dogs do. Yet they are also bred deliberately to not grow up properly as dogs. Most of the favoured breeds retain all the "cute"?/deformed? puppy characteristics. Thus they also act as whimpering and barking puppies half the day.

Any one who wants a pet dog, cat, snake and so on they have to take responsability for the animals well being as well as the safety of anyone you put it in contact with. This is not that this person broke into your house and the dog attacked her. There is no question about a civil and criminal prosecution.

Seems like a fair enough charge to me. They acknowledge it was accidental, but put the blame in the right place, on the owner.

This owner's sentence needs to include a mandatory course in dog psychology though. There should have been plenty of warning signs, and even if the dog slips its collar the correct response is not to tell it "No", its to grab it by the scruff of the neck and give the dog a quick shake and then roll it over into submission position (or tail if there's no other option - although most dogs will shift their focus to taking a snap at YOU if you do that). Either way, its your dog, and if anyone is going to get bitten it is your duty to make sure it is YOU, not some innocent bystander.

Shiba dog is probably the most aggressive breed on earth

Rubbish.

They're (=small dogs) preferable for the same reason that people don't keep tigers as pets, unless you're Mike Tyson.

Again, rubbish. Many of the most laid-back, gentle breeds - labs, goldens, St barnyards, great danes - are large breeds. The sweetest, gentlest dog I ever knew was a dobermann. Many owners of small dogs on the other hand think their dog doesn't need training because when push comes to shove the pup can easily be physically overpowered - those are the little yappy ones that are most liable to bite. If you have kids, you really need a dog big enough to withstand all the heavy treatment it's going to get without feeling threatened and thinking it needs to defend itself.

zurc, if you're going to tell us how bad dog owners in Japan are, you might want to come up with some stats relevant to Japan. What does the number of dog bites/attitude of owners in the US have to do with Japan?

“I did command him not to, but the dog bit that woman of his own accord.”

The way people treat their dogs, the owner would probably rather go to jail than see his dog dragged away.

@canadianbento

Can you really be Canadian?

Dogs in Kanagawa seem to be wild!

@Mirai Hayashi There is no rabies in Japan and it isn't usually tested for.

how is it the dog's fault canadianbento? The owner should assume full responsibility of their pet's actions

what did a dog ever do to you to incur such wrath zurcronium? You are lumping all dog owners together as if they are garbage. jeeze tone it down.

Irresponsible owner. The dog should be removed from his "care."

There's no need to demonize anyone in this story. For one, animals are innocent creatures: they don't act out of malice or hatred. As for the owner, who here ever met the guy? Right, armchair justices?

The arrest thing is bullocks also. Just fine him the medical costs, whatever they can be calculated to be. Putting the dog down would be abhorrent.

Our half toy poodle / half mini-dachs is a real joy but still a puppy so we watch him carefully. We've noticed that the reaction he gets in public (always on a lead) is either smiles and vigorous petting, which he adores, or an unnerved response from people of both sexes and all ages that I don't remember seeing in the States. He's still a fairly tiny dog and his tail always wags; he's never aggressive or barks so the knee-jerk fear response by some people is rather surprising.

One thing my wife and I have found from our twice-daily osampo is that there is a walking "club" of friendly folks out there who love to talk about their dogs and yours, and we have many encounters of a very positive nature with other owners. That spontaneous comradery with strangers is a great side benefit to having such a wonderful four-legged companion.

So even though there may be occasional dog-bite stories, the overall story is extremely positive and the bottom line is that even in an tightly packed urban environment, well behaved dogs - preferably small but even the bigger dogs - are a welcome part of society... as long as the owners do their curbside duty.

Cleo, I said "preferable" for the same reason I drive a small car. I really would not like to see crowded pathways with huge dogs in the numbers of teensy dogs seen around where we are. I just got back from a walk to a splendid little park near where we live and there were at least 100 dogs out. Our Boo was probably the biggest I saw, and he's a miniature twice over (actually I think the miniature part got nullified a bit in the DNA meet-up). Never a fight or a growl. Just a lot of mutual happy tail wagging.

I totally agree that there are some great, lovable monsters whose biggest threat is a slobbery kiss. But I did know a kid who was disfigured for life by an "always sweet" German shepherd. Just snapped out of the blue one day, ripping the boy's forehead open to the bone. At least with a small dog the damage is much less likely.

I will say that the most vicious dog I've ever been around was a runty Corgi that may have been short in stature but whose jaws and teeth were the size of Lassie's. He barked non-stop and lunged at me every visit we made to my wife's relatives, and I LOVE dogs. But not THAT one, or now, the breed, which I guess makes me a "breedcist?"

I do have a scar on my arm from a chained-up dog. Ever since I always ask permission of the owner -- then the dog -- before extending a hand!

How big was the dog?

It says it was a Shiba. Male shebas stand on average about 40cm tall and weigh about 10-12 kilos, females a tad smaller. They are the smallest of the Japanese breeds.

71-year-old Hisao Shirota = typical oyaji highchair tyrant

There are no bad dogs, only bad caretakers. If a dog's caretaker does his responsibilities well, and it isn't hard, then the dog is a welcome friend.

habidaccusApr. 12, 2013 - 11:34AM JST There's no need to demonize anyone in this story. For one, animals are innocent creatures: they don't act out of malice or hatred. As for the owner, who here ever met the guy? Right, armchair justices? The arrest thing is bullocks also. Just fine him the medical costs, whatever they can be calculated to be. Putting the dog down would be abhorrent.

Umm... the owner took his dog out for a walk without a lead. Strike 1. Then when his dog showed aggression towards an old lady he just gave a verbal reprimand. Strike 2. Finally, while his dog was mauling the old lady he did nothing. Strike 3.

The owner thoroughly deserves this arrest. I agree that the dog isn't to blame. The owner on the other hand earned this arrest though.

... and saying he should just pay the old woman's medical bills after she was in pain for 6 weeks plus the trauma of being mauled by his dog... that's just ridiculous. This guy needs to learn that he has to take responsibility for his misdeeds and failure to act responsibly. At the very least he needs to pay her bills, a HEFTY fine and the dog to be placed with a more responsible owner.

Why are small ones 'preferable'?

They're preferable for the same reason that people don't keep tigers as pets, unless you're Mike Tyson.

Not in Japan, but I have been bitten three times by dogs. Every danged time, the owner saidd, as I was literally bleeding before their very eyes, "My doggie doesn't bite."

How big was the dog? Most dogs i see here are those tiny!

@Magnus Roe

There is no rabies in Japan and it isn't usually tested for.

ah,yes...I stand corrected

Owner arrested after dog attacks woman

Unfortunately for the owner, Japan doesn't have the "one bite" rule. Mr. Shirota was taking a gamble when he let his dog run around without a leash.

@Cleo

St barnyards

That's a new breed ? (Maybe you mean a "St Bernard" ?) Did give me a chuckle though !

Back on topic please. Other countries are not relevant to this discussion.

There's nothing in the article to suggest he did nothing to help or just gave a verbal reprimand.

The article says people had complained before and the police had told him to keep the dog on a lead, which would indicate this was not an 'Oh but he's never acted like this before' incident. It also quotes the owner as saying, "the dog bit that woman of his own accord", thus admitting that he had no control over the animal AND trying to put the blame on the dog. I agree with Frungy - medical bills are a given, add on a fine and rehome the dog (my only problem with that being that in Japan, 'rehome' is all too often hokenjo-speak for 'put down'. No dog should be put down as punishment for having the bad luck to be owned by an idiot.)

the correct response is not to tell it "No", its to grab it by the scruff of the neck and give the dog a quick shake and then roll it over into submission position

That doesn't work with shibas. They don't submit. As stubborn as they come.

The correct 'response' is to have the dog on a lead in the first place, then there's no need to 'respond'.

Here is the medical bill That is what you will give the lady in compensation. here is your fine for not having your dong on a lead. XXXXX Yen This large bill might make him think next time

It is said that if you bring up a dog kindly, it won't attack others. I had a similar dog that was friendly to everyone.

If that dog has no shot records, they will need to destroy it to see if its carrying rabies...Poor dog may have to die because of a stupid owner.

even in an tightly packed urban environment, well behaved dogs - preferably small but even the bigger dogs - are a welcome part of society... as long as the owners do their curbside duty.

I'm with you all the way on the 'well-behaved' bit, but what's wrong with bigger dogs? Why are small ones 'preferable'?

As for the curbside duty - make sure Fido 'goes' before he goes walkies, That will cut curbside duty to a minimum. Our dog spends 10 minutes in the garden prior to any walkies, it makes life a lot easier.

zurconium - It sounds like you have some pretty irresponsible dog owners in your neck of the woods. I assure you, we aren't all like that. Nor are 'dangerous dogs' the problem here that they are in the US or the UK, where knuckle-dragging fools loiter on street corners with abused pit bull in tow, thinking the dog makes them look tough. So I don't really see the point on this thread of your tirade about pit bulls in America. I don't think I've ever seen a pit bull in Japan.

Shiba dog is probably the most aggressive breed on earth...Even my dog hates them.

It's a dog-eat-dog world.

it took 6 weeks to arrest him? is the old lady suing ?

What an eejit, ban him from owning dogs.

Dog bite losses exceed $1 billion per year. In the past several years, there have been 30 to 35 fatal dog attacks in the USA annually. Each year, more than 350,000 dog bite victims are seen in emergency rooms, and approximately 850,000 victims receive some form of medical attention. Based on data collected in the USA between 2001 and 2003, the CDC concluded that there were 4.5 million dog bite victims per year, but that figure appears to be rising.

Sorry, Zurcronium, but I find your stats doggone suspicious. Any numbers that huge and rounded off like that sound made up... got any support?

I found this much more plausible:

http://images.bimedia.net/documents/Dog+attack+stats+with+breed+2012.pdf

Very interesting to see how the different breeds compare when it comes to reported dog bites. Poodles 4 vs Pitbulls 1985.

Naturally owners should be made responsible for the damage they cause, but preemptive taxation is a load of trash. You've obviously got a massive bias based on your generalizations about dog owners and pit bulls in particular. Pits are wonderful animals, hardly deserving of the reputation they have because of worthless human beings and their abuse of this great breed.

And frungy, I think that making him responsible for the medical costs, and perhaps making him liable for not having him or her on a lead is harsh enough. There's nothing in the article to suggest he did nothing to help or just gave a verbal reprimand. The language used was that he commanded it to stop, which, if the dog is trained, should be good enough. I'd at most concede that dog owners should be made responsible for having their dog restrained and properly trained as well as for the damage like I previously mentioned, but jail-time is baloney. We simply don't know enough about the event, the dog, or the owner, to make any further judgements.

The police exhibited restraint the first time when they told him to leash the dog. The arrest is certainly appropriate seeing as the owner's refusal to heed the police's order resulted in a citizen being painfully injured. I hope the dog has someone to care for him while the owner is jailed.

Finally dog owners are being punished for their selfish and dangerous behavior. Everyday I see dogs running off leash in area where kids play. Twice dogs have attacked our kids when they have been off leash. Dog owners are just one step down from smokers in Japan, a nuisance to society totally wrapped up in their own little worlds. Not to mention the dogs crapping where children play, another gift from dog owners to our kids.

Dog owners need to be taxed for the damage they do to society. Just like tobacco. Maybe 100,000 yen a year wold be about right as an average. Dangerous dogs, like pit bulls, should be taxes higher. In the USA 35 people were killed by dogs last year, most often pit bulls.

RIght, some dog owners are responsible. Arent you all wonderful. But here are the facts on dog bites. I am sure numbers in Japan are similarly shocking. Japan has more dogs than kids now. And there are pit bulls in Japan, many brought in by US military. Japan has no laws against these killer dogs.

Dog bite losses exceed $1 billion per year. In the past several years, there have been 30 to 35 fatal dog attacks in the USA annually. Each year, more than 350,000 dog bite victims are seen in emergency rooms, and approximately 850,000 victims receive some form of medical attention. Based on data collected in the USA between 2001 and 2003, the CDC concluded that there were 4.5 million dog bite victims per year, but that figure appears to be rising.

Despite the number of victims, only 15,000 to 16,000 of them per year receive money from homeowners insurance companies and renters insurance companies. This equals one-third of one percent of the victims at most - just 3 to 4 out of every 1,000.

So 4.5 million dog bites a year via dog owners. And next to none of the owners offer assistance to the victims. Facts. Care to tell me again how wonderful you and your dogs are? Like I said, you guys are one small step below smokers as a danger to public safety.

What happened to the dog?

From what I read, the poor woman was bitten, the dog owner got arrested.. and the dog? Is still running around? Has it been put down? Given a different owner? Extra training? What?

While I admit it is the owners fault, the fact that when let off the leash for a few minutes, the dog violently attacked an elderly woman is scary... Its clearly a violent animal.

At least there are few status dogs around in Japan like pit bulls and rottweilers but dogs in the cities are in general untrained, noisy and a menace. Personally, I believe there should be a huge tax on domestic animals. They contribute hugely to global warming through their diet.

This anti-social old man needs a couple years inside to reflect on his crimes. Here's hoping the out of control beast was destroyed on the spot.

Lets hope the Police shoot the MUTT..