Dog owners: Recent dog attack highlights need for proper training

A local dog trainer says a recent dog attack shows how important training all dogs is.

Robbie Bos was walking her Labrador Retriever, Maddie, near her home in a rural part of Arroyo Grande earlier this year.

“We set out and walked down the driveway, along the road, that’s maybe 180 meters,” Bos said.

But the sight of a large dog running towards her made her panic.

“There’s this huge pit bull coming at me, growling and barking,” Bos explains. “He has no chain around his neck. He has no collar. He has no leash. I just can’t stop him.”

She says the animal attacked Maddie, leaving bite wounds on her neck. Bos says she fell to the ground and broke two bones in her hand.

Luckily, her neighbor Johnny Reilly was there to help.

“I put two and two together, saw the dog running down the street and it all happened so fast,” Reilly said.

He rushed to help Bos, who, he said, was screaming.

“I’m just a normal person, a normal person,” Reilly said.

But Bos sees him as her savior.

“He was the one who actually saved us,” she said. “I don’t know what would have happened.”

SLO County Animal Services confirmed that the attack was unprovoked and accused the pit bull’s owner of not keeping the dog properly confined.

“She (the dog owner) was really upset. She showed great remorse. I have nothing against her,” says Bos.

Bos does not want to take legal action, but sees this as an opportunity to remind people of the importance of dog training. She has trained all four of her dogs with the help of professionals.

“They’re dogs and you know you can’t trust them,” says Bos. “As well behaved as Maddie is, we always have her under control.”

Local dog trainer Kaila Caldwell-French recommends that dog owners begin training their dogs soon after adoption.

“Get to know your dog,” advises Caldwell-French. “Then start training within the next week or two, whether it’s basic obedience or, you know, agility.”

She says that just 15 minutes a day can help you understand your dog’s behavior and prepare for any situation.

“If you continue like this, the behavior will get even worse,” Caldwell-French said.

While Bos recovers from her injuries with physical therapy, Riley says future dog owners should keep two things in mind.

“You can either adopt the dog and do the work or … not do it,” Reilly says.