A dog owner is warning others to be vigilant after her beloved pet became one of the latest to be attacked by another dog in West Dunbartonshire.

Teresa Dunn was out walking Steve, a friendly border Collie who turns three next month, in Argyll Park in Alexandria when a large Jack Russell broke free from its harness and started biting and nipping into her dog on the hips and rib cage.

The 38-year-old ran to pull away Steve, who had frozen on the spot, and she was relieved to discover after checking him over, that no blood had been drawn and he was fine.

But she admits, that the incident gave her a fright and although she did not report it, it has made her more wary of the danger posed by other dogs.

She told the Reporter: “If a dog is on a lead, its probably for a reason because it could be vicious, although maybe for some it is so they don’t run away. If I see a dog on a lead, I shout him back or I put him on a lead till I get past it.

“If a dog is going to be snappy, just shout your own back and get it on the lead. Steve thinks every dog is as nice as he is and that is not the case. It does worry me because if he had a more serious attack, as a big Border Collie I know I wouldn’t be able to lift him up and away.

“Steve was fine, I brought him back home, got the rubber mat to brush him and I didn’t see anything. But it does make me worried that an attack could change a dog and make them scared going to park. It could change their behaviour and they could start doing it too. I don’t think mine will as he is a big softy, but getting attacked could change a dog’s behaviour.”

Following the incident involving Teresa’s dog, another owner also recently posted a warning on Facebook for others to be vigilant after stating that their dog, who was off the lead in Argyll Park, had approached a black terrier mix to play with, only to be attacked and left with a huge puncture wound.

Despite these two incidents, Teresa does believe that attacks such as these are rare in that particular area.

Teresa added: “You very rarely hear of attacks in Argyll Park, most dogs are usually great, but I’ve heard of a few in Christie Park. Christie Park is quite bad. There was a wee dog attacked by two dogs and the owner lay on top of his dog and that was the only reason it was saved.”

There have been several notable and savage attacks reported by dogs on other animals and humans over the past year and a half in West Dunbartonshire.

In August 2017, a woman was ordered to pay a fine of £1,000 after her Akita-Rottweiler cross killed two sheep in a field near Dumbarton.

Later in October of that year, police appealed for witnesses after a seven-year-old golden Labrador Poppy was left fighting for her life after another dog began ripping into her neck during a walk in Old Kilpatrick.

In April 2018, a professional dog walker from Dumbarton required emergency surgery after she was savagely attacked by her own American bulldog, who turned on her while out walking in Dalmuir. The dog was euthanised following the horrific Easter Monday incident.

While in November a drunken dog owner was locked up for three months after his Japanese Akita mauled and injured two family pets and a member of the public.

And in December, a woman from Drumry spoke of her horror after a Japanese Akita went “in for the kill” and mauled her beloved dog Clyde – leaving him with blood pouring out of his neck and ear - and requiring an operation to treat several puncture wounds.