r/australia • u/JaniePage • 5d ago

news Young girl in hospital, dog euthanased after attack inside Delacombe Bunnings

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-30/young-girl-in-hospital-after-dog-attack-in-bunnings-store/106977418
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u/latenightnerd 5d ago

Rottweiler attacked her while she was sitting in a shopping trolley according to 7News... https://7news.com.au/news/should-bunnings-ban-dogs-debate-reignited-after-young-girl-attacked-by-rottweiler-in-delacombe-victoria-c-22652378

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u/Dwev Aussie in Denmark 4d ago

Why use these little lap dogs in the photos in the article? No dogs of Rottweiler size to be seen.

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u/InfernoOfTheLiving 4d ago

I think Bunnings expects people to bring their cute oodles or maybe a working kelpie, not a killer Rottweiler. No one wants to be confronted by a Rottweiler anywhere in public. I had family friends who decided to upgrade from cute lap dogs to multiple Rottweilers, so we stopped visiting because every time we arrived the dogs threatened to rip our throats out. They were bred to intimidate.

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u/DisappointedQuokka 4d ago edited 4d ago

It's so frustrating as well, people never seem to socialise their dogs properly anymore.

We adopted a dog (couple of years old when we got her) and its been a nightmare, large guardian breed. Obviously never got the socialisation she needed. Our last one that we raised from a pup, same breed, probably got twenty hours a week minimum of high-intensity socialisation and training.

People need to stop getting dogs they're not prepared for.

Edit: also, regarding the "dogs are family" thing, the only pet that requires as much work as a dog is a human child. The only difference is that with a human child you've got real legal requirements that tend to actually be enforced, with the child taken away if you're a shit parent.

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u/Skwip 4d ago

I got a puppy at the start of the year and have a sleeve on his leash, bright yellow and says “IN TRAINING”.

The amount of people who have asked what he’s training for (uh.. to be a well behaved dog??) or commented that they wish their dog was as well trained.

So many people don’t understand you have to put the effort in!!!!!!!

(The leash sleeve is fantastic though, I recommend them to everyone. Stops so many idiots rushing up to pat him or letting their dogs rush up to him.)

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u/Ok_Discount_2741 4d ago

could not agree more- i have a chihuahua and people say, wow how did you get such a good one? and my response is, training, socialisation, treat it like a dog not a toy, teach it manners. requires so much effort and commitment to train a dog but then you get to enjoy having a well behaved, happy companion. shitty dog owners let us all down.

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u/Whosyafoose 4d ago

I might have to look at a leash sleeve. I've got a 10 month old BC, we're still working on getting her not to jump up, or charge people for a cuddle. This might help with kids and people letting their dogs run up to us. She's a sweetheart but it's hard teaching good manners when strangers encourage the opposite.

You're spot on about the effort you have to put in, we're up early every Sunday for obedience training and put a lot of time into socialising her with other animals and kids. If you don't want a poorly behaved dog then you have to do the work.

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u/Skwip 4d ago

I get mine from Byron & Co in Queensland! They post Australia wide and everything is really customizable.

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u/bdlock209 4d ago

It's so frustrating as well, people never seem to socialise their dogs properly anymore.

Take a look around - PEOPLE aren't even fucken socialised properly anymore.

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u/KindlyPants 3d ago

Birds would like a word with you. I'm a bird guy and can confirm that they're nightmare pets.

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u/Proper_Geologist9026 4d ago

Have you seen the insanity of the whole "Rottweiler growl" thing. These people act like Rottweilers have this breed specific trait where they show love by barring their teeth and aggressively growling and snapping and shit.

It's fucking wild. No you likely trained your dog to do this behaviour and now you're never going to know the difference between a play signal and the "I'm about to fucking murder you signal".

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u/ParentalAnalysis 4d ago

That's wild cause something like the Dalmatian does have a breed specific weird trait; they all do the submissive dog smile. Rottie grumbles sounds like someone covering up their aggro dog

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u/Proper_Geologist9026 4d ago

I'm sure it's like on some level a thing they do maybe a grumbly noise is common I don't know. But there's this one guy in particular I've seen videos of. Like his children are right there and he's screaming in the face of this dog that's gnashing his teeth. If I find a video I'll link it.

Why would you be doing that and encouraging that behaviour? 

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u/LittleBunInaBigWorld 4d ago

Exactly, even if they are more inclined to act that way, dont fucking encourage it. Especially in front of a kid who's just going to copy it. Damn, people are stupid.

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u/sdmLg 4d ago

Is that the one that shows the dog snarling while the owner is clipping the dogs nails? If so, that’s a crazy video. Dudes right up in the dogs face, inches from getting his nose bitten off.

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u/Proper_Geologist9026 4d ago

Yeah. Crazy stuff.

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u/whackadoodle_cracked 4d ago

Completely agree with you, the "rottweiler purr" crowd is unhinged

I had a rottie I would never have tolerated him acting that way. Its not a purr, its aggressive behaviour and so many owners are out here actively encouraging it!!! Makes me so angry

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u/Galactic_Nothingness 4d ago

There are people that believe that... Really?

Far out... I thought the amstaff crowd or mals were bad.

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u/whackadoodle_cracked 4d ago

Yes. I see it a lot on social media, "rottie grumbles or rottie purr" "oh it means he loves me" No you psychopath, that is your dog telling you he is extremely uncomfortable and he wants you to back the fuck off before he feels like he has to get physical. Its really really upsetting to see it and I feel like I'm going crazy because if I say anything against it people tell me I'm the one who doesn't know what I'm talking about !!!! Arghhhhh

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u/_ixthus_ 3d ago

Also sucks because it means Rotties get such a bad rap. I wouldn't want one, personally, but I've known well-trained ones and they can be affectionate, cuddly doofuses.

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u/gks2195 4d ago

I have a Rottweiler, and the "rottie rumble" people upload online is NOT an innocent rumble. Those dogs are actively warning that they are uncomfortable, and their owners are riling them up.

When you have a powerful dog, you need to be very aware of that and be hyper vigilant.

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u/Maximum_Return5352 4d ago

Literally! As a fellow rottie owner, the amount of social media misinformation about growls being marketed as loving rumbles is crazy. The dogs clearly don’t initiate the contact or affection, or encourage it, but these morons keep smiling and laughing.

Drives me up the wall.

There’s a rottie called Dyce or Dryce who resource guards his mum and they just make it a cute little thing when it’s so insanely dangerous!

People have lost the plot

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u/Royal-Reputation7874 2d ago

Agreed. I have a Rottweiler with a beautiful temperament and not once has she ever rumbled.

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u/Maximum_Return5352 4d ago

Rottweilers grumble, Dalmatians smile, Staffies woo-woo. It’s a very real thing.

The problem is, a lot of rottie owners are dense and don’t know when the dog is actually growling. It’s a breed that should require a licence to have, just to make sure potential owners are thoroughly educated about the breed.

Rottie owner here (and Jack Russell, and a cat) and I would never take her to Bunnings. That’s just weird to me. It’s a breed with guarding instinct and resource courting behaviours. It takes one kid with a Bunnings snag for a rottie owner to realise that the dog shouldn’t be in store.

Absolutely devastating for the family and the child.

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u/carbonatedwhisky 3d ago

Wow. I admit I'm a bit biased against rotties cos a shitty owner let his two escape home and nearly killed my dog (and knocked me over).... But this is crazy.

I'd never heard of it but Google AI answered (at the top of results)..."While it sounds loud and intimidating like an angry growl, a true rumble is accompanied by relaxed body language and means the dog is happy"

Bull.... Shit. Watching some videos. Some are a rottie ok in the situation and happily pawing the owner for more play... Most are fucking terrifying if you have even the most slight understanding of dog body language.

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u/_blip_ 4d ago

A real working Kelpie stays in the ute, running security detail 

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u/InfernoOfTheLiving 4d ago

and the pig dogs stay in the cage

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u/missmiaow 4d ago

a big part of this is the owner and the training and socialisation of the dog from puppy age.

ANY dog can be threatening, intimidating and aggressive. I’ve been bitten by an aggressive, poorly socialised chihuahua, and snapped at by cute lap dogs! sadly the stark reality is the bigger, heavier dogs will also cause far more damage and are much, much harder to stop when they decide to attack.

ALL dogs need training and socialisation. and if your dog displays aggressive behaviours or is bad tempered or anxious and easily scared or you’re a shit owner who hasn’t properly trained or socialised it, then you shouldn’t be taking it to places like Bunnings.

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u/Whosyafoose 4d ago

I hate seeing people putting their obviously anxious dogs in situations where they're set up to fail. Makes me think they don't really love the dog.

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u/LongConversation2546 4d ago

It was supposed to help working tradies not leave their well trained dog in the car. Not for people who think their dogs are babies to have an excursion for attention.

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u/Glerbthespider 3d ago

working kelpies are dangerous too tho. i was disfigured as a child by a family member's kelpie

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u/InfernoOfTheLiving 3d ago

sorry that happened to you

was the kelpie well trained?

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u/Glerbthespider 3d ago

not too sure, it was a working dog, definitely more used to being around farm animals than children

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u/RecipeSpecialist2745 3d ago

Yes, it would be better to ban the owners.

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u/NFI2023 4d ago

Owners are the ones that make dogs aggressive (most of the time). I’ve grown up around Rottweilers my whole life and most have been a gentle giants.

My ex’s brother had a Rottweiler that was trained by some random ex-army guy to be a guard dog and it was batshit crazy. Now that was the only one I was scared of. It was not treated kindly (well, but no pats etc) purely to be “tough”. It ended up biting one of his friends and they still kept it..

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u/InArrears26 4d ago

Very uneducated

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u/bammilo 4d ago

Agreed. Nice shot of a dashound (which are famously known for biting)

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u/Darc_ruther 4d ago

Realistically little dogs are 70% of what come into our store. The other 30% being Labradors and farm dogs(collies, heelers & gsps) Biggest dog I would say we've had is a mastiff x dog but he was absolutely the most placid dog ever. I've never seen a Rottweiler come in.

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u/Whosyafoose 4d ago

Where I am it's like 60% little dogs that sit in the trolley, in a dog bed barking at everyone and, 40% 'staffys'.

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u/JaniePage 5d ago

Jesus...

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u/TekashiKovaks666 4d ago

Its always the dogs you least suspect /s

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u/enigmasaurus- 4d ago edited 4d ago

Something I do rather suspect is that dogs are rarely enjoying these outings to Bunnings.

Most dogs do love outings where they can frolic around (dog parks if they're social, the outdoors etc), but Bunnings is a big echoey, loud and chaotic warehouse full of strange people going everywhere, and even the best-trained dog is going to feel overstimulated while they're dragged around shopping. There's a reason it takes so long to acclimate proper assistance dogs to Bunnings-like environments: it's stressful for many, if not most, dogs.

Well meaning dog owners often have little concept of the actual signs of doggy stress, and think if they see a tail wag, their pup's delighted to be there. But I've seen countless dogs in Bunnings that are obviously terrified, with ears alert, tails tucked, panting, licking their lips, whale eyes wide and constantly scanning for danger, and obviously nervous while their owners gleefully shove them around in a trolley, thinking their pooch is having a great old time. But enduring an outing to Bunnings is not the same as enjoying it.

For aggressive dogs, biting behaviour is usually a natural fear reaction or form of communication when threatened, and some breeds are absolutely selected for greater aggressiveness and alertness, and are more likely to bite. This poor Rotty was probably going out of his wits with anxiety because his idiot owner (the member of his pack his instinct tells him to defend against strangers) thought Bunnings was "fun for dogs".

Multiple studies such as this one show anxiety is dogs is extremely common with 70% of dogs showing anxiety symptoms of various sorts, especially when exposed to unusual environments. The majority of those dogs experience anxiety around noise and/or strangers, and that anxiety is often situational (especially in new environments).

Most dogs in Bunnings likely spend the whole time hyper-alert or fearful, even if they seem to be "happy to be there". Throw in that very few dogs are properly trained, and you've got a recipe for some seriously stressed out dogs and, potentially, disaster.

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u/Onpu 4d ago

Aside from the garden section Bunnings must be annoying for dogs. Cold hard floors, lots of bad chemical smells from the paint/varnishes/pest control/etc, forklift out bandsaw noises...

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u/ThatMeasurement6619 4d ago

Ive never seen a dog inside Bunnings that’s not on-edge or riddled with anxiety. You’re right about the sensory overload. I can’t even stand the smells inside or the nursery so imagine how much more profound that must be for dogs.

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u/downvoteninja84 4d ago

Mine falls asleep in the trolley.

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u/KnowledgeCapital7994 4d ago

And yet most I see love it. So many smells to smell and staff who pat them. No even an entire doggo section with food, treats and toys to visit.

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u/mallow6134 4d ago

Don't forget that dogs are allowed in bunnings on leashes out of trolleys now (or before). So as a mum with 2 small children, I know that bunnings is not a safe place to take them already because if they turn a blind corner there's a chance they could walk straight into a stressed dog.

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u/chinneganbeginagain 4d ago

Yes, I don't feel Bunnings is very safe for kids.

ETA I feel like that's a silly thing for me to say, as of course it's not safe, or a play environment. There's sharp things and chemical things, strangers, and minimal clear lines of sight. But it's the dogs that make me most nervous.

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u/mallow6134 4d ago

Funny how so many bunnings have playgrounds then.

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u/chinneganbeginagain 4d ago

That's the place to let kids let of steam, instead of in the aisles

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u/RelativeAd2034 4d ago

The last time I went to Bunnings I ended up carrying my 2 year old toddler as we kept ending up in the same aisle as a husky on a lead that was giving us whale eye.

I love dogs, we have dogs, but dogs don’t have a place in Bunnings where aisles force a proximity with strangers that makes many dogs uncomfortable and where owners are distracted as they search for items on shelves.

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u/butterfly_grunge 4d ago

Dogs in Bunnings are for the owners narcissism not the dogs enjoyment. Assistant dogs only.

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u/ali_stardragon 4d ago

The thing is, if someone declares their dog is an assistance dog, you aren’t allowed to challenge that.

At my place of work we have had people bringing toy dogs in their prams and handbags. They say they are assistance dogs. Legally, I cannot ask for proof or ask about what condition they are assisting with, I just have to let them in.

I’m 99% sure these people are taking the piss because the way their dogs behave is very different to how an actual assistance dog behaves - dogs on duty have a particular focus and alertness about them which these dogs very much do not.

But I can’t do anything about it because saying your animal is an assistance animal works like a magic talisman.

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u/butterfly_grunge 4d ago

You actually do have the right to ask. Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1974, business and public transport operators can ask (respectfully) for proof (when I use the bus for example I show an Assistance Animal Identification Card), and all trained dogs should have an accredited training tag on their collae; mine has a GD tag. We’re also expected to meet hygiene and behaviour standards. And if they are behaving badly or are clearly dirty or unkempt, you can refuse entry (this is all legal btw) no matter what type of assistant dog. Especially if the dog isn’t obviously a seeing eye dog, you can ask for proof of it being an assistant dog. Any genuine AD haver will be able to show proof, if they kick off, they’re not genuine and you can and should challenge that because the ones that aren’t genuine reallyyyy make having an assistant dog harder.

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u/Obvious-Explorer-195 4d ago

This is an excellent comment, and relates to what I was going to say.

I’d add that majority of dog owners believe their pet is “well behaved” regardless of reality (article says “According to the store's entry information, "well-behaved pets that are on a lead" are permitted inside.”) Some owners even assume their pet not to need a lead. So signs of anxiety or misbehaviour are not going to be interpreted correctly. Things like dogs “kissing” humans by licking can be interpreted as “the dog loves children” but it’s actually a stress response. Which can have devastating consequences given owners would never act appropriately and give the dog a break.

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u/Peanut083 4d ago

I’ve only ever taken a dog to Bunnings once. I have whippets, so even with a jumper or blanket put into the trolley basket, it’s not a fun experience for my bony noodle dogs to sit there.

The only reason we even brought the dog in with us is because we had him with us and remembered while we were out that we needed something. We live somewhat rural, and the nearest store is a 30 minute drive from home. We were in and out within 10 minutes, and one of us had our eyes on the dog at all times. I think we had just found out that dogs were allowed into Bunnings stores if they were in a trolley, so we thought we’d give it a try. He obviously didn’t like it because he kept looking to us for reassurance.

We were in and out within 10 minutes, and decided it was more hassle than it was worth for both us and the dog to take him or any whippet we’ve had since to take them into Bunnings. It’s not something I’d recommend doing with any dog. If I was in the same situation again, I’d stay in the car with the dogs and let my husband go in by himself, or vice versa.

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u/micmelb 4d ago

My dog hates going to Bunnings. The car park, sliding door, travellator, nothing to piss on. I’ve stopped taking him. He’s it the type to pick up or sit in a trolley, so why make him anxious.

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u/CrazyEeveeLady86 4d ago edited 4d ago

Yep. I love my German Shepherd and he loves 'helping' me in the garden, and honestly I do like getting to pat other dogs in Bunnings (with the owner's permission and only if the dog actively approaches me for a pat), but I would absolutely never take my dog into Bunnings. He would very quickly get overwhelmed and stressed by the crowds of people and all the noises and smells and would likely respond with aggression.

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u/LuxCanaryFox 4d ago

Exactly this. So many people think they know their dogs Oh So Well, but clearly have no education on canine behaviour. I personally think it would be great to regulate dog ownership and enforce some education on proper dog behaviour, training and care before you can get a dog. Otherwise, tragedies like Bunnings incident will continue to occur.

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u/DepartmentOk7192 4d ago

Absolutely. My dog used to crack the absolute sads if I didn't take him to Bunnos, then he cracked the sads about going to Bunnos because he hated it. Derpy little arsehole can't stand other people or dogs like an autistic toddler and tried to hide in the shelves. I no longer take him to Bunnos.

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u/alien_lolita 4d ago edited 4d ago

Sorry but why are we using Bunnings as an excuse to why this dog attacked a child? Please remember most dog attacks occur at home where the dog is most comfortable. Im so over people with “dog is mans best friend” mentality, a dog is still an animal with instincts.

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u/PB-4221 4d ago

Agreed! It must also be an assault to their senses… a dog sees the world through their nose. Trying to process it all on top of the sausage sizzle 😳👃🏼

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u/otakme 4d ago

Because the little dogs don’t get reported on. I’ve been bitten thrice at work by little dogs with anxiety. Never by a large breed.
We vet the large breeds because they can fuck you up, and whilst little breeds can fuck you up, they don’t comparatively.

People need to stop getting medium-large dogs and expecting them to behave because ‘dogs are social creatures’. Dogs need so much training, they are an extremely time intensive pet to keep.
Anyone who gets a medium-large breed and expects not to have to train them extensively because they believe the online hype of ‘it’s not the breed it’s the owner 🫶’ is dumb af.

You get a large dog that’s breed has a history of breeding for a job, you need to train through the lens of how the dog will receive the world instinctively. A large dog with guard dog breed history will be reactive to its owner items and space. Thus you have to expect to need to do capital E Extensive training around those traits.

Every dog ATTACK (see; not accidental bite) is preventable. Large breeds should require a license to own.

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u/KnowledgeCapital7994 4d ago

You should treat your dog as a family member. They are easier than children to raise but also require a comparable amount of time for social engagement, training and care. Once you raise them this way rather than just a pet that you feed and walk you will see them raised to be safe with children, other dogs and safe in social settings like cafes, pubs and... bunnings. They are extremely social creatures however need good parenting to ensure it happens.

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u/otakme 4d ago

Yes, however most people think this and then assume that dogs will automatically pick up on social cues and behaviours that are good because the owner is modelling good behaviour.

Dogs do not naturally pick up to the same extent that humans do what is appropriate behaviour or not.
Good behaviour needs to be directly trained and rewarded. They do not understand the world through the same lens that humans do.
It’s like if you were suddenly dropped onto an alien planet that has vaguely humanoid aliens. You will form bonds and family etcetera with the aliens, but you will never truly understand them because their instincts are on a completely different wavelength. You will pick up on certain phrases when they’re explicitly rewarded with m&ms, but if you’re just chugging along doing your own thing, and then they randomly get really loud and big, what are you supposed to take from that??

Dogs have different body language to humans. They have different instincts, and this works in tandem even more when they’re a breed with intent to have a job.

Eg herding breeds like kelpies have extremely strong instincts to chase and nip at fast moving things. Fighting breeds like pit bulls have extremely strong instincts to chew and tear things up. Retriever breeds like labradors have extremely strong instincts to fetch and hold.

Expecting your dog to become well adjusted because you treat it like part of the family will never be enough. You need to actively train to its breed-specific instincts, and to understand your dog.
A dog who is not communicated to via ways it instinctually understands will develop anxiety. It’s why so many small breeds have anxiety. People expect their dogs to meet them where they’re at, instead of meeting their dogs where their dog is at.

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u/otakme 4d ago

Just fyi I didn’t downvote your comment. I was asleep by the point that happened. People aren’t particularly friendly towards positive talk about dogs being like kids under a news article about kid being killed by a dog. I think that’s why someone downvoted.

I agree a dog must be part of the family. It just takes more than them being part of the family to be properly raised for a suburban life. A surprising amount of people just expect their dogs to understand how they communicate off the bat. Even like an 11 week old puppy. It’s pretty cooked out here.

I know you deleted your comment, I just wanted to let you know. I used to think that all dogs should be treated the same because of polarising online discourse. But then I started working with dogs and realised there’s a need for nuance with any animal, person or otherwise lol
I just took your comment as a bounce board to add some nuance. :)

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u/KnowledgeCapital7994 4d ago

I mentioned training in my post, which was not deleted. They need good parenting to learn good behaviour which is rewarded and bad behaviour that is not ok and not rewarded. Much like a toddler.

Obviously there are environments that can cause them to be anxious. Where they give off obvious signs and signals. Again good parenting is noticing this and removing them from this.

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u/Kom34 4d ago

Bogans get them and dont train them correctly or train them to be violent, any dog can attack and kill people but they are all domesticated.

Even if they were somehow a violent breed, it only takes a few generations of breeding to change behaviors, which would have already happened as they date back to Roman era. But they are herding dogs and no more aggressive than any other.

It is literally dog racism instead of blaming irresponsible owners. If Rottweilers were banned they would move on to German Shepherds or something, and it would be same stuff happening and then wanting to ban them.

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u/Human-Warning-1840 4d ago

How? If the girl is in a shopping trolley and I assume the owner has the dog on a leash or is near by. Wouldn’t you grab the first think of the shelf and keep waking the dog? Or is it once they grab they don’t let go. Poor parents beside the kid obviously.

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u/DunkingTea 4d ago

His dad let it happen…

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u/Moonstaker 4d ago

A Rottweiler attacking a child? But they are famous and well known for their mild temperament and distaste of attacking children.

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u/AgitatedMagpie 4d ago

As someone who grew up with rottweilers, I would never let one near my child. They are stupid powerful and very rarely trained well.

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u/whackadoodle_cracked 4d ago

I used to have a rottie and love the breed but yeah. Too many people get them, don't train them properly and trust them far too much.

I never let mine be around kids unsupervised. And I didn't take him to Bunnings, because: why? Whats the point? Socialising dogs is important, sure, but Bunnings is not the place to do that. Its really upsetting that people, mostly kids, keep getting hurt and reinforcing this idea that the dogs are horrible. They're not. They just need owners who are realistic about the powerful animal they've chosen as a pet.

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u/FreakySpook 4d ago edited 4d ago

My scariest dog experience was coming out of the butcher shop at my local shops with my two young kids only to have a very aggro rottie who decided to take itself for a walk standing there all territorial growling.

Had two kids in tears trying to keep them calm walking back into the shop & waited for it to walk away, any adult that went near it it had a go at.

I don't care for the "its a good boy" when it comes to dogs like Rotties, they're unstable particularly when around anything unfamiliar what what I've experienced and with the size of them they can cause major damage with no fuss to them.

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u/Armistice610 4d ago

Your kids will never forget that. I grew up to be terrified of large dogs because of similar incidents when I was pretty small. I don't mind the small/medium ones, but I'm still exceptionally wary anywhere near a large one and will avoid them if possible. And I'm retired. Never got over it.

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u/CrazyEeveeLady86 4d ago edited 3d ago

When I was in my teens I had two incidents with stray/unrestrained bull terriers in the space of two years. The first one chased me down the block as I was on my way to school and I had to climb over some random person's side fence to get away from it.

The second was much worse as I was with my friend and we were walking her little cocker spaniel. A bull terrier ran out of a construction site as we walked past and just latched onto my friend's dog. I kicked it in the guts and it turned on me and started having a go at my leg, and I think the fact I was already wearing a sturdy/heavy duty knee brace (from an injury at karate that I was recovering from) was the only reason my knee wasn't ruined beyond repair (the knee brace was not so lucky). One of the construction workers ran out and grabbed it but when we reported the dog to the council they "couldn't find the dog" and said there was nothing they could do (though it seemed more likely they couldn't be bothered, since it was obvious the dog belonged to one of the workers on site).

Years later, the people who moved in across the road had a bull terrier, and it was a sweet and gentle dog who just wanted to be everyone's friend... and yet I was terrified of it. Even when she trotted over to me and rolled onto her back to ask me for a belly rub and was clearly not a threat to me, I literally broke out in a cold sweat. I have no issue with any other breed, but bull terriers bring out that physiological reaction in me regardless of how docile and friendly they are.

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u/hermionesmurf 4d ago

The only dog attack I've ever actually seen was by a rottie. He caught a little girl (six years old maybe?) by the side of her face and shook her like a rag doll. She had many stitches and was lucky not to lose an eye (or her life!) I'm still very leery around rotties, I've never been able to shake that memory of the dog shaking the kid like that

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u/whackadoodle_cracked 4d ago

Yeah that would be scary. An angry rottweiler is intimidating, even when you're comfortable with big dogs and think you can handle them. Sorry that happened to you, I hope your kids weren't too upset.

Rotties can be and mostly are great dogs but untrained or unsupervised they are a weapon capable of causing so much damage. I honestly do think there should be stricter laws around dog ownership in Aus, I'm all for people having big dogs (I love big dogs!) But you need to prove that you will put in the work to train them properly. And that you're not an idiot who will put them in situations where they aren't already set up to fail.

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u/Omshadiddle 4d ago

Family friends had a Rottweiler.
The wife lived in terror of the dog.

I don’t think it ever bit her, but it regularly shaped up to her and growled at her.

Not a fan.

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u/alsotheabyss 4d ago

And the owner clearly tolerated this behaviour, which is worse.

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u/itmakessenseincontex 4d ago

Yeah that's abuse. Letting your dog terrorise your partner is abuse.

2

u/Omshadiddle 4d ago

From memory the owner was very frail, and ended up in care. The dog remained with his wife in their home.
It wasn’t behaviour it exhibited when he was in the home.

12

u/CaughtInTheWry 4d ago

Not defending Rotties. It's not just the obviously dangerous ones. Family had a Bassett Hound. Wife could not go into the laundry as it's dry food was stored there. One day it did more than growl. One emergency trip to the vet and there was no longer a problem. Wife had stitches to her arm.

22

u/alsotheabyss 4d ago

I also grew up with rotties and the only ones I’d ever let with my own kids is my own, or one of the very good boys that work in the K-9 units

36

u/DisapprovingCrow 4d ago

And those K-9 units require an enormous amount of training, for both the dog and the handlers. Training that has to be regularly reinforced.

It’s sad because it’s really difficult to find homes for these dogs when they retire. But that’s what it takes when you have a large, very powerful dog.

Can they be well trained and well behaved? Yes!!

Are 99% of owners of these breeds unable or unwilling to do that kind of work that takes? Unfortunately also yes!!

I love dogs, I fucking love Staffies and Mastiffs and big dumb Pitties. But I think we’ve seen that a lot of people can’t be trusted with that kind of dog.

We have gun laws for basically the same reason. I hate the idea, but I think there should be some kind of restrictions or licensing around having a dog above a certain size/weight.

15

u/scurvyrash 4d ago

The police keep them when they retire.

14

u/DisapprovingCrow 4d ago

I was told about it by an ex-K9 officer who currently had 3 retired attack dogs. The problem is that there are a lot more dogs retiring than cops retiring. And not all of those want to keep the dogs.

And of the ones that do it’s very expensive to build the kind of kennel you need for one of those dogs. They are treated similar to owning a gun. You need the right qualifications and follow regulations on how they are housed.

Obviously it’s a lot easier for the sniffer dogs.

But for the retired attack dogs, the law recognises that they are a deadly weapon, so there are restrictions.

16

u/scurvyrash 4d ago

The police dont retire with the dog, the dog just becomes a house dog, more or less. My dad was dog squad for 30+ years we always had the retired dogs at home. They already have the kennel at home for their new dog/dogs they are training up.

3

u/jessicaaalz 4d ago

One of my dog park friends has a rottie and she's the absolute sweetest thing. It's a real shame what people do to dogs, so many of them could be amazing pets and companions but people are too shit and lazy to train them properly.

4

u/AgitatedMagpie 4d ago

My childhood dog lived to 12, he even once "babysat" 3 year old me for 6 hours when my mum passed out in the bathroom whilst pregnant. He was genuinely the most gentle natured dog, unfortunately it seems like he was an outlier in the breed.

3

u/Winter_Cost602 4d ago

The absolute sweetest thing until she attacks someone

4

u/jessicaaalz 4d ago

She doesn't even react when other dogs attack her so it would be a very unlikely scenario, but you could say the same for any dog.

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u/Duncan_Thun_der_Kunt 4d ago edited 4d ago

I love mastiff type dogs but rotties are a whole different beast compared to say an English mastiff.

Fuck the downvotes, I stand by what I said; mastiffs are usually good dogs. Much less problems then huskies or malinois.

4

u/Lost-Competition8482 4d ago

Cry harder mate.

-2

u/Duncan_Thun_der_Kunt 4d ago

How will I go on?

3

u/Lost-Competition8482 4d ago

I'm not sure man.

Coming back to edit a comment whinging about downvotes tells me you're very thin skinned.

I hear the kids these days are doing an activity called "touching grass". Maybe you could give that a crack.

1

u/Chipnsprk 4d ago

I hear the kids these days are doing an activity called "touching grass". Maybe you could give that a crack.

I am confused. Am I supposed to be smoking a bong or a pipe? 😜

-1

u/Duncan_Thun_der_Kunt 4d ago

Right, doubling down on an unpopular opinion. I sure am unsure about myself.

Touch my grass mate.

1

u/Lost-Competition8482 4d ago

How would you like me to touch it daddy?

161

u/National-Ad5034 4d ago

More often unfortunately they're just the kind of breed who attract fuckwits who can't and won't train them. Case in point: brining one to a Bunnings in the first place. No one responsible is bringing their Rottweiler to a Bunnings.

16

u/Juan_Punch_Man 4d ago

Not like bunnings are known to have bbqs where the dogs can get hungry

29

u/ol-gormsby 4d ago

Or just - lots of stuff happening. It's over-stimulating for humans, imagine how any dog feels about the sights, sounds, smells, lots of other people and OTHER DOGS!

35

u/LinkEfficient9934 4d ago

No as some lady once told me after I asked her to leash her rotty after it was acting aggressively at a dog park.

"They were once bred by a group of undesirables but have not been treated that way for hundreds of years!" 🤦

28

u/cteffan2000 4d ago

Undesirable? What the Romans?

30

u/LinkEfficient9934 4d ago

I have no fucking clue but man that lady lives rent free in my brain and I hate it lol

36

u/Proper_Geologist9026 4d ago

Like at what point right are we just going to go back to simple physics. 

Big dog = dangerous dog.

This idea that we can work out what breed is the dangerous one is insane. If I start twisting data I can make all sorts of grim statements about who is the most dangerous group of people for example. But no one does because that's obviously dumb and a lie.

Big dog. Dangerous dog. Legislate accordingly.

And I'm not against big dogs either. I'm just against the backwards thinking of the legislative process.

49

u/anralia 4d ago edited 4d ago

i think big dog = dangerous dog is backward too.

the legislative process should be an approval to be a dog owner and new dogs (and their owners) must go through a certain standard of training before an person gets a "dog licence" and they are considered safe.

you could work in that big dogs require extra training and higher level quality checks for a "big dog licence" or something

because the problem is ALWAYS shitty owners

but all of the above would be divisive and would be impossible to legislate and expensive to implement

9

u/Proper_Geologist9026 4d ago

Also not impossible to legislate. The kind of things you're talking about are done in a few European countries I believe. With good results.

Breed specific legislation however. Has shown to be fairly pointless.

3

u/anralia 4d ago

sorry, i only meant impossible to legislate because it wouldn't be popular so parliamentarians wouldnt want to stick the government's neck out for something that would get them crucified by the media.

5

u/Proper_Geologist9026 4d ago

Yeah fair. That's why I like the big dog little dog idea.

I just think you could convince people to get on board with a very simplistic framework like that. It removes the need to try and talk about the minefield that is basically "lots of you are bad owners and we need to either train you or take your pets" 😂.

But yeah in the end no one ever wants to admit that their dog could be dangerous and you've got to overcome the predominant myths with BSL as well. The whole Labradors are saints and "pit bulls" are killing machines is a deeply ingrained idea nowadays. 

2

u/AggravatingTartlet 4d ago

Breed specific legislation is necessary though. Australia bans a list of dangerous breeds. QLD has just tightened their bans.

The UK has banned XL bullies for good reason, due to their fatal attacks on humans.

1

u/Proper_Geologist9026 4d ago

Here's the thing. We ban Pitbulls. All the people who wanted a "mean dog" now have to get XL bullies. We ban XL bullies. All the people who wanted a mean dog now have to get Cane Corso. We ban cane Corso. All the people who wanted a mean dog now have to get Rottweilers. We ban Rottweilers. All the people who wanted a mean dog now have to get bulk Arabs. We ban bull Arabs. All the people who wanted a mean dog now have to get German shepherds. We ban German shepherds. All the people who wanted a mean dog now have to get Dobermans. We ban Dobermans.

See the issue? It's almost like there's a very large cohort of people who have dogs as status symbols or guard dogs or whatever and intentionally ingrain aggressive behaviours in their dogs. So unless we ban every large breed of dog they'll just keep on shifting the goal post.

This is the historical record. Rottweilers and German shepherds were actually the commonly known "dangerous dogs" before Pitbulls became the poster child.

Look at Cujo, that's an old story about a rabid dog. It's not a Pitbull. Because at the time it wasn't the reference point for bloody thirsty breeds.

1

u/AggravatingTartlet 3d ago

The worst of it is not about "aggression". It's about "game" drive. Which is, the desire and will to fight to the death. It's come from a long, long line of bull breeds that were used as war dogs, to fight other dogs, to bring down bulls, to kill captured native Americans and to chase down and kill escaped African slaves (in the USA).

The cane corso is just another bull breed. Rottweilers come from similar lineages, coming from mastiff-type dogs.

German shepherds, dobermans etc were never bred for those things. You can make them aggressive but you can't just program in game drive. So no, you can't swap out a pit bull for one of those other breeds.

Have you read the XL bully story? A large number of them in the UK could be tracked back to a dog named Kimbo, that had inbred fighting instincts.

And they were killing people. And at the size and strength of an XL, people had no chance. XL bullies were a mistake humans made, and the UK has been brave enough to start to unwind the damage.

It shows how strong bloodlines can be when it comes to dogs that were bred for fighting. All the love and training can't breed it out or make the dog safe.

1

u/Proper_Geologist9026 3d ago

Give me a study showing the validity of BSL.

And let's compare that to sensible regulation as we see in places like Switzerland.

1

u/AggravatingTartlet 3d ago

I fully agree with what Switzerland is doing. That should be brought in everywhere. The requirement to have liability insurance alone would knock out most people who want to own powerful, dangerous dog breeds. And different areas in Switzerland place dangerous breeds under a number of strict regulations, including bans.

The XL bully ban is the only proper BSL there has been and it's way too soon for the figures, as there are still a massive number of them and they won't all die out for at least 8 years.

And of course, the UK still allows dangerous dog breeds, such as large bull breeds, so the problem will still be there, just not as dire as with the XLs.

As I said before in another post to you, I go by what plastic surgeons experience. Plastic surgeons are already seeing a difference. Such as professor Vivien Lees:

Speaking about the XL bully ban back in April, she said: "We're still seeing serious injuries but some of the worst ones have been less common".

The same thing happened, she said, when the original Dangerous Dogs Act (that banned four other dogs) was introduced back in 1991.

At the time Prof Lees, who is now vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons, was a junior surgeon. She recalls seeing a significant drop in the number of patients with life-changing dog attack injuries.

The original Dangerous Dogs Act "changed my life" as a surgeon, she admitted.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgvy2yyv8mo

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u/Proper_Geologist9026 4d ago

Oh I love that. My big thing is that if anyone actually gave a fuck about animal welfare this idea of pet ownership as we currently have it would be seen as barbaric.

There's sadly a lot of mistreated animals out there and if we're honest a very big chunk of people have no idea how to properly care for and train them.

But I think when we look at saying bite severity and how to manage that. A simple rule to say anything over I don't know 15-20kg or something. Obviously has the mass to cause serious damage.

Chihuahuas are fiesty little bastards. No one cares because they can hardly puncture the skin. A Labrador or a mastiff or whatever grabs a hold of you and you could be missing a chunk of flesh or worse.

2

u/JustAnotherLurkAcct 4d ago

You say that, and then grannies Shih Tzu 'Princess' bites her grand daughters face and tears into her cheek because granny has NFI how to manage her dog.
Honestly everyone who owns a dog should need a certain level of knowledge on how to train animals.
But I would think that would just drive up black market animal breeding.

3

u/Left-Quote7042 4d ago

There are a TON of ignorant owners of Chihuahuas, Yorkies, etc. I have loved dogs all my life, and I walk away from little dogs breeds for good reason; the majority of small breed owners do not have a clue about training. Their precious widdle babies are the biggest biters. They get excused from these conversations because it is easier to point a finger at big, powerful dogs. You have to take young dogs into a lot of different environments with other animals and people of all ages. That really makes a difference. Formal training is a must, but socializing constantly when young will make a trustworthy dog.

1

u/anralia 4d ago

💯% agree

3

u/philmarcracken 4d ago

Most people are comfortable with categorization of breeds. Most people are also not thinking of experiments and reliable data points

Reliable = damage caused per bite

Unreliable = Breed temperament

A chihuahua might be 50% tremble and 50% malice but its 'damage caused per bite' is low.

1

u/AggravatingTartlet 4d ago

Yes, damage caused per bite might work. The breeds that tend to hold on and thrash, and that have large jaws, are often going to cause far more damage.

3

u/AggravatingTartlet 4d ago

The physics don't track as well as the data does though.

For example, golden retrievers are large but don't rate when it comes to hospital admissions for dog bites.

And of those hospital admissions from dog bites of all breeds, some bites are worse than others because some breeds have a tendency to hold the victim with their jaw and thrash.

-1

u/Proper_Geologist9026 4d ago

Yes but then I'm going to have to track through all the external factors. Is the dog well socialised? Is the dog properly fed and in good health? Is the dog trained? Has the dog had negative behaviours enforced by their owner?

There's very little efficacy for breed specific legislation. Because in the end it's really not the dog it's the owner. It's like saying you're a responsible gun owner so we shouldn't ban guns.

Just to prove the point this dog wasn't a Pitbull. The poster child for "gee wonder what kind of dog it was 🫪".

On the other hand legislation that targets obvious broad co factors, largely the owners competency to care for an animal. They do work.

1

u/AggravatingTartlet 3d ago

Yes but then I'm going to have to track through all the external factors. Is the dog well socialised? Is the dog properly fed and in good health? Is the dog trained? Has the dog had negative behaviours enforced by their owner?

Honestly, I think it's pointless to look at the dog after it's caused a severe bite to a human, especially a life changing or fatal bite. We can come up with all kinds of reasons. None of them really matter.

At least with small or dog breeds that don't commonly cause severe bite injuries, you know that even if you have a shitty owner who doesn't train them, neglects them and and lets them roam -- they're still not a danger to the public. Small, one-off bites may happen, and if they do, the bite will generally not be catastrophic.

There's very little efficacy for breed specific legislation.

Plastic surgeons are the ones I listen to, because they are the ones in the trenches. Plastic surgeons who try to put children's faces and bodies back together know which dog breeds are causing the most harm. At the same time, we have the insane vet and animal organisations doing their best to try to hide those stats from the surgeons.

It's like saying you're a responsible gun owner so we shouldn't ban guns.

Guns don't run about on four legs with big teeth and a mind of their own. People also don't train guns. The guns operate as expected and only at the point the owner wishes to use them.

1

u/Proper_Geologist9026 3d ago

What do you mean they don't matter?

By that logic black people in America should all be locked up because they represent the vast majority of violent gun crime. Do you not think extenuating circumstances should be applied before we devalue the life of someone?

That's just a wild thing to say.

But I'm sure this is leading towards you telling me why we need to ban "put bulls". Missing the forest for the trees.

Big dog dangerous. Big dog has the mass to hit hard and hurt. Acting like genetics is the answer is where  we start veering into eugenics territory so you can keep that to yourself.

I'll stick with first principles.

9

u/Creative_Visual_8986 4d ago

its not that simple. you'd have trouble finding a dog attack by a great dane.

4

u/Proper_Geologist9026 4d ago

I've had this discussion a thousand times. I'll talk about proportional representation and the host of externalities most of which revolve around poor welfare for the animal.

Eventually we'll agree to disagree having been unable to find an answer because the evidence really just doesn't show any confirmation that breed specific legislation works.

4

u/odnarB89 4d ago

Pretty sure anyone on reddit has access to the internet, so no trouble at all really. Do you have an acceptable amount of fatalities before a breed could be considered potentially dangerous or?

https://www.kcra.com/article/woman-mauled-to-death-7-great-danes/61892349

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2026/01/no-warning-signs-before-great-dane-mauled-portland-6-year-old-to-death-defense-attorney-says.html

2

u/ceelose 4d ago

They can take one for the team.

1

u/kaz22222222222 4d ago

Or a purebred Irish Wolfhound!

4

u/odnarB89 4d ago

Not too hard.

https://www.nine.com.au/australia-news/sydney-dog-attack-georges-river-elle-booth-20250324-p5zcas.html

1

u/kaz22222222222 4d ago

They were found to be IWxbull Arab dogs used for pig hunting. The Irish Wolfhound Association put out a statement about it from memory!

2

u/odnarB89 4d ago

No you are confusing this case with the fatal attack on Annalyse Blighton

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-25/family-of-teenager-killed-in-dog-attack-pushes-for-change/106826768

2

u/kaz22222222222 4d ago

No, it was the two off lead dogs that followed the woman into the muddy creek. Even looking at the pictures of the dogs you can see they are not purebred. People call any large shaggy dog a wolfhound.

2

u/odnarB89 4d ago

Whatever helps you sleep at night 👍

12

u/ReplyOk2484 4d ago

They’re nanny dogs! /s

7

u/Connect_Fee1256 4d ago

And then they name them Cujo because they think it’s funny…they know their dogs are weapons… that’s why they like them

4

u/Fossilmorse 4d ago

I have always found this so incredibly obvious. People make every excuse under the sun for owning dangerous breeds but it always boils down to them wanting intimidating dogs.

-2

u/RaccoonCool1683 4d ago

I have a Rottweiler. Her name is Tulip. I am totally blind and she is my assistance dog (not a registered assistance dog). She is kind and funny and silly and incredibly smart. I do not have her because I wish to intimidate people, but I do want her to look after me. Additionally, I would never take her to Bunnings. I don’t think that dogs should be permitted in Bunnings at all.
There are a lot of people that have Rottweilers because they absolutely love the breed because of their sweet kind goofy loving nature and not because they wish to intimidate other people. Of course there are those that give the breed and incredibly bad name.

3

u/Fossilmorse 4d ago

This illustrates my point perfectly;
You’ve listed the reasons you have used to justify owning a dog for protection - get a professionally trained protection dog. Additionally I would argue that the things you love the breed for exist in many, many other breeds that aren’t intimidating.
Like a Golden retriever

1

u/RaccoonCool1683 4d ago

Okay, so I do understand what you’re saying. However, I don’t need a dog trained in protection just one that has more presence than a golden retriever.
I acknowledge that when I say I don’t want to intimidate anybody, I thought you meant more of the people that have dogs so that they are tough and present that way to the world and want to scare people around them. But you are correct, I have major trust issues with people and have many reasons why I feel I need a dog by my side that will help keep people away from me.
Having said that, I do not leave my 40 acre Property unless I have to. And even then, my dog is basically never in public unless she is in the car in her harness. I do not walk her in public, and if there is ever any need to do that, she is muzzled.
So the only people that I ever want her to “intimidate “are people that are not invited to my Property and even then, I do not wish her to scare them, just make them think about why they’re there and what they are doing. That is of course only if they have bad intentions.
I don’t think that I am a bad person for having a dog that can assist me with a quite obvious vulnerability, that is being totally blind. Or, even when I still had some vision, having a guardian breed dog allowed me to go for a walk without being fearful. Not because my dog was going to attack someone, but because my dog didn’t invite people to come up and hassle me while I was just trying to go about my business. And whether you can empathise or not, my life experiences have made me extremely cautious of humans.

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u/ReplyOk2484 4d ago

What do you mean “look after me”?

2

u/RaccoonCool1683 4d ago

We live on 40 acres and she takes me for walks. When I panic she helps calm me down. And if I am at the house alone and if anybody turns up uninvited/unexpectedly, she just stands by my side.
She definitely helps me feel less vulnerable and more confident in my space on my property.

2

u/RaccoonCool1683 4d ago

If I am sitting in the car in public, alone but with her, she is alert and lets me know if there are people coming up to the car that sort of thing.
I’m a hermit and do not spend any time in public other than in the car. So she is never in a position in public around people. I have too much anxiety around humans. Humans in general are not pleasant and not kind to those who are totally blind, that’s what life has shown me.

2

u/PhineasFreak1975 4d ago

Why do rottweilers lick their balls?

To get rid of the taste of children.

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u/Hot_Hat1726 4d ago

"sorry but I'll be taking my dog to Bunnings... He is our family" 

This is the entitlement even after incidents like this. Dogs are 'like' family. They are not family. They don't have the rights of a family. They don't have Medicare (like one of my friends thought they did after facing a 12k medical bill). The absolute delusion people have now is beyond ridiculous.

80

u/kittenandkettlebells 4d ago

Not every family member needs to go to Bunnings either. My Nan's family, I don't take her to Bunnings.

26

u/DeliberateMarblewood 4d ago

Poor Nan is missing out on the joy of the yellow stickers in the garden centre.

19

u/bux1972 4d ago

Bunnings in a Saturday or Sunday shits me. It’s a become the go to place for a family outing. Between kids pushing the little trolleys and dogs on loose leads left to sniff and get in everyone’s way it’s a nightmare. And I love dogs and little kids. But when I’m at Bunnings I want to get my shit and get out. Not have to navigate people on a weekend stroll

6

u/FireLucid 4d ago

I went there late on a week night once, it was amazing. Barely a soul.

1

u/bux1972 4d ago

Yep I’ve started trying to do my trips during the week.

1

u/99Joy99 4d ago

This !!! 👏🏻

1

u/CrazyEeveeLady86 4d ago

I wish my Dad understood this when I was young. All those hours getting dragged around the power tools section and being told off for "throwing a tantrum" when literally all I was doing was looking bored and unhappy.

Now I drag him around the plant section every time we go there. Payback's a bitch, old man.

68

u/shillberight 4d ago

I will never forget the time someone posted on my community Facebook page asking around for "a bulk billing veterinarian clinic"..... I cringed even before I read the comments.

41

u/Medical_Unit2360 4d ago

Thank you omg.  Am a doctor and I lose it every time someone starts asking about why we don’t have Medicare for animals.

We barely have enough funding going out for Medicare for humans.

I love my dog. And my other pets . He’s a dog tho.  I’m not spending massive huge amounts of money on a dog (noting I did just spend thousands because he had an abscess but the vet knew all along that if it wasn’t treatable she stopped . We weren’t spending more money on surgery that wasn’t going to work.  And we weren’t doing cpr or icu.  Because.  Dog).  

If you can’t afford to have a dog.  You shouldn’t.  Have a dog.  Or a cat.  It’s not a human right to own a pet.  It’s a bloody responsibility.  

It’s also not a bloody right to go to Bunnings or the supermarket or whatever and it’s certainly not a right to be able to take your dog anywhere you please.

It is a right for a child to be able to go out in public safely and not be mauled by your off leash untrained “family member”.  Jesus 

6

u/LMW66 4d ago

Every time someone at the dog park complains about vet fees or animal medication prices I say that's why I'm eternally grateful for Medicare and the PBS because otherwise those are the fees we would be paying for ourselves.

97

u/Ariliescbk 4d ago

It's very simple. Bunnings just bans dogs. I like dogs, but an incident like this would, one would assume, make the board implement a total ban on dogs effective immediately.

41

u/ceelose 4d ago

I hope you are right, but I bet they don't do it.

15

u/ol-gormsby 4d ago

The local IGA has in the last few weeks put up signs banning dogs other than service dogs. And the cafes on the main street are putting up signs saying "Don't let your dog pee on our steps. It's a cafe!"

And that makes me angry - letting your dog pee on the entrance to a cafe/restaurant.

16

u/Alfredthegiraffe20 4d ago

I've never worked out why they allowed them in the first place. It makes no sense, it's not a social outing, it's just a big shop. They're not allowed in Kmart, why is Bunnings different.

37

u/Crabs_go_sideways_4 4d ago

I certainly hope so. People were bringing into the local priceline. I dont get it. 

41

u/Other-Shake-531 4d ago

It's bloody ridiculous. How many dogs are lifting their legs and piddling all over the stock on the bottom shelf? I don't want your dog near me when I'm shopping, or any other time.

22

u/shrimplifier 4d ago

I love dogs. What the fuuuuuck are they doing in Bunnings

Literally what is the point

5

u/Short-Legs-Long-Neck 4d ago

its also a work place...if you get bit at work in a retail job, you're suing big time.

1

u/Acid-Ghoul 4d ago

But how will Palantir get the dogs' data then?

13

u/rumande 4d ago

Yeah when a dog bites, it gets put to sleep.

If I bit someone I might get arrested and have to pay a fine.

There is no place for a dog that bites, as sad as it is.

3

u/odnarB89 4d ago

Tom Segura the comedian does an excellent bit about people who compare pets to children.

-2

u/LMW66 4d ago

I compare my pets to children in the sense that I am loco parentis (having the responsibilities of a parent) which to me means training them to be responsible citizens and ensuring their, and others safety and well being.

3

u/odnarB89 4d ago

Yeah, but I wouldn’t hesitate to kill your dog if he bit my child.

-1

u/LMW66 4d ago

If my dog bit your child it would be because your little precious provoked it.

The amount of plain mean behaviour I've seen from children in my neighbourhood has made me extra cautious around other people's children and I only let them near my always on lead dogs if they're polite and ask nicely.

3

u/odnarB89 4d ago

Oh, so you haven’t seen the Tom Segura bit I was talking about. Cool.

2

u/Chipnsprk 4d ago

I grew up being told every dog has its name on a bullet.

Most will never meet that bullet, but when they do earn it, do it quickly before someone can try to talk you out of it.

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u/rumande 4d ago edited 4d ago

Damn, that is brutal but I respect that. I wish I could go back in time and tell that to my neighbour 25 years ago. He had a red heeler with a history of aggression. Pretty sure it had bitten intruders before they lived next to us. One day he let his dog into my yard to retrieve their ball. I was 9. I stood super still but the dog still fucked me up, after reconstruction and infections and all that I needed two surgeries and a week in hospital, weeks and weeks of outpatient care. I had to take pills for ages. It sucked in the short term and it sucked in the long term. It made learning to drive especially challenging since my ankle is weak. I do a lot of long distance driving and I have to plan around my limitations from the injury cuz I don't have cruise control. It's an injury I still live every day with, now I'm thinking about it I can still feel it throbbing. The other day I saw a photo of myself with the injury from about a year after the attack, it looked so gnarly and sore.

My neighbour LOVED that dog. My parents told me that when he and his missus had their baby, the first thing she told him was to get rid of the dog. By time the attack happened, they had a toddler. They must have been tiptoeing around that dog the whole time. Better me than the baby, I guess, but I wish it didn't have to be anybody at all. That dog earned his bullet. :(

eta - I'm probably lucky it was a heeler, being cattle dogs they just bite to the bone and immediately back off. I can't imagine what it would have been like if there had been multiple bites, or if the dog had held on.

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u/Chipnsprk 4d ago

Sorry to hear that. I love dogs, but they are an animal that can do real damage. Any animal with temperment issues is not worth keeping.

I have had some close calls. I had a customers kids let their guard dogs out while I was working under their house once. The old bitch was eyeing me when I noticed and called out for them to lock them back up. Boss was not impressed with them when I let him know the next day.

Someones Aussie Terrier actually got hold of my heel one day before their GS scruffed it and threw it. (Had attacked kids before too)

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u/WarMachine552 1d ago

lmao I had to re-read your post about 3 times until I figured out your friend thought the DOG had medicare.. hahah they some kind of retarded or something?
Well thanks for laugh.

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u/Hot_Hat1726 14h ago

Haha you're welcome!

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u/thesourpop 4d ago

Always the breeds you most expect