A dog owner has been ordered to pay compensation after his “friendly” German Shepherd bit a passing cyclist.

Six-year-old Lucas sunk his teeth into a man’s leg while on a walk in Laurencekirk, leaving him with wounds gushing with blood and in need of hospital attention.

Owner Robert Weir appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday after admitting to a charge under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Depute fiscal Katy Begg said the incident arose at around 10.30am on May 3, while Lucas was being walked “untethered and unmuzzled” near his home.

She said: “The cyclist saw a large dog coming towards him and the accused standing around 100m down the road.

“He felt a sharp pain in his calf then called to the accused: ‘Your dog has just bitten me’.

“He began to cycle towards him and was aware the dog was biting him on the left calf.

“Then upon closer inspection he saw two puncture wounds on his calf and a significant amount of blood coming from them.”

Mrs Begg told the court the cyclist consulted a doctor before being sent to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where he was given antibiotics for his injury.

Weir’s solicitor, Liam McAllister, said the behaviour was out of character for the “very friendly” dog, who had been rescued by the family when he was eight months old.

He said: “He had undergone some abuse in his formative months and it is thought there might have been an incident with a cyclist in the past.

“The cyclist was being very friendly towards the dog, as was the dog to the cyclist.

“But when he raised his foot to begin pedalling, something was triggered in the dog.”

Mr McAllister added that Weir and his family had taken the matter “very seriously” and gone to great lengths to research muzzles and other measures to prevent a repeat of the “isolated” incident.

He implored Sheriff Ian Wallace not to impose any punishments which would be “destructive or devastating” for the family.

In some cases, if dogs are seen as a danger to public safety, courts can order that they are put down.

Weir, whose address was listed in court papers as Hatton Mains Farm in Laurencekirk, was ordered to pay the cyclist £400 in compensation within two months.